Alternative versions of Lex Luthor

The fictional character Lex Luthor has appeared in a number of media, always as the archenemy of Superman. Each version of the work typically establishes its own continuity, and sometimes introduces parallel universes, to the point where distinct differences in the portrayal of the character can be identified. In addition, the DC Universe has been rewritten a number of times, establishing additional versions of the character. This article details and lists various versions of Lex Luthor depicted in works including DC Comics Multiverse, Elseworlds, television and film.

Alternative continuity

Earth One

Alexandra "Lex" Luthor in Superman: Earth One Volume Two.

In the alternative reality Earth One, Dr. Alexandra Luthor is a xenobiologist married to Dr. Alexander Luthor, an inventor with degrees in many fields, specializing in particle physics. The pair refer to themselves as Lex² Incorporated. They, as in the mainstream universe, are extremely wealthy. They are hired as independent contractors by Major Sandra Lee, a United States Air Force officer tasked with first guarding and studying Superman's ship, and, after it escapes, neutralizing Superman should he pose a threat to national security. Alexandra is the more aggressive of the two, but, initially, neither actively hate Superman, although Alexandra researches ways of killing him as an intellectual exercise. Alexander Luthor is more compassionate and contemplative than the mainstream Luthor and questions the ethical implications of developing anti-Superman weapons, but willingly joins his wife and Major Lee.^[1]

Alexander ultimately sacrifices himself helping Superman battle Zod; Alexandra, consumed by rage and grief, blames Superman and vows to dedicate her life to destroying him, claiming that the old Alexandra died alongside her husband and demanding to be henceforth called Lex Luthor.^[2]

Superman: Birthright

In Mark Waid's version of Superman's origin in Superman: Birthright, Lex is shown to be roughly five years older than Clark Kent. His father Lionel is pompous, arrogant, and somewhat distant towards his son. Being an outcast in Smallville, Clark befriends him, but they separate as Lex obsesses with contacting alien civilizations. When Clark feels sick due to the Kryptonite being used in his plan, Lex banishes him from his lab and ends up becoming disfigured in an explosion. All of his hair is burned off, and Lionel is killed in the ensuing fire. Years later, Lex comes into conflict with Superman, as he attempts to recreate the accident that cost him his hair to contact extraterrestrials.

Earth-Three

Alexander Luthor of Earth-Three, reacting to the death of Superwoman, from Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (April 1985). Art by George Pérez.

The parallel world of Earth-Three has a heroic counterpart of Luthor, Alexander Luthor.. He is a foe of the evil Crime Syndicate of America. Alexander, who is married to the Lois Lane of Earth-Three, dies in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but manages to save their son, Alexander Luthor, Jr.. Alex is sent to the Monitor's space station on Earth-One, where he rapidly ages to adulthood. Along with Kal-L, Lois Lane, and Superboy-Prime, he saves the newly formed merged universe before disappearing into a paradise dimension. Alex and Superboy-Prime later return as the antagonists of Infinite Crisis.

The Earth-3 concept was revisited following DC's "The New 52" reboot. In the Forever Evil (2014) series, Alexander Luthor is revealed to be Mazahs, the Shazam of Earth-3.^[3] Though he claims to be a hero ^[3] he is shown as being just as ruthless as the members of the syndicate and is stated to be the father of Superwoman's child. He is slain by the mainstream Lex Luthor, who uses the fact that they have identical voices to depower Alexander prior to killing him. This Lex had the ability to take on the powers of those he killed; how he acquired this ability is unexplained, but it is likely as Shazam of Earth-0 can give powers to others, that Mazahs can take powers.

JLA: Earth 2

The 2000 JLA: Earth 2 graphic novel is an updated version of Earth-Three concept of an evil "mirror universe". The Luthor of the anti-matter Earth 2 is a mirror image of Earth 1 counterpart (all his internal organs are switched left for right). The sole hero on his world, Luthor comes to the mainstream DC Earth to the Justice League for help rebuilding his world. However, since "evil always wins" in this alternative world, the attempt fails, and Luthor resigns himself to being the only noble character on his Earth.

Trinity

In the Trinity series, reality is altered so that Superman does not exist. In this alternative timeline, Dr. Lex Luthor is a member of the underground hero group known as The League.^[4]

Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew

The 1980s series Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew presented the parallel Earth of "Earth-C," a world populated by funny animal superheroes. Captain Carrot, in his secret identity of Rodney Rabbit, is the creator of the superhero comic Just'a Lotta Animals (an animal version of the Justice League of America). Captain Carrot and the Zoo eventually discover the characters in Rodney's comics actually live on "Earth-C-Minus", in yet another alternate universe. Earth-C-Minus is the home of "Lex Lemur," a lemur counterpart of Lex Luthor who battled his nemesis, the heroic Super-Squirrel.^[5]

Flashpoint

In the alternative timeline of the Flashpoint event, a young Lex Luthor is alongside his father, Lionel Luthor, touring Sam Lane's facility of aliens. When they are shown Subject 2 held in captive glass, Subject 2 breaks out and attacks the guards and young Lex. Lionel, in an effort to save his own life, uses Lex as a human shield. He is later killed or seriously injured.^[6]

Pocket Universe

In a "pocket universe" created by the Time Trapper,^[7] a good version of Lex Luthor existed. Years after Superboy (his reality's only hero) died to protect the pocket universe,^[8] Lex accidentally releases three Phantom Zone criminals led by General Zod. With no other super-powered beings in his universe to confront them, Lex creates his own Supergirl, an artificial being composed of proto-matter and based upon the image and memories of a recently killed Lana Lang. Because his artificial Supergirl is not strong enough to fight the three Kryptonians, Lex sends her to the mainstream DC universe to enlist Superman's help. During the final battle with the Kryptonian criminals, Lex is killed while piloting a fighter jet. With the last of his strength, he tells Superman where his Earth's last supply of Kryptonite is located. Superman uses it to execute the Kryptonian criminals, as the villains have killed everyone on that version of Earth.^[9]

Earth-16

In The New 52 Multiversity series, Lex Luthor has parented a (bald) daughter, Alexis (her mother is unnamed). Her father is dead and it is implied that he was abusive if she exhibited sub-optimal intelligence. She is involved with that world's Batman, Damian Wayne, but is using him to hack into the artificial intelligence that controls that world's Superman robots, which leads to a rampage across that world as they malfunction^[10]

Earth-17

On Earth-17, "Luthex" works with Darkseid against the Atomic Knights of Justice. This Earth experienced a devastating nuclear war in 1963.^[11]

Earth 23

The Lex Luthor of Earth 23 is largely similar to his classic incarnation. He is the archrival of U.S. President Calvin Ellis, the Superman of that world (who is black) and after being defeated, angrily declares that he is not a racist (this is implied to be an impression most have of him in this world).^[12]

Earth-30

In the miniseries Superman: Red Son, Kal-L's vessel lands in the Ukraine in 1938, not in Kansas. After Josef Stalin dies in 1953, Superman becomes Premier of the Soviet Union. In the United States, Lex Luthor is a respected scientific prodigy, and married to Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane-Luthor. He becomes Superman's nemesis and, eventually, US President. When Luthor convinces Superman that his presence is halting human progress, Superman apparently leaves Earth (in reality, he adopts his Clark Kent identity and remains hidden. Luthor become the leader of a unified world and ushers in a golden age of "Luthorism". Millenia later, when the Sun has expanded into a red giant, it is revealed that he is a distant ancestor to Superman, who had been sent back in time, not through space.^[13]

Earth-38

This DC Multiverse alternate Earth is based on the graphic novel Superman & Batman: Generations, in which Superman and Batman begin their heroic careers in the 1930s. Luthor is one of the henchman of the evil scientist the Ultra-Humanite. The two men are mortally injured in a fight with Superman and Batman at 1939 New York World's Fair. The Ultra-Humanite, his body permanently damaged, secretly has his brain transplanted into the brain dead body of Luthor. Over the decades, Luthor/Humanite plots against Superman by turning Joel Kent, the powerless son of Superman and Lois Lane, against his family. In 1989, Superman catches up with Luthor/Ultra-Humanite and, while trying to escape a trap, inadvertently, kills Luthor.^[14]

Earth-50

An alternate Lex Luthor exists on Earth-50, an alternate Earth on which he becomes US President and murders The Flash. Provoked beyond recall, Superman then incinerates Luthor with his heat vision and declares martial law with the assistance of the Justice League of America, corrupted into the Justice Lords on this dark alternate world.

Elseworlds

• Superman: Speeding Bullets had Superman adopted by Thomas and Martha Wayne and growing up to become Batman. Without Superman to oppose him in Metropolis, Luthor easily takes over. He relocates to Gotham City for a new challenge, but he has an accident that gives him pale skin and permanent smile, similar to the Joker.
• Superman: The Feral Man of Steel features an upper-class Victorian Lex Luthor who is a bigoted, opportunistic gentleman explorer, contemptuous of women and non-Europeans. He has an entire African village slaughtered to obtain a unique meteoric crystal (kryptonite); upon discovering its effect on the Indian jungle Superman, Luthor takes him prisoner and tries to force him into assassinating Queen Victoria, clearing the way for Luthor to seize power. This Luthor is killed by Sir Richard Francis Burton, whom he had betrayed and left for dead in India.
• In Superman & Batman: Generations, Luthor appears in 1939 as Ell, a henchman to the Ultra-Humanite, wearing a red wig. After the Humanite's rocket explodes, Luthor's brain is destroyed but his body is intact. Ultra has his brain placed in Luthor's body, and spends the next several decades plotting against Superman. Forty years Luthor/Ultra kills Lois Lane and arranges for Superman's powerless son to kill his empowered sister, via the use of an unstable serum which kills the boy soon after. Superman spends a decade looking for "Luthor", during which time Luthor arranges the death of Superman's other loved ones. When he finally finds him, Ultra reveals his true identity. Having removed Superman's power with gold Kryptonite, the Ultra-Humanite prepares to transplant his brain into the Man of Steel. Superman accidentally electrocutes the Ultra-Humanite when trying to pin his arm down with a metal shard. In the sequel Superman & Batman: Generations III, a cloned version of Luthor's brain is transferred into a robot in the early 21st century. With his brain enhanced by cybernetics, Luthor takes on the name Metallo and proceeds to destroy civilization. Luthor is finally defeated in the 26th century by a superpowered Batman and Superman's great-granddaughter, Supergirl-Blue.
• Kingdom Come presents a possible apocalyptic future. An elderly Lex Luthor brings a cadre of supervillains and brash young generation of superheroes together to form the Mankind Liberation Front, a group allegedly devoted to protecting mankind from the superpowered population. In reality, the goal of the MLF is to provoke a war between the U.N and the superhumans, allowing Luthor to seize control once both sides wipe each other out, unaware his goal would lead to Armageddon. Luthor also brainwashes Captain Marvel, who has grown to hate those with superpowers, and has renounced his hero identity. The MLF runs counter to the reformed Justice League, led by Superman, who comes out of retirement. His plans come to an end when Batman betrays him, revealing his plan was to discover his hold over Marvel (in reality a grown up Billy Batson). He attempts to escape but is captured by the Batknights. He is later put to work caring for the injured in Batman's hospital, an inhibitor collar keeping him from escaping. Post-Infinite Crisis, this has become Earth-22.

Luthor as he appears in The Dark Knight Strikes Again.

• Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again envisions a United States run by Lex Luthor and Brainiac, who use a hologram named Rick Rickard, which the people think is the real President, as a figurehead. He controls the more powerful heroes like Superman, Captain Marvel and Flash by holding their loved ones hostage, until Batman's underground movement manages to rescue them. When Luthor attempts to trigger a nuclear war after Batman's revolution, Batman arranges for the returned Hal Jordan to shut down Earth's entire satellite defense network, subsequently allowing Luthor to be killed by the son of Hawkman and Hawkgirl (Who were recently killed when Luthor bombed the rainforest where they now lived).
• In Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl, Lex Luthor is the primary benefactor of the Justice Society, having revolutionized life in Metropolis after developing a state-of-the-art solar battery, overseeing the design and construction the JSA headquarters, as well as acting as a father figure/potential love interest to Supergirl. He seeks to open a new battery-making factory in Gotham, but in the course of his time there, it is revealed that his 'solar battery' is based around analysis of the corpse of the infant Kal-El, who was found by Luthor and killed in case he posed a threat, Luthor's relationship with Supergirl being based around a desire to make sure she was controlled as well. It is also revealed that he attempted to have the Waynes killed for unspecified reasons (although this plan failed due to the intervention of Jim Gordon and his wife, resulting in Barbara Gordon becoming Batgirl to protect Gotham while Bruce Wayne serves as her 'Alfred' and financial backer).
• Superman: Red Son showed a Superman that landed in Stalinist-era Russia and became the symbol (and eventual leader) of the Soviet Union. Doctor Lex Luthor, an egotistical but ultimately benevolent super-genius employed by the American government, becomes his nemesis and creates a number of enemies for the Man of Steel to fight (including Bizarro, the Atomic Skull, and Doomsday). Later, Luthor is elected President of the United States (as in mainstream DC continuity), and masterminds an economic miracle which rapidly rejuvenates the impoverished and divided country. After Superman seemingly dies and the Soviet Union collapses, Luthor's influence sweeps the world and ushers in a golden age of humanity under a benign one-world government. Due to longevity drugs, this alternate Luthor dies two millennia later. At the end of the comic it is revealed that unknown to both of them, Superman is actually a descendant of Luthor himself, sent not from Krypton, as in mainstream continuity but actually a dying Earth billions of years in the future. Post-Infinite Crisis, this has become Earth-30.
• Superman: Kal featured a world where Kal-El's rocket landed on Earth in the Middle Ages, Kal being raised as a farmer before becoming a blacksmith's apprentice in an area ruled by Baron Luthor, who sought to force Lady Loisse to marry him after her father's death. Wearing a green gemstone that fell from the sky years ago, Luthor's presence weakens Kal, but he nevertheless secretly wins Loisse's heart. When Luthor discovers the rocket that brought Kal to Earth, he forces Kal's master to forge it into a suit of armour for him, the resulting armour being virtually impregnable. Although Kal requests Loisse's hand in marriage, Luthor invokes an old law that allows the lord of the land to take any new bride to his bed on her wedding night to claim her instead, subsequently beating Loisse to death when she tries to resist him. When Kal leads an uprising against Luthor the following day after learning of his love's death, his powers and Luthor's armour appear evenly matched until Luthor realizes that his gemstone can hurt Kal. However, just as Luthor leaps onto Kal to stab him with the gemstone, Kal's sword - forged from the same metal that Luthor's armour was made from - stabs Luthor through the chest, killing him instantly, although Kal is left to die slowly from his wounds.
• JLA: The Nail features a world where Kal-El's rocket was never found by the Kents and Luthor became mayor of Metropolis in Superman's absence. After discovering Kal-El's abandoned rocket and analyzing the DNA samples within it, Luthor used the DNA samples to create a superhuman army of 'Liberators', mindless clones of Kal-El with god-like powers, and grafts the DNA samples onto another being. The experiment succeeds on Luthor's aide, Jimmy Olsen, which results in Jimmy turning into a Kryptonian who is determined to remake Krypton on Earth.
• Injustice: Gods Among Us features an alternate version of Luthor who is a hero instead of a villain and is portrayed as Superman's best friend. When Metropolis is destroyed by a nuclear bomb, Luthor is thought dead. However, he is eventually found when the Justice League discover signals coming from the ruined city. Luthor begins to help the League with their plans to enforce peace over the world. However, Superman's adopted parents ask Luthor to step in should Superman go too far in his goals. Eventually Luthor becomes a secret mole, feeding the Insurgency details on the Regime's actions. In the Year Four series it is revealed through his monologue that he was secretly in love with Superman's wife Lois Lane and feels she would be alive if she had been with him instead. Thus, a part of his motivation is his firm belief that Lois would not approve of Superman's actions.

Film and television

• Superman and its sequels presented Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) as a criminal mastermind and egomaniac. He is obsessed with real estate and his plans usually involve him stealing large amounts of property and land because it is a commodity that will always be in demand. He causes an earthquake on the West Coast in the first movie, negotiates with General Zod for Australia in Superman II, and in Superman Returns (in which he is portrayed by Kevin Spacey), he tries to create a new continent.
• Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman presents the CEO version of Lex Luthor (John Shea) from The Man of Steel in live media for the first time.
• Superman: The Animated Series was created by picking and choosing various aspects of Superman's many incarnations. The Machiavellian Luthor (voiced by Clancy Brown) is also used as the main antagonist for Superman. He also appears in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.
• Smallville begins with a teen Clark Kent saving Lex Luthor. His father Lionel Luthor has most of the personality and ruthlessness of Lex in the comics as an analog of what Lex will become. In the series, exposure to kryptonite can give humans superpowers. During the kryptonite meteor shower that brought Clark to Earth, Lex lost his hair, but gained a super-immune system. Clark and Lex start out as friends, but as the series sees Clark ascend to the hero he appears destined to become, it also shows Lex's descent to the villain he will become, driving him to commit various questionable actions in the belief that he is protecting the world.
• Lex Luthor reappears in an episode of The Batman, voiced again by Clancy Brown. This version of Luthor is very similar to the one appearing on Superman: The Animated Series. The episode The Batman/Superman Story is filled with numerous homage to the DC Animated Universe as Lex Luthor, Lois Lane and Superman are voiced by the same actors who voiced them on Justice League.

See also

• Alternative versions of Batman
• Alternative versions of Robin
• Alternative versions of Superman

References