Lex Luthor has been Superman's archenemy for most of the superhero's existence. He has been envisioned as Superman's dual opposite; morally depraved and relying on intellect over strength.
In Lex's mind, their clashes are nothing short of humanity taking down an alien outsider… but one storyline reveals Lex and Superman are more closely connected than Luthor might accept. Strange as it might seem, Superman and Lex Luthor were revealed to be related by blood in one alternate Elseworlds story!
In the 1960s it was revealed that his hatred was rooted in a childhood accident caused by the young Superman (then Superboy), which made Luthor go prematurely bald. From that period through the 1980s he was presented as a mad scientist bent on conquering the world.
Whether it is because of his own choice or because it is his predetermined destiny, Lex is meant to become Superman's greatest villain. Although they try to remain friends, Clark and Lex's friendship just does not make sense in the end as they become mortal enemies.
What is the conflict between Superman and Lex Luthor?
Luthor can't stand the idea of Superman existing; Lex believes that humanity can achieve anything by itself, but with the over-reliance on Superman to solve every problem, humanity will never get the chance. In one alternate universe story, set outside the main DC continuity, this finally led Lex to breaking Superman.
Lex Luthor's motivation | Batman v Superman (4k, HDR)
Why did Lex hate Clark?
Lex Was Jealous of Clark
Whether Lex truly loved Lana or not, it's true that Lex was deeply envious of the life Clark had throughout Smallville. Though Lex did want Clark to be with Lana in season 1, he hated seeing them together in season 5 and resorted to new lows to keep them apart.
He wishes to rid the world of Superman, ostensibly because he views Superman as a threat to humanity, but in reality because he envies Superman's popularity and influence.
As they discussed their relationship, Clark questioned if they were ever really friends. Lex insisted that Clark was the only true friend he ever had, causing Clark to wonder if he had given up on Lex too soon.
Nevertheless, he envied Clark's happy family life, as he had a dysfunctional relationship with his abusive father, Lionel. Their relationship crumbled, and Lex was set on the road to evil. He would use and abuse people with meteor powers, just as his dad would do, until one day he decided to murder his father.
It's also revealed why Lionel is angry with Lex; he blames his son for the death of his youngest son Julian Luthor, although Lex took the blame to protect the true killer: Lillian (Alisen Down), Lionel's mentally unwell wife.
Yes, Lex knows Clark is Superman. Lex made everyone except some family/friends forget Clark is Superman. To add context, Lex didn't help them keep their memories of it, it was because League members and reserves have psychic safeguards in place to prevent such attacks from occurring.
She is the biological cousin of Superman, and although chronologically older than him, the ship in which she traveled to Earth was caught in a large green Kryptonite meteorite which held her in a state of suspended animation for much of the journey, making her have the appearance of a 16-year-old girl.
Lex Luthor has undergone much change over the eight decades of his existence. Beginning as an eccentric "mad scientist" foe, the villain has been written as a brilliant yet conniving businessman, a genius rival to Superman, and even an antihero.
In addition to exhibiting textbook symptoms of sociopathic and narcissistic personality disorder, this iteration of Luthor also displays symptoms similar to those of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and/or autism spectrum disorder, due to his manic behavior and his somewhat rambling speech patterns.
However, when a fire caught in his lab, Superboy mistakenly used his super-breath to extinguish the flames. This rescue attempt spilled chemicals that caused Luthor to go prematurely bald and destroyed both his Kryptonite cure and his artificial life form.
In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous radiation that can weaken and even kill Kryptonians. Kryptonite radiation can be transmitted through any element except lead.
The Son of Kal-El just won his first major victory against Lex Luthor in a way that the original Superman never could - by beating a genius at his own game.
It's almost cheating to say that Galactus could outsmart Lex Luthor. The World Devourer is one of the most powerful beings in existence and one of the oldest. He understands the universe in a way that comes from watching it unfold.
Superman and Batman are true heroes and are best friends, their friendship so strong it is even mirrored in that of their sons, but ultimately Superman respects the hero Green Lantern just a bit more than Batman.
In most iterations, Lex thinks he deserves this title based on his various technological accomplishments, whereas Superman never did anything to gain his powers. His envy drives him to fight the Man of Steel time and time again.
