5 Best Fights Between Superman and Lex Luthor (Including 1 Where the Villain Won)

Superman and Lex Luthor have one of the most legendary rivalries in fiction. Superman is the strongest hero of all, and Luthor is the smartest villain to ever do it. They’re total opposites in nearly every way, yet still connect through shared experiences and feelings. Superman has always fought for the good of everyone, while Lex’s self-centeredness convinces him that he’s the hero and Superman is nothing more than an obstacle holding him and the world back. Their battle for the heart and soul of Metropolis has changed the course of DC’s history innumerable times over the years. Their clashes are always incredible, but when they’re at their best, their fights are legendary.

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Lex has been trying to kill Superman for over eighty years at this point, but the Man of Tomorrow has always stood against him. Today, we’re going to give the absolute greatest of all their fights their due and talk about what makes these five the pinnacle of their genre. These are some of the most epic, entertaining bouts in comic book history, and there’s even one where the villain walked away the victor. With all that said, let’s jump right into these superhuman battles.

5) Superman (1939) #164

In this legendary bout, Lex grew tired of constantly losing to Superman’s powers and challenged him to a duel on a planet with a red sun. Superman proved his better in boxing, but this wasn’t just a single scuffle. The two warred all over the planet, Luthor testing Superman’s intellect and ingenuity as he had to evade man-made and natural disasters. Lex even won the support of the locals, convincing them that he was a hero who could restore water to their home.

In the end, Lex had Superman at his mercy, but let him win so that the Man of Steel could bring water to the people. Lex won this battle, but for the first time, found something more important than his hatred of Superman. He found a calling as a hero, and that was an awesome development for his character. This is a foundational issue for Lex’s character, and a fantastic showcase that Superman is a major threat even without his powers.

4) Action Comics #840

The “Up, Up and Away!” storyline showed us Superman and Lex at their lowest. Clark has lost his powers, and Lex’s bank account was as empty as his public support. Where Clark enjoyed normal life, Lex went over the edge and decided to raze Metropolis to the ground with stolen Kryptonian technology. He commandeered General Zod’s old warship, while Clark’s powers slowly returned to him. Their battle nearly ripped Metropolis apart, with Superman needing to tear apart a mech-suit made from Kryptonite.

It all came down to Lex, with his technology broken, and Superman, with his powers depleted once again. In a fist-to-fist brawl that had clear call-backs to their first duel in Superman #164, Lex accused Superman of stealing Metropolis from him. This is Lex at his most obsessed, his most blinded by pure hate. He saw Superman as the living embodiment of all of his problems, while Superman saw Lex as the sad, listless man that he really was. This is the best example of Lex’s unrelenting rage, and what really makes him most mad: that Superman has everything Lex could ever want, and that Superman will never lose to Lex. Superman didn’t steal anything from Lex, but everything Lex craved was given to him.

3) All-Star Superman #12

This legendary tale had Lex finally succeed in killing Superman by poisoning him with overexposure to solar radiation. In his final days, Superman made a formula for Lois to experience what it was like to have powers. Lex stole that formula and recreated it, giving himself all of Superman’s powers, while the Man of Steel was struggling to cling to life. Lex took his time taunting and demeaning Superman, while Superman kept pelting him with his Gravity Gun. Lex had Superman dead to rights, ready to declare himself ruler of the world, when something interesting happened.

Lex saw how Superman saw the world. How every beautiful, messy, and insane thing was connected and how it all worked together to create a song of life. Then, thanks to gravity affecting his metabolism and time, his powers ran out. Lex, as is his fatal flaw, blamed Superman instead of taking the moment to think about his situation. He could have everything and truly save the world, but he refuses to do anything but hate Superman, and that is his downfall. Superman dismisses Lex like he doesn’t even matter, because to him, Lex is just one more sick man he’s trying to save. This is one of their most intense fights, and it shows us Lex’s greatest weakness alongside Superman’s great kindness.

2) Superman: Birthright #12

This fight was far from Superman and Lex’s most climactic bout. In fact, Lex and Superman hardly fought at all. The mad genius sent robots and atomatons to destroy the Man of Steel alongside his public image, but Superman battled through them all and saved the day. Lex had spent the entire comic trying to pry open a time portal with Kryptonite, obsessed with the idea that there was a greater civilization out there that was calling to him. Instead, it was the last moments of Krypton, and Superman saw his parents. Superman easily carted Lex off to jail.

This battle wasn’t great because it was big or eye-catching, but because it touched on a piece of Lex’s character that goes so overlooked. Lex is a sad, lonely man. He doesn’t know how to connect to other people, so he spends every day finding a way to fit in. To him, that means either ruling or finding a people as smart as he is, so he can be accepted. Lex is a man driven by a need to fill a void in his heart, and Superman is the only person who sees it and cares enough to help him. Even if Lex denies him at every turn, Superman will never stop trying. This fight shows us everything that makes both men tick.

1) Action Comics #900

This was the final Lex Luthor-focused story before the New 52, and what a way to go out. The entire “Black Ring” saga is one of Superman’s greatest and most underrated works. After Lex attained an Orange Lantern Ring, he set about amassing even greater power and finally wiping Superman away once and for all. He merged with a being from the Phantom Zone, granting him virtually unlimited power. He could rewrite reality on a whim and finally fix the Earth like he always gloated he would do if Superman was out of the way. Seeing the good that Lex could do, even Superman supported him and told him to help everyone.

Of course, such power comes with a catch. Try as he might, Lex literally could not kill Superman. The only stipulation to his might was that he had to use his powers exclusively for altruistic purposes. Lex could be the man he always promised he was at heart, save everyone, and all he had to do was let Superman live in peace. All he had to do was let go of his hatred. Lex, of course, did not, and lost his godhood. This is the fundamental difference between Superman and Lex. Superman is the person who will always do the right thing, while Lex will always do the selfish thing. He could be such a great man, but he’s always blinded by his hate.

Which Superman-Lex Luthor battle is your favorite? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!