Don’t call her a love interest or a damsel-in-distress. Lois Lane is so much more than anyone gives her credit for. Since her introduction in 1938, the intrepid reporter has been one of the most important characters in the DC Universe. She has the respect of the entire superhero community, and she has stared down some of the most dangerous villains in the world.

If you’re a DC fan, then you know Lois Lane…but how well do you know her? What’s the name of her cat? Why was she forced to abandon her senatorial campaign? And did you know she has another career? Let’s explore some fun (and little known) facts about Lois Lane!
 

  • Lois Lane first appeared in 1938’s Action Comics #1, the same issue where Superman made his debut. Aside from the Man of Steel himself, Lois is the only character from that issue that has continually appeared in DC comic books throughout Superman’s eight decades of publishing.
     
  • A model named Joanne Carter served as the basis for Lois’s physical appearance. Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster hired Carter after seeing her ad in their local newspaper. Carter would go on to marry Siegel. Decades later, Lois was given the middle name Joanne as a tribute to her original model.
     
  • “I suppose I’ll give you a break…for a change.” This is the first line of dialog ever spoken by Lois Lane, and it was in response to Clark Kent asking her out on a date. She’s warmed up to him quite a bit since then.
  • Although Lois was a big part of Superman’s adventures, she didn’t appear on any covers until 1940’s Action Comics #27.
     
  • The comic book version of Lois initially had black hair, but in 1986’s Superman #1, the color was changed to brown. This would be Lois’s standard look for most of the post-Crisis era, until she dyed her hair black again in 2002’s Superman #179.  (Interestingly, reprints of John Byrne’s The Man of Steel changed Lois’s hair from black to brown to match the rest of the post-Crisis era)
     
  • You know all that grief Lois has given Clark about being a small-town farmboy? Well, it turns out that Lois knows a thing or two about a farm upbringing. In 1959’s Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #13, we learn that Lois grew up on a farm in a small town called Pittsdale (population 1,101). Eventually, the reality altering events of Crisis on Infinite Earths erased Lois’s farmgirl heritage, giving her a new history as a military brat.
  • It's time for a Lane family roundup! Most of you already know Lois’s husband Clark Kent (married in Superman: The Wedding Album) and son Jon (born in Convergence: Superman #2). Lois’s troublesome niece Susie Tompkins was first introduced in 1943’s Action Comics #59. Her sister Lucy first appeared in Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #36. Readers met Lois’s parents Sam and Ella in  Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #13. At the time, Sam and Ella were portrayed as kindly farmers who adored Superman. Sam Lane would be reimagined as a military man in Adventures of Superman #424. 2021’s Checkmate #1 introduced Leo Lane, Lois’s secret agent half-brother.
     
  • In the 1990s, Lois had a cat named Elroy. The feline was not a fan of Clark, and regularly used his claws to rip up the Man of Steel’s shirts (1991’s Superman #55).
  • From time-to-time, Lois has acquired powers and become a costumed superhero. Here are just a few of the heroic identities she’s adopted over the years: Super-Lois (Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #21), Elastic Lass (Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #23), Ultra Woman (Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, “Ultra Woman”), Flamebird (Superman: The Man of Steel #111) and Superwoman (2016’s Superwoman #1).
     
  • In Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #121, Lois quit her job at the Daily Planet and became a freelance journalist. “No one tells me what to write about, I pick my own stories. I’m a journalist. Everything I write about reaches millions of people. I have a responsibility to those people! There’s far too much injustice all around us to be ignored any longer!” Subsequent comics had Lois write about a series of social justice issues. However, the freelance angle slowly disappeared, with Lois eventually becoming a full-time Daily Planet employee again.
  • After quitting the Daily Planet to become a freelance journalist, Lois quickly realized that she needed help paying for her large and expensive apartment. She took on three wacky roommates named Marsha Mallow, Julie Spence and Kristin Cutler (Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #121). The roommates disappeared after Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #130, and we can reasonably assume that they just decided to move out at one point. In The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #6, we learn that Kristin was murdered off-panel, and Lois solves the mystery, bringing her killer to justice.
     
  • Lois is most famous for her occupation as a reporter, but journalism isn’t her only career. In Action Comics #191, Lois revealed that she had studied to be a nurse. Since then, Lois has occasionally worked as a nurse when she has taken a sabbatical from the Daily Planet (such as in Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #43 and #80).
     
  • Lois Lane and Lana Lang were briefly fused into a single being after coming in contact with a magic jewel. The fused woman called herself Lana Lane before the effects of the enchantment wore off (Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #41).
  • Senator Lois Lane? It almost happened. Lois Lane ran for senator in Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #62…but wait, it gets wilder! Her electoral opponent was Superman, and her campaign manager was Mr. Mxyzptlk. (What? Stop looking at me like that! It’s true!) Unfortunately for Lois, her campaign ended because the United States Constitution states that a candidate must be at least thirty years old, and at the time, she was still in her twenties. You would think somebody would’ve caught that earlier.
     
  • Lois Lane is the proud recipient of the Pulitzer Prize, the highest award you can get in journalism. Lois’s Pulitzer was first mentioned in Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane #80, and it’s been a part of her career through multiple continuities. As Ask The Question columnist Alex Jaffe points out, we’ve never actually learned what story nabbed her the prize.
     
  • In 2023’s Superman #1, Lois was given a new role: Daily Planet editor-in-chief! It’s only fitting since she’s been their star reporter for decades. The job has been stressful, but Lois Lane is kicking butt. Was there ever any doubt?
  • Speaking of Lois Lane actresses, the television series Desperate Housewives is channeling some serious Lois energy. Dana Delany and Teri Hatcher share numerous scenes together, playing good friends and occasionally romantic rivals. While the show doesn’t lean into the Superman connection, it’s still fun to see two versions of Lois Lane onscreen together.
     
  • The next actress to play Lois Lane will be Rachel Brosnahan. The award-winning actress will make her DC Universe debut in James Gunn’s 2025 Superman film.
     

What does the future hold for Lois Lane? Whatever it is, we know that she’ll continue to be one of the smartest and strongest women in the entire DC Universe. (Just check the eligibility requirements next time you run for Senate, Ms. Lane.)
 

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.