Some 25 years ago, the United States of America went through a gut-twisting presidential election, when Vice-President Al Gore faced off against Texas Governor George W. Bush. As that fateful November evening drew to a close, no one was quite sure what would happen …
… and then Lex Luthor won.
This is the story of the DC Universe’s 43rd President of the United States, Alexander Joseph “Lex” Luthor.
Now, keep in mind this is not quite the original Lex Luthor, introduced in April 1940’s Action Comics #23 by Superman’s creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. For decades, that character was a criminal scientist who (in a later incarnation) had resented Superman ever since their shared adolescence in Smallville. No, this was Luthor the once-and-future Metropolis tycoon, as rebooted by John Byrne, Marv Wolfman, Andy Helfer and company starting in the summer of 1986, who could not stand having to share the spotlight with some strange visitor from another planet.
Continue reading “‘Don’t blame me, I voted for Lex’: A quick history of a billionaire’s brief presidency”