Why Lois Lane Is Not And Should Not Be A Damsel In Distress

Recently I treated myself to Man of Steel for the umpteenth time. I enjoyed the film far more than I expected. While watching I realized there's been one glaring error in the Superman mythos that needs to be called out.

Lois Lane is not and should not be a damsel in distress.

By no means is this specific to Man of Steel. In fact, actress Amy Adams delivered and is a worthy addition to the elite group of women who have portrayed this iconic heroine over the decades.

As canon illustrates, Lois Lane is far more than capable of handling herself.

As the Daily Planet's top reporter and a Pulitzer Prize winner, Lois has always been at the forefront of being a modern-day career woman in an often male dominated environment. This very progressive, especially when one considers that Superman dates back to the late thirties when there were even far fewer opportunities for bright ambitious female professionals.

More than that, Lois is an accomplished martial artist and also has extensive military training thanks in no small part due to having a general for a father.

Let's also not forget she broke into the White House with Superman and Batman to steal back the Kryptonite from President Lex Luthor. One does not simply team up with the World's Finest and raid the Oval Office unless they're formidable in their own right.

In the animated series, she battled Lex Luthor's bodyguard Mercy and decisively trounced her. This is the same Mercy who battled Harley Quinn to a stalemate. The same Mercy who in the comics pummeled Catwoman within an inch of her life during the No Man's Land story arc.

Smallville, for all of its issues, actually nailed Lois's characterization better than most. It wasn't a stretch when she became a super heroine herself in an episode. For all intents and purposes, she should be a major player, independent of Superman. She's clocked more field time than half of DC's champions.

This isn't to say that Lois can never find herself in trouble, because part of her quirk is that in her zeal to investigate a story and learn the truth, she often finds herself in over her head.

This isn't to say that Superman can't occasionally rescue her. But what is very important to remember about a powerful accomplished woman like Lois Lane is that she's more than capable of saving herself.