Thirty years ago, Clark Kent and Lois Lane tied the knot. To say it was a long time coming would be an understatement. However, that’s one of the things that makes Superman: The Wedding Album #1 so special. It was more than a culmination of Lois and Superman’s relationship, it was a celebration of the entire Superman comics line and a love letter for the fans, featuring an all-star lineup of writers and artists. 

By 1996, Lois Lane and Clark Kent had been engaged for six years, and their road to the altar hadn’t been an easy one. Clark popped the question in 1990’s Superman #50, and DC editorial was eyeing Superman #75 as a possible wedding issue. So, what happened?

Superman once again became a TV star. That’s what happened.

Warner Bros. Television had begun developing a primetime drama called Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and the “will they/won’t they” relationship between the two lead characters was one of the big selling points. It was decided that it would be better for brand synergy if Lois and Clark got married in the TV series and the comics at the same time. This meant that DC needed a new plan for Superman #75, so they decided to kill Superman instead.

That’s right. The entire Death and Return of Superman Saga probably wouldn’t exist if DC didn’t need some other big event to replace the delayed Super-Wedding.

If you’ve seen Lois and Clark, then you know the couple had their fair share of wedding delays as well. As a result, DC Comics found a few ways to continue to postpone the wedding, including having Lois temporarily call off the engagement and leave Metropolis. By October 1996, the Lois and Clark creative team finally decided to marry off their lead couple in an episode appropriately titled “Swear to God, This Time We’re Not Kidding.” Superman: The Wedding Album #1 was released the same week, and it was every bit worth the wait.

If you haven’t read The Wedding Album, or it’s been years since you’ve read it, I would suggest checking it out. There are so many perfectly written and illustrated moments that will tug at your heartstrings, such as Batman using his resources to get Lois and Clark their dream apartment, Sam Lane showing up to the wedding, Clark asking Jimmy to be his best man, and of course, the moment Lois and Clark finally become husband and wife. I won’t give a complete play-by-play here because my recap wouldn’t carry the same emotional weight as the actual comic and you really need to read it yourself.

Another thing that made the issue special was the all-star cast of Superman creators. The one-shot special was written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, Louise Simonson and Roger Stern. They were joined by some of the greatest artists who had ever worked on Superman. There are too many names to list here, but some of the highlights include Curt Swan, Jerry Ordway, John Byrne, George Perez and many more. Like I said, this was a long time coming, and nobody wanted to miss this.

In fact, along with the names in the credits, you might also notice some DC creators sitting in the pews, including Superman co-creator Joe Shuster. Jerry Siegel wasn’t sitting with the others because he was too busy performing the ceremony.

Looking back on all of this now, one of the most amazing things about the marriage between Clark and Lois has to be that it’s still stronger than ever. It’s no secret that happy marriages are a rarity in the DC Universe, and plenty of unions have been lost to divorce, death or cosmic retcon. What makes Lois and Clark different?

One reason is because Lois is almost as important to the Superman mythos as Superman himself. She debuted right alongside him in Action Comics #1. Lois is not merely a love interest or damsel in distress—she’s the co-leading character. If the superhero genre began with Superman, that means it also began with Lois Lane. She’s as much a bedrock of this whole medium and universe that we love as her super-powered husband. That’s not something that’s easily dismissed.

If you have any doubts about that, consider that there have been plenty of Superman stories without Lois Lane, but there’s always the sense that something is missing. I love Superman III, and Superman Annual #11 is one of the greatest Superman stories of all time, but things are just better when Lois is around. They feel more complete and…well, more like what we expect and love about Superman. We just had a Green Lantern TV series where Carol Ferris only appeared in a cameo and there have been countless Batman movies without Catwoman, but we’re yet to get a live action Superman movie without Lois. Think about that.

In the three decades since they walked down the aisle, Lois and Clark have had a son, Lois has become a superhero (a few times over), Clark’s identity has been exposed (and hidden again), they’ve lost some friends, gained some new ones and saved the world together many times over. All of us have shared in the joy and gifts that this particular marriage have yielded, and so I hope you’ll join me as I say, “Happy anniversary, Lois Lane and Clark Kent! Here’s to the next thirty years and beyond!”

Superman: The Wedding Album 30^th Anniversary Special #1 by Rainbow Rowell, Cian Tormey, Louise Simonson, Jon Bogdanove, Karl Kesel, Tom Grummett, Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway and more is now available in print and as a digital comic book.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, movies and comics for DC.com, is a regular contributor to the Couch Club and writes our monthly Batman column, "Gotham Gazette." Follow him on Bluesky at @joshualapinbertone and on X at @TBUJosh.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and do not necessarily reflect those of DC, Warner Bros. or Skydance, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.