Today in: “Yes, They Really Did That”: Lois Lane Was Black For 24 Hours In The 70s

I Am Curious (Black)

In the 1970s, Lois Lane wanted to do a story for the Daily Planet on the Little Africa neighborhood in Metropolis, but found no one would talk to her. In an effort to gain the trust of the community, she spent months living with them, working with their children, and becoming friends with its members. In doing so, she learned a lot about race relations in 1970s America-

Just kidding! She had Superman turn her black for 24 hours.

Superman dug up his Kryptonian Afro-Americanizer (It’s actually called the “Plastimold”, and the best part is this wasn’t her first time using it.) and turned her black for 24 hours. She then understood what it’s like to be a black person.

We’re not kidding. That is legitimately what happened. Lois turned black, watched an “improvised pre-k class” take place on milk crates in an abandoned lot, and saved a shooting victim’s life by donating her blood. In the end, she asked Superman if he would marry her now, even though she was black. Other common situations in which the question, “Would you marry me now, even though ___?” is asked in have included amputation, sudden weight gain/loss, disfigurement or scarring, and admission of a criminal history. Lois Lane has added “sudden blackness” to that list.

All kidding aside, though this might be an insensitive story, it was a different time back then, and comic books were struggling with how to be inclusive and open-minded after decades of bad behavior. They had some good days and some hilariously bad days.

Nowadays, we’d never be so careless as to take a white person and just-

Shit.