LOIS LANE #120 (1971)
Written by Cary Bates & Irene Vartanoff
Pencily by Werner Roth
Cover by Dick Giordano
The plot is by Irene Vartanoff, famous for being ubiquitous (and often harsh) on the letters pages.
I wonder if it was a detailed plot or if she just said “kill Lucy Lane”, because the story opens with her already dead!
Anyway Lois is here to investigate, running across South America Tony Stark.
AMAZINGLY, Lois thinks that this is rather fishy!!!
This is happening in the fictional country of San Quantos, and Superman is warned about its shady business by the Secret Undercover Agents of America.
A subsidiary of the Department of Redundancy Department, no doubt.
So get this: the 100, which I remind you is a criminal organization that focuses on assassinations and drug trafficking, just stole the plans of an atom bomb!
Superman flies to San Quantos to save the scientist who has the plans for the super-bomb, in a suitably ridiculous fashion.
You might be wondering what the hell this has to do with Lois investigating the death of her sister.
Well it turns out that Lucy was working for the 100 !!!
This seems to be going through way, WAY too much trouble to steal the plans.
The diary has to be a fake. The Lucy Lane we know would never say no to a rich dude.
Well s##t.
But it turns out that the scientist knew all along!
You mean to tell me that South America Tony Stark is actually *gasp* the bad guy!?
Luckily Lucy wrote in her diary “VIF GJMN JT IJEEFO JO NZ SJOH”, and we all know what that means.
These two idiots really deserve each other.
Joke’s on you, South America Tony Stark, she’s into that sort of stuff!
No, South America Tony Stark’s plan is less entertaining. And actually more stupid!
Well, maybe he’s not that dumb after all.
The note left by Lucy reads “UHE film is hidden in my ring” if we go by the rules.
UHE probably stands for Ultraviolet High Energy; I guess Lucy really wanted to make things unnecessarily difficult for her sister.
“It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Super-Hombre!” doesn’t sound right.
Superman rescues Lois, the scientist destroys the formula, and everyone lives happily ever after.
Except for Lucy, who is dead.
Well… at least for a while.
Historical significance: 6/10
Yes this time something significant happens! Lucy is going to return, because comics, but it will have an impact for a few issues.
Silver Age-ness: 6/10
Why the hell did Superman need the unbreakable glass to save the scientist? And what kind of crime syndicate works with nukes!?
Does it stand the test of time? 5/10
An attempt was made. If we could focus more on Lois and less on a generic Superman plot, this might actually turn into a decent story.
Stupid Lois Lane moment 