Lois' family - what version do you like?

[Kuwagaton]

Since I was reading the Half Life of Joe Angstrom, it's funny that Sam called himself captain. Either he was in a branch where that means more or he was still Army and it was a gaffe. Steve Rogers has the same problem.

I thought Sam Lane was made a military type to add drama to the stories or at least thats the way it came off to me. He was a hard ass more or less to explain why Lois was tough. Her character description usually boils down to "tough as nails reporter, military brat" or something along those lines. But as there so often is in Superman there was a bit of a disconnect over time. In the 90's he was a hardass, in the 2000's he was a psychopath.

Ella Lane is no one, less of a character than Martha Kent or Lara.

Ella/Ellie/Ellinore is just a regular person, after all. Not much ado about the supporting character of a supporting character.

Lara and Ma are direct supporting characters, and it's weird how they have similar but opposite issues.Lara is a decently defined character but occupies maybe a half dozen comics in whole for all of her supposedly canon appearances. Ma is maybe a little better defined with many more appearances, but spread across too many appearances

[Tzigone]

Never mind, not on topic.

[Flash Gordon]

They should be fairly random, everyday people. I don't mind Sam Lane being a general, or in the military, but not as some giant enemy of Superman. I hate when writers try to connect every dot. Some dots are nice just as is. A military general who hates Superman and does all he can to discredit him would be a fine addition to the cast, but not as his father in law.

[K. Jones]

Can anyone give me a catch-up not just on who Lois's family is (Sam, Ella, Lucy, Suzie, yadda) but when they were first introduced, by what writer, and then who retconned them into whatever shapes they tended to take?

The Lanes seem to be a lot like the Kents in that whenever there's a reboot, soft or hard, they get all swooshed around and incohesive. I guess the difference is that the Kents tend to remain true to who they are, it's just a matter of if they're alive or dead in whatever continuity. The Lanes get personality makeovers. So when was the last time Ella was even seen in a story (let alone mentioned)? Who turned Sam Lane into General Sam Lane? What's the preferred Lucy scenario (Jimmy foil? Army girl? Superwoman? Insect mutant?)?

I'll throw it out there as far as preferences - I think Sam Lane being top secret super-general Sam Lane is a bridge too far. I mean at this point WHOSE DAD ISN'T? (I'm looking at you, Batwoman). I'd prefer a bit more normalcy in Lois's life. I do very much like Sam being a military guy and Lois growing up moving a lot. That part makes sense to me. But all the top secret super-stuff is a little beyond. I'd way rather he just be some Army guy. Or even like ... a different tack ... a J.A.G. or a Military Journalist or something. Something a little less conspiracy theory and more truth and justice.

I don't know enough about Ella Lane to give an opinion. I'd like to know who she was, even if someone like Rucka has to basically invent it now, contemporarily.

Lucy ... I mean Lucy being the chip off the shoulder, "I joined the Army, too" kid is like ... again, just freaking like Batwoman's story. Bette did the same thing. Kate did the same thing. And then the "Lucy being the secret weird foe at the moment" thing is ALSO just the same thing as Batwoman, since that's Elizabeth's storyline these days. I'd frankly way rather have Lucy be ... well, "Normal" is a tough word in the super-books because they're all bound to have some Strange Adventures ... but like, normal like Jimmy normal. And maybe just more of a connection to Metropolis as a place, Lois as a person. I'd be nice if Lois being this high profile Pulitzer woman of achievement, if Lucy was like ... a young girl who can't quite get her act together, and who Lois on top of being an all-star reporter, muck-raker, super-heroine, wife and mother, is also just a kick-ass big sister for.

I'd way rather she was a normal Metropolis girl. Not so rebellious that she's the constant thorn in the family's side, bailed out of "big trouble" by Lois or Sam. Just young and with no idea what to do with her future. But savvy, sharp, and cunning, because that's Lane women.

Who else? Suzie? I like Suzie being some weird space age brain mutant who has sort of erased her existence from her family's minds so she can go to Captain Comet school. The implication there of course, since her last name is Thompkins, is that Lois also has an OLDER sister. I'd love to meet her. Historically that was Lucille, which is a pretty samey name to Lucy. But I think there's a few names out there Lucy can be short for. Maybe a little weird to name two daughters Lucille and something else ... like Lucia or something. But hey! You know Lois's older sister is also going to start with an L, and be an LL. I'm down with the idea that "erasing" herself from everyone's memories, but when she shows up, everyone remembering her, and being like "Suzie! Welcome back!" pretty comic booky. It'd be pretty nice to at least get all the Lane sisters together for a scene or twenty.

Also who doesn't want to see Suzie interact with Jon, because they're first cousins! Come on, DC!

[Jon Clark]

Can anyone give me a catch-up not just on who Lois's family is (Sam, Ella, Lucy, Suzie, yadda) but when they were first introduced, by what writer, and then who retconned them into whatever shapes they tended to take?

The Lanes seem to be a lot like the Kents in that whenever there's a reboot, soft or hard, they get all swooshed around and incohesive. I guess the difference is that the Kents tend to remain true to who they are, it's just a matter of if they're alive or dead in whatever continuity. The Lanes get personality makeovers. So when was the last time Ella was even seen in a story (let alone mentioned)? Who turned Sam Lane into General Sam Lane? What's the preferred Lucy scenario (Jimmy foil? Army girl? Superwoman? Insect mutant?)?

I'll throw it out there as far as preferences - I think Sam Lane being top secret super-general Sam Lane is a bridge too far. I mean at this point WHOSE DAD ISN'T? (I'm looking at you, Batwoman). I'd prefer a bit more normalcy in Lois's life. I do very much like Sam being a military guy and Lois growing up moving a lot. That part makes sense to me. But all the top secret super-stuff is a little beyond. I'd way rather he just be some Army guy. Or even like ... a different tack ... a J.A.G. or a Military Journalist or something. Something a little less conspiracy theory and more truth and justice.

I don't know enough about Ella Lane to give an opinion. I'd like to know who she was, even if someone like Rucka has to basically invent it now, contemporarily.

Lucy ... I mean Lucy being the chip off the shoulder, "I joined the Army, too" kid is like ... again, just freaking like Batwoman's story. Bette did the same thing. Kate did the same thing. And then the "Lucy being the secret weird foe at the moment" thing is ALSO just the same thing as Batwoman, since that's Elizabeth's storyline these days. I'd frankly way rather have Lucy be ... well, "Normal" is a tough word in the super-books because they're all bound to have some Strange Adventures ... but like, normal like Jimmy normal. And maybe just more of a connection to Metropolis as a place, Lois as a person. I'd be nice if Lois being this high profile Pulitzer woman of achievement, if Lucy was like ... a young girl who can't quite get her act together, and who Lois on top of being an all-star reporter, muck-raker, super-heroine, wife and mother, is also just a kick-ass big sister for.

I'd way rather she was a normal Metropolis girl. Not so rebellious that she's the constant thorn in the family's side, bailed out of "big trouble" by Lois or Sam. Just young and with no idea what to do with her future. But savvy, sharp, and cunning, because that's Lane women.

Who else? Suzie? I like Suzie being some weird space age brain mutant who has sort of erased her existence from her family's minds so she can go to Captain Comet school. The implication there of course, since her last name is Thompkins, is that Lois also has an OLDER sister. I'd love to meet her. Historically that was Lucille, which is a pretty samey name to Lucy. But I think there's a few names out there Lucy can be short for. Maybe a little weird to name two daughters Lucille and something else ... like Lucia or something. But hey! You know Lois's older sister is also going to start with an L, and be an LL. I'm down with the idea that "erasing" herself from everyone's memories, but when she shows up, everyone remembering her, and being like "Suzie! Welcome back!" pretty comic booky. It'd be pretty nice to at least get all the Lane sisters together for a scene or twenty.

Also who doesn't want to see Suzie interact with Jon, because they're first cousins! Come on, DC!

I think Suzie came first in the 1940's and other than being Lois' niece not much else was established. The whole Lucille Lane Thompkins was backed in when they were fleshing out the Earth-2 Lois' backstory and decided to make Suzie's mother a variant of the then in use Earth-One Lucy lane.

Not sure when the Lanes, Sam and Ella, showed up in relation to Lucy. I think they were more of a one-shot deal- a meet Lois' parents tale and then a few cameos but little fleshing out until Post-Crisis. They were just a farm couple from Pittsdale similar to the public face of the Kents.

Lucy was a large staple of the Jimmy Olsen stories and a frequent but maybe slightly lesser part of Lois' stories. She was a blonde stewardess who had an on-again/off-again relationship with Jimmy, serving largely as his love interest but not the sole one. She also seemed to either be Lois's roommate between flights or something as the two seemed to live together in some stories while Lois lived alone in others. Around the Bronze age they briefly killed Lucy off, then returned her to the supporting cast for less frequent appearances having suffered some aging effects during her "fake death".

Post Crisis stewardess Lucy appeared in the Man of Steel mini playing the role of a blind girl who befriends the newly created Bizarro and being cured of her blindness when the creature is "blown up" in his final confrontation with Superman. The original Buzarro story in Superboy had the same plot points with a blind girl, Byrne just retold it and used Lucy in place of the one-shot girl from the original story.

Not sure if Lois' father being a soldier was established during Byrne's set up (Man of Steel, World of Metropolis) or with the characters' Post-Crisis introduction where Ella had some Luthor-related illness that Lex provided on-going medication for as a way to put Lois in his debt and the unknowing Sam thought of Lex as a savior. That semed to be a subplot that largely vanished along with Lois' parents until the engagement of Lois/Clark.

During the engagement Gen Sam Lane mainly came off as a dad who just disliked a son-in-law he saw as unsuitable for his daughter. The stereotypical dad who takes his potential son-in-law hunting or challenges him to some sporting event largely to humiliate the guy with the father's skills and the city-slicker son-in-law's ineptitude at this "manly" endeavor. I don't think Sam at that point was rabidly anti-Superman, just strongly anti-Clark. Ellen was largely just a supportive mother who backed her daughter's decision to break-off the engagement (during the period the comics were trying to kill time waiting for the TV show to set up it's coinciding wedding).

Then came Our Worlds at War with Sam Lane as Lex's Defense Secretary fighting off aliens and dying in the process. This laid groundwork for the later return of Sam as the secret government director opposing Kryptonians (including Superman) in New Krypton

[Jim Kelly]

Susie Tompkins debuts in ACTION COMICS 59 (April 1943).

Lucy Lane first shows up in SUPERMAN'S PAL, JIMMY OLSEN 36 (April 1959).

Sam and Ella Lane are introduced in SUPERMAN'S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE 13 (November 1959).

[Tzigone]

Or even like ... a different tack ... a J.A.G. or a Military Journalist or something. Something a little less conspiracy theory and more truth and justice.

J.A.G. could work. I'm not fond of him being a journalist or investigator - I want Lois to choose her career without a prototype, if you know what I mean. Not be a legacy of any sort, but totally her thing that she comes to independently.

I'd be nice if Lois being this high profile Pulitzer woman of achievement, if Lucy was like ... a young girl who can't quite get her act together, and who Lois on top of being an all-star reporter, muck-raker, super-heroine, wife and mother, is also just a kick-ass big sister for.

It's an okay idea...temporarily. I don't her cast in the role of the "loser" of the family, while Lois is the one with it all together if she can't grow out of that role. And getting her out of it is difficult when Lois is just so awesome and had such achievements. "Loser" may be rough language on "can't quite get her act together" but it did sort of play of play out that way on L&C:TNAOS. And how old is she even, at the point we mean - is this when Lois is 25 or 35? Is Lucy 19 or 25? As an audience, we have different expectations of a character still in their growing up phase and one we expect to be grown up by now.

Consequently, they were very unprepared parents with Lois. She had it rough growing up. Much later, when things are more stable, Sam and Ella actually try for a while to get Lucy, and are much better parents to her than they could have been to Lois.

Who consequently felt like she had to do so much more on her own, but aims most of that resentment at her parents, not Lucy.

I think that's kind of a rehash of Lucy being more accepted while Sam wanted a boy for Lois. Now, if you like that as a variation on the same story, that's fine. For me, I feel like it's artificially diminishing Lucy/propping up Lois. Same household, but Lois had it rougher, so her achievements are more amazing. Instead of just her achievements being amazing because they are. Even if both kids were treated not-great, it would be better to me because it wouldn't specifically give Lucy the "easy" life and have her still inadequate/underachieving compared to her sister. And she really almost has to be less, given how much Lois is. So I'd avoid comparing them as much as possible, but if I couldn't I wouldn't set Lucy up to be even less compared to Lois by having had her have less to overcome and still falling short.

[Vakanai]

I can't speak too much for the comics, but I liked how the YA novels handled her family. And yes, her father should be a general, and sometimes a misguided one, but never a villain. And her mother needs more screen time (page time) to develop a unique personality. Which is (partially) why I would LOVE a Lois Lane origin story in comics, whether in the regular comics line, or as a miniseries, a graphic novel, or part of the new kids/teens imprints. Just because she doesn't put on a cape or has powers doesn't mean she can't have an origin story! I'd love for her younger years to be flesh out as much as Clark's years in Smallville has been.

[Jim Kelly]

Whether he was in the military or not, I'd prefer Sam was now living in Pittsdale and having a good life with Ella. Military personnel often retire early and then find other things to do.

[Jon Clark]

I can't speak too much for the comics, but I liked how the YA novels handled her family. And yes, her father should be a general, and sometimes a misguided one, but never a villain. And her mother needs more screen time (page time) to develop a unique personality. Which is (partially) why I would LOVE a Lois Lane origin story in comics, whether in the regular comics line, or as a miniseries, a graphic novel, or part of the new kids/teens imprints. Just because she doesn't put on a cape or has powers doesn't mean she can't have an origin story! I'd love for her younger years to be flesh out as much as Clark's years in Smallville has been.

See, I don't get this need to put Lois on the same level as the main characters of the DCU. She's a supporting character in the Superman line. If her background isn't related to a current storyline in Action or Superman then I don't see the point in developing it beyond the basics or using what already exists. The same way I could care less about a series dealing with Perry White's reporting career, Jim Gordon before he came to Gotham, Alfred's life as James Bond before his hiring and Bruce, etc. This stuff can be interesting, but it shouldn't overshadow that these characters don't need to be shown outside of their roles in the story of the main hero they are there to support. Action Comics #1 was about Superman, not a female reporter who was Superman's co-worker.

[Vakanai]

See, I don't get this need to put Lois on the same level as the main characters of the DCU. She's a supporting character in the Superman line. If her background isn't related to a current storyline in Action or Superman then I don't see the point in developing it beyond the basics or using what already exists. The same way I could care less about a series dealing with Perry White's reporting career, Jim Gordon before he came to Gotham, Alfred's life as James Bond before his hiring and Bruce, etc. This stuff can be interesting, but it shouldn't overshadow that these characters don't need to be shown outside of their roles in the story of the main hero they are there to support. Action Comics #1 was about Superman, not a female reporter who was Superman's co-worker.

It's not a need - it's a desire. For some of us fans she's already on the level of main characters like Superman. We just want more stuff. It's a pretty understandable mentality really - if you really like a character, you want to read more stuff with them in it, and a one off origin special for Lois Lane, scrappy cub reporter just sounds like a lot of fun I'd like to read.

And for the record there is a hugely popular origin story for Jim Gordon, it's called Batman Year One.

[Kuwagaton]

Between the Comicvine appearance log and wiki is where I find those kind of facts. To my interest Pittsdale is in Iowa and cousin Louis had a one off appearance in Superman #349.

Lois post crisis had been in Metropolis at least since early childhood. If we still regard the city as being in Delaware, that seems to check out for Sam's military career.

I think Suzie came first in the 1940's and other than being Lois' niece not much else was established. The whole Lucille Lane Thompkins was backed in when they were fleshing out the Earth-2 Lois' backstory and decided to make Suzie's mother a variant of the then in use Earth-One Lucy lane.

Not sure when the Lanes, Sam and Ella, showed up in relation to Lucy. I think they were more of a one-shot deal- a meet Lois' parents tale and then a few cameos but little fleshing out until Post-Crisis. They were just a farm couple from Pittsdale similar to the public face of the Kents.

Lucy was a large staple of the Jimmy Olsen stories and a frequent but maybe slightly lesser part of Lois' stories. She was a blonde stewardess who had an on-again/off-again relationship with Jimmy, serving largely as his love interest but not the sole one. She also seemed to either be Lois's roommate between flights or something as the two seemed to live together in some stories while Lois lived alone in others. Around the Bronze age they briefly killed Lucy off, then returned her to the supporting cast for less frequent appearances having suffered some aging effects during her "fake death".

Post Crisis stewardess Lucy appeared in the Man of Steel mini playing the role of a blind girl who befriends the newly created Bizarro and being cured of her blindness when the creature is "blown up" in his final confrontation with Superman. The original Buzarro story in Superboy had the same plot points with a blind girl, Byrne just retold it and used Lucy in place of the one-shot girl from the original story.

Not sure if Lois' father being a soldier was established during Byrne's set up (Man of Steel, World of Metropolis) or with the characters' Post-Crisis introduction where Ella had some Luthor-related illness that Lex provided on-going medication for as a way to put Lois in his debt and the unknowing Sam thought of Lex as a savior. That semed to be a subplot that largely vanished along with Lois' parents until the engagement of Lois/Clark.

During the engagement Gen Sam Lane mainly came off as a dad who just disliked a son-in-law he saw as unsuitable for his daughter. The stereotypical dad who takes his potential son-in-law hunting or challenges him to some sporting event largely to humiliate the guy with the father's skills and the city-slicker son-in-law's ineptitude at this "manly" endeavor. I don't think Sam at that point was rabidly anti-Superman, just strongly anti-Clark. Ellen was largely just a supportive mother who backed her daughter's decision to break-off the engagement (during the period the comics were trying to kill time waiting for the TV show to set up it's coinciding wedding).

Then came Our Worlds at War with Sam Lane as Lex's Defense Secretary fighting off aliens and dying in the process. This laid groundwork for the later return of Sam as the secret government director opposing Kryptonians (including Superman) in New Krypton

I would credit Wolfman as right from the jump he showed Sam and flashbacks of Sam. What's funny is that he wasn't a grouch, he was a casual guy who turned on the military voice when he had to. Like when Ella is sick he starts caving from gruff to worrisome for all three women, then when she's better he's kinda nonchalant. When he first meets Clark he says to call him Sam, but when Clark is engaged to Lois he's a little tougher. He's the type to get tough on Lois, but then let her off the hook when he's tough on Lucy. Admires Lois greatly but still wishes he had a star quarterback or legacy soldier. For me he fits between Garp from One Piece and my own grandpa, who have been about the same age as post crisis Sam. You can credit different writers for all that but that's how these things work anyway.

I never actually knew about early pre crisis Lucy, thanks. Ella's biggest role has to likely be post OWAW traveling the world with Lois. There's a particular gag that fits with what's going on now, though I have problems with the current execution.