10 Biggest Ways Superman & Lois Changed From The Comics

Superman & Lois has already become one of the most beloved iterations of the Man of Steel that the DC Universe has ever seen, despite the fact that it often tended to deviate from its source material. The series, with its incredible action and enormous heart, overcame some of the laziest superhero tv criticisms about the CW and told some genuinely emotional stories. With a definitive end for the Man of Steel, the series ended on a high note, even if Superman & Lois spinoff and sequel pitches continue to be shared.

As evidenced by some of the most iconic Superman & Lois quotes, the writing for the show was a strong point. However, this only worked because the showrunners were willing to take chances, and to tell stories that genuinely deviated from their comic book origins. While this is not always a good idea, it worked extremely well in this case. With that said, it is worth reviewing these differences, noting how well or poorly each of these individual choices could be seen as in isolation.

10

Bizarro Was Transformed Into Doomsday By Lex Luthor

The Season 2 Villain Became Superman’s Greatest Threat

Superman has died onscreen many times, but never was it as emotional as in this series, where Bizarro was tragically turned into Doomsday by Lex Luthor. In the comics, Doomsday tends to be an ancient alien creation, who is best known for killing Superman. In this series, however, the tragic story of Bizarro was brought to the forefront in a new way, with the multiversal Superman variant being experimented on by Lex Luthor. This causes him to transform, leading to the ultimate confrontation.

This is a notable change because Bizarro had been such an important character in the series so far. Superman had fought both against and to help him through the series, and seeing his transformation here therefore feels devastating. Fortunately, Doomsday does later have the chance to redeem himself in the series after Superman is restored.

9

Superman’s Identity Was Not Revealed To Lana Lang In Their Youth

The Clark And Lana Relationship Was Not A Focal Point Of Superman & Lois

Lana Lang and Clark Kent have had a long and varied comics history, with much of their teen romance having been examined in the comics throughout the years. As Clark’s first love interest, Lana has been an important part of Superman’s story, so much that there was worry Superman & Lois would use a romantic subplot in its later seasons. Fortunately, this did not happen, and the character iteration stood on her own.

The relationship between Clark and Lana varied depending on the comic iteration, but she was often the love interest in Superboy stories that saw a young Clark Kent discovering his powers. In many of these stories, she was made aware of Clark’s secret identity, and that awareness had ramifications on their relationship moving forward. This story was avoided in Superman & Lois.

8

Steel’s Origin Was Based On Hating Rather Than Loving Superman

John Henry Irons Debuted During The Reign Of The Supermen

Before Steel became the star of DC’s lowest grossing film of all time, he was introduced in the comics as someone inspired by Superman to take his place. During a construction site accident where John Henry Irons saved another worker from falling, he nearly lost his life but was instead saved by Superman. He was inspired by the heroism there to live a better life, and designed his supersuit to do that by helping others.

In the show, however, Irons has a much darker backstory. Rather than being inspired by Superman, he is devoted to destroying him after an alternate version of the hero killed his wife, Lois Lane. Tying in these other elements makes for a darker twist on the Steel character that still wound up feeling true to the comics by the end of the series.

7

Ally Allston’s Parasite Is Different From The Comic Villain

The Show’s Parasite Deviated From The Different DC Comics Iterations

Some of the Superman villains that were featured in the series deviated from their comics lore, with an especial focus on humanizing their powers. Ally Alston was first called Parasite before gaining any powers, with the character having a deep connection to Lois Lane and her history with her family. As a cult leader, this iteration of Alston was unique and interesting, playing into many of the show’s human stories.

Ally eventually merged with her Inverse counterpart, giving her some powers reminiscent of the comic book villain. However, her powers were also modified to fit in with her unique origin. The use of the Bizarro world and her access to it helped differentiate this Parasite from the comics, where Ally Allston was only one of the minor Parasites that had appeared.

6

Clark Is Brought Back To Life Using Sam Lane’s Heart

The Familial Connection Was A Recurring Important Theme In Superman & Lois

When Superman died, it felt inevitable that he would return. This resurrection occurred in several different ways in the comics, with the most prominent being Superman’s body being placed in a regeneration matrix at the Fortress of Solitude. This brought the Man of Steel back in his famous black suit, playing into stories that saw Superman reestablishing his place as the greatest hero in Metropolis.

In the show, Superman’s heart was taken by Lex Luthor, and he needed another. He was given the heart of the recently deceased Sam Lane, his father-in-law, which was enhanced with a serum made from his Kryptonian blood. This helped to bring Clark back to life, although it had massive implications on his health, as this human heart made him more vulnerable and would not last forever.

5

Brainiac Is A Brilliant Human Named Milton

The Classic Brainiac Story Was Not Told In Superman & Lois

One of the most interesting changes to comics lore, the Superman & Lois version of Brainiac is practically unrecognizable from his comics counterpart. Brainiac is usually depicted as an artificial intelligence from Krypton, and there have even been comic book stories of him taking over the body of Milton Fine. Smallville also featured Brainiac using this false identity. Instead, in the series, Milton Fine was only a small role of a hacker working for Lex Luthor.

The Milton character was referred to as a Brainiac, and he worked hard against Superman and his family at the behest of Lex. However, there was no Kryptonian possession, and the character never did come anywhere close to embodying the role of Brainiac as it was seen in the comics. It could be that there were plans, when the show was set to run longer, to later have this character be possessed by Kryptonian intelligence, although that is purely speculation.

4

Lex Luthor Has Spent Most Of Superman’s Career In Prison

Lex Luthor Is Supposed To Be One Of Superman’s Greatest And Most Consistent Foes

Superman & Lois introduced one of the most evil versions of Lex Luthor ever seen in its third season. Notably, this version of Lex was absent from Superman’s career for 17 years, having been locked away in prison for erroneous accusations that came from Lois Lane’s reporting. This leaves Lex bitter, and looking to destroy the Kents. However, what is most notable is that he spent 17 years away from Superman and his family.

Lex Luthor is Superman’s greatest foe, and the two butt heads constantly in the comics. Lex has had many different iterations in the comics, with some of these being scheming politicians and captains of industry who avoid jail time, while others are more traditional crooks who are locked up repeatedly but tend to escape. Regardless, Lex in the comics remains a consistent presence in the Man of Steel’s life, and none of his prison sentences have tended to take him away from Superman for long.

3

Clark’s Relationship With Jimmy Olsen Was Cut Short In Superman & Lois

The Jimmy Olsen Character Was A Surprising Omission From Most Of The Series

Jimmy Olsen is a strange character in Superman comics who finds himself in all kinds of misadventures. The comic title Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen told some of the most humorous and unhinged stories of the character, where he became a Turtle Man and a Genie among other things. His bond with Superman has always been a significant force throughout each of these stories. Jimmy and Superman have a long history and care for one another deeply.

Jimmy Olsen in Superman & Lois has a much darker and sadder story. Rather than being full of all kinds of fun misadventures, the past between Clark and Jimmy was full of regret and tension. Superman’s secret identity became a point of tension between them, and Jimmy wound up left with the idea that Clark didn’t want to be his friend. In reality, Clark was only looking to hide his identity to keep Jimmy and others safe.

2

Superman Has Had Several Children In The Comics, But None Of Them Were Named Jordan

Jordan And Jonathan Kent As Brothers Were An Important Part Of The CW Show

Superman has had a number of children in the comics, although it is difficult to pull only one example as definitive. Many of these children have been with Lois, although some, including Ariella Kent, were with other women. Most of these children, including Jon Lane Kent and Lara Kent, are from other timelines or have their stories reset during Crisis events. Superman’s current son, Jonathan Kent, has a big part in contemporary comics.

While several of Superman’s sons have been named for his Earth father, Jonathan Kent, Superman & Lois has the only one named Jordan, after Jor-El, his Kryptonian father. Featuring Jordan and Jonathan in the series contributed to an excellent family dynamic that was arguably stronger than many of the comic iterations. With that said, it is unusual that none of their children were named for Lois’ family.

1

Superman Revealed His Identity To The World

The Execution Of This Story Does Not Have A Comic Counterpart

Over nearly a century of Superman comics, there have been some reveals of the Man of Steel’s secret identity, with the most recent being in the comics by Brian Michael Bendis. However, these all tend to be undone, and do not allow for this paradigm shift to last for long. Clark’s identity is an important part of his core identity, and so long as the comics continue to run, it seems almost impossible to move forward with his identity being known throughout the world.

Superman & Lois was setting up to end, however, which gave it the perfect opportunity to create new scenarios. Clark’s greatest secret was revealed to the world, allowing the end of the series to contend with the significance of that before moving into its ending. With the show set to conclude, Superman & Lois was able to tell a truly original story that felt true to the spirit of the comics, even as it changed all kinds of details throughout its four-season run.

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