Lois Lane Has Left Superman (For Now), and That’s a Good Thing

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for The Man of Steel #6 by Brian Michael Bendis, Jason Fabok, Alex Sinclair and Josh Reed, in stores now.

From the start, there's been a mystery at the heart of Brian Michael Bendis' Man of Steel miniseries. As his battle with Rogol Zaar unfolded across the story's first five issues, we knew Clark Kent was alone, his wife, Lois Lane, gone under puzzling circumstances, with his son Jon also strangely missing. This was an absence that weighed on Clark, one that cut to the heart of the "man" in "man of steel."

But it wasn't until the final issue of the miniseries arrived that we learned what came of Lois and Jon, and why they aren't in Superman's life. Mother and son left with father-in-law/grandpa Jor-El, who wished to take Jon on a tour through the cosmos, to allow the young Kryptonian to fully tap into his potential.

As you would expect, Jon insisted on taking his grandfather up on the offer. Realizing she and Clark couldn't stop their son from going, Lois instead chose to accompany Jon and Jor-El. Her goal is to protect Jon, to allow him to grow up as a heroic half-human, half-Kryptonian -- but that's not all. Lois being Lois, she has a story to tell.

With a second book that's just waiting to be written, the intrepid reporter/writer sees the chance to write a book that's never been written before -- a book about her adventures as a mother journeying through the stars. With her own House of El super-suit (courtesy of Clark), Lois Lane is heading towards her next big adventure, a big change for the character, and also, a much needed one.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Why%20Lois%20Lane%20Had%20to%20Leave%20Superman%20to%20Reinvent%20Herself%20and%20Their%20Family']

The Kents' young son, Jon, changed everything upon his arrival. Suddenly, the timeless duo of Lois and Clark had a third wheel, the couple now officially a super-family. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's Superman: Rebirth series explored exactly what it was like for the parents to raise a super-powered child, from the birth of his powers to his assuming the identity of Superboy. Over the course of this story, Lois Lane proved many times over what a strong character she was, a devoted mother who had just as much strength of heart as Superman. Many times over, Lois Lane proved that Jon was now the most important person to her, and that there were no lengths she wouldn't go to to protect her son.

We saw her don Batman's Apokolips armor on the moon to fight the Eradicator, and we saw her join up with the Female Furies to survive the living hell of the evil New Gods' home planet when her family was scattered across its landscape. Now, it appears as if Brian Michael Bendis is taking things to whole other level by actually spinning Lois Lane off into her own adventure with Jon Kent -- with no Superman around to save the day.

It's unclear as of yet if a separate book or storyline will actually explore Lois and Jon's time away from Earth, but ultimately, that doesn't matter. The simple fact that Lois was ready to drop everything for her son is entirely in character, as we have seen in the past couple of years. Having her fly off into space taps into the sense of adventure Lois always had, and she is now positioning herself to become a super-mom. After all, before she took off on her adventure, Clark presented her with his form-fitting Superman costume, which is meant to physically protect her as much as it is to convey to all of the alien races she will meet out there that she, too, is of the House of El.

Lois Lane has always been a strong character -- of mind, body and spirit. She is smart, she's a fighter and she's more than capable of taking care of herself and others. Superman may be there to save her, but she doesn't always need his assistance. We have no doubt that she will strive by herself in outer space, and prove to be just as crucial in Jon's development into a superhero as his father. Following the path that Lois Lane has been on ever since the onset of Rebirth, this seems like the logical, organic next step in her journey.

These are adventures that we would certainly hope to see unfold on the page. Such is a story filled with potential that could easily expand the Superman line of titles. Batman isn't the only one with an extended bat-family. Superman also has his super-family, and it's time they have their own time to shine.

KEEP READING: Supergirl Is the Most Tragic Character in Bendis’ Man of Steel