In our next article on popular characters in comic books and movies about superheroes, we talk about Lex Luthor, a fictional supervillain and fierce opponent of Superman from the DC universe. The creators of the hero were Jerome Siegel and Joe Schuster in 1940. Luthor first appeared before readers in the 23rd edition of the Action Comics series as a banjo player.
Despite the fact that the character is the main enemy of the Man from Steel, he also manages to appear in the story arches of other famous heroes, for example, Batman.
General character description
Lex Luthor is the image of an obsessed billionaire, tycoon, humanist, gifted scientist and inventor. The character lives in a fictional American city called Metropolis, where he is engaged in active social activities. Luthor sees in Superman a threat to the world's population, and also considers him an obstacle in achieving personal plans and goals.
The main distinguishing features of the external image: a bald head and a business suit, which the hero often changes to a more high-tech option. Technology empowers Lex with superhuman strength, helps him fly and provides him with the best advanced weapons. In addition, the hero owns the influential LexCorp Corporation (the English name is LEXCORP). Thanks to the unlimited resources received from the corporation, Luthor is able to support and implement his own projects.
The image before the comic book events "Crisis on Endless Lands"
At the beginning of his arch, the character had only a surname and was simply referred to as Luthor. His first appearance took place in 1940, the artist outwardly depicted him with thick red hair. A little later, in 1941, a small mistake occurred, and Lex Luthor appeared before the comic book readers in a new look for himself - completely bald. After the new image was approved by Siegel, Schuster continued to portray Luthor without hair, turning this feature into a character's real brand.
There is no information about the origin and nationality of the villain; it is known that his surname has German roots. Taking advantage of his scientific genius, Luthor tried to hinder the holding of the European Peace Conference, but ran into Superman. Even then, Lex knew about kryptonite and what effect this substance could have on a superhero.
In 1960, during the formation of the multiverse DC, it was stated that the bald Luthor has his own copy (the same character with red hair) that exists in the Earth-two dimension under the name Alex. The doubles meet each other after a few years, while each of them is trying to figure out his version of Superman. These events are followed by the Villain War, during which Lex and Brainiac enter into a partnership. Alexey questions this union and dies at the hands of Brainiac.
The image after the events of "Crisis"
In 1986, a limited series of comics was released entitled Man of Steel - a kind of "reset" Superman story from John Byrne. The changes also affected the character of Luthor, who turned into a villain, personifying the era of the 80s - a corporate white-collar criminal. A little later, several other authors had a hand in the image. As a result, Lex Luthor began to play the role of the real think tank of the criminal world, the ubiquitous and almost invincible. He is very insidious and prefers to lead his game "on the other side of the stage." A comfortable stay within the law allows him to speak out against Superman without getting his hands dirty (although he can’t do without exceptions).
In addition, the authors managed to add some details from the "pre-crisis" era to the new image. Among them is a combat suit, which readers may have noticed in several issues of ActionComics.
Character story
If you believe the backstory from the comic book Man of Steel, then the birthplace of Luthor can be considered the Slums of Suicides - one of the districts of the city of Metropolis. Throughout his childhood, the hero grew up under the control of his cruel and quick-tempered father, who neglected his mother and ruined any hopes for a better life. The boy’s only friendships began with his classmate Perry White, thanks to whom he never stopped striving for a successful future.
The unfavorable environment has grown Lex ruthless genius and a wonderful manipulator. Secretly, he insured the lives of his parents for a large sum of money, after which he provoked a car accident, cutting the brakes. An orphaned boy was adopted by a foster family, which, as it turned out later, was planning to take the insurance payment into their own hands. Then Luthor prepared banking documents, which were supposed to ensure the safety of his savings. When the adoptive parents found out about this, the head of the family ordered his daughter Lena to seduce Lex. However, the heroes felt feelings for each other, so the girl refused to participate in the machinations of her father, for which he immediately paid for her life.
The murder of his beloved not only caused serious mental trauma to Luthor, but also finally convinced him of his intention to become a person with unlimited power and absolute control over other people. That day, Lex was at a football match where Perry persuaded him to go. Ten years later, the hero managed to establish contact with his former stepfather, hiring him as a killer for the local mayor. At the time of transferring money for the work done, Luthor shot Lena's father, thereby avenging her death.
About abilities
In the comics, Lex Luthor is an ordinary person without any superhuman abilities. The intelligence of a genius puts him on a par with the smartest people on the planet. It is believed that Luthor alone could plunge the whole world into a state of Utopia, but Superman has always been and remains his main goal.
Lex is well versed in all the famous sciences, in addition, he is an excellent businessman and strategist. The only one who can compare with him in intellect, according to the hero himself, is an extraterrestrial creature under the name Brainiac.
In his research and development, Luthor actively used kryptonite, eventually creating a unique weapon against Superman and other Kryptonians. During the plot arch of the Silver Age, he continually resorted to the help of various inventions and weapons of his own production. He also used home-made combat suits designed specifically to repel the Man of Steel and other superhumans. Thanks to such costumes, the hero can not only fly, but also protect himself with an invisible energy shield. Lex also uses kryptonite to create equipment and additional weapons.
Modern Luthor
Nowadays, the image of the main antagonist of Superman continues to be actively used in the works of various authors of comics, movies and other multimedia. It is always warmly received by fans of the multiverse DC, whether it is Man from Steel or the story arches of other characters, and even dismantled for quotes. Lex Luthor can be called the Joker from the world of Batman - without them, the stories of world famous and popular superheroes would be simply incomplete. Particularly dedicated and enthusiastic fans work on their work, creating unique art or describing the confrontation between Superman and Lex Luthor in fan fiction (note - literary fan fixation).
In 2009, the character got an honorable fourth place in the list of 100 cult villains from the comic book world, compiled by the IGN portal.
Cartoons
Luthor first appeared in front of viewers in Superman's New Adventures, where he was voiced by Jackson Beck. This was followed by a cameo in Super Friends and several episodes of Adventure Hour with other famous superheroes.
As a regular character, Lex began appearing in “Superman” (aired since 1996), “Justice League” (2001), “Batman”, “Batman: Brave and the Bold” (2008) and “Young League” Justice "(2010).
Feature Films
In Doomsday (2007), Lex Luthor (voice actor James Marsters) acted as one of Superman's main antagonists, who also worked on the creation of several clones of Man from Steel.
After that, viewers were able to see the character in the animated film “Enemies of the Society” (2009), where this time Luthor challenged two superheroes at once - Superman and Batman.
Other memorable appearances of the brilliant villain occurred in the following animated films:
- "Supernova Superman" (2011).
- Justice League: The Paradox of the Source of Conflict (2013).
- Justice League: In a temporary trap (2014).
- Justice League: Throne of Atlantis (2015).
In Gods and Monsters (2016), another feature-length cartoon from the Justice League series, Lex Luthor moves away from his usual villain role and plays a key role in the victory of superheroes over William Magnus.
TV appearances
Perhaps the most famous series about Superman, in which the character of Lex Luthor took part, is Smallville's Secrets (2001). The role on the screens was embodied by the American actor Michael Rosenbaum. The events of the series show the early, teenage years of the heroes. Lex Luthor and Clark Kent (Earth's alter ego of Man from Steel) are connected with each other by friendly relations. And they arose after one saved the other from death.
Lex Luthor in the movies
In the full-length movie, this character appears since 1950. The first picture was the black and white film "Atomic Man vs. Superman", where the role of Luthor was performed by actor Layle Talbot. After that, Gene Hackman took the baton - he managed to play Lex in three films about the Man from Steel from 1978 to 1987.
In 2006, Brian Singer's picture "Superman Returns" was released, where the role of a brilliant villain was played by the popular actor Kevin Spacey. The release of the last film to date, which captured the confrontation between two iconic characters in the DC universe, came in 2016. The picture was called “Batman vs. Superman,” the Sign Snyder appeared in the director’s chair, and Jesse Eisenberg got the role of Lex Luthor.