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Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor (/ˈluːθɔːr, -θər/) is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, he made his first appearance in Action Comics #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover date of April that same year). Since then, he has remained the ultimate nemesis of Superman, embodying the hero’s polar opposite in every way.[1] While Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor personifies unchecked ambition and the supremacy of human intellect over the superhuman.[2] Unlike many supervillains, Luthor is an ordinary human with no superpowers or secret identity. His true strength lies in his unparalleled intelligence, vast wealth, and influence over politics, science, and technology. A genius with an extraordinary aptitude for business and manipulation, he is also proud, calculating, pragmatic, and vengeful—driven by an insatiable thirst for control and devoid of ethical principles. Luthor does not envy superheroes for their abilities but rather for the adoration they receive. He believes that the admiration society bestows upon them is recognition that rightfully belongs to him. Convinced that he alone possesses the intellect and capability to lead humanity, he justifies his ambition with the belief that only he is fit to guide the world. Luthor sees Superman as a threat, seeking to eliminate him not only out of personal rivalry but also because he believes the existence of an all-powerful being fosters dependence, preventing humanity from achieving its full potential.[3] Due to his high-profile status as a supervillain, Luthor has clashed with Batman and other heroes within the DC Universe.[4] He frequently leads teams of villains, such as the Legion of Doom. While he prefers intelligence and strategy as his primary weapons, he occasionally dons his mechanized "warsuit", an advanced armored exoskeleton that grants him enhanced strength, flight capabilities, high-tech weaponry, and other tactical advantages in direct combat. Throughout different comic eras, Luthor has embodied various forms of villainy. In his early appearances, he was depicted as a narcissistic and selfish mad scientist. Since the mid-1980s, however, he has more commonly been portrayed as a ruthless corporate tycoon, obsessed with power and controlling LexCorp (or LuthorCorp). In 2009, IGN ranked him #4 on its list of the 100 Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time,[5] surpassed only by the Joker, Magneto, and Doctor Doom. Wizard magazine also placed him at #8 in its ranking of the 100 Greatest Villains of All Time.[6] Lex Luthor’s official day is celebrated on February 22, marking the date of his first appearance in Action Comics #23, which had an April 1940 cover date but was released earlier on February 22, 1940. In 2025, the character’s 85th anniversary was commemorated. Several actors have portrayed Lex Luthor in television adaptations, including Scott James Wells, Sherman Howard, John Shea, Michael Rosenbaum, Jon Cryer, Titus Welliver, and Michael Cudlitz. In animation, the character has been voiced by notable actors such as Clancy Brown, Mark Rolston, James Marsters, Giancarlo Esposito, and Marc Maron. On the big screen, Luthor has been played by Lyle Talbot, Gene Hackman, Kevin Spacey, and Jesse Eisenberg, and Nicholas Hoult will soon take on the role in Superman (2025).
Lex Luthor
Evil Villain
for Evil Villain in Fictional Characters Arranged By The Moral Scale (Good to Evil)
Suggested by benpopplewell
I'd suggest watching WickedBinge to have a better understanding of this casting page. For example, sometimes villains are considered Bad Apples, because while what they do is harmful, they do it for the good of something else, or they do bad things due to something that makes it out of their control. Bad Apples can also be considered villains whose intentions are evil, but not evil enough to affect too much of the world around them. Bad Apples can also be mean children who were raised that way by their parents. They can also be irresponsible in their jobs or roles as parents. Neutral characters can be characters who were evil at first, before happily joining the side of good, either being evil from manipulation, or being good after they've been betrayed. (But it all depends on how evil the deeds were before they turned good, as well as how understandable their backstory and reason for doing bad things is, or how good their deeds are to fix things up and make them right again.) Evil Villain is a character that does more harm in their bad things, usually affecting the world around them, but has their rare, VERY rare moments of either good deeds, or feelings and sympathy for something or someone. An Evil Villain can be a character that can be hard to take seriously, but has no goodwill in them either. Evil Villains can also be characters who aren't considered real villains technically, but have done so many bad deeds, with bad intentions that affect the people around them. Even characters with negative thoughts can be considered evil! Devil Incarnate is a character who almost NEVER cares about the evil deeds they do, and they greatly affect the world or lives around them without even caring at all. They'll have either no real reason for being so vicious, or no backstory sympathetic enough that is reasonable for why they are evil in the first place, combined with the heartless deeds they have done that affect others around them greatly. They will not hesitate to do something so harmful and hurtful, even if it's for a small, simple plan! Feel free to rank who you think is Pure Angel, Mostly Good, Fairly Good, Neutral, Bad Apple, Evil Villain, and Devil Incarnate. And if you'd like to, just for fun, you can even explain why that character should be considered the rank you've placed them into the comment section of your selection! Enjoy!
