Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor is a DC Comics supervillain created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. He first appeared in Action Comics #23 (1940) and is Superman's most enduring adversary.

Originally depicted as a red-haired mad scientist, Luthor was redrawn as bald in 1941 due to an artist's error, and the look stuck. In his earliest decades he relied on inventions and criminal schemes. A 1960s origin tied his hatred of Superman to a childhood accident in Smallville where the young Superboy inadvertently destroyed Luthor's experiment and caused his hair loss.

John Byrne's 1986 reboot reimagined Luthor as a ruthless corporate tycoon running LexCorp, shifting the character from mad scientist to corrupt billionaire. This version has dominated most portrayals since. Luthor views Superman as an alien threat to human self-determination and believes humanity should not depend on an extraterrestrial savior.

He has served as both a criminal mastermind and, at times, President of the United States. Luthor's intelligence is his primary weapon, making him one of the few non-powered characters capable of consistently challenging the most powerful hero in the DC Universe.