Villain file · 01

Lex
Luthor.

No powers. No limits. No interest in losing.

The file

The facts, in one place.

Lex Luthor is Superman's archenemy: a human genius with no powers, driven by ego and envy. He first appeared in Action Comics #23 (April 1940), by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, with red hair. Since John Byrne's 1986 reboot he's usually a billionaire businessman, and in the comics he even became US President. Nicholas Hoult plays him in Superman (2025) and Man of Tomorrow (2027).

First appearance: Action Comics #23, April 1940
Created by: Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
Powers: None. A genius mind, money and a warsuit.
Went bald: Superman #10, May 1941
Warsuit: Action Comics #544, June 1983
President: In the comics, 2001 to 2003 (story time)
Played by (now): Nicholas Hoult

Through the years

Every era, a new plan.

1940
The red-haired scientist
Debuts in Action Comics #23 (April 1940) as a red-haired mad scientist bent on ruling the world. An artist's slip in the newspaper strip made him bald, and he's bald in the comics from Superman #10 (May 1941).
1960
Superboy's former friend
Adventure Comics #271 (April 1960) makes him a Smallville teenager whose hair falls out after a lab fire that Superboy puts out. He blames Superboy, and a feud is born.
1983
The warsuit
The green-and-purple warsuit debuts in Action Comics #544 (June 1983), designed by George Pérez to match Kenner's Super Powers toy.
1986
The billionaire
John Byrne and Marv Wolfman's The Man of Steel (1986) remakes him as a billionaire businessman whom Metropolis loves and only Superman sees through. He wins the US presidency in 2000 and falls in Superman/Batman #6 (March 2004).
2011
Villain, then ally
The New 52 drops his Smallville childhood. In the current Superman series (2023–) he is jailed, loses his memory and ends up working beside Superman (Likely).
2025
The DCU Lex
Nicholas Hoult plays an envious tech billionaire who builds Ultraman and a pocket universe. In Man of Tomorrow (2027) he reluctantly teams up with Superman against Brainiac.

On screen

Eight to know.

1950

Lyle TalbotAtom Man vs. Superman

1978

Gene HackmanSuperman, II and IV

1993

John SheaLois & Clark

2001

Michael RosenbaumSmallville

2016

Jesse EisenbergBatman v Superman

2019

Jon CryerSupergirl

2023

Michael CudlitzSuperman & Lois

2025

Nicholas HoultSuperman; Man of Tomorrow

The full file

The whole story.

Lex Luthor is the oldest of Superman’s great enemies and the one who keeps coming back. He has no powers. What he has is a brilliant mind, a great deal of money and a grudge against the one person he can’t outdo. For his screen career and quick answers, see our Lex Luthor guide; this page is the full file.

Three Lexes in one

Version	Years	Who he is	Key issue
The mad scientist	1940–1986	A red-haired, then bald, genius bent on ruling the world	Action Comics #23 (April 1940)
The billionaire	1986–	LexCorp’s founder, loved by Metropolis, with “clean hands”	The Man of Steel (1986), by John Byrne and Marv Wolfman
President Luthor	2000–2004	President of the United States, in story time from 2001 to 2003	Adventures of Superman #581 (August 2000) to Superman/Batman #6 (March 2004)

Byrne said he drew on Donald Trump, Ted Turner and Howard Hughes for the businessman Lex.

Why is he bald? Two answers

The real reason is an accident. Lex debuted with red hair, then an artist (credited to Leo Nowak) drew him bald in the newspaper strip, and the editors kept it. He’s bald in the comics from Superman #10 (May 1941).

The in-story reason came 20 years later. In Adventure Comics #271 (April 1960), teenage Lex’s lab catches fire in Smallville, Superboy blows it out, and the fumes make Lex’s hair fall out. He blames Superboy, and that’s the start of the feud. Modern versions often give no fixed explanation (Likely).

President Lex

The campaign starts in Adventures of Superman #581 (August 2000), and Lex wins in Superman: Lex 2000 #1. That issue went on sale in November 2000, but its cover date is January 2001, so you’ll see both years (Disputed). He serves from 2001 to 2003 in story time, and his presidency falls apart in Superman/Batman #6 (March 2004), at the end of Public Enemies.

The warsuit

Lex’s famous green-and-purple armour debuts in Action Comics #544 (June 1983). George Pérez designed it to match Kenner’s Super Powers figure. It gives him flight, strength and kryptonite weapons, which is how a man with no powers can trade punches with Superman. It vanished after Crisis and returned in 2004 (Likely), and it turns up in the Injustice games. Hoult’s Lex doesn’t wear one in Superman (2025) (Likely), though a Lex warsuit was first shown for Man of Tomorrow in June 2026.

Every screen Lex

At least twelve actors have played Lex in live action:

Actor	Where	Years
Lyle Talbot	Atom Man vs. Superman (serial)	1950
Gene Hackman	Superman, II and IV	1978–1987
Scott James Wells	Superboy, season 1	1988–89
Sherman Howard	Superboy	1989–92
John Shea	Lois & Clark	1993–97
Michael Rosenbaum	Smallville	2001–11
Kevin Spacey	Superman Returns	2006
Jesse Eisenberg	Batman v Superman; Justice League	2016–17
Jon Cryer	Supergirl	2019–21
Titus Welliver	Titans, season 4	2022–23 (Likely)
Michael Cudlitz	Superman & Lois, seasons 3–4	2023–24 (Likely)
Nicholas Hoult	Superman (2025); Man of Tomorrow (2027)	2025–

The defining voice is Clancy Brown, in Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000) and Justice League Unlimited. Stanley Jones (Super Friends), Michael Bell (the 1988 Ruby-Spears cartoon) and Rainn Wilson (The Death of Superman, 2018) have voiced him too.

Man of Tomorrow: the team-up

In Man of Tomorrow (2027), Lex reluctantly teams up with Superman against Brainiac. That much is official. Anything beyond it is rumour until the film is out.

The best Lex stories

Story	Creators	Year	Why read it
Lex Luthor: Man of Steel	Brian Azzarello, Lee Bermejo	2005	The top pick on every list: Lex as the hero of his own story. It also helped shape Hoult’s Lex
The Man of Steel #4	John Byrne	1986	Introduces the businessman Lex
Superman: Birthright	Mark Waid, Leinil Francis Yu	2003–04	A modern Smallville origin
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies	Jeph Loeb, Ed McGuinness	2003–04	President Lex frames Superman
Action Comics #890–900, “The Black Ring”	Paul Cornell, Pete Woods	2010–11	Lex’s own run (Likely)
All-Star Superman	Grant Morrison, Frank Quitely	2005–08	Lex’s final moment of seeing it all (Likely)

For the rest of his rogues’ gallery, see Superman’s villains.

Questions

Asked and answered.

What is Lex Luthor's warsuit?

A green-and-purple powered suit of armour that gives Lex flight, strength and kryptonite weapons. It first appeared in Action Comics #544 (June 1983), designed by George Pérez to match Kenner's Super Powers action figure. It vanished after Crisis on Infinite Earths and returned in 2004.

Is Lex Luthor a scientist or a businessman?

Both, depending on the era. From 1940 to 1986 he was mostly a mad scientist. John Byrne and Marv Wolfman's 1986 reboot made him a billionaire businessman who runs LexCorp, and that's the version most films and shows now use.

Why do Superman and Lex Luthor team up in Man of Tomorrow?

Officially, Man of Tomorrow (2027) has Lex reluctantly join forces with Superman against Brainiac, played by Lars Eidinger. Anything beyond that is rumour until the film is out.