Lionel Luthor: Difference between revisions

In 1989, Lionel visits Smallville to buy the [[Pete Ross|Ross Creamed Corn company]] immediately before a meteor shower occurs. Twelve years later during [[Smallville (season 1)|season one]], Lionel exiles his son Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) to Smallville to run [[LuthorCorp]]'s local fertilizer plant as a test.<ref name="Pilot ep">{{cite episode|title=Pilot|series=Smallville|credits=[[Alfred Gough]], [[Miles Millar]] (writers) & [[David Nutter]] (director)|network=The WB|airdate=October 16, 2001|season=1|number=1|minutes=42}}</ref> When Lex makes a profit for the first time in years, Lionel closes the plant and blames Lex's poor managerial skills. Lionel later confronts his son at the Luthor mansion when Lex tries to orchestrate an employee buyout to save the fertilizer plant. When strong winds force debris to smash through the mansion, Lionel is pinned under a fallen support beam and Lex hesitates to save his father.<ref name="Tempest ep">{{cite episode|title=[[Tempest (Smallville)|Tempest]]|series=Smallville|credits=Philip Levens, Alfred Gough (writers) & Greg Beeman (director)|network=[[The WB Television Network|The WB]]|airdate=May 21, 2002|season=1|number=21}}</ref> In [[Smallville (season 2)|Seasonseason two]], Lex saves Lionel but loses his sight because of Lex's judgment to rush into surgery.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Vortex|series=Smallville|credits=Alfred Gough, Miles Millar (writer) & Greg Beeman (director)|network=The WB|airdate=September 24, 2002|season=2|number=1}}</ref> Lionel is initially shown as blind. Lex and Lucas Luthor ([[Paul Wesley|Paul Wasilewski]])—Lionel's illegitimate son—devise a plan to uncover Lionel's deception; it is revealed that Lionel was blind but that his eyes healed and he intentionally neglected to tell anyone so he could watch how they acted around him.<ref name="Prodigal ep">{{cite episode|title=Prodigal|series=Smallville|credits=Brian Peterson, Kelly Souders (writers) & Greg Beeman (director)|network=The WB|airdate=February 11, 2003|season=2|number=15}}</ref> Lionel is later aware of the Kawatche caves and tries to unlock the mysterious symbols there, to the dismay of Clark Kent (Tom Welling).<ref name="Accelerate ep">{{cite episode|title=Accelerate|series=Smallville|credits=Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer (writers) & James Marshall (director)|network=The WB|airdate=May 6, 2003|season=2|number=21}}</ref> [[Smallville (season 3)|Season three]] revealed that Lionel conspired with [[Morgan Edge]] ([[Rutger Hauer]]) to murder Lionel's parents and use the insurance money to fund LuthorCorp. Lionel has Lex committed to a mental institution, when his son discovers what Lionel did.<ref name="Shattered ep">{{cite episode|title=Shattered|series=Smallville|credits=Kenneth Biller (writer & director)|network=The WB|airdate=November 19, 2003|season=3|number=8}}</ref> When [[Chloe Sullivan]] ([[Allison Mack]]) discovers the truth,<ref name="Truth">{{cite episode|title=Truth|series=Smallville|credits=Drew Greenberg (writer) & James Marshall (director)|network=[[The WB Television Network|The WB]]|airdate=April 21, 2004|season=3|number=18}}</ref> that evidence is used to assist Lex have Lionel arrested for his parents' murder.<ref name="Forsaken ep">{{cite episode|title=Forsaken|series=Smallville|credits=Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson (writers) & Terrence O'Hara (director)|network=[[The WB Television Network|The WB]]|airdate=May 12, 2004|season=3|number=21}}</ref> It's also revealed why Lionel is angry with Lex; he blames his son for the death of his youngest son Julian Luthor, although Lex took the blame to protect the true killer: Lillian ([[Alisen Down]]), Lionel's mentally unwell wife.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Memoria|series=Smallville|credits=Miles Millar, Alfred Gough (writers) and Miles Millar (director)|network=The WB|airdate=April 28, 2004|season=3|number=19}}</ref> Lionel also learns that he has a terminal liver disease,<ref name="Crisis ep">{{cite episode|title=Crisis|series=Smallville|credits=Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson (writers) & Ken Biller (director)|network=The WB|airdate=March 3, 2004|season=3|number=16}}</ref> which he divulges to Lex while awaiting arraignment.<ref name="Covenant ep">{{cite episode|title=Covenant|series=Smallville|credits=Miles Millar, Alfred Gough (writers) & Greg Beeman (director)|network=The WB|airdate=May 19, 2004|season=3|number=22|minutes=42}}</ref>

Lionel is sentenced to prison for his parents' murder in [[Smallville (season 4)|season four]].<ref name="Gone">{{cite episode|title=Gone|series=Smallville|credits=Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson (writers) & Greg Beeman (director)|network=[[The WB Television Network|The WB]]|airdate=September 29, 2004|season=4|number=2}}</ref> Lionel attempts to switch bodies with Lex using a stone from Clark's homeworld of [[Krypton (comics)|Krypton]] but Clark intervenes and Lionel switches bodies with Clark instead. When he and Clark switch back, Lionel discovers his terminal liver disease is healed.<ref name="Transference ep">{{cite episode|title=Transference|series=Smallville|credits=Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer (writers) & James Marshall (director)|network=The WB|airdate=October 27, 2004|season=4|number=6}}</ref> Lionel is released from prison by Genevieve Teague ([[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]]), and begins searching for three stones of knowledge. During this quest, Lionel falls into a catatonic state after being uploaded with [[Kryptonian]] knowledge.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Commencement|series=Smallville|credits=Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer (writers) & Greg Beeman (director)|network=The WB|airdate=May 18, 2005|season=4|number=22}}</ref> Lionel recovers in [[Smallville (season 5)|season five]] when the Kryptonian [[artificial intelligence]] [[Jor-El]] takes over his body to speak with Clark.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Hidden|series=Smallville|credits=Kelly Souders, Brian Peterson (writers) & Whitney Ransick (director)|network=The WB|airdate=October 13, 2005|season=5|number=3}}</ref> With Jor-El guiding him, Lionel begins helping Clark by making excuses for Clark's behavior and unexplained disappearances throughout seasons five and [[Smallville (season 6)|six]].<ref name="Mercy ep">{{cite episode|title=Mercy|series=Smallville|credits=Steven S. DeKnight (writer) & James Marshall (director)|network=The WB|airdate=April 20, 2006|season=5|number=19}}</ref> [[Smallville (season 7)|Season seven]] revealed that Lionel and three other wealthy families formed the secret society Veritas to protect an alien visitor known as the Traveler (Clark). When the secret is uncovered, Lex murdersrealized his father, realizing heLionel has been covering up the Traveler's existence and murders his father.<ref name="Descent ep">{{cite episode|title=Descent|series=Smallville|credits=Don Whitehead, Holly Henderson (writers) & Ken Horton (director)|network=The CW|airdate=April 17, 2008|season=7|number=16}}</ref> [[Smallville (season 10)|Season ten]] reveals that [[Tess Mercer]] ([[Cassidy Freeman]]) is Lionel's illegitimate daughter fathered with Pamela Jenkins ([[Donna Bullock (actress)|Donna Bullock]]).<ref>{{cite episode|title=Abandoned|series=Smallville|credits=Drew Landis & Julia Swift (writers) and Kevin Fair (director)|network=The CW|airdate=November 10, 2010|season=10|number=8}}</ref>

Season ten featured an alternate doppelgänger of the character when Clark unintentionally visits thea [[Earth-Two|parallel universe of Earth-2]] in season ten where Lionel found and adopted Clark's [[Clark Luthor|doppelgänger]] to be a murderer, and going by the alias of [[Ultraman (DC Comics)|Ultraman]] who kills anyone including that universe's Lex,before escaping back to his own reality but is followed by Lionel.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Luthor|series=Smallville|credits=Bryan Miller (writer) and Kelly Souder (director)|network=The CW|airdate=December 3, 2010|season=10|number=10}}</ref> PosingLionel posed as his own doppelgänger, theas alternatehe Lionelassumes triescontrol toof makeLuthorCorp amendsfrom whenTess heand attempts twice to bringgroom [[Superboy (Kon-El)|"Alexander Luthor"/Conner Kent]] ([[Lucas Grabeel]]) to his side. However, aLionel fails to bring the hybrid clone of Clark and Lex that develops Clark's powers, to his side but fails. Lionel also assumes control of LuthorCorp from Tess butand loses the company when his doppelgänger's daughterTess proves he is's an imposter. However, he has already embezzled a large amount of money from LuthorCorp. At his nadir, Lionel is approached by the evil alien entity [[Darkseid]].<ref>{{cite episode|title=Beacon|series=Smallville|credits=Don Whitehead & Holly Henderson (writers) and [[Michael Rohl|Mike Rohl]] (director)|network=The CW|airdate=February 1, 2010|season=10|number=13}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=Scion|series=Smallville|credits=Al Septien & Turi Meyer (writers) and Al Septien (director)|network=The CW|airdate=March 4, 2011|season=10|number=16}}</ref> In theThe series finale, it is revealed that the alternate Lionel discovers a clone of Lex, created from the pieces of others, hidden away. He then founded the genetic research company PreClox as he embezzled a large amount of money from LuthorCorp to assist Lex's scientists. A compatible heart could not be found among Lex's replicates and Lionel tries to give Tess's heart to Lex, but Tess shoots Lionel and escapes. Lionel then surrenders his soul to [[Darkseid]], giving Lionel's heart to the clone, effectively resurrecting Lex. AfterwardAfterwards, Darkseid possesses Lionel's corpse to attack Clark, but Clarkwho destroys Lionel's body, dispelling Darkseid's threat.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Finale|series=Smallville|credits=Al Septien, Turi Meyers, Brian Peterson, & Kelly Souders (writers) Kevin G. Fair & Greg Beeman (director)|network=The CW|airdate=May 13, 2011|season=10|number=21}}</ref>

* The character was mentioned several times by Lex, though unnamed, in many titles seen in ''[[The New 52]]''. He officially appeared as Lionel Luthor in a flashback scene during ''[[DC Rebirth]]'', along with his wife, Leticia.<ref>''Superwoman'' #6. DC Comics.</ref>