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WARNING: This article contains major spoilers. If you do not wish to know vital information on plot / character elements in a story, you may not wish to read beyond this warning: We hold no responsibility for any negative effects these facts may have on your enjoyment of said media should you continue. That is all. |
- NOTE: This article is about the incarnation of Lex Luthor from Superman & Lois. The mainstream version can be found here: Lex Luthor (DC). His Arrowverse counterpart can also be found here: Lex Luthor (Arrowverse)
| “ | Lex: I WAS INNOCENT! SEVENTEEN YEARS OF MY LIFE, GONE! And you think I want words?! My daughter, she was fourteen. Now, she won't talk to me. Do you think your words can fix that?! Clark: That's enough-- Lex: SHUT YOUR MOUTH! Your words are what put me away. What I want is to never have to read your words again. |
„ |
| ~ Lex Luthor's wrathful breakdown towards Lois Lane and Clark Kent. |
| “ | You want his heart? Here. I could kill you right now. Take you away from your mother forever. But I won't. But I do have to take something. | „ |
| ~ Lex before crushing Superman's heart in front of his son. |
| “ | I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT! I AM IN CONTROL, NOT YOU! | „ |
| ~ Lex revealing his true nature to Amanda McCoy. |
Alexander "Lex" Luthor is the main antagonist of the 2021-2024 superhero drama television series Superman & Lois.
He is a visionary billionaire, the CEO of LuthorCorp (formerly LexCorp), and a crime lord who terrorizes anyone he crosses paths with. After being wrongfully imprisoned for the last seventeen years for a crime he didn't commit, he was released from prison and is hellbent on correcting a personal injustice by enacting revenge on the people he feels have wronged him, including his archenemies Superman and Lois Lane.
He was portrayed by Michael Cudlitz, who also played Viktor in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Francis Goehring in Criminal Minds and Paul Krendler in Clarice. As a teenager and a child, he was portrayed by Oliver Mandelcorn and Kashton Brostl.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Born to Lionel and Lillian Luthor, Lex Luthor lived in an abusive household because his father never wanted children. When he was seven years old, his parents got into a heated altercation that ended with Lionel walking out on them. Lillian hated Lionel for leaving her and would take it out on Lex by demeaning him and beating him with Lionel's belt that he left behind. Because of the abuse, Lex became incapable of truly loving anyone and finally left his family’s home to start a life for himself.
At some point in his life, Lex became a billionaire and started a company called LexCorp, later known as LuthorCorp. He also got married to Erica Alexandra del Portenza and had a daughter named Elizabeth with her. He was also a crime boss who controlled most of the organized crime in Metropolis, which led him to conflict with Boss Moxie of Intergang over territory, like Hob's Bay. For years, Lex made offers to the people of Hob's Bay and killed anyone who turned him down, which destroyed good families, because they never had a choice in the first place. Over time, Luthor developed a terrible reputation with the public and most reporters like Lois Lane and even became an archenemy to Superman.
At some point, Lex met a decorated veteran named Cheryl Kimble and started dating her so he could gain access to her connections and dumped her once he had them, but still wound up using her for jobs. He also bought weapons from John Henry Irons who he considered an associate, even creating a security system for him. At some point, Luthor discovered Superman had a weakness for kryptonite and sought to take advantage of this opportunity by creating kryptonite weapons that his men and other gangsters can use against him.
Falsely imprisoned[]
After Boss Moxie was murdered, Luthor was arrested for the murder because he apparently confessed to the murder over the phone that happened to be monitored by the police, when in reality Peia Mannheim imitated his voice and recorded a false confession to frame him. Lex then discovered that Lois Lane of the Daily Planet was writing an article about Moxie's murder implicating Lex and he told her not to write the article, but she refused knowing his background and criminal history. Lex then wondered if she was trying to help Superman and threatened to reveal to the world that Kryptonite can kill Superman, Lois then orders Lex to leave and he does. After Lois wrote the article, the press and FBI started hounding Lex and his family for answers and finally fed up, Erica filed for divorce from Lex and wanted to take Elizabeth with her. Lex, however, was able to convince Elizabeth to stay with him and Erica told him that one day she would discover what kind of man he is and who he is, before leaving for England.
Luthor was taken in by Superman as he was dropping his daughter off at school and was convicted for Moxxie's murder and swore revenge against those responsible for his imprisonment. Luthor's arrest also allowed Peia's husband, Bruno Mannheim to take over Intergang and his territory. The Judge over his case sentenced him to seven life sentences in Stryker's Island Penitentiary with no chance of parole. After his imprisonment, his 14-year-old daughter cut off all contact with him and was automatically given to her mother.
On his first day in prison, Luthor offered to buy a razor from Otis Grisham for $5, even though Otis asked for thousands, which led to Luthor threatening Otis and other prisoners. In response, the other prisoners beat him up. Afterward, Luthor went to the warden who asked for a bribe in exchange for protection, instead, Luthor hands him a piece of paper with the warden's home phone number on it, he calls the number and realizes Luthor had his wife and son kidnapped and threatened to kill them in five minutes. Making clear the power he still held on the outside, Luthor managed to persuade the warden to give in to his demands.
For seventeen years, Luthor slowly assumed control over Stryker's Island Penitentiary with the warden and got the prison guards and other prisoners on his side, either through bribery, blackmail, and the warden. Luthor then has the guards drag the prisoners who beat him up out of their cells and had them viciously beaten for a long time, which led to one of them being crippled, all for a razor. He then had those same prisoners become his servants. Luthor also shared a cell with Emmitt Pergande who became well-acquainted with each other of their shared hatred of Clark Kent.
Acquitted[]
Seventeen years later, after realizing Luthor was innocent, Lois Lane gathered evidence on Bruno Mannheim and Intergang and published an article with the evidence that proved his innocence and had Bruno confess to all of his crimes in exchange for his son not being charged, including framing Luthor. After his lawyers used this evidence to get him released from prison, the warden released him early in the morning and Luthor intentionally made sure the media didn’t report on his release until much later. After gathering his belongings, he walked out of prison as a free man and kept walking for hours until he reached the Kent Farm in Smallville to confront Lois. During the night, Luthor made it to the farm and confronted both Lois and Clark Kent and demanded she retires from journalism because he blamed her for losing seventeen years of his life and threatened her family if she didn't. Just then, Otis arrived to drive him wherever he needed to go, Lois and Clark both tell him to never come back, and Luthor said she'd better retire and he won't, but not before telling her that Superman would be next.
Quest for vengeance[]
| “ | You ever think about dying, Superman? Because you're about to. | „ |
| ~ Lex before unleashing Doomsday on Superman. |
During their drive, Luthor had Otis track down Doctor Alistair Hook to torture him for information regarding the experiments that he conducted for Mannheim. After that, he ordered Otis to kill him. Returning to Metropolis, they went to the destroyed underground lab underneath the Hob's Bay medical facility to find a feral Bizarro eating rats in what remained of the lab. After he noticed them, Bizarro attacked Otis and ate his ear, while Lex grabbed Otis' blaster and killed him. After that, the two of them realized that Bizarro was still alive and was able to resurrect himself and grow stronger after each death, which Lex sought to use.
Lex then had Bizarro chained up in an underground facility and told him that nothing can kill him and that even if he did die, he would come back stronger, but Lex asks Bizarro if he could kill him anyway, so nothing could stop him ever again. After begging to kill him, Bizarro reluctantly agrees and Lex and his minions began to endlessly kill him with different means and each time, Bizarro would mutate and become Doomsday. After shooting him with a modified rocket launcher, Doomsday grew in size and spikes with Otis noting that Lex made him indestructible, but Lex said that he was off to a good start, intending to go further. Lex would also have his minions feed Doomsday live farm animals instead of his minions.
33 days later, Lex then had Judge Tara Reagan murdered because she was the judge who sentenced him to prison and left her body outside the Daily Planet building to send a message to Lois Lane and Superman. He also had Cheryl Kimble date General Sam Lane so that they could kidnap him, to which they were successful.
Ready to make his move, Lex drove to the Kent farm to lure out Superman, which he did and Superman told him to leave Lois Lane and her family alone. Lex then confronted Superman and told him he was innocent, but none of them listened because Lois had someone like him and Sam Lane protecting her, claiming that Superman was not a hero but a fool and a lapdog. Lex then asked Superman if ever thought about dying as he activated the ELT he stole from Sam Lane to bring out Doomsday, who landed on the Kent Barn, destroying it. Superman then recognized him as his Bizarro counterpart and asked what Lex did to him, and Lex told him that either he try to kill Doomsday or Doomsday will kill him. As Doomsday started beating Superman, Luthor told him to bring him Superman's heart when he was done.
Moving to Smallville[]
Lex then calls his acting CEO Amanda McCoy and asks her to meet him in Smallville. When she arrives, he tells her that he plans to stay in Smallville because he apparently has plans there and tells to her to use LuthorCorp assets to purchase an old hotel across the street from the Smallville Gazette. Lex then asks about Elizabeth and she responds that she last reported in England, but left after he got out of prison. That morning, Lex arrives at the Smallville Gazette to confront Lois Lane and taunts her that Sam and Superman won’t be protecting her anymore. Despite everything he's done to her, Lois still refuses to retire and Lex is aware, which is why he informs her he plans to stay in Smallville in Ponomo Hotel, right across the street from her. Lex then leaves with a copy of the newspaper that reported on the battle between Superman and Doomsday.
Lex then arrives at Victoria Mays to confront Lois' sons, Jon and Jordan, knowing that they know who he is and why he is here, they agree. He tells Jon and Jordan about what their parents did to him and then tells them about his daughter, Elizabeth, and how she was taken from him by going to prison, Jon refutes this by saying he is a problem, which angers Lex. Chuck Arden asks if the boys are ok, and Lex glares at him to sit down and he does. Lex leaves after telling the boys that "everything that is coming for her is justified." Lex then calls Gretchen to tell her that Lois is still refusing to retire and orders her to kill Sam and have Otis clean up after. Sam then tries to escape after Gretchen tries to shoot him per Lex's orders, but he is caught by Otis.
Luthor hears of this and decides to bury Sam alive as punishment, having Otis dig the grave and Gretchen tying Sam up. Luthor arrives giving Sam a look at a copy of the newspaper that reported on the battle between Superman and Doomsday, before kicking him into the grave, telling Otis to bury him and keep the sand wet, that way his chocking will be more painful. Lex was later informed by Gretchen and Otis that Sam was rescued by Lois and Superboy, a new superhero, and leaves annoyed, telling them to hide out and that he's going to get what he wants. That same night, Luthor was visited by McCoy who gives him a special box created by Milton Fine to contain Superman's heart, which was soon delivered to him by Doomsday shortly after he finally killed the Man of Steel, leaving his corpse in the streets of Smallville, making Lex happy.
Luthor made plans with Milton Fine to hijack John Henry Iron’s Armour as a final stand against Superman’s family by putting John into a near coma until he was reciprocated by his brother, Lois calls out to Luthor that she is scared of her to which Lex brushes off her snarky threat by attempting to kill her, however Lois acknowledges that he cannot talk him and intimidate him, she calls Superman despite his wounds from the kryptonite who then quickly tackles Lex into the sky where the two men clash. Lex angrily storms that he will keep threatening his family and never stop but Superman retorts to never again let Lex commit such action against him and his town, delivering devastating blows repeating from Luthor’s attempts at lunging at him, Luthor is then overpowered and taken down to earth by Superman who gave a rippling clash that shatters the Steel suit, leaving Lex to be taken to Stryker’s prison for Life after a message delivered by Janet onto Louis’s phone that Luthor’s appeal was denied, Further ending his reign of terror on Metropolis and Superman’s family for good. He is seen again as a vision after Superman passes away being shown as crying before being confronted by the hero as a sign of forgiveness.
Personality[]
| “ | Have you ever been in the room alone with Lex Luthor? He has this aura. It's terrifying, like you're in the presence of the Devil himself. To this day that man is the only person in the world who scares me. | „ |
| ~ Onomatopoeia on Lex Luthor. |
Unlike a great deal of his other incarnations, this Lex was a family man and loved his daughter more than anything, but was emotionally distant with his ex-wife. This is likely why he lacks the cold logical side of the others; Lex is prone to screaming and personal violence whenever he gets upset, thus making him different from other Lex Luthors, whom all use minions and weapons without being directly tied to it.
He is incredibly petty towards anyone who goes against him, even if they were just doing their jobs as unknowing pawns of his enemies. To this end, the moment Lex got out of jail when Bruno Mannheim admitted to framing him 17 years ago, Lex targeted not only him, but the judge and prosecutor who worked on his case. Further showcasing the depths of this unreasonable wrath, Lex even threatened Lois Lane to quit being a reporter just because it was her name on the byline on the story that put him away.
What fuels his rage most is how his daughter will not even talk to him even after he has been proven innocent and was framed. In the mentality of a thuggish brute, Lex doesn't get that she will likely resent him even more because of what he is doing with his newfound freedom. When Elizabeth realizes what he is doing, Lex chose to willingly estrange himself from her because of his own stubbornness and refusal to accept forgiveness, making her disgusted to see the monster he is.
He is also shown to be cruel and sadistic as well, as he has the Stryker's guards beat up the inmates who beat him while he watches with satisfaction, refusing to let the guards stop. He buys the hotel across the street from the Smallville Gazette to watch Lois Lane and terrorize her, which shows he is not beyond personal cruelty, even calling her using Superman's voice and giving her a sadistic choice of which one of her children should live or die, then playing the recording to her son just to turn him against her. He is also not above taunting and/or hurting their children as he has his men shoot kryptonite guns at Jordan and even crushes his father’s heart right in front of him, just to psychologically break him.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Powers via Steel's exosuit: Lex Luthor used his hacker Milton Fine to steal and upgrade John Irons' high-tech exosuit with Green Kryptonite, that conferred Lex with several superhuman abilities to protect himself against Kryptonian-level threats.
- Superhuman Strength: The exosuit enhances Lex's durability to incredible levels, while wearing it he can survive blows from the likes of Superman without any serious damage.
- Superhuman Speed: The exosuit gives its wearer the ability to travel at super fast speeds, even being able to travel around the globe.
- Invulnerability: Natalie Irons previously reinforced the exosuit with X-Kryptonite lacquer, making it almost indestructible. This enable it to survive physical stresses such as gunfire, explosion, atmospheric reentry, and the rigors of space.
- Flight: It could provide flight based on high powered propulsion jets on the back and the bottom of the feet. It can fly fast enough to keep up with the likes of Superman.
- Energy Projection: The exosuit can release blasts of a green excess force from its gauntlets capable of taking down an opponent like Superman.
Gallery[]
Lex in prison.
Lex visting Jordan in the Kent farm.
Lex in his new suit.
Trivia[]
- This is the third live-action version of Lex Luthor to have facial hair after his counterparts in the Arrowverse and Titans despite the fact that every other version of Luthor is completely bald.
- He then shaves off the beard in the eighth episode of Season 4, going completely bald for the rest of the series.
- He is petty and thuggish, which serves as a contrast to the campy Arrowverse version, neurotic DCEU version, and the iconic sinister yet more comedic Gene Hackman version.
- Lex Luthor is a fan of heavy metal rock, like Ministry and Black Sabbath.
- Unlike most versions of Lex Luthor, this incarnation of him is dark, serious, brutal, ruthless, and wrathful and also possesses none of the charming and extravagant qualities that most versions have. Which is somewhat similar to the DCAU version in the Justice Lords dimension and the main universe one after he becomes obsessed with Brainiac.
- Like his DC Extended Universe counterpart, he is responsible for the creation of Doomsday.
- Because the actor Michael Cudlitz is a natural redhead, this is the first live-action Lex Luthor to have red hair, before voluntarily shaving it bald.
External Links[]
- Lex Luthor on the Arrowverse Wiki
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 Villains
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Comics Movie Television My Adventures With Superman See Also | ||
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Comics Movies Television See Also | ||