Despite his famous romance with Lois Lane, Superman nearly married another woman before her, and it’s not someone audiences might expect.
In comics, there is perhaps no marriage more famous than Superman and Lois Lane, but a bout of amnesia nearly led to Superman marrying another woman before Lois. Instead of an established love like Lana Lang, Wonder Woman or Lori Lamaris, Superman almost got married to a Neanderthal tribal princess on a prehistoric dinosaur island in a bizarre 1991 story.
This storyline titled “Blackout,” was told in five parts across all the then concurrent Superman titles, including Action Comics, Superman, Superman: Man of Steel, and The Adventures of Superman, though this storyline began in The Adventures of Superman #484 (by Tom Grummett, Jerry Ordway, Dennis Janke, Glenn Whitmore and Albert DeGuzman). This story begins with minor Superman enemy Mr. Z approaching Professor Emil Hamilton, an ally of Superman who is inventing a helmet device that will allow the Man of Steel to monitor activity around his Antarctic Fortress of Solitude via orbiting satellites. Before he can finish this device, Mr. Z uses his basic hypnotic abilities to make Professor Hamilton alter the device, allowing Mr. Z to take control of whoever wears it. With this, he plans to make Superman fly him to the Fortress to retrieve his dangerous gem from within the trophy room. During previous encounters, Mr. Z used this gem to steal the souls of whomever he wished, even attempting at Superman’s soul in these encounters.
Mr. Z succeeds in capturing and manipulating Superman, however the device malfunctions mid-flight, simultaneously taking down the pair as well as the whole Metropolis electrical grid for which it was connected to. This explosion results in the memory loss of both Superman and Mr. Z, with an amnesiac Superman carrying Mr. Z to a group of French scientists at an Antarctic research facility. Though these researchers attempt to transport them to a medical facility, a heavy storm pushes their plane into the ocean. Introducing more questions than answers, Superman is then pulled under the water by a giant Plesiosaur, and though he defeats the beast, the resulting exhaustion makes Superman pass out on a raft with Mr. Z that is slowly drifting out into the unruly waters.
Superman and Mr. Z then find themselves marooned on an island that essentially serves as DC’s answer to Marvel’s Savage Land. As they traverse this strange island, they fight dinosaurs, rediscover Superman’s abilities, and eventually come across a strange tribe of Neanderthals, led by Lola-La, who is immediately enamored with Superman’s strength and inhuman abilities. Though reluctant to accept him, Lola-La’s father, the chief of the clan, also deeply admires Superman’s strength, even allowing his daughter to marry this strange man upon her request.
While this is happening, Lois Lane, Professor Hamilton, and fellow Metropolis superhero, the Manhattan Guardian, have all teamed up to track down Superman due to the rise in crime and violence in their city, following his trail into Antarctica. As un unknowing Superman is lured into a marriage ceremony, an amnesiac Mr. Z recognizes this almost immediately and informs his former enemy of Lola-La’s intention. Before the marriage can become official, the trio of Guardian, Lois Lane and Professor Hamilton arrive in Guardian’s flying Whiz Wagon to bring Superman and Mr. Z back to Metropolis. Conflict ensues from here as the commotion causes a stampede of dinosaurs to race towards the tribe’s settlement, a situation that proves challenging for a Superman that doesn’t fully understand his abilities. Once rerouted, Superman returns with the trio to Metropolis, leaving behind Mr. Z with the belief that he can find a fresh start on this island without falling back into crime.
Back in Metropolis, the telepathic Dubbilex (who has appeared in Young Justice) aids in restoring Superman’s memories at S.T.A.R Labs, and with his memories restored, and his city once more at peace with his return, Superman would eventually marry Lois Lane. Though the love of his life, this strange yet highly entertaining tale nearly had him marry a cavewoman on a dinosaur island before he had his chance to make this love official.
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