Lex Luthor (character)
Lex Luthor is a prominent supervillain in DC Comics and has served as Superman's archenemy for over seventy-five years. First introduced in 1940, Luthor is characterized by his superior intellect and deep-seated hatred for Superman. Initially depicted as a brilliant yet insane scientist with a full head of red hair, an artist's mistake led to his iconic bald appearance, which has defined the character since the early 1940s. Over the decades, Luthor’s persona has evolved, portraying him as a ruthless businessman, a mad scientist, and even the President of the United States, reflecting the changing cultural landscape.
Luthor's complex background includes his frustration with Superman's interference in his schemes, which drives his desire to outshine the hero. With the onset of the nuclear age, the character began to develop superweapons, making him a formidable opponent. Lex Luthor has also appeared in various media adaptations, notably in films where he was portrayed by actors such as Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey, and in television series like Lois & Clark and Smallville. His enduring legacy in popular culture highlights the themes of intelligence, rivalry, and the quest for power.
Lex Luthor (character)
Lex Luthor is a DC Comics character and iconic supervillain who has been the archenemy of Superman for more than seventy-five years. Luthor was first introduced in 1940 and developed his signature bald look as the result of an artist's mistake. His persona has evolved over the years to fit the changing times. He has been portrayed as an insane scientist, an evil businessman, and even as president of the United States, but two things remain constant: his superior intellect and his hatred of Superman.
Origin and History in the Comics
In the 1930s, writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster developed the character of Superman, an all-powerful hero from the planet Krypton who acts as the protector of Earth. Superman made his debut in Action Comics #1 in April 1938. A year later, he began appearing in a daily syndicated comic strip. In the early comics, Superman's main enemy was the Ultra-Humanite, a mad scientist bent on world domination. In 1940, Siegel and Shuster introduced a new villain named Luthor in Action Comics #23. Luthor, who did not have a first name at the time, was very similar to the Ultra-Humanite. He was a brilliant but insane scientist who plotted his mastery of the world from a giant airship. In the end, his plans to incite global war were foiled by Superman.
This first version of Luthor had a full head of red hair, but that changed in 1941. Shuster, who was often overwhelmed by his workload, hired a substitute artist to help with the drawing process. The artist accidently drew Luthor as bald in the daily comic strip—a mistake he repeated for the character's next appearance in Superman #10. Shuster decided to leave the change in place, and Luthor stayed bald.
The Lex Luthor of the 1940s could not compete with Superman on a physical level, but he used his intelligence to devise elaborate plots to take control of the world. Each time, Superman was there to thwart his attempts. His frustration with Superman's interference, combined with his egotistical desire to eclipse Superman's fame, led to Luthor's growing hatred of the Man of Steel.
With the dawn of the nuclear age, Luthor began developing a variety of superweapons to achieve his evil goals. During World War II, Luthor was the first comic villain to use atomic weapons, although his "atomic bomb" was different from the actual device under development at the time. Nevertheless, the U.S. War Department stepped in and requested the publishers hold off on releasing the issue until after the war.
In 1960, DC Comics gave Luthor an origin story, revealing his first name and taking the opportunity to explain his baldness. In Adventure Comics #271, the teenage Lex Luthor was a scientific prodigy who grew up with Superboy in the town of Smallville. While Luthor was working on an experiment, a fire erupted at his laboratory. Superboy saved his friend by blowing out the fire with his super breath, but in doing so he destroyed Luthor's experiment and permanently burned off his hair. Luthor accused Superboy of deliberately sabotaging his work out of jealousy and vowed revenge.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, Luthor was drawn as a spandex-wearing supervillain and was later given a high-tech, kryptonite-powered battle suit that allowed him to take on Superman. In 1985, DC Comics was trying to eliminate continuity problems among its long-running franchises, so the writers came up with a complicated way to tie together the Superman universe. The Lex Luthor who had appeared in comics since 1940 was revealed to be one of many from several alternate versions of Earth. "Alexi" Luthor, as he was called, was from Earth-Two, and he was killed off by an evil alien android in Crisis on Infinite Earths # 9. A year later, Luthor's origins were reinvented; this time he was portrayed as the unscrupulous owner of LexCorp whose goal to be the most powerful man in Metropolis was overshadowed by Superman.
Still, this new version of Lex Luthor had many incarnations. While dying of kryptonite-induced cancer, Luthor cloned a new body and briefly became a younger, red-haired version of himself. In 2000, Luthor carried his hatred of Superman to Washington when he was elected president of the United States. A new origin story in 2004 once again portrayed the young Luthor as a Smallville friend of Superboy. Other comic universes portray Luthor as a conflicted villain who is trying to save the world from the alien Superman.
Appearances in Other Media
The first appearance by Lex Luthor outside of the comics was in the 1950 movie serial Atom Man vs. Superman. In the 1978 film Superman, Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman portrayed Luthor. His version played up the villain's iconic roots as a brilliant criminal mastermind who concocts an evil, destructive scheme—in this case, a plan to destroy California and dominate the real estate market on a new West Coast. Hackman went on to reprise his role in two sequels. In the 2006 reboot of the film franchise, Superman Returns, Luthor was played by another Oscar winner, actor Kevin Spacey. A new version of Luthor was unveiled in 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, in which the character was played by actor Jesse Eisenberg.
On the small screen, Luthor made an appearance in the 1990s television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. In 2001, the series Smallville drew upon the 1960s origin story and portrayed the young Lex Luthor's friendship with, and growing animosity toward, Superboy.
Bibliography
"Atom Man vs. Superman." IMDb.com. IMDb.com, Inc. Web. 24 Feb. 2016. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042211/
Duncan, Randy, and Matthew J. Smith, eds. Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2013. Print.
Greenspan, Jesse. "8 Things You May Not Know about Superman." History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC. 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 24 Feb. 2016. http://www.history.com/news/8-things-you-may-not-know-about-superman
"Lex Luthor." Comic Vine. CBS Interactive Inc. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. http://comicvine.gamespot.com/lex-luthor/4005-41952/
"Lex Luthor." Superman Super Site. Superman Super Site. Web. 23 Feb. 2016. http://www.supermansupersite.com/lex.html
McCool, Ben. "How An Artist's Mistake (And A Negligent Superboy) Turned Lex Luthor Bald." Tech Times. Tech Times. 11 Dec. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2016. http://www.techtimes.com/articles/115209/20151211/artists-mistake-negligent-superboy-made-lex-luthor-go-bald.htm