DC Unveils Lex Luthor God-Tier Redesign For Superman's New Appearance

Published Aug 26, 2026, 11:45 PM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Sign in to your ScreenRant account DC Comics have always had a particularly strong grasp on the various heroes and villains in its mythos, and how their concepts mix surprisingly well to create thrilling new iterations. It can create surprising spins on iconic supervillain nemeses to create frightening new ways to combat their greatest enemies, such as arming traditional evil masterminds with alien or even magical tech. Such can certainly also be said about Marvel with Doctor Doom's time as Sorcerer Supreme, but there's certainly something to be said about DC's Elseworlds take on Lex Luthor as he becomes a horrifically powerful spellcaster to take on Superman. As shown in Superman: Father of Tomorrow, the story's alternate take on Earth features Jor-El, instead of his son Kal-El, crashing in Kansas before ultimately taking on his superhero identity. But Jor-El, or Jordan as he's known by his adoptive siblings Jonathan and Martha Kent, is far more tech-savvy with a keener eye on prepping contingencies against his classic Kryptonite weakness than Clark Kent ever was in the mainline series. As his refusal to share Krypton tech drives the resentment of his world's Lex Luthor to a breaking point, the budding villain takes a different approach to level the playing field, with his efforts to learn and master magic resulting in one of the Superman villain's most epic costume redesigns ever. Superman's Lex Luthor Gets Incredible Magic-Themed Costume Redesign Not one to settle for anything other than absolute excellence, Lex Luthor quickly sought out masters of magic, the occult, and otherwise supernatural powers as he ultimately scaled the Tower of Fate to meet with Kent Nelson. This meant successfully duping legendary con-artist John Constantine, meeting with Swamp Thing, and various other darker elements of the DC universe, including Etrigan the Demon, Zatanna, Deadman, Raven, and more. But even as Nelson tries to warn the others about his concerns, namely about Luthor's thirst for magical knowledge stemming from his desire for vengeance against Superman, it's too late, as Luthor takes down Doctor Fate and seizes his helmet. But even with his magic and form the way it was upon seizing the Helmet of Fate, and being told he'd be unable to use it in his current state, Luthor uses what's learned so far to warp the helmet into a sword, bringing the offensive prowess he's learned to the forefront. With Superman having already created an answer to Kryptonite after previous fights against the Atomic Skull, he didn't necessarily have the same preparations in place for magic, another traditional weakness of Kryptonians. Soon enough, Lex Luthor, under his new moniker Hex Luthor, joins a growing challenge to Jor-El's place as Earth's defender in Superman: Father of Tomorrow #4. Jor-El Is Facing A Multi-Front Rejection By Former Allies Including Hex Luthor With issue #3 mixing in Commander Lane's surveillance plot and twisting of Superman's recorded words to shatter the world's trust in him, himself taking on the Captain Atom mantle and unleashing the emerging W.I.L.D.C.A.T.S. as a covert strike team, Superman's in real trouble. This pits powerful adversaries across a spectrum of supernatural, cosmic, and martial talents against Jor-El, with Hex Luthor's magic easily being the most volatile danger of all. But it's not necessarily guaranteed to be a fully cooperative team effort to take down Superman in this case. Alongside Captain Atom, Superman: Father of Tomorrow's W.I.L.D.C.A.T.S. team features the following: Grifter Green Lantern Void Deathstroke Zealot G.I. Robot Mk. II Rather than present an Earthling-based united front against a Kryptonian threat they believe is too withholding of his tech and slowing Earth's development, Hex Luthor instantly kills the armored Green Lantern on Atom's team. Putting a dark spin on the corps' iconic old weakness to the color yellow, Luthor uses Golden Hellfire powers he learned during his magical studies to bypass the unnamed hero's defenses, releasing his Ring to find a new bearer, while declaring himself ruler of the realm. Metropolis · Daily Planet Edition SupermanTrivia Challenge 🌏OriginsLast son ☠VillainsKneel! ⚡PowersInvincible 🎥FilmsBelieve 💫LegacyHope UP, UP AND AWAY! → 01 Before he was Clark Kent, Superman was born Kal-El on a distant planet doomed to destruction. His parents Jor-El and Lara placed him in a rocket ship as an infant, sending him across the cosmos to Earth. What is the name of Superman’s home planet? AThanagar BKrypton CApokolips DOa ✓ Correct! Krypton was a scientifically advanced planet that exploded due to its unstable core. Jor-El, Superman’s father, was the only scientist who foresaw the catastrophe and managed to save his son by launching him toward Earth in a small spacecraft. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Krypton. Thanagar is Hawkman’s homeworld, Apokolips is Darkseid’s domain, and Oa is the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps. Krypton’s destruction is the defining event of Superman’s origin story. NEXT → 02 Superman’s greatest love is a fearless, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who works alongside Clark Kent at the Daily Planet. She’s known for her relentless pursuit of the truth and for being one of the few people who sees both the hero and the man. Who is she? ADiana Prince BLana Lang CLois Lane DCat Grant ✓ Correct! Lois Lane has been Superman’s primary love interest since her debut in Action Comics #1 in 1938. A brilliant investigative reporter, she’s as iconic as Superman himself — tough, smart, and unafraid to chase the biggest stories in Metropolis. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lois Lane. Diana Prince is Wonder Woman, Lana Lang is Clark’s high school sweetheart from Smallville, and Cat Grant is a gossip columnist at the Daily Planet. Lois Lane is Superman’s iconic partner. NEXT → 03 Despite being nearly invulnerable under Earth’s yellow sun, Superman has one famous weakness — a radioactive mineral from the remnants of his destroyed homeworld. Exposure to it drains his powers and can even kill him. What is this substance called? AKryptonite BVibranium CNth Metal DRed Sun Ore ✓ Correct! Kryptonite is the irradiated remnants of planet Krypton. Green Kryptonite is the most common and deadly variety, but there are many other types — Red Kryptonite causes unpredictable behavior, Gold Kryptonite can permanently strip his powers, and Blue Kryptonite affects Bizarro. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Kryptonite. Vibranium is from Marvel’s Black Panther universe, Nth Metal is tied to Hawkman, and Red Sun Ore isn’t a real DC substance. Kryptonite is the iconic green-glowing mineral that is Superman’s ultimate weakness. NEXT → 04 In 1978, a then-unknown actor donned the cape and made the world believe a man could fly. His portrayal of Superman became the gold standard for superhero films and he starred in four Superman movies. Who is this legendary actor? AHenry Cavill BBrandon Routh CTom Welling DChristopher Reeve ✓ Correct! Christopher Reeve’s portrayal in Superman: The Movie (1978) is widely regarded as the definitive live-action Superman. His performance perfectly balanced the heroic confidence of Superman with the endearing clumsiness of Clark Kent, setting the template every Superman actor has followed since. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Christopher Reeve. Henry Cavill played Superman in the DCEU starting with Man of Steel (2013), Brandon Routh starred in Superman Returns (2006), and Tom Welling played young Clark in TV’s Smallville. Reeve was the original big-screen Superman. NEXT → 05 Superman’s greatest enemy isn’t a superpowered alien — he’s a brilliant, ruthless human billionaire who believes Superman is a threat to humanity’s potential. This bald-headed genius has been Superman’s archenemy for over 80 years. Who is he? ABrainiac BLex Luthor CDarkseid DDoomsday ✓ Correct! Lex Luthor is the ultimate foil to Superman — where Superman represents hope and selflessness, Luthor represents ambition and ego. Despite having no superpowers, his genius-level intellect and vast resources make him Superman’s most persistent and dangerous adversary. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Lex Luthor. Brainiac is an alien android who collects cities, Darkseid is the god-like ruler of Apokolips, and Doomsday is the monster who famously killed Superman. But Lex Luthor is the definitive archenemy — Superman’s dark mirror. NEXT → 06 After crash-landing on Earth as a baby, Kal-El was found and adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, a kind farming couple. They raised him with strong moral values in a small rural town. Where did Clark Kent grow up? AGotham City BMetropolis CSmallville, Kansas DCoast City ✓ Correct! Smallville, Kansas is the quintessential American small town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark with heartland values of honesty, compassion, and humility. It’s the foundation of who Superman is — not the powers from Krypton, but the character instilled by his Kansas parents. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is Smallville, Kansas. Gotham is Batman’s city, Metropolis is where Clark moves as an adult to work at the Daily Planet, and Coast City is Green Lantern’s home. Smallville is where the Kents raised Clark on their farm. NEXT → 07 As Clark Kent, Superman disguises himself as a mild-mannered reporter working at Metropolis’s most famous newspaper, alongside Lois Lane and photographer Jimmy Olsen. Their editor-in-chief Perry White runs the newsroom. What is the name of this newspaper? ADaily Planet BDaily Bugle CMetropolis Star DGotham Gazette ✓ Correct! The Daily Planet, with its iconic globe on the rooftop, is one of the most recognizable fictional newspapers in pop culture. Working there gives Clark Kent both a cover identity and a way to stay informed about threats to the city and the world. ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is the Daily Planet. The Daily Bugle is Spider-Man’s Marvel universe newspaper, the Metropolis Star and Gotham Gazette are lesser DC publications. The Daily Planet — with its spinning globe — is Superman’s journalistic home. NEXT → 08 This Kryptonian military commander was banished to the Phantom Zone for treason before Krypton’s destruction. He escaped and came to Earth seeking vengeance, famously demanding that others “Kneel before” him. His iconic portrayal by Terence Stamp cemented him in pop culture. Who is this villain? ABizarro BParasite CMetallo DGeneral Zod ✓ Correct! General Zod is one of Superman’s most terrifying foes because he has all of Superman’s powers but none of his morality. Terence Stamp’s portrayal in Superman II (1980) made “Kneel before Zod” one of the most quoted villain lines in film history. Michael Shannon later reimagined the role in Man of Steel (2013). ✗ Not faster than a speeding bullet on that one! The answer is General Zod. Bizarro is a flawed clone of Superman, Parasite drains powers through touch, and Metallo is a cyborg with a Kryptonite heart. General Zod is the Kryptonian military leader whose cry of “Kneel before Zod!” echoes through decades of Superman stories. REVEAL MY SCORE → Mission Complete Your Kryptonian Record / 8 Are you the Man of Steel — or still stuck in a phone booth? ↻ FLY AGAIN Whether this means Atom and his team will be brought to bend the knee against the radically-changed Luthor, or if they hope Superman is willing to fight their obvious common enemy, remains to be seen with the release of Superman: Father of Tomorrow #5 on September 23. Movie(s) Superman, Superman II, Superman III, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Superman Returns, Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Superman, Man of Tomorrow TV Show(s) Adventures of Superman, Superman, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, Superman: The Animated Series, My Adventures With Superman Comic Superman (2023) First Film Superman Genres Superhero, Action Cast Christopher Reeve, David Corenswet, Brandon Routh, Henry Cavill, Tom Welling, Tyler Hoechlin, Margot Kidder, Rachel Brosnahan, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, Gene Hackman, Nicholas Hoult, Kevin Spacey, Jesse Eisenberg