Because I’m a nerd, and nerds love “hoo’d win” threads.
A few rules:
Wives and ex-wives are eligible.
Women only, though.
Let’s restrict ourselves to NON-POWERED, NON-COSTUMED lady loves; characters who are superheroes or super-villainesses in their own right are disqualified. Because, otherwise, it’s Jean Grey in a walk. Catwoman, Black Widow, Elektra, and their ilk are likewise disqualified.
3a. Characters who have incarnations are superheroes and villainesses, but whose default role is non-costumed/powered, are eligible only in their normal modes. So Carol Ferris is eligible so long as she hasn’t access to the Star Sapphire, and Carol Danvers is eligible considering only her pre-Ms. Marvel incarnation.
3c. Notwithstanding 3, super-powered characters whose abilities give them no particular advantage in combat are eligble. In other words, Cordelia Chase is allowed.
For characters who have been published for especially long times, you may wish to specify what era you mean. The John Byrne version of Lois Lane, for instance, would clearly own the 50s & 60s version.
No one has any weapons.
Lastly, I’ll name some names and leave it to my fellow dopers to decide who ranks higher than whom:
Lois Lane (John Byrne version)
Cordelia Chase
Mary Jane Watson
Betty Ross
Karen Page
Even disallowing her superpowered versions, I’d give Lana Lang the edge over Lois Lane in a fight between Superman’s (non-powered) girlfriends.
Mary Jane Watson-Parker can take care of herself pretty well.
Shvaughn Erin (pre-ZH) was a Science Police officer long before she was involved with Element Lad, so I think I have to give her the edge. (I’m going to ignore the whole Sean Erin deal, for the purposes of this thread.)
I thought of Shvaughn, but I was too lazy to look up the correct spelling of the name and too proud to risk a misspelling. {Now, of course, I can blame any error on you. } But this SEAN Erin you speak of? Why, he’s as imaginary as that cinematic adaptation of Lord of the Rings the rest of you insist on talking about.
But Lana over Lois? What’s your reasoning? Because all my 70s & early 80s’ issues of Superman Family, showing Lois’ solo adventures, show her regularly kicking ass without any kryptonian help…whereas I can’t recall Lana EVER winning a fight without taking a bath in radioactive salts, or using her Insect Queen ring, first. So what’s your reasoning?
But the question isn’t “who’s going to live longer?” or even “who’d spend all her time in the hospital if she weren’t banging a cape?” The question is “Who’d come out on top if a fight broke out, no warning, and no weapons?”
Between Lois & Lana, I say definitely Lois.
Of course, of the characters I named in the OP, Carol Danvers is probably the winner.
Agreed if we’re talking the 1970-80s version. Lois was proficient in Klurkor, an advanced form of Kryptonian martal arts. Her stories in Superman Family showed her routinely working her way through goon after goon.
And the one who’ll win the fight is the one who’s smart enough not to rush into a fight she can’t win blind just because she knows Superman’s out there.
Hey, Lois Lane c. 1970 once apparently mastered Kung Fu & … some other martial art in pretty short order, as part of her rivalry with mod Di Prince. :slow nod:
Since costumes are out, I can’t use Felicia Hardy before she got her powers. Since guys are out, I can’t use Steve Trevor.
Hm. Post-Crisis Lois Lane is tough–there was some overkill in making her non-wussified. I think Lois might win this. Ruling her out, I might go with Linda Park.
Depending on the time period, Lois Lane was pretty tough. Both the 70s version and the post-Crisis version were certainly able to take care of themselves. Captain America’s been on-and-off with Sharon Carter over the decades and she’s certainly able to take care of herself (and was actually head of SHIELD for a while). Linda Park, the wife of the Flash, has faced down supervillains several times over the years.
Gotta go with Lois Lane. She’s been a tough broad since the very begininng. Sure, she gets in a lot of trouble, but only cause she’s got the guts to put her neck on the line. She’d kick ass and then win a pulitzer for her story about it.
I think Iris West Allen is the more accomplished Flash-Wife, really. She sprung her husband from a manslaughter charge, and her grandson from a future corrupt government.
} But this SEAN Erin you speak of? Why, he’s as imaginary as that cinematic adaptation of Lord of the Rings the rest of you insist on talking about.
