In the pages of DC Comics, Lex Luthor is one of the most menacing villains of all time, as he isn’t afraid to adapt to take down Superman or other heroes. However, during DC’s The New 52 era, Luthor took on his ultimate form and became the new Darkseid. But how did the mortal man ascend to the Ruler of Apokolips? Luthor lied his way to the top – even if his time on the throne didn’t last particularly long.
In the Darkseid War storyline, the Ruler of Apokolips dies at the hands of the Anti-Monitor, who he killed alongside a Black Racer-infused Flash. Following Darkseid’s death, Lex Luthor, who was trapped on Apokolips, encountered the Forgotten People, who prophesized the night of Darkseid’s death would lead to a human taking the role. However, they believe a hero from Metropolis who saved the world many times (Superman) would change Apokolips as the new seeker of truth and justice. Luthor lies and says he is the man from the prophecy, leading him to gain powers like never before.
In Justice League #45 by Geoff Johns, Francis Manapul, Brian Buccellato, and Rob Leigh, the Forgotten People tell Luthor they’re containing the Omega Effect inside of him after it was unleashed following Darkseid’s death. Despite the warning that Luthor could die if he were lying about who he was, Lex survives the Omega Effect and transforms into his ultimate form, as the new God of Apokolips.
Luthor would return to Earth, where he’d spar with Superman, unleashing the power of the Omega Effect. However, Darkseid’s daughter Grail would resurrect Darkseid through the child of Earth-3’s Lois Lane – who used its power stealing abilities to steal them from the gods, including stripping Luthor of his Omega Effect. After Darkseid was defeated (only to be later brought back to life), Luthor returned to Apokolips, where he would sit on the throne in Superman armor with a Motherbox. Luthor would try his hand at being Superman in Metropolis for a while – revealing he could have ruled countless worlds and galaxies as Darkseid’s replacement but chose a different path instead.
In the end, Lex Luthor becoming the God of Apokolips made him as powerful as he had ever been. Still, despite being able to rule the cosmos, Luthor decided to choose a more heroic path after Superman’s death. The New 52’s messy (and later removed) canon made his time as Darkseid’s replacement a bit muddied, but Lex Luthor’s ultimate form proved to be the most powerful version of the villain ever.
