Superman Through the Ages! Forum

Here's a question I haven't seen answered: How old should Lex Luthor be in relation to Superman?

Should he be roughly the same age as Superman, like he was post-1960 all the way up until the Crisis? Should he be much older, such as in the forties and fifties? Or should he be only slightly older (perhaps eight years older) than Superman?

It might not seem like an important question, but Luthor's age (or, rather, how old he APPEARED to be) seemed to change a lot. Just what is everyone's ideal age for Luthor in relation to Superman?

While it has been clearly established that Clark Kent and Lex Luthor were in the same grade at school, it is quite possible that Lex had been "left back" during his delinquent days before moving to Smallville.  It is also quite possible that he skipped a few grades owing to his brilliance.  Regardless, Superman and Lex are relatively the same age, I would say, give or take 1-2 years.  

Of course, Kryptonians may age differently than Earthlings.

Yes, that was clearly presented in the Silver/Bronze Age. But I'm asking what age you'd WANT them to be in relation to each other. Ignoring actual continuity--past or present--how old would they be ideally? Does it work better for Luthor to be roughly Clark's age or should he be older?

Oh --they are already ideal to me! cONTEMPORARY.

Luthor and Superman shouldn't be radically different in age. In fact, the whole SMALLVILLE thing where Luthor is a college graduate when Superman is in High School is far, far too much for me.

Superman and Luthor should be friends and/or rivals as equals, not with one having vastly more life experience than the other.

At the same time, Luthor's look was pretty much nailed by Curt Swan. Superman and Lex are the same age...it's just that Lex looks like hell.

Yes, he looks like he needs to hit the gym, but he shouldn't since I don't know of too many scientists with ripped abs. They have better things to worry about.

Perhaps it's because he constantly obsesses over Superman? Heck, with all the stress Lex is always under I sometimes wonder if his hair wouldn't have fell out naturally.  :)

I think Luthor was originally drawn as an older man because that's how all mad scientists were drawn in those days...as older (preferably bald) guys in lab coats.  Heck, he's just lucky he got off without the obligatory goatee!

Generally I think if you're going to make an arch enemy older than the hero, there should be some point to it.  For example, the James Bond villains, at least in the early days, tended to be older than 007 because it helped make them more formidable, more omnipotent and thus more of a challenge to overcome.  Plus, there was the subtext of Bond, the younger, more vital and sensual character, going up against the villains, an older, more intellectual and emotionally cold (or plain twisted) lot.

With Superman, I don't think that's what's at work.  Luthor evolved in the Silver and Bronze Ages into a character motivated by jealousy and resentment, and for all the Iron Age changes, he remains that (just nastier) today.  In that regard, I think it works better to have him be a contemporary of Superman.  After all, nothing inspires jealousy in a man like looking at another man his age who's accomplished more.  Constantly seeing Superman get the attention Lex craves is maddening enough.  Seeing him hold his looks while Lex loses his hair, puts on weight and gets crow's feet would add insult to injury.

Honestly, much as I love most aspects of the Superboy mythos, I could easily do without the Smallville "origin" for Lex's vendetta.  But in general I think Unlce Morty's bullpen was on the right track making the two roughly the same age.

Plus, he just looks so cool in that purple spandex battle suit!  Can't pull that off when you're 60!

Actually prior to 1960 Luthor's age was never even mentioned.  An overweight bald man usually tends to look older than he really is.  I also prefer Lex & Kal being about the same age.

Actually, for a scientist, Luthor is in very good shape, having spent most of his adult life breaking rocks, working on chain gangs, and working out in prison gyms/weight rooms.

Hey, remember the true golden age Luther, (not the Earth-2 one) who had fangs? Now he was pure evil  :twisted:

Ah yes, the one that craved the Powerstone. He did look pretty cool.

I don't think the Smallville origin is essential, either. At least not the "failed experiment turns Luthor bald" part. Maggin made that origin believable by adding well written subtext to it, but a large degree of fans probably would (and do) overlook that. Still, you could always have the two in Smallville without that origin--Superboy and Lex start out as friends, Superboy gets more attention, Lex begins to hate him. Kind of like Darius Dax from Supreme. Lex could always lose his hair later--maybe naturally.


Agreed. Imagining a 60+ Luthor in spandex is the stuff nightmares are made of--not a pretty picture.