10 Most Controversial Superman Comics Of All Time
7. Lois Lane Turns Black - Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #106 (1970)
In a particularly unusual comic issue, Lois Lane tries to write a story about an African-American ghetto in Metropolis called Little Africa. When she attempts to consult several citizens there, a black man called Dave Stevens orders his friends to ignore the "whitey".
Lois tells Superman she is frustrated that she can't write her story just because of her skin-colour. By a spectacular coincidence, Superman happens to have a pigment-changing device just lying around his home. After Lois is exposed to the machine's energy, she develops dark skin for twenty-four hours.
When she notices some of her white colleagues are ignoring her, Lois realises how different life is as an African-American. When she bumps into Dave Stephens again, she sees that he's a kind man who teaches children to stay positive when faced with racism. After Stephens is shot, Lois gives him a blood transfusion, saving his life.
When her skin reverts to normal and Stephens sees that Lois is white, he shakes her hand, realising he shouldn't have judged her for her skin. (For some reason, Stevens is completely unfazed that Lois is now white and doesn't ask how her skin changed colour.)
This story wasn't mean-spirited, but readers still found it inappropriate, patronising, and non-sensical.