We’ve reached the end of the Lois Lane retrospective, with a crossover with Jimmy Olsen that really feels like a good conclusion for both.
Well, RELATIVELY good of course.
SUPERMAN FAMILY #193 (1979)
by Tom DeFalco & Win Mortimer
The cover is actually a wraparound that shows off the multiple series being printed. That’s rather cool, actually.
As previously shown, supporting character Tina Ames has been blessed with superpowers by Our Lord And Savior Professor Potter.
Lois is volunteering as a nurse in the hospital, and Human Cannonball (CB for the rest of the review) is being his useless self.
Then some villains show up…
…leading to our Ridiculous Lois Lane Feat Of The Day.
Is the whole reason for having CB around making Lois look better by comparison? Because it’s working!
My understanding of the villains’ plan is:
A) attack the woman with superpowers
B) ?????
C) victory!
Great job, villains.
Unfortunately for her Tina doesn’t control her powers very well yet and she’s very weak, so she’s going to be sent to D.N.A. Project, the Project Cadmus predecessor.
If they told her there are Jimmy Olsen clones there, would she have accepted the offer?
SUPERMAN FAMILY #193 (1979)
by Tom DeFalco & John Calnan
This one is also a wrap-around cover, but it doesn’t blend the various scenes as well as the previous issue.
As anticipated this is a crossover of sorts with Jimmy Olsen, but it’s actually the conclusion of a very long storyline that was trying to make some sense of the Jack Kirby run.
The fact that I didn’t even bother to review the rest should tell you how well it went.
The Lois story didn’t even bother to explain who the villains were, but it’s clones.
This is the last appearance of CB (shocking he didn’t get his own series, right?) but at least he does something slightly useful.
“Where the heck is that project” is what I’ve been asking since Kirby showed up!!!
And the answer is a vague “beneath the outskirts of Metropolis”, because of course it is.
If you feel lost because I didn’t review the previous Jimmy issues, here you go.
And here’s the villain of our story: Adam, the genetically superhuman clone who took over the facility and wants to conquer the world.
Adams wants to use Tina as a battery for his evil plan, so Jimmy Olsen and a surprisingly competent Newsboy Legion show up to stop the clones at his disposal.
Dude, you just got called out as lame by Flippa Dippa.
FLIPPA DIPPA.
No wonder CB never shows up after this.
Superman shows up, called by Jimmy’s Signal Watch.
So we have Jimmy Olsen, countless Jimmy clones, the DNA Project, the Newsboy Legion AND now even the ludicrous mini-JLA from Lois Lane #111 show up!!!
This really is a reunion of all the various Superman spinoff of the 70s, isn’t it?
I don’t know, Supes. Lois could handle the mini-JLA in her issue pretty easily.
Also we take the time to make the absolutely necessary revelation that the original Guardian was related to Green Arrow’s sidekick Speedy. Because God forbid two people with the last name “Harper” are unrelated (I hate forced connections like these!!!).
Funny how the big bad of Jimmy Olsen is almost defeated by Lois Lane the second they meet.
However Adam’s superweapon, supercharged by Tina, almost kills the entire world (!!!)…
…and despite Guardian showing up to fight him…
…LOIS LANE SAVES THE DAY.
If you’re CB and Lois Lane completely overshadows you, it’s one thing. When you’re Superman, that’s just embarrassing!
And that’s all, folks!
Yep, that’s it for Lois Lane for a while. We’ll eventually get back to her once the Supergirl run of Superman Family is over.
Historical significance: 0/10
It’s the end of a lot of subplots. Still not enough to care.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
Adam is as corny as it gets for a generic evil clone.
Does it stand the test of time? 5/10
This should feel epic and interconnected. But while it does manage a few good moments, I really don’t feel any connection to anything going on. And for being the one to save the day, Lois doesn’t really seem to fit with the second part. To say nothing of the waste of ink that is CB.
Stupid Lois Lane moment
You know what? In celebration of this last issue, and because she upstages everybody, I’m giving her a pass.