Lex Luthor is one of those classic bad guys who really gets under your skin. He’s Superman’s ultimate nemesis, a regular human who just wants to distance himself from anything that ties him to humanity. Superman, in contrast, is all about those connections that make a person, you know, well… a person. Lex sees these as beneath him, preferring to lord over others with his brilliance but having the selfishness of a spoiled kid. Superman, with all his power, chooses the selfless path. Words like narcissistic, egotistical, and evil pretty much sum up Lex. Despite all this, he ended up sacrificing himself to save Superman’s life, wrapping up his story in an unexpected and perfect way.
How Did Lex Luthor Die?
So, here’s what happened. In the DC Black Label series Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor, by writer Mark Waid and artist Bryan Hitch, Lex makes a pretty big mistake. While experimenting with kryptonite, Lex ends up with a deadly disease that’s eating away his life fast. With his days numbered and no cure in sight, he swallows his pride and turns to Superman, knowing Clark’s the only one who won’t say no. Superman, being who he is, promises to do all he can to save Lex, even when Lex goes and broadcasts Superman’s promise to embarrass him. Lex is basically the world’s worst villain, after all, so why should anybody want him saved? But Superman doesn’t care what people think—he’s got his own compass.
Superman takes Lex to every imaginable place to find a cure. He reaches out to the bottled city of Kandor, calls in the Legion of Super-Heroes’ Brainiac 5, and even stops by Themyscira and meets his ex-girlfriend Lori the mermaid in the underwater city of Tritonis. Each stop, folks are bewildered why he’s working so hard for his archenemy, then remember, ‘Oh, right, he’s Superman. He helps everyone.’ Unfortunately, nobody can save Lex, and as time runs out, Superman gets noticeably weaker.
That’s when Brainiac steps into the picture, revealing that he orchestrated the whole nightmare. He set off the lab accident to make Lex turn to Superman. This proximity would drain Superman’s solar energy, leaving Earth ripe for Brainiac’s invasion.
Knowing he’s on borrowed time, Lex builds a machine that would transfer Superman’s solar energy back, costing his own life. He tells Superman that saving Earth’s billions requires taking one life—Lex’s. Superman, conflicted, agrees. But he flips the script, tweaking the machine to cure Lex’s disease as well as giving him Kryptonian powers by transferring his own, making Superman a regular human. The newly empowered Lex and Superman stop Brainiac, whose self-destruction by red-sun blast forces Lex to save the powerless Superman, demanding Clark keep it a secret.
Why Did Lex Sacrifice Himself for His Worst Enemy?
Lex and Superman didn’t start out hating each other. Back in Smallville, they were about the closest either had to a friend. Their falling out came when Lex misjudged Clark’s simple Kryptonite allergy as sneering at him. The resulting chaos left Lex bald, and he vanished from Smallville. Though Lex wanted to erase Clark from memory, Clark held onto their past.
Fast forward to today, and Superman’s doing everything possible to save his earliest friend. Meanwhile, Lex, despite himself, witnesses the sheer force of Superman’s goodwill for others, realizing how deeply it runs. In Tritonis, he even eats a fruit that makes him feel their collective respect for Clark. Just before it all goes down, Clark shares his secret identity with Lex, who finally sees the pure integrity behind Superman’s actions. Superman’s risky choice to hand over his powers enlightens Lex to Superman’s genuine care.
In the end, Lex’s yearning to belong drove him toward alien life and his relentless desire to beat Superman, who defied every belief Lex held. It dawned on Lex he had a place by Superman’s side. So, when Superman was in grave danger, Lex acted selflessly, finding fulfillment in saving his first true friend. It was a fitting end to his journey, highlighting Superman’s effect on those around him. For once, Lex felt a real sense of belonging and stepped into the role Clark always saw in him. This story is a beautiful must-read that instantly belongs among the classics.
Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor is available now!
