Why I Love Lois Lane

I will wholeheartedly admit that a lot about Lois Lane annoys me. Her attitude towards Clark Kent is cold and callous, juxtaposing her love of Superman which feels superficial and forced at most. However, I argue that Lois is perhaps the most integral piece of Superman's character development because she adds the element of risk that is so lacking in the rest of Superman's existence.

In class on Tuesday, we discussed the flat, even monotonous quality of Superman's adventures. Superman has been given so many powers and qualities (bulletproof, strength, jump great lengths) that whenever he faces a "dangerous" situation I never feel any true concern for him. His ability to overcome obstacles is so hammered into the reader by the end of the first adventure that I find myself bored with his subsequent endeavors, so convinced of his triumph that I lack the fear and anticipation that would preclude my emotional investment. I become invested where Lois is involved. She is completely mortal with no supernatural powers, yet is still subjected to similar risks and perils as Superman, and the juxtaposition between Superman's powers and Lois' lack thereof is where I find myself most captivated. My favorite example of this is in Action Comics #5 where Lois sneaks off to cover a story deemed "no job for a girl" by her supervisor (Simon, Schuester, 1938). Lois ends up trapped at the same dam that Superman is desperately trying to hold together, and the parallels drawn between the two experiences create the tension and risk that I find lacking in other volumes. Even though Superman is tasked to holding the dam together while Lois finds herself completely swept up by the tide, here is where the difference between Lois and Superman is the strongest, and where I am most aware of Lois' peril.

Without Lois Lane, I think the lack of risk in Superman would have turned many readers off of the series, making her an integral part in Superman's success. In some ways she acts like an early version of krypton- something Superman cannot control yet is completely affected by, making him more vulnerable. I am excited to see how Lois' character develops over the series as well as the situations that she faces.