Warning! Contains spoilers for Action Comics #1066!

There have been a lot of changes in DC Comics’ Superman lore over the last few years, but the most surprising has been Lex Luthor’s turn from villain to hero — but the question remains if he’ll actually avoid his dark potential future. While everyone had doubts that Lex would stay on the path of the righteous, it seems that he’s truly serious about being a hero, despite his new villainous attire.

In Action Comics #1066 by Joshua Williamson and Rafa Sandoval, Lex Luthor acquires a new villainous set of equipment, but he seems to be using it for a heroic reason. Brainiac has assembled the Legion of Brainiacs to store his overwhelming knowledge. Superman and the Super-Family seem completely outmatched by this many Brainiacs, so Lex Luthor decides to shut them all down — by donning a nightmarish Brainiac helmet.

As Brainiac has also captured Lex’s daughter Lena Luthor and made her part of the hive, not only does Lex shut down the army of Brainiacs, but he also saves his daughter. He just looks terrifying while doing it. This isn’t the first time that Lex Luthor has tried to merge with Brainiac, but it is the first time he’s done it for such a noble reason, to the point where even Superman decides to help him.

Lex Luthor Is the DCU’s Only Hope of Defeating Brainiac

What Choice Has Lex Made?

The Super-Family are immensely powerful together, but the combined might of dozens of Brainiacs and the Brainiac Queen seems to be too much even for them to beat. The Brainiac Queen herself demonstrated her power by defeating an entire platoon of Czarnians, who are some of the toughest beings in the DC Universe. That power is why, despite the entire Super-Family being here, it’s Lex Luthor who has to play the hero. There’s no denying that Lex is unbelievably intelligent, and he has to use that intelligence to sever Brainiac’s connection to the Hive Mind, defeating a villain that the Super-Family is struggling with.

Lex Luthor has been a villain for practically his entire history, but there have been moments where he’s tried to be a hero. In DC’s New 52 continuity, for example, Lex Luthor tried to take on the role of Superman, and he honestly did pretty okay at it for a time. He was even a member of the Justice League. The only reason he quit was because the universe itself seemed to label Lex as a villain. This moment in Action Comics #1066, on the other hand, is a perfect example of Lex’s redemption. When faced with all the knowledge and power of Brainiac, Lex isn’t trying to steal it for himself, but instead to destroy it to save his daughter.

This New Scene Might Be the Moment Lex Truly Becomes a Hero

Panel from 2016’s Action Comics #957 by Dan Jurgens, Patrick Zircher, Tomeu Morey, and Rob Leigh

Lex has tried to be a hero several times in his history, but he’s always returned to being a villain. This latest example is a great test for Lex, as he has to give up something he usually always wants — absolute knowledge and power — for the sake of someone else. Lex and Lena aren’t even on good terms, and yet he’s still willing to sacrifice the knowledge of the universe to save her.

It’s impossible to tell if Lex will still be a hero a year from now, especially given the possibility that he could be corrupted by the Brainiac helmet he’s forced to wear in order to save the day. But considering everything he’s gone through, it’s very likely that Superman and Lex Luthor might just be DC Comics’ new hero duo.

Action Comics #1066 is available now from DC Comics!