I was watching Smallville tonight, and wondered what ever happened to Lana Lang when Superboy grew up and left Smallville. I know Superman preceeded Superboy, but was there ever an explanation of what happened to her in the magazines or stories?
Um, watched have you Superman III?
Or are you asking something different?
What do you mean “What happened to her”? You mean: after she grew up?
She was introduced in the '50s as a Lois Lane counterpart for Superboy (Trivia: her father, Lewis Lang, was a famous archeologist who wanted to raise Lana in Smallville so his fame wouldn’t go to her head)
Anyway, she hung out with Superboy and Pete Ross (Superboy’s best friend) for like 30 years of storytelling. In the course of her adventures, she got a super-science ring that turned the lower half of her body into a giant bug of one kind or another. She called herself “Insect Queen”. She also became a reserve member of the Legion of Super Heroes. Mostly, though, she liked matching wits with Superboy by trying to find out his secret identity.
When “Superman’s Girlfriend: Lois Lane” came out, it was a hit and an adult Lana was introduced. While DC wasn’t big on continuity, she was usually portrayed as a TV Journalist. She was also played somewhat more worldly and cosmopolitan that sensible Lois Lane. As a rule, she wasn’t very likable.
Enough info, or do you want more? 
Fenris
Which version of Lana?
You need to understand that the original DC Universe (largely the Superman universe, although other characters have been impacted as well) changed in 1985 with an event called “The Crisis.” It’s long, complicated, and Fenris can do a better job of explaining it. Suffice it to say that Superman’s history was largely redone in 1985.
The Pre-Crisis Lana Lang eventually moved out of Smallville as well, moved to Metropolis, and became a television reporter for WGBS. Eventually, Clark Kent quit the Daily Planet (or went part-time, I forget) and joined WGBS as well. This set off an ongoing love triangle where Superman couldn’t choose between Lana and Lois Lane. (The issue was never resolved, although in an “imaginary” final story of Superman’s life, he did choose Lois…this story is also complicated and I won’t go into it).
The POST-Crisis Lana Lang stayed behind in Smallville when Clark turned 18 and decided to go explore his new powers. Clark saw Lana as more of a confidant and sister figure than a girlfriend, so their relationship never progressed. Lana stayed behind on her aunt’s farm and remained a close friend of Ma and Pa Kent. She went on to marry Peter Ross (who was caucasian in the comics), and the two had a son. Pete Ross is currently acting as vice-president to U.S. President Lex Luthor.
…also, Luthor had Lana severely beaten long ago, so there’s an unspoken tension between Lana and Lex which Pete still doesn’t know about.
Ah, so Pete was a character from the comic books. I was starting to wonder, because he’s about useless on Smallville. Is Chloe a comic book character or is she new to the series?
And has there ever been any official word on how the series fits into the “real” Superman continuity? They’ve had tons of foreshadowing (my favorite: “Have you thought about what you’re going to do once you graduate?” “Anything where I don’t have to wear a suit and do lots of flying.”) but it seems kind of self-defeating if we all know how the characters are going to turn out. Still, I’ve been impressed with how they’ve been able to move the story along. What are the chances of their dropping a huge bombshell on us and saying that the series takes place on “Earth-5” or whatever?
Pre-Crisis, Pete was extremely important to the Superboy series: he’d found out that Superboy was Clark Kent accidentally and (per the Legion of Superheroes) was fated to save Superman’s life using that knowledge someday. I think they got around to telling that story in the early '80s, and botched it horribly.
Post-Crisis, Pete’s a useless character: Since Lana is now the one who knows Superman’s ID, Pete really has no reason to exist. The limp attempt to make him Luthor’s VP was one of a whole series of attempts to do something with Pete. It’s also been mostly ignored too, (in part because Pete’s now a really dull character, and in larger part because the idea of Pete as VP is stoopid: like a VP candidate would ever come from Kansas with its…what? 2? 3? electoral votes? And given that Pete is anti-gun candidate from Kansas he’d lose the ticket his own state. The post-Crisis Luthor is an idiot, but he’s not THAT much of an idiot.) I mean, yes. Pete is VP. But I don’t remember the last time that he did anything.
I don’t watch Smallville but I’ve never heard of Chloe. She’s not from the comics.
**
None at all. DC’s made it abundantly clear that the Infinite Earths will never be back (sigh). And since (from what I understand) they’ve completely redone Luthor, it doesn’t fit into the comics at all.
Fenris
coughhypertimecough
Pardon me. I seemed to have developed this nasty cough as a result of trying to have my cake and eat it too.
You mean like Bob Dole?
I think I head on these boards that Chloe is supposedly Lois Lane’s cousin. It would be a good avenue to introduce a young Lois to the show.
But like they said, she was never in the comics.
Fair enough.
But Dole was a nationally prominent figure before he was picked, he wasn’t a mid-term replacement congressman and he wasn’t anti-gun the way Pete is. (This is not a pro/anti gun debate, it’s about the likelyhood of choosing a running mate who’d never been elected in his own state and who’s only known platform issue would not be popular with the voters of said state.)
Fenrus
If I’m recalling correctly, wasn’t Pete Ross also kicked out of Congress following some blackmail Scandal? (I think this was just before the “Doomsday” story…my memory is hazy.)
If anything, Pete would have been a political liability.
Fenris:
Re: an anti-gun senator in Kansas…is it really so far-fetched? Nost of Kansas’s neighbors and near-neighbors (Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota) have at least one Democrat senator, most of whom presumably toe the party line on such issues.
Smallville and the comics aren’t in continuity with each other. Period. Not that big a deal; I mean, it’s just fiction.
–Cliffy
I imagine that, on an Earth filled with super-powered villains who can vaporize you in an instant, the whole gun-control issue is not such a big deal. Mutant registration, now that’s a different story.
Just to muddy the waters a bit more, the post-Crisis comic-book Lana was also programmed as an infant by the Manhunters to spy on the young Clark Kent.
Luthor got elected President? Wow, I have been away for a while.
Somebody please explain why all of Superman’s friends are initialed “LL”? e.g. lana Lang, Lois Lane. Lex Luthor, etc.?
Long, exhaustive discussion of it here
Fenris
He also managed to lead America and all of Earth through an interplanetary war last summer, even making allegiances with Apokolips.
Oh, and he had Batman framed for murder.
Luthor as President gets my vote for stupidest. . .storyline. . .EVAR. And knowing my feelings on some of DC’s other boneheaded moves in the past that is saying something.
Look, luminaries, learned linguists and leading logicians alike have labored over those letters and their lexicological leanings. Let it go.