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

[Blacksun]

Unchained is meant to be new reader friendly so out of continuity isreally necessary.

Reference, I think Johns can do, but really deal with what happened on Doomed I really doubt.

[Sacred Knight]

I know, I wasn't knocking it for not being tied into the other books, just making a comparison that Johns' Superman run, from what we've seen and heard thus far, does not seem to be as far removed.

[UltraWoman]

Okay pondered main outline of story elements over breakfast.

If it's seen through consistently it could have some interesting permanent consequences. (By permanent I mean lasting for as long as DCNU continuity lasts.)

First Wonder Woman is not covering herself with glory. Hard to imagine anything lamer than just ignoring Lois's plight. So it could lead to Superman and Wonder Woman split. Leading to restoration of natural order of things on relationship front.

Second Lois could be left with some useful permanent powers.

Third, Superman having seen danger of mind control could come up with solutions to make sure it never happens to him again.

Will any of that happen? First well could...but doubt that second and third will. And that's a real pity because both of those offer possibility of a lot of newish possibilities while the first one doesn't. We've seen a load of Superman/Lois romance, but we haven't seen Lois as an ongoing Meta.

I'm skeptical on the Lois being affected by Brainiac causing a rift in SM/WW directly. I doubt her being controlled won't even be thought of between them as something that Wonder Woman should even pay attention to as it's to a friend of Clark and not a mutual friend. It's a side-effect of Clark's decision to keep Lois out of the loop. Now if it was Lana (someone who they set up as "in-the-know") I could see it being detrimental.

I do like the idea of Lois having some powers of her own. I've long been an advocate of that and the side-effects of having those powers for a while.

I doubt the third's likely to happen. If anything, Orion's work on putting mental blocks already does that for him. I doubt he'd be able to do the same for Lois considering he didn't know how to do it in the first place.

[Mbml2104]

I'm curious to see if Brainiac possession will cause Lois to lose her memory of her time at the daily planet(atleast since Clark started) and hence her blog "The Fast Lane" in the Futures End. I'm sure Geoff Johns can build that story up.

[JackDaw]

Until I read comments in this thread, I'd forgotten how likely it was that Lois would conveniently forget secret identity at some point.

Have to hope that at some point some editor will have nous to stop the old cliches being trotted out at every available opportunity.

Let's see a continuity where Lois knows identity right from early days and through full career. If we don't see substantial differences like that...then there's really no story telling reason to have DCNU.

[Joe Acro]

Let's see a continuity where Lois knows identity right from early days and through full career. If we don't see substantial differences like that...then there's really no story telling reason to have DCNU.

We're basically getting that with Man of Steel, no?

[UltraWoman]

We're basically getting that with Man of Steel, no?

As a comic. It always seems like until it makes it into canonical comics that sort of thing is considered rather apocryphal. Unless and until they do a "K-Metal from Krypton" sort of thing that changes the status quo to have her in the know (and Clark knows) then they aren't likely to keep her in on the secret. The Lois as Brainiac thing has elements of that concept but there's no way to know if they're going to let Lois keep this knowledge (and let us see the effects in "canon" rather than "apocrypha") or not.

Edit: What I mean by "apocryphal" is that so many fans (and not so fans) tend to see anything that is not the comics as illegitimate in one way or the other and only the comics are the legitimate view of how these characters act and interact.

[Sacred Knight]

From the beginning of the relaunch, I wanted a situation where Lois knew the secret, and was in on it to such an extent where she used her prowess as a reporter to help Clark keep the secret, and juxtapose those efforts with her desire to tell truthful news. Its one of the few Lois and Clark dynamics not yet done in a longterm situation in the comics, and I think it'd be very interesting to see keeping the secret and aiding in its keeping weighing on her in regards to her morals as a reporter.

[Blacksun]

As a comic. It always seems like until it makes it into canonical comics that sort of thing is considered rather apocryphal. Unless and until they do a "K-Metal from Krypton" sort of thing that changes the status quo to have her in the know (and Clark knows) then they aren't likely to keep her in on the secret. The Lois as Brainiac thing has elements of that concept but there's no way to know if they're going to let Lois keep this knowledge (and let us see the effects in "canon" rather than "apocrypha") or not.

Edit: What I mean by "apocryphal" is that so many fans (and not so fans) tend to see anything that is not the comics as illegitimate in one way or the other and only the comics are the legitimate view of how these characters act and interact.

there's some resistance about recognizing movies, that is true. In new 52 they can change Ursa to Faora because of the movie. But the relationship lois/clark isn't even close to the movie, at least what is shown. well they tell she is Clark best friend and only that...

[UltraWoman]

From the beginning of the relaunch, I wanted a situation where Lois knew the secret, and was in on it to such an extent where she used her prowess as a reporter to help Clark keep the secret, and juxtapose those efforts with her desire to tell truthful news. Its one of the few Lois and Clark dynamics not yet done in a longterm situation in the comics, and I think it'd be very interesting to see keeping the secret and aiding in its keeping weighing on her in regards to her morals as a reporter.

I've been the same way. I think it also should have been done, especially because it doesn't/didn't actually preclude the idea that Diana would still be Clark/Superman's beau.

[misslane]

This may seem like an odd question, because we're dealing with sci-fi so almost anything can be made to make sense, but does anyone have any guesses as to how Brainiac is controlling Lois? I ask because whatever means he's using to influence her makes a good prospective target for any possible cure. Also, just in general I'm curious what are some of the ways that Lois can be freed from Brainiac's control? Whatever is done, I want it be something that rids her of any trace of psionic powers and Brainiac. I want her completely back to normal.

[UltraWoman]

This may seem like an odd question, because we're dealing with sci-fi so almost anything can be made to make sense, but does anyone have any guesses as to how Brainiac is controlling Lois? I ask because whatever means he's using to influence her makes a good prospective target for any possible cure. Also, just in general I'm curious what are some of the ways that Lois can be freed from Brainiac's control? Whatever is done, I want it be something that rids her of any trace of psionic powers and Brainiac. I want her completely back to normal.

If the psi powers include even a HINT of a connection to Brainiac (post "normalization"), I'll also be in your corner on this. Otherwise, I'm more intrigued with a meta-Lois.

[misslane]

If the psi powers include even a HINT of a connection to Brainiac (post "normalization"), I'll also be in your corner on this. Otherwise, I'm more intrigued with a meta-Lois.

Lois Lane is defined so much by her sheer, indomitable humanity that having powers of any kind seems so anathema to me.

[JackDaw]

Lois Lane is defined so much by her sheer, indomitable humanity that having powers of any kind seems so anathema to me.

How would having a power stop her from being human?

[misslane]

How would having a power stop her from being human?

It wouldn't end her status as a human; it would, however, end her status as ordinary human. Lois Lane is inspirational because she lives her life with only the gifts she was born with or attained through nurturing and study. A special power takes away her ability to demonstrate what an ordinary human being can achieve without extraordinary powers. Lois's role in the Superman mythology is to complement Superman by being completely bound by what it means to be just like the vast majority of the human race. The only way Lois Lane should be impressing people or changing the world is by demonstrating the difference a non-meta can make.