Superhero comics are full of epic duos, twosomes that have helped define what a superhero should be. One of the best duos is the oldest — that of Superman and Lois Lane. Ever since Action Comics #1, Superman and Lois Lane have been the most enduring relationship in comics, one that has had decades of ups and downs, from the Silver Age stories of Superman gaslighting Lois after she figured out his secret identity to their marriage in the ’90s until today, where they are the first couple of the DC Universe. Lois Lane is an integral part of the Superman mythos, and the marriage between Superman and Lois has become one of the best marriages in the history of comics, if not the best. However, the funny thing is that there is an entire publisher that believes that marriages ruin superheroes — Marvel.
Marvel infamously ended the marriage between Spider-Man and Mary-Jane because they thought that it made Spider-Man unrelatable, but the success of Superman and Lois Lane’s marriage shows how wrong they are. The two characters are more popular than ever. Lois has become more and more of a part of Superman’s life — Lois has recently gained superpowers for the umpteenth time — and fans love their relationship. What is the secret of the success of their relationship? And finally, what can Marvel learn from DC’s success with the couple?
Superman and Lois Lane’s relationship is much different than Spider-Man and Mary Jane’s; in fact, it’s very different form nearly every major relationship in superhero media. Reed and Sue Richards were given to readers as a couple. Cyclops and Jean Grey were also already basically an item when they debuted, as were Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne. However, readers got to watch Superman and Lois’s relationship as it’s developed, with each DC continuity reboot establishing what we already know — Clark Kent falls in love with the headstrong Lois Lane and chases her all while saving the world as Superman. Meanwhile, Lois is also a character that is always on the move as well, a journalist always out for the big story and saving the day in her own way, all while trying to figure out the identity of Superman.
In many ways, Lois Lane is Superman’s hero. Sure, Superman can change the course of mighty rivers, foil alien invasions, and stop supervillains, but Lois Lane can destroy politicians who hurt the public. She can sway public opinion. She can expose corruption and make a difference in millions of lives with one article. Lois Lane is a normal human who can be killed, yet she constantly puts herself in the worst situations imaginable. Lois Lane is, in her own way, a superhero and that’s what make the relationship between Superman and Lois so great. Mary Jane was wish fulfillment for the nerdy audience-insert superhero; Lois Lane is a equal of Superman in the hero business, and while he’s more powerful than her, she’s much, much smarter than he is. And he knows it. It’s this dynamic of partnership that makes Superman and Lois such a perfect relationship.
New 52 took away their relationship and DC fans blew such a gasket that it would return during the DC Rebirth publishing initiative with their new son Jon in tow. However, DC didn’t just bring Lois Lane back; since the 2016 return of the Kents, Lois has played a major role in the Superman books for nearly every story of the last nine years. Spider-Man and Mary Jane didn’t go on missions together, and Mary Jane rarely helped Spider-Man in his superhero life. Lois helped Superman all of the time, whether it was to figure out a way to win or to fight at his side, using alien weapons, powerful armor, and now the superpowers she gained in the aftermath of Absolute Power. Lois adds something spectacular to every story she’s in.
So, looking at all of that, what’s the secret of the duo’s success with fans? It’s simple — the same thing that makes any marriage work: the partnership. Superman and Lois always feel like equal partners in their adventures. It’s grown from Lois being the resident damsel in distress to her being the one who doing the saving. She’s presented as an important to every part of his life. Mary Jane would complain about Peter being Spider-Man and sit at home worrying; Lois is out there in the thick of it, risking herself to help. That’s what marriage is all about and that’s why Superman and Lois Lane work so well. That’s what fans want to see out of a marriage, and DC gives it to them with Superman and Lois.
None of this is to say that Spider-Man fans don’t like Spider-Man and Mary Jane as a couple; that’s a stupid statement. They love Spider-Man and Mary Jane as a couple, but if one believes Marvel’s reasoning for breaking them up — that it made Spider-Man’s life too easy — they never put in the work to evolve the relationship to the place that Superman and Lois’s is. There’s a way to make a marriage interesting in comic books and it’s by doing what DC has done with Superman and Lois Lane for the last three decades — by constantly changing the dynamic and allowing there to be an actual partnership.
Marvel tried this exactly once with Spider-Man and Mary Jane, in the alternate reality series Spider-Man; Renew Your Vows and guess what? It worked. Readers loved to see Spider-Man and Mary Jane working together as a team and not just as a married couple. Marvel had the formula, but they never wanted to use it for the long term. The funniest part is that nowadays, Marvel has given Mary Jane powers again, but they have her with Paul instead of Spider-Man. No one wants to see superhero Mary Jane and Paul. Let’s be real — Marvel never wanted the marriage between Spider-Man and Mary Jane to work or it would have. Superman and Lois’s relationship is the blueprint and it’s honestly not that hard to follow.
Superhero comics are full of epic duos, twosomes that have helped define what a superhero should be. One of the best duos is the oldest — that of Superman and Lois Lane. Ever since Action Comics #1, Superman and Lois Lane have been the most enduring relationship in comics, one that has had decades of Read More