Editing Lex Luthor (section)

{{Short description|Fictional supervillain (DC comics)}}
{{For|other versions of the character|Lex Luthor (1978 film series character)|Lex Luthor (DC Extended Universe)|Lex Luthor (Smallville)|Lex Luthor (Arrowverse)}}
{{redirect|Luthor}}
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{{Infobox comics character
| character_name = Lex Luthor
| image = Lex Luthor (comic book supervillain) infobox image.png
| caption = {{Ubl|Lex Luthor, as appeared on a variant cover of ''Action Comics'' #890 (June 2010).|Art by [[David Finch (comics)|David Finch]].}}
| publisher = [[DC Comics]]
| debut = ''[[Action Comics]]'' #23 (April 10th 1940)
| creators = {{Ubl|[[Jerry Siegel]]|[[Joe Shuster]]}}
| full_name = Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor
| homeworld = [[Metropolis (comics)|Metropolis]]
| alliances = {{Ubl
| [[Legion of Doom]]
| [[Injustice League]]
| [[Injustice Gang]]
| [[Justice League]]
| [[Secret Six (comics)|Secret Six]]
| [[Superman Revenge Squad]]
| [[Secret Society of Super Villains]]
| [[Intergang]]
| [[LexCorp]]
| [[Human Defense Corps]]
}}
| aliases = {{Ubl
| [[Mockingbird (DC Comics)|Mockingbird]]
| [[Kryptonite Man]]
| Atom Man
| Apex Lex
| Devletbek
}}
| powers = 
*[[Genius]]-level intellect
*Criminal mastermind
*Expert strategist and tactician
*Exceptionally gifted engineer and scientist
*'''Via high-tech warsuit:'''
**Superhuman strength, speed, and durability
**Energy projection
**Force fields
**Flight
**Advanced weaponry (often incorporating [[kryptonite]]) 
}}
'''Alexander "Lex" Joseph''' '''Luthor''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|uː|θ|ɔːr|,_|-|θ|ər}}) is a [[supervillain]] in [[American comic books]] published by [[DC Comics]]. Created by [[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]], he made his first appearance in  ''[[Action Comics]]'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover date of April that same year). Since then, he has remained the ultimate [[Archenemy|nemesis]] of [[Superman]], embodying the hero's polar opposite in every way.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2012 |title=Lex Luthor |url=http://www.dccomics.com/characters/lex-luthor |access-date=March 6, 2016 |website=dccomics.com}}</ref> While Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor personifies unchecked ambition and the supremacy of human intellect over the superhuman.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2012 |title=Lex Luthor |url=http://www.dccomics.com/characters/lex-luthor |access-date=June 27, 2015 |publisher=dccomics.com}}</ref>

Unlike many supervillains, Luthor is an ordinary human with no superpowers or [[secret identity]]. His true strength lies in his unparalleled intelligence, vast wealth, and influence over politics, science, and technology. A genius with an extraordinary aptitude for business and manipulation, he is also proud, calculating, pragmatic, and vengeful—driven by an insatiable thirst for control and devoid of ethical principles. Luthor does not envy superheroes for their abilities but rather for the adoration they receive. He believes that the admiration society bestows upon them is recognition that rightfully belongs to him. Convinced that he alone possesses the intellect and capability to lead humanity, he justifies his ambition with the belief that only he is fit to guide the world. Luthor sees Superman as a threat, seeking to eliminate him not only out of personal rivalry but also because he believes the existence of an all-powerful being fosters dependence, preventing humanity from achieving its full potential.<ref name="Comics 166">{{Cite web |last=[[Peter Sanderson|Sanderson, Peter]] |date=February 24, 2007 |title=Comics in Context #166: Megahero Vs. Megavillain |url=http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/2007/02/24/comics-in-context-166-megahero-vs-megavillain/ |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201173938/http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/2007/02/24/comics-in-context-166-megahero-vs-megavillain/ |archive-date=February 1, 2008 |access-date=February 13, 2008 |website=QuickStopEntertainment.com}}</ref>

Due to his high-profile status as a supervillain, Luthor has clashed with [[Batman]] and other heroes within the DC Universe.<ref name="Action Comics">{{Cite comic |date=April 1942 |title=[[Action Comics]] |story=The Skeletons in Armor |issue=47 |publisher=[[DC Comics]] |writer=[[Jerry Siegel|Siegel, Jerry]] |artist=Sikela, John |editor=Ellsworth, Whitney |page=1}}</ref> He frequently leads teams of villains, such as the ''[[Legion of Doom]]''. While he prefers intelligence and strategy as his primary weapons, he occasionally dons his mechanized "warsuit", an advanced armored exoskeleton that grants him enhanced strength, flight capabilities, high-tech weaponry, and other tactical advantages in direct combat.

Throughout different comic eras, Luthor has embodied various forms of villainy. In his early appearances, he was depicted as a narcissistic and selfish mad scientist. Since the mid-1980s, however, he has more commonly been portrayed as a ruthless corporate tycoon, obsessed with power and controlling [[Lex Luthor#LexCorp / LuthorCorp|LexCorp (or LuthorCorp)]]. In 2009, ''[[IGN]]'' ranked him #4 on its list of the ''100 Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time'',<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lex Luthor is Number 4 |url=http://www.ign.com/top/comic-book-villains/4.html |access-date=June 17, 2010 |publisher=Comics.ign.com}}</ref> surpassed only by the Joker, Magneto, and Doctor Doom. [[Wizard (magazine)|''Wizard'']] magazine also placed him at #8 in its ranking of the ''100 Greatest Villains of All Time''.<ref>McCallum, Pat (July 2006). "100 Greatest Villains Ever". ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' (177)</ref>

Lex Luthor's official day is celebrated on February 22, marking the date of his first appearance in ''Action Comics'' #23, which had an April 1940 cover date but was released earlier on February 22, 1940. In 2025, the character’s 85th anniversary was commemorated. Several actors have portrayed Lex Luthor in television adaptations, including [[Scott James Wells]], [[Sherman Howard]], [[John Shea]], [[Michael Rosenbaum]], [[Jon Cryer]], [[Titus Welliver]], and [[Michael Cudlitz]]. In animation, the character has been voiced by notable actors such as [[Clancy Brown]], [[Mark Rolston]], [[James Marsters]], [[Giancarlo Esposito]], and [[Marc Maron]]. On the big screen, Luthor has been played by [[Lyle Talbot]], [[Gene Hackman]], [[Kevin Spacey]], and [[Jesse Eisenberg]], and [[Nicholas Hoult]] will soon take on the role in ''[[Superman (2025 film)|Superman]]'' (2025).