50 Greatest Super Villains In Comic Book History
By FanSided
2. Lex Luthor
(Write-up by Steve Lam, Bam Smack Pow Staff Writer)
Lex Luthor may not be Superman’s first arch-nemesis (that honor goes to the Ultra-Humanite, who I vowed to at least sneak a mention in this post in some way or another), but he is the most well-known. Some may say that his popularity is due to his association with the Man of Steel himself, but I beg to differ. A diabolical genius with the ability to manipulate almost any situation, Lex Luthor has been evaluated by both Superman and Batman to be one of the most dangerous men on Earth. If the World’s Finest think he’s bad news, then that’s good enough for me … or would that be “bad enough for me?”
Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Lex Luthor made his first appearance in Action Comics #23 (April 1940). Readers comparing the original Luthor to modern interpretations will find the character to have vastly evolved. Even his physical appearance has changed. The character started out with a full head of red hair, but soon lost it when an artist made a mistake. Explanations for his hair loss would later be explained in different storylines (although an alternate universe Luthor still retains his red hair).
Appearances aside, Luthor has gone from a James Bond-type genius villain to a multi-billionaire corporate magnate. At one point, he also became President of the United States. In the most recent stories, Luthor actually joins the Justice League.
It’s always been said that the Devil’s greatest trick was convincing the world he didn’t exist. Lex Luthor pulls this off with aplomb. With endless resources, high influence, genius-level intellect, and a skewed morality where he sees himself as a savior against “alien threats” (Superman), Lex Luthor will always be at the top of any super villain list.
On an ending note, I’m calling shenanigans on Lex Luthor not being the #1 super villain. Why? On a previous list, Superman was also ranked at #2. I think there’s a Luthor-like conspiracy of not allowing any Superman-centric characters to be above the rest.
Next: No. 1: Why so serious?