Lex Luthor (Arrowverse)

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Lex Luthor
Luthors" Supergirl February 13, 2017
Last appearance	"Kara" Supergirl November 9, 2021
Based on	Lex Luthor by Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster
Adapted by	Glen Winter Greg Berlanti
Portrayed by	Jon Cryer Aidan Fink (young; season 2) Koby Holvik (young; season 4)
In-universe information
Full name	Alexander Joseph Luthor
Aliases	Paragon of Truth
Position	United States Secretary of Alien Affairs (formerly)
Affiliation	Luthor Corp U.S. Government
Weapon	Lexosuit Guns Book of Destiny (former)
Family	Lionel Luthor (father, deceased) Lillian Luthor (mother, deceased) Lena Luthor (half-sister)
Significant other	Nyxlygsptlnz
Home	Earth-38 (former) Earth-Prime[a]
Nationality	American

Lex Luthor is a

portrayed versions of the supervillain, with Aidan Fink portraying a young Lex Luthor and Jon Cryer portraying Lex as an adult.

In the Arrowverse, Luthor is depicted as an independent businessman who runs a company called

Supergirl

as a threat and shifts his focus towards her, abandoning his plan to target her cousin.

Concept and creation

Lex Luthor made his debut in Action Comics #23 in 1940. Since then, Luthor has become one of the most recognizable and prominent supervillain characters in DC Comics. According to IGN, he ranks fourth on a list of one hundred supervillains across media.^[4] The character has previously been portrayed in live-action TV shows, including Superboy, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Smallville. Scott James Wells and Sherman Howard portrayed him in Superboy, John Shea in Lois & Clark, and Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville. Lex Luthor has also appeared in movies such as Atom Man vs. Superman, the classic Superman film series, Superman Returns, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. The character has also been portrayed by Lyle Talbot, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and Jesse Eisenberg.

When a

Casting

Jon Cryer was cast as Lex Luthor in 2017.

Characterization

According to Jon Cryer, Lex Luthor is a

Cryer also pointed out that Lex displays

However, he eventually embraced the storyline and enjoyed playing the character.

Cryer had a strong influence in the show's usage of the character. He was a strong advocate for Lex eventually defeating

Fictional character biography

Early life

Lex Luthor was born sometime after 1984 in

, the illegitimate daughter of Lionel and Lex's half-sister, which angered him initially. However, over time, Lex and Lena became close friends.

During his teenage years, Lex showed signs of

, and the two initially worked together to stop alien invasions. However, Lex's methods were too brutal for Superman's liking, leading to a falling out between them. Lex began to believe that Superman was responsible for the invasions, and his obsession with the superhero caused a fracture in his relationship with Lena.

Evolution of the Character

Lex Luthor's journey from the pages of Action Comics #23 in 1940 to his prominent role in The CW's Arrowverse reflects a remarkable evolution that goes beyond ink and paper. In the early years, Lex was portrayed as a brilliant yet one-dimensional adversary with an intense hatred for Superman. As the comic landscape evolved, so did Lex, transforming into a multifaceted character with intricate layers.

The live-action adaptations further emphasized Lex's evolution. Actors like Scott James Wells, Sherman Howard, and John Shea contributed to expanding Lex's complexity in various TV shows, showcasing his multifaceted nature. However, it was Jon Cryer's portrayal in the Arrowverse that truly brought a fresh perspective.^[20]

Scheme to kill Supergirl

After several years of brutal encounters resulting in numerous fatalities, Lex and Superman had a final confrontation in early 2016. Before the confrontation, Lex turned Earth's yellow sun red in an attempt to depower Superman, causing destruction on a global scale. Luthor was found by the police but managed to escape, only to later be captured by Superman.

At his trial, Lex killed the judge and all the trial. He was sentenced to thirty-one consecutive life terms and sent to

intervened.

In 2018, the Minister of Defense of

to familiarize her with Supergirl's life. The Supergirl duplicate developed a sickness, and to save her, Lex entered a radioactive chamber, giving him cancer. Lex was granted a mercy furlough from prison and was transported to his mansion.

Lex then orchestrated a plan in which his assassin and love interest,

.

During the attack, Lex manipulated the Supergirl duplicate, known as "Red Daughter," to kill Supergirl's mother. After the attack, Lex seemingly killed Red Daughter and used her energy to power a special cell. He then supplied energy to the houses damaged by the Kaznian bombings, and, with the President's support, he became the Secretary of the United States Department of Alien Affairs, gaining control over America.

Lex's ambitions extended further, and he invaded

Argo City

, on the home planet of Superman. A team led by Supergirl stopped his attack, and he battled Supergirl, ultimately losing. He went to a cabin where he and Lena had spent vacations, where Lena extracted the serum from his body, resulting in his death.

Joining the Crisis

At the beginning of the

. He then found the Book of Destiny on the ship and left to kill as many versions of Superman as he could.

His first target was

Lois Lane

from Lex's universe intervened and knocked Lex out, ending his control.

Lex was locked up on the Waverider, but he managed to get the Book of Destiny again. He used it to save himself from the anti-matter wave that destroyed the Waverider and the whole Multiverse. By doing so, he became known as the Paragon of Truth and transported himself to the Vanishing Point.

At the Vanishing Point, Lex attempted to open a portal to reality with a machine, with the help of

appeared and helped Barry unlock his full potential, sending Lex, Kara, and Ryan to the past, specifically to the planet Maltus, 10,000 years before the Monitor created the Anti-Monitor. There, Lex tried to betray his team, but he failed to get the Monitor to side with him. The team was then transported to the Dawn of Time to fight the Anti-Monitor. Lex and the other Paragons fought the Anti-Monitor's army, and Oliver sacrificed himself to recreate the Multiverse.

In the new Multiverse, Lex's Earth merged with

winner.

Manipulating Brainiac 5 and Obsidian Tech

Further information:

Supergirl (season 5)

At some point, Lex Luthor met with his mother,

Winn Schott

.

Lex Luthor visits

Supergirl

is preventing a Sun-Eater from eating the Sun, Lex goes to the scene where those who were trapped in virtual reality are being held and frees them, killing Margot Morrison. Gemma confronts Lex about his actions, and he states that she should focus her anger on their mutual enemy, Supergirl. Later that night, Lex reveals to Eve that the people who had protected her mother will dispose of her should she go against him. He also has footage of Eve killing Jeremiah. When Eve states that he is worse than Leviathan, Lex disagrees. After a talk with his mother, Lex uses Lena's transportation watch to go to the Fortress of Solitude.

Lex visits Lena at Stryker's Island, noting that her project would fail, causing Lena to see that Kara was right about Lex. After getting a call from Gemma that Rama Khan succeeded in his mission to obtain the Kryptonite from the D.E.O., Lex informs Brainiac 5 that they now have access to Leviathan's ship. When he enters the ship, Lex is given a special pin by Gemma to keep him safe from the ship's defenses. The two of them begin their plot involving the Unity Festival. After Brainiac 5 enters the code that leads to the bottling of Rama Khan, Tezumak, and Sela, Gemma briefly shuts down, causing Lex to go after Brainiac 5. He finds a weakened Brainiac 5 on Leviathan's ship and claims the bottle contains Rama Khan, Tezumak, and Sela. After getting away, he gives the bottle to Lillian to begin their next plot.

Final battle against Supergirl

Lex proceeds with the next phase of his plan, having

testifies against him, revealing that he used brainwashing technology to manipulate the jury. To his shock, the verdict is that he is innocent.

Afterward, Lex and Lena engage in a power struggle for control of LuthorCorp. Lex sends his bodyguard,

, to sabotage the new children's wing at the hospital. When Lena confronts him, she tells him that killing him won't change anything, and she decides to leave LuthorCorp.

Lex later visits the future, where he befriends and falls in love with a future version of

, known as "Nyxly." Together, they combine science and magic, but Nyxly makes a mistake with the Totems, resulting in her death. Lex preserves Nyxly's mind in the form of an A.I. and places it in a Lexosuit, which he sends to the present Nyxly to prevent her death. However, the present Nyxly wants nothing to do with him. Undeterred, Lex tries to win her back with Otis's advice, but Nyxly rejects his assistance. Lex devises a plan to get the Love Totem to her, but Nyxly is not pleased with his involvement, and the Superfriends end up with the totem.

Lex saves Nyxly from being imprisoned, revealing their future romance and his attempts to save her. With the help of the Nyxly A.I., Nyxly obtains the dream totem, and Lex assists in obtaining the remaining Totems. The Superfriends manage to retrieve the other pieces of the Totems, leading to a final battle between Lex, Nyxly, and the Superfriends. Lex and Nyxly create magical constructs resembling their enemies, such as

, and dragons. In the end, they are defeated, and Lex opens a portal to the Phantom Zone, intending to unleash Phantoms on the Superfriends. However, due to their hubris, the Phantoms are instead attracted to Lex and Nyxly, dragging them into the Phantom Zone. This is made possible because Supergirl and her allies rallied the people of National City to have courage, which counteracts the hubris emitted by Lex and Nyxly, making them prime targets for the Phantoms.

Appearances

Arrowverse

• The character first appeared in the episode "
  season 2, portrayed by Aidan Fink as a young Lex Luthor, in 2017.^[21]
• season 4, in 2019.^[22] He then appeared in the crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, as well as the shows Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, all in 2019 and 2020.^[23]

Alternate versions

Superman & Lois

An alternate version of Lex Luthor was mentioned in two episodes of

Tal-Rho

. The A.I. Hedy originally referred to John as "Captain Luthor." Superman and Lois of their Earth thought that he was a relative of Lex Luthor until the fingerprints on the box he had proved otherwise.

Lex Luthor appears in

Boss Moxie

. However, it is later revealed that Luthor's confession to the crime was falsified, and it was Mannheim's wife, Peia, who confessed while disguising her voice as Luthor's, leading Clark and Lois to realize that Luthor is innocent.

In flashbacks seen in the episode "Injustice," Lex Luthor was sentenced to life at Stryker's Prison by Judge Tara Reagan, where his family life has been strained. When he finds

Otis Grisham

working on an inmate's hair with an electric razor, Lex asks to borrow it so that he can do his hair. Otis punches Lex as he tries to win over the other inmates, resulting in Otis and the nearby inmates beating him up. When meeting with Warden William Ellis, Lex has him call a specific number that turns out to be Warden Ellis' home number. Upon answering it, he finds that Lex's associates on the outside have threatened his family, and Lex blackmails him into allowing him to run the prison population. Warden Ellis complies with his demands. Lex starts by having the guards beat up Otis and those who beat up Lex. Warden Ellis later procures Lex a razor, which he uses to shave his head. Once the shaving is done, Lex has an inmate recuperating in a wheelchair sweep up the hair. One inmate with missing teeth takes down his meal order, and another inmate serves as his chair.

Following Peia's death, Lex is released from prison upon the truth being made known. He orders Warden Ellis to delay the news of his release and has him call up Otis to see where he should meet him. Lex walks down the street until he arrives at the Kent family farm. While noting how he knows about what happened to Bruno Mannheim, Lois's cancer treatment, and how she and Clark have two sons, Lex states that he does not want their forgiveness. As Otis shows up to pick up Lex, he enters the car, advising Lois to retire and to tell Superman that he'll be coming for him. While being driven around, Lex is given Dr.

Aleister Hook's bloody glasses as he takes Lex to the location where Otis got out of Dr. Hook. Upon arrival, they find Bizarro feeding off some rats. Lex then watches as Bizarro attacks Otis enough to rip off his ear. Lex then shoots Bizarro with a laser and finds that he can come back to life. With help from Otis and some hired help, Lex performs different fatal experiments on Bizarro using X-kryptonite enough to cause him to further mutate. After arranging for Judge Reagan to be killed offscreen, Lex dispatches Otis and his female minion, Gretchen Kelley, to abduct Sam Lane. Lex then confronts Superman at the Kent family farm as he summons the monstrous Bizarro

. While leaving, Lex orders the monstrous Bizarro to bring him Superman's heart when he is done with him.

Reception

Cryer was cast to portray Lex Luthor on November 16, 2018, in a recurring role on the CW show Supergirl.^[25] Many fans started pointing out comparisons and differences between his version and Jesse Eisenberg's version, with many suggesting that Cryer's portrayal is at the right age, better at manipulation, and intends to be more comic accurate, which was an important factor according to the fans. However, some critics mentioned that his version lacked clear direction.^[26] In the book "Adapting Superman: Essays on the Transmedia Man of Steel," there is a chapter titled "Forging Kryptonite: Lex Luthor's Xenophobia as Societal Fracturing, from Batman v Superman to Supergirl," which analyzes both versions of Lex Luthor as part of a representation exploring the cultural effects of encroaching xenophobia from society to the family in the years around the 2016 United States presidential election.^[27]

Comparisons were also made with

season 5.^[30]

Accolades

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
2019	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV Villain	Supergirl	Nominated	[31]
	Saturn Awards	Best Guest Starring Role on Television		Nominated	[32]
2021	Saturn Awards			Won	[33]

In other media

The character appears in the Crisis on Infinite Earths tie-in comic book one-shot, titled "Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant #1." During the latter one, Lex joins other universes' Lexes, and together they form the Council of Luthors, with the common goal of killing all Supermen and defeating the Council of Supermen. However, his Council fails in its mission.

See also

• Lex Luthor in other media
  • Lex Luthor (Smallville)
  • Lex Luthor (DC Extended Universe)
  • Lex Luthor (1978 film series character)
• List of Superman supporting characters

Notes

1. ^ After Crisis on Infinite Earths.

References

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2. ^ Chris (February 14, 2017). "Supergirl Season 2 Episode 12 Review: "Luthors"". TVOvermind. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
3. ^ "Supergirl Season 2 Episode 12 Review: Luthors". Den of Geek. February 14, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
4. ^ The Top 100 Comic Book Villains - IGN.com, retrieved January 11, 2022
5. ^ Laura Hurley (January 27, 2017). "Will Supergirl Ever Introduce Lex Luthor?". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
6. ^ McKiernan, Tawnia (February 13, 2017), Luthors, Supergirl, retrieved January 11, 2022
7. ^ "The CW's Supergirl Casts Jon Cryer As Lex Luthor". Fortress of Solitude. November 20, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
8. ^ Flook, Ray (April 18, 2020). "Supergirl Star Jon Cryer Teases New Season 5 Finale Future For Lex". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
9. ^ Laura Hurley (April 7, 2021). "How Supergirl Will Handle Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor After His Big Defeat". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
10. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (November 1, 2021). "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Jon Cryer on Bringing Lex Luthor Back From the Dead". IGN. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
11. ^ Boucher, Geoff (November 16, 2018). "Meet The New Lex Luthor: Jon Cryer Lands Iconic Villain Role For 'Supergirl'". Deadline. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
12. ^ "Jon Cryer cast as Lex Luthor in Supergirl". IMDb. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
13. ^ Agard, Chancellor. "Jon Cryer reveals why he said yes to playing Lex Luthor on Supergirl". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
14. ^ Wojciechowski, Michele "Wojo" (May 11, 2019). "Jon Cryer Embraces His Inner Sociopath as Lex Luthor on Supergirl". Big Purple Marble. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
15. ^ Roffman, Marisa (March 18, 2019). "Jon Cryer Breaks Down Playing 'Sociopath' Lex Luthor on 'Supergirl'". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
16. ^ "Exclusive Interview: Supergirl's Jon Cryer Wanted A Physical Lex Luthor Power Suit To Wear - The Illuminerdi". November 9, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
17. ^ "Supergirl's Jon Cryer was really scared of Lex's final storyline". Digital Spy. November 9, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
18. ^ "Supergirl's Jon Cryer Feels the Fans' Love for His Lex Luthor". DC. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
19. ^ Agard, Chancellor. "'Supergirl' star Jon Cryer says quarantine may have changed Lex Luthor's finale fate". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
20. ^ "Lex Luthor: Arrowverse". Funny Trivias. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
21. ^ "A strong Supergirl knows two Luthors are better than one". The A.V. Club. February 14, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
22. ^ Pierce, Reagan (November 16, 2018). "Jon Cryer Cast As Supergirl's Lex Luthor". The Series Regulars. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
23. ^ "Why Lex Luthor Is So Important To Crisis On Infinite Earths". ScreenRant. January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
24. ^ "Superman & Lois Casts Michael Cudlitz as New Lex Luthor for Season 3". TVLine.com. January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
25. ^ Holloway, Daniel (November 16, 2018). "Jon Cryer Set as Lex Luthor in CW's 'Supergirl'". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
26. ^ "Lex Luthor: 5 Ways Jesse Eisenberg Is Comic Accurate (& 5 Ways Jon Cryer Is Better)". ScreenRant. June 10, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
27. OCLC 1255711171
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28. ^ "5 Reasons Jon Cryer Is TV's Best Lex Luthor (& 4 Why It's Michael Rosenbaum)". FandomWire. November 13, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
29. ^ "Supergirl: Jon Cryer Says Lex's Fate Was Designed for an Arrowverse Return". CBR. November 10, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
30. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (November 1, 2021). "Supergirl: How Lex Luthor Stole the Show in Season 5". IGN. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
31. ^ Moreau, Jordan (June 19, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame,' 'Riverdale,' 'Aladdin' Top 2019 Teen Choice Award Nominations". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
32. ^ "Legion M Presents Inaugural Fan-Voted Breakout Director Award at the 45th Annual Saturn Awards, Celebrating Fandom and Hollywood's Rising Star Filmmakers". Legion M. September 3, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
33. ^ "Jon Cryer Wins Saturn Award for "Supergirl"". Superman Homepage. October 28, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.