Editing Lex Luthor (section)

==== Modern depictions ====
'''''[[Superman: Birthright]]'',''' a limited series written by [[Mark Waid]] in 2004, offers an alternate look at Luthor's history, including his youth in [[Smallville (comics)|Smallville]], and his first encounter with Superman. The story has similarities to the 2001 television series ''[[Smallville]]'',<ref name="cbr bright">{{cite web|author=Singh, Arune|date=March 11, 2004|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=3256|title=Super-Stars (Part 1): Mark Waid's "Birthright," The Official Origin|work=Comic Book Resources|access-date=November 2, 2008}}</ref> which follows [[Clark Kent]]'s life as a teenager and into early adulthood. One plot element shared by the comic and the show is the problematic relationship between Lex and his father [[Lionel Luthor|Lionel]]. Along with this, ''Birthright'' restores the [[Silver Age of Comic Books|Silver Age]] concept of Luthor befriending Clark Kent as a young man. The two find a kinship in both feeling like outsiders and sharing a wish to explore outer space and discover alien alife, despite one resenting humanity and the other hoping to understand and be accepted by it. Lex discovers kryptonite samples in Smallville and uses them as a power source for a machine he hopes will pierce space and time so he can communicate with [[Krypton (comics)|Krypton]]. When Clark falls ill approaching the machine, Lex mistakes his reaction as doubt in the young scientist's ability and sanity. Feeling betrayed, Lex continues the experiment but an explosion erupts, the radiation blast causing his hair to fall out.<ref>[[Mark Waid|Waid, Mark]] (w), [[Leinil Francis Yu|Yu, Leinil Francis]] (p, i). ''[[Superman: Birthright]]'' #8 (2004), DC Comics</ref><ref name="scifi" /> Luthor leaves Metropolis and years later his scientific work, largely based on his ideas about alien life, results in a fortune he uses to create LexCorp. When Superman appears, Lex is angry that the powerful alien, the kind of companion he'd often hoped for, looks on him with disapproval and openly disrespects him in front of the media. For this and his interference with Luthor's criminal operations, the scientist businessman decides to humiliate and destroy the alien.

Waid's original intention was to jettison the notion of Lex Luthor being an evil businessman, restoring his status as a mad scientist. He ultimately conceded, however, that the CEO Luthor would be easier for readers to recognize. In ''Birthright'', Luthor remains a wealthy corporate magnate; in contrast to Byrne's characterization, however, LexCorp is founded upon Luthor's study of extraterrestrial life, thereby providing a link between him and Superman.<ref name="cbr bright"/><ref>Waid, Mark (w), Yu, Leinil Francis (p, i). ''Superman: Birthright'' #6 (2004), DC Comics</ref> In the retrospective section of the ''Superman: Birthright'' [[Trade paperback (comics)|trade paperback]], Waid explains:
{{Blockquote|Despite my own personal prejudices, I say we leave Lex the criminal businessman he's been for the past 17 years. The ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman|Lois & Clark]]'' producers liked it, the [[Superman: The Animated Series|WB cartoon]] guys liked it ... so clearly, it works on some level. My concern is that, at least in my eyes, the fact that Luthor's allowed to operate uncontested for ''years'' makes Superman look ineffectual.<ref>[[Mark Waid|Waid, Mark]] (2005). ''Superman: Birthright – The Origin of the Man of Steel''. DC Comics. {{ISBN|1-4012-0252-7}}</ref>}}

''Birthright'' was initially intended to establish a new origin for Superman and Luthor.<ref>Singh, Arune. (March 11, 2004) [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=3256 Super-Stars (Part 1): Mark Waid's "Birthright," The Official Origin]. ''Comic Book Resources''. Retrieved September 10, 2008.</ref> Immediately, the Superman comics and the series Superman/Batman made references to the [[canon (fiction)|canonicity]] of the new origin series. But after ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' ended in 2006, new stories discredited parts of it and it was officially replaced by the 2009–2010 series '''''[[Superman: Secret Origin]]''.'''<ref>Kistler, Alan. (October 30, 2005). [http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news/2005-news/2005-news-comic.php?topic=2005-news-comic/1030i Mark Waid Talks "Superman Returns" and "Birthright"]. Superman Homepage. Retrieved October 9, 2008.</ref> ''Superman: Secret Origin'' revised Lex's backstory so that he now again had a sister Lena. While he knew Clark as a teenager in Smallville, he rejected the other boy's attempts to form a friendship. Resentful toward his alcoholic and abusive father, Lex arranges his parents to die in a car accident and uses the insurance money to leave Smallville and start a better life. After studying under the villains [[Ra's al Ghul]] and [[Darkseid]], he founds LexCorp and uses his PR, resources, and media control to set himself up as a near-savior in Metropolis. The ''[[Daily Planet]]'' opposes Luthor and he retaliates in ways that leave the newspaper almost bankrupt. Superman's arrival challenges Luthor's image and brings renewed interest to the ''Planet'' when he does exclusive interviews with their staff. Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane work together to oppose Luthor's power and Superman tells the public they should strive to achieve great things themselves and not wait for others to be their saviors. Angry at Superman's interference and blaming him for losing the love of the public, Luthor swears vengeance.

Following changes to continuity in 2016's '''''[[DC Rebirth]]''''', the history from ''Superman: Secret Origin'' is still largely intact, though it has also been revealed that for a time Lionel Luthor worked as a scientist for [[Vandal Savage]] and that this led to a brief friendship between Lex and J'onn J'onzz, the [[Martian Manhunter]], when both were children.