Official : Bendis gets both books

[Yoda]

That sounds familiar, but could you refresh my memory as to when it was referenced that they used to date? Never really cared for the idea since it does lend a bit of credence to the "Lois digs power" thing, but I've always had to rationalize it as she was fooled for a short while that Lex was everything he claimed to be until she knew better.

It's from the '86 Man of Steel series. And his infatuation with her ran through a lot of the post-Crisis books. To the point where Cornell's Black Ring had him create a Lois sex-bot as a companion. And in Action Comics 1003, the Mayor references Lois and Luthor having "shacked up again" in reference to their meeting in Action Comics 1003.

Lex always tries to pass himself off as a man of the people and benevolent rich guy, so I don't see it necessarily being about power. I could see Lois dating him briefly and seeing through his facade pretty easily. Which was kind of the impression Man of Steel gives.

[Sacred Knight]

I'm leaning toward Luthor offering her power to basically become his "queen" or whatever. The Lois/Luthor dating thing is back in continuity, so it's possible his obsession/infatuation of her is as well. It'd fit that now that he's Apex Lex he'd think she'd want him. He'd likely think her attraction to Superman was based on his being superhuman. So now he is as well, and can offer her the same power.

If the Lois/Superman affair thing is in play by that point, and it should be, it's possible he'd give her a "reset." Though it doesn't sound like his offers work like that. More along the lines of them becoming more powerful versions of themselves.

Its a solid idea but just from the point of view of me hating the whole Lex and Lois thing I'm very much rooting against that not being what happens. Nothing against your formulation of the idea of course.

[Ascended]

That sounds familiar, but could you refresh my memory as to when it was referenced that they used to date? Never really cared for the idea since it does lend a bit of credence to the "Lois digs power" thing, but I've always had to rationalize it as she was fooled for a short while that Lex was everything he claimed to be until she knew better.

I tend to think of it as "power attracts power." It's not that Lois is attracted to power, she's just attracted to guys who can actually keep up with her, and since she's friggin Lois Lane, that's a real short list that few mere mortals can attain. I mean, if Paul from Accounting was able to para-leap out of a flying plane into a foreign civil war behind enemy lines just to grab an interview with the rebel general, then go dancing at a gala that night, then go on a four hour stakeout with falling asleep and still have the energy for some Netflix and chill afterwards.....then Paul from Accounting is going to have just as much a shot at Lois as business tycons and alien supergods.

[lotchj]

I tend to think of it as "power attracts power." It's not that Lois is attracted to power, she's just attracted to guys who can actually keep up with her, and since she's friggin Lois Lane, that's a real short list that few mere mortals can attain. I mean, if Paul from Accounting was able to para-leap out of a flying plane into a foreign civil war behind enemy lines just to grab an interview with the rebel general, then go dancing at a gala that night, then go on a four hour stakeout with falling asleep and still have the energy for some Netflix and chill afterwards.....then Paul from Accounting is going to have just as much a shot at Lois as business tycons and alien supergods.

Are they hinting at Lois cheating on Superman with Luthor!! That not something i'd like to see!! That would be a slap in the face!!

[Vordan]

Really looking forward to what Lex is going to offer the Invisible Mafia. Is the “competition” mentioned Intergang or Superman or someone else? Looking forward to finding out, I really like Red Cloud. I agree with others’ analysis of the Lex offer to Lois being a fakeout. Rucka’s Lois mini seems to be street-focused and removed from the Cosmic shenanigans.

It's from the '86 Man of Steel series. And his infatuation with her ran through a lot of the post-Crisis books. To the point where Cornell's Black Ring had him create a Lois sex-bot as a companion. And in Action Comics 1003, the Mayor references Lois and Luthor having "shacked up again" in reference to their meeting in Action Comics 1003.

Lex always tries to pass himself off as a man of the people and benevolent rich guy, so I don't see it necessarily being about power. I could see Lois dating him briefly and seeing through his facade pretty easily. Which was kind of the impression Man of Steel gives.

That was so messed up but yet so utterly perfect. Of course the only thing Lex could love is something he built himself to serve him.

[Miles To Go]

Are they hinting at Lois cheating on Superman with Luthor!! That not something i'd like to see!! That would be a slap in the face!!

They're not hinting at anything of the sort. Calm down will you? Bendis likes to rile up fans with fake solicitations and other things, but he's been adamant that Lois will stay loyal to Clark throughout his run, he wants to show just how durable they are despite their modern interpretation of marriage and the drama attached to it.

[Robanker]

It's from the '86 Man of Steel series. And his infatuation with her ran through a lot of the post-Crisis books. To the point where Cornell's Black Ring had him create a Lois sex-bot as a companion. And in Action Comics 1003, the Mayor references Lois and Luthor having "shacked up again" in reference to their meeting in Action Comics 1003.

Lex always tries to pass himself off as a man of the people and benevolent rich guy, so I don't see it necessarily being about power. I could see Lois dating him briefly and seeing through his facade pretty easily. Which was kind of the impression Man of Steel gives.

I knew of Pre-FP, but I forgot about that moment in Action 1003. Thanks for reminding me! Yeah, I imagine it didn't last long between them.

As for my comment on Lois, I see it from her detractors a lot and I don't care for it. "She only likes him for his powers," etc. I prefer a Lois who was onto Luthor's game from day one, else it's more ammunition for "she's such an idiot." I've quickly grown on the idea that Lois should really not have time for dating because, as Ascended put it, she doesn't meet many who can keep up with her. It makes Clark Kent a bit more unique. He was the one guy who was worth slowing down for a little while to spend time with (and yes, who turned out to be Superman).

It's a nitpick, but I really don't want to give people more ammunition for "Lois is such a dope" material.

[titansupes]

It's not that Lois likes power-- though I'm sure she likes drive-- and more that she's seeing power used the right way for the first time in... maybe her whole life. Her whole career has been about shining a light on corrupt and powerful like Luthor, to the point that it's made even her hopeful, tenacious self develop a cynical exterior. So to see the most powerful man ever use that power solely for the benefit of others... Yeah, that does it for her. Plus he's tall, charming and handsome, duh.

Just as Clark sees a powerless person using her words, integrity and even her body (getting herself into dangerous situations and whatnot) to stop the corrupt and help the helpless. Plus, she's pretty and charming etc.

[Ascended]

Are they hinting at Lois cheating on Superman with Luthor!! That not something i'd like to see!! That would be a slap in the face!!

Oh, gods no. Nothing like that. At most they're bringing back the idea that Lex is attracted to Lois, which is an old idea that has been used for decades.

[Miles To Go]

Event Leviathan will be returnable
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/05...be-returnable/

[Yoda]

I knew of Pre-FP, but I forgot about that moment in Action 1003. Thanks for reminding me! Yeah, I imagine it didn't last long between them.

As for my comment on Lois, I see it from her detractors a lot and I don't care for it. "She only likes him for his powers," etc. I prefer a Lois who was onto Luthor's game from day one, else it's more ammunition for "she's such an idiot." I've quickly grown on the idea that Lois should really not have time for dating because, as Ascended put it, she doesn't meet many who can keep up with her. It makes Clark Kent a bit more unique. He was the one guy who was worth slowing down for a little while to spend time with (and yes, who turned out to be Superman).

It's a nitpick, but I really don't want to give people more ammunition for "Lois is such a dope" material.

Just to correct my typo. The Luthor meeting was in 1003, the comment from the mayor was in 1006.

Yeah, I definitely understand that. I see plenty of people on Twitter, etc. that will use that against Lois, but honestly those same people use her to argue against everything they see as wrong with Superman, and it's not connected to any reality. People took the recent preview of this weeks JL issue to comment against Lois. So there's no winning with that and writers shouldn't shy away from interesting stories to try for some unreachable sweet spot. It's like using Injustice to say Superman and Lois are toxic. It's not a good faith argument. I was really annoyed initially with the idea of Lois "cheating" on Clark with Superman being a story point. Particularly where it seemed like it was just going to be a punchline used to hit Clark at her expense. Bendis I think was trying to use it to show that these are people who are in the wrong, but his writing has a tendency to still make the "bad" people in the story witty and funny, so it doesn't land like he wants it to. So while I'm still not 100% on board with it, I am far more comfortable knowing Rucka is going to be the one really exploring that angle. Though I think Bendis is genuinely trying to raise Lois' profile like he did with Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Spider-Woman. Lois really hits a sweet spot in his work, kind of a refined evolution of Deana Pilgrim and Jessica Jones, that I really expected him to knock her out of the park. And I do think he's improving a lot with her.

All that said, I am in agreement with your and ascended, and titansupes takes on Lois type. I don't have an issue with her having dated Luthor in the past. I never had the impression that it was a serious thing, like you say I think she'd see right through Luthor pretty quickly. I've long wanted a Lois Lane "Year One" type story where she's off as like a foreign correspondent or something, and then her early years in Metropolis. I'm still holding out hope for Rucka's Black Label Lois Lane book.

That was so messed up but yet so utterly perfect. Of course the only thing Lex could love is something he built himself to serve him.

Add on the whole Grodd voice bit to!

[Kuwagaton]

It's from the '86 Man of Steel series.

That wasn't the case, but Clark assumed so in the story and iirc it was in the reboot notes Wolfman originally had. And that would figure for me because other than Birthright Man and Superman is the only time I remember it not seeming like a totally cringeworthy idea.

I will enjoy Bendis a lot more if he gets away from there.

[Superlad93]

I kind of doubt that Lex's offer to Lois will be any sort of physical power or be driven by his feelings for her, or give her the chance to do away with Jor-El somehow. I'm betting it's information. In all the other offers Lex isn't just giving each person some random power boost. He's playing to their individual strengths. Batgirl for example will have something to do with Oracle, and Catwoman will be about getting back to her villain roots. Lois is a reporter, one of the world's greatest detectives, and apparently well connected with quite a few people outside of her husband, so I think it's very sensitive information that Lex will offer her.

[Yoda]

That wasn't the case, but Clark assumed so in the story and iirc it was in the reboot notes Wolfman originally had. And that would figure for me because other than Birthright Man and Superman is the only time I remember it not seeming like a totally cringeworthy idea.

I will enjoy Bendis a lot more if he gets away from there.

OK. Now I'm going to have to go back. I thought the Lex issue of MoS mentioned it. I honestly don't recall it in Birthright either, so I'll have to check back on those. In fairness, Bendis has had characters assume it again, so that could be the case. They never dated but some outside observers assumed they must have given Lex's infatuation with her.

I kind of doubt that Lex's offer to Lois will be any sort of physical power or be driven by his feelings for her, or give her the chance to do away with Jor-El somehow. I'm betting it's information. In all the other offers Lex isn't just giving each person some random power boost. He's playing to their individual strengths. Batgirl for example will have something to do with Oracle, and Catwoman will be about getting back to her villain roots. Lois is a reporter, one of the world's greatest detectives, and apparently well connected with quite a few people outside of her husband, so I think it's very sensitive information that Lex will offer her.

Like an uber exclusive? I can definitely see that. It'd also fit with Bendis' she has discovered information that about the very nature of the DCU or however he couched it last year. She may have uncovered some piece of information tying into Star Labs and the whole Perpetua thing. And Luthor's offer to her is the missing pieces to tie it all together into one story. It'd fit with his plans to, using Lois to put his story out in the world, that humankind has a higher form/purpsoe etc. That all definitely fits. Particularly if it ties into the meeting in Action 1003 in any way.

[Arsenal]

As interesting as it is to speculate about what Luthor will offer Lois (information about something seems like a really solid prediction), I'm honestly more interested in seeing Luthor's reasoning behind it/how much information will he give her in their meeting. Where exactly does she fit into his plan? Is it a misdirect? A distraction? A trojan horse of some sorts that will play a part in the heroes losing? Is he trying to use her to remove an obstacle that's mutually beneficial? Will be interesting to see what it is and how it all plays out.