Just discovered your page, and love your work. As far as Lex Luthor's family goes, I've always imagined a legacy (that ironically they are mostly unaware of), with 'Golden Age' Luthor (Blofeld before there was a Blofeld) as the grandfather (with Lilian as his daughter) trying to start a world war to profit, followed by Lionel (sleazy businessman Luthor), and Lex getting to be the modern version (who encompasses scientist, arms-dealer and businessman - and even politician).
Thank you!
I love your take on the Luthor fam, honestly!
I gotta admit I take a lot of inspiration from the Smallville TV show for most of Luthor’s backstory. In my AU, Lionel’s dad was a drunk crook who beat the crap out of his wife and kid. Lillian came from a rich family and Lionel basically married her for the money.
I wanted to keep that 'poor guy who clawed his way up' kind of Lionel because I’ve known people like that, born poor ended up rich, and honestly, they were some of the most toxic and manipulative people I’ve ever met. Weirdly enough, the ones born rich were usually more chill. Not saying it's a universal thing (my own grandpa was a born poor ended up rich guy... before he lost everything because he was too nice) but I like slipping little bits of my own experience into what I write.
First up, thanks for getting back to me so promptly - I really appreciate it! Like you, a lot of my conception of Luthor comes from Smallville (and the DCAU) - arguably more than the actual comics! But a few years ago I read 'Starman' (excellent comic - truly - which explores a lot of the themes you're interested, specifically relationships with our fathers, and legacy) - and (perhaps with ideas from planetary, which postulates a secret history of superheroes) I thrashed out a vague approximation of 'Lex Luthor' as a institution (rather than a character who hasn't aged since WW2), musing about the Luthor Legacy, and how to make it coherent without changing the characters and making them unfamiliar. And your blog - dealing with Luthor as a father - made me reopen that. So thanks again!
Now, to me it's important that all the Luthor's are some manner of self-made man. Yes, Lex grew up in privilege - he went to all the right schools, hung out with baby Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne, and made all the right connections and had every advantage - but once he moved out and started trying to become his own man Lionel stopped seeing him as a heir, started seeing him as a competitor - ultimately Luthor had to ruin him to make it, and that meant making his own fortune largely from scratch - and thanks to his own genius.
There is another reason for this. He (Lex) and Batman work as perfect foils for one another – they’re both prometheans, relatively ordinary human beings living in a world of gods and super-humans. Of course, despite their similarities, both characters are wildly distinct, with Batman representing the best that a normal human could be, while Luthor is the worst. Batman is money used for self-betterment and the greater good, while Luthor is all about his ego. To me Luthor as the pinnacle of the American Dream is important, because it explores how it is in no way ennobling.
Superman: What sort of creature are you? Luthor: Just an ordinary man- but with the brain of a super-genius! With scientific miracles at my fingertips, I'm preparing to make myself supreme master of the world! - Superman meeting Luthor for the first time
So - we open with this character not named in the text (just called 'Luthor') who is a scientific genius and is trying to spark a war in europe so as to further his own interests. Lets call him 'Alexei' - significantly, his last name is not Luthor - and is of presumably greek origins - but his actual past is unrevealed and even his nationality is uncertain. Anticipating WWII, he destroyed all of his records, then first gains public attention using his scientific genius to sabotage a peace conference, and then planned to involve all of Europe in the conflict. He didn't cause WW2 - but he saw it coming and was determined to profit (and didn't care at whose expense) - but him and lots of other people. What separates him however was that his aims were grander than making a buck from man's inhumanity to man, and ultimately intended to take over the world by playing various political factions against each other.
Now, his chief inspiration would be Ernst Stravo Blofeld (who indeed owes a lot to this iteration of the character, so it's all relative) - funnily enough, DCAU Lex was consciously modelled on Hollywood Legend Telly Savalas (who played Ernst Stravo Blofeld) - with a bit of Destro from G.I Joe (as a grandiose armsdealer with his own private army and the like). Like this, nehru jacket and all - but with a mop of red hair:
He was a mysterious and powerful criminal mastermind, the cruel and unforgiving leader of a nebulous evil organisation, frequently kills underlings who fail to meet his expectations, and always pitting nations against each other via proxies, with no regard for human life and no hesitation when sacrificing his henchmen to make his escape. Since Superman isn't around yet, he often comes into conflict with the likes of Doc Savage (who afterall was a major inspiration for Superman) - he's more a pulp character than a superhero, and while he is probably aware of Ted Knight and the like, he'd be more familiar with his work as a scientist as opposed to as a superhero, since he isn't 'that kind' of supervillain'. That's more the Ultra-Humanite, who I always imagined was hitting his stride around this time, and has mellowed out in his old age (as the world ultimately took on a shape very different from he was expecting it to).
In particular, after the war he generally takes on spies (of the James Bond mould, of which comics have plenty of) - and agents of one nation or another - who he sticks in death traps, world domination schemes, and has lairs in extravagant parts of the world. Unlike Lionel, and Lex (who at least cultivates the appearance of respectability), he is an outlaw, and proud to be. Indeed, he's very much a cold war sort of figure, whose ruthlessness allows him to manipulate idealists on both sides. Lex is a 'villain with good publicity', where he's a useful catspaw for the brutal, cynical and terrible actions that the leaders on both sides are involved in, such as backing oppressive regimes, using war criminals, assassinating world leaders, performing illegal actions in other countries and general Realpolitik in order to oppose communism/capitalism.
So - by the sixties he's probably past his best years, and he has a daughter - Lilian. I'd probably have him finally defeated by Spy-Smasher or whatever in an exploding lair (you know, the way his archetype ought to go!) and his faction break up into smaller pieces that are picked up by the newer factions emerging around this time, whose names are acronyms - probably HIVE (who afterall were originally conceived as a thinktank of mad scientists).
Here Lionel enters the story. Now, if I may briefly - Morgan Edge was played by Rutger Hauer in Smallville, and has an interesting backstory - not in Smallville, but in general. See he was invented by Jack Kirby himself - as a villain connected to the 'Fourth' World who clearly intended to be revealed as a minion of Darkseid, but by the time this came out, the other writers had been portraying him as obnoxious but clearly not actually evil. And so he fell into use as part of the Superman mythos as a wealthy media mogul - he's a jerk, arrogant and high-handed and a mix of Trump and Rupert Murdock - but under his bluster he had a streak of decency (unlike those two men). This actually works out nicely - he WAS part of Intergang once upon a time, but (ironically) he put his criminal past behind him - his father Vincent Edge was the former Don, and - fully aware of how the mob life is and knowing it too well that it's not worth it at the end of the day, he handed the job to his chief enforcer (Moxie) and instead focused on his own civilian life. But as a young man, he did a favour for Lionel - killed his parents after Lionel took out a life insurance policy on them - which Lionel used to build his empire. And while Morgan moved away from his criminal origins (as best he could) - Lionel always kept a line open in that direction.
Now, apropos of nothing admittedly, I like to imagine Lionel in his career a lot like David Xanatos (of Gargoyles fame) - who is another scheming billionaire of greek origins married to a beautiful red-haired woman (and even has a son named Alexander, who will one day achieve immortality and become Secretary-General of the United Nations) - but of course Lionel ultimately develops in the opposite direction. I also like to imagine him as the creator of Bane (who was an attempt to create a supersoldier using a steroid derivative built from Miraculo - the drug that gives Hourman his super-strength) and Poison Ivy - entirely based on the actor's appearance in 'Batman & Robin' (yes, they called him Jason Woodrue - who is an unrelated character, but lets not split hairs).
Still, while Lionel taking on Peter Cannon (the guy Ozymandius is based on), and whoever else is handy could be interesting, I think he largely avoided this (whoever was active where he was) - and mostly stuck to behind the scenes work, avoiding any responsibility for his actions by maintaining a good public image and employing legions of lawyers. Think more James Moriarty than a colourful figure in his own right, wearing a costume and committing crime waves. Basically, after 'the Golden Age' you get more liberal anti-establishment heroes, deliberately protecting the downtrodden people from the powerful elite. Lionel personifies those powerful elite. His whole deal is that he understands and exploits complex systems, with a cabal of corrupt government officials, politicians, criminals and businesspersons — a shadow government whose members choose to operate in the dark, and he keeps under control with blackmail (tastefully administered) and 'pull'. But as opposed to supervillainy - his work with Bane and Ivy was just fronting the money and acquiring the rights to mess with the tech, and when it went wrong he wrote it off and moved on (rather than trying again).
I always assumed that he and Lilian met in the Veritas cult (her father had arranged for her to be taken care of - though it's possible she spent her youth escaping with the various heroic figures who thwarted him and ending up on tropical beaches, it's not really necessary), and that he loved Lillian but he was not a great husband. While establishing that early Lilian as a very skilled martial arts fighter and a formidable mercenary could be pretty awesome, I figure by the time Lex was in the picture she was in poor health (perhaps the way athletes often suffer later in life). Lionel mistreated his family before the meteor shower as well - though more through neglect than actual malevolence - but when Julian was born Lillian understood that Lionel would play them against each other, and killed Julian believing it was the only way to protect him from Lionel’s parenting - and probably due to a mix of postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis - and Lex took the fall knowing that Lionel would not harm him.
Anyway, from there we know how it goes. Recent comics have established that Vandal Savage destroyed him, but we know the story - Lex ruined him to make room for himself.
So - finally we come to Lex. Superman's archnemesis, but he's much more than that. He's a cornerstone of that character's world. He's responsible for the existence of several of Superman's best villains (like Parasite and Bizarro), and he has also come to his aide more than once when the city they both love is in danger. He's such a huge character that he's effected the rest of the universe at large as well; Superman and Luthor stand, respectively, atop the pinnacles of physical and intellectual perfection, have a vast array of powers at their disposal (Superman's innate, Luthor's technological), and understand what it's like to be isolated from society. Yet where Superman tries to use his powers (which are uniquely his) to help the rest of the people around him, Luthor uses his (which are at least partly owed to his workers and the various alien races he's lifted concepts from) to exploit people for his own gain.
Throw in the fact that Superman is an alien who nevertheless represents the best of humanity, and Luthor is a human who represents the worst of humanity - in the sense that he squanders all his talents for his own glorification, and if he used them selflessly he could be a bigger hero than Superman - and you've got a solid contrast. But no matter how rich Luthor becomes, no matter how much political power he attains, and no matter how hard he schemes, he will never, ever be Superman. He is the ruthless and savvy corporate executive, the formidably brilliant mad scientist and the egomaniac conqueror in equal measure - and he is the gold standard of supervillains. And while there probably needs to be a fourth Luthor worked into the family (the timeframe is getting a bit stretched) - here we come to the fourth Luthor: Superboy
(Fun fact; apparently, Geoff Johns pitched the idea that Superboy's human parent was Lex Luthor back when he was Richard Donner's assistant and was laughed down... which is funny because he went on to have so much editorial power in DC he could make Lex Luthor EVERYONE'S father and no one can stop him.)
Conner: Why? Why did you create me? Lex: Am I to assume that your decision on whether or not to stay rests on my answer to this question? Very well. I created you... for one reason. To see my dream of becoming Superman come true. Please understand, I realized many years ago that I, myself, could never become Superman, so... I went about achieving my personal dream the way men have since the beginning of humanity. I had a son. My dream was that... my child would succeed where I had not. To be... both man and Superman. Did I succeed? Maybe you should tell me. Lex: I see what Superman has given you. So does the world. You show them with your actions every day. But what I have given you... expresses itself... more subtly. And I admit, it is pride and self-regard, and what I'm sure the television psychologists would call "narcissism" that has driven me to want this meeting. To want my time with you. To give you some part of myself and not just my DNA, but my real actual thoughts. My thesis. Conner. I don't want you to become me. I've already done that. What I want is for you... with all your gifts... to know me. And with that knowledge, choose for yourself, what and who... you will be. Now I've answered your questions, please allow me the only one I have. Will you stay?
Lex's relationship with Connor is one I tend to overlook, in favour of Lena (what can I say? I'm a purist!) - but as the Superman clan grows (with Kara, and the other Kara, and Connor, and a dog, and the Steels, and...) so does the Luthor family, and Connor caught between these two legacies (the House of El, and the House of Luthor) - both of which have, for better or for worse - shaped the destinies of the planet upon which they grew - is one that I have a great deal of interest in. Both of them have so much to offer the world, and he can carry them both, perhaps.
Oh - final point? Grant Morrison established that Luthor is bald by choice. And Smallville notwithstanding, I'm not arguing with the guy who wrote All-Star Superman!
Wow. I wasn't expecting an answer that long! I'm impressed!
Most of my view on Lex and Lionel is depicted in Superboy Hope Reborn so I'm not gonna go into too many details in case people would prefer not to be spoiled.
In short then, I get what you’re saying: there’s a lot I really like in your take. The way he's pulling strings in the background, funding dangerous projects then bailing when they blow up, feels exactly like his brand of ruthlessness. Same with the whole shadow-government vibe.
But I've personally always preferred to write my villains as people first, villains second. I don’t like the inherited evil trope. Imo Lionel isn’t a mastermind because he was born ruthless: he became that way after years of clawing for control, getting hurt, and learning to weaponize the system. His neglect of Lex aren’t just cruelty but fear, pressure, and a total inability to show vulnerability.
Also, I know it’s tempting to make Lillian a former merc or high-level fighter, but for me that actually dulls the impact. Being ordinary is what makes everything hit harder. She doesn’t need super-skills to matter. And for me it’s crucial that Julian’s death isn’t some tactical "choice" to protect Lex: it’s the direct result of severe postpartum depression and psychosis. Normal humans get sick, their minds break, and sometimes awful things happen that aren’t the product of cold logic or some kind of sad fate. That raw fragility says more about the cost of Lionel’s neglect than any epic backstory imo.
As for Lex and Superman, the contrast is definitely still the spine, but I still focus on the human angle. Lex can’t imagine a worldview outside his own ego. He assumes everyone’s chasing the same validation he is. So he has to read Clark as a fraud, an alien hypocrite using the boy-scout act for applause, because the idea that someone with that much power might genuinely be selfless is literally beyond him. In his mind, Superman is just playing a longer con while Lex is honest about wanting the credit he’s earned.
But the thing, I truly think Lex doesn’t only act for his ego. That’s what makes him interesting for me. He genuinely believes he’s doing what’s right for humanity. That the ends justify the means. That removing Superman or gaining total control is ultimately a good thing for the world. His worst actions come from this toxic mix of hubris and genuine belief in a greater good. That’s what makes him dangerous not just that he wants power, but that he’s convinced he should have it for everyone else’s sake. And that kind of moral self-delusion is way scarier to me than straight-up villainy.
Again, it doesn't mean I don't like your take: on the contrary I think it would make 100% sense and I love your worldbuilding and how everything fits together. Just trying to explain my view on the Luthor fam. And I always love reading other people's views on the DC Universe! It's so refreshing so thank you!
Not at all - lets call it a product of your excellent thought-provoking blog (also, I can talk underwater). As far as it goes, my first step is always the utility - what is this character in the story to do? Everything else is secondary.
As for Lilian, it's really just about making my comparison to Xanatos a bit less frivolous - I wouldn't take it too seriously.
Anyway, thanks a lot for the chat - as you say, it's always nice to engage with other people's DC Universe perspectives - there's always something else to learn!
