The Purple Eyes of Lois Lane

[starwolf_oakley]

With the death of Elizabeth Taylor, people mention her purple eyes. And that reminds me of someone in the DCU who also has purple eyes, at least since the start of SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES. Lois Lane.







Here's two pages from ACTION COMICS #800, a story that covered the lead-up to Clark Kent's debut as Superman. Here, Clark is eavesdropping on Lois and Jimmy after the big space plane rescue.
I'm sure there are better examples of Lois having purple eyes.



So, Lois *is* being followed by a guy who can fly and lift space planes over his head. I hope they downplay Clark's stalker tendencies in the next Superman movie.

Comments

[ravenous_raven]

On the one hand, it's an interesting idea that Lois' eye color would be inspired by an icon such as Elizabeth Taylor. On other hand, part of the reason that I love Lois is that she's just a normal person with no superpowers or great beauty that makes her special. It's her drive, her ambition, and her intellect that make her great.

[icon_uk]

I never saw Liz Taylor's eyes as being purple to be honest. A lovely shade of blue yes, but never really got where the purple came from other than studio PR and possibly a retouched pic or two.

Garth/Aqualad/Tempest has purple eyes too, it's why his tribe kicked him out, because it was viewed as being a sign of evil

And what happened to the guys hat that Superman appears to be about to steal?

[starwolf_oakley]

Clark does indeed take the hat. Clark met Ed Wilson earlier in the story. Ed didn't quite get why Clark wanted to help people with his powers, yet be so secretive about it.

[whitesycamore]

I never saw Liz Taylor's eyes as being purple to be honest.

Yeah, that's because they weren't. Still, you've got to admire a woman who can convince so many people to perpetuate a romantic myth about something so manifestly untrue.

She was very lovely and charismatic that made people want to believe that she had purple eyes, even in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Pretty cool, really.

It's rather like the myth of Dick's ass being particularly special in comparison to any other hot young spandex clad hero's. :D

[icon_uk]

Or her PR department at least. But yes, a cool little myth.

That's it, just keep tapdancing through that minefield ;)

[whitesycamore]

There was also some fuss about her having "double eyelashes," whatever that was supposed to mean. Still, I'd forgive a rumour about her being able to shit rainbows, just on the basis of Suddenly Last Summer alone.

I implied that he's lovely and charismatic at least! Hey, *I* believe that Jason has distinctively pretty eyes based on only 1. a throw-away line in ADITF and 2. the art of Lost Days. Silly, but not very much sillier than Dick's ass-meme, you must admit.

[icon_uk]

Yes you did, so I'll give you a treat to show the kind of guy I am....

Jason does indeed have nice eyes, always has done. As evidence, a sneak excerpt from a forthcoming, and long overdue, "Origin of the original non-original Robin" series...



Yes, yes, he's tied up, but that's more of a side effect in this case.

[whitesycamore]

a sneak excerpt from a forthcoming, and long overdue, "Origin of the original non-original Robin" series...

Oh, you coy little minx :D

[icon_uk]

Oh and double eyelashes do exist, it's a condition where you literally have a second row of eyelashes growing above the first ones.

Here's someone with them

Don't know whether Ms Taylor had them or not, but as you say, she deserved all the myths she could create.

[citygod]

I saw an interview with the late Norman Parkinson, who photographed her many times, and he said they were "lilac". No retouching, no light tricks, no contacts - those were the actual colour.
I know people who's eyes change colour, sometimes with the ambient light, sometimes with emotional state (blue to green; brown to hazel; I know a diabetic who's eyes go from medium blue to very light blue when she's going low) so I'm choosing to believe Norman. (He also said that Princess Margaret, not Liz, was the most photogenic women he had ever shot. hmm.)

[citygod]

oops - I meant violet, not lilac.

[abagnale008]

i like that quote, really describes the Kents and Clark

[turtlefu]

I remember reading somewhere that a group of people in North-Eastern Europe had gotten purple eyes from poisoning from pollution.
I don't think anybody would WANT purple eyes if that's what it takes.

[espanolbot]

I know that there's a skin condition where your skin turns silver or blueish tinted due to silver poisoning. I think that there's a senator or something that suffers from it.

[radioactivepiss]

Never heard of that, but the only way I know of to have 'true' purple eyes is albinism, so. If you aren't albino, I think most 'purple' eyes are blue ones in the right light, with people who are very generous towards the classification 'indigo'.

[icon_uk]

I thought albinism gave eyes a pink colour.

[radioactivepiss]

It depends. Sometimes it gives pink eyes, sometimes more purple-y. I think it also depends on what light they're viewed in?

[xammax]

I cannot read that issue without welling up.

[jkcarrier]

Isn't that the same outfit Bruce Wayne wore when he was doing his pre-costume, undercover patrol in Year One? Do all rookie superheroes shop at the same Goodwill store?

[starwolf_oakley]

I noted that similarity of Clark and Bruce's pre-costume outfits the first time I posted this, way back when.

[icon_uk]

It was a misty night down at the docks, two lost souls met briefly, there was no need for names, they simply knew they shared something truly magical and special that night, and then went their separate ways... without realising that they'd each put on the other's outfit....

[fifthie]

I guess it makes sense for Lois to have one consistent distinguishing feature given how much she (as with p. much any non-costumed supporting cast member) varies in appearance from artist to artist.

Jimmy already took red hair AND freckles, so there you go.