For those wondering why Superman hates Lex Luthor so much — one of the biggest questions in the DC Universe — it all ties back to Darkseid. Lex Luthor's origin story saw him initially being an ordinary man with extraordinary levels of intelligence. He also took the time to kill his abusive father in order to finally escape the small town of his Smallville birthplace, revealing just how far he'll go to avoid being dominated by another.
Such origins get picked up in Action Comics Annual #13 by Phil Cornell, Marco Rudy, Val Staples, and John J. Hill. Eventually, Lex's newfound journey sees him abruptly kidnapped for six weeks by an alien who suddenly makes his presence known: Darkseid. In due time, Luthor winds up brutalized, humiliated, and bested on a psychological level by Darkseid.
His words at the end of the issue make it extremely clear that later, when he finally meets Superman, it's his experiences with Darkseid that make it impossible for him to trust another all-powerful alien.
Lex Luthor Would Not Hate Superman without Darkseid's Influence
While the comics have often delved into Lex Luthor's hatred for Superman, a focus is seldom placed on the reasoning. There is sometimes a conception (started in the early days of the long-running Action Comics) that Lex Luthor's frustrations with Superman stem from him accidentally making Lex bald after a lab experiment gone wrong. That conflict was written at a time when Lex Luthor was portrayed more as a megalomaniac with a hubris problem. Nowadays, he's portrayed as a deceptively dangerous businessman capable of conning his way into the White House. As such, there was always going to be a demand for a more nuanced origin for his hatred of Superman.
Anyone who is remotely familiar with Luthor should be able to understand just how damaging the encounter with Darkseid has to be for his ego. Especially at a young age, Lex Luthor's first encounter with an alien was always going to leave a massive impression on him. But this isn't just a learning experience for Lex — it's also an embarrassing one. Luthor has always been jealous of Superman and thinks superhumans put a strain on the achievements of humanity. While those are all still contributing factors to his hatred, this confrontation with Darkseid recontextualizes Lex's hatred: they come from past trauma.
It's no wonder why, as an adult, Lex can't bring himself to trust another alien that's bigger, stronger, and faster than him — even if he is as kind as Superman. This annual also reveals just how one of Superman's worst enemies, Darkseid, gave rise to an even more dangerous foe who's far closer to home: Lex Luthor.
Check out Action Comics Annual #13, available now from DC Comics!
