Summary

• Superman's guilt over being unable to save Lex Luthor from a fire hints at a darker reason for their long-standing animosity.
• Despite their history of conflict, Superman is dedicated to helping Lex in his final days, raising questions about their complicated relationship.
• The comic series, Superman: Last Days of Lex Luthor, promises to explore the past events that have shaped their present dynamic and re-examine their relationship.

Warning: contains a preview of Superman: The Last Days Of Lex Luthor!There have been many iconic rivalries in comic books, such as Batman and Joker, Cheetah and Wonder Woman, and Flash and Reverse Flash, but few have been as iconic as Lex Luthor. Now, however, Lex is facing death, and it seems the process will uncover fresh secrets about his connection to Clark Kent.

In early DC lore, Lex Luthor and Superman both lived in Smallville and even knew each other as kids. One day, Clark (as Superboy) set up an experimental lab for Lex to use, but unfortunately a fire broke out. The chemical fumes from this fire led to Lex Luthor becoming bald, which caused him to hold a grudge all the way into adulthood. This origin is firmly rooted in a more innocent age of comics and isn't used much, but it seems it's going to get a dark update in Superman: The Last Days of Lex Luthor by Mark Waid, Bryan Hitch, Kevin Nowlan, and David Baron. The book shows Superman reflecting guiltily on being unable to save Lex from a fire, suggesting there's more to this story than fans know. Enjoy a preview of the first issue and its official synopsis, below.

Lex Luthor and Superman's Origins Get Updated

Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch reunite to tell a tale centered on their favorite superhero. Superman learns Lex Luthor is dying, and he wants the Man of Steel to help him find the cure for whatever is causing his rapid decline. While the world wants to say good riddance to Luthor, Superman will go to the ends of the universe, through different dimensions, and across time to save his foe. But just why does he want to save the person who’s spent his life trying to destroy him? And will he even be able to find the solution?

In most stories, Lex claims to believe that Superman stands in the way of humanity's progress and that humanity doesn't need to learn to defend themselves or save themselves as long as Superman is there to solve every problem. Lex Luthor hates Superman because he represents a perfect, impossible ideal that no human could ever possibly match, and because of this, any human achievement is diminished in comparison to Superman. However, this preview - and the synopsis' question of why Superman is dedicated to helping Lex - imply there's a darker reason for their animosity lurking in the past; one that Superman may even rightly feel guilty about.

What Did Superman Do to Lex Luthor?

In current comics, Lex Luthor and Superman have been in a new spot in their relationship, with Lex even itting maybe he had been wrong in how he approached the Man of Steel. Superman is the current CEO of LexCorp, after Lex ed the company to him, and Superman has been begrudgingly taking advice from Lex on how to solve certain crimes. Set in its own continuity as a Black Label series, Superman: Last Days of Lex Luthor promises to further examine their relationship and how the events in their past have been shaping their present.

Superman is above all a beacon of hope in the DC Universe, and this hope extends to even his worst enemies. No matter what Lex Luthor has done, he does have the capacity to be good... but what if his original turn to evil is more Superman's fault than anyone ever knew?

Superman: Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 will be available from DC Comics on July 25, 2023.