10 reasons why Lex Luthor hates Superman

Lex Luthor, the iconic comic book villain, consumed by his desire to defeat and consume Superman, the Man of Steel (Image via Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor, the iconic comic book villain, consumed by his desire to defeat Superman, the Man of Steel (Image via Warner Bros)

Superman and Lex Luthor are some of the most recognizable rivals in comic book and pop culture history. Although Lex Luthor is a smart and cunning businessman, he is also the personification of greed, ambition, and evil. Meanwhile, Superman is an extraterrestrial from Krypton with godlike abilities that symbolize hope, justice, and truth.

There has been a long-running rivalry between the two characters, with many of their conflicts being motivated by Luthor's ambition to kill and destroy the Man of Steel. This leads to the question, why is Lex Luthor so driven to eliminate Clark Kent? What makes him constantly look for ways to defeat the Man of Steel?


Revenge and retribution, a belief in a superior race, and eight other reasons why Lex Luthor hates Superman

1) A need for recognition

Lex Luthor's desire for immortality leads him to kill Superman to prove that his legacy will outlast the Man of steel (Image via Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor's desire for immortality leads him to kill Superman to prove that his legacy will outlast the Man of steel (Image via Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor wants to be recognized as the one who saves the world. He sees the Man of Tomorrow as an obstacle in the way of his glory and is determined to annihilate him to prove to the world that he is a true hero. He wants to be acknowledged as someone who genuinely runs the show and protects the planet.


2) Desire for power and control

Lex Luthor's jealousy and hatred of Kryptonians' abilities fuel his obsession with defeating the Man of Steel. (Image via Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor's jealousy and hatred of Kryptonians' abilities fuel his obsession with defeating the Man of Steel. (Image via Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor's need for power and control drives his desire to destroy Superman. He believes that by defeating the Kryptonian, he can prove to the world that he is a true savior and hero.

He wants to control the narrative and be seen as the one in charge. For Lex Luthor, the Man of steel is a threat to his authority and power and he is willing to do anything to eliminate that threat.


3) Fear of Superman's power

Fear of the Man of steel's power leads Lex Luthor to believe that he must destroy the last son of Krypton to protect humanity (Image via Warner Bros)
Fear of the Man of steel's power leads Lex Luthor to believe that he must destroy the last son of Krypton to protect humanity (Image via Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor is afraid of Clark Kent's power and the potential for him to use it against humanity. He worries about the Man of Steel's strength and how he may use it to hurt the planet. He wants to defeat the Man of Tomorrow to prevent him from using his powers in a way that could harm humanity, which in a way would make Luthor the bigger man between the two foes.


4) A belief in a superior race

Lex Luthor believes that humanity should be ruled by a superior race (Image via Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor believes that humanity should be ruled by a superior race (Image via Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor believes that humanity should be ruled by a superior race, and he sees himself as a member of that race. He wants to annihilate the Kryptonian to prove that he is the true leader of humanity and that the Man of Tomorrow is not fit to rule. He wants to demonstrate that he is the only one capable of ruling the planet by annihilating Krypton's last son.


5) A need for world domination

Lex Luthor's ultimate goal of ruling the world drives his desire to annihilate the man of steel as the biggest obstacle standing in his way (Image via Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor's ultimate goal of ruling the world drives his desire to annihilate the man of steel as the biggest obstacle standing in his way (Image via Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor's ultimate goal is to rule the world, and he sees the Man of Tomorrow as the biggest obstacle standing in his way. He wants to end Clark Kent to prove that he is the true ruler of the world and that the Kryptonian is not fit to rule. He wants to prove that he is truly in charge and that he is the only one who is qualified to rule the world.


6) Revenge and retribution

Lex Luthor's grudge against the man of steel drives him to seek revenge and retribution (Image of Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor's grudge against the man of steel drives him to seek revenge and retribution (Image of Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor has a deep-seated hatred for Superman, stemming from the fact that the Kryptonian has constantly foiled his plans for world domination. Lex Luthor wants to destroy Superman as a way of getting revenge for all the times Superman has defeated him. He wants to make the Kryptonian pay for all the times he has humiliated and defeated him, and he wants to make sure that Superman never has the chance to do the same again.


7) A desire for immortality

Lex Luthor's fear of the Kryptonians' power leads him to constantly seek ways to defeat the Man of Steel (Image from Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor's fear of the Kryptonians' power leads him to constantly seek ways to defeat the Man of Steel (Image from Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor wants to destroy the Kryptonian to prove that he is the true savior of humanity and that his legacy will live on long after Superman's has faded. He wants to be remembered as the one who saved the world and not Superman.

He sees the Kryptonian as a temporary hero, and he wants to prove that his legacy will outlast Superman's. He wants to be immortalized in the annals of history as the one who saved humanity, and he wants to put an end to Superman to become eternal.


8) Ego

Lex Luthor's ego drives him to prove that he is the true hero and savior of the world, not the last son of Krypton (Image via Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor's ego drives him to prove that he is the true hero and savior of the world, not the last son of Krypton (Image via Warner Bros)

The desire to destroy the Kryptonian closely relates to Lex Luthor's ego. He wants to demonstrate to the world that he is a real hero and that Superman is less significant or stronger than he initially appeared to be. He wants to establish himself as humanity's true hero and show everyone else that he is, in fact, in command.


9) Jealousy

Lex Luthor's desire to prove he is the true hero (Image via Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor's desire to prove he is the true hero (Image via Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor is jealous of Superman's abilities and the adulation he receives from the public. He wants to end the Kryptonian by proving that he is a true hero and that the Man of Steel's powers are not as great as they seem. He wants to show that he is the real hero since he is jealous of the attention and admiration that Superman enjoys.


10) Inferiority complex

An inferiority complex fuels Lex Luthor's jealousy of the Man of Steel's abilities and public adoration (Image via Warner Bros)
An inferiority complex fuels Lex Luthor's jealousy of the Man of Steel's abilities and public adoration (Image via Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor has a deep-seated belief in his own superiority. He sees the Man of Tomorrow as a challenge to his own intelligence and abilities and is determined to destroy him to prove to the world that he is a true genius. He believes that his intelligence and abilities are superior to the Kryptonian's, and he wants to prove the same to the world. Instead of the Man of Steel, he wants to assert himself as the true leader.


The Endgame: Understanding Lex Luthor's obsession with destroying Superman

Lex Luthor's determination to defeat and urge to destroy Clark Kent, is a constant threat to the Man of Steel (Image via Warner Bros)
Lex Luthor's determination to defeat and urge to destroy Clark Kent, is a constant threat to the Man of Steel (Image via Warner Bros)

Lex Luthor's ambition to kill the Man of Steel is motivated by a combination of motives: his sense of superiority, need for dominance and power, anger and envy for Superman's skills, and need for vengeance and attention.

Lex Luthor is a multifaceted and powerful antagonist, and the Man of Steel is continuously in danger due to his fixation with destroying Clark Kent. The Man of Steel, however, is not someone who backs down from a struggle, and as history has proven, he will always rise to defend humanity and show that he is the real hero.

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Edited by Adelle Fernandes
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