10 Things Only Comic Book Fans Know About Superman & Lex Luthor's Rivalry
Superman and Lex Luthor have been fierce adversaries for decades in TV and movies, but what do DC comic fans know about the two that others don't?
In all Superman media, the Man of Steel has faced off against multiple enemies, but Lex Luthor's position as the best of the baddies remains unchallenged. The two complement each other, with none of them ever willing to kill the other, but still ever-willing to cause as much pain and inconvenience as possible.
The rivalry between the Kryptonian and the villainous human has played out multiple times, both on-screen and on the pages, ever since Lex was introduced in Action Comics #23 (1940). While movie and TV fans are very familiar with Superman and Lex Luthor, there are things only comic fans know about their never-ending feud.
10 They Become Batman And The Joker
In what could count as one of Superman's weirdest comics arcs, BKal-El's spaceship from Krypton crashes on Earth, but he is adopted by Thomas and Martha Wayne instead of the Kents. Lex Luthor, on the other hand, moves his operations to Gotham and suffers a chemical accident that turns him into the Joker. All this plays out in Superman: Speeding Bullets.
It's an interesting reality where fans get combinations of DC's two best heroes and two best villains. Batman can catch criminals faster thanks to his Kryptonian powers, while the Joker has a business acumen that is so great that he even organizes a takeover of Wayne Enterprises. The best part about the comic issue is the twist at the end. After defeating Lex (Joker) and seducing Lois, Bruce ditches the Batman disguise and starts calling himself Superman.
9 Superman Allows Lex Luthor To Join The Justice League
In an unexpected twist, Superman allows Lex to join the Justice League in Forever Evil #7. Afraid of letting another villain end Superman's life, Lex saves him from a meteor attack by the Crime Syndicate's Metalica. Superman rewards the gesture by bringing Lex into the League.
The tension that arises in the Justice League is expected. No one trusts Lex and his history speaks volumes. Surprisingly, Lex proves everyone wrong by actually being a proper hero. He even creates a superhero suit for himself, which he uses to fight crime. It's a departure from Lex's usual personality, making it evident that he is really capable of being good, if he wants to.
8 Superman Gets So Upset That He Destroys One Of Saturn's Moons
Lex Luthor runs for President of the United States in Lex Luthor 2000 #1 and wins. When Superman sees Lex being sworn in, he becomes so upset that he storms out of Earth and accidentally destroys one of Saturn's moons.
Superman's frustration, on this occasion, is justifiable since no one knows how bad Lex Luthor is than him. With presidential power, there is nothing the villain won't be able to do. Superman's fears become a reality, as Lex does cause plenty of damage with his ridiculous laws. Luckily, he causes his own downfall before he even completes his first term.
7 Lex Luthor Acquires All Of Superman's Powers
When Superman loses his power after the Crisis events and goes missing, Lex helms the Everyman Project, which gives superpowers to ordinary citizens. He then acquires all of Superman's powers and makes plans to conquer Earth and rename it Lexor.
Seeing Lex able to fly all over and Earth and shoot lasers from his eyes is indeed weird, but it helps break the monotony that comes with the villain's usual schemes. With Superman absent all this time, Lex's downfall comes is caused by the unlikeliest of sources. It's Natasha that shuts down the source of his powers and prosecutes him for all his crimes, which amount to 120, in total.
6 Lex Luthor's Failed Attempt At Offering Superman A Job
In The Man of Steel #4, Superman saves Lex after terrorists take command of his yacht. It turns out Lex organized the whole thing, wanting to see how effective Superman is. He then offers Superman a job, but he declines. Lex thus becomes bitter and vengeful.
Lex has hair here and he is clearly delusional for offering Superman a job since there's no way the hero would be okay with working for him. Working for Lex Luthor would mean Superman going against everything he stands for. However, it doesn't hurt to try, and trying is one thing the villain is really good at.
5 Lex Luthor Is The Hero And Superman The Villain On Another Planet
In Superman (Vol. 1) #164, Lex tricks Superman into a duel on a distant planet near a red star. Since Superman gets weak when exposed to red radiation, he loses. The inhabitants thus see Lex as the hero and Superman as the villain. Lex maintains his image by creating a water supply in the dry planet.
Lex rarely gets the better of Superman, but with this move, he becomes more powerful than ever. The feat allows him to engage in mischief in peace while fooling the inhabitants. And since the villain is known for never being content, he still uses the planet's resources to create better weapons that will enable him to conquer Earth.
4 An Unusual Team-Up
Things get a little more complicated in DC Comics Presents Annual #1 (1982), where Lex Luthor (Earth-1) teams up with Alexei Luthor (Earth-2) to face off against the Supermen. Lex Luthor (Earth-3) refuses to join them, since he's a good person, so they recruit Ultraman. To combat the threat, Superman (Earth-1) teams up with Superman (Earth-2) and Lex Luthor (Earth-3).
This kind of team-up is definitely DC's way of showing how detailed the multiverse is. With different versions of the same heroes and villains, there can never be a shortage of stories to tell. It also shows that not all alternate versions of a character are the same and how that's good for fans, who keep having the "what if" question in their minds.
3 Superman Faces Off Against A Female Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is female in one of Superman's best origin stories, Superman: Earth One. In the storyline, Dr. Alexandra Luthor is keen on researching ways to kill Superman but her husband, Dr. Alexander Luthor, is against it. When Alexander dies, Alexandra adopts the name "Lex" and is hence known as Lex Luthor. She then spends her days trying to defeat the Man of Steel.
By adopting the name "Lex," Alexandra becomes the first known Lex Luthor since her husband didn't go with that name. It's an interesting take on the villain and it works. Alexandra proves to be a formidable villain, coming close to defeating Superman on several occasions before he finally gets the better of her.
2 Lex Luthor Ends Up With Lois A Few Times
Lex Luthor has always desired Lois Lane, and on a few occasions, he ends up with her, much to Superman's dismay. In Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #28, Lex uses a machine to turn Lois into the villain Leopard Lady before marrying her. And in Superman: War of the Worlds, Lois marries Vice-President Lex Luthor after Superman dies.
As Leopard Lady, Lois could get a pass for pairing up with Lex since she is being mind-controlled. But by becoming the Second Lady of the United States, her actions are seen as betrayal, even by the general public. Knowing the kind of rivalry Lex and Superman had, it's indeed a shocker when she marries the villain.
1 Lex Luthor Refuses To Believe That Superman Is Clark Kent
Thanks to the actions of Vandal Savage, the public gets to learn that Superman is Clark Kent in Action Comics #48. Superman also loses some of his powers so he seeks Lex's help, who isn't buying the fact that Superman is Clark Kent.
The comic issue portrays Superman at his weakest and most desperate. In most cases, his ego won't allow him to seek Lex's help but here, he has no option. Lex's refusal to believe the revelation is mostly due to his tendency to overthink. He also believes that if Clark was indeed Superman, he would have discovered it a long time ago because he is too smart. In this instance, he is proved wrong. Unfortunately, in one of the Superman comic plot twists, fans saw coming, Clark Kent dies.