7 Times Lex Luthor was DC Comics’ Most Evil Villain

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Lex Luthor is one of the most famous villains in comic book history. As Superman’s greatest enemy, he constantly tries to defeat the hero using his incredible intelligence, vast wealth, and the power of Kryptonite. While Luthor insists he’s acting for the good of humanity, his actions reveal a personal vendetta. Ultimately, he’s a deeply insecure and self-obsessed individual who craves worship and is willing to commit terrible acts to destroy Superman and feed his own ego, showing complete disregard for anyone else.

Lex Luthor is one of DC Comics’ most well-known villains, and his actions prove just how evil he is. He’s committed terrible acts, from destroying individual lives for no reason to planning the deaths of entire groups of people. These moments clearly establish him as a truly wicked character in the DC universe.

7) Destroyed a Waitress’s Life

Lex Luthor isn’t always focused on defeating Superman. Sometimes, he simply enjoys making people miserable. Once, while traveling far from Metropolis, he offered a waitress named Jenny a million dollars to abandon her life – to quit her job, leave her husband, and become his wife for a month. Jenny initially refused, but Luthor relentlessly preyed on her unhappiness and dissatisfaction with her life. He then gave her ten minutes to consider his offer, waiting in his limousine. But as Jenny decided to accept, Luthor cruelly drove off, laughing. It was a senseless act of malice, committed purely for his own amusement.

6) Paralyzed His Sister

Lex Luthor’s intense hatred for Superman leads him to inflict pain on even his own family. His sister, Lena, lives with a severe illness that has left her paralyzed and is affecting her brain, despite Lex’s vast wealth. He briefly cured her to demonstrate his power to Superboy, restoring her ability to walk and her mental clarity, but then immediately reversed the cure. Lex cruelly stated he would only permanently heal Lena after Superman was gone. Lena is an innocent bystander in the conflict between Lex and Superman, but Lex deliberately harmed her simply to prove a point and as a twisted way to target the Man of Tomorrow.

5) Made Learning Superman’s Identity Lethal

For a short time, Superman publicly revealed he was Clark Kent. But Lex Luthor believed humanity needed to see Superman as an otherworldly being, not a human. To achieve this, Luthor forced a psychic attack on the world, making almost everyone forget that Clark Kent and Superman were the same person. Now, if anyone outside of a select few—including the Justice League, Teen Titans, and Superman’s family—discovers Superman’s secret, they will die. This nearly happened to Superman’s friend Perry White, who had a severe stroke. Driven by his belief that he knows best, Luthor transformed Superman’s secret identity into a dangerous liability, severing his connection to humanity.

4) Made it Rain Superheroes

Following the Infinite Crisis, Superman and many heroes disappeared, leaving Lex Luthor to seize control. He started the Everyman Project, giving ordinary people superpowers. But when Luthor discovered he couldn’t gain powers himself, he reacted childishly. On New Year’s Eve, he stripped powers from many of these new heroes, some of whom were still in the air. Dozens plummeted to their deaths over Metropolis, causing widespread destruction and chaos. Driven by selfishness, Luthor believed that if he couldn’t have superpowers, nobody else should either.

3) Allowed Imperiex to Invade Earth

During the massive “World’s at War” crisis, Imperiex – a being representing total destruction – tried to wipe out everything, beginning with Earth. He devastated the planet, wiping out countries like Atlantis and killing many people. Lex Luthor, who was president, brought together a team of superheroes who followed his instructions and ultimately stopped Imperiex. However, it was later discovered that Luthor had deliberately allowed the crisis to happen. He knew Imperiex was coming and didn’t try to prevent it or warn anyone, instead letting the destruction unfold so he could take credit for saving the world.

2) Destroyed New Krypton

For years, the miniature city of Kandor, a remnant of Superman’s home world, has been a key part of his story. In 2008, Kandor was returned to its original size, allowing its citizens to leave Earth and build a new home planet called New Krypton. However, Lex Luthor wouldn’t let them live in peace. He secretly worked with General Sam Lane to destroy New Krypton, using a powered-up villain named Reactron to cause a massive explosion. This devastating attack killed around 100,000 Kryptonians, leaving Superman to mourn the loss of his people once again.

1) Sold Out the Multiverse to Perpetua

Driven by a desire to obliterate everything, Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom unleashed Perpetua, a powerful being capable of destroying the entire multiverse, targeting Superman and the Justice League. Luthor stole powers from Martian Manhunter and became Perpetua’s right-hand man, battling the League. He then persuaded humanity to surrender to Perpetua, allowing her to reshape the universe into a dark reflection of her will and begin wiping out the 52 Earths of the DC Multiverse, killing countless trillions. Luthor only turned against Perpetua when she betrayed him and stole his abilities. Ultimately, his desperate attempt to crush humanity’s spirit led to the enslavement and destruction of untold numbers of lives.

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2026-01-13 21:14