Smallville quietly explained the reason why Lex is so determined to beat Superman years before their rivalry even began. The Superman prequel series famously took its time in developing Michael Rosenbaum’s character into his comic book counterpart. It wasn’t until the show’s seventh that Lex’s transformation into Clark’s greatest enemy was complete.
By turning Lex into a close friend of Clark’s in his high school years, Smallville made a notable change to their iconic relationship in DC Comics. However, this ultimately didn’t keep Lex from following the same path as the comic book villain. In spite of his death at the hands of Green Arrow, Lex returned in the Smallville series finale via a clone with no memories of his friendship with Clark or the latter’s true identity. In taking this route, the show set up Lex to become the archenemy of Superman he was always expected to be.
How Smallville Teased Clark & Lex’s Rivarly In Season 3
Curiously, there was a moment in a season 3 episode that shed light on why Clark and Lex fight each other in their future after Smallville’s ending. In “Talisman,” the show expanded on the ancient prophecy in the Kawatche Caves that predicted Superman’s arrival. Apparently, Naman (the Kawatche name for Superman) will one day be betrayed by someone called Sageeth, who will become his greatest enemy. This, as well as other events that took place in the episode, made it clear that the tale of Naman and Sageeth was an allegory for Clark and Lex’s story. At the end of the episode, Lex surprised Clark by insinuating that Sageeth was the true hero in the prophecy because he was the only person who dared to challenge Naman.
Lex taking Sageeth’s side served as a clever form of foreshadowing for the series. As “Talisman” revealed, Michael Rosenbaum’s Lex Luthor respected Sageeth because he was brave enough to stand up to a warrior as powerful as Naman. Lex’s admiration of Sageeth highlights an underlying theme in Superman’s battles with Lex Luthor. In spite of being a human with no real powers, Lex has managed to maintain a reputation as the Man of Steel’s biggest villain. In spite of Superman’s power level, Lex has never backed down from the challenge of beating him. The thought of defeating someone so powerful makes fighting Superman all the more appealing to Lex.
Smallville’s Lex Hates Superman & Clark Kent
Smallville’s interpretation of Clark and Lex’s rivalry gave Rosenbaum’s character motivation to defeat Superman and Clark Kent. In Smallville season 7, Lex learned Clark’s secret and went up against him for a completely different reason. In addition to hoping that he could control the Kryptonian refugee previously referred to as the Traveler, Lex had a deeply personal vendetta against Clark. Fueled by anger over all the years Clark lied to him and what he perceived to be a betrayal of their friendship, Lex sought to get revenge in both season 7 and season 8.
