Superman & Lois has continued a Man of Steel tradition by adding their unique spin on the moment where Superman first saves Lois Lane in season 1 episode 11, “A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysmic Events.” Superman & Lois has made many alterations to the classic formula of the DC hero, but altering his relationship with Lois Lane is by no means a decision that the CW series made first.
From the first time he saved her in Action Comics #1 in 1938, Superman has always been ready to protect Lois Lane. Television versions of the couple in such shows as Lois & Clark and Smallville saw Superman’s first save of Lois involve swallowing bombs on space shuttles and battling mad scientists. Film versions like Man of Steel (2013) saw him rescue Lois from an array of dangers, ranging from falling out of crashing helicopters to being attacked by Kryptonian drones.
Superman & Lois’s trip down memory lane involves Lois confronting flame thrower-carrying villain Henry Miller on a city street. Just as he points the weapon at Lois - who was trying to reason with the man angry at aliens living in his neighborhood - Superman uses his freeze breath to douse the flames and lands between them. The show next includes the teamwork it has made a signature aspect of this super couple, as Superman protects innocent people from grenades thrown by Miller and Lois takes the villain down with a taser. Each new iteration of Clark Kent and Lois Lane’s love story has redeveloped Lois’s role in the partnership; Superman & Lois has given Lois the most power of any adaptations so far.
In the original Man of Steel, the character was no longer waiting around for her life to change. Adams’s Lane first encounters Superman when she pursues him during an investigation, and he cauterizes her injury after rescuing her from a Kryptonian drone.
From her debut on the Arrowverse, Bitsie Tulloch has given fans a more grounded and assertive version of Lois Lane. In her first Arrowverse appearance, Lois s Martian Manhunter, Brainy, and Superman in a dangerous confrontation against another Superman. “A Brief Reminiscence In-Between Cataclysms” introduces a Lois whose pursuit of the truth is directly tied to her zeal for protecting others. In her confrontation with the flame-throwing Miller, she’s not just there for a story; she’s taking a bold, brave risk to draw his attention away from the people he’s attacking and onto herself. She’s intrigued by Superman, and he’s awed by Lois Lane.
In an episode that took viewers back to the beginning of Clark and Lois’s love story, Superman & Lois paid tribute to other versions of the titular couple while also reaffirming what sets this Lois Lane apart from prior portrayals. Clark and Lois’s relationship continues to be well-received in this version because it does justice to both characters’ potential and draws its strength from their mutual heroism and dedication.