Even More of Superman's Less Legendary LL's!

CBR

By Brian Cronin

Published Apr 14, 2019

In their latest look at recurring plot points, CSBG spotlights even more of the less legendary LLs in Superman's life!

In Drawing Crazy Patterns, I spotlight at least five scenes/moments from within comic book stories that fit under a specific theme (basically, stuff that happens frequently in comics). Note that these lists are inherently not exhaustive. They are a list of five examples (occasionally I'll be nice and toss in a sixth). So no instance is "missing" if it is not listed. It's just not one of the five examples that I chose.

Today, I look at some more of the less legendary LLs in Superman's life!

Awhile back, I did a bit about less legendary LLs in Superman's life and I realized that there are so many examples out there that I should do a follow-up list!

As a quick recap of the whole "LL" concept, Superman has discovered over the years that there have been an inordinate amount of people in his life that have double L's in their name. You know, like Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, Lori Lemaris, etc.

Because of that, Superman writers have made a point to introduce MORE LL characters. Some become notable, some become...less notable. We're spotlight five of the less notable LLs in Superman's life. Note that this isn't a shot, really, as not everyone can become Lois Lane, ya know? But okay, in some cases, it very much IS a shot.

LARISSA LEE

In Superman #62 (by Alvin Schwartz, Wayne Boring and Stan Kaye), happenstance allows Mr. Mxyzptlk (actually, I guess at this point he was still Mr. Mxyztplk) to run across a magazine cover of the beautiful actress, Larissa Lee...

He becomes obsessed with wooing her by showing her that he is just as good of a superhero as Superman...

Superman enlists the help of Larissa to stomp out the annoying behavior of Mxy...

LYDIA LONG

This was a bit of a dark tale by Otto Binder, Curt Swan and John Forte in Action Comics #265. It opens with Lois Lane about to prove that a Clark Kent robot is, well, you know, a robot, when suddenly an alien shows up and takes the place of the robot...

It turns out that this guy is named Hyper-Man, and he's basically Superman from another planet and he needs Superman's help doing the same filling in for him...

Superman, though, gives away his secret identity, like, right away...

That Lydia Long! She's a sharp one!

Later, Superman then OUTRIGHT outs Hyper-Man AND also robs him of his super powers! It turns out that he had a plan all along, though...

That's super dark, Binder!

LARISSA LENNOX

Okay, speaking of super dark, we have Superman #218, with the great Curt Swan/Neal Adams cover showing Superman appearing to be a deadbeat dad...

The Leo Dorfman, Curt Swan and Jack Abel story makes it seem like it might really be the truth...

Superman eventually figures out that this was a particularly cruel prank by Mister Mxyzptlk and so Larissa fades away, but not before she tells Superman AS SHE MELTS AWAY that she wishes she could be married to him!!

TWISTED!

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LOLA-LA

This is a weird one. So, Superman lost his memory and he and Mr. Z (a recurring character for a while there in the early 1990s in the Superman titles) and he ends up on island in the middle of nowhere and, in Superman: Man of Steel #6 (by Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove and Dennis Janke), he meets the daughter of the head of the tribe and her name is Lola-La and she wants to marry the Man of Steel...

LEE LAMBERT

During the "Truth" storyline, Clark Kent's secret identity has been exposed and his powers have been greatly reduced. He returns home for the first time in Action Comics (2011) #41 (by Greg Pak, Aaron Kuder and Tomeu Morey) and he is shocked to learn that his old neighborhood in Metropolis has been turned into a sort of shrine to him...