Warning! Contains spoilers for Superman #7!
Superman and Lex Luthor have been enemies for many years —but that might finally be coming to an end, proving Superman was right never to kill Lex. It seems that Superman and Lex Luthor are going to finally bury the hatchet and maybe even become allies. For the past few issues of Superman, Superman and Lex have been working together, and Lex is finally admitting that it’s possible Superman has truly changed him. This wouldn’t be the first time Lex has tried to be a hero, but this time he might have one thing he didn’t before: Superman’s faith.
This surprising alliance is shown in Superman #7 by Joshua Williamson, Gleb Melnikov, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Edwin Galmon, Alejandro Sanchez, and Ariana Maher. As Lex Luthor sits in a hospital bed talking to Lois Lane, he discusses how Lex Luthor tried to be Metropolis’ hero. It didn’t work for him because Lex didn’t truly know how to be a hero. He thought in order to be a hero someone had to sacrifice something.
But Superman showed him that wasn’t the case: one can be a hero without having to compromise. This has changed Lex’s worldview; he even admits that Superman “changed” him. Earlier in the story, he states that he truly did enjoy working with Superman. While it’s possible that Lex is just playing some kind of angle, it’s also not necessarily true. Lex has tried to be a hero in the past, but he always lacked support.
Lex Luthor Was Once Metropolis’ Hero
There’s no denying that Lex Luthor is one of Superman’s greatest villains, but over the years Lex has dabbled in being a hero. Lex has consistently said that humanity should be able to rely on themselves instead of looking to Superman’s alien powers to save them. A few times he’s tried to prove this by being a hero to the people of Metropolis (such as the time Lex Luthor took up the mantle of Superman). The only reason Lex stopped being a hero was because a celestial force literally told him he was destined to be evil. Now that he’s trying to be a hero again, it seems he has the one thing he never had before: the support of Superman.
Both times Lex Luthor tried to be a hero, he was entirely alone. He was originally the first hero of Metropolis, but he messed everything up. Later, after the Superman of the New 52 reality died, Lex took up the Superman mantle — alone. He was then disparaged by the pre-New 52 Superman when he returned. Eventually, after the events of the Dark Nights: Metal event, Lex was pretty much told he was destined for evil. Naturally, this broke his resolve. But Lex isn’t alone in this new Dawn of DC story; he’s been working directly with Superman. While Superman has been apprehensive of Lex, the archvillain does seem to be coming around, which could make an entire world of difference.
Lex Luthor Finally Admits that Superman Changed Him
It turns out Superman was right never to abuse his power to outright kill Lex Luthor. In fact, Superman seems to finally be opening up to working with Lex, and, while he is still apprehensive, he also seems to be starting to believe that Lex can be better. This support from Superman might just be the one thing Lex has been missing every time he’s tried to turn over a new leaf. With the help of Superman, Lex Luthor might finally become a true hero.
