Stay In Your Lane: 15 Times Lois Saved Superman 

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There are few characters that can hold their own beside Superman, and we’re not talking about his fellow members of the Justice League. Lois Lane, tenacious reporter and the embodiment of moxie, has never shied away from superhero sized challenges. She’s a better reporter than Clark Kent, and many times she has even been a better detective than Batman, cracking cases without the aid of superpowers or super fortunes. Her dedication to revealing truth in the pursuit of justice has always inspired Superman. Still, readers may see Lois as the perpetual damsel in distress.

Superman has saved Lois countless times, but the context should be considered. Many of Supes’ earliest adventures involve Clark witnessing Lois rush into dangerous situations to follow the lead of a big story. But she was a successful reporter long before the undercover Kryptonian joined the Daily Planet. Clark’s desire to protect Lois prevented him from trusting her judgment. Dating Superman is another dangerous job, too! Needing to be saved is not a sign of Lois being helpless, it is a byproduct of her lifestyle choices. If that doesn’t change your mind about Lois Lane’s dubious damsel in distress status, here are 15 examples of times when Lois was the one to save Superman.

issue features the first appearance of Superwoman, the title often held by Lois whenever she gains superpowers. After an accident, Superman volunteers to give Lois a blood transfusion. She gains his powers, and fashions a costume in the same style as Superman. When she witnesses a man being kidnapped by a group of ruffians, she springs into action.

The man she rescues ends up being none other than Clark Kent. His first reaction is to comment on her “fantastic get-up”. Their paths cross again when Superman is captured by a mad scientist. Superwoman saves him, then proposes to Superman. Shortly after, Lois awakes in a hospital and learns that her recent stint as a superhero was all a dream. Even if it was a fantasy, in the end, it’s still a great example of how Lois sees herself and what she would do with superpowers.

14. LOIS STOPS BATMAN FROM KILLING SUPERMAN

Many people recall this pivotal scene from

(2016) as the moment when the two heroes realize their mothers share the same name, Martha. But that’s not exactly how it plays out. Superman is nearly beaten to death before Lois intervenes and explains the truth to Batman. Batman may not have demonstrated such restraint without Lois putting herself directly in harm’s way. Not long after this scene, Lois contributes to saving the whole of Metropolis when she retrieves the Kryptonian spear that Superman uses to defeat Doomsday.

Superman may save Lois at various points throughout

, but it doesn’t make her a damsel in distress. Every time Clark saves Lois, he is protecting his most consistent and effective ally. Based on this film, can Alfred and Lois be defacto members of the Justice League?

13. LOIS SAVES SUPES WITH SUPER LIPSTICK

is series best known for its truly bonkers tales, issue #29 is exceptionally bizarre. Indicating that Superman is in peril, Krypto sky writes a coded message for Lois (no, really). Supes is trapped in a green kryptonite prison, and Lois deduces from Krypto’s message that he needs red kryptonite. She suspects his enemies are spying on her, so she decides to hide the red kryptonite in her lipstick.

Under the guise of writing a story about “Heroes I’ve Kissed”, Lois seeks out and kisses Justice League members, explaining the lipstick ruse while in their embrace. They are quick to oblige, and Batman delivers the red kryptonite covered hankies to Superman. The most brilliant part of this story is the fact that Lois not only saves Superman, she gets one heck of a scoop by making out with Batman, Aquaman, and Green Arrow. GET IT, GIRL.

One of Lois Lane’s defining qualities is her supersized confidence. When Lois steps in between Superman and his enemies, she is almost always punching above her weight class. In this

(1996) episode “The Main Man: Part I”, Superman finds himself losing to Lobo. Lois doesn’t stand a chance in beating him, but wielding nothing more than a pipe Lois confronts Lobo head on.

He quickly makes a snack of her weapon, taunting her efforts to thwart him. What Lobo doesn’t realize is that Lois has created the perfect distraction for Superman to recover and deliver the final KO punch. Maybe being a diversion isn’t the most glamorous way to help a superhero, but Superman still owes Lois thanks for stepping into a fight she had no chance of winning.

11. TO SAVE SUPERMAN, LOIS REVEALS HIS SECRET IDENTITY

When it was first revealed, readers were baffled by this event, angry that Gene Luen Yang would write such a superficial version of Lois. Though she has always been portrayed as ambitious, this was an uncharacteristic breach of trust. But in issue #43, the audience learns what motivated Lois to take such drastic action.

When Supervillain Hordr_Root blackmails Superman into creating a weapon, Lois intervenes by leaking Superman’s secret identity to the internet. No longer beholden to Hordr’s threat to reveal his secret identity, Superman destroys the weapon but does not forgive Lois for her rash action. The story inspired an interesting debate about moral obligation — had Lois stood by and let Superman create the weapon, would she have been responsible for the destruction? Superman often saves Lois for selfish reasons, but in this case, Lois put humanity’s interests before Clark (and sacrifices her own happiness, too).

Some heroic acts aren’t without comprise. In Jeph Loeb’s first story in his 32-issue run on

, issue #151 sees the Daily Planet restored to its former glory thanks to Lois Lane. Lex Luthor had purchased the struggling newspaper, and fired the majority of the staff to halt their negative coverage of LexCorp. What was left of the once great newspaper became LexCom, a website dedicated to promoting Luthor’s views.

Seeing an opportunity to take advantage of his political ambitions, Lois strikes a deal with Luthor. He agrees to sell the newspaper for $1, and in exchange, Lois agrees to kill one story of Luthor’s choosing. It’s a devil’s bargain that allows the newspaper to return to its mission, and restores Clark’s job. Eventually, Bruce Wayne becomes the Daily Planet’s owner, an event that would’ve been unlikely had it remained in Luthor’s control.

9. LOIS REMOVES KRYPTONIAN SHARD FROM SUPERMAN

(2006) didn’t land with fans or critics, but the casting was spot on. You will be hard pressed to find anyone that prefers Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor over Kevin Spacey’s portrayal. Brandon Routh as Superman and Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane had a unique challenge in their iconic roles. Their relationship status in the movie is complicated to say the least. Instead of flirtatious banter between co-workers, we get furtive glances.

Despite their rocky balance, the two still have each other’s backs. After Lex stabs Superman with a piece of kryptonite, he pushes him off a cliff, leaving him to drown below. With her partner Richard White piloting the rescue plane, Lois retrieves Superman in time to to remove the piece of kryptonite before it kills him. Now that’s an ex that you want to keep in your life.

This one is a team effort, but Lois really sells it. Superman makes his triumphant return after the Doomsday event, but one loose end is publicly restoring his secret identity. Many assumed that the Daily Planet reporter was a casualty of the battle that killed Superman. In order to continue to lead a normal life, Superman’s loved ones have to orchestrate a miraculous return for the mild mannered Clark.

When several children are found alive after a month trapped in rubble, a plan is formed for Clark to be similarly discovered. The real Superman “finds” Clark Kent beneath a collapsed building. Lois is on hand to publicly reunite with Clark, even posing for photos with both Superman and Kent. Only Lois and Superman know the truth — Lois is actually reunited with a transformed Supergirl. Together, they successfully resurrect Superman’s alter ego for all the world to witness.

7. LOIS SAVES CLARK ON THEIR HAWAIIAN HONEYMOON

#63, is a tour de force of “Lois Lane bad-ass moments”. While enjoying their honeymoon, Lois’s recently de-powered husband is kidnapped and moved to an unknown location. Lois utilizes her skills as a reporter to track down the culprits. Once located, she expertly takes down heavily armed guards and rescues Clark.

That’s not the end of the story, nor is it the last time Lois will save Clark in this issue. Shortly after escaping, the newlyweds are re-captured and tied up. Lois manages to use a knife (with her feet!) to untie her hands, and stops the main villain without Clark’s aid. We should all be grateful to Louise Simonson for writing this genderswapped

in paradise, complete with barefooted butt-kicking action.

(1997), “Brave New Metropolis”, Lois is transported to an alternate dimension where Superman failed to save Lois from dying. The tragedy has driven Superman to rule over Metropolis as an authoritarian tyrant, even going so far as to work with Lex Luthor. Lois is devastated to see how grief has driven Superman to abandon his core values. She confronts Superman, literally slapping sense into him.

Lois makes her way back to her original dimension, leaving this twisted version of Superman to reconsider the reality he has created. No matter what dimension Lois Lane inhabits, she stands up for what she believes is right, even if it means telling the Man of Steel himself that he is wrong. We don’t know if the oppressive version of Superman changes for the better, but she did her best to save him from himself.

is often seen as the one most heavily influenced by the comics as story lines moved further away from teen drama territory. In the season 10 premiere, “Lazarus”, Superman (or, as he is still known at this point, The Blur) has been stabbed by a blue kryptonite knife which stops his ability to heal quickly from wounds. When Lois discovers his unconscious body, she instinctively removes the weapon.

This was a risky move, as one would assume that even super powered beings are in danger of bleeding out from massive wounds. But as the clouds part and Clark’s skin takes in the rays of our yellow sun, Lois witnesses his superpowers in action as his wounds begin to rapidly heal. This is another example of how Lois Lane’s keen observational skills, combined with her willingness to take risks, end up saving Superman’s life.

When Superman contracts a Kryptonian virus, Lois Lane joins a team of scientists in search of a potential cure. While Superman fights his illness from a hospital in Metropolis, Lois must travel to the distant country of Pratoslavia to find large quantities of the raw material needed. On top of that, this foreign land is in the midst of a war. Lane’s experience as a war correspondent come in handy during this time sensitive mission.

When caught between soldiers from opposing sides of the local conflict, Lois orchestrates a ceasefire, cleverly indicating that she is fighting for Superman. After their arduous journey, Lois and the scientists return in time to save Superman. Did we mention this expertly crafted geopolitical heavy story is in a comic inspired by the

cartoon? Props to writer Scott McCloud and artist Rick Burchett for bringing depth to this all-ages title.

3. LOIS USES A SUPERSUIT TO SAVE SUPERMAN IN SPACE

by Walter Simonson, with art by Greg & Tim Hildebrandt, features a villain on par with General Zod. Triggered by the destruction of Krypton, goddess Cythonna is released from a cosmic prison. With her former enemies of Krypton destroyed, she is cheated of revenge. She swears to finalize her victory by killing (or seducing) Krypton’s last son, following the distant trace of Kal-El’s path to Earth.

The unhinged goddess immediately kills a woman in the Daily Planet office for having Superman’s “scent”, prompting Clark to hide Lois in the Fortress of Solitude. Superman gives Lois a Kryptonian battle suit for protection. Once she realizes Superman may be sacrificing himself to save Earth, she decides to use the suit for its intended purpose. Traveling all the way to the sun, Lois saves Superman and together they defeat Cythonna.

sees Lois Lane of Earth 2 gain powers, and this time it isn’t a dream sequence! Without explanation, Lois gains miraculous abilities. Soon after, Supes attempts flying to the rescue of a person in need. Learning too late that he has lost his powers, Lois saves him from the deadly fall.

To prevent Superman’s enemies from realizing he is no longer the Man of Steel, the pair decide to fight crime together, with Lois performing all of the super feats for them both. In the end, the couple realizes that Superman had accidentally transferred his powers to Lois through a gift: a plant from outer space. The super switch is reversed after Lois accidentally kills the plant by over-watering it. And to think, Lois might have kept those superpowers if she had a green thumb.

(1995) is that the storylines can be just as wacky as the comic book source material. When Lois and Clark are sent to an island resort for a workcation, they naively believe it will be a relaxing assignment. But the resort owner Spencer Spencer (not a typo, that is really his name) has plans to use Lois as bate to lure Superman to the island

After being captured, Clark admits to being Superman in order to stop Spencer from harming Lois. Using kryptonite to keep Superman from escaping, Spencer preps for a Dr. Frankenstein style body-swap. Lois escapes captivity and removes the kryptonite, saving Superman before the surgery begins. Once again, Lois proves that teamwork is the best way to take down a villain-of-the-week.

Did we miss any other times Lois saved the day? Share them in the comments!

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