Lex Luthor

Alexander Joseph Luthor, also known as Lex Luthor, is one of the major characters from the DC comics.

Lex Luthor, Superman's arch-nemesis, is one of the most brilliant men alive, whose hatred of "interfering aliens" pushes him down the path of a sociopath. Known for his "ends justifies the means" approach to life, his single-minded and often brutal focus puts him at odds with The Man of Steel.

Personality
Luthor is commonly seen as a power-hungry and sadistic villain of pure evil. His sole ambition in life is to destroy Superman so that he can become humanity's rightful champion.

Luthor was already antisocial and bitter during his childhood. Having endured continuous abuse from his father and mother, Luthor murdered them and made their deaths look like an accident. Since then, Luthor has become more and more ruthless, seeing people as tools to be manipulated or as enemies to be destroyed. His hatred grew even more when Superman first appeared, as Luthor believed the people of Metropolis had replaced him for Superman as the city's saviour. Swearing vengeance on Superman, Luthor has tried to destroy the Man of Steel for an eternity.

For all his attempts to destroy Superman, Luthor sees himself as a hero and Superman as a villain. He believes Superman's heroic acts are an obstacle for human progress. Luthor has stated on many occasions that after he destroys Superman, he will work towards the betterment of mankind. However, Superman has proven that Luthor will not keep this supposed promise, noting that Luthor did nothing during Superman's year-long absence after his fight with Superboy-Prime but find an old Kryptonian warship to break things (As well as the self-sabotaged 'Everyman' project).

Luthor's primary handicap in facing Superman and other heroes has always been his arrogance. As he fundamentally defines himself by his opposition to Superman, he believes that the reverse is also true, convinced that most of Superman's actions are simply to prove that he is 'better' than Luthor, incapable of recognising how Superman and other heroes would do good for the sake of it.

Despite his crimes, Luthor has established an image as a wealthy philanthropist and manages to maintain a notable political popularity.

Abilities
Lex Luthor is not a metahuman, but is an intellectual genius, one of the smartest people on the planet, often (usually by himself) said to be able to turn the world into a Utopia free of crime a sickness if not for his obsession with beating Superman.

Lex however suffers from a self-obsessed and narcissistic personality that causes him to lack empathy with the rest of humanity. Lex blames Superman for the world not recognizing his status as the greatest person alive.

He has a ruthless streak evidenced by the sheer number of people he has either had killed or ruined over the years to get him where he is today. Also, as Superboy witnessed first hand, Luthor actually cares very little about even those closest to him, when the Boy of Steel called him out on his intellectual callousness after finding Lex's sister as a wheelchair-bound woman in Smallville. Lex cured her easily, but quickly removed the effects of his cure while saying; "Lex giveth, Lex taketh away."

Weapons and Equipment
Lex Luthor has been known to use a variety of weapons and inventions of his own making, especially those made of Kryptonite. He has also used various battle suits of his own creation that allows him to go for extended bouts with the likes of Superman and other superhumans.

Trivia

 * Lex Luthor self-identifies as an atheist.
 * Luthor wears reading glasses, as shown in "Metropolis - 900 Mi."