Superman villain Lex Luthor – originally, just Luthor” – was created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel, and first appeared in the pages of Action Comics #23 (April 1940), which went on sale on 23rd February 1940.
The issue was re-released as a Facsimile Edition last August.
The character’s history has been revived and updated many times down the years, (including crazy crossovers such as the upcoming DC x Sonic the Hedgehog: Metal Legion, out in April), but he’s always been a memorable nemesis to the Man of Steel.
Luthor originally had a full head of red hair, until a later artist confused him with Luthor’s bald henchman in an earlier story. And as author Christopher L. Bennett has noted, he was just “Luthor” for the first 20 years, “Lex” not being coined until 1960, when Siegel & Al Plastino introduced his origin as Superboy’s childhood friend, in Adventure Comics #271.
On screen, personally, I’m a fan of Gene Hackman’s take on the character over any others, with Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville a close second, but there have been many others, and many celebrated interpretations in DC Comics down the years. Which is yours?
Head downthetubes for…
• DC Comics: Fateful Beginnings: Superman and Lex Luthor across the years
• DC Fandom: Lex Luthor Publication History
• The Geek Interpreter: DC’s Villains: Lex Luthor by Clinton Mutinda
This item was updated thanks to Christopher L. Bennett, whose books include Only Superhuman from Tor Books, multiple Star Trek novels and shorter works and the Marvel superhero novels X-Men: Watchers on the Walls and Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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The Silver Age Lex Luthor ( in the comics) was simply the best. Given that DC comics did not get distributed here until around the beginning of 1960, this is the one many of us grew up with. It helped that he was featured on a very regular basis and his plots against Superman were clever. Add in Curt Swan’s superb art and Luthor was finally a winner!! Gerald Edwards