LIFE IMITATES ART

 

DC comics predicted the Trump presidency.  Well, kind of.

Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor first appeared, as just Luthor, in April of 1940 in Action Comics #23.  He was a middle-aged diabolical genius with a full head of red hair.  An artist’s error in a newspaper strip less than a year later resulted in Luthor’s first appearance as completely bald.

The “Silver Age” (when I was growing up) Luthor, now given the first name Lex so he could be an “LL”, was introduced in April of 1960 in Adventure Comics #271.  Teen-aged Luthor, like Clark Kent from Smallville, originally hero-worshipped Superboy.  Determined to prove he was Earth’s greatest scientist by creating artificial life, his recklessness and inexperience caused a fire in his laboratory.  Superboy arrived and put out the fire, but accidentally destroyed the artificial life form and all of Luthor’s notes, and the fumes from the chemical fire caused Luthor’s hair to fall out.  Unwilling to admit he was responsible for the fire, Luthor believed Superboy was jealous of his intellect and caused the fire and he swore revenge.

It was in the recreation of the DC Universe after the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” that Lex Luthor was changed from an evil genius scientist to an evil genius corporate executive – a billionaire businessman who was actually partially based on Trump.  This is the Luthor portrayed on TV series over the last three decades.  In the comics Luthor became the 43^rd President of the United States.

There are two main differences between DC’s President Luthor and Trump.  Luthor was an evil genius – Trump is certainly not a genius (stable or otherwise), just evil.  And Luthor was surprisingly portrayed as competent during his time in office – unlike Trump, who was the most incompetent President in US history.

And, of course, Luthor was bald, while Trump is merely “tonsorially challenged”.

One major similarity.  Superman was the symbol of “truth, justice and the American way”.  So, as Superman’s enemy Luthor was the enemy of truth, justice and the American way.  Just like Trump.

TAFN