DC Needs to Stop Treating Lois Lane Like a Sidekick

Lois Lane is one of the most classic and important characters in comic book history. She’s been around since the start of the superhero genre, appearing alongside Superman in the very beginning of it all in Action Comics #1, and has been a major player ever since. She’s the oldest love interest in comics, and has shown that she is just as capable of handling a story as Superman himself. She is the necessary human companion that helps balance the Man of Steel and show the perspective of a normal person, and was his first and greatest partner in these comic books. And yet, despite all her importance and everything she’s done for the comic book world, many stories treat Lois Lane like a sidekick. She is so much more than another sidekick, and I can prove it.

Lois Is Superman’s Partner

If you look back at a lot of early DC comics, then yes, you can easily see that Lois mostly exists as a damsel in distress for Superman to save, and to shove the romantic tension/comedy of Clark chasing Lois and Lois chasing Superman. However, we have not only come a very long way from that portrayal of her, but Lois has always been a character who pushed boundaries and defied the stereotypes surrounding her. Even looking back on a lot of those old stories where she was kidnapped and forced to be rescued by Superman, Lois would normally get captured because she chased down a story with far more zeal and determination than anyone else. She would uncover the truth that Superman would have to fight for. Clark was always a reporter, but Lois was a step ahead of him, not just competing with the Man of Steel in reporting skills despite all his advantages, but uncovering things he never would have on his own.

Looking beyond the Silver Age it’s clear to see that Lois Lane saves Superman just as much as he saves her. When Superman is in trouble, either because the enemy has Kryptonite or he’s been restrained in some way, Lois is the first to jump in and fight to save him. Lois and Clark are not a one-sided dynamic, they are constantly fighting to protect each other, and Lois has proven time and time and time again that she is willing to go just as far as Superman to get results. 

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Even beyond her physical and mental capabilities, Lois shouldn’t be looked down on because she is an essential part of Superman’s stories in the way only an equal can be. When you look at sidekicks like Robin or Kid Flash you can tell that the relationship is very skewed in some capacity, with one character clearly being a mentor and the other clearly being the student. The student is there to learn from the mentor, and although the mentor usually changes and learns in response to the student, at the end of the day the student is below the mentor in just about every metric. However, although Superman obviously has far more physical prowess than Lois and is usually the person to ultimately save the day, Lois stands as an equal to Superman emotionally. 

Lois grounds Clark in a way that a sidekick can’t. She gives Superman a new perspective that he doesn’t look at like he has to change, but rather one he can and should learn from. Lois often sees the world in much darker tones than Superman, and yet she is just as dedicated to uncovering and defending the truth as he is, maybe even more so. Lois is Clark’s equal in that she matches his emotional mission in the world, but in a way that is different enough from Clark’s to offer valuable new insight he would never have on his own. When Superman is lost in the clouds with problems that are larger than life, Lois knows how to bring him down to focus on the things right in front of him. Similarly, Clark lifts Lois up to see more beauty and hope than she ever would on her own. They balance each other out perfectly, covering each other’s weaknesses and enhancing each other’s strengths. 

Lois Lane is an incredible character that is not Superman’s sidekick, but his equal and partner. She has saved Superman’s life, taught him as much as he’s taught her, and runs right alongside him into danger and mystery for the sake of what’s right. Lois is the farthest thing from a sidekick, and DC should remember how important and awesome she is.