SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Lois Lane #3 by Greg Rucka, Mike Perkins, Paul Mounts and Simon Bowland, on sale now.
Greg Rucka and Mike Perkins' DC maxi-series Lois Lane follows the eponymous investigative reporter as she unwaveringly speaks truth to power, uncovers illicit, shady business dealings and power plays, and shines a light on things intentionally left dark by the rich and powerful. With such a bold mission statement, it only seems natural that Lois would team up with the Question to continue unraveling global conspiracies at the heart of the DC Universe, but it turns out the duo are not alone.
While Lois has paired up with Renee Montoya, the modern Question, as they continue their investigation together, the two women have been tailed by a mysterious figure. In the latest issue, Renee confronts and briefly comes to blows with the enigmatic stalker only to discover that not only is it another Question but, as the two fighters reveal their true faces, it is the original, classic Question and Montoya's own mentor, Vic Sage, making his full DC Rebirth debut after also appearing in the pages of Event: Leviathan while continuing to conceal his identity.
Created by Steve Ditko in 1967's Blue Beetle #1, the Question was integrated into the DCU following DC Comics' acquisition of Charlton Comics in 1985. Wearing a mask resembling a face completely lacking identifiable facial features, Vic Sage would star in his own acclaimed series by Denny O'Neil and Denys Cowan as he investigated the dark underbelly of the DCU employing his keen, objectivist intellect and formidable martial arts skills. After training disgraced Gotham City police detective Renee Montoya to follow in his footsteps, Sage succumbed to cancer in the weekly series 52, co-written by Rucka.
While Sage had remained dead for years, the reboot of the DCU following Flashpoint would see two different male versions of the Question surface during the New 52 era. The Trinity of Sin, including Pandora and the New 52's incarnation of the Phantom Stranger, had a figure known as the Question who was punished for an unknown crime and had his facial features erased, forced to walk the Earth searching for impossible answers. A second version was a government operative hired to co-run the Suicide Squad with Amanda Waller, only to reveal himself as a conniving bureaucrat willing to do anything to save himself, in complete contrast to the anti-establishment, borderline anarchist that was the original Vic Sage.
As more and more pre-Flashpoint characters and histories reappear across the DC Rebirth era, Vic Sage is the latest classic hero to make his return. Unmasked before his former protege, the reunited pair's conversation directly references Sage's death at Nanda Parbat from cancer, confirming that this is the classic version of the Question unseen since 2007. The nature of Sage's resurrection is still unknown but, given the nature of the character, its answer will likely only lead to even bigger questions themselves.
While giving Lois Lane one of the most courageous, timely adventures through the DCU in recent memory, Rucka has also reunited two fan-favorite characters he has had extensive experience with in the past. Lois is faced with a global conspiracy affecting the lives of billions on Earth and has valuable assistance not from Superman, as many might suspect, but from the Question. And with an investigation this high stakes and far-reaching, the premier reporter in the DCU is not just getting help from the current faceless superhero but her classic mentor, risen from the grave to crack another mystery wide open. Welcome back, Vic Sage. We've missed you.