Creation
Lucy Lane was created by Otto Binder and Curt Swan and first appeared in Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen #36. She first appeared as Superwoman in Supergirl #35.
History
Lucy, like her big sister Lois, grew up an army brat under their father, Sam Lane. Lois was always more of a daredevil and a troublemaker, however. Owing to her being the younger child, Lucy was sometimes more spoiled by her strict father (or at least, he was more inclined to get over her failings).
When she was grown up, Lucy became a flight attendant until a mysterious ailment left her blind. Depressed with her life, Lucy attempted suicide by jumping off a roof in Metropolis, only to be rescued by the first Bizarro. This Bizarro had a chalky white substance that coated his body and coming into contact with it somehow restored Lucy’s sight. The Bizarro allowed itself to be destroyed, but in giving Lucy her sight back she got a new appreciation for life.
She later began dating Jimmy Olsen. The two remained together for approximately two years, but parted ways shortly after Superman’s first arrival in Metropolis.
Once she was kidnapped by the villain Sleez and another time she was seriously injured by Deathstroke.
Lucy later resumed her relationship with Jimmy Olsen, but they eventually broke up after Jimmy quit the Daily Planet to work for W.G.B.S. Studios.
While she was still dating Jimmy, Lucy met another Daily Planet reporter, Ron Troupe. Ron was instantly attracted to Lucy, much to his embarrassment (although luckily for him, Jimmy was too thick to pick up on it). After Lucy and Jimmy’s breakup, Lucy asked Ron out on a date. Ron later had to call upon Superman to help rescue Lucy from an escaped ape-like creature that had broken out of S.T.A.R. Labs. When Jimmy, on scene filming the rescue makes light of the event (as though it was just good television), Lucy punched him out.
When Lois and Clark finally decided to get married, Lucy was responsible for throwing her sister both the bachelorette party and the bridal shower. Lucy has good intentions, but Lois was a little perturbed when the theme for the bridal shower ended up being “happy homemaker.” Lucy was Lois’s Maid of Honor (and ironically enough, Jimmy was the Best Man).
After dating Ron for some time, Lucy ended up getting pregnant. She only told Ron after she visited an abortion clinic, getting information about all her alternatives. Ron was opposed to the abortion, and begged Lucy not to rush into anything. Lucy asked Ron not to tell anyone about the pregnancy until she settled on what she was going to do. Ron, nevertheless, ended up telling Jimmy after Ron was fired (along with nearly everyone else) as Lex Luthor bought out the Daily Planet and shut it down. Jimmy then blurted out the news to Lois, who was relieved that Jimmy was not the father. Lucy and Ron decided to keep the baby and planned on getting married. His parents took the news very well — hers did not. Sam nearly throttled Ron and Elinore insisted that Lucy give up the baby for adoption.
After months of delays and pressure from her family, Lucy Lane and Ron Troupe were finally married in a small ceremony during Lucy’s ninth month of pregnancy (Lois and Lucy crashed Ron’s bachelor party, hiding in the giant cake). Lois was with Lucy when she gave birth a few weeks later.
Superwoman
Lucy Lane left Superman’s immediate circle of friends for many years. During this time, she did not respond well to her father’s death in the Imperiex war. Trying to honor his memory, she joined the military. She appears to have left Ron Troupe (or possibly history was altered by the Infinite Crisis). Bitter and angrier than in her former appearances, she still blames Lois for General Sam Lane’s death during the war against Imperiex. Essentially, she thinks Lois broke his heart by putting her love for Superman before her duties as a daughter.
Lucy references her former appearances, even mentioning her “dating boys in Lois’ circle” as failed attempts to live her life through her more successful sister, but she eventually chooses to sacrifice her life and live the military career her father intended for Lois, driving an even deeper wedge between the two sisters.
Originally, unbeknown to her, General Lane was still alive, and working with the government on projects designed to deal with Kryptonians on Earth. Lucy and her father worked together on a project that has resulted in Lucy Lane gathering superhuman powers and abilities (Supergirl #40)
Lucy managed to infiltrate New Krypton under the guise of a Kryptonian that would be known as Superwoman. The exact reason Lane as Superwoman acting as liaison between the surviving Kryptonians and Earth have not been revealed. Lucy wore a super suit that was revealed to be a magical creation of Mirabai of the Forlorn. The suit duplicated the abilities of a Kryptonian but protected her from Kyptonite poisoning. When Supergirl figured out that Lucy was Superwoman and that she was behind several murders the two fought. In the middle of the battle, a furious Supergirl damaged the suit, unwittingly destroying the magic containment field around Lucy that gave her superpowers. The field exploded and Lucy was presumed dead.
War of the Supermen
After her supposed demise Lucy Lane is seen to have been resurrected and is an amalgam of “all” the alien races whose powers were in the Superwoman suit. Lucy kills the physician with an electric blast and says she is ready for duty. Lucy abducts her sister and brings her to their father to watch the events as they unfold. She is later defeated by Supergirl and taken into custody for her crimes.
Powers and Abilities
As Lucy
Military Training: She went through extensive training in combat, survival techniques, tactics, and in other similar areas of expertise.
As Superwoman
Power-Suit: Originally possessing no inherent powers, her power-suit altered her DNA (via a containment field) to replicate those of a Kryptonian and as such potentially made her capable of all the same feats they possess under the yellow sun. The abilities she demonstrated were: Vast superhuman strength, speed and durability, invulnerability, flight (normal and interstellar), freeze breath and heat vision. The power-suit also protects her from the harmful affects of Kryptonite and grants her the ability to steal the life of someone nearby to resurrect herself. Any other non-Kryptonian abilities the suit may possess have yet to be revealed.
Weaknesses: Damaging the containment field of the power-suit is fatal to the wearer. Since her death and rebirth, she possesses all the weaknesses of the alien races whose abilities were contained within the suit.
Character Profile
- Height: 6’1″
- Weight: 162 lbs
- Eye Color: Blue
- Hair Color: Blond
- Citizenship: American
- Marital Status: Married
- Occupation: Soldier, Government Agent
- Known Relatives: Sam Lane (father), Elinore Lane (mother), Lois Lane (sister), Ron Troupe (husband), Samuel Troupe (son), Clark Kent (brother-in-law)
- Base of Operations: Metropolis, Earth; New Kandor, New Krypton
Television
Smallville
While overseas, Lucy met the Swiss criminal and loan shark Marcus Becker. They thought up a plan to extort money from Lex Luthor. Lucy showed up in Smallville with a story about how she had got in with the wrong crowd, ran up her credit cards, and now owed a loan shark $50,000. Clark Kent went to Lex for help, and Lex seized the opportunity to apprehend Becker, who happened to be an old business acquaintance. While exchanging the money, Becker pistol-whipped Lex and kidnapped Lois Lane and, seemingly, Lucy as well. He held them all hostage in the back of an 18-wheeler. However, Lois and Clark realized at the same time that Lucy was using them all. Clark intercepted the truck and was able to use his powers to incapacitate and apprehend Becker. In the confusion, Lucy got away with Lex’s money and went into hiding.
When Lois was under the influence of gemstone kryptonite, she called Lucy to tell her she is getting married. Lucy can be heard screaming for joy through the phone.
Lucy and General Lane came to visit Lois and Clark at the Kent Farm for Thanksgiving. However, Lucy wanted to test Clark’s loyalty to Lois and kissed him in time to be caught by Lois, intending to cause tension between the couple. Lois was not amused and knew perfectly well that Lucy had instigated this. Lucy, in the hopes of winning favor with her father, Sam, agreed to help a disguised Rick Flag exposed Clark as an ally with the vigilantes. Flag gave her an envelope of photos, which showed Clark’s meeting with Kara Kent, and also planted a homing device on Sam, supposedly to keep him safe. In truth, however, Rick Flag, wanting the Vigilante Registration Act to fail, had planted the photos to turn the General against Clark, and to draw him away from the Kent farm, so as to kill him.
At the Talon apartment, Lois pleaded with the General to accept her relationship with Clark, to which both the General and Lucy attempted to claim their actions were solely out of their desire to protect her. Lois refused this, and tearfully told them that if they loved her, they would respect her choice to be with Clark. Realizing that Lois was right, Lucy and the General departed, moments before a missile aimed for the General, nearly killed Lois. The Talon was destroyed, but Clark rescued her, gaining the respect of both Lucy and the General. Lucy, meanwhile, came to admit that she didn’t mean to hurt Lois. Although Lois didn’t fully trust Lucy, she seemed to accept her sister and the two came to terms with their sibling issues.
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lucy appeared in four episodes of the show.
Supergirl (2015)
Jenna Dewan-Tatum has been cast in the recurring role of the young Lucy Lane on CBS’s Supergirl Season 1