Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor was created by Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex first appeared in Action Comics #23 in April of 1940. Luthor is initially described as a highly intelligent, power hungry evil scientist possessing incredible technological prowess. Over the years Lex has morphed into more of a ruthless businessman and white collar criminal. His goals typically center on killing Superman, which he views as a stepping stone to world domination.

Lex truly believes that Superman does more harm than good. From Lex's perspective, Superman robs the people of Earth of their drive and ambition. Lex despises the fact that people may become dependant on Superman to save them rather than taking care of themselves. In Lex's twisted mind, Superman is a force for evil.

Lex Luthor's battle suit has been "upgraded" over the years but the basic green and purple color scheme remains the same. Luthor's armor makes it's first appearance in Action Comics # 544. While wearing the armor, Luthor is able to go toe to toe with the Man of Steel.

Lex Luthor's warsuit possesses many capabilities including:

* Super strength, durability, flight, force field generation all across the armor and seemingly unprotected head from the torso of the powered armor, Kryptonite energy blasts, energy blade in right gauntlet.

* Green Kryptonite energy generator in right forefinger, red Kryptonite energy generator in middle finger, blue Kryptonite energy generator in ringfinger, and black Kryptonite energy generator in pinky finger.

* Blue energy blasts from left gauntlet, super strength and durability, and energy shield in the left gauntlet.

* Sharp, green Kryptonite energy spike from right arm's under armor, flight at super speed due to jets in boots, and electrical surge generated across armor by pressing button on left palm.

Lex Luthor has the physical capabilities and limitations of a normal adult with no metahuman abilities. However, he possesses a genius level of intelligence. For virtually his entire publication history, he has been depicted as the most intelligent human in the DC Universe, and as one of the most intelligent beings of any planet or species. He has mastered seemingly every known form of science, including space travel, extra-dimensional travel, biochemistry, robotics, computers, synthetic polymers, communications, mutations, transportation, holography, energy generation, spectral analysis, and more (including time travel in many Pre-Crisis stories). With the exception of the renegade Coluan scientist Brainiac, he does not view any other being as an intellectual peer.

Over the years, Luthor has made liberal use of kryptonite weapons capable of injuring Superman and other Kryptonians. Since the Bronze Age of Comics, he has also utilized various battlesuits in many stories. Additionally, he often wore a kryptonite ring on his right hand in Post-Crisis stories, but abandoned this tactic after prolonged exposure to K-radiation resulted in the loss of his hand and poisoned his entire body (requiring him to transplant his brain into a cloned body in order to survive).

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