Second Story in Lois Lane #59: Lois, the Incomprehensible "B" from Hell!

That will be your opinion, too, after reading this story from Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane.  This is issue #59, cover-dated August, 1965.

Just read the captions and thought balloons in the splash page.  Remember, almost from the instant of their first encounter in 1938, Lois has had the hots for Superman, that dreamy Super-Guy!  It's him -- only him -- that she loves!

But in this story, she chucks all that.  Why not go for Superman's hunky dad, instead?  And check out that very 21st-century-looking pouty, spoiled-brat expression on Lois's face in the splash panel.  Now we know where Rihanna, Miley Cryus, and millions of duckfaces were launched!

Anyway ... to our story.  Superman is just dusting the the exhibits in his Fortress of Solitude when he happens to pop in on the Phantom Zone, where he finds -- AWP! -- Lois Lane ?!?!  In a Kryptonian fashion, too!

Now we will learn how she got there.

NOTE TO FELLOW ENGLISH MAJORS:  Remember learning of this narrative device?  It's called in medias res, literally meaning "into the middle of things."  It's how The Iliad starts, too -- along with thousands of other stories from action-thriller TV shoes to romance novels to Sci-Fi radio shows, and on and on.  Its main attraction is its capacity to start a story out with a BANG and hook the reader/viewer/listener into a crisis, and then throw in that (potentially) boring backstory along the way.

After attending a publicity launch for a scientist and his "Anti-Nuclear Ray,"  Lois charms him into giving her his proprietary plans in the delusion that she will give them to Superman.

Next, she enlists Professor Potter and Jimmy Olsen as backup in her inspired mission.  Why, she'll travel to Krypton's past herself, and prevent its destruction by sharing those plans with Superman's father, Jor-El!

So she studies Kryptonese  -- only ONE LANGUAGE for the planet?  Oh, maybe she only learns the language spoken by the folks in Kryptonopolis, the planet's capital, and home to Jor-El.

Now she uses her handy-dandy Time-Viewer to window-shop.  What part of Jor-El's past does she wish to violate?

Note the first panel's depiction of Jor-El's dorm room.  We know it's a dorm room -- check out the college pennant on the wall!

So Lois decides to invade a little later in his life, after Jor-El is established as a scientist.  She lands the Time Machine safely without being detected by this advanced civilization's space defenses, and barges in on Jor-El in his underground research location.

It's kinda funny that such a setting was also used for the opening scenes of Superman: The Animated Series's first story, "Last Son of Krypton."

So, fibbing to Jor-El as to the origins of both her and the plans, she hands them over.  Hmmm, Jor-El says ... an Anti-Nuclear Ray to defend against alien invaders ... (like the one standing in front of him).

Thinking her mission is accomplished, Lois heads back to her Time Ship and home, except -- criminently!  The controls are jammed!  She's stuck ... in the past!

Bum-bum-BUMMM!

What will Lois do ... besides seducing Jor-El (we found that out in the story splash panel)?   Stay tuned for our next exciting installment, on Monday!  Same Super-time, same Super-channel!