Biography of Lois Lane (Earth-Two), 1938-1939

The following is a **biography of Lois Lane from 1938 to 1939**.

## Biography

### 1938

By mid-1938, Lois Lane was working as a reporter with the *Daily Star* in Metropolis. She worked alongside the meek and awkward Clark Kent, who repeatedly asked her out but whom she repeatedly rejected. One day she indifferently agreed, and the two went out dancing. As they danced, a thug named Butch Matson tried to cut in. Clark relented, but Lois was disgusted and slapped Butch in the face, storming off and calling Clark a coward. She caught a cab, and Butch and his cronies followed her, intent on teaching her a lesson. Butch caught hold of Lois, but he and his men were stopped and defeated by a mighty hero called Superman, possessing uncanny strength and agility. Superman cordially carried Lois back to her home, leaving her shaken but impressed. Superman in fact was Clark Kent in a colorful costume, without a mask, but Lois was unable to notice their resemblance. The following day, Lois was totally unreceptive to Clark's attempts to apologize for his behavior. She attempted to tell editor George Taylor of her encounter with Superman, but he laughed it off. Soon after, Lane was assigned to cover the ongoing war in the South American country of San Monte. She caught the *Baronta* in Washington, D.C. to San Monte, where she found that Clark was also covering the story. While in San Monte, Lane was accused of espionage by the local military after a critical document was found in her hotel room—it had in fact been planted there by a spy named Lola Cortez, who had also been aboard the *Baronta*. Lane was sentenced to death by firing squad, but Superman arrived in time to save her, tanking the bullets meant for her with his impenetrable skin and carrying her to safety. Superman would go on to end the war entirely by forcefully bringing the opposing leaders together and making them realize they didn't know why they were fighting to begin with.

Later that year, Lois tried to convince George Taylor to let her cover the story of an impending dam collapse in Valleyho. Taylor didn't believe that a woman should cover it, and instead told her to get Clark Kent on the story. Spiteful and determined, Lois sent Clark off to cover a fake fluff piece instead while she traveled to Valleyho anyway. The town was in a state of chaos when she arrived, as the citizens fled for safety before the dam ruptured. She hailed a taxi, but the driver simply gave her the car while he escaped. She drove too close to the dam, and her car got caught in the raging waters as it ruptured. Suddenly, Superman swooped down and saved her. He broke off a huge rock from a mountainside, using it to block up the water's path and preventing it from getting to the town proper. He brought Lois to safety, and she eagerly thanked and kissed him, declaring that she loved him. Later, Clark confronted Lois about her trick, but she harshly brushed him off yet again.

Lois soon heard around the office that Clark had spoken with Superman's supposed manager, Nick Williams, about meeting Superman himself that night. She offered to take Clark out that night, pretending to be interested in him. Clark caught on to her intentions, but pretended to be flustered and nervous and to not want to blow off his meeting with Superman. He accepted, on the condition that they go out first, then both go on his assignment. At the club that night, Lois attempted to drug Clark's drink—he feined passing out, as the drug didn't pierce his powerful Superman system. Thinking herself successful, Lois went to the meeting instead. Williams and the bogus Superman didn't convince Lois for a second despite a few ill-conceived "feats of strength." They attempted to kill her by throwing her out of the window, but Superman rescued her and brought the con artists to justice for attempted murder. Superman was soon a special attraction at a circus show, and Lois was determined to attend. Unfortunately, she showed up after the big top had been filled, and had to sneak in. She was spotted and captured by thugs loyal to Derek Niles, a businessman trying to sabotage the show. Superman saved her, brought Niles to justice, and ensured that the show was a big success.

### 1939

Near the beginning of the year, Clark again asked Lois out on a date, but she told him in no uncertain terms that she despised him and already loved Superman. Later, she received a call at the *Daily Star* from Mortimer Snoop, a detective working in cooperation with Chicago's detective captain Reilly, whom the Metropolis chief of police had hired for the express purpose of catching Superman. Snoop wanted to talk to the society editor, but Lois took a message: he had learned that Superman was attending a very exclusive party, and if she could get him into it, the *Star* would get the exclusive story. Lois knew that she had to protect Superman, so she arrived at the party and only encouraged the security to keep Snoop out. Clark Kent was naturally at that party, and Lois asked him for help protecting Superman, but as far as he could tell her he couldn't do anything. Snoop and Reilly arrived at the party after Reilly forced his way in, but Snoop turned on Reilly after the latter insisted that only he would get the reward money for Superman's capture. Snoop turned off the lights, allowing Clark to quietly change into Superman. When the lights came back on, Reilly tried to grab him, but Superman easily escaped his grasp. The search was called off, and Reilly returned to Chicago. Lois and Clark were assigned to report on the New York World's Fair, much to Lois's chagrin. There she recognized wanted criminal Nick Stone, who reacted defensively to her spotting him. He knocked Clark out (seemingly) and abducted her to his gang's hideout nearby. She overheard them discussing their plans to steal precious jewels from an exhibit at the fair, and they decided to kill her to avoid any difficulties. Superman arrived in time to catch the bullet from Stone's gun as he shot her, then captured Stone and his men and brought Lois to safety.

Clark and Lois investigated an orphanage after Clark suspected wrongdoing there. Everything seemed fine as presented by Superintendent Lyman, but Lois suspected that the children weren't being entirely forthcoming about what was going on there. She went back to investigate on her own under the cover of night, and caught Lyman in the act of beating one of the children. He knocked her down as well, then fled and set fire to the orphanage. Superman arrived in time to rescue everyone and bring Lyman to justice, after having himself uncovered evidence of embezzling. The orphanage was soon rebuilt and a new superintendent hired. Clark was promoted at the *Daily Star* for his work on the Larry Trent story; consequently, Lois was demoted to writing a love column. Clark attempted to ask her out, but she rejected him as usual. As part of her new job, Lois spoke to a distraught woman whose husband Lew Frawley had gotten involved with gangsters. Seeing the potential for a hot story to get her old job back, Lois decided to investigate Lew's favored nightclub. She asked Clark out on a "date" as subterfuge for backing her up. They went to the club and danced, but Lois quickly found Lew and quietly beckoned for him to cut in. He did so, and she grabbed a piece of paper out of his pocket. Lois and Clark left soon after, but Lew and his gangster buddies caught on and led them to a boat at the nearby waterfront. He punched Clark into the water, allowing the criminals to escape while he turned into Superman. He met them at their destination with jewels that they had smuggled from Europe, and easily beat them up and took them to justice, depositing Lois safely outside of the police station. Later, Lois tried to submit a story on what she'd gone through, but Clark beat her to the presses.

## See also

* Biography of Superman (Earth-Two), 1938
* Biography of Superman (Earth-Two), 1939

## References

1. ↑ *Action Comics* #1a: "Superman, Champion of the Oppressed!" (June 1938) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
2. ↑ *Action Comics* #2a: "Revolution in San Monte." (July 1938) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
3. ↑ *Action Comics* #5a: "Superman and the Dam." (October 1938) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
4. ↑ *Action Comics* #6a: "Superman's Phony Manager." (November 1938) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
5. ↑ *Action Comics* #7a: "Superman Joins the Circus." (December 1938) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
6. ↑ *Action Comics* #9a: "Wanted: Superman." (February 1939) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
7. ↑ *New York World's Fair Comics* #1a: "Superman at the World's Fair." (April 1939) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
8. ↑ *Superman* #3a: "Superman and the Runaway." (Winter 1939) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).
9. ↑ *Superman* #3h: "Superman and the Jewel Smugglers." (Winter 1939) Siegel, Jerry (w), Shuster, Joe (art).