Lois Lane’s greatest power is her journalism skills…but that’s not all she has.
If you’re reading Joshua Williamson’s Superman, then you know that the Daily Planet editor-in-chief now has powers similar to her husband and son, and she’s currently fighting for justice as Superwoman. In fact, she’s now the star of her own Williamson-written one-shot, the just-released Superwoman Special #1.
Lois seems to be taking to her new role, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. After all, this isn’t the first time she’s had powers. Although Lois may be most famous for her career as a reporter, she has sometimes become a superhero and used her abilities for truth, justice, and…making giant flapjacks. How often has this happened? More than you’d think! Here are ten of Lois’s previous stints at being super.
The Original Superwoman
Where it Happened: 1943’s Action Comics #60
Source of the Powers: Kryptonian blood transfusion (or Lois’ subconscious)
Powers: Super strength and flight
What Happened: When Lois is injured in a car accident, Superman donates his blood to save her life. The Kryptonian DNA gives Lois superhuman abilities and she decides to follow Superman’s example and become a costumed adventurer. Lois sews her own version of the Superman costume, complete with a skirt and a heart-shaped S emblem. “There! All set for high adventure, excitement and romance as…Superwoman!”
Unfortunately, the whole thing turned out to be a dream. Sorry, Lois. Still, this story is notable because it’s the first incarnation of Superwoman in the DC Universe, and the first of many times Lois Lane would power up.
Lois 4XR
Where it Happened: 1949’s Superman #57
Source of the Powers: Gas from a meteorite gave everyone on Earth superpowers
Powers: Super strength and flight
What Happened: The cover of this comic proclaims that, “In this issue: Lois Lane can do everything Superman can do!” However, this turned out to be misdirection to get 1949 comic book readers to buy the issue. (Think of it as an early form of clickbait.) In reality, the story focuses on Superman traveling to the distant future, where everyone on Earth (including Lois’s descendant Lois 4XR) has superpowers.
I wouldn’t have counted this one, but I’m including it because the cover is awesome, and Superman & Lois actress Bitsie Tulloch once wore it as a t-shirt. That alone makes it iconic.
Superwoman 1951
Where it Happened: 1951’s Action Comics #156
Source of the Powers: One of Lex Luthor’s scientific gizmos
Powers: Super strength and flight (are you sensing a pattern?)
What Happened: While snooping through Lex Luthor’s lab, Lois accidentally activates one of his machines. The strange device gives Lois powers, so the reporter decides to suit up as Superwoman. Notably, this time Lois disguises herself by wearing a blonde wig. This is significant because in doing so, she visually resembles Kara Zor-El years before the first appearance of Supergirl.
Superman doesn’t trust Lois to be an effective heroine, so he follows her around using the scent of her perfume (well, it was the ‘50s). In the end, Superwoman helps Superman capture Luthor shortly before her powers wear off.
Super-Lois
Where it Happened: 1960’s Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane #21
Source of the Powers: Bathing in a magic lake
Powers: Super speed, super strength and flight
What Happened: After bathing in a magic lake (they’re a thing, apparently), Lois Lane and Lana Lang discover they both have superpowers. They fashion costumes for themselves and proceed to do various super-stunts in order to impress Superman.
So, what do they do to show off for the big guy? Super-Lois uses her powers to…make a stack of giant pancakes. It’s thinking outside the box, at least. And with Superman’s yellow sun-fueled metabolism, he can probably eat all the carbs he wants. Sadly, Lois’s superhuman abilities wear off later that day, which is a shame because it’s so much harder to bake giant pancakes without magic lake powers.
Elastic Lass
Where it Happened: 1961’s Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane #23
Source of the Powers: Drinking a serum that grants elasticity powers
Powers: Elongation
What Happened: While investigating a mobster, Lois borrows Jimmy Olsen’s Elastic Lad serum, hoping it would help her catch the crook. She drinks a small enough amount to grant her the ability to perform exactly ten elastic feats. I’m sure that seemed like plenty in the moment, but while trailing the mobster, Lois keeps running into needy citizens, causing her to use up her Elastic Lass abilities. Luckily, in the end she’s gathered enough evidence to nab him without her powers.
So, what’s the lesson here? That you don’t need superpowers to do good, yes. But also, don’t scrimp on the Elasti-serum!
The Madame Jekyll of Metropolis
Where it Happened: 1962’s Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane #36
Source of the Powers: Radiation filtered through Red Kryptonite
Powers: Enhanced strength and agility
What Happened: Although Red Kryptonite doesn’t normally affect humans, this particular rock was exposed to radiation from some scientific equipment. As a result, Lois is transformed into a monstrous woman. Using her super strength and agility, she performs such heinous acts as…um…cutting her sister’s hair. And also, knocking over Lana Lang’s collectibles! Look, I say this as a fellow collector, that’s way worse than you might be thinking! Those things take forever to set up in the perfect way! Lana absolutely deserves our sympathy!
In the end, Perry White and Jimmy Olsen reason that if Red Kryptonite turned Lois into Madame Jekyll, then Green Kryptonite would break the spell. It seems like a reach, but amazingly, it works.
Bionic Girl
Where it Happened: 1976’s Superman Family #178
Source of the Powers: S.T.A.R. Labs
Powers: Enhanced strength, speed, agility, vision, brain power and force field projection
What Happened: When Lois hears that S.T.A.R. Labs is seeking human subjects for bionic experiments, she inexplicably decides to volunteer. The scientists place bionic enhancements in her body, giving Lois enhanced abilities. However, the bionic parts evolve and begin replacing Lois’s organs with machinery. In the type of coincidence that only happens in old comic books, Lois comes across a spaceship at the perfect time and the aliens are kind enough to turn her human again.
…Or so we think! Why would the aliens just offer that to her for nothing in exchange unless they had some sort of ulterior motive? Maybe rather than making her human, they made her an alien and after the comic ended, she slowly and painfully transformed into a freaky humanoid with outer space DNA and even stronger powers than she had before and she conquered the world for them! True, none of this happens in the comic, but in a universe where Brainiac exists, you can’t just randomly assume all visitors from outer space are benevolent. How can Lois be such a good journalist and not realize this?
Goddess of Integrity
Where it Happened: 2002’s Superman: The Man of Steel #126-127
Source of the Powers: Divine gift from demonic gods
Powers: Teleportation, energy projection, flight, the power to see through deception, reality alteration and other omnipotent powers.
What Happened: When a fellow reporter takes Lois out to lunch and asks her what kind of goddess she would like to be, Lois says she’d be the Goddess of Integrity. SURPRISE! The other reporter is secretly a demonic goddess who gives Lois divine powers, turning her into that very goddess.
And look, not to keep harping on this thing, but if you can’t trust a colleague and fellow professional to not have some sinister ulterior motive when they ask you out to lunch, WHY WOULD YOU THINK YOU CAN TRUST RANDOM ALIENS?!?! Okay, okay, I have it out of my system now. But come on, girl!
Anyhow, in this case, the whole goddess thing is part of a larger plot to manipulate Superman, but it backfires. Using her new divine powers, Lois makes quick work of the demonic gods, who clearly weren’t very good gods if they didn’t see that coming. And realizing that possessing too much omnipotent power isn’t a good idea for a mortal, Lois then rejects her gifts and turns back to normal.
All-Star Super-Lois
Where it Happened: 2006’s All-Star Superman #3
Source of the Powers: A birthday gift from Superman
Powers: Flight, super strength, invulnerability, super hearing, super breath…basically all of Superman’s powers
What Happened: Superman always goes above and beyond for birthday gifts. For this particular birthday, the Man of Steel uses his genetic structure to create a serum that gives Lois his powers for a single day. The gift even comes with a super-suit, which Lois uses to help Superman fight off a monster named Krull. After that, it’s time for a romantic trip to the moon.
It’s a beautiful moment in one of the most beloved Superman stories ever. But the serum is temporary, so once Lois’s birthday is over, she reverts back into a normal woman.
Superwoman Rebirth
Where it Happened: 2016’s Superwoman #1
Source of the Powers: Solar discharge from Superman
Powers: Once again, flight, super strength, invulnerability, super hearing, super breath…more or less whatever powers Superman has
What Happened: As Superman begins to die (don’t worry, he got better), his body discharges solar energy that gives Lois Lane and Lana Lang superpowers. Hoping to continue Superman’s heroic legacy, Lana and Lois suit up, both calling themselves Superwoman. During a confrontation with a Bizarro Superwoman, Lois’s powers begin to overload, causing her to temporarily die. Don’t worry, she gets better too. However, when Lois returns to the land of the living (it’s complicated), she’s depowered once more.
But all that’s changed again! Lois once more has superpowers, and as you can see, she’s an old pro when it comes to using them. Where will her new career as Superwoman take her? You can discover the next steps in this week’s Superwoman Special. Let’s just hope that this time it involves more giant pancakes and less overly helpful aliens.
Superwoman Special #1 by Joshua Williamson, Edwin Galmon, Laura Braga, Nikola Čižmešija and Rex Lokus is now available in print and as a digital comic book.
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 X 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.
