10 Best Lex Luthor Variants, Ranked

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Lex Luthor is not only one of Superman‘s greatest villains but also one of the best villains in DC Comics. Luthor is a greedy, intelligent businessman who has used his wealth and resources to further his goals–often in conflict with the Justice League’s objectives. Across the multiverse, many versions of Lex Luthor have stood above the rest.

Some of the best Lex Luthor variants exist in DC’s Elseworlds, donning identities such as “the Green Man” and even the Joker. Comic adaptations of Luthors from other media, such as the ones appearing in Justice League Unlimited comics and Superman ’78, are also memorable extensions of iconic Lex Luthor versions.

10

Lex Luthor is The Joker

Speeding Bullets

In this Superman Elseworlds comic, Kal-El was adopted by the Wayne family and suffered the same fate as young Bruce in the mainstream reality. Like Bruce, this version of Clark vowed to avenge his parents and start a war on crime–though this Batman now had the powers of a Kryptonian.

The Lex Luthor of this universe was also an amalgamation of two characters: Lex and the Joker. Luthor suffered a disfiguring injury, which he kept hidden from the world. He only revealed his Jokerized appearance when he attacked Lois Lane at the end of the story.

9

Dr. Alexander Luthor Saves Superman

Earth One

Superman: Earth One put a spin on several Superman characters. In the Earth One universe, Lex Luthor wasn’t a villain but a moral scientist who founded Lex Squared with his wife, Alexandra Luthor. Lex Luthor was an ally to Superman in this world, while Alexandra took on the role of antagonist commonly filled by Lex himself on other worlds.

In Superman: Earth One, this version of Lex Luthor actually sacrificed himself to save the Man of Steel. This only deepened his wife’s hatred of the Kryptonian, making her a truly villainous Lex Luthor variant in her husband’s place.

8

The Green Man Of DC’s Fantasy World

Dark Knights of Steel

The version of Lex Luthor appeared in Dark Knights of Steel, DC’s superhero-epic fantasy hybrid series. He was just as greedy and power-hungry as his prime DC Universe counterpart. In Dark Knights of Steel, Lex Luthor was an advisor to the Waynes who betrayed them, ultimately causing their deaths.

Searching for revenge against the Els who arrived on Earth, Lex stumbled upon a magical green power ring, granting him great abilities at the cost of his sanity. Now an amalgamation of Green Lantern, Lex Luthor and the Joker, the Green Man became a main antagonist in the series.

7

A Lex Luthor/Red Skull Fusion Became the Green Skill

Amalgam Universe

The Amalgam Universe is a wonderfully creative place, presenting fusions of the best Marvel and DC heroes and villains. With the recent announcement that a DC/Marvel crossover will return to the comics, many fans would love to see the Green Skull again, an amalgamation of Lex Luthor and the Red Skull.

In the 1940s, Lex Luthor served the Nazis as an evil scientist. When they discovered green Kryptonite, Luthor injected himself with a Super-Soldier serum and transformed into the Green Skull, without super strength but with decelerated aging.

Bronze Age

Following the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and the merging of universes, the Bronze Age Lex Luthor was less of an evil scientist and more of a corrupt businessman.This version of Lex Luthor inspired many variants that came afterward, including the Lex Luthor of the DC Animated Universe and the version that appeared in Smallville.

As the head of LexCorp, the Bronze Age Lex Luthor was just as deadly in a suit and tie as his Silver Age counterpart was in a lab coat. Due to his wealth and power, Lex could covertly antagonize Superman while maintaining a public facade of a hero of the people.

5

Lex Luthor Leads Shazam & The New Heroes

Kingdom Come

The Kingdom Come Lex Luthor was every bit the mastermind as his DC Universe counterpart. After the Kingdom Come Superman retired, Luthor took control of the next most powerful superhuman, Shazam, manipulating young Billy Batson into working for him, convincing him that all superheroes were bad.

Captain Marvel may have been the main physical antagonist of Kingdom Come, but Lex Luthor was the brains behind the madness. As with all great versions of Lex, the Kingdom Come Luthor was less physically imposing and more mentally deceptive. He moved chess pieces against Superman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League to control as many heroes and villains as he could.

4

Lex Luthor In Superman’s Family Tree

Red Son

Lex Luthor was an interesting figure in the Red Son universe. Superman’s space pod crash-landed in the Soviet Union and Lex was a genius American scientist who immediately distrusted the Man of Steel from another world. Originally working for S.T.A.R. Labs, this Luthor also married Lois Lane.

Superman: Red Son‘s Luthor evolved from a stereotypical villain who challenged Superman and allied himself with Brainiac. He became the American President who adopted many of Superman’s morals and ideals, striving to better the world for future generations (which included a version of his family who would later give birth to young Superman in the far future).

3

The Lex Luthor Of The DC Animated Universe

DCAU

Lex Luthor was one of the primary antagonists in both Superman: The Animated Series and the larger DC Animated Universe. LexCorp controlled most of Metropolis, and Lex’s aspirations took him to heights that challenged the entire Justice League and even Darkseid. Lex was prominent in animation, but this version also appeared in comics connected to the TV shows.

This version of Lex first appeared in a Superman/Batman crossover comic and later in various comics connected to the DCAU. More recently, Lex appeared in Batman: The Adventures Continue, continuing to challenge both Bruce Wayne and the Dark Knight.

2

Lex Luthor, Superman’s Foe-Turned-Ally

Superman ’78

This version of Lex Luthor first appeared in Superman: The Movie in 1978, played by the late Gene Hackman. Hackman remains one of the best versions of Lex Luthor ever, and his portrayal even made it into the comics. Superman ’78 is a sequel to Superman II following the arrival of General Zod.

While this Lex Luthor was primarily an antagonist in Superman: The Movie and Superman II, he mostly serves as an ally in Superman ’78. Lex helps Superman track down Brainiac and even lets Lois Lane communicate with Superman and help save him.

1

Lex Luthor In The Justice League

The New 52/DC Rebirth

The best variant of Lex Luthor came in some of the most recent comics. The New 52 changed many things, including Lex Luthor, but some were for the better. The New 52 version of Lex Luthor retained many attributes his Silver Age and Bronze Age counterparts shared. Lex was still an evil scientist disguised as a regal businessman.

What elevated this Lex Luthor was his humanity hidden beneath his avarice. This Lex Luthor helped defend the world from the Crime Syndicate when the Justice League went missing. This Lex felt the loss of Bizarro and even donned Superman’s emblem to become the hero of Metropolis in his absence.

“}]] Fans have seen several takes on Lex Luthor truly challenge Superman, from Gene Hackman’s live-action version to numerous Elseworlds comic variants.  Read More