Who is Superwoman? The history of Lana Lang’s powers

Throughout history, Lana Lang has been well-known among Superman fans as the Man of Steel’s childhood friend/sweetheart. However, more recently, she has become famous in her own right, as Superwoman. But how did she go from being a citizen of Smallville to a protector of Metropolis? And is she still serving in this role? We’ll explore all this and more right now.

 

Lana Lang didn’t start out with powers. When she was introduced to the New 52 era of DC Comics, she was a normal electrical engineer who would occasionally help Superman on his adventures. However, after Superman learned he was dying, everything changed.

Lana Lang was by his side when Superman passed away. As he died, strange red energy flowed from his body into Lana’s. At first, nothing strange happened and this flow of energy was generally ignored.

However, a short while later, Lana developed superpowers. She could fly, had increased durability, and had super-strength. In addition, she could manipulate electromagnetic radiation and channel it into healing energy or deadly blasts of power. Lana decided to use her newfound abilities to help protect the citizens of Metropolis.

This all changed when the Superman: Reborn (Review) storyline took place. In this story arc, the entire DC Universe is altered, effectively undoing the death of Superman. Since Lana’s abilities were derived from Superman’s passing, this change in history should leave her powerless. However, for reasons that aren’t immediately clear, Lana retains her abilities.

See ComicBookWire’s “Lana Lang Reading Order” here

This is where things get a bit complicated. At first, Lana believed her powers were somehow retained in the battle armor she wore. However, when she was able to fly without the armor, she realized that this isn’t the case. Then, she believed her powers might have come from a Red Kryptonite amulet she used to wear as a child. However, this theory was also quickly dismissed.

Eventually, Lana definitively discovers that her powers come from exposure to Superman’s “flare”. However, which “flare” she refers to is never explained. It could be that this “flare” is the same as the burst of energy Superman gave off when he died; yet, with Superman’s death now out of continuity, this seems unlikely. It could also be that the “flare” refers to Superman’s “solar flare” ability; yet Lana was never near Superman when he used this ability, nor would this ability have given her superpowers. Ultimately, the answer is pretty hazy and readers are left without a clear understanding of the origin of Lana’s powers.

Shortly after this uncertain revelation, the matter becomes rather inconsequential as Lana loses her superpowers entirely. She sacrifices them in order to defeat a supervillain, who could not be defeated in any other way. Though she is no longer Superwoman, she is satisfied with the life she has and the people she has around her.

 

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Also, be sure to check out our “Lana Lang Timeline” and our “Lana Lang Reading Order” for more information about this character.