Page "Lex Luthor" Paragraph 5

By some accounts, the seeds for Luthor's character first appeared in The Reign of the Super-Man, also written by Siegel and Shuster.

In the original short story, a bald scientist uses a formula created from a piece of alien meteor to give a vagrant named Bill Dunn telepathic abilities, which Dunn abuses for personal gain.

The scientist battles Dunn and is killed, but by the end of the story Dunn realises his power is going and soon he will have to rejoin the bread line.

Although Luthor would not appear until two years after Superman's debut, a central theme to his character — a dichotomy of science versus superpowers — was in place.

The character's original incarnation, as drawn by Joe Shuster, appeared only twice between 1940-1941.

In his debut, " Luthor " ( who is referred to only by his surname ) is a wily genius who resides in a flying city suspended by a dirigible.

Having taken control of several European countries through his machinations, he tries to provoke a war between the two fictional nations of Galonia and Toran with the help of the crooked Galonian General Lupo planning to set all the nations of the world at war, but is stopped by Superman.

Superman first ' sees ' Luthor in a cave which Lupo has gone into to contact him.

On a stone slab a face appears which Lupo talks to.

Superman goes in and tries to make Lupo tell him who Luthor is, but the face reappears and a green ray slices the stricken General in half.

He describes himself as " an ordinary man, but with the brain of a super-genius.

" He sends his two henchmen to get Clark, they find Lois in his room and seize her to prevent her speaking, then take her up to the base where she meets Luthor.

One of the guards is not under Luthor's command and leaves a note in Clark's room which tells him Lois is in danger.

Superman follows the plane to the dirigible.

Luthor attempts to kill Superman after threatening to kill Lois, but despite being weakened by his destruction ray, Superman is able to destroy it.

At the end of the story, Luthor was apparently killed when Superman caused the dirigible to crash.

He returns in Superman # 4, first trying to use a stolen Earthquake machine and challenging Superman to a duel of his science vs Superman's powers, which Superman wins ; however, this was just a distraction to allow him to steal the machine.

Despite Superman destroying his base, Luthor apparently escapes, with Superman destroying the machine and the scientist who made it committing suicide to prevent its reinvention.

In a story in the same issue, he is also shown to have created a city on the sunken Lost Continent of Pacifo and to have recreated prehistoric monsters, which he plans to unleash upon the world after draining oil wells dry.

After Clark and Lois fly there, a pterodactyl attacks their plane, killing the pilot.

Though Superman defeats it, he sees that shock has placed Lois in a coma.

Luthor apparently dies here after being attacked by his monsters, after which Superman breaks the city's glass cover, causing the ocean to destroy it.

Clark then takes Lois to a doctor who revives her, and proceeds to cover the story.

However, Luthor returns in Superman # 5 with a plan to place hypnotic gas in the offices of influential people, intending to throw the nation into a depression with the help of corrupt financier Moseley.

By the end of the story, he is once again defeated.