Lois Lane Superman's Girlfriend

Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane ran from 1958 to 1974 and churned out about 137 issues. The Lois Lane comic was basically a spin-off from the Superman comics as was Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen and Supergirl. Later they all shared rotation in the the Superman Family comics.

In those 137 issues Lois went from tweed suits to miniskirts, plied a variety of trades, was the object of adoration by a seemingly endless line of prospective suitors, journeyed into space and even time-traveled. However, as the title of the comic book implied, her overriding interest was in Superman.

Lois spent a lot of time and energy in her attempts to get the Man of Steel down the aisle as discussed in the perpetual bride section. Along the way she battled rivals, bizarre physical transformations and occasionally took a break from chasing Superman to spend time with men who weren't quite so commitment-shy.

By the liberated 1970s, the curtain began to ring down on the Lois Lane comic book. A woman chronically scheming to trap a man into marriage, always an unflattering cliché, had turned Lois herself into a social anachronism.

Prior to the late 1960s and early 1970s, there was an either/or rule that applied to women. They could be either a "career girl" or a housewife. This rule also seemed to apply to Lois Lane in imaginary stories where she was married to Superman.

This really wouldn't change until 1978 when they decided to marry Lois to Clark Kent in the 40th anniversary issue of Superman. Actually, it was Lois and Clark from an alternate universe and it would take nearly another 20 years before the real Lois and Clark were wed.

In the meantime, Lois and Superman would go through the burlesque of imaginary matrimony in the old Lois Lane comics.

Not that such marriages were ever to have a happy ending, of course. Lois, standing center podium, apparently won the gold wreath in the Dead Wives of Superman Olympics against rivals Lana Lang and mermaid Lori Lemaris.

These strange and sometimes misogynistic tales requiring Lois to fight off rivals for Superman's attention were never-ending battles. Since the Man of Steel had a will of Silly Putty, it came down to the determination of the combatants.

While several potential rivals breezed through the Lois Lane comics over the years, Lana Lang took the prize for the most unremitting and often the most ruthless rival.