Steel is a funny sort of metal. It may be impossibly strong, but it can also be inflexible, unchanging. And a man of steel must, ultimately, exhibit these shortcomings. In Superman’s case, he changes no more than the basic principles of his adopted country. Though the character’s pure, idealized consistency is reassuring in a world all too eager to redefine itself with each passing moment, Superman comics, TV shows and movies have changed: and in the process they’ve reflected our changing society. Yet how can one see this when Superman himself remains a constant? The answer comes from looking at another resident of Metropolis, a constant companion to the Last Son of Krypton. I’m speaking about the First Lady of comic books, Lois Lane, whose evolution illustrates the changing role of women in American society.

Lois first appeared, as did Superman, in the first issue of Action Comics (Action Comics, No. 1), written by Jerry Siegel and drawn by Joe Shuster. We first see her sitting behind a typewriter, hammering out a news story. Clark Kent approaches her timidly. . . .

CLARK: W-What do you say to a—er—date tonight, Lois?

LOIS: I suppose I’ll give you a break . . . for a change.

The next panel shows the two dancing in a nightclub, but their dance is cut short when a thug named Butch insists Lois dance with him. “Reluctantly, Kent adheres to his role of a weakling,” the caption tells us, and Clark instructs Lois to dance with Butch.  …