Created by Adam Reed, she is voiced by Aisha Tyler and debuted in the series' pilot episode, "Mole Hunt", on September 17, 2009.

She serves as the series' straight woman, particularly to her ex-boyfriend and co-worker, protagonist Sterling Archer, whom she typically provides a sensible albeit short-tempered foil to.

Lana has aspirations for advancement as a master spy and has considered positions offered by ODIN (Organization of Democratic Intelligence Networks), both at their international headquarters and as Regional Director for the Americas, although her strong views often cause friction between her and her job.

However, she is shown to be capable of questionable behavior, once charging every man in the ISIS office $600 to say they slept with her as a way to get revenge on her cheating ex-boyfriend Cyril, and on another occasion holding up a firefight on a space station until the other agents conceded her breasts are still perfect.

Furthermore, in a moment of surprising insight, Cheryl accused Lana of being a hypocrite, as her history as a social activist is not enough to drive her away from ISIS, which is deep down her only true love.

She is also prone to extreme acts of unnecessary violence, such as giving Cyril, whom she was dating at the time, a black eye for merely implying that she might have been jealous of a rival agent.

In flashbacks, she is shown sporting an afro, a hairstyle that, according to Archer, made her look "like Angela Davis had a love child with Sweet Lou Dunbar."

Lana showed great concern for Archer when he was diagnosed with breast cancer (Stage Two) and spent the night with him out of pity.

During a mission to stop a radical environmentalist marine biologist from blowing up Sealab, Lana discloses that she is pregnant, angering Cyril because he isn't the father and prompting Archer to sacrifice his scuba gear and drown so that they could escape.

Despite that, she stays with him, until it becomes obvious that Cyril is insecure about their relationship, egged on by Pam and Carol, who suggest Lana is still sexually attracted to Archer.

In Season 4, Lana, bothered by her involuntary streak of almost 18 months without sex, gives in to Cyril's persistence and resumes a "carefully planned out" relationship with him.