Lex Vs. Lex

[SmileOnADog]

Can someone explain to me who the two Lexs are? I have been a DC fan since 1985 and I have no idea who the 2nd Lex Luthor is from Villains United#6. There is the so-called King Arthur Luthor who leads the Society and then there is the fatter Luthor who lead the Secret Six as Mockingbird and who wears the pre-Crisis green armor. What did I miss?

[al_capone]

I don't think we're supposed to know exactly what the situation is yet, but my theory (which a lot of other people also seem to believe) is that the Mockingbird Luthor is actually the pre-Crisis Luthor. Whether or not that's the case, and if it is how he actually came back, remains to be seen.

[HartyPotter]

and how about the young Lex clone body that Lex enterred when he faked his own death. I always thought everyone was referring to him when people said young Lex.

[SmileOnADog]

Originally posted by HartyPotter
and how about the young Lex clone body that Lex enterred when he faked his own death. I always thought everyone was referring to him when people said young Lex.

Was the whole Lex-clone thing retconned out? I thought the Mockingbird Lex looked like the John Byrne post-crisis Lex that first appeared in the Man of Steel limited series. You know, the fat business-man Lex? So this 2nd Lex is either the MOS Lex (who should have died of cancer) or the Earth-1 Lex from pre-crisis. OK I am so confused. But very interested.

[Mr Wesley]

I have another idea.

What if it's Alexander Luthor from the Morrison/Quitely Earth 2?

The Crime Syndicate has made a handful of appearances in the past few years. I haven't read JSA Classified, but I think they've made an appearance there as well.

It could be that Society Luthor is actually Alexander Luthor, attempting to control all the villains in a twisted, anti-matter attempt to help the heroes.

Just a thought.

[NeroMan]

dupLex

[DejaEntendu]

i miss the days of one character actually being one character. no clones or alternate versions.

[nolanjwerner]

Where the hell were the CSA in JLA Classified #3?

I need to go back and look at the issue.

[Rafael_Z]

Originally posted by nolanjwerner
Where the hell were the CSA in JLA Classified #3?

I need to go back and look at the issue.

They were an allucination? of Power Girl, other allucinations included in JSA #3 were Zod, LOSH, Superman-Conner, Wonder Woman-Cassie, Captain Marvel, Superwoman, Nightwing, Flamebird........

[The Shadow]

... and this is why the Multiverse SUCKS.

Is this Lex from Earth 1, Earth 2, Earth Prime? Earth 3? Earth pick a number... the multiverse concept creates too many problems.

[Terram]

My guess: Psycho-Pirate brought back Luthor-2, who then swapped bodies with our Luthor and used his identity to start forming the Society.

[Supreme Convoy]

Originally posted by Mr Wesley
What if it's Alexander Luthor from the Morrison/Quitely Earth 2?

Interesting theory since his presense alone could screw with the entire time/space continum resulting in a crisis... or whatever crazy idea Morrison came up with in Earth 2 :)

Just to process my thought: Mockingbird Lex is probably the Lex from Superman/Batman: Public Enemies since he has the suit... but why the sudden change from raging manaic to caculated puppetmaster (to me at least)?

Even then... who's the Society Lex? Was he even president? If he was did he switch places?

Despite all these questions, at least I'm excited about finding out what the hell is going on!

[DBHughes]

I'll be interested to see how it ties into the Science Spire affair where the public seemed to have no knowledge or care about "crazy battle suit Luthor" that cost the man the Presidency.

The recent Luthor continuity is truly a mess; but let's postulate for a moment no how to remedy things. We know that the ending of the B13 affair saw Superman fall into the Birthright continuity. All other things constant, it could be that battle suit Luthor is actually from the pre-Birthright continuity.

Has anybody checked to see Birthright Luthor's eyes are blue? After all, it was Waid that originated this blue/green eye color "tell" near the end of his run on Flash.

[DBHughes]

From a cursory investigation, this image was found:

http://theages.superman.ws/History/birthright/review5.php

(look about mid-way down the page)

Though a little difficult to tell due to the lighting, Luthor's eyes appear to be blue in Birthright. This would mean that the leader of the Society is Birthright Luthor while the crazed Luthor in the battle suit is the Man of Steel era Luthor.

This would mean we followed Superman to the Birthright reality; and everything we see now is happening in the Birthright reality. To make things match up, this would mean that Luthor stepped down from the Presidency in the Birthright reality but did not lose respectability (thus explaining the Science Spire happenings). Battle suit Luthor would be a refugee that the Birthright reality doesn't know about.

The key here is dialogue. Has anyone acknowledged *why* Luthor left the presidency after the events of Superman #200? The emphasis obviously being on if anyone has noted Luthor went crazy post Superman #200.

[Terram]

Originally posted by Supreme Convoy
I
Just to process my thought: Mockingbird Lex is probably the Lex from Superman/Batman: Public Enemies since he has the suit... but why the sudden change from raging manaic to caculated puppetmaster (to me at least)? I disagree. The sudden shift from cool, calm untouchable President of The United States to raging Silver Age maniac in the first place makes me believe that this is when an initial body-swap took place.

The switch to then forming a society of villains follows logically as well, because during COIE, it was Luthor and Brainiac 1 who were on the leading council. By the time the old Luthor 2 showed up, Brainiac deemed him extraneous and had him vapourized. Forming this new Society puts him on the ground floor and prevents the past from happening again.

[SmileOnADog]

Originally posted by The Shadow
... and this is why the Multiverse SUCKS.

Is this Lex from Earth 1, Earth 2, Earth Prime? Earth 3? Earth pick a number... the multiverse concept creates too many problems.

I disagree that the multiverse sucks. Sure, you need a score card to figure out who people are but the idea of a multiverse is a sci-fi staple, like robots and clones, and I wouldn't want to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. The possibilities for good stories are there. Unfortunately so are the bad story possibilities as well.

Whatever Lex emerges from the Crisis I hope that he is the Lex that has a relationship with Clark back to the Smallville days. It makes for a more mythic story that way.

[Marxist 64]

This thread makes my head hurt.

[theprimedreamer]

does anyone think that John's Teen Titans arc, Titans Tomorrow will factor in to Infinite Crisis and Other Lex?

[NewRisingSun]

Originally posted by theprimedreamer
does anyone think that John's Teen Titans arc, Titans Tomorrow will factor in to Infinite Crisis and Other Lex?

I really hope so, but I doubt it. I really liked that Teen Titans arc.

[Psivage]

Well, thanks for ruining Villian United for me. I don't get my comics till the first week in Nov. for my monthly shipment, way to go.

[theprimedreamer]

^^ yeah me too, but it makes me wonder ***SPOILERS**** about what was up with Old Lex wanting a grandchild from Superman Conner and Wonder Woman Cassie...

[SmileOnADog]

Originally posted by Psivage
Well, thanks for ruining Villian United for me. I don't get my comics till the first week in Nov. for my monthly shipment, way to go.

Sorry about that.

[Rafael_Z]

Originally posted by DBHughes
From a cursory investigation, this image was found:

http://theages.superman.ws/History/birthright/review5.php

(look about mid-way down the page)

Though a little difficult to tell due to the lighting, Luthor's eyes appear to be blue in Birthright. This would mean that the leader of the Society is Birthright Luthor while the crazed Luthor in the battle suit is the Man of Steel era Luthor.

This would mean we followed Superman to the Birthright reality; and everything we see now is happening in the Birthright reality. To make things match up, this would mean that Luthor stepped down from the Presidency in the Birthright reality but did not lose respectability (thus explaining the Science Spire happenings). Battle suit Luthor would be a refugee that the Birthright reality doesn't know about.

The key here is dialogue. Has anyone acknowledged *why* Luthor left the presidency after the events of Superman #200? The emphasis obviously being on if anyone has noted Luthor went crazy post Superman #200.

Lex Luthor-Mockingbird is the original one, if you read Superman/Batman: Public Enemies you will notice that the color of his eyes changed from blue to green because he injected himsef with Venom/Kryptonite.

And the Society Luthor is the impostor, he said it during VU #6

[Scribe]

I know this has probably been said, but are we even sure that the other Lex is, well, a Lex? Pariah mentioned another Luthor. He didn't say it was a clone or a copy. Just another Luthor. Granted, the society Lex looks (albeit MUCH slimmer) and acts like Lex, except for the blue eyes.... (Odd, as when he was in the White House I recall him having green eyes). Whoever is behind the crisis is trying to ferment Chaos around the universe, and it occurred to me that the best way to create chaos on Earth would be to unite the villains. Lex Luthor would be the ideal person to do so, except that Lex is such a control freak that the mastermind could never fully trust him. So a substitute Luthor is used, some master-of-disguise villain (Nobody from Starman, maybe) whom impersonates Lex and runs the new Society according to his boss's design. He also begins making attempts on the real Lex, forcing him into hiding. Thus, the real mastermind stays in the background and hidden from view while Lex Luthor gets the blame for everything!

I know, I'm stretching, but the whole "Shoot helpless prisoner in the chest with a gun" just ain't a Luthor's style... Hence why I think the double is a guy in some form of disguise.

[Psivage]

Originally posted by SmileOnADog
Sorry about that.

No problem, I already knew, but bitching about spoilers in the title is the in thing to do.

[Peagle8]

Originally posted by Mr Wesley
I have another idea.

What if it's Alexander Luthor from the Morrison/Quitely Earth 2?

The Crime Syndicate has made a handful of appearances in the past few years. I haven't read JSA Classified, but I think they've made an appearance there as well.

It could be that Society Luthor is actually Alexander Luthor, attempting to control all the villains in a twisted, anti-matter attempt to help the heroes.

Just a thought.

Hmm... this makes sense. I'm going to have to read VU #6 again.

[Supreme Convoy]

Also note in the recent issue of Adventures of Superman, Parasite runs into armored Lex and Mercy (at least I think that's her name). Is he also building an army?