The secret family of Lex Luthor was recently revealed in the Superman comic. This shocking revelation seemingly came out of nowhere. However, it reintroduced two preexisting characters who have not appeared in the Superman comics in some time.
The family reunion came in Superman #7 by Joshua Williamson, Gleb Melnikov, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, Edwin Galmon, and Alejandro Sanchez. The issue found Lex Luthor recovering from surgery in a prison hospital. His conversation with Lois Lane was interrupted by the arrival of a redhaired woman with a white streak in her hair.
Lois recognized this woman as Lex’s mother, Leticia Luthor, but noted that she was believed to be dead. Her confusion is likely shared by many Superman readers. The history surrounding Lex Luthor’s mother is convoluted and contradictory. This history has been further muddied by depictions of Lex Luthor’s mother in other media. Quite often, she also had names other than Leticia Luthor.
The Lives and Deaths of Lex Luthor’s Mother
In the Golden Age Superman comics, Lex Luthor’s mother was a homemaker named Arlene born in Smallville. Married young to a salesman named Jules Luthor, she was only notable for having given birth to her infamous son. Jules and Arlene died in a car crash after changing their names in shame and going into hiding.
This backstory was altered significantly in the Post-Crisis era of Superman. Lex Luthor’s parents were unnamed in the 1989 one-shot Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography. This story established that Lex’s parents died in a car crash as in the original timeline. The key differences were that the crash occurred when Lex was 13, his parents were portrayed as abusive, and Lex arranged their car crash as an insurance scam.
Later comic stories gave Lex’s parents the names of Lionel and Leticia Luthor. The name of Lionel Luthor was taken from the television series Smallville, though the comic book Lionel was a radically different character. Lex Luthor’s mother in Smallville was named Lillian Luthor and was the one positive influence on young Lex before her untimely death.
The Lillian Luthor name was used by another character in the Supergirl television series. Played by Brenda Strong, this Lillian was as ambitious and xenophobic as her infamous son. She was also a skilled scientist in her own right, having created the Superman villain Metallo in the Arrowverse as part of Project Cadmus.
A New Leticia and the Return of Lena Luthor II
Superman #7 seems to borrow heavily from the Arrowverse Lillian Luthor in presenting its retcon of Leticia Luthor. She is said to have been from Metropolis originally, and has been living in secret on a private island. She returned to Metropolis, intent on reclaiming control of the family business, after learning that Lex Luthor signed control of LexCorp over to Superman.
It is quickly established that Leticia Luthor did not return to Metropolis alone. To Lex’s horror, he discovers his daughter Lena Luthor, now a teenager, is waiting out in the hallway. Leticia brought Lena with her, despite Lex’s warnings that no one could know about her existence.
Named for Lex Luthor’s beloved younger sister, Lena Luthor II was a product of Lex’s marriage to Contessa Erica Alexandra del Portenza. Ever the opportunist, Lex traded Lena to Brainiac 13 in exchange for advanced technology from the 64th century. When Superman confronted him on this act, Lex replied, “I can always make another.”
This act came back to bite Lex after he was elected President of the United States. Lena returned as a thrall of Brainiac 13 aged to adulthood and with considerable powers. She fought alongside her father during the Our Worlds At War event, which ended with her being reverted to infancy. She has not been seen in the comics since then and was presumed to have been retconned out of existence along with Lex Luthor’s presidency.
However, Lena’s appearance in Superman #7 suggests that some of that history is still valid. The Brainiac symbol on her forehead speaks to her having some kind of encounter with the alien intelligence. That, coupled with Brainiac planning an invasion of Earth, suggests Lex Luthor’s problems are just beginning.
Superman #7 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
