Lex Luthor (Arrowverse)
Lex Luthor | |
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Luthors" | |
Last appearance |
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Based on | |
Adapted by | |
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In-universe information | |
Full name | Alexander Joseph Luthor |
Aliases | Paragon of Truth |
Position | United States Secretary of Alien Affairs (formerly) |
Affiliation |
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Weapon |
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Family |
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Significant other | Nyxlygsptlnz |
Home | Earth-38 (former) Earth-Prime[a] |
Nationality | American |
Lex Luthor is a
portrayed versions of the supervillain, with Aidan Fink portraying a young Lex Luthor and Jon Cryer portraying Lex as an adult.In the Arrowverse, Luthor is an independent businessman who runs a company called
Concept and creation
Lex Luthor made his debut in Action Comics #23 in 1940. Since then, Luthor has become one of the most recognizable and prominent supervillain characters in DC Comics. According to IGN, he ranks fourth on a list of one hundred supervillains across media.[4] The character has previously been portrayed in live-action TV shows, including Superboy, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Smallville. Scott James Wells and Sherman Howard portrayed him in Superboy, John Shea in Lois & Clark, and Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville. Luthor has also appeared in movies such as Atom Man vs. Superman, the classic Superman film series, Superman Returns, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League. The character has been portrayed by Lyle Talbot, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and Jesse Eisenberg.
When a Supergirl-centric TV show was announced, speculation arose about whether Luthor would appear.
Casting
Jon Cryer was cast as Lex Luthor in 2017.
Characterization
According to Jon Cryer, Lex Luthor is a
Cryer also pointed out that Luthor displays
Cryer had a strong influence in the show's usage of the character. He was a strong advocate for Luthor eventually defeating
Fictional character biography
Early life
Lex Luthor was born sometime after 1984 in
During his teenage years, Lex showed signs of
Scheme to kill Supergirl
After years of encounters resulting in numerous fatalities, Luthor and Superman had a final confrontation in early 2016. Before the confrontation, Luthor turned Earth's yellow sun red in an attempt to depower Superman, causing destruction on a global scale. Luthor was found by the police but managed to escape, only to later be captured by Superman.
At his trial, Luthor killed the judge and jury. He was sentenced to thirty-one consecutive life terms and sent to
In 2018, the Minister of Defense of
Luthor then orchestrated a plan in which his assassin and love interest,
During the attack, Luthor manipulated the Supergirl duplicate, known as "Red Daughter," to kill Supergirl's mother. After the attack, Luthor seemingly killed Red Daughter and used her energy to power a special cell. He then supplied energy to the houses damaged by the Kaznian bombings, and, with the President's support, he became the Secretary of the United States Department of Alien Affairs, gaining control over America.
Luthor's ambitions extended further, and he invaded
Joining the Crisis
At the beginning of the
His first target was
Luthor was locked up on the Waverider, but he managed to get the Book of Destiny again. He used it to save himself from the anti-matter wave that destroyed the Waverider and the whole Multiverse. By doing so, he became known as the Paragon of Truth and transported himself to the Vanishing Point.
At the Vanishing Point, Luthor attempted to open a portal to reality with the help of
In the new Multiverse, Luthor's Earth merged with
Manipulating Brainiac 5 and Obsidian Tech
At some point, Lex Luthor meets with his mother,
Luthor visits
Luthor visits Lena at Stryker's Island, noting that her project would fail, causing Lena to see that Kara was right about Luthor. After getting a call from Gemma that Rama Khan succeeded in his mission to obtain the Kryptonite from the D.E.O., Luthor informs Brainiac 5 that they now have access to Leviathan's ship. When he enters the ship, Luthor is given a special pin by Gemma to keep him safe from the ship's defenses. After Brainiac 5 enters a code that leads to the bottling of Rama Khan, Tezumak, and Sela, Gemma briefly shuts down, causing Luthor to go after Brainiac 5. He finds a weakened Brainiac 5 on Leviathan's ship and claims the bottle contains Rama Khan, Tezumak, and Sela. After getting away, he gives the bottle to Lillian to begin their next plot.
Final battle against Supergirl
Lex Luthor proceeds with the next phase of his plan, having
Afterward, Lex and Lena engage in a power struggle for control of LuthorCorp. Lex sends his bodyguard,
Luthor later visits the future, where he befriends and falls in love with a future version of
Luthor saves Nyxly from being imprisoned, revealing their future romance and his attempts to save her. With the help of the Nyxly A.I., Nyxly obtains the dream totem, and Luthor assists in obtaining the remaining Totems. The Superfriends manage to retrieve the other pieces of the Totems, leading to a final battle between Luthor, Nyxly, and the Superfriends. Luthor and Nyxly create magical constructs resembling their enemies, such as
Appearances
Arrowverse
- The character first appeared in the episode "season 2, portrayed by Aidan Fink as a young Lex Luthor, in 2017.[20]
- season 4, in 2019.[21] He later appeared in the crossover event, Crisis on Infinite Earths, as well as the shows Batwoman, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow, all in 2019 and 2020.[22]
Alternate versions
Superman & Lois
An alternate version of Lex Luthor was mentioned in two episodes of
Lex Luthor appears in
In flashbacks seen in the episode "Injustice," Luthor was sentenced to life at Stryker's Prison by Judge Tara Reagan. When he finds
Following Peia's death, Luthor is released from prison upon the truth being made known. Luthor walks down the street until he arrives at the Kent family farm. While noting how he knows about what happened to Bruno Mannheim, Lois's cancer treatment, and how she and Clark have two sons, Luthor states that he does not want their forgiveness. As Otis arrives to pick up Luthor, Luthor advises Lois to retire and to tell Superman that he'll be coming for him. Upon arrival, they find Bizarro feeding off some rats. With help from Otis, Luthor performs various experiments on Bizarro to cause him to further mutate. After arranging for Judge Reagan to be killed offscreen, Luthor dispatches Otis and his female minion, Gretchen Kelley, to abduct Sam Lane. Luthor then confronts Superman at the Kent family farm as he summons the monstrous Bizarro. While leaving, Luthor orders the monstrous Bizarro to bring him Superman's heart when he is done with him.
Reception
Many fans pointed out similarities and differences between Cryer's and Jesse Eisenberg's portrayals of Luthor, with some suggesting that Cryer's was better at manipulation and more comic-accurate. However, some critics felt that his version lacked clear direction.[24] In the book "Adapting Superman: Essays on the Transmedia Man of Steel," there is a chapter titled "Forging Kryptonite: Lex Luthor's Xenophobia as Societal Fracturing, from Batman v Superman to Supergirl," which analyzes both versions of Lex Luthor as part of a representation exploring the cultural effects of encroaching xenophobia from society to the family in the years around the 2016 United States presidential election.[25] Comparisons were also made with Michael Rosenbaum's version.[26]
In an interview with the website CBR.com, Cryer claimed that the ending of Supergirl's
Accolades
Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
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2019 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Villain | Supergirl | Nominated | [29] |
Saturn Awards | Best Guest Starring Role on Television | Nominated | [30] | ||
2021 | Saturn Awards | Won | [31] |
In other media
The character appears in the Crisis on Infinite Earths tie-in comic book one-shot titled "Crisis on Infinite Earths Giant #1, where Luthor joins other universes' Luthors. Together they form the Council of Luthors, with the common goal of killing all Supermen and defeating the Council of Supermen. The Council of Luthors fails in its mission.
See also
Notes
- ^ After Crisis on Infinite Earths.
References
- ^ "Superman | Creators, Story, Logo, Movies, Actors, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ Chris (February 14, 2017). "Supergirl Season 2 Episode 12 Review: "Luthors"". TVOvermind. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ "Supergirl Season 2 Episode 12 Review: Luthors". Den of Geek. February 14, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
- ^ The Top 100 Comic Book Villains - IGN.com, retrieved January 11, 2022
- ^ Laura Hurley (January 27, 2017). "Will Supergirl Ever Introduce Lex Luthor?". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ McKiernan, Tawnia (February 13, 2017), Luthors, Supergirl, retrieved January 11, 2022
- ^ "The CW's Supergirl Casts Jon Cryer As Lex Luthor". Fortress of Solitude. November 20, 2018. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Flook, Ray (April 18, 2020). "Supergirl Star Jon Cryer Teases New Season 5 Finale Future For Lex". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Laura Hurley (April 7, 2021). "How Supergirl Will Handle Jon Cryer's Lex Luthor After His Big Defeat". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (November 1, 2021). "Crisis on Infinite Earths: Jon Cryer on Bringing Lex Luthor Back From the Dead". IGN. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Boucher, Geoff (November 16, 2018). "Meet The New Lex Luthor: Jon Cryer Lands Iconic Villain Role For 'Supergirl'". Deadline. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Jon Cryer cast as Lex Luthor in Supergirl". IMDb. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Agard, Chancellor. "Jon Cryer reveals why he said yes to playing Lex Luthor on Supergirl". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Wojciechowski, Michele "Wojo" (May 11, 2019). "Jon Cryer Embraces His Inner Sociopath as Lex Luthor on Supergirl". Big Purple Marble. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Roffman, Marisa (March 18, 2019). "Jon Cryer Breaks Down Playing 'Sociopath' Lex Luthor on 'Supergirl'". Variety. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Exclusive Interview: Supergirl's Jon Cryer Wanted A Physical Lex Luthor Power Suit To Wear - The Illuminerdi". November 9, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Supergirl's Jon Cryer was really scared of Lex's final storyline". Digital Spy. November 9, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Supergirl's Jon Cryer Feels the Fans' Love for His Lex Luthor". DC. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Agard, Chancellor. "'Supergirl' star Jon Cryer says quarantine may have changed Lex Luthor's finale fate". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "A strong Supergirl knows two Luthors are better than one". The A.V. Club. February 14, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Pierce, Reagan (November 16, 2018). "Jon Cryer Cast As Supergirl's Lex Luthor". The Series Regulars. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Why Lex Luthor Is So Important To Crisis On Infinite Earths". ScreenRant. January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Superman & Lois Casts Michael Cudlitz as New Lex Luthor for Season 3". TVLine.com. January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
- ^ "Lex Luthor: 5 Ways Jesse Eisenberg Is Comic Accurate (& 5 Ways Jon Cryer Is Better)". ScreenRant. June 10, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- OCLC 1255711171.
- ^ "5 Reasons Jon Cryer Is TV's Best Lex Luthor (& 4 Why It's Michael Rosenbaum)". FandomWire. November 13, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Supergirl: Jon Cryer Says Lex's Fate Was Designed for an Arrowverse Return". CBR. November 10, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (November 1, 2021). "Supergirl: How Lex Luthor Stole the Show in Season 5". IGN. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan (June 19, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame,' 'Riverdale,' 'Aladdin' Top 2019 Teen Choice Award Nominations". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
- ^ "Legion M Presents Inaugural Fan-Voted Breakout Director Award at the 45th Annual Saturn Awards, Celebrating Fandom and Hollywood's Rising Star Filmmakers". Legion M. September 3, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
- ^ "Jon Cryer Wins Saturn Award for "Supergirl"". Superman Homepage. October 28, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2022.