Why dd Lana stop being Insect Queen?

[JulianPerez]

Here's one (possible) explanation for why Lana, after her teenage years ended, kept her alien Bio-Ring in a safe and did not adopt the Insect Queen identity again:

In one Legion of Super-Heroes story, Lana was permanently transformed into a half-human, half-moth creature when her Bio-Ring was lost temporarily. Granted, the ring was found again, but for a moment there, Lana faced the possibility of being a deformed half-bug creature forever.

This brings up an interesting point about the Insect Queen powers: they're icky. They involve a disturbing physical transformation into creatures that revolt grown men and cause sensitive women to scream in fright.

It may be very, very likely that Lana Lang probably eventually found the ring and the ensuing powers that came with it just too disturbing after a while. Especially after the "fun and games" of Lana's carefree teen years ended and she began to settle into her loveless marriage and miscarriage, which resulted in her eventual return to Metropolis (and to Superman and Lois) years later.

[TELLE]

Yeah, she didn't even use them in Moore's final story, opting for the "super bath" instead.

The Earth-2 adult version of Insect Queen shows up in a Mr and Mrs Superman story.

[NotSuper]

Funny you should mention the Insect Queen, as I just read the first story starring her.

As for why she stopped being the Insect Queen, I think she just didn't want to be a full-time super-hero. She probably wanted a "normal" career (as normal as it gets for a friend of Superman). Plus, it's not like being a super-hero is easy.

[Permanus]

Hey! What if she miscarried because of the damage done to her body by being Insect Queen?

[JulianPerez]

Hey! What if she miscarried because of the damage done to her body by being Insect Queen?

Wow, that's an interesting point - and may account for why she put the ring away: it damaged her body.

The alien Lana saved to obtain the bio-ring was insectoid in nature; it is conceiveable that it probably didn't know about mammalian biology enough to say what would happen if it was to be used by a mammal.

The female reproductive system is much more vulnerable to damage, because a woman is born with all the eggs she will ever have, whereas men make new sperm cells all the time. Insects however, do not give live birth, and lay eggs. It's possible the mix-n-match aspects of the ring had long-term effects.

[Continental Op]

IIRC Lana didn't miscarry... her son was killed in an explosion set off by terrorists in Europe (the IRA?).

[NotSuper]

I'm a little surprised that Lana hasn't gained Insect related powers on Smallville due to kryptonite radiation (though she was stalked by an insect guy). That would be pretty cool, I think.  

[MatterEaterLad]

LOL, costly special effects that don't fit in with a Dawson's Creek romance?