Lois Lane Is Plotting to Expose Superman in Action Comics

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Action Comics #1002 by Brian Michael Bendis, Patrick Gleason and Alejandro Sanchez, on sale now!

The only thing Brian Michael Bendis loves more than swirling word balloons populating a comic page is a juicy mystery, filled with dark character motivations and last minute reveals. In Action Comics #1002, the writer hits readers with both in a tonal balancing act that has kept the plates spinning with very few wobbles. We are two issue into the "Invisible Mafia" story arc and the secondary plot regarding a series of arsons has spun out of The Man of Steel miniseries and is starting to unfold like a classic Bendis crime story.

The final page of Action Comics #1001 revealed that Lois Lane was back from her space adventures with her father-in-law and son and was working on a new project (a memoir, perhaps) with some potentially damning titles in regards to Clark Kent's secret identity. In this issue, Superman discovers Lois is back and is operating incognito, ostensibly so she could work on her "tell-all" book without her X-ray vision-sporting husband reading through her shoulder. But why return in secrecy?

The Dangers of truth

The shady crime figure with occult leanings and a supervillain in his pocket, Mr. Strong has been working with the intrepid Daily Planet reporter, Robinson Goode, who probably knows Clark Kent is in fact the Man of Steel. Their meeting ends with Goode requesting a piece of Kryptonite from the mafioso. Now, this might be a bit of a stretch, but could Lois know about Goode being a double agent of sorts? It's not completely out of reason. Who knows what she learned about the Kryptonian people and their history while she was off-planet (which we can only assume she was)?

Perhaps Lois saw something that convinced her the only way to save Clark Kent from the terrible hardship of being Superman was to expose him. If both men were widely known as the same person, then the need to keep the Clark Kent persona alive would be fruitless. This would, of course, free up some time, or at the very least put way less stress on their relationship. We know that not much can hurt Superman, but the thing he can't live without is his family. But if the world knew Clark Kent was really Kal-El from the planet Krypton, would it paint a target on Lois' back? If she really is penning a tell-all memoir, then this is clearly a risk Lois is willing to take.

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Where Robinson Goode comes in to play

Okay, conjecture time: Goode might just be working with Lois. Maybe using her shady connection with Mr. Strong to obtain Kryptonite is to help expose Superman in a public setting. If she were to use a shard of the green stuff against Clark in the middle of The Daily Planet bullpen, then he'd have a fight of flight response... or he'd start throwing up and writhing in pain.

No matter the outcome, it would not go unnoticed and probably confirm the claim of Lois Lane's memoir about her hubby being from another planet. But what's in it for Robinson Goode? It seems she is actively trying to slander the Man of Steel, or at least corroborate bogus stories. This might just be a last ditch effort to get Superman out of hiding. In doing so, she would instantly be the most popular journalist in the world. With this would come fame, fortune and enough cred to earn her a spot with any news organization. This could be the reward for doing what sounds like an awful idea.

What Does Lois Want?

As for Lois' reason for wanting to expose Superman, it's really hard to say. We don't know why she's writing something that would out her husband as the Earth's mightiest defender, but it most likely ties back to her time with Jor-El and Jon. Maybe what she saw beyond the stars was somewhere she thought she and her family could have a normal life. It would take a huge action for Superman to leave Earth for good. It's his home for all intents and purposes. His wife is an Earthling. So is his mom and his best friend (and Batman).

However, if Superman could be Superman full-time, would he be able to fix all the injustices in the world? Now we're getting into Superman: Red Son territory, but more Superman could lead to more good. Or Lois Lane isn't going to do anything with whatever she's working on. Sometimes writing down something for the sake of catharsis is completely normal. That's literally what journals are for. However, all the secrecy and hiding from her own husband points to the possibility that Lois has something up her sleeve, and Clark probably won't like it.