5 Marvel Villains Who Would Be Sorry They Underestimated Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor is one of the most important villains in the history of comics. Luthor is one of those characters who has been a major part of every era of comics, the perfect supervillain chameleon. Old school Luthor was the basic evil genius supervillain, eventually taking the place of the Ultra-Humanite as the perfect mad scientist and Superman’s arch-nemesis. Silver Age Luthor was the exemplar of Silver Age villainy, an arrogant force of evil obsessed with destroying the Man of Steel. The Bronze Age was more of the same and Crisis on Infinite Earths heralded his change to the evil businessman, the form that he’s been in 40 years, which has found a way to incorporate aspects of the rest of them, creating a character that has reached a new level, which is surprising since he was already at the top.

Lex may not have any superpowers, but he’s one of the most intelligent people in the entire universe, allowing him to even up the odds with anyone. He’s battled the most powerful heroes and villains in the DC Multiverse, proving to them how formidable he is. Even if you shunted Luthor over to Marvel Comics, he would be just as successful, especially against some of the villains. Even the most powerful ones would fall before Lex, not believing he would be any threat to them. These five Marvel villains would underestimate Lex Luthor, and he would make them sorry for it.

5) The Leader

The Hulk faces some powerful villains, but his most dangerous enemy is easily the Leader. Samuel Sterns was a janitor at Gamma Base with learning disabilities and was exposed to gamma radiation. However, instead of becoming a gamma-powered musclebound monster, he became one of the most intelligent people on the planet. He’s shown a variety of mental powers over the years, but he’s more known for the technology he creates and the plans he makes. The Leader looks down on everyone, so he would definitely see Lex as less than him. After all, Luthor is a normal human and Sterns is a gamma-powered mutate. He’ll immediately think he was smarter than Lex, which would be a huge problem for him. Luthor is used to dealing with enemies who are powered by other energy sources; in fact, gamma energy has proven to be rather easy to drain off and that’s just one way that Lex could mess with his fellow super-genius villain. The Leader can be a tough cookie, but Lex is on another level. He’d be able to outsmart Sterns and figure out a way to use him and his tech against Superman.

4) Apocalypse

Apocalypse is having another cultural moment thanks to X-Men ’97, reminding the world just how dangerous the mutant conqueror is. En Sabah Nur has all of the advantages over nearly everyone he fights. His mutants powers give him complete control over his molecular structure, super strength and durability, energy powers, and mental abilities, all of which is enhanced by Celestial technology. His armor is made of the same stuff as the Celestials’, meaning that it’s basically impenetrable. He’s a crafty, powerful villain and Lex Luthor would wipe the floor with him. Apoc has more experience, but Lex is light years smarter. He’d be able to invent an mutant power inhibitor system rather easily, but even without that, Lex is going to win. Apocalypse is going to take one look at this bald, non-powered human and think that this was about to a cake walk. However, Lex is someone who usually fights against Superman; his robots and technology are made to survive someone way more powerful than the Egyptian mutant. He’s smart but Lex is smarter.

3) Red Skull

Red Skull is Marvel’s most irredeemable villain, a complete and total monster. Johann Schmidt never a good person; his first kill was a young Jewish girl who had a crush on him. Adolf Hitler saw something in the kid and took him in, creating the ultimate Nazi. Red Skull was so dangerous, the US created an entire supersoldier program to fight him. Since then, he’s led Hydra and kept the Nazi nightmare alive, eventually having his mind put into a clone of Steve Roger’s supersoldier-enhanced body. Red Skull is known for coming up with the most dangerous plans ever, complicated schemes that often keep his foes guessing til the end. Skull wouldn’t have much fear of Lex; he’d see him as some kind of soft businessman who could be manipulated and used. Luthor would play along just long enough to learn everything about Skull and his mission before using all of that to destroy the Nazi. Skull is smart and crafty, but he doesn’t have anything on Luthor.

2) Loki

Loki has long been one of the most dangerous gods in the Marvel Universe. While they are now the God of Stories and less overtly evil than they once were (sure, they killed Thor at the end of Immortal Thor #25, but I’m pretty sure there’s something more to that than their longtime grudge), Loki is still a villain not to be underestimated. They’ve always been one of the most skilled magic users around and is gifted with amazing strength and durability. Loki often looks down on humanity and they would do the same with Lex. They would see him as just another piece on the board to use and that would be a massive mistake. Lex Luthor is no one’s piece and would make Loki pay for their hubris. While the God of Stories does have the experience and power advantage on Lex, they can’t match the sheer intelligence that Luthor brings to the table. He knows how to deal with arrogant gods and would make short work of the Asgardian.

1) Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom is in a league all his own. He’s the total villainous package and he and Lex have a lot in common. Both of them are super-intelligent men with power who have a burning hatred for one of the most important people on the planet. Both of them have an inordinate amount of power in the world. Both of them wear armor that has a lot of green. When it comes down to arrogance, though, Doom has Lex beaten, which would be a huge problem. Doom is known for constantly underestimating his foes and he would do the same with Lex. Victor wouldn’t see Luthor as a threat that could even harm a hair on his burned head and that would allow Metropolis’s greatest businessman to outwit the Latverian monarch. Doom would believe that he held all the cards and would be shocked to find that Lex set him up so perfectly. Doom isn’t used to being on the receiving end of this sort of thing, but Luthor would make it happen.

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