For nearly as long as Superman has been around, Lex Luthor has been there to challenge his greatest foe. New Super-Man #18 potentially reveals why a man has always come close to defeating the Man of Steel more than anyone else.
As the greatest protector of the DC Universe, Clark has made a lot of enemies, both on Earth and the furthest reaches of space. But for all the Darkseids, Doomsdays, and Monguls, only one villain has made it his life’s work to completely destroying the Big Blue Boy Scout. Ever since Superman burst onto the scene, Lex Luthor has done everything he could to try and kill his foe or, at the very least, knock him down as the world’s greatest savior. Unlike most of the other members of Superman’s rogues’ gallery, Lex doesn’t have any powers. However, he does get by with his intellect and propensity for inventing.
But there may be a reason why Lex’s sheer genius may allow him to keep up with such a powerful foe as Superman. In New Super-Man #18 by Gene Luen Yang and Brent Peeples, Kong Kenan has been manipulated and accidentally helped open up a portal to a realm of demigods. With a portal to the realm now open, powerful deities are roaming the Earth intent on destroying humanity in order to rebuild things from scratch. Elsewhere, Superman and Lex Luthor are trapped on Luthor’s compound by a magical force field that Clark is unable to break through. Lex refuses to be held captive and summons his newest suit of armor. The Bat-Man of China’s assistant, Robinbot, is amazed at Luthor’s ability to generate a suit and insists on adding ‘magic’ to Lex’s abilities, though Luthor insists it’s all him and his brain.
Magic Would Explain Some Things About Lex And Superman
Superman has a lot of magic foes and Lex Luthor doesn’t fit the classic definition of them. That’s more in the line of what villains like Silver Banshee or Mister Mxyzptlk are like. That said, it’s important to note that magic is one of the few things that Superman is notably weak to, in addition to kryptonite and red solar rays. Even if Lex doesn’t use traditional enchantments, his tech has reached a point to where it’s practically indistinguishable from magic.
The idea of science being an advanced form of magic is a concept that’s been explored many times in comics. Granted it’s generally more of a Marvel concept than a DC Comics one, but it’s an apt comparison when looking at the dynamic of Superman and Lex Luthor. In spite of all of Superman’s powers, Lex has carved out the number one spot on Clark’s list of enemies, even beating out powerful foes like General Zod or Brainiac. It’s kind of hard to believe that a genius, even one as impressive as Luthor could do such a thing. But if Lex Luthor is an ‘advanced magic’ user, then it makes sense that exploiting Superman’s weakness has made him such an iconic threat.
