Sam Lane

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For the Australian journalist known as Sam Lane, see Samantha Lane.

Sam Lane is a fictional character, the father of Lois Lane and Lucy Lane in Superman comics. Along with his wife Ella, he was introduced in Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #13 (November 1959) as a horse farmer in the town of Pittsdale.

Following Crisis on Infinite Earths Sam Lane was reinvented as a hard-bitten and outspoken US Army General, with an awkward relationship with his daughter. It was explained that Lane had wanted his eldest child to be a boy, so had treated Lois as a surrogate son, when he was present at all.

This version first appeared in Adventures of Superman #424 (January 1987), the first retitled issue of the former Superman title. He became a more significant character following Lois' engagement to Clark Kent, being highly unimpressed with the mild-mannered reporter. This almost, but not quite, extended to refusing to attend the wedding.

When Lex Luthor became President of the United States, he made Lane Secretary of Defense. This inevitably led to Lois, as an investigative journalist trying to prove Luthor was crooked, opposing her father, especially during the build up to the Imperiex War. During the War, General Lane was apparently killed by an Imperiex probe.

In Action Comics #832 (December 2005), set at Halloween, Sam Lane's ghost appeared to Lois while she was trapped in a car, enabling them to talk through their unresolved issues. However, the last scene of the issue showed the "ghost" leaning against a wall and watching the sunrise, implying that General Lane might still be alive.

[edit] Other media

In Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Sam Lane was a cyberneticist, and he and Ella were divorced. He first appeared working reluctantly in illegal "augumentation" of boxers. In subsequent appearances he had created a robot girlfriend. In his first appearance Dr Sam Lane was played by Denis Arndt, and in later episodes by Harve Presnell.

In Superman: The Animated Series, General Lane is involved in the space program. He appeared in one episode, with a flashback to when he was a Lieutenant. He was voiced by Dean Jones.

In Smallville, General Sam Lane appeared in the second and third episodes of Season 4, in which he was involved in protecting his niece, Chloe Sullivan, following her testifying against Lionel Luthor. He was played by Michael Ironside who also voiced the villain Darkseid in the Superman animated series in the 1990s.