No Superman story would ever be complete without DC Comics throwing Lois Lane into the mix - be it as a damsel in distress or a moral compass. Despite Superman and his impressive powers, none would compare to Lois Lane when it comes to grounding Superman to reality. This is what perhaps makes the DC Comics superhero perhaps the most iconic superhero of all time, as some of the best Superman stories don’t rely on Superman’s powers. And some of the best Superman stories star characters in his circle, such as Lois Lane.
Despite her outside appearance as either a housewife or a reporter for the Daily Planet, there’s much more vigor and energy in Lois Lane that makes her the perfect partner for Superman. While Superman is out there saving the world, Lois Lane has been up to her own shenanigans that may have saved the world a couple of times behind the scenes. Just what are the best Lois Lane stories in comics?
8 Enemy Of The People (2019)
What better way to start off Lois Lane’s best comics than with her own solo series? Albeit only lasting for two years, the entire “Enemy of the People” saga of Lois Lane remains one of the strongest depictions of Lois Lane in comics. Instead of being a damsel in distress, Lois starts unraveling a conspiracy that would put her in immediate danger. Thanks to Renee Montoya as the Question, Lois and Renee begin exploring a conspiracy that threatens Superman.
It’s such a refreshing sight to see Lois Lane doing the “saving” this time around. Instead of using superhero abilities, Lois uses her street smarts and her investigative skills to uncover what might be threatening Superman. And she soon discovers it’s more than just a political problem that’s threatening the life of her love interest.
7 Unconventional Warfare (2005)
When Clark Kent gets relegated back to the police beat in the Daily Planet, Lois Lane is sent to accompany the army in the Middle East. In Unconventional Warfare, this ordinary overseas trip gets dangerous real quick as Lois eventually becomes entangled with both the horrors of war and a new threat. With Superman over the other side of the globe, she has nothing to rely on but her own skills as an investigative journalist.
And Unconventional Warfare proves why Lois Lane is perhaps the best in her field. Showing how Lois can fend for herself in a chaotic battlefield isn’t an overestimation of her abilities, but rather just proof that humans can be as brave and smart as their superhero counterparts. Superman didn’t get himself a damsel in distress with Lois, and her inner strength and courage might be precisely why he keeps falling for her.
6 Event Leviathan (2019)
Despite Lois Lane’s lack of superhuman abilities and impressive gadgets, her wit and deductive skills as a reporter were enough to earn the respect of other superheroes. And when the mysterious Leviathan began shutting down the world’s most powerful intelligence agencies, Event Leviathan would team up with the likes of Green Arrow, Plastic Man, The Question, Kate Spencer, and even Batman.
With a crisis without Superman to solve it, Event Leviathan is a superhero mystery story. And it’s such a refreshing sight to see Lois Lane not hesitate to voice out her opinions to the likes of Batman, often serving as a moral compass and a grounding perspective compared to the larger-than-life situations Batman and company are exploring regarding the crisis at hand.
5 With This Ring… (2001)
When Lois Lane and Clark Kent got back from Krypton, they got themselves a super-powered dog and a dinner with General Sam Lane. At some point, to the shock of the couple, the General reveals that President Lex Luthor had in his possession a Kryptonite ring he could use against Superman. So unbeknownst to Superman, Lois went to get the ring for herself with the help of none other than Batman.
Despite his irritation, Batman obliges, and fans get a rare treat of Lois Lane working with the World’s Greatest Detective. Unlike the cute banter between Lois and Clark, Lois and Bruce had quite the witty and hilarious banter - but Lois’s street smarts also worked well with Bruce’s deduction skills as they infiltrated the White House. Before Event Leviathan, With This Ring… already demonstrates the level of respect Batman has for the reporter.
4 Spy-Smasher Vs. Birds Of Prey (2007)
In the DC Universe, the Birds of Prey were a covert team of female heroes led by Barbara Gordon during her time as Oracle. Despite having a disability, Oracle makes use of her intellect and impressive hacking skills to help her team during missions - but Oracle’s cyber-sleuthing isn’t enough to hide from a Lois Lane interview.
While their conversation over dinner was riddled with mind games over anything else, Oracle calls Lois the scariest woman in Metropolis - a level of praise not all non-powered humans get. Moreover, Lois somehow manages to track not just Barbara Gordon’s acquisition of powerful tech, but her civilian life with the rest of the civilian persona of the Birds.
Threatened, Oracle was about to drop the bomb that she knows about Lois and Superman, but Lois drops an ever bigger bomb - a villain they’ve been chasing all along! This issue, albeit short, proves Lois’s level of intelligence, and how much of a powerhouse she is despite not having superpowers or a superhero identity.
3 Wonder Woman: A Day In The Life (2017)
While most superhero stories show the adventures of the Justice League when facing threats, Wonder Woman: A Day In The Life shows just how busy a superhero could get behind the scenes. And who better to show just what Wonder Woman does on a regular day than Lois Lane herself?
In this story, Lois Lane demonstrates one of her biggest strengths - unveiling even the toughest of truths in her stories and showing the most genuine version of Wonder Woman available. Given Diana’s busy schedule, she brings Lois along with her to various places as they try to get an interview across.
In their adventure, Lois sees Diana speak to a Wonder Woman foundation, help the poor, and even be in interviews to advocate human rights. And in the middle, Lois Lane gets Wonder Woman to reveal other facets of herself - being a political icon, a fashionista, and even someone coping with her loss of identity after being away from Themyscira.
2 Batman: Double Date (2017)
Prior to Batman and Catwoman’s controversial wedding, Bruce Wayne invites Clark Kent to a double date to try and repair their fractured friendship. In Batman: Double Date, Bruce and Clark talk of their best adventures while Lois Lane and Selina Kyle bond over their respective struggles as partners of perhaps the most important superheroes in the universe.
The differences between Lois and Selina are apparent, though. Lois lives the life of a normal reporter, while Selina is technically an anti-hero at best. However, Lois shines in giving powerful and grounding advice, especially when Lois gives Selina some advice to help Bruce cope with the dangers of being Batman every night. While Lois isn’t a central figure in this story, her participation and powerful impact on the spouses-to-be was a great demonstration of her strength in character.
1 Superman: Lois And Clark (2016)
After the events of Infinite Crisis, the shift to the New 52 relaunch and a brand-new Superman story left older fans missing the classic Superman and Lois. However, as Superman: Lois and Clark would reveal, the original Superman and Lois were actually living a secret life away from the rest of society. Crises will eventually happen that would have Superman don his black suit to start saving lives, while Lois would keep him grounded as their son Jon also starts discovering his gifts.
While Lois and Clark is more of a shared story, Lois Lane demonstrates both the hardships and celebrations associated with having a quiet life after superheroics. However, as the comics would reveal, Lois would eventually have to step up and go back to a life where she’s revealing the truth for the sake of protecting others. This shift of Lois accepting her bigger role in the superhero universe is quite an inspiring tale.
Superman & Lois began airing last February 2021 and is currently on its second season.
