luthor, lex

[attr="class","infobxyaki"]

SYNOPSIS
A calculating man wholly devoted to the pursuit of achieving what falls within his line of sight, Alexander Joseph Luthor is the perfect example of unyielding ambition, so it goes without saying that he would make a natural enemy out of Superman, who he believes greatly undermines his long list of personal achievements as a human being with his very existence. For years, he has carefully crafted his public persona to avoid unwanted suspicion, playing the role of a kindhearted philanthropist with humanity's best interests in mind, all while secretly plotting to destroy the Man of Steel so that he can personally remind him who exactly rules the Earth.

That is, until Arcade killed him.

The arrangement was simple: join forces with the redheaded criminal genius, who had somehow managed to survive contact with and singlehandedly recruit the great demon Malebolgia to his side, and rule with absolute sovereignty over his newly constructed Murderworld. The Omniverse's many heroes and villains would be pitted against each other in a bloody battle royale, all while the three of them manipulated the combatants from behind the scenes as though they were puppets attached to strings.

But Superman just couldn't keep away long enough for Lex to take care of things once and for all, on his time, and on his terms. The alien defender of Earth gallantly tries to crush Arcade, only to be utterly defeated at the hands of a pool of liquidized Kryptonite – an investment possible only through Lex Luthor's own pool of resources.

Luthor witnessed the first kill with his own two eyes – and nothing except pure anger swelled within him. Superman was defeated far too easily, he was not made to suffer in agony as Lex had desperately sought to witness all these years. Arcade lacked the conviction of a true criminal mastermind; he merely wanted to set an example for their gladiators, set them in line. And the worst part about it was: even Lex Luthor himself was not above exploiting the Kryptonian's one glaring weakness for himself. But this?

Lex Luthor felt swindled, cheated, robbed of his destiny.

And now he wants compensation for his losses.

SKILLS

• GENIUS LEVEL INTELLECT – Quite possibly one of the world's smartest and most brilliant minds, Lex Luthor has demonstrated numerous times his ability to plan many steps ahead of his competition, always coming out on top at the end of it all. Every last one of his schemes to humiliate, injure, or even kill Superman were done not only to destroy him physically, but also as a means of eradicating the very ideals and beliefs that he represents, his very concept. He has achieved mastery over every branch of science possible including subjects that borderline on speculative theory, discovered and invented groundbreaking cures for illnesses and diseases while in casual thought, and has engineered complex strategies to better the advancement of the human race all while simultaneously turning a profit on its self-destructive nature. Luthor sees the Brainiac as his only intellectual equal in the Omniverse, as he is the only other being to have solved the Anti-Life Equation, a feat possibly only by 12th-Level minds.

• BUSINESS MANAGEMENT – Lex Luthor takes great pride in his status as one of the most powerful, successful, and dangerous businessmen in the world, standing at the top of the corporate food chain as CEO of LexCorp; his prowess in the boardroom is second only to the likes of Gotham City's prodigal son, Bruce Wayne. Unlike Mister Wayne, however, Lex shows no hesitation when faced with the opportunity to increase his corrupt influence through equally dubious means – from engaging in heavily unethical business practices to taking charge in organized criminal operations; he'll bribe, blackmail, extort, interrogate, torture, or even kill whoever he has to in order to ensure his grip on the world remains his, and his alone.
  

• POLITICAL SCIENCE – The bald-headed corporate magnate has painstakingly crafted his public persona to fit the ideal model of the hard-working, average American citizen: community-driven, philanthropic, open-minded, and patriotic. It behaves as a means of concealing his darker nature from the minds and the eyes of the ignorant masses, and his aggressiveness in the boardroom can be applied with just as much potency in the heated world of politics. Combined with his brutally efficient business tactics, and he has the means to effectively make or break anybody's career at the mere snap of his fingers.
  

• SCIENCE – Regarded as a brilliant scientist and an inventing prodigy, Lex is able to solve highly advanced chemical equations in a matter of seconds and also possesses an intimate level of comprehension over the human genome, having exploited his knowledge on the subject on more than one occasion. His expertise in nearly every known branch of practical and theoretical science, particularly in the field of advanced chemistry, has attributed to the creation of two working cures for both AIDS and several strains of cancer – however, being all about the bottom line, Lex deliberately withholds all information regarding the existence of these two, and only two samples. He hopes to capitalize on them when the time is just right.
  

• LEADERSHIP – Although he is not of the New Earth continuity, where he succeeds in becoming President of the United States, Lex has repeatedly demonstrated brilliance and competency when forced to organize and maintain internal stability within a group of like-minded criminals and villains. He may only be a human, but Lex Luthor will settle nothing short of complete obedience from even the most powerful of beings.
  

• BASIC HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT – In spite of his astonishing list of intellectual feats, Lex's physical capabilities in a strictly hand-to-hand combat situation are left wanting. He has since corrected his shortcomings in melee with the occasional training regimen and is proficient with techniques indicative of a blend of brawler and in-fighter styles of boxing. Under ideal conditions, Luthor would easily crumple under the superior skills of most heroes – but he doesn't play by their rules, does he? Lex will not hesitate to fight dirty when the situation calls for it, and will always attempt to exploit the shortcomings of his enemies to further increase his advantage over them.
  

EQUIPMENT

• WARSUIT – Originally built as a sophisticated, remote-controlled armor prototype, it was constructed with the obvious intent to defeat Superman once and for all, but prolonged usage of the machine would result in severe degradation of its controller's mental state, thus prompting Lex to build all later adaptations of the Warsuit into a personalized battle armor. He would use his company's seemingly limitless funds and resources to modify it countless times until he received a far superior version of the Warsuit from Darkseid, forged in the fiery depths of Apokolips, and further expanded upon its capabilities during an alliance with Brainiac. The Mark III version of the Warsuit comes with the following installations and functions:
  

ENHANCED PHYSICAL CONDITION – The Warsuit's adrenaline enhancers have been modified using technology liberated from Brainiac's supply of resources to provide Lex with controlled bursts of power, enough to perfectly match his Kryptonian nemesis in a hand-to-hand fight without the risk of suffering long-term muscular damage. The metal composing the Warsuit's outer exoskeleton originates from the fiery world of Apokolips, and as such is exceptionally durable, enough to dampen the force of high-impact projectiles and energy attacks.

FLIGHT – High-powered rocket boosters have been added to the Warsuit's legs to give the wearer the ability to achieve supersonic flight, whereas stabilizers present on the Warsuit's back plate grant him increased maneuverability and braking power even when preoccupied in high-speed forward movement.

FORCE FIELD GENERATOR – Encapsulating all of Lex's body is a dense, invisible field of kinetic energy which primarily served as a barrier between him and Superman's heat vision, however later upgrades to the generator have made it possible for the projected barrier to withstand the full impact of heavy explosions, ballistics, and even most concentrated forms of projected energy, such as beams or blasts. Gunfire is rendered utterly useless against the Warsuit's force field. And despite appearances, Lex's head is not unprotected by his invisible barrier and will receive the same protective benefits. Deactivation of the shield generator, located within a blind spot on the Warsuit's back, will render the entire force field null until repairs are made to it; although Luthor will always carry a portable albeit much smaller energy shield device attached to his left arm as a backup option.

ELECTRICITY GENERATOR – A series of high-voltage electricity generators have been inserted in key areas of the Warsuit to give it the ability to channel a passive current through its metallic exoskeleton, producing enough voltaic force to stun or incapacitate the likes of even the most resilient and durable of superhuman foes, foes such as the Man of Steel. The interior of the Warsuit is naturally insulated to protect Lex from his own electricity, and he has the ability to conduct the current through any object capable of sustaining one.

ENERGY BLADE – Housed inside a port located on the Warsuit's right gauntlet, this concealable weapon hilt was created using LexCorp's state-of-the-art plasma emitter technologies, implementing a force containment field generator to allow it to project a purely energy-based blade; its power source is an array of refined Kryptonite crystals embedded within the weapon's collapsible shaft, of which can extend to lengths as long as his Warsuit is tall. When activated, the weapon takes on the appearance of an intimidating battle axe that emits a perpetual radioactive pulse, bombarding any organic individuals with its toxic molecules over prolonged exposure and serving as a rather lethal means of ending the life of certain Kryptonian foes.

FLAMETHROWERS – If a more primitive method of pest extermination is required, one should look no further than the Warsuit's high-powered dual flamethrowers, with each gauntlet housing a nozzle attached to a fuel tank capable of giving Lex approximately ten full minutes of continuous burning action. Adding further insult to Kryptonian injury are the microscopic flecks of Kryptonite added to the fuel itself, which coincidentally causes the stream of flames that Luthor's flamethrowers produce to glow a curious, bright green color. Sometimes, you just can't go wrong with the classics.

ENERGY PROJECTION – Perhaps the Warsuit's most easily recognizable function is the advanced energy generators located within the framework of each individual finger of Lex Luthor's gauntlets; all of his digits have been fitted with refined chunks of one of four different colored specimens of Kryptonite, giving him the ability to project four completely separate sources of energy at any given point in time – he also has a fifth and sixth slot within the thumb and the backs of his hands, however Lex is currently devising ways of harvesting even more diverse Kryptonite samples. As of current, he can produce the following forms of energy based on the type of Kryptonite his Warsuit is currently channeling, as well as the effects he can produce with each source:

GREEN KRYPTONITE: The most commonly utilized form of Kryptonite energy, incidentally the only known naturally occurring variety as well, produces green colored energy blasts and will rob a Kryptonian entity of their powers with prolonged exposure to its radioactive waves, which will ultimately prove fatal over time; an unpowered Kryptonian is, interestingly enough, more resistant to its effects than a fully powered one.

RED KRYPTONITE: Created by Lex Luthor through molecular manipulation of a green Kryptonite crystal's radioactive properties, energy projected with this variety will generate red colored energy blasts and will cause uncontrollable mutations in the bodies of a Kryptonian individual, resulting in a staggering decrease in their ability to retain control over their natural powers.

BLUE KRYPTONITE: An unusual specimen created by Superman of all people in his efforts to defeat his strange counterpart Bizzaro, this type of energy radiates with a bright blue light and will only affect "Bizzaro" incarnations of any Kryptonian individuals; ordinary human beings and real Kryptonians will remain entirely immune to its rather quirky radioactive properties. Rarely sees practical use in battle, however it doesn't hurt to be prepared for the unexpected.

BLACK KRYPTONITE: A mysterious variant of Kryptonite made using unknown means, it glows with an ominous black light upon emission. Exposure to this variety of crystal will trigger a split in the victim's psyche, causing their good and evil halves to physically split into two, separate entities altogether. Activating this form of Kryptonite exerts a great deal of strain on the Warsuit's ability to function, however, and can only be utilized twice before Lex is forced to put the armor into cooldown.

PARAPHERNALIA

• KRYPTONITE – A radioactive element native to the now-dead planet Krypton, it predominately exists as a metallic substance but can also be extracted in crystalline form. Currently, the only naturally existing type of Kryptonite is green, however many other varieties and colors have been artificially synthesized, each with their own unique effects. Green Kryptonite, however, is the variety that Lex Luthor most commonly employed in his quest to thwart and kill Superman, as its unique isotopic nature stripped him of all his powers and would slowly poison him over prolonged exposure, which would inevitably lead to a painful death. Lex will invariably have at least one shard of Kryptonite on his person at all times, in some form or another.
  

• LEXCORP SATELLITE NETWORK – Hovering tens of thousands of feet above the Earth that Arcade has used as the petri dish for his Murderworld experiment is Lex Luthor's very own network of military satellites, with each individual unit connected to the numerous databases to various government intelligence agencies he has managed to worm his way into over the years, allowing him to access information that would normally be on a strictly classified, need-to-know basis. Additionally, they are each fitted with an experimental accelerated particle cannon capable of reducing a ten-mile area of land the beam touches to a wasteland of scorched earth in mere seconds, courtesy of several blueprint drafts acquired from Brainiac's vast libraries of information. Only Luthor and he alone holds the single key to triggering such a massive orbital strike, and so far, he has no reason to turn it just yet. Consider it his "ultimate bargaining chip", if you will.