Lois Lane & Brainiac's Mind Control - Consequences and Discussion

[misslane]

Following Xarek's suggestion and Gaelforce's recommendation to free the Action Comics #32 discussion thread from so much back and forth on a specific issue, I thought I'd make this thread to discuss that specific issue as it's been handled in such books as Superman, Superman/Wonder Woman and Action Comics. I've used Xarek's suggested thread title too.

So here let's discuss Lois Lane's arc this past year. We can discuss others' responses to her situation, the consequences to her and to other characters, as well as speculate about how much of Lois Lane's behavior is Brainiac and how much of her behavior is just her. It might also be interesting to share not only our hopes, but also our expectations (positive and negative) for how this arc will proceed and ultimately be resolved. To facilitate the discussion and kick it off, here's a gallery and a quote filled rundown of the topic.

Superman Annual #2

LOIS: My dad would be more disgusted with me than he already is to learn that I trust Superman more than I do any other person on the planet.

SENATOR HUME: From this began Brainiac's dual mission of collecting cities from the list of doomed worlds to his search among them for a race that could also serve as the vessel for his people's consciousness. [...] But world after world -- city after city -- all his machinations and manipulations came to naught. That was until five years ago. In taking Metropolis, Brainiac infected some of us. At a touch of his alien technology, he elevated the brains of twenty random humans to the 12th level and doing so we gained psionic abilities. [...] Now it is up to you. You have to get the truth out there. You need to let them know he's coming back for us.

Superman #23 | Lois wakes up from her coma with a jolt and glowing purple eyes to say "Superman" before she slips back into her coma.

Action Comics #24 | Lois Lane's boyfriend, Jonathon, reports Lois' bizarre and brief moment of consciousness to doctors who dismiss his account as the hallucination of a tired and concerned man. At the end of the issue, Lois Lane arrives as an astral projection to save Superman from the Psycho Pirate who is corrupting Superman's memories so all he feels is rejection and sadness.

Superman #24

LOIS: I'm scared, Superman. I don't know what's happening to me!
CLARK: I remember feeling that way myself. You'll be okay, Lois. I know it!

SUPERMAN: I'll be around. Maybe I can find a cure for Lois back at the Fortress. The city's returning to normal. But Hector Hammond, the Queen, and the Psycho Pirate are gone without a trace. And somewhere out there -- behind it all -- is Brainiac. Add to that the fact that both the Pirate and now Lois know my secret identity, and things just got a lot more complicated.

Superman #26

"Until a week ago, Lois Lane was like any other star reporter for the Daily Planet. A nose for news and a talent for prose. But an encounter with only a sliver of the intergalactic singularity known as Brainiac and she has become something much more than human. More. Perhaps a little less."

CLARK: I was going to tell you on my own someday.
LOIS: I know that. I can see it in your heart. I can see it in your mind. That's the problem...I can see "everything." It's like whatever is happening to my mind--it's too much for me to handle physically right now. But my mind...there's no door that is closed to me. No wall I can't look through. I've spent my entire life seeking the "truth" Now there's no such thing as a secret--not to me--and I'm afraid. It might be driving me crazy. Please, Clark. I know I found out you're Superman by accident, it just...I need you to tell me everything is going to be okay.
CLARK: It will be, Lois. I promise.

CLARK: You know who Superman is. Are you going to tell that story some day?
LOIS: If by "some day" you mean the instant I'm out of this coma? Absolutely, Smallville.

SUPERMAN: Shay, what did you learn about Lois being in stasis while she's healing?
SHAY: I'm sorry to say I've never seen readings like this in my life. And this from someone who swam in the mote of God's eye. She's not healing. She's transforming.
SUPERMAN: Into what?
SHAY: God only knows, Superman.

Superman #27 | Superman contemplates using Parasite to cure Lois: "How much could he drain off if the contact was longer? Can't believe I'm even contemplating this, but is Parasite the key to curing Lois? But that's a little crazy, isn't it? Even if I let him try -- how can I be sure I can stop him before he goes too far?" He does it anyway.

Superman #28 | Lois is embedded with MetPD and as criminals shoot at the cops, Lois' eyes glow green and she gets them to stop shooting with a thought. Lois reacts to this with fear. Clark checks on Lois at the police station and expresses concern for her. Even after she says she's fine, he does't seem convinced.

Superman #29 | Lois sits alone in her apartment in the dark on the floor. Before Jonathon arrives as she speaks to nothing, saying "I understand. Places of origin." Jonathon confronts Lois about her odd conversation with nothing and about the fact that Superman risked her life with Parasite. Lois tells Jonathon that "Superman did what he had to do," and commands Jonathon to "forget the whole thing."

Superman #30 | Citizens of Smallville have been made comatose. Cornfields read "Doom" and Superman meets the Eradicator who prophesies the end of Earth at Superman's hands. Meanwhile, Lois is at the Planet mysteriously ignoring her coworkers and making them stop what they're doing so she can converse with Brainiac. She says, "They're ready, my Lord. It won't be long now." Captions say, "While her body is in the Daily Planet, her mind is countless light years away. For in recent weeks, she has begun changing against her will into a 12th level intellect. Lois Lane has been psionically bound to the most dangerous creature the omniverse has ever known. An unspeakable union that may spell the end of all life on Earth." Brainiac tells Lois, "You have done well, my bride." She responds, "It is an honor, collector." At the end, it's said that the Bottled City of Kandor that Superman got after his first defeat of Brainiac has started to come back to life after being dormant.

Superman Doomed #1 | Lois shows up in Smallville to cover the story for the Planet. She seems to act normally until she checks on the coma victims, her eyes glow purple, and she says with purple text, "All bodies accounted for...all brains functioning." Then the purple speech oddly trails off, "Initiating neural bore. Prepare for uplink. What--?...Ha. NO...They have no idea." Superman's fight with Doomsday ends in Smallville where Lana and Lois are.

Action Comics #31 | Lois and Lana are still in pursuit of answers in Smallville, but Lois goes from trying to persuade a soldier to talk to telling him to look into her eyes to force the answers out of him. Lois reveals that Superman ditched the place days ago and says there are rumors that the people of Smallville are infected with whatever powered Doomsday. She feels that Smallville is dangerous and suggests that Lana come with her. Lana believes everything's fine and takes off her protective gear.

Superman/Wonder Woman #8 | Diana calls Lois hoping she knows where Clark is. Soldiers from the base Lois had been at catch up with her. Diana arrives and uses her mind control powers to find out what Lois did. A soldier informs Diana that Lois was "caught breaking into a military mainframe at the base." They don't know why she did it, but those who caught her said "her eyes were glowing." Diana's first thought is, "Glowing? Odd."

Superman #31 | Superman asks Lois to visit him in prison, and he asks her to inform the public that he can't be trusted. Lois arrives and tells Superman, "I'm not afraid, Superman. I just want you to realize whatever you're going through, I'm rooting for you." When he insists, Lois says that "no one will ever believe" that he's not trustworthy, and she personally "won't believe he can't get better." Then in Superman's mind we can see that a Brainiac form of Lois belittle Superman for his concern for humanity. Brainiac then pushes Superman to leave the prison to show the world the "nightmare" he's become. As Lois leaves, Batman tries to question her. Her eyes glow purple and she commands him to let it go. He does.

Action Comics #32 | Lois speaks at a televised press conference after her father, and tells the world what Superman wanted her to: he's not to be trusted. Lana informs Diana that "the brains of the coma victims are sending electrical signals into space." Back with her father and the military, Lois tries to get Corben to believe in himself and his free will and then asserts that he was right to hate and fear Superman: "You're not under anyone's control. Not Brainiac, my father, or...me. You're just Sergeant John Corben. And you can decide for yourself if you're ready for this job my father's going to offer you. But I have to tell you, you were right all along about Superman, John. He's shown his true colors." Lois increases Corben's antipathy and willingness to die for his cause by pumping him with thoughts and images of Superman hurting her. "She follows you and time and time again, she nearly dies. [...] Today she's finally going to be free," Corben tell Superman. Corben succeeds in his suicide mission: kryptonite kills enough of Superman to unleash Doomsday.

Discuss.