Did you know that Lois Lane isn’t the only girl in her family with a spunky attitude and a tendency for getting herself into trouble? Heck, she’s not even the only girl in her family with double initials! Lois’s younger sister, Lucy, may be the lesser known of the Lane sisters, but she’s not one to hide in the shadow of her older sibling.
Lucy Lane first appeared in the comic book series “Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen” #36, in April of 1959. She was often written as a potential love interest for Jimmy, and made many regular appearances in this series, which focused on the adventures of the cub reporter with the red hair and bow tie.
When the “Supergirl” movie hit theaters in 1984, it was without “Superman” franchise stars Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder. However, the movie did boast several continuity ties to the “Superman” films, such as Marc McClure reprising his role as Jimmy Olsen. This time out, Jimmy even got a girlfriend… you guessed it, Lois’s sister, Lucy Lane, played by Maureen Teefy (Demi Moore was reportedly up for the role, but opted out!). In the film, Lucy was Supergirl’s college roommate, while Supergirl attended school in her secret identity of Linda Lee. (Yes, another “Double L”! The film even pokes fun at this, when the principal stumbles over the girls’ names as he tries to introduce Linda Lee to Lucy Lane.) Some of Ms. Teefy’s other credits include “Fame,” “Grease 2,” and “Sunset.”
There were actually two Lucys on “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” The first, Elizabeth Barondes, was on board from the very beginning, and even appeared in the opening credits of the pilot episode. Initially, Lois and Lucy shared an apartment, and Lucy often gave her older sister a hard time about not being able to hold onto a boyfriend. The series also made a nod to the Jimmy Olsen/Lucy Lane connection, with Jimmy asking her out in the second episode. This subplot did not get much of a chance to go anywhere, however. After the third episode Lucy suddenly disappeared from the show, with her character getting only an occasional mention from time to time. Since then, Ms. Barondes has appeared in movies like “Made” and “The Forsaken,” and made guest appearances on “ER” and “Judging Amy.”
In the second season of “L&C,” Lucy did reappear for one episode. This time out, she was played by Roxana Zal, and dating a hoodlum named John Corben. When Corben was transformed into the cyborg Metallo by two LexCorp scientists, his new kryptonite heart nearly killed Superman. Distraught over the fact that her boyfriend had become a supervillain, Lucy turned to Lois for comfort, knowing that she’d also dated a man who had turned out to be evil… Then again, as Lucy reminded Lois, “At least Lex Luthor was human.” Ouch. Ms. Zal has appeared on TV series like “Crossing Jordan,” and “NCIS.”
Lucy made one very brief appearance on “Superman: The Animated Series,” in a flashback in the episode “Monkey Fun.” Aria Noelle Curzon provided the voice of Young Lucy, as Lois recalled a time when she and her sister took care of a chimp named Titano that was to be launched off in a rocket as a space monkey. Ms. Curzon has done many other voice roles, including several of the “Land Before Time” films, and animated TV series “Recess.” She has had a few live action roles as well, which include shows like “Mad About You,” “JAG,” and “Without A Trace.”
Lucy Lane next showed up on “Smallville” in the season four episode titled “Lucy.” In this incarnation Lois’s younger sister was something of a con artist, manipulating and lying to those around her and even managing to steal $50,000 from Lex Luthor. Lucy appeared again in the final season of the series, the season ten episode “Ambush.” Lucy was played in both appearances by Peyton List, who is probably best known for her roles on “As The World Turns” (where she played another Lucy, Lucy Montgomery) and “Mad Men.” Ms. List has gone on to play another DC character more recently, having made several appearances on CW’s “The Flash” as Lisa Snart, a.k.a Golden Glider, sister to Leonard Snart, a.k.a. Captain Cold. (Fun fact: On “Smallville,” Lois and Lucy’s father, General Sam Lane, was played by Michael Ironside. On “The Flash,” Leonard and Lisa’s father, Lewis Snart, was played by… you guessed it… Michael Ironside!)
The character of Lucy Lane will appear next on CBS’s “Supergirl,” debuting in the series’ third episode, “Fight or Flight,” which airs tonight. Lucy will be portrayed as the ex-girlfriend of James Olsen, and she will be played by actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum. Ms. Dewan-Tatum previously appeared on the short-lived series “The Playboy Club,” as well as on “American Horror Story: Asylum.” She is married to actor Channing Tatum, who will be playing another comic book character in the near future; he is cast as the lead role in the upcoming “Gambit” movie.
Though Lucy Lane has never had much more than a minor role in most adaptations of the Superman legend, she has still managed to stick around in some form or another since 1959. Perhaps her appearance on “Supergirl” will finally give her a chance to step into the spotlight all on her own, and forge an identity beyond just being Lois’s little sis.