An Incredible Partnership
I just needed a break, needed to escape my world for a couple of hours. My decision was easy, so I quickly got my simple system booted up, made a bowl of my special popcorn, and grabbed a cherry Coca-Cola from my fridge. Once I pressed "play" I curled into my chair with a blanket over my lap, the room goes dark and the perfect patriotic theme begins.
My heart swells when the movie winds down and we see our hero in his iconic element. My stomach flutters when he smiles that country boy smile. My world is satisfied when our beautiful heroine reaches out a welcoming hand and says, "Lois Lane. Welcome to the Planet."
He smiles and takes her hand, "It is glad to be here, Lois."
I squealed in excitement every time these two are brought together. Their relationship is timeless; written and rewritten over the past eight decades.
I have recently been introduced to the idea of an "OTP," One True Pairing. This is an expression used loosely to convey a fandom relationship that you root for. Most people have more than one ship depending on the fandom in question, but for this comic book lover, only one raises above the rest…
CLARK KENT AND LOIS LANE.
Or some may know them by their ship name, Clois. In most cases I don’t actually mind the ship names, but in this case I think it loses something.
According to my research even in the Detective Comic world Superman and Lois are the couple to beat. For me, their ranking as #1 of ANY fandom has yet to be challenged… although Mickey and Minnie Mouse are neck and neck with the Doctor and River Song for second place.
As mentioned earlier Lois and Clark have been partners for a little over eighty years. They have been through the Flashpoint Paradox, Crisis of the Multiverse, alternate realities and good-old-fashion mind wipes, yet they still come together in one way or another.
After several different comic canons, at least three live-action tv shows and the fourth one on its way, four movie adaptations, and approximately two animated series there is a lot of data to compile and compare what makes Lois and Clark a great team.
I found one website that put together a list of 20 reasons Lois and Superman are the best D.C. couple (https://www.cbr.com/superman-lois-best-dc-couple/). I am going to talk about my Top reason they are my OTP.
THEY ARE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT CHOOSE TO COME TOGETHER.
This is why I am not crazy about their ship name. They are meant to be Lois and Clark. They are two separate entities that come together only because they want to.
Lois Lane is a woman making her name in a man's world, and Clark Kent is a hero that is called to protect and serve.
In almost every version – the early versions are the exceptions—Lois is a hard-nosed investigative reporter. She consistently and knowingly will do what she needs in order to get her story. This makes her a walking magnet for trouble, but she doesn't really need saving. She is smart and capable enough to get herself out of most situations, but being saved by a strong, good-looking hero has its perks.
Clark/Superman is an alien posing as an earthling and harboring a Boy Scout mentality driven by a loving heart. He is faster than a speeding bullet, can leap tall buildings in a single bound, and more powerful than a locomotive, but his fascination with Lois is that she is a woman that can hold her own.
Henry Cavill, the Man of Steel, had a great explanation about why Clark/Superman falls for Lois, "This is the one woman who accepted him when the rest of the world has not, so how could he not love her?'
I think that all three of the live-action tv shows do a great job of establishing the two as individual characters. In the 1950's Adventures of Superman (AOS) Lois and Clark are rivals, chasing the Superman byline at every twist and turn. Clark scooping her every once in a while just to keep her humble.
In AOS these two never actually come together, but you can see that they need each other. Clark looks to Lois for a reason to save the world. Her belief that the man in blue will always come through for Metropolis is really all he needs to keep going. Lois needs Clark to keep her on her feet, and she needs Superman to keep her head held high.
In the 1990s Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (L&C) emphasizes the partnership between the two reporters. They challenge each other and they push each other to the limit, but always bring out the best in the other.
L&C is literally written to be a Romantic Comedy. This series explores the ups and downs of their partnership, friendship, and relationship, which makes it easily one of my favorite shows. In this version, Lois is a woman of the 90s and is capable of self-defense, so this is a great example of a girl really just wanting to see her crush/man in action on her behalf.
Clark, in the series, is well-traveled, quick on his feet, and on top of his game without standing out too much. He came to Metropolis to have a life, but his powers don't exactly let him blend in. He is the one that decided to put on the disguise, to act mild-mannered so that he can have his cake and eat it too. In one episode Lois finds out about his identity in a malicious way and she is angry because her intelligence has been called into question. But when she confronts Clark about it he is quick to explain, "Superman is what I can do. Clark is who I am." This particular version of our red and blue hero wants to be of service but really wants a life too.
They come together because they realize that they are meant for each other. Meant to keep the other safe and strong.
In the 2000s Smallville (SV) Lois and Clark become friends in their formative years and we get to watch them come together and grow together.
SV is the series that we get to see Lois grow into the famous reporter that the fandom loves. This series also gives us a better understanding of what attracts Lois to the Blur (Clark hasn't come into his full Superman persona). This Lois really focuses on the Military Brat background and explains why she walk headlong into the battle. But she is also given other heroes to date such as Aquaman and Green Arrow, both were just priming her for the hero that would literally sweep her off her feet… she didn't think it would be the farm boy that drives her crazy. It is mentioned on multiple occasions that Lois is the key to Clark's success, she is the one that will be by his side during the fight. In fact, Lois is the one that encourages him to get a disguise, so that he can come out of the shadows without stepping into the limelight.
This Clark wants to be normal, but can't in some ways the Blur is almost a burden. Although saving and helping is rewarding it is not how he wanted to stand out. He learns to accept it, and even hone his skills but he is very reluctant. He needs Lois to ground him when his Kryptonian mindset takes over and clouds his judgment. She may not know his secret right away, but she does see his value.
Even their friendship is something they both secretly cling to, and it helps them sleep at night.
Zack Snyder's Man of Steel (MOS) and Batman v. Superman (BvS) are other great visual examples of these two individuals choosing to come together. Lois meets a stranger with heat vision that literally saves her life after she is attacked by alien technology. She then uses her skills to track down and confront the stranger that has been doing a good job of hiding but not a great job of staying average. Even in BvS they have found a way to be together and still not lose themselves in the “together” aspect.
Personally, I like this version because it is the first time I really saw Lois act like the investigative reporter she is and discover who he is. She meets Clark Kent… but she sees him turn into Superman and keeps the secret.
Clark is trying to live unnoticed but finds it increasingly difficult, and she convinces him that the world needs him. In BvS he confirms that she is the only thing he is not willing to lose.
Throughout all of the comics, movies, tv shows, and books there is something that keeps bringing these two together, and I don't think that will ever change. They don’t need each other, they want each other, and they make that choice everyday.
If there is ever a couple that was destined and deserved to be together… it is Clark Kent and Lois Lane.
Until Next Time,
Peace Out Love
