Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor Becomes a ‘Hero’ in Superman 78 Comic Sequel

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Superman ’78 #3

In the latest issue of DC Comics’ Superman ’78, Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor is seemingly becoming the “hero”. While Luthor may believe himself to be the greatest criminal mind, that’s hardly a title he can maintain if another villain is allowed to defeat his rival Superman. As a result, when Brainiac abducts the Man of Steel in this new issue, it will be up to none other than Lex himself to become the hero and save Kal-El from this new alien threat.

Being a consistent presence in the Christopher Reeve Superman films, Lex Luthor believes himself to be the world’s brightest and best criminal the world has ever seen. Played by actor Gene Hackman, Lex Luthor has an eye for profit that mostly comes from the acquisition of real estate. However, when his efforts aren’t being thwarted by his loyal but dim-witted henchman Otis or his girlfriend Eve Teschmacher, he’s still had to contend with Superman as a consistent thorn in his side. Now, after being thrown in jail once more after the events of Superman II, the new Superman ’78 #3 from writer Robert Venditti and artist Wilfredo Torres reveals that Lex is about to be put into a wholly new role as a hero.

In previous issues, it was revealed that Superman spoke on Luthor’s behalf to get him released from jail on parole. Superman has also decided to trust Lex by asking for his help, giving him the head of a Brainiac drone for Luthor to study. Despite having a secret lab where he’s no doubt developing new plots against Kal-El, Lex agrees to study the drone as he’s unable to stand the thought of a foe out there who’s smarter than he is. Likewise, when Superman surrenders to Brainiac to keep the people of Metropolis safe, Lex Luthor decides that he’s going to be the one to save Superman, unwilling to let Brainiac steal his glory as Kal-El’s true nemesis and he even kidnaps Lois Lane so she can report the whole story for the world to see.

Luthor’s narcissism and pride are truly the only ways he’d be motivated to save Superman. Thanks to his reputation already being injured due to his defeats in Superman and Superman II, it seems as though Lex is desperate to get a win. For Luthor, saving Superman is less of a heroic act and more of a challenge that will definitively prove himself as the superior intellect to Brainiac, making him the greatest mind in the universe.

While Lex Luthor really shouldn’t be trusted Superman chose to do so due to his unwavering hope in people, believing that everyone deserves a second chance in life. While it may just be what saves Kal-El, Lex isn’t saving Superman out of any kind of altruism. As a result, it’s more than likely that once Superman is saved by Lex Luthor, he’ll have to contend with Luthor himself once more as soon as he stops playing the hero.

About The Author

Kevin Erdmann
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Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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