Surprisingly, when Superman Clark Kent was first starting out as a reporter, his biggest source of information was none other than Lex Luthor. Clark built his career as a reporter and rose to be one of the most trusted voices in Metropolis, and he owes all of that to the information he got from Lex.
Lex Luthor being partly responsible for Clark Kent’s career is revealed in Action Comics #8 by Grant Morrison, Rags Morales, Brad Walker, Rick Bryant, Bob McLeod, Brad Anderson, David Curiel, and Patrick Brosseau. Through the first few issues of this run on Action Comics, Clark is occasionally contacted by a mysterious person known as Icarus — who is later revealed to be Lex.
This is how Clark continues getting the biggest tips for the news stories he ends up reporting on. Without these tips, it’s unlikely that Clark would’ve gotten the career he currently has. So, while Lex Luthor absolutely hates Superman, he ironically helped cement Superman’s presence in Metropolis by giving Clark Kent’s career a major boost.
Lex Luthor Helped Boost Clark Kent’s Career as a Reporter
Clark Kent is one of the greatest reporters that Metropolis has ever seen, and his reporting has improved many people’s lives. Superman isn’t just a hero when he’s flying around stopping crimes and preventing natural disasters, he’s also a hero as Clark Kent. Clark’s reporting has helped bring down corrupt businessmen and politicians whom Superman can’t touch. The Clark Kent identity is just as much a hero as Superman is and is equally important. While Superman can take care of the bigger immediate threats to Metropolis, actual systemic issues can’t be fixed by Superman — that’s where Clark Kent comes in, and apparently with Lex Luthor’s help.
While Lex Luthor has always hated Superman, it seems Lex loves Clark Kent. One of the things that makes Lex so terrifying is that he’s a genius who makes use of every tool at his disposal. Since Morrison’s run on Action Comics took place very early in Superman’s career, the same is also true of Lex Luthor. While Lex is a brilliant mind and clearly already very rich, he doesn’t have complete control over Metropolis like he’s usually portrayed. In order to cement his control over the City of Tomorrow, Lex uses Clark’s reporting as a weapon. Lex gives Clark information about various corrupt businessmen and other people. Clark then reports on these people and brings them down, at which point Lex moves in and takes over their business or territory. While Clark is doing good, he ultimately serves Lex’s own needs.
Superman Owes His Professional Success as Clark Kent to Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor and Superman’s relationship has been complicated over the years. In some versions of DC’s continuity, they start out as friends in the rural town of Smallville; in other versions, they don’t meet until Clark moves to Metropolis. No matter what, though, one element remains: the connection between them, regardless of their identities. While Lex Luthor will likely always have some hatred for Superman, it seems he’s pretty fond of Clark Kent — even if Lex is only using Clark to get rid of his competitors.
