In the world of comics, there is no other character like Lois Lane. From her first appearance in Action Comics #1 way back in 1938, Lois was set up to be a strong, independent character who was fearless, smart, and always ready to stand up for what she believes in. Sure, every now and then she needs Superman to come by and save her, but for the most part, Lois Lane stands on her own.
Lois Lane set the example for a character who was in love with a superhero, and that example continues to be used today. But in 2008, the world at large got the chance to see a new example with Pepper Potts in Iron Man. And while the Pepper of the comics is different from the Pepper of the movies, both versions are pretty great. But would Lois Lane and Pepper Potts be friends if they met?
10 Besties: Not Into the Whole Damsel In Distress Thing
There's no arguing that Lois Lane and Pepper Potts have both needed saving from time to time, but in general they don't play the "damsel in distress" role. These two characters are more than capable of taking care fo themselves when they need to, but in fairness, Pepper has shown more initiative in this area.
While Pepper Potts has her own suit of high-tech armor and does the whole superhero thing as Rescue, Lois Lane has never really gotten into the whole superhero thing, choosing instead to bring justice to the world through her award-winning reporting. Still, both women clearly have strong moral codes and would more than likely see that as a plus in a friendship.
9 Worsties: Ego
A good friendship relies on both people being able to set aside their egos from time to time. Batman, for example, has a huge ego, but he knows that Superman is a better leader, so the Caped Crusader doesn't throw a fit at every Justice League meeting.
And while Lois Lane isn't about to throw a fit if she doesn't get her way, she is also very used to getting her way all the time. As we recently learned, Superman even pretends to be a bad speller so Lois will feel better about her spelling. Pepper Potts is a patient person, but she isn't a pushover, and sooner or later, most likely sooner, Lois will push a little too much, and this friendship would fall apart faster than a speeding bullet.
8 Besties: Hard Workers
Lois Lane isn't just the best reporter in Metropolis, she is the best reporter in the world. She is such a great investigative journalist that if she hadn't taken a job as a reporter, Lois would probably be able to give Batman a run for his money on the whole "World's Greatest Detective" thing.
Pepper Potts started her career in the secretarial pool of Stark Industries but became Tony's assistant when her own hard work discovered an accounting error that could have bankrupted the company. As any hardworking assistant can tell you, part of their job includes being able to step in and run everything if needed, and Pepper has done that plenty of times in the past. The work ethic that these two characters have is unmatched.
7 Worsties: Pressing Business
The thing about Lois and Pepper both being hard workers is that they work in very different fields. As a major player in Stark Industries, Pepper Potts knows a lot of stuff that she isn't allowed to talk about, and as the best reporter in the world, Lois is always looking for the next big headline.
Sooner or later, Lois' questions would become too much for Pepper to deal with, or Lois would discover something about Stark Industries that she shouldn't know, and their blossoming friendship would begin to wither on the vine.
6 Besties: Love Triangles
Lois Lane isn't just part of one of the most famous love triangles in comics, she has the rare ability to be in a corner in two of the best known comic book love triangles. While the love triangle Pepper Potts found herself in isn't as well known, it is a great one. Pepper was in love with Tony Stark, while Tony's driver Happy Hogan was in love with her. Believing that Tony would never love her, Pepper went off and married Happy. The two were together until his death during Civil War.
Finding someone who also has a long-running soap opera style love triangle is hard to do, and for both Lois and Pepper, finally having someone who they can talk to about their past love issues would be a big friendship builder.
5 Worsties: Motherly Duties
Pepper and Lois are both mothers. After being unable to conceive, Pepper and Happy adopted a few children. Lois gave birth to the current Superboy, Jon. While they are both great mothers, the two have very different takes on what that job entails.
Pepper became a stay at home mother while her children grew up, while Lois continued to work after Jon was born. In a move that Pepper would almost certainly question, Lois let her son go off into space with his insane grandfather, only to have him return three years older. And then Superboy went off to the far future to join the Legion of Super-Heroes. These two would have a lot of disagreements on just how much space you should give your kid to make their own mistakes.
4 Besties: Cooler Than Their Significant Others
There's no arguing that Superman is one of the greatest superheroes of all time, but we have to be honest, he's far from the coolest. And if you were to list the 1000 coolest characters in the Marvel universe, no one would be putting Happy Hogan on that list. These are good men, but they aren't cool.
Their wives, on the other hand, are both cool. Lois Lane runs around with her own secret team of super detectives that even Batman didn't know about and has the Question as her personal bodyguard. Pepper Potts flies around in her own suit of armor fighting supervillains. Put these two in the same room and it is instantly the coolest room in town.
3 Worsties: Leaders And Followers
While the movies show us a Pepper Potts that runs Stark Industries, in the comics, that isn't her path. Pepper was seemingly content with being the personal assistant to Tony Stark, and even after his death, she continues to work on what he wanted to accomplish.
Lois Lane, on the other hand, isn't one to take orders, much to the chagrin of her boss, editor Perry White. Lois is fiercely independent and is quick to bark out orders. And while all friendships have someone who tends to take charge, no one wants a friend who just decides without discussing.
2 Besties: Undercover Cool
As an investigative reporter, Lois Lane goes undercover pretty often. She and Superman even had false identities, Chaz and Andi Donen, that gave them access to the secret government organization Spyral. Lois Lane loves the thrill that comes from going undercover.
Pepper has done her fair share of undercover work too. When Norman Osborn took over S.H.I.E.L.D. and demanded Pepper hand over her Rescue armor, Pepper disguised herself as Masque and showed up at H.A.M.M.E.R. claiming to have stolen the armor. As Osborn and his crew toyed with the armor, Pepper freed Black Widow and Maria Hill from their cells. And as Pepper was doing that, her Rescue suit was actually uploading a virus into H.A.M.M.E.R.'s computers. Lois would love that story.
1 Worsties: The Quitter
After getting married, Pepper and Happy moved away and wanted nothing to do with Tony Stark, Stark Industries, or Iron Man. The couple was more than happy to live the rest of their lives quietly. None of that would make any sense to Lois Lane.
Even when she was in hiding under a fake name and raising a young Jon Kent, Lois was writing books anonymously and putting together information for a number of stories that she would send to the Daily Planet. To Lois Lane, there is no walking away from the job, and she would never be able to understand how Pepper could do it.