Lex Luthor is a major character within the Superman mythos and has appeared in many of Superman's adaptations into other media. The character is originally depicted as a mad scientist and later depicted as a wealthy, power-mad American business magnate running the technology company LexCorp which is based in the city of Metropolis. His portrayal in feature films ranges from being a vain criminal interested in real estate development to that of a genius who heads LexCorp.
A young Lex Luthor appears in Superboy (1988), portrayed by Scott James Wells in the first season and subsequently by Sherman Howard. This version was raised by an abusive father and neglectful mother before becoming rich after taking out an insurance policy on his parents and killing them. By the time he enters college, he became a minor criminal preoccupied with outdoing Superboy. Additionally, he goes bald while being rescued from a lab fire by Superboy. Vowing revenge, Luthor kills businessman Warren Eckworth and tries unsuccessfully to use Eckworth's "Superboy Gun" project to kill Superboy.[2]
Lex Luthor appears in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, portrayed by John Shea. This version is the third-richest person in the world and a philanderer who publicly masquerades as a beloved humanitarian with assistance from Nigel St. John (portrayed by Tony Jay). In the first season finale, amidst his wedding to Lois Lane, his criminal nature is exposed and Luthor commits suicide to avoid prison.[3] In the second season, Luthor's ex-wife Arianna Carlin steals his body from the coroner's office before his personal physician Gretchen Kelly freezes him so she can eventually revive him. While she succeeds, he is rendered temporarily bald until the third season, in which he loses his wealth and is forced to work for Intergang. He later murders Gretchen before Superman sends Luthor to prison to serve a double life sentence. After using a clone of the President to grant himself a pardon, Luthor regains his wealth and attempts to ruin Clark Kent and Lois' wedding, only to die in the destruction of his underground subway hideout.
Additionally, his illegitimate children, computer geek billionaire Jaxon Xavier and the deformed Lex Luthor Jr. appear in the episodes "Virtually Destroyed" and "Voice from the Past", portrayed by Andy Berman and Keith Brunsmann, respectively.
Lex Luthor was meant to appear in Metropolis, in which he and Lois Lane would have worked together to investigate fringe science and expose the eponymous city's secrets. The series was to be developed by Gotham producers John Stephens and Danny Cannon and Warner Bros. Television as of 2018,[9][10] but no further news came of the project's status.
Lex Luthor appears in Titans, portrayed by Page Novak as a child and Titus Welliver as an adult.[11] This version is in his late 60s and sports a long beard. Additionally, his father Lionel claims that Lex and Clark Kent used to be good friends.
Lex Luthor appears in The New Adventures of Superman, voiced by Ray Owens. This version is stated to be "the world's greatest criminal scientist" and temporarily sports a slimmer physique in the third season.
Lex Luthor appears in the Sunnyland Refining Company Superman Peanut Butter commercial.
Lex Luthor appears in Superman (1988), voiced by Michael Bell. This version uses loopholes to cover his illegal activities, wears a Kryptonite ring to keep Superman from attacking him, and is assisted by Jessica Morganberry (voiced by Lynne Marie Stewart).
First appearing in Superman: The Animated Series, Luthor is a corrupt businessman who controls most of Metropolis with assistance from Mercy Graves. Despite coming into conflict with and being foiled by Superman numerous times, he avoids imprisonment due to lack of evidence.
InJustice League, Luthor loses LexCorp after Batman, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter of the eponymous League expose his criminal activities. Additionally, he discovers he is suffering from terminal blood cancer caused by long-term exposure to Kryptonite. While in prison, he bribes the Ultra-Humanite into freeing him, developing a powered suit to delay his cancer, and helping him form the Injustice Gang to combat the League. However, the Ultra-Humanite eventually betrays Luthor. After helping the League defeat the Justice Lords, Luthor is pardoned and considers entering politics.
InJustice League Unlimited, Luthor mounts a presidential campaign to enrage Superman while secretly funding Project Cadmus to acquire their technology and build an android body for himself. While he is thwarted by Amanda Waller and the League's founding members, Brainiac emerges from within Luthor's body, having laid dormant within him for years, and fuses with him in an attempt to recreate the universe. However, they are defeated by the Flash before Luthor is re-arrested. After escaping prison, Luthor becomes obsessed with resurrecting Brainiac and regaining his lost "godhood". In pursuit of this, he joins and eventually takes over the Secret Society, only for his efforts to culminate in Darkseid killing most of them. Luthor leads the survivors in helping the League foil Darkseid's invasion, during which he gains Metron's help in obtaining the Anti-Life Equation and uses it himself and Darkseid.
Lex Luthor appears in Krypto the Superdog, voiced by Brian Dobson. This version has a pet iguana named Ignatius (voiced by Scott McNeil), who shares his intelligence, vanity, and moral ambivalence.
A distant relative of Lex Luthor's named Alexis appears in Legion of Super Heroes, voiced by Tara Strong. Similarly to Luthor, she possesses skill with machinery and access to a corporation and is stated to be the "richest girl in the galaxy". Additionally, she loses her hair while fighting the eponymous Legion.
Lex Luthor appears in The Batman two-part episode "The Batman/Superman Story", voiced again by Clancy Brown.[14]
Lex Luthor appears in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.[14] This version is the leader of the Legion of Doom. Additionally, an original character based on Luthor, an alien from the planet Zur-En-Arrh called Rohtul, appears in the episode "The Super-Batman of Planet X!", voiced by Clancy Brown.[15]
Lex Luthor appears in the Mad segment "Zeke and Lex Luthor".
Lex Luthor appears in Young Justice, voiced by Mark Rolston.[14] This version is a leading member of the Light who later becomes Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Lex Luthor appears in Justice League Action, voiced by James Woods.[16][14] This version, in addition to his traditional warsuit, wields several other armors, including a grey variant that can generate red sun radiation and a black and purple nanotechnology-based suit that can repel anything in a surrounding radius, under which he is known as Repulse.
Luthor appears in Superman Returns, portrayed by Kevin Spacey. For this portrayal, he possesses a drier, more straightforward personality while retaining a humorous streak.
An amalgamated incarnation of Lex Luthor appears in Superman: Brainiac Attacks, voiced by Powers Boothe.[14] This version is visually based on his design in Superman: The Animated Series coupled with a comedic personality inspired by Gene Hackman's portrayal.[citation needed]
An alternate universe variant of Lex Luthor appears in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, voiced by Chris Noth.[14] This version was the leader of his world's Justice League until they were killed by the Crime Syndicate. Additionally, the "prime" Luthor makes a non-speaking cameo appearance as an inmate of Stryker's Island.
Luthor appears in the films The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen, voiced by Rainn Wilson.[14] As of this time, he has been placed under house arrest, though he is able to frequently escape with the help of an unnamed scientist. After the Justice League is transported to another dimension, Luthor helps them return to Earth. Afterwards, investigations into his criminal activities are dismissed and he becomes a probationary member of the League.
Luthor appears in Batman: Hush, voiced again by Rainn Wilson.[14]
Luthor appears in Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, voiced again by Rainn Wilson.[28] Following Darkseid's invasion of Earth, Luthor works undercover within the former's ranks while secretly assisting Lois Lane. He later provides her and the Suicide Squad with Kryptonite weaponry to fend off Darkseid's Paradooms, only to be killed by the monsters.
An alternate universe variant of Lex Luthor appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters, voiced by Jason Isaacs.[14] This version is a scientist and the leader of "Project Fair Play", a contingency plan to kill the Justice League if necessary, who was paralyzed by an unspecified illness.
Lex Luthor appears as a playable character in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, motion-captured by Christopher Sean Piereman and voiced by Joe J. Thomas.[14][37]
Lex Luthor appears in DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power, voiced again by Will Friedle.[14]
Lex Luthor appears as a playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us, voiced again by Mark Rolston.[39] Additionally, an alternate universe variant appears in the story mode as a member of Batman's Insurgency who works undercover within Superman's Regime until he is killed by Superman.
Lex Luthor appears in Superman: Last Son of Krypton, written by Elliot S. Maggin. This version is a scientific genius and childhood classmate of Clark Kent's from Smallville who unknowingly caused an accident that burnt off his hair, for which he blamed Kent. As an adult, he chooses to stay in prison to work on his scientific theories as he finds manhunts tedious.
An alternate timeline variant of Lex Luthor appears in It's Superman!, written by Tom De Haven. This version is the alderman of 1930s New York City and owner of Lexco who, feeling that his life is missing something, becomes inspired by a failed attempt on his life to create Lexbots, which brings him into conflict with Superman.
An alternate timeline variant of Lex Luthor appears in Enemies & Allies, written by Kevin J. Anderson. This version is the owner of LuthorCorp from the 1950s. Throughout the novel, he bribes or blackmails Wayne Enterprises' board of directors into helping him steal their company's designs to purchase military contracts. Additionally, he has formed a secret alliance Russian general Ceridov, who discovered Kryptonite in Siberia, in an effort to take over the world together. Ultimately, he is foiled and defeated by Superman and placed on death row.
^ abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafagahaiaj"Lex Luthor Voices (Superman)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved March 19, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
^"Rohtul Voice - Batman: The Brave and the Bold (TV Show)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved May 1, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
