Golden Age

Newspaper Daily, Feb 01-02 1939Spanning from approximately 1938 - 1955 is the Golden Age of comics, the original Superman stories as started by Siegel and Shuster including the comic books and the daily newspaper comics.  (Some break this age period in half by the Golden Age, and the "Flux" age where they start setting up the Silver Age in the late forties.) 

This, of course, sees the first introduction of Clark Kent (Kal-L) and Lois Lane, and of course other milestones including Perry White and Jimmy Olsen.  The first comics start out in Cleveland where they work for the Daily Star, and later in the Daily Planet.  It is this age that set up Clark Kent as a disguise and Superman as the real man of the story; Lois of course falls for Superman who initially wants nothing to do with her.

Basic Stats

First Appearance: 1938 (Action Comics #1)
Age: Slightly younger than Clark Kent
Birthday:  Depicted as winter Nov/Dec ( S No. 37/2, Nov/Dec 1945: "Pranks for Profit!", Act No. 139, Dec 1949: "Clark Kent...Daredevil!")
Grew up in the town of: Metropolis (or Cleveland... which is where the first few issues were set before the fictional Metropolis was created).
Parents and Siblings: None known or mentioned
Position at the Daily Planet: Initially forced to write a column for love lorn women, but through her determination became a full fledged investigative reporter.
Lives With:  Helen, her best friend from High School.
First Meets Clark/Superman: At the Daily Star as Clark Kent. (Action Comics #1)
Relationship with Clark Kent: Married to Clark Kent.   (see: Earth 2)
Editor: Originally George Taylor, became Perry White
Is a Reporter:  Before Clark Kent shows up.
Lex Luthor was: Mad scientist who first encounters Superman as an adult. In his first appearance he had red hair (but was bald in subsequent appearances) and was simply called Luthor for the first few years.
Comic Run of the Age:  Action Comics #1 - 201; Superman #1 - 95; World's Finest #1 - 74

Journalism in the 1940's

Superman #003, page 58Lois' journalistic rise starts off being a "sob sister" (S No.7/1, Nov Dec 1940; and others) that works on the lovelorn column for the Daily Planet.  She quickly rises up the ranks to be considered one of the "star reporters" of the Planet along with Clark Kent himself. ((S No.27/1, Mar/Apr 1941; “The Palace of Perilous Play!”; and others) .  The two in this age share a heated rivalry, Lois always trying to prove herself no matter what.  (Though since most their stories are about Superman, Superman is really playing with her.)

This is the age that sets the standard for Lois Lane being a feminist icon.   She is portrayed as a serious journalism reporter with “newspaper reporting is [Lois’] first love” (S No. 58/2, May/Jun 1949: “Lois Lane Loves Clark Kent!”) and even early has made comments that it is literally in her blood: “… I guess I’ve got printer’s ink in my veins,” muses Lois in November-December 1946 (“Lois Lane, Actress!”).  In Superman #49 is is described as a "Modern Age Nellie Bly" and even re-walks the footsteps of that famous real life journalist. For her stories she also climbs Mt. Everest 1947 and visitied Atlantis in 1950.Lois Lane: Glass Ceiling

She's struggling against a glass ceiling to be a woman in a very male profession and struggles to be taken seriously.   However rivals as they might be, Lois tends to show up on his stories fairly often; she's been shown calling Clark for help when in danger, and trusting his instincts about stories.  

A lot of the comics about these times dealt with he social issues of the day so there are plenty of racketeering, misusage of orphanages, and mobsters not to mention the occasional mad scientist.  When it comes to their personal life,  it is pretty much the set up for the later revisited in the Iron Age where Clark steal her job from her.   However, after 1940, the two become friends which again.

The Secret, Superman & Lois

Superman #017, page 01Lois Lane and the secret is something that also comes up later in this time period, again in the 1940's (Act No. 25),.  By 1942, Lois is actively suspecting that Clark Kent and Superman are the same (thus dispelling the whole 'Lois was too dumb to figure it out for sixty years' myth.) in the issue whose scan is on the right. (S No. 17/1: “Man or Superman?”). Earlier texts don't form a solid opinion if she would publish or not, but Superman certainly suspect it would be a scoop that she would not be able to resist.   Starting with these stories it was never that Lois was too dumb to figure it out but Superman would use tricks including Super speed to steal the conclusions she rightly made.

Similarly very early on they start putting Lois in trouble which becomes a major part of the mythos.  There is a method to why Lois is always in danger: (1) she gets caught snooping around on a story by the bad guys, (2) bad guys come after her for a story that she's already written, (3) she is kidnapped and held hostage in order to get to Superman or (4) bad guys try to hurt her to get back at Superman.  In these early books, Lois carries a gun in her purse to protect herself (Act No. 43, Dec 1941; and others); she eventually stops when Superman always rescuing her makes it a needless tactic.

Lois Lane is fiercely loyal to Superman. She is his staunchest supporter and most ardent fan. She is constantly seeing to it that he receives the fullest measure of public credit for his many good deeds (S No. 16, May/Jun 1942: ‘‘The World’s Meanest Man’’; and many others), and according to the Big Book of Superman, she almost always retains her faith in him even when his motives are suspect or unpopular (WF No.6, Sum 1942: Man of Steel versus Man of Metal!’’; and many others). 

It is also in this age that Lois Lane started keeping scrap books of Superman (a practice  that is noted in Lois and Clark as well.) as well as of her own work.  Additionally it is in 1943 that Lois is shown as a writer, working on her own novel (S No. 23/2 ‘‘Habitual Homicide’) - again something that is noted in Lois and Clark as well.   Romantically, Lois has a handful of suitors (including Mxyzptlk) but none last as she's dead gone for the Man of Steel.