This year marks a very special occasion: the 75^th Anniversary of one of DC Comics' flagship characters, a character recognizable the world over, a character that to this day remains one of the most important characters in comics. We are, of course, talking about the brilliant reporter Lois Lane. Who, can we say, looks great for 75. It's almost like she hasn't aged a day in all that time.

Lois first appeared alongside the Man of Steel himself in the pages of Action Comics #1, and in that very first issue, she established herself as a tough-as-nails reporter by straight up slapping a mobster in the face. Since then, Lois has gone through a few incarnations: from the aforementioned headstrong feminist of the Golden Age to the more wily schemer of the Silver Age all the way to the determined and independent character of the Modern Day—which is of course nothing to say about her appearances in television, film, and radio (for our younger readers, you might want to ask your parents... actually, probably your grandparents).

To celebrate the three-quarter century career of one of our personal favorite characters, we've not only released an awesome graphic novel collection (Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years) but we're also giving you 5.2 Reasons to Love Lois Lane!

1. Golden Age: Redefining Women in Comics

As a female in what was essentially a man's profession at the time, Lois worked hard to showcase her talents as a legitimate reporter. She was brave, both sharp-witted and sharp-tongued, and ever-vigilante in her pursuit of the latest scoop. In fact, her career came first—with Superman in a distant second. Also, apropos of nothing, we loved her hairstyle at the time.

2. Silver Age: Insane and Awesome

Lois went through a dramatic change during the Silver Age, and while those stories weren't exactly shining examples of progression, looking back on them these days and taking them strictly at face value, they're a lot of fun to read—mainly because they're so completely and utterly insane. It was most definitely a step back from the career-oriented Lois of the '30s and early '40s, but the sheer absurdity of some of these stories makes them a hilarious read today. Plots included Lois becoming a giant, shooting kryptonite from her eyes, gaining a lot of weight, getting married to Superman as a baby (seriously), marrying the devil, catfighting Catwoman, and so much very, very much more. All in the name of either a) trying to uncover Superman's secret identity, b) trying to trick Superman into marrying her, or c) both.

3. Post Crisis: Return to Roots

After the yearlong Crisis on Infinite Earths, the rebooted DCU saw Lois Lane once again becoming the strong, independent, career-oriented woman she once was—with an extra twist. Whereas Silver Age Lois was all about Superman, the Post-Crisis version instead found herself falling in love with both Superman AND Clark Kent. However, this dilemma and Lois and Clark's eventual newfound relationship didn't hinder or detract form Lois' career.

4. Modern Day: Lois Lane, Girl Reporter

The Lois of today greatly matches her original counterpart: No longer dating Superman, friends and colleagues with Clark, and very career-focused. Of course, this doesn't mean she's sacrificed personal relationships for her career (a bizarrely common trope for modern day female characters). Like any person, Lois balances her life as she sees fit: dating, experiencing a social life, and occasionally gaining superpowers by way of renegade supervillains intent on killing the Man of Steel. As you do.

5. Film and Television

Margot Kidder's portrayal of Lois in the original Superman films defined the character for years to come. Heavily drawing on her Golden Age roots, Kidder added a level of tenacity and drive that helped shaped the character's comic book incarnation even to this day. Kidder's influence even shaped the character's appearance in Smallville and Superman: The Animated Series. That influence can still be found in Amy Adams' portrayal of Lois in Man of Steel. However, the film added a new level to the character, showcasing her talents as a reporter in a way that had never been seen before, creating arguably one of the greatest developments for the character in almost all of her 75 years.

5.1 This Variant Cover to Superman Unchained #1

5.2 The Perfect Murder!

Never gets old.

 
What do you love about Lois Lane? What's your favorite version of the character? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to check out Lois Lane: A Celebration of 75 Years!