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 Written
by Russ Dimino
There are
two things in this world that can make Superman weak in the
knees. One is a green, glowing rock that just happens to be
a radioactive chunk of his demolished home planet. The other
is a brunette reporter with a nose for news and the initials
L.L. For years, Clark Kent has tried to balance the fact that
Superman belongs to the world with his desire to live a normal
life with the woman of his dreams, Lois Lane.
Lois was around from the very beginning - her first comic book
appearance was the same as Superman's. Miss Lane and the Man
of Steel both made their debut in Action Comics #1 in June of
1938. Clark seemed to have a thing for Lois right away. He asks
her on a date in that first issue!
The first time that Lois was given life on screen, it was in
animated form, in the cartoon shorts originated by the Fleischer
brothers. Joan Alexander provided the voice of Lois in these
early cartoons, alongside Bud Collyer's Superman, from 1941
to 1943. Ms. Alexander would go on to voice Lois again, more
than 20 years later (more on that in a moment)!
 Noel
Neill is the Lois Lane with ties to the most versions of the
Superman saga. She first played Lois in the Superman movie serials
of 1948 to 1950, which starred Kirk Alyn. In 1951, George Reeves
made his debut as Superman in "Superman and the Mole Men."
Here, Lois was played by Phyllis Coates. Phyllis continued the
role for the first season of the "Adventures of Superman"
TV series. After the inaugural season, Ms. Coates opted not
to return, and Ms. Neill returned to the role of Lois for the
remainder of the series.
 Coates
and Neill offered very different portrayals of the Lois Lane
character. The Phyllis Coates Lois was a much more hard-edged,
no-nonsense reporter, and quite possibly the only version who
didn't fall head over heels for the Man of Steel. When Neill
resumed the role in 1953, her version of Lois was a much gentler
one, who developed a friendship with Clark Kent and a very familiar
attraction to our hero in blue.
Not only did Neill star alongside Alyn and Reeves, but she also
made a cameo appearance in the 1978 "Superman" movie
(here, she and Alyn play Lois Lane's parents), as well as an
appearance on the "Superboy" TV series. Phyllis Coates
also got a chance to return to the Superman mythos when she
appeared on "Lois and Clark" in 1994, playing Lois's
mother in the episode "House of Luthor."
Next, Superman and Lois would get animated again, and Joan Alexander
would return to the role! She and Bud Collyer again voiced Lois
and Clark during the 1966-1970 "New Adventures of Superman"
series, as well as the 1967-68 "Superman/Aquaman Hour of
Adventure." Though Alexander was the primary Lois, Julie
Bennett, the voice of Wonder Girl, stepped in as Lois on some
episodes.
Then came the first big screen "Superman" movie in
1978, with Margot Kidder taking on the role of Lois Lane. Here,
Lois swooned for Superman, but barely noticed his shy, clumsy
alter-ego, Clark Kent. Ms. Kidder was far from the only actress
considered for the part. The "Superman" DVD shows
screen tests of several other actresses who tried out, including
Anne Archer, Deborah Raffin, Susan Blakely, Stockard Channing
and Lesley Ann Warren. (Ms. Warren did play Lois in a 1975 TV
adaptation of the 1966 Broadway musical "It's A Bird, It's
A Plane, It's Superman"!) Christopher Reeve's screen test
is also included, with Holly Palance as Lois.
Kidder then returned for "Superman II" in 1980. This
time out, Lois learned that Superman and Clark Kent were one
and the same, and the two finally got together... at least until
the end of the film, when Lois's memory of the entire ordeal
is erased.
 After
a falling out with the producers, Kidder's role in "Superman
III" was dramatically reduced. Her screen time for the
third installment is only about five minutes, while Annette
O'Toole's Lana Lang becomes Clark's primary love interest for
the film. By the time "Superman IV" came around in
1987, Kidder's part was larger again, but she had to compete
with Mariel Hemingway for Superman's attention.
 Ms.
Kidder is yet another "Lois Lane" who seems to have
trouble staying away from the Superman legend! The fourth season
premiere of "Smallville" featured Kidder as Dr. Bridgette
Crosby, emissary to Dr. Virgil Swann. (Photo from the "Smallville"
premiere to your left; the photo above is Kidder and Annette
O'Toole in "Superman III.")
When the Ruby Spears "Superman" cartoon came out in
1988, Lois's voice was provided by Ginny McSwain. Ms. McSwain
would go on to become the voice director for animated hits like
"Tale Spin," "Goof Troop" and "Sonic
the Hedgehog."
 The
next to take on the role was Teri Hatcher, who of course played
Lois on "Lois & Clark" from 1993-97. This series
emphasized the romance between Lois Lane and Clark Kent, and
they eventually got married in the show's final season. During
this time, Teri received the honor of being the most downloaded
woman on the internet, due in large part to a picture of her
wrapped up in Superman's cape and nothing else. Her other credits
include a memorable (and "spectacular") guest spot
on Seinfeld, playing a Bond girl in "Tomorrow Never Dies,"
and a role in the first "Spy Kids" movie. Teri will
be returning to ABC this fall in a new series called "Desperate
Housewives."
In 1996, Dana Delany voiced Lois for "Superman The Animated
Series." No stranger to cartoon superheroes, Delany had
voiced Andrea Beaumont, Bruce Wayne's long-lost love, in "Batman:
Mask of the Phantasm" just three years earlier. Ms. Delany
continues to voice Lois whenever she appears on Cartoon Network's
"Justice League" series.
Ms. Delany doesn't hold the only voice credit for Lois for the
aforementioned animated series, however. Mae Whitman provided
the voice of a young Lois in a flashback scene, in the episode
"Monkey Fun." Ms. Whitman can be seen in movies that
include "Hope Floats," "Bye Bye, Love" and
"Independence Day."
 When
"Smallville" premiered on the WB in 2001, there was
some speculation among the fans as to the true nature of the
Chloe Sullivan character, played by Allison Mack. Chloe was
a newcomer to the mythology, a character created for the show
who had never been in the comics before. Given her role as the
intrepid reporter of the group and her knack for spouting snarky
comments, some fans predicted that Chloe would turn out to be
Lois Lane, through some kind of name change or pen name down
the road. (It should be noted that all the letters in the name
"Lois Lane" are present in the name "Chloe Sullivan"!)
Time has proven this theory wrong, though Chloe is not without
a connection to Lois. It was officially revealed, in the third
season episode "Delete," that Chloe and Lois are cousins.
 With
the fourth season premiere of "Smallville," Lois Lane
herself made her way into Smallville, played by actress Erica
Durance. Ms. Durance also has appeared on "Andromeda,"
"Tru Calling," and in the movie "House of the
Dead." This Lois is sarcastic and determined, and thus
far has created a love/hate relationship with the fandom - they
either really love her, or they really can't stand her. Or,
they just still think Chloe will be Lois someday.
Running
concurrent with Durance's "Smallville" stint will
be Kate Bosworth in the upcoming "Superman Returns"
film. This Lois has had some years without her Superman and
now has a child of her own.
Even though Superman can stop bullets and leap tall buildings,
it's Lois who has proven to be a true challenge for our hero.
Right from the start, she caught the attention of one of the
most powerful men in the universe, and he's been flying after
her ever since (usually to save her from danger). No matter
who has stepped into the role over the years, there has always
been one enduring and endearing quality about Lois Lane... she
is the one who gives Superman his humanity, because his dream
for a normal life as Clark Kent only makes sense with her by
his side.
Note:
The views of Russ Dimino don't necessarily represent the thoughts
and feelings of everyone at KryptonSite. Russ
is still wondering when we're going to get around to posting
his Many Faces Of Jor-El and Lara column. Thanks to Ficassidy
for several of the Lois Lane images.
KryptonSite
webmaster Craig's favorite Lois, incidentally, has to be Teri
Hatcher. She's real and she's spectacular.
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