This is "Provide Some Answers," which is a feature where long unresolved plot points are eventually resolved.

Today's topic is provided by reader Alvaro G., who wrote in to ask:

In Superman #151, Lex sells the Daily Planet for only one buck. Later, we see that he has an agreement with Lois, and he explains that in exchange to this favor, he can erase a story by Lois Lane... What happened? Did he erase anything?

As noted, Jeph Loeb kicked off his acclaimed run on Superman in Superman #151 (working with Mike McKone and Marlo Alquiza) by bringing the Daily Planet back (Lex Luthor had taken it over, gotten rid of the big globe and turned it into LexCom, essentially a propaganda site for Luthor's benefit). Everyone is wondering, though, why Luthor agreed to sell it...

Eventually, Luthor shows up and explains why. He's just being a jerk to Perry White.

At the end of the issue, however, we learn the REAL reason he sold it...

So Luthor could squelch any one story by Lois Lane that he wanted. So, as Alvaro asked, DID HE?

Why yes, he did. As you might recall, Luthor then went on to be elected President of the United States. Then Earth was invaded as part of a big alien invasion in Our Worlds at War. Lois discovered that Luthor KNEW about the invasion beforehand and the people who would be killed and didn't tell anyone. Instead, he used that information to better prepare the world for its defense. So she decides to write a story on that, buoyed by information from Luthor's assistant, Hope, in Superman #182 (by Loeb, Ed McGuinness and Cam Smith)...

And, as you would expect, Luthor asked her to kill the story...

She does, but then she just gives the story to Clark and HE runs it...

Luthor had planned for this, however, and managed to find a way to disprove the story and Clark is fired the next issue, which was Loeb and McGuinness' last issue on the title. However, we learn that Perry White just PRETENDED to fire Clark, but instead had him working undercover on taking Luthor down...

It all ties in with a plot involving the villain Manchester Black. Anyhow, eventually Luthor is kicked out of office and Clark gets his job back.

But there you go, Alvaro, it was, indeed, paid off, just over 30 issues after being introduced!

Okay, that's it for this installment! If anyone else has a suggestion for a plot that was resolved after a number of years, drop me a line at brianc@cbr.com!