Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Which of Superman's "sweethearts" is your favorite?

Lana --I always root for the underdog.

Lana Lang.  She wasn't puting herself in danger like Lois was.  She knew how to fight.  I think what cemented for me was that oversized Legion of Super-Heroes comic that had Lana flip one of Mordru's men over and have her mouth off to Mordru, despite the fact that Mordru had stolen Smallvile away and it looked like Superboy was occupied elsewhere.

Most of the time she was trying to prove Clark was Superboy was right after she had caught Clark doing something super-heroic.

Superman's big objection of getting married(If I get married, the person I marry will be in danger, because they don't have powers) falls flat.  Lana Lang the Insect Queen

After she went to WGBS, she started dating Clark Kent, not Superman

Lana. What Shin said.  And Curt Swan (when he was allowed to and Mort wasnt having Kurt S. draw Lois & Lana's heads in a curt story) did the most beautiful renditions of Lana.

Lois, of course, is the offical GF. :wink:

Lana Lang of course!

http://superman.nu/wiki/index.php/Lana_Lang

I almost voted for Lana but then I saw some of the other choices. Then I was torn between Lori and Sally. I'd love to see a Sally return. Of course since Clark is married now and we don't even know if the Sally stories are in continuity, I guess it doesn't really matter. I voted for Lori in the end.

KM

I wish we could've picked more than one. That was pretty hard because Lana, Lori and Sally are nearly equally liked by me.

Lana, Lori, and Sally were my top three as well, but in the end I had to choose Lana.

Mike

Lana, Lori and Sally are my top choices as well.  I voted for Sally, which got me thinking.

There have been incredible love stories told with Lori Lemaris and Sally Selwyn - but did Lois ever have a real love story told?  Where Clark actually fell in love with her?  Or has she always just been the frustrated pursuer of Superman?

If you count post-Byrne stories, yeah. I'd say that the whole engagement-death-rebirth-wedding thing pretty much fits that description.

And what if you don't?

I was always partial to Lori Lemaris, Clark Kent's first great love. I've always thought that was one of the most touching Superman stories ever told.

Then, assuming you don't count so-called imaginary stories either, I'd say the answer is "no."

Imaginary stories...  Hmm...  Well, they may not have strictly "taken place," but they certainly provide invaluable insight into characters' personalities, values, goals and desires.  I'd count those.

Hm. In that case, Superman #215 (http://www.comics.org/details.lasso?id=22641) comes to mind. Also the last Schwarz era story, the one by Alan Moore.

How about the classic imaginary tale in LL "The Three Wives of Superman" in which he marries Lois, Lana and Lori and ....they ALL die!

I'm biased, of course, as Lana is my niece.

But I see that Lana is winning handily.

How did all of you feel about the Marty Pasko stories with Lana, where Superman tells her off?  Personally, they broke my heart, and I thought that, although there was some truth there, he went too far.

Looks like I'm the only Luma Lynai fan here. Tsk tsk.  :cry:  She's just sooooo adorable in that costume....

Wow. It looks like most of the votes are in and Lana won rather convincingly.

I was thinking about having a run-off poll, but at this point Lana has over half the votes in a field of 7 so I don't think there's much doubt who the favorite is around here!

Lois got a lousy three votes, but I don't supposes that's surprising considering the way she's been portrayed in the Golden, Silver, and Modern ages.

I actually like Lois a lot and I still voted for Lana (with Lori and Sally my second and third choices.)

I'm a little surprised no one voted for Lyla Lerrol. She didn't appear much, but I thought "Krypton Lives Again" with the Lyla android was one of the best Superman stories ever and a lot of people love Moore's "For the Man who Has Everything." Her original appearance is of course a bona fide classic.

I suspect she would have done better if there were more that 15 participants.

It was kind of hard to get to read Lyla Lerrol, she seemed a little aloof, and her android double was positively cold...so, I'll let Kal's keep his feelings for her to himself...

I've always been partial to Lana myself, though I admit I'm surprised to see her finish so well here.

More precisely, I loved Lana in the Superboy stories.  Despite her constant efforts to prove Clark was Superboy, somehow she never came off as annoying as Lois.  Or maybe it was just that it was more tolerable coming from a teenager than a grown woman.  I think Lana was much kinder to Clark, too.  There was a sort of unspoken understanding that they were, sort of, boyfriend and girlfriend, albeit in a very platonic way.  Just the kind of innocent, slightly flirtatious friendship we remember from our own childhoods if we're lucky.  I'd say she was a "Betty" to Lois' "Veronica."

I guess today's kids are more "sophisticated" than I was, because they read comics with women spilling out of their bustiers and thongs, but in the comics of my youth, women weren't so much the simple sex objects. They were mysterious creatures to be feared as much as worshipped.  If Lois was the archetypal "female on the prowl," forever trying to trap Superman in marriage and commitment, Lana was the ideal "girl next door," there when you needed her, fun and cute and undemanding.  Just a kiss from Superboy could keep her on Cloud 9 for weeks; no need to put a ring on his finger.  Thus, I think Lana appeals to that part of the male psyche that adores and dotes on females without stirring our fears of commitment and domesticated doldroms.

Or maybe it was just those tight sweaters.  :lol:

Lana never went to the extremes that Lois did.  Thanks to her bio-ring, she never needed to.  Yes, Lana tried to prove Clark and Superboy were one and the same.  But, Clark was really not that careful about it in front of her.

I have to tell you, even though the outlook appears grim for a Superboy archive, I'm still hoping, and for one reason...Lana.

I did hesitate to participate in the poll, though, because the question was about Superman.  As an adult, Lana was relegated to a foil for Lois and little more.  Just competition for the big prize.  She still managed not to be as annoying as Lois, but her real charm was in Smallville days.

Believe it or not, Lana would not show up until volume 5!!

She was introduced in Superboy 10's "The Girl in Superboy's Life" (Sep/Oct 1950), but there are reams of stories before they'd get that far, assuming they begin with More Fun 101 in 1945.  Here's the full mapping, courtesy of Steve Roger's fine website:

http://members.fortunecity.com/dccomicsarchives/Superboy.html

DC is so slow with archives. :evil:

I am still amazed we actually got 12 Legion ones. 8)

The Odds of seeing more Supergirl, or Superboy or even Lois or Jummy archives are somewhat grim :(

Sigh...

Well then I guess I'll never get a Superboy Archive with Lana.  Even if they started today, they'll never get to volume 5 by 2013, when they may lose the right to publish Superman altogether.

Thomas Wolfe was right.  You can't go home again.  :cry: