In 1940, just a few years after the Man of Steel's debut, his greatest foe was born. Since his first appearance in the Golden Age of Comic Books, either in Superman #4 or Action Comics #23 (depending on the source), Lex Luthor has been a constant thorn in Superman's side. This criminal genius-turned-scientist-turned-corporate-boss has been at the center of many DC Comics stories since the Silver Age, and his importance has only grown over the years. However, throughout this time, Luthor has proven himself to be one of the most despicable characters in comic book history—and we're here to prove it.
We've compiled a list of Lex Luthor's most heinous acts over the years. He's rightfully considered "the greatest criminal mind of our time," and while he's changed a bit over the past decade, he has a long history of villainy. Of course, we'll only be looking at DC comics, so we won't be counting the various film adaptations of Lex Luthor, no matter how sinister they may be. Oh, and before the jokes begin, we won't be counting his infamous theft of 40 cakes, even if it's now considered canon.
From ruining the lives of people he barely knows to actively and selfishly destroying his own family, Lex Luthor is worse than you probably remember. After all, this guy killed his own parents for insurance money, sabotaged innocent lives just to kill Superman, and made it impossible for anyone to discover the Man of Steel's identity without a stroke (believe it or not, that's not even the worst part). While Superman often comes to the rescue, that never stopped Luthor from being the absolute worst.
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5. Ruining lives just for fun.
Lex Luthor smokes and drinks in the backseat of his car in Superman #9 (1987) — DC Comics
In case you didn't already know, Lex Luthor is one of the most selfish, narcissistic, and vain characters in the entire DC Universe. Regardless of interpretation, he's generally consistent across the board. He's also terribly petty and can be gratuitously cruel. After Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC rebooted the Superman mythos, reimagining Luthor as a successful businessman who, according to screenwriter John Byrne, was meant to be "something between Donald Trump, Ted Turner, Howard Hughes, and maybe Satan himself!" The latter, in particular, plays a significant role here.
While the character has always been sinister in the comics, post-Crisis, Luthor transformed from a "mad megalomaniac scientist" into a true devil incarnate. This is particularly evident in Superman #9 (volume 2), where Luthor travels 900 miles from Metropolis to a small rural diner to torment waitress Jenny Hubbard with a sinful proposition. If she abandons her life and her husband to become his personal partner for a month, he will give her a million dollars.
Although Jenny is initially offended by Luthor's proposal, she begins to reconsider when Luthor gives her 10 minutes to consider it. It all proves to be torture, and by the time she calls her husband to truly weigh the pros and cons, the LexCorp CEO is already driving away, laughing at how he's ruined her life forever. Years later, in Superman (vol. 2) #163, a vengeful Jenny attempts to assassinate the villain during his presidential campaign. However, all she achieves is securing Luthor's support.
4. Rain of Superhumans
Lex Luthor watches as members of the Ordinary People organization fall to their deaths in "52 #35" (2007) - DC Comics.
It's no secret that one of Lex Luthor's personal desires is to become Superman. Grant Morrison explored this idea in "All-Star Superman" and other comics, and even during the DC Rebirth era, he adopted the "S" after the Man of Steel's death in the "New 52." But Luthor doesn't just want superpowers—he wants to control those who possess them. After "Infinite Crisis," Superman was deprived of his powers for a year. During this time, Luthor took charge of superhero activities.
Like the heroes of The Boys, the villain created the "Everyman Project" to imbue ordinary people with superhuman abilities, resulting in the creation of a brand-new company, "Infinity, Inc." (not to be confused with the older version, comprised of the children of the Justice Society of America). However, as revealed in "52" #35, Luthor could and does disable this "metagene," triggering a "Rain of Supermen" as the newly minted heroes fall to their deaths on the streets of Metropolis. This bloody scene is compounded by Luthor's call for "Superman" to save them.
So why does he do it? Mainly because he wants to. In a twisted, morbid way, it's Luthor's way of reminding everyone that he's in the "superhero business," ensuring his continued dominance of the DC Universe at a time when Superman has faded from the political scene. It's not only typical Luthor behavior, but also a terrifying ordeal that forces many of DC's greatest heroes to intervene before the situation gets out of hand.
3. Healing the sister (and then reversing the result)
Lex Luthor makes his sister Lena sick again in Adventure Comics ##6 (2010) — DC Comics
While Lex's sister, Lena Luthor, had appeared in comics intermittently since the Silver Age, her return occurred in the 21st century during Geoff Johns's run on the revived Adventure Comics series. The story centers on Kon-El/Connor Kent (one of the many versions of Superboy) returning to Smallville. The Boy of Steel finds himself drawn into a relationship with his classmate, Lori, who turns out to be Lena's daughter. Unfortunately, a mysterious illness has paralyzed Lena, trapping her in her own mind—until her older brother appears.
In Adventure Comics #6 (volume 2), Lex shows up on Lena and Lori's doorstep with a simple proposition: if Superboy—a clone created from a mixture of Superman and Luthor's DNA—can get him the necessary ingredients, he can cure his sister's illness. Amazingly, he succeeds; Luthor completely cures Lena, reuniting mother and daughter in a touching moment that helps convince Superboy that there might be some good in Luthor after all. However, almost immediately after his success, Luthor injects Lena with another serum, which restores her to her former state.
In subsequent iterations of the New 52 reboot, their sibling dynamic was reimagined, and in "Forever Evil" #4, Lex admitted to being responsible for her paralysis after attempting (and failing) to cure her. Lena eventually became a supervillain dubbed "Ultrawoman," further deepening their feud. But even so, there's no excuse for what Luthor did to his sister after Crisis in Adventure Comics, leaving that version of the character worse off than before.
2. Sacrificed peace in the Universe to kill Superman.
In DC Comics' Action Comics issue #900 (2011), Lex Luthor, who has an infinite supply of energy, decides to attack Superman.
Shortly after the incident with Lex and his sister, writer Paul Cornell took over Action Comics for a Luthor-centric story arc called "Black Ring." Following the "New Krypton" saga, in which Luthor commits another monstrous act, destroying New Krypton (for which he receives a presidential pardon), Lex hopes to recapture some of the power he gained during the "Blackest Night" crossover. This leads him to a cosmic entity existing in the Phantom Zone, with which he merges, becoming almost godlike.
This whole story culminates in Action Comics #900, when Luthor summons Superman, hoping to use his powers to show the Man of Steel the full weight of human emotion. The problem is, as Luthor discovers, Superman already understands this. While Lex assumed Kal-El was living as an alien in this world, he discovers that his enemy was the same Clark Kent he grew up with in Smallville (as previously revealed in Superman: Secret Origin). It is here that Luthor's hatred for Superman continues to grow, though he does have a brief moment of insight.
Wielding the power of the Child of the Zone, Luthor creates a sense of bliss that spreads throughout the known universe. It affects everyone, from heroes to villains, balancing the DC Universe in perfect harmony. The catch? He can't use his newfound power for anything negative, otherwise it will destroy this universal peace. Of course, as soon as he changes his mind, he immediately resumes his attack on Superman, ending the happiness of an unimaginable number of beings in the DC Universe due to his petty vendetta.
1. Offered his daughter to Brainiac.
Lex Luthor considers giving his daughter Lena to Brainiac 13 in Action Comics #763 (2000) — DC Comics
One of the often-forgotten truths about Lex Luthor is that he is also a father. After Lex's sister, Lena, from the Silver Age of comics was erased after the Crisis, the character was reimagined as his daughter, whom he named after the adoptive sister he grew up with. Lena Luthor II was born from his short-lived marriage to Countess Erica Alexandra del Portenza (whom he later killed to avoid sharing Lena's love with her). Not that he cared much about fatherhood, as evidenced in Action Comics #763, where he hands her over to Brainiac 13.
It all began when a futuristic B13 arrived in Metropolis during the Y2K crisis, when the Brainiac of that time shut down the world's computer systems. Hoping to escape the futuristic threat, Brainiac uploaded his consciousness into the body of a young Lena, believing Lex would protect her. But after Superman put B13 in his place, the future villain offered Luthor a deal: in exchange for his daughter (who still harbored Brainiac's consciousness), he would give Luthor the secrets of B13's future technology, leaving her in Metropolis for his legitimate use. Somehow, Luthor convinced himself that giving Lena up was a good idea.
When Superman later confronts Luthor, he remarks that he "could always make another" successor. The cold, heartless villain proves to be one of the most heartless beings in the universe. Fortunately, Superman later rescues Lena and returns her to a grateful Lex, though she has been missing for many years. Both versions of Lena were reintroduced in the current universe after DC Rebirth, with Lena II now a grown teenager. Nevertheless, Lex's actions are a horrific crime that is difficult to ignore.
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Read the original article on Looper.