President Lex Luthor: A Painfully Prophetic Story

[@sael91]

How did Superman go from locking abusive coal mine owners in one of their own mines to teach them a lesson about worker safety in his earliest days, to half a century or so later being a journalist who's so afraid of doing something improper that he won't do something as simple as make a political endorsement against literally a supervillain's presidential candidacy? Like, obviously the answer is different writers for a different audience in a different time, at least in part, but the side by side contrast between that classic Superman and the one we see here is striking. I don't think the character in this story is a bad person, not at all, but his hesitancy to take even the mildest preemptive action to stop a social disaster leaves him feeling uninspiring as a hero to admire.

[@joncarroll2040]

Short answer: WWII turned him into an instrument of propaganda and tied him to the status quo.

[@Mgauge]

The answer is writers and editors scared of right wing backlash for taking too much of a stand against real issues.

[@lionboi2]

To be fair, Lex was not a known supervillain at the time-his character had been reworked to a behind the scenes manipulator and was publicly known as a humanitarian businessman with immense charitable contributions and the sort of dark rumors only readers knew were fully justified. Crisis had really whitewashed him to more of as Kingpin knockoff than a costumed menace.

[@zayindarkmore1616]

Damn they made my boy an ineffectual liberal. Glad Absolute Superman is back to fighting against corrupt and harmful businesses even when they’re legal but simply horribly unethical.

[@PrincessOzaline]

It's interesting cause when they later had a comic about Superhero endorsements DC comics Decisions Clark still feels that way.

[@dabluflcn]

You know it’s fiction when the criminal autocrat doing criminal things means people wake up to it and hold him responsible.

[@SidheKnight]

True. If that happened to Lex in the real world, people would go "well at least he's not woke" and vote for him again.

[@richardhunter132]

Trumpists would be "woah, based!"

[@heavysystemsinc.]

This isn't like reality at all. Lex actually talks and sounds like a relatively educated person.

[@GuzRoca]

Lex has the biggest highest most IQ brain

[@koenvandiepen7651]

Also in this comic book when his crimes are revealed there are consequences. In reality it only raised the support lvl. But i get it Trump got elected because he was a crook. Ppl just hope he will tear down the system.

[@grizzly_lariatto]

Lex is a genuine genius, he's just cock.

[@muchanadziko6378]

« Relatively »? He’s one of the smartest beings in the DC universe

[@bluecanine3374]

Reminds me how a later season of the Young Justice cartoon had Luthor start using terms like "fake news". Man, imagine a Luthor where you take away the genius and just leave him as a businessman parody

[@seraphonica]

okay, but in fairness... Luthor was a SUCCESSFUL businessman.

[@littleredpony6868]

How do you go bankrupt running a casino?

[@bryanalexander7571]

​@@littleredpony6868 Twice

[@BettyVeronica2.0]

😂😂💯💯

[@jasoncrowell8863]

AND he put his assets in a trust...because it wouldn't be believable for a politician to have their own business. Comic books, where you have space aliens shooting lasers from their eyes and face-tanking nuclear bombs while wearing colorful underwear...and a politician not divesting would violate suspension of disbelief.

[@shawngillespie3532]

Exactly 😂

[@renatocorvaro6924]

Sure, Lex Luthor is an evil autocratic billionaire, but at least he's smart. Truth is stranger than fiction.

[@sharkyshark1]

Real America is dumber than dumb fiction. Who the hell wrote this comic book we're living??? and where is my powers?!

[@milkiassamuel780]

True, at least Lex actually had the ability to fix things in the world while he was in office by using his scientific genius even if it was at times a ruse to piss off Superman. Lex legitimately one of the top 5 smartest beings in the DC Universe and if he'd like to he could actually cure cancer and just straight up take it away for a cost. Lex may be evil SOB but he is in fact a genius... unlike other recent US political figures today👀😒

[@floydb5668]

@@renatocorvaro6924 I thank god every day that Trump is stupid! If he was as smart as Lex Luther we’d be in even worse trouble

[@ephemeralsamsara]

Yep agent orange is definitely an idiot, no hiding that!

[@HandofOmega]

Anybody remember Futurama's "First Supervillain President", whose major campaign promise was NOT going on a crime spree? "Like most politicians, he promised more than he could deliver..."😅

[@milkiassamuel780]

I guess Futurama really is set in the future because that alone is some Simpsons level prediction (and yes I know both shows are made by Matt Greoning)

[@ryanmoore6259]

New York elected a supervillain governor who promptly stole most of the monuments

[@blahblingo7605]

Makes me pine for a time when we were under the boot of richard nixons head...😢

[@chaoslord8918]

"Nixon made it legal for felons to vote... as long as they vote for Nixon." Also, for all the Futurama fans out there, watch Disenchantment. It's fantastic!

[@WhiteCamry]

Futurama is set some time after "The Stupid Age."

[@CB-ke7eq]

I've been calling Trump "Bizarro Lex Luthor" since 2016.

[@Fawstah]

I'd just call him brain dead lex luthor

[@chheinrich8486]

⁠ by the way i think trumps not a dictator in waiting, he’s still a horrible politician that likely will do quite the damage but nut no dictator and in my opinion their still a difference, also while i (as an outsider) applaud some aims of the Democratic Party, especially on climate change other seem to be not very smart considering how democrate ruled states like California look nowadays, for example: you have to do more than just shrink the police to reduce crime you know, but the democrate politicians sure don’t know that

[@vihangahiggoda5101]

@Fawstah LOL 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@vihangahiggoda5101]

@Fawstah LOL 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@vihangahiggoda5101]

@Fawstah LOL 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@nicocchi]

"Get up. You are about to become the first American president to go to prison" boy how I wish Batman was wrong

[@jpotter2086]

The Batman episode in which Penguin runs for mayor. And Adam West Batman calmly expresses confidence in the wisdom of the people, in their ability to see through the flim flam. Fuck.

[@WhiteCamry]

Resolved, of course, by Batman beating the Penguin's gang senseless.

[@jpotter2086]

@@WhiteCamry * BAM! * * ZOCK-O! * * KA-POW!* .... Well, OK, we have our marching orders. TV told us to!

[@basara7]

In case anyone was curious, Captain Atom wasn't killed, but the all the radiation and the explosion combined caused him to warp into the Wildstorm universe, which was owned and published by DC at the time.

[@gapsule2326]

A fate worse than death...

[@dylancrossman8502]

@@gapsule2326To be fair, he spent most of that follow up mini kicking the keisters of all the Wildstorm “heroes”

[@michaelramon2411]

The Justice League Unlimited cartoon had a version of this plotline (though Lex ultimately goes crazy before the actual election), however it had the unrealistic element of Lex requiring a pardon for his previous crimes (as a result of helping to save the world) before Americans would consider voting for him. We now know that the American people will freely elect any criminal as long as he promises them enough magic economy beans.

[@CZ-PC]

It was kinda insane at the time but media. Is media. The memes. IT WAS THE MEMES JACK.

[@WolfRamAndHart]

Correct. Justice Lords episodes. And the brilliant Question, worried about Luthor becoming president in the main Earth Timeline.

[@batfreeze56]

Lex's cabinet, unlike Trump's, was stacked with a great number of geniuses and actual superheroes: Pete Ross, Sam Lane, Amanda Waller, Black Lightning. Trump could only dream of being as good of a president as Lex Luthor.

[@aetherkid]

Luthor hires the best and uses his superior intellect to hold them in line, even if they would otherwise be disobedient to him. Trump hires whoever sucks up to his ego the hardest and has no power to control them - it's why the majority of his former cabinet was either charged with crimes or denounced him

[@Sauvva_]

i was wondering what black lightning was doing with lex, but then i realized Lex unlike previous presidents, isnt racist, i might have actually tried to help

[@SidheKnight]

Trump would probably put supervillains in his cabinet, and the average Republican would think that's cool.

[@lssjgaming1599]

​@@SidheKnight Deathstroke would be his Attorney General

[@joeking3860]

​@@Sauvva_ not just that but he's a genius. An actual genius would see merit over tiny useless trifles like "what color is the guy?". Only a complete moron would overlook the third smartest human alive because he's brown

[@HandofOmega]

"I wonder what Captain America is up to..." Me, too, especially when Norman Osborn was effectively in the same role over at Marvel! I much prefer the part of that story where Hawkeye reacts...by going on live TV and simply TELLING people what kind of a person Osborn is, and about the woman named Gwen Stacy that he murdered! Not that it made much difference...

[@creed8712]

I think what makes that way funnier is in the death of Gwen he very specifically absolves Peter of her death by saying she was dead before the neck snap as if the simple act of tossing her made her just stroke out

[@mayotango1317]

In Dark Reign, nobody know that Norman is the Green Goblin and think he is what America deserves.

[@chem.4919]

​@@mayotango1317Wasn't he an incarcerated member of the Thunderbolts just prior to him becoming America's top cop? I'm pretty sure it's public knowledge that Norman has a criminal record. I just think killing the Skull queen earned him enough goodwill for people to overlook his criminal past.

[@mayotango1317]

@chem.4919 Are you talking about the same naive and foolish public that always believes JJ Jameson's irrational nonsense?

[@juliagoodwin9510]

Well, the people in the Marvel universe are morons, so...

[@firefly4f4]

"There could be two president Luthors!" Hahaha! Why not 3 or 4? **glances at Vance, Putin, and Netanyahu** I'm going to go prepare.

[@KikenZedalu]

The most unrealistic part of this comic isn't the superpowers, it's the idea that the American people would universally disavow Lex once they learned of his crimes.

[@nromk]

Yeah there would be a lot of people on Tiktok accusing superman of being a criminal and being happy to be friends with Darkseid

[@technounionrepresentative4274]

Oh to live in the world where being a disgusting excuse of a human could have his followers abandon him so quickly

[@b3ntl33]

Pretty sure, regardless of whether Trump put a D or R infront of his name, the moment the swamp-dwellers realized he couldn't be controlled, they would have spent the last 12+ years demonize him, regardless.

[@BrokenValentine-333]

All those memes about the Justice League's collateral damage would absolutely be used as hard proof of them being evil

[@thebeavpercabethftw9604]

I'd take Luthor at this point.

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

me too

[@angelfisheqcoaching]

I have to agree

[@ileneragland369]

Yeah, Lex Luthor sounds good. Super Women Kamala and Super Guy Timwill eventually kick his *ss!

[@GolemRising]

Unironically better than what we got. At least he was actually a top tier intellect.

[@lonewolffang]

Tell me about it. If anything, he's a far better option.

[@db5823]

"You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land-the common clay of the new West. You know... morons."

[@ScottGrammer]

The Waco Kid speaks true.

[@hannahbrown2728]

Real salt-of-the-earth type folks.

[@deathmagneto-soy]

Ah yes, Blazing Saddles. You couldn't make that movie today. I mean could but people would say "this is plagiarism, make your own movie".

[@hannahbrown2728]

@deathmagneto-soy Lol you had me in the first half not gonna lie

[@bigz2008]

we're living in the back to the future II timeline. where Biff got everything he wanted. let that sink in.

[@aaronsarchive82]

I can't wait to find out who George McFly is in this timeline.

[@nosuchthingasshould4175]

@@aaronsarchive82 Eric

[@DefileOdds]

Biff was based on donald trump, let That sink in. 🤯

[@369frequencyandvibration]

Pepsi even has the correct Logo again!

[@technounionrepresentative4274]

And we don't even have the bright side that Donald's son is actually a time traveling slacker with a sport's almanac

[@prismpyre7653]

That's slanderous to Luthor. He was a brilliant self-made man. Musk is a simpleton-manchild born of incest and high on ketamine who has never invented anything in his life and was *FIRED* from Paypal's development team for gross technical and manegerial incompetence. He inherited a bunch of money literally from slavery that he invested in the tech bubble of the 90s then used to the proceeds to *BUY* a car company not build one-- and then Obama, in his wish to create a new neo-feudal aristocracy with TARP rather than help ordinary people, showered him with *BILLIONS* in free money and public contracts he didn't deserve. He is no different than trump he has a low cunning and he's a talented con man but it's his only talent.

[@davidstorrs]

TARP was Bush, not Obama. It was signed October 3, 2008 and Obama took office January 20, 2009.

[@thefrenchbastard1646]

but Elon Musk is what Lex Luthor would look like if he was real

[@fitzcorraldo8570]

@@davidstorrsI thought that I was going crazy until I double checked myself. Yes. TARP was a Bush Administration initiative. It may also have saved the US from complete financial ruin. It’s argumentative at this point but it was definitely BUSH.

[@dwightschrute47]

Yet only Musk can catch rockets… Why can’t anyone else do that?

[@ScottGrammer]

@@dwightschrute47 He doesn't. The many smart people he employs do. Musk couldn't catch a cold.

[@deanthemachine8879]

Most unbelievable thing in this is that The Daily Planet still has a print division that makes a profit

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

Bruce Wayne owns half the paper and is willing to sell the paper at a loss.

[@metal87power]

it was earl 2000s. Social media were still too young.

[@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive]

@@deanthemachine8879 Would Luthor dismissing The Daily Planet as "Wayne owned fake news" and protestors as "professional agitators paid by Bruce Wayne" be too on the nose?

[@Cyberlisk]

25:45 "You made an alliance with Darkseid? He'll betray you the first time it suits him." "Na-ah - me and Darkseid have been buddies since way back." The parallels get really interesting if you PUT IN another name instead of Darkseid. ;)

[@Chrissy717]

"Me and Putin have been buddies since way back in the 90s! There would have been no war, because I would have given him Ukraine for free! Ha! I tell ya, the best deals, some call it the art of the deal. I deal with it and so should you!"

[@rmeddy]

"That's the kind of talk that had people switching to Marvel in the 60's " LMAO

[@MrGared22]

This reminds me: John Shea, the actor who played Lex Luthor in Lois & Clark, said that for the role he was channeling Richard III and... a real-life businessman. Guess f'n who.

[@allanolley4874]

I have a "Vote Lex 2000" pin that I picked up at a comics shop back in 1999--2000ish era. I also have an Obama '08 pin I found in a hotel room back in December 2012, during a long cross country trip. Another famous comic book president (I have the Spiderman Obama inauguration comic).

[@AwkwrdPrtMskrt]

Lex has more standards than Trump. Don't insult Lex.

[@bizarrebraincomics7819]

I've been making this Luthor - Trump connection to people for years and yet they couldn't see it, despite the fact that John Byrne stated that when he did the Superman reboot he had based Luthor on Trump. Now we've elected a real life super-villain to the highest office... again!

[@technounionrepresentative4274]

It is nuts how many evil rich people in media were based on trump, Biff from back to the future 2 was based on trump as well, Did this not ring any alarm bells in his supporters heads?

[@jamesuthmann940]

"Man, they cancelled Mythbusters too soon." Literal LOL, there.

[@HebaruSan]

If recent times have taught us anything, it's that Superman's endorsement would have been celebrated with relief, and then Lex _still_ would have won.

[@AnarchoCatBoyEthan]

well irl superman’s endorsement would be tempered by an equal amount of straight up super villain endorsements. Like ya know real like villain Dick Cheney.

[@isiaharellano3789]

​@@AnarchoCatBoyEthan well Cheney endorsed Kamala, so there's that. Shows you it isn't good vs evil. It's just evil vs less evil 😂

[@otakon17]

The difference being Luthor was actually massively intelligent. And the times he got past his ego, he's changed his ways and helped the world. Trump is none of those things and never will be.

[@jpotter2086]

Ozymandias was also extremely successful and brilliant. And it led him to commit atrocities by dropping giant space squids like nukes. Careful what one asks for ... !

[@otakon17]

@@jpotter2086 True. But he did it to save humanity from destroying itself at the very least. It was still horrible.

[@Talyrion]

@@otakon17 That is, only if you: 1) accept his own postulate that humanity was about to destroy itself, and 2) believe his implemented solution will work on a long-term basis. Both are, at the very least, debatable.

[@otakon17]

@@Talyrion the man was a super genius, way beyond even Lex Luthor. Given how the rest of the world was, he was probably right.

[@HavocPrime8989]

I made this connection years ago, and it is always painful. You try to think that people are too smart to elect a dangerous criminal as president, even in comics, but then reality is even worse.

[@TheSpiderbridge]

This is great. As a professional comics artist, I very much appreciate you crediting that half of the craft. You’re a bright spot in dark times, Steve.

[@Rubberman202]

That Captain America remark is quite telling, since while Superman's belief in the "American way" is behind the system of government America has, Captain America's belief in the "American way" was always the idea of what made America great, and he would relinquish his title of "Captain America" and keep doing what he believes is right as other identities like the Nomad and the like if he felt America's system failed its ideals.

[@BlokHeadAnim]

That's eventually what Superman did, too, functionally, when the army tried to start using him as a gopher to enforce their will. It's why his "truth, justice and the american way" catchphrase changed to "truth, justice and a better tomorrow". He canonically used the old phrasing early in his career, which makes sense being a dude from rural Kansas who probably grew up thinking America was synonymous with Democracy and thus inherently good, but changed it to be more inclusive once he realized that his home country isn't always the good guy and people around the world deserve his help just as much.

[@Rubberman202]

@@BlokHeadAnim I recall that Superman originally stood for "truth, justice, and the tolerant way", but that was changed to "American way" around the time of World War II. Is there any truth to that?

[@HoleInTheCarpet]

@@Rubberman202 Naah, I don't think "tolerant" was that much in the popular lexicon (at least not if you were writing to 10-year-olds) back then. IIRC Superman's original slogan was just "Truth and Justice" and the American Way part was tacked on for his first TV series in the 1950s.

[@dws0828]

We’ll happily take President Luthor instead at this point

[@HebaruSan]

Give the Democrats time, eventually they'll decide it's worth it because he's "electable"

[@753studios6]

Nah we need DR DOOM.

[@ansambel3170]

I like the fact that for this story to work, they made sure readers know that the public has no idea about lex crimes, and also once his crimes are revealed he is swiftly and bipartisanly removed from office. And there is no explaination for it, or nothing, because there is simply no way, ppl would knowingly elect a criminal, or be ok with president doing criminal things.

[@AnarchoCatBoyEthan]

Absolutely not! No that could never happen. It especially wouldn’t happen with a large group of people motivated mostly by a religious ideology that says those crimes and other heinous actions are basically the explicit opposite of what they’re supposed to believe in.

[@cinemastrength]

comparing trump to lex luthor is like comparing dollar store moldy ass pizza to five star gourmet pizza made by name your favorite pizza chef here. They are galaxies apart. I for one am sick of this comparison, it doesn't work by any stretch of the imagination

[@Flynn01979]

I've been thinking about it a lot too. Except, I have been thinking about Elon Musk. Who couldn't be much closer to a real life Lex Luthor. Elon is effectively going to be president. Donald Trump hates working, for the most part he'll just play TV president. Making retarded statements at press conferences from time to time. The real work will be done by people like Elon. And, the work Elon plans on doing is going to be just as sinister as anything Lex would ever do. It's funny, because MAGA spent so much time telling us how Joe Biden was a puppet. Sadly, unlike in the comics. There no Superman to save us. If anyone going to save us it's going to have to be us.

[@terryjackson-chubick2506]

The weird thing is that Luthor in "Red Son" is actually wildly competent and saves the U.S.

[@tatersalad76]

That's because he didn't grow up in a world where Superman was the bestest guy ever that made him develop an inferiority complex

[@Theroha]

​@@tatersalad76 That makes me wonder how much of our current troubles go back to the Whitehouse Correspondents Dinner in 2011 and Obama poking the world's biggest narcissist about the birth certificate. Obama couldn't have ever known what would come of it, but it's horrifying to think that everything from the current attacks on Gaza to Russia attacking Ukraine to the millions dead during COVID might not have happened if Trump hadn't gone to that dinner.

[@CharlesRWard]

@@tatersalad76 I am only an occasional comic reader, but have memory of a superboy comic where Lex and superboy are best friends. Lex blames superrboy for an explosion in a lab expirement that causes him to loose his hair.

[@ChilaAuroraVT]

Yeah but Red Son Lex is almost a decent person

[@blahblingo7605]

​​@@Theroha I hope youre not blaming Obama for trumplethinskin's inferiority complex. ...and racism (regarding the birth certificate)

[@deanthemachine8879]

Steve, if there’s one thing that I’m really hoping might make your 2025 better is that the James Gunn Superman movie is great and fills your heart with the hope and joy that a great Superman story should. Lord knows we could all use something like that these days

[@timothybarnett1006]

The fact that Composite Superman, rather than having the powers of Superman he has the powers of the Legion Of Super-Heroes is one of the many reasons I love the Silver Age.

[@matthewstarkie4254]

Interestingly that last panel is from the reprinted version of the story. In the original Lex says "I know the truth, Clark Kent is Superman!", but later Mr Mxyzptlk retconned it in universe to "A crisis is coming." in the lead in to Infinite Crisis. Apparently he changed the reissues too.

[@ryanmoore6259]

Luthor at least divested from his company unlike Trump. Moreover, Superman wanted to let people choose and hoped they'd make the right one. They didn't.

[@MrRLP402]

In the real world, we are seeing the Legion of Doom being formed right in front of our eyes, but they are calling it the "Cabinet".

[@SynchroScore]

The difference being that Lex Luthor is a genius, a successful business tycoon, and isn't ashamed of his hair loss.

[@HazeLucid]

🎉

[@idolhandz3946]

While there are many similarities between Luthor and the incoming administration, the biggest difference is there are no heroes coming to save us in this one. Why do you think comic book properties do so well? Have a deficit of real heroism in the United States. There are heroes, but in reality, most of them will be bending the knee to “Luthor” very shortly. There’s not even an Amanda Waller.

[@Supremmo]

Superman respects the voting process. If he was to take Luthor out of the White House he would have to deal with the people who voted for him next and the potential backlash from an optics standpoint.

[@clashcitywannabe]

Funny thing is i have read that the post crisis Author as designed by John Byrne in the 1980s, that is the modern Lex who presents himself as a businessman more than the pre crisis mad scientist Lex, was inspired to some extent by then "successful" businessman extraordinaire Donald J Trump. Go figure. He's actually been inspiring super villains for a while because Christopher Walken's character in Batman Returns was also based on him

[@Alundolant]

Steve, you're the best. Rhank you. You remind me why I love stories and story telling and why its so important. And it doesn't even have to be amazingly well written to be prescient.

[@landonletterman831]

I feel like people who say Aquaman's abilities aren't anything to worry about also forget his wife is a water witch who could flood the Eastern seaboard. Like, not one or a few places, but "ALL OF!" And leave Florida untouched out of _spite!_

[@LyndsayW1194]

So aquamans strongest superpower is......his wife?

[@andrewlance3898]

⁠@@LyndsayW1194That, and the fact he rules Atlantis, whose domain basically covers all oceans (read: 70% of the planet).

[@LyndsayW1194]

@andrewlance3898 ok so, government postion, wife? And talking to sea life of course

[@superioridiot3846]

​@LyndsayW1194 Well it's been shown he can also his telepathy to fish abilities on humans to give him seizures/possibly de-evolve them into sea creatures

[@LyndsayW1194]

@superioridiot3846 i hadnt seen that actually. Targeted siezures are a stong power

[@jadenbryant9283]

I'm still surprised that Jeph Loeb made some of my favorite Superman stories after reading ultimatum I know its because of his sons death which happened around the same time but still.

[@dws0828]

He’s actually writing a Long Halloween sequel right now too which is pretty random but cool too

[@jadenbryant9283]

@@dws0828 I hope it is good has Jeph Loeb's writing gotten good again or at least it's like Frank Miller where really recent stuff is either good but not great or not that bad.

[@UNSCMarine117]

You know, I'd watch more comic videos from this channel.

[@petehjr1]

I don't know all the Lex-icon but I'm pretty sure Lex never sexually assaulted/raped anyone. If true one more reason Lex would be better than the Mango Menace.

[@HoleInTheCarpet]

John Byrne absolutely painted him as the kind of horndog who'd do that, as much as he could get away with. I think his revised origin for Lois Lane said Lex had her strip-searched (possibly while she was underage!) the first time she tried to investigate his company.

[@technounionrepresentative4274]

He kissed Amanda waller once, It seemed a bit forceful

[@iainawatson]

Comic storylines always sound better the fewer details you know about them.

[@darkdog42]

So true if you haven’t watched it the adaptation superman/batman public enemies is a much better adaptation of the story in my opinion it’s a cartoon and the art style is exactly the same as the comic book

[@ChristopherMB87]

I think one of my favorite reactions to an election happened in Transmetropolitan: when after exposing The Smiler for the psychopath he is, Spider Jerusalem and his Filthy Assistants spend election night waiting to see how the people vote... Only to see a landslide victory for the Smiler. Dismayed, incredulous and enraged, Spider and the gang start tossing grenades off the balcony of their apartment, shouting at a city and nation that voted for all the horrible things that were about to happen to it.

[@FriarJoe66]

Another very topical dc comic is Batman: Holy Terror. It’s about an alternate America ruled by an oppressive, theocratic regime that targets anyone deemed “different.”

[@commandercody1078]

I can’t believe Lex didn’t tell the Supreme Court to give him Presidential Immunity. Rookie mistake!

[@cosmosofinfinity]

The audacity to childishly demand it and expect them to just happily (and actually) give it to you no problem, takes stupidity, not intelligence. That was Lex Luthor's fatal mistake: he wasn't dumb enough to be an American president, and as an intelligent person naturally assumes others operate fundamentally on intelligence and logic like him. He should try being stupider and ruder and cruder if he wants to get his every whim served to him on a silver platter. It works for Trump!

[@SSVCloud]

To be fair to Aquaman, what he *could* do if Lex renegs on his promises is shut down nearly all trade on Earth. Because, ya know, supreme overlord of the seas. He can just sink every American trade vessel until Luthor plays ball.

[@Velvet_Intrigue]

It may have been a good idea to add a little reference to that Unauthorized Biography of Lex Luthor that was modeled after the Trump biography from the 80s.

[@pindagreat]

The Animated straight to DVD movie Superman/Batman: Public Enemies adapts this story in a better written way. The movie portrays Lex as a much better president, giving some credence to Superman not trying to stop him. Lex is doing good things for America in the start of this movie, mostly for the ego trip of being considered a great president, but a lot of real benefit is coming from it. Crime rates and poverty are down, and Superman agrees that Lex is doing good, but he can't help but not trust it, because he knows Luthor. It's an all around improvement on the source material

[@ragingmollusk2640]

I like your comic book vids. You could summarize a bunch of DC/Marvel/etc. comic book stories and I’d watch them all.

[@tyrongkojy]

Remember how we thought it was INSANE and over the top that The Boss from Saint's Row would ever be elected president? Yep.

[@Kartissa]

Which did you do: Punch a dickhead, or punch a dick in the head?

[@SineFineBelliCh]

At least the boss actually cares about the American people and tries to be a good person and president

[@tyrongkojy]

@@SineFineBelliCh I mean... yeah. She DID TRY. She's not an administrator, she's a soldier. And she did FAR better in that role. She DID care.

[@joadams8022]

There was the 'Our Worlds at War' event as well, which had Prez Lex using a war in a distant country- sorry, space- as a distraction and a way to consolidate power; that's where the alliance with Darkseid came in. I've always been impressed with DC/Superman with the period of comics; that and Morrison's JLA got me into 'cape comics' when I'd previously stuck to Vertigo and other 'mature graphic novels' (like Watchmen and DKR, not... the other kind.)

[@slowrunn3r88]

Throughout the years I have seen stories where the corrupt leader’s confession gets broadcasted across the world (or a lot of people see and hear it), and everybody realizes and the day is saved ……but in reality, we could broadcast Trump doing literally anything, and he’ll say “I didn’t do that,” and the straight men who have crushes on him (and would die for him) will violently assert “he never did that, they’re desperate to get rid of him”

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

The superman therapy chats are rather nice actually, outside of context its also fun simple shallow movie hehe

[@AceTheSkylord]

A Lex Luthor presidency would unironically be a better deal than what we got Lex is actually a genius and successful businessman Also, technically speaking, Perry White doesn't own the Daily Planet, Bruce Wayne does And the Batman section is extremely inaccurate. Like, surely he'd realize threats won't work, and would instead use his position as one of the wealthiest men in America and owner of a conglomerate which, in universe, is responsible for 1/3 of the country's GDP by itself to get things done

[@nicres]

We need a hero. Actually we need many heroes coming together right now. This is a boss battle

[@mrpositronia]

Sadly, there is no Superman, Batman, or any other superhero willing to fight for the country. USA is gone. I'm not even American, but i still feel nauseous by the whole thing. Americans had better get wise and quick.

[@selalewow]

I saw a fitting comment. It's like a tree voting for an axe because the handle is made of wood "He's one of us".

[@lucyferos205]

I'm half-Batman, half-Spider-Man. No powers, no money.

[@mrpositronia]

@@selalewow I saw the same comment. It's fitting and perfectly captures the mentality of the (seeming) majority. Never has the phrase "stop the world, I want to get off" seemed so appropriate for me.

[@mrpositronia]

@@lucyferos205 I think people have to find the superhero in each of them. Cliched, I know, but true.

[@floydb5668]

@@mrpositronia I believe there was a hero we could’ve had as president but the DNC screwed us. Bernie Sanders was our knight in not so shiny armor. He’s one of the few politicians that care about Americans and wasn’t bought and paid for by corporations. The DNC couldn’t have that because they want that money train to keep rolling 🙄

[@Sûlherokhh]

I can't thank you enough for this brilliant analysis. Pardoxically, your rather dour presentation gave me hope that all is not lost. The consistent theme of all human endeavors of the past is that stupid people make stupid mistakes that are their undoing and that the survivors, at least a significant portion of them, learn from those stupid mistakes, so that the next two generations are more careful.

[@vincejaramillo1271]

Love this video. I’ve thought about this same comparison. And like Perry White I weep for this country.

[@user-wr3uw4su5c]

i hate when ppl say "the american way" he's a citizen of the world, he never teached me a thing about USA, as someone from outside the USA, it feels so wrong

[@VAULT-TEC_INC.]

12:05 Aquaman: “It’s the economy, Superman!”

[@xaayer]

8:50 I'm surprised there's no mention of the JL Episode A Better World where Luthor goes too far and Superman gets fed up and kills him in the oval office.

[@PrincessOzaline]

Psst Steve, he was still called Captain Marvel when this came out he wasn't renamed Shazam in most media until Marvel announced a movie of their trademarked version.

[@la3g462]

Being a Amazon Mercy Graves and Hope Taya fan and this being one of the only major stories that they appear in. I've been looking for a explaining of this story for a long time

[@HandofOmega]

Man, I bet DC is kicking themselves for jumping the gun so far on that one...!😅 Two things that pissed me off about this story: The JLA being so disappointed in the American people electing Lex, that they angrily went off on them...when THEY were the ones who didn't do any and everything they could to WARN people what Lex *really* was, on some idea of avoiding "unfairly" influencing the election (Supes doesn't even have to SAY anything, just coldly glare at him and fly away withOUT shaking his hand). Secondly, the story ends with a big super battle against Luthor in a power armor...How much cooler would it have been if, not Superman, but Clark and Lois, in their roles as the "Woodward and Bernstein of DC" took down Lex with their pens, rather than the sword? Journalism exposing him for what he is, so that the People could impeach him, thusly proving The System Works! But, I guess that wouldn't be so exciting, would it...

[@chrisjones6792]

They were late to the Nixon administration

[@HandofOmega]

@@chrisjones6792 Well, Marvel had THAT covered, with the original Secret Empire storyline...

[@SophiaAphrodite]

Luckily it's a comic so no one cares.

[@HandofOmega]

@@SophiaAphrodite Nor is that the ONLY thing no one cares about...🙄

[@WebbedManiac]

​@@HandofOmegaI mean from what we've seen in reality, the system _doesn't_ work.

[@pimpinken8901]

It’s funny I missed this story but it seemed so Familiar then I remembered part of this was adapted for a season ark in the justice league cartoon

[@WolfRamAndHart]

It was a DC Movie...Batman Superman Pretty good animated movie.

[@davidstorrs]

@@WolfRamAndHart The DCAU is, for the most part, excellent. Pity they can't find their butts with both hands and a map when it comes to live action. :/

[@randomnerd3402]

It was also in Lego Batman 2 iirc

[@docweidner]

I know that they based the Post Crisis Luthor a bit on Trump, but Trump has always felt like the Party City Lex Luthor. I understood 2016 a lot more than 2024.

[@TheSteveBoyd]

I did not know this comic book storyline existed. But yes, I have been thinking about this analogy since November of 2016. And although it seemed that Superman had defeated this enemy once and for all in 2020, it turns out our REAL Superman's kryptonite was father time. The GOOD news is... it comes for us all. May it be "Lex" before it is me. Goodnight, and good luck. ☮

[@thedemolitionmuniciple]

Just recently I learned about a person's plan to get their bigoted family members science textbooks for Christmas. I've got a few people I think I should send this issue of the comic to.

[@staplegenius]

That mustache on Aquaman by Liefeld: TRASH

[@calummacgregor589]

20:41 really missed the chance to jump to the CW scene where you hear the amazing words "It's time to make America Grod again." when he is trying to kill Obama.

[@sparrowhawk-nm1qf]

I always thought that superman and luthor were two sides of the American coin. Superman is the immigrant who found a new life in the heartland of his literal adoptive country, who does his best to uphold the best of america's values. - the ultimate boy scout as he's sometimes called. Lex is ALSO totally American; he is the very icon of self made man in the lights of Edison and Rockefeller - a genius and athlete and shows all the potential of what humanity can be when it strives to reach it's best, but his tragic vice is not just simple greed, but his lust for unchecked power expressing itself through racism and contempt for the lower classes that has turned to a irrational hatred of the other.

[@DalekOfChaos666]

Comparing Lex to Trump is an insult. Comparing Musk to Lex is also an insult. You see, Lex has intelligence and is actually a self-made man. If I'd compare these two nepobabies to anyone is Trump would be President Booth from the Judge Dredd comics and Musk would be Simon Krieger from the Miles Morales video game and comics.

[@madalee_com]

OMG... That wonder woman art.... Are you sure this comic wasnt in the adult section?

[@Willpower-74205]

I remember the Superman/Batman series for the storyline that took place after this, when they reintroduced Supergirl (Kara Zor-El, not Cir-El) into the canon of the time after nearly 20 years. It soon opened the door for her to appear on Smallville, as well (with some of the same memory issues and personality). 😎👍

[@TheKitsuneCavalier]

There's part of a song that popped into my head @26:46 , and it goes:🎶Superman where are you now? Where everything's gone wrong somehow! The Man of Steel, has lost his power. We're losing control by the hour! . . . . 🎶--Genesis . . or Disturbed, if you're into covers. That song was also playing in my head as I was watching Kamala Harris slowly lose the election, on Tuesday, 5 November 2024.

[@williamhobgoodii6620]

That was truly outstanding. Thankyou

[@LeahLaushway]

It's weird, I've been thinking about this arc too... 😐

[@lori-EL]

I remember watching the animated movie they made for this (Superman/Batman - Public Enemies) in 2011 or so and thinking "yeah, that'll never happen in real life" ... Yet here we are... AGAIN

[@BigNoseDog]

Superheroes and villains are often polar opposites. What’s the opposite of an ugly, fat, old white guy with no respect for the law? A younger, thin, attractive black woman who believes in enforcing the law. Too bad 75 million people think the villain is the hero.

[@auntiewewe972]

Unfortunately in reality not only is our Lex Luthor president. But the Joker is Vice president, Gorden Godfrey, Slade Wilson, Granny Goodness, Morgan Edge, and a slew of others are in his cabinet. At least in comic world they had a Superman and other heroes.

[@mattbart08]

Yes! I was just thinking of this! Totally prophetic. Who knew it would prepare us for this disastrous time period!

[@QuckShadow485]

Do you have any proof of that? Please give it all.

[@mattbart08]

@ ha

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

From what I heard, Luthor was literally changed from a mad scientist to a businessman BASED on Trump lol

[@Metonymy1979]

We live in the dumbest timeline

[@SineFineBelliCh]

The worst timeline

[@TheHeroBleeder]

29:26 I actually like how they streamlined the animated adaptation of this comic series because they follow the same beats but they cut out some of the "fluff" and changed the ending where instead of captain atom "dying" in the explosion of the meteor it's batman piloting the Spaceship after lex ruins hiro's Nav computer upload and Superman says to lex "That was my best friend. And you just KILLED HIM." 29:26

[@freespirit4574]

Great video. ❤

[@kaiwilliams141]

I'm laughing so I don't cry

[@cooldustin82]

That's crazy how the Space Shuttle Challenger still blew up in the DC Universe. After Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superman's origin was rewritten so that he made his world debut in 1986 by saving a space plane. The comic book Astro City has its own version of Superman named Samaritan, who made his debut by traveling back in time to 1986 and preventing the Challenger from exploding.

[@DawnDavidson]

Interesting

[@technounionrepresentative4274]

It's always weird to me when comics try to rectify real world tragedies still happening in their universe, Respectfully it seems a bit small scale compared to what happens in their universe, But it would be disrespectful to the real world tragedy to treat it lightly

[@369frequencyandvibration]

I remember tgis book! 📚 Awesome to see it again! It's amazing there's so many goid books out there!

[@TheThunderbirdRising]

I remember reading this series as a kid! The giant kryptonite asteroid was the lead in to the introduction of an extremely naked Supergirl. The big fight between Supes and Lex is some great comic book action.

[@criticalfail8005]

I love listening you talk about comics, I want more of this.