DC Comics’ Absolute Universe is a dark place, but it just got darker with Lex Luthor’s origin story. For the last year and a half, fans have been watching Kal-El grow and become the hero he was meant to be. But strangely, while we’ve gotten to know some of the usual members of Superman’s supporting cast, like Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane, Lex Luthor has been absent from Absolute Superman. Given his notoriety as the Man of Steel’s nemesis, one would have expected him to play a bigger role in the Absolute Universe.
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For the first year of Absolute Superman, we had no clue about whether Lex existed on this Earth or not. At least until last October’s special, Absolute Evil. While the elite movers and shakers of this world, like Veronica Cale and Jack Grimm (aka, the Absolute Joker), formed their own ‘Justice League’, they were being observed by this world’s Brainiac, who believes the team was missing a key component if they truly wanted to thrive. The Absolute Evil special ended with Brainiac reaching out to Lex Luthor, who had no idea of the horrors about to await him.
Brainiac Tortures and Kills Lex Luthor’s Family to ‘Inspire’ Him
The Lex Luthor reveal from Absolute Evil didn’t give fans much to go off of, except for the fact that Absolute Lex lived on a farm, was married, and that he had a couple of kids. He seemed content with his life, not needing much beyond the simple pleasures of his simple life. Fans were left waiting, but thankfully not for long, as Absolute Superman #15 revealed that Brainiac had abandoned Ra’s and Talia al Ghul’s Lazarus Corporation and was instead opting to strike a partnership with Lex Luthor.
Now, the reason Brainiac is obsessed with Luthor is because of Mirror Master. The Absolute Universe’s Mirror Master is one of the only people in this world who has learned about the Prime DC Universe’s existence (as seen in last year’s Free Comic Book Day Special). He shared that information with Brainiac, who believed that Lex has it in him to destroy Superman. Unfortunately, when the two meet in Absolute Superman #16, Brainiac is disappointed that Lex lacks the fire or bitterness of his Prime counterpart. But Brainiac believed that Lex simply lacked the proper motivation.
Absolute Superman #17 by Jason Aaron, Juan Ferreyra, and Becca Carey follows this plot to its natural, and unfortunate, conclusion. Brainiac has restrained Lex and forced him to watch as the villain tears through Lex’s family, friends, and neighbors. After finishing his horrifying work, Brainiac releases Lex, telling him that what happens next is up to him. Brainiac implores Luthor not to squander the ‘opportunity’ Brainiac has given him and to make himself ‘interesting’. Brainiac leaves Lex, saying they’ll meet again. But Lex can’t do anything other than sink to his knees and gaze at the carnage Brainiac left behind.
Brainiac Has No Idea What He’s Just Unleashed
When we discovered Absolute Lex, I didn’t know what direction they were going to take him in. I thought maybe he was going to be a normal-seeming family man who was hiding a dark secret. Instead, the creative team opted to have Lex as a nice and peaceful guy, only to take everything from him in the most disturbing way possible. Admittedly, it was a hell of a twist and one that fits the cruel nature of the Absolute Universe. But as we’ve learned, when everything else is taken from these characters, all that’s left is their absolute, core selves.
One of the things that fuels Lex is an intense hatred for aliens, and I don’t know what could spark that better than watching a monster like Brainiac murdering your entire family. Seeing such a thing is no doubt going to put Lex on a quest for revenge. He might not have LexCorp or anything, but the Prime Universe Lex was able to gain incredible power and influence with nothing more than his mind. I don’t know how, but I can tell Lex isn’t going to let this go. He’s going to want blood in every way imaginable.
It’ll be interesting to see where Lex goes from here. Thanks to Absolute Evil, we know that this world rewards those attuned to evil thanks to Darkseid’s influence via the Omega Particle. Perhaps now that he’s lost everything, he’ll turn to the darkness and gain what he needs to align him better with his Prime Universe self. I really hate seeing Lex go through something so horrifying, but I won’t lie, I’m quite curious to see where this takes him and what Absolute Lex Luthor will be like.
What do you think about Absolute Lex Luthor’s origin story? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
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