206-430: " Trinity War " is an 11-issue comic book story arc first published in 2013 by DC Comics , featuring the fictional superhero teams the Justice League , Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark . The arc spans several titles, including Justice League , Justice League of America , Justice League Dark , Constantine , Trinity of Sin: Pandora and Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger . The story
412-606: A Justice League issue, with the Justice League of America members all taking a back seat to the issue's events. He added that Doug Mahnke's pencils grounded the story in Geoff John's universe, but felt the battle sequences were not as good as Ivan Reis' in Justice League 22. Jesse Schedeen of IGN, who gave the issue an 8.1 out of 10, was wary that the "heavy emphasis on The Outsider and his schemes made "Trinity War" feel less like
618-660: A tabloid form. Underground comics and "small press" titles have also appeared in the UK, notably Oz and Escape Magazine . The content of Action , another title aimed at children and launched in the mid-1970s, became the subject of discussion in the House of Commons . Although on a smaller scale than similar investigations in the US, such concerns led to a moderation of content published within British comics. Such moderation never became formalized to
824-419: A 7 out of 10. Gray felt this issue was "the difficult middle chapter of the first half of this crossover" and that "the issue works successfully in building up the pieces of the broader puzzle, but it may leave readers attached to the core members of the team out in the cold." He noted that the issue was more reflective in tone, opposed to pitched battles on every page. Gray criticized that the issue felt more like
1030-564: A 7.3 out of 10 average rating for the event, based on 270 critic reviews. Just before the release of the final part, Jesse Schedeen of IGN stated, ""Trinity War" itself seems almost wholly disinterested in the Trinity of Sin, the Seven Deadly Sins, or any of the other elements the crossover was initially predicated upon." After Justice League #23 was released, Schedeen added,"Event comics often fail because they're more concerned with setting up
1236-631: A black artist or writer allowed in a major comics company." Asian characters within comic books encountered similar prejudiced treatment as black characters did. They were subjected to dehumanizing depictions, with narratives often portraying them as "incompetent and subhuman." In a 1944 edition of the publication United States Marines , there was a story titled The Smell of the Monkeymen . This narrative portrayed Japanese soldiers as brutish simians, and it depicted their concealed positions being betrayed by their repugnant body odor. Chinese characters received
1442-456: A bridge between one phase and the next. By the final page of Justice League #23, that bridge is not so much burned as left a bit smokey from the waves of revelations that come to light in the issue's final pages. It's a fitting conclusion, but one that will require additional reading when the dust has settled." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources was critical of the final issue, giving it 3.5 stars out of 5. He felt that while " Justice League #23
1648-497: A car accident so he can inherit their life insurance and create a better life for himself, creating LexCorp. He marries and divorces several times and desires a romance with Lois Lane. When Superman appears, Luthor takes advantage of a terrorist attack to see the hero in action and then attempts to make him an employee. But the Man of Steel, acting as a special deputy of Metropolis, arrests him for endangering people by not warning authorities of
1854-441: A combination of Earth and alien technology (including tech from the other-dimensional world Apokolips ) and armed with different forms of kryptonite in the gauntlet. Lex Luthor of Earth-One teams up with Alexei Luthor of Earth-Two. It is shown that Alexei is arguably colder and more villainous, perfectly willing to destroy all of Earth in order to prove his superiority, whereas Lex hesitates to do so because he had no desire to rule
2060-473: A company named Comics Guaranty (CGC) initiated the practice of "slabbing" comics, which involves encasing them within thick plastic cases and assigning them a numerical grade. This approach inspired the emergence of Comic Book Certification Service . Given the significance of condition in determining the value of rare comics, the concept of grading by an impartial company, one that does not engage in buying or selling comics, seemed promising. Nevertheless, there
2266-431: A complex frame. Soon after Luthor discovers evidence that leads him to conclude Clark Kent is Superman, the 2001 Our Worlds at War saga begins, in which Topeka, Kansas is destroyed in an attack by the alien Imperiex . Luthor is warned of the impending attack beforehand but alerts no one so Earth can enter a great war and he can prove his leadership to the world. Luthor coordinates the U.S. Army, Earth's superheroes, and
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#17328726950252472-491: A creates a kryptonite ring for himself. He wears the radioactive ore around his finger as a symbol that he is untouchable, causing the Man of Tomorrow pain and weakness whenever he approaches. Not realizing humans can be affected by severe or long-term meteoric radiation exposure , Luthor eventually suffers from Kryptonite poisoning. He had his right hand amputated to prevent the cancer's spread, and not long afterwards, said kryptonite ring (which he kept in cold storage prior to
2678-427: A distant arid planet orbiting a red star, Luthor challenges Superman to a fight since Kryptonians lose power when exposed to red sun radiation. Befriending the planet's inhabitants, Luthor aids them in rediscovering lost technology that restores the water supply and helps the society rebuild. As a result, Luthor becomes a hero in the eyes of the planet, whereas his enemy Superman is detested as a villain. The people rename
2884-549: A fake while Batman keeps the actual ring. Superman, upon learning that Lex Luthor was about to be elected president, flew off in a fit of rage and split one of Saturn's small moons in half with one fly through. Before he takes office in the White House , Luthor cuts ties with his own company LexCorp, turning over leadership to Talia al Ghul , using the alias Talia Head, daughter of international terrorist cult leader Ra's al Ghul , one of Batman's greatest enemies. Luthor's popularity
3090-452: A famous example of the British comic annual. DC Thomson also repackages The Broons and Oor Wullie strips in softcover A4-size books for the holiday season. On 19 March 2012, the British postal service, the Royal Mail , released a set of stamps depicting British comic book characters and series. The collection featured The Beano , The Dandy , Eagle , The Topper , Roy of
3296-412: A fire in his lab and he calls on Superboy to save him. The Boy of Steel puts out the fire but, in the process, accidentally destroys the artificial life form and the years of research notes that led to its creation, while fumes from the chemical fire cause Luthor's hair to fall out. Unwilling to hold himself responsible for the lab fire and the destruction of his own life's work, Luthor decides that Superboy
3502-577: A five chapter spy genre tale written by Otto Binder and drawn by Al Carreno. It is readable online in the Digital Comic Museum . The magazine never reached a second issue. In 1950, St. John Publications produced the digest-sized , adult-oriented "picture novel" It Rhymes with Lust , a 128-page digest by pseudonymous writer "Drake Waller" ( Arnold Drake and Leslie Waller ), penciler Matt Baker and inker Ray Osrin , touted as "an original full-length novel" on its cover. "It Rhymes with Lust"
3708-746: A focal point of the stories immediately following it. He is shown making repeated attempts to court her during The Man of Steel , though Lois plainly does not return his feelings. In the Superman Adventures comic line based on the TV series of the same name, Luthor's backstory is identical to that of the Post-Crisis origin with slight changes. Luthor is shown originating in Suicide Slum, his intelligence outshining other children, fueling his ambition to have all of Metropolis look up to him one day. Luthor's baldness
3914-411: A god and just be a man. Soon afterward, Superman's confronts the telepathic Manchester Black . Realizing Superman is a true hero and therefore true heroism is possible, Black decides to make up for his actions against the Man of Steel and Lois Lane by removing Lex Luthor's knowledge that the Man of Steel is Clark Kent. Following the publication of Superman: Birthright in 2003–2004, Luthor's history
4120-623: A government ran program, the Writers' War Board, became heavily involved in what would be published in comics. "The Writers' War Board used comic books to shape popular perceptions of race and ethnicity..." Not only were they using comic books as a means of recruiting all Americans, they were also using it as propaganda to "[construct] a justification for race-based hatred of America's foreign enemies." The Writers' War Board created comics books that were meant to "[promote] domestic racial harmony". However, "these pro-tolerance narratives struggled to overcome
4326-482: A hell of a ride so far," adding "all of the previously disparate elements from the various series begin to coalesce into something major." Jim Johnson of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 4 stars out of 5, feeling it was "loads of fanboy fun" and the issue actually progressed the series storyline, not just the event's storyline. Newsarama's Richard Gray gave Justice League Dark #22 an 8 out of 10. Gray stated: "While many events that run across multiple titles often slap
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#17328726950254532-460: A huge ripple through the magical planes. During the conflict, Constantine arrives, takes the box, and transports himself and Zatanna to the Temple of Hephaestus. There they find that Madame Xanadu had been kidnapped and locked away in a secret bunker. Madame Xanadu tells everyone that Pandora had it wrong, that the box is actually a doorway. Superman, Wonder Woman and their respective groups arrive at
4738-461: A humorous tone; however, this practice was replaced by featuring stories of all genres, usually not humorous in tone. The largest comic book market is Japan. By 1995, the manga market in Japan was valued at ¥ 586.4 billion ( $ 6–7 billion ), with annual sales of 1.9 billion manga books ( tankōbon volumes and manga magazines ) in Japan, equivalent to 15 issues per person. In 2020
4944-427: A less superior race and cannot believe they bested his men."The Tuskegee Airmen, and images of black aviators appear in just three of the fifty three panels... the pilots of the 99th Squadron have no dialogue and interact with neither Hop Harrigan nor his Nazi captive." During this time, they also used black characters in comic books as a means to invalidate the militant black groups that were fighting for equality within
5150-426: A lifeless world and doesn't want his sister to die. They even extend their alliance to Ultraman when Earth-Three's Lex Luthor is a good guy. All three villains were defeated by Superman of Earth-One, Superman of Earth-Two, and Lex Luthor of Earth-Three. During the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths , Luthor allies himself with fellow Superman foe Brainiac to recruit an army of supervillains spanning
5356-412: A lifelong passion for the stories within comics, often focusing on specific superheroes and striving to gather a complete collection of a particular series. Comics are assigned sequential numbers, and the initial issue of a long-lasting comic book series tends to be both the scarcest and the most coveted among collectors. The introduction of a new character might occur within an existing title. For instance,
5562-528: A limited series written by Mark Waid in 2004, offers an alternate look at Luthor's history, including his youth in Smallville , and his first encounter with Superman. The story has similarities to the 2001 television series Smallville , which follows Clark Kent 's life as a teenager and into early adulthood. One plot element shared by the comic and the show is the problematic relationship between Lex and his father Lionel . Along with this, Birthright restores
5768-468: A logo on an existing series and call it a tie-in...Lemire ensures that his team are an integral part, [making] the team finally feel as though they are part of a wider DC universe. Indeed, in many ways, this appears to be the primary goal of “Trinity War”, in that it unites the often disparate strands of the New 52." Joshua Yehl of IGN gave the issue a 7.0 out of 10, saying "While the art and characters are done well,
5974-428: A lot left to be resolved in the approaching final chapter of "Trinity War"." He also praised Janin's ability to accurately draw the characters used in the issue. Joshua Yehl of IGN also had similar sentiments, saying "While "Trinity War's" overall story is wonky, this chapter of Justice League Dark at least makes it a fun time." He also enjoyed Janin's art and gave the issue a 7.6 out of 10. Richard Gray of Newsarama gave
6180-461: A new status quo and changing the playing field than simply allowing readers to savor the high stakes and epic nature of the conflict at hand. "Trinity War" may well emerge as the new poster child for everything wrong with that approach. In the end, "Trinity War" becomes little more than a stepping stone towards Forever Evil. The result is that Justice League #23 is an almost wholly unfulfilling "finale" issue." Overall, Newsarama 's Richard Gray praised
6386-499: A new, powerful version of the Justice League of America, Lex decides this is Superman's direct challenge to his own power, so he creates a new Injustice Gang in response. Along with his new teammates, Lex acquires a powerful artifact known as the Worlogog, which can warp space and time. The Injustice Gang kills several people while attacking the League then lures the heroes into a trap, but then
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6592-453: A number of untrustworthy alien forces to battle the main villain of the story arc. Although Lex Luthor is able to devise a plan to destroy Imperiex's body, the plan is subsequently hijacked by Brainiac 13, requiring Superman to propose a new plan where Darkseid and Luthor coordinate their efforts to defeat Imperiex by sending him back in time. Following the battle, Superman retrieves Lena and returns her to Lex, advising Luthor to stop trying to be
6798-502: A plane crash in the Andes and secretly has his brain transferred to a cloned body, one younger, taller, with full hair, and more physically fit. With aid from trusted assistants, the now physically 21-year-old Luthor presents himself to the world as his own hitherto unknown, illegitimate son and heir from Australia , Lex Luthor II , who only wishes to do good and can't be judged by the actions of his father. He quickly manipulates and recruits
7004-520: A powerful alien is around to protect them and solve problems. During the Blackest Night crossover, Wonder Woman restrains Luthor with her magic lasso and under its spell of truth he confesses he secretly wants to be Superman, revealing that beneath all his blustering, Luthor covets Superman's powers for himself. When Superman was out of sight for a year, Luthor used the time to create the "Everyman" project intending to create new superheroes to replace
7210-462: A promise of payment of some kind), Lex only finds friendship with Clark, impressed by the young man's knowledge though also finding him naive. Luthor discovers kryptonite meteors in Smallville and uses the radioactive mineral as a power source for his experiments. When Clark sees the machine and feels ill from proximity to kryptonite, Luthor mistakes his reaction to mean the young man doesn't believe in
7416-456: A relic from Lexor's lost age. After one of Luthor's still-active satellites threatens the people of Earth, he concludes Superman will soon come to Lexor to take him back to Earth authorities. With the underground lab's resources, he spends weeks creating a "warsuit" — highly destructive, flight-capable power armor — to finally match the Kryptonian in physical combat and counter his powers. To test
7622-410: A scientific genius in the 1990s in stories such as The Final Night . By 2000, it was said that Luthor's genuine accomplishments in several scientific fields is what helped create LexCorp and make it so successful so quickly (in early Post-Crisis stories, Byrne suggested that Luthor was recognized as a brilliant inventor and great scientific mind, but had largely withdrawn from his laboratory in favor of
7828-506: A smooth read," but failed to "kicks off the story without first giving a compelling reason to root for Pandora." Yehl also praised the art, saying it looked "impressively good" despite the fact that there were four artists on the book. Jim Johnson of Comic Book Resources gave the first issue 2 stars out of 5, saying that the story is a "protracted version of what readers have already learned in Phantom Stranger and elsewhere" and criticizing
8034-450: A son by Ardora, Lex Luthor Jr. He spends the next several weeks with his new family before discovering Lexor suffers from the same planetary instability that destroyed Krypton. While creating a "Neutrarod" tower to stabilize the planetary core, Luthor's pathological hatred for Superman resurfaces and he reflects on feeling unsatisfied in life without their conflict. The villain then unearths an ancient underground laboratory of great technology,
8240-590: A stepping stone to dominating the universe, believing a man of his intellect deserves such power. On several occasions he joins forces with Superman's enemy Brainiac (though the two often betray each other as well). Lex is repeatedly imprisoned, but his genius allows him to routinely escape. He also makes it a point to be out of prison on the birthday of Albert Einstein, regarding it as a holiday. A famous non- canonical "imaginary story" from 1961 entitled "The Death of Superman" has Luthor finally succeed in killing Superman after pretending to reform and befriend him. On
8446-713: A studio artist who illustrated for the Superman dailies during this period. One hypothesis is that Nowak mistook Luthor for the Ultra-Humanite , a recurring mad scientist foe of Superman who, in his Golden Age incarnation, resembled a balding, elderly man. Other evidence suggests Luthor's design was confused with that of a stockier, bald henchman in Superman #4 (Spring 1940); Luthor's next appearance occurs in Superman #10 (May 1941), in which Nowak depicted him as significantly heavier, with visible jowls. The character's abrupt hair loss has been made reference to several times over
Trinity War - Misplaced Pages Continue
8652-529: A suit of mechanized armor that gives him enhanced strength, flight, advanced weaponry, and other capabilities. While Lex is primarily depicted as a supervillain allied with other villains, such as Metallo , Parasite and Bizarro , and frequently leading DC supervillain teams such as the Legion of Doom , he has also been portrayed as an antihero who will ally himself with Superman and other heroes against common enemies such as Brainiac and Darkseid . The character
8858-492: A supervillain, however, he has often come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe . Lex Luthor is physically an ordinary human and has no natural superpowers, but he is a genius with a high aptitude for business, politics, science, and technology. He is typically portrayed as a mad scientist lacking a secret identity , costume, or other elements of supervillains, but he occasionally wears his warsuit,
9064-497: A surge of creativity emerged in what became known as underground comix . Published and distributed independently of the established comics industry, most of such comics reflected the youth counterculture and drug culture of the time. Underground comix "reflected and commented on the social divisions and tensions of American society". Many had an uninhibited, often irreverent style; their frank depictions of nudity, sex, profanity, and politics had no parallel outside their precursors,
9270-431: A weapon from the U.S. Army capable of causing earthquakes. Superman battles and defeats Luthor, then destroys the earthquake device. The scientist who made the device commits suicide to prevent its reinvention. In a story in the same issue, Luthor creates a city on the sunken Lost continent of Pacifo and populates it with recreated prehistoric monsters he plans to unleash upon the world. Superman thwarts his plans and Luthor
9476-407: Is 'without sin', but when he touches the box he appears to become possessed. Pandora manages to escape with the box, after which Superman seems to return to normal. Shazam, having defeated his arch-enemy Black Adam, journeys to Kahndaq to bury him, inadvertently risking a diplomatic incident. Superman and the Justice League attempt to stop Shazam, which escalates into a fight. Amanda Waller decides it
9682-461: Is Superman and almost always he denies this possibility, unable to imagine a man of such power spending half his time pretending to be average since in his mind, such a possibility would be too humiliating to bear. In stories appearing in JLA and 52 by Grant Morrison , Luthor cannot bring himself to believe Superman is truly altruistic and deeply cares about a planet that is not his native world, concluding
9888-414: Is a loud, clanging final chapter to the crossover between Justice League books", there "was way too much is left hanging out to be completed elsewhere." Jesse Schedeen of IGN was highly critical of Justice League #23, giving it a 6.0 out of 10. Schedeen felt that the Trinity of Sin "are practically non-entities in the story" at the end, after being teased as the center of the event back in 2012. He also felt
10094-441: Is a mad scientist, corrupt businessman, or both, Luthor's ego is a defining trait in all his incarnations; he believes he is entitled to both popularity and power. While each incarnation initially wants the adoration of others and control over either Smallville or Metropolis, the goal eventually rises to control over Earth and possibly universal domination. Luthor's other defining trait is his obsession to destroy Superman and humiliate
10300-469: Is a sign Luthor does not truly desire the deaths of innocents and still has the potential to be a good man. Luthor marries Contessa Erica Alexanda Del Portenza, a near-immortal and formidable woman with her own agenda. After the birth of their daughter Lena, Luthor attempts to raise the girl without her interference. After several clashes, Luthor has the Contessa seemingly killed by a missile barrage. Later on,
10506-493: Is also available to read online in the Digital Comic Museum. In 1971, writer-artist Gil Kane and collaborators applied a paperback format to their "comics novel" Blackmark . Will Eisner popularized the term "graphic novel" when he used it on the cover of the paperback edition of his work A Contract with God, and Other Tenement Stories in 1978 and, subsequently, the usage of the term began to increase. In 2017,
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#173287269502510712-463: Is altered (and the new canon is quickly referenced in both Superman comics and the series Superman/Batman that begins in 2004). In the new history, Luthor is only a few years older than Clark Kent and his family moves to Smallville when he is a teenager. Possibly abused by his father Lionel, and alienated from others by his intelligence and his ignorance of certain social cues and behaviors (he does not understand why gifts are given on birthdays without
10918-457: Is an action - mystery that sees the Justice League, Justice League of America, and Justice League Dark clash, in order to solve the mystery of Pandora's Box. The event also introduces the Crime Syndicate and the reveal of Earth-3 to The New 52 . The main storyline received generally positive reviews, though it was criticized for not having a true conclusion, instead leading directly into
11124-458: Is an ongoing debate regarding whether the relatively high cost of this grading service is justified and whether it serves the interests of collectors or mainly caters to speculators seeking rapid profits, akin to trading in stocks or fine art. Comic grading has played a role in establishing standards for valuation, which online price guides such as GoCollect and GPAnalysis utilize to provide real-time market value information. Collectors also seek out
11330-718: Is assisted by the extreme unpopularity of the previous administration's mishandling of the Gotham City earthquake crisis (as depicted in the No Man's Land storyline in the Batman titles), and his own seemingly heroic efforts to rebuild Gotham before it rejoins the United States. Batman learns Luthor attempted to take control of Gotham by forging deeds for its lands in his own name. This results in Bruce Wayne severing all commercial ties between
11536-518: Is at fault, renewing his need for vengeance. In his subsequent stories, he regularly uses the Lexorian warsuit. The warsuit was designed by George Pérez as part of the Super Powers toyline in the early 1980s before being introduced into the comics in 1983. The suit vanished in 1986 after Crisis on Infinite Earths rebooted DC Comics continuity, but was reintroduced in 2004, now said to be built with
11742-557: Is created by genetic manipulation, essentially giving him 50% Superman's DNA and 50% DNA of a human being, revealed years later to be Luthor himself. Luthor's clone body eventually begins to deteriorate, causing him to lose his hair and age at an accelerated rate, a side-effect of a disease affecting all clones. Lois Lane discovers proof of Luthor's clone harvesting and false identity and exposes him with help from Superman. Desperate to evade arrest, Luthor activates technology left on Earth by Brainiac, destroying large sections of Metropolis in
11948-455: Is defeated. The Joker gains control of the Worlogog, but is then telepathically attacked, becoming temporarily sane and remorseful. Before the killer's mind reverts, Luthor has Joker use the Worlogog to revise history so that those killed no longer died. With the deaths removed and little physical evidence linking him to any wrongdoing, Luthor is free to go. While Batman concludes Luthor simply used Joker to avoid murder charges, Superman believes it
12154-664: Is depicted as a diabolical genius and is referred to only by his surname. He resides in a flying city suspended by a dirigible and plots to provoke a war between two European nations. Lois Lane and Clark Kent investigate, which results in Lois being kidnapped. Luthor battles Superman with a green ray but he is ultimately defeated, and Lois is rescued. Superman destroys Luthor's dirigible with him still on it, implying Luthor may have died. Stories ending with Luthor's apparent death become common in his earliest appearances, with him turning up alive later on. Luthor returns in Superman #4 and steals
12360-653: Is generally considered the beginning of the modern comic book as it is known today. The Silver Age of Comic Books is generally considered to date from the first successful revival of the then-dormant superhero form, with the debut of the Flash in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956). The Silver Age lasted through the late 1960s or early 1970s, during which time Marvel Comics revolutionized the medium with such naturalistic superheroes as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby 's Fantastic Four and Lee and Steve Ditko 's Spider-Man . The demarcation between
12566-402: Is increasingly difficult to take umbrage with a singular instance anymore." Comic Book Resources ' Doug Zawisza felt "there are no true conclusions of any sort" after the whole event, "just more shock-for-shock's sake moments and lots of new questions" added at the end of Justice League #23. As with Gray, Zawisza "was hopeful DC's tactic of bleeding events one to the next would be over following
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#173287269502512772-617: Is largely set in Britain and starring the magician John Constantine , paved the way for British writers such as Jamie Delano . The English musician Peter Gabriel issued in 2000 The Story of OVO which was released in a CD-booklet-shaped comic book as part of the CD edition with the title " OVO The Millennium Show ". The 2000 Millennium Dome Show based on it. At Christmas, publishers repackage and commission material for comic annuals , printed and bound as hardcover A4 -size books; "Rupert" supplies
12978-434: Is never explained, save for a brief depiction of him with blond hair in childhood; it is assumed the hair loss was natural. Luthor's parents die during his teenage years, however, their deaths are indeed accidental. Lex uses the insurance to pay for his tuition to MIT and then founds LexCorp. His hatred of Superman is explained as the citizens of Metropolis have admired the Man of Steel more than him. Superman: Birthright ,
13184-522: Is not revealed. The Crime Syndicate claim the planet as their own, and attack the three weakened Justice Leagues. The outcome of "Trinity War" leads directly into DC's Forever Evil miniseries and " Villains Month " event, as well as the creation of new New 52 titles. Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11 had major repercussions for Phantom Stranger and planted the seeds for a new story arc in Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #14, later revealed to be
13390-564: Is physically approximately in his true age. His soul is later restored after Neron is defeated by Captain Marvel and the Trickster. Returning to Metropolis, Luthor submits to a trial. He claims all his crimes were committed by a violent clone created by renegade scientists from Cadmus Labs who secretly held the true Luthor hostage. Luthor is acquitted of all charges. He later arranges to reacquire his old kryptonite ring. When Superman and others form
13596-445: Is really about." He however, enjoyed Lex Luthor's appearance in the issue. Conversely, Richard Gray of Newsarama gave the issue an 8 out of 10, saying "For all the false starts and misdirection of the New 52, the first major crossover in “Trinity War” has come together nicely. While there is still the pervading sense that this is merely a set-up for the next major event, the “Forever Evil” villains month, there's no denying that it has been
13802-425: Is released from jail quickly and has the charges dropped, the humiliation of being publicly arrested and processed, coupled with indignation that Superman refused to work for him, results in the villain pledging to destroy Superman simply to prove his power. Despite general acceptance of Byrne's characterization, which led to its influence in media adaptations, DC Comics writers began bringing back his quality of being
14008-507: Is seemingly killed by the dinosaurs he created. Luthor returns in Superman #5 with a plan to place hypnotic gas in the offices of influential people so he can throw the nation into a depression with the help of corrupt financier Moseley. The story ends with Superman defeating him. In these early stories, Luthor's schemes are centered around financial gain or megalomaniacal ambitions; unlike most later incarnations, he demonstrates no strong animosity toward Superman beyond inevitable resentment of
14214-493: Is shown that Alexei is arguably colder and more villainous, perfectly willing to destroy all of Earth in order to prove his superiority, whereas Lex hesitates to do so because he had no desire to rule a lifeless world and doesn't want his sister to die. Years later, Lex Luthor and the villain Brainiac recruit an army of super-villains during Crisis on Infinite Earths , including Alexei Luthor from Earth-Two. When Alexei argues that
14420-509: Is simply an amoral and brilliant man driven by a simple desire for power, the Silver Age incarnation was given a more developed personality and backstory. Teenage Lex Luthor is an aspiring scientist who resides in Smallville and greatly admires its local hero Superboy . After Lex saves him from kryptonite , the Boy of Steel builds him a private laboratory in gratitude. After "thousands of experiments,"
14626-413: Is something he would never do himself, Luthor dismisses the computer's findings and concludes both the machine and its programmer are at fault. As a nod to the previous continuity, Luthor has his lab create high-tech armor that resembles the Lexorian warsuit. Rather than act directly, he has an employee don the armor and attack Superman for him. The man is defeated and cannot testify against Luthor because
14832-470: Is the perfect opportunity for the Justice League of America to confront the Justice League, and dispatches them. During the conflict, it appears as though Superman murders the JLA's newest recruit Doctor Light. Seeming to have lost control of his powers, Superman surrenders himself to A.R.G.U.S. Wonder Woman, believing that Pandora's box is responsible for Superman's actions, meets with Hephaestus , for answers about
15038-591: Is used in South Korea to refer to both comics and cartooning in general. Outside South Korea, the term usually refers to comics originally published in the country. Manhwa is greatly influenced by Japanese Manga comics though it differs from manga and manhua with its own distinct features. Webtoons have become popular in South Korea as a new way to read comics. Thanks in part to different censorship rules, color and unique visual effects, and optimization for easier reading on smartphones and computers. More manhwa have made
15244-539: The DC Multiverse . Alexei Luthor is present and complains this army does not need two Luthors; Brainiac kills Alexei in response. At the conclusion of the series, reality is altered so that each of the different universes converge into one. Luthor is subsequently returned to prison with all his memories of the Crisis forgotten. This incarnation of Lex Luthor met his end in the non-canonical two-part story " Whatever Happened to
15450-490: The Justice League of America series got its strongest contender for art in Mahnke, but noted that it was not his best effort. Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3.5 stars out of 5, with Doug Zawisza saying he was not impressed with the issue, with a lot going on, and nothing really moving forward. He felt that Mahnke's art excelled in certain characters, especially Hawkman, Martian Manhunter and Frankenstein. IGN's Joshua Yehl gave
15656-527: The Manhattan Project . In 1956, DC Comics reimagined the Flash with a new secret identity, costume and origin. This led to the new Silver Age of Comics and the first DC Comics reboot, with characters across the board being reimagined or having their histories and nature redefined. The earlier Golden Age stories of Superman and Batman were later said to have taken place on Earth-Two , a parallel universe that
15862-536: The Silver Age concept of Luthor befriending Clark Kent as a young man. The two find a kinship in both feeling like outsiders and sharing a wish to explore outer space and discover alien alife, despite one resenting humanity and the other hoping to understand and be accepted by it. Lex discovers kryptonite samples in Smallville and uses them as a power source for a machine he hopes will pierce space and time so he can communicate with Krypton . When Clark falls ill approaching
16068-458: The archenemy of the superhero Superman . Lex Luthor was depicted as a narcissistic and egotistical mad scientist from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. Since the mid-late 1980s, he has more often been portrayed as the power-obsessed CEO of LexCorp . He wishes to rid the world of Superman, ostensibly because he views Superman as a threat to humanity, but in reality because he envies Superman's popularity and influence. Given his high profile as
16274-574: The archetype of the superhero . According to historian Michael A. Amundson , appealing comic-book characters helped ease young readers' fear of nuclear war and neutralize anxiety about the questions posed by atomic power. Historians generally divide the timeline of the American comic book into eras. The Golden Age of Comic Books began in 1938, with the debut of Superman in Action Comics #1, published by Detective Comics (predecessor of DC Comics), which
16480-477: The " Forever Evil " storyline; the tie-in titles received mixed reviews. Every title involved in the story was collected into a trade paperback entitled Justice League: Trinity War . Pandora appeared in all first issues of the First and Second Wave titles of The New 52 . Many of the stories since The New 52 was created at the end of Flashpoint lead up to "Trinity War". Some of these stories and events include: In
16686-588: The " Forever Evil: Blight " storyline. At San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, Johns and Lemire said the events of "Trinity War" would affect many of the DC titles, not just the Justice League books. The name of the crossover had brought speculation to what the "Trinity" stood for. In the 2012 FCBD special, Pandora, the Phantom Stranger and the Question were dubbed the Trinity of Sin. In regards to the name, Geoff Johns stated there
16892-543: The 1930s – and through really to the 1950s and 60s – these comics were almost the only entertainment available to children." Dennis the Menace was created in the 1950s, which saw sales for The Beano soar. He features in the cover of The Beano , with the BBC referring to him as the "definitive naughty boy of the comic world." In 1954, Tiger comics introduced Roy of the Rovers ,
17098-422: The 1940s there was a change in portrayal of black characters. "A cursory glance...might give the impression that situations had improved for African Americans in comics." In many comics being produced in this time there was a major push for tolerance between races. "These equality minded heroes began to spring to action just as African Americans were being asked to participate in the war effort." During this time,
17304-532: The 1970s and 1980s, particularly in Elliot S. Maggin 's novels Last Son of Krypton and Miracle Monday . The Golden Age version of Luthor appears again as a villain still alive and well on Earth-Two . To distinguish him from the modern-day Lex Luthor, the original incarnation is shown as having kept his red hair and is retroactively given the first name Alexei. In DC Comics Presents Annual #1 (1982), Alexei Luthor of Earth-Two and Lex Luthor of Earth-One team up. It
17510-560: The 1990s, changed the format and distribution of their comics to more closely resemble non-comics publishing. The " minicomics " form, an extremely informal version of self-publishing , arose in the 1980s and became increasingly popular among artists in the 1990s, despite reaching an even more limited audience than the small press. Small publishers regularly releasing titles include Avatar Press , Hyperwerks , Raytoons, and Terminal Press , buoyed by such advances in printing technology as digital print-on-demand . In 1964, Richard Kyle coined
17716-399: The 20th century, with the first comic standard-sized comic being Funnies on Parade . Funnies on Parades was the first book that established the size, duration, and format of the modern comic book. Following this was, Dell Publishing 's 36-page Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics as the first true newsstand American comic book; Goulart, for example, calls it "the cornerstone for one of
17922-459: The 21st century and which Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini adapted into a 2003 film . Some independent comics continued in the tradition of underground comics. While their content generally remained less explicit, others resembled the output of mainstream publishers in format and genre but were published by smaller artist-owned companies or by single artists. A few (notably RAW ) represented experimental attempts to bring comics closer to
18128-550: The CEO Luthor would be easier for readers to recognize. In Birthright , Luthor remains a wealthy corporate magnate; in contrast to Byrne's characterization, however, LexCorp is founded upon Luthor's study of extraterrestrial life, thereby providing a link between him and Superman. In the retrospective section of the Superman: Birthright trade paperback , Waid explains: Despite my own personal prejudices, I say we leave Lex
18334-659: The Comics Magazine Association of America. The CMAA instilled the Comics Code Authority in 1954 and drafted the self-censorship Comics Code that year, which required all comic books to go through a process of approval. It was not until the 1970s that comic books could be published without passing through the inspection of the CMAA. The Code was made formally defunct in November 2011. In the late 1960s and early 1970s,
18540-647: The Incredible Hulk and the X-Men . The best-selling comic book categories in the US as of 2019 are juvenile children's fiction at 41%, manga at 28% and superhero comics at 10% of the market. Another major comic book market is France , where Franco-Belgian comics and Japanese manga each represent 40% of the market, followed by American comics at 10% market share. Comic books heavily rely on their organization and visual presentation. Authors dedicate significant attention to aspects like page layout, size, orientation, and
18746-548: The Innocent (1954). This critique led to the involvement of the American Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency , which launched an investigation into comic books. Wertham argued that comic books were accountable for a surge in juvenile delinquency and posed a potential impact on a child's sexuality and moral values. In response to attention from the government and from the media, the US comic book industry set up
18952-448: The Kryptonian, then later attacks Metropolis with a long-buried Kryptonian warship. Returning to action, Superman points out that Luthor had a year to prove his old argument that he could help others and improve Earth if Superman didn't interfere with his life, but instead of curing disease or making technological breakthroughs, all he did was focus on increasing his power and finding "a big destructive machine so [he] could break things." In
19158-651: The Magician , and the Phantom . Several reprint companies became involved in repackaging American material for the British market, notably the importer and distributor Thorpe & Porter . Marvel Comics established a UK office in 1972. DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics also opened offices in the 1990s. The repackaging of European material has occurred less frequently, although The Adventures of Tintin and Asterix serials have been successfully translated and repackaged in softcover books. The number of European comics available in
19364-515: The Man of Tomorrow? " that closed out the Pre- Crisis Superman continuity of the Silver and Bronze Age. Luthor finds Brainiac 's robotic head, hoping to revive the villain for a new team-up. Instead, Brainiac takes control of Luthor's body, forcing him to be a host as he attempts to destroy Superman. Luthor later begs a superpowered Lana Lang to kill him, who does so. Brainiac retains control of
19570-500: The Phantom Stranger from existence. Wonder Woman and her team track Pandora to the prison where Lex Luthor is held. Pandora approaches Luthor, hoping that he can open the box. Before she can give it to him, Wonder Woman and her group arrive to retrieve the box. Upon touching the box, Wonder Woman is apparently possessed just as Superman was. The other superheroes around her attempt to get the box from her and free her from its power; one by one it begins to corrupt them all. Pandora can see
19776-477: The Phantom Stranger to bring him to the afterlife so he can question Doctor Light. When Batman questions Doctor Light, the group learns that he does not remember anything about his death. Doctor Light gives a piece of his soul to the Stranger in hopes that he can give it to his family as a final gift. As the group is ready to leave, Zauriel appears, dismisses Batman and Deadman, and follows through on his promise to erase
19982-533: The Rovers , Bunty , Buster , Valiant , Twinkle and 2000 AD . Lex Luthor Alexander Joseph " Lex " Luthor ( / ˈ l uː θ ɔːr , - θ ər / ) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster . Lex Luthor originally appeared in Action Comics #23 (cover dated: April 1940). He has since endured as
20188-526: The Silver Age and the following era, the Bronze Age of Comic Books , is less well-defined, with the Bronze Age running from the very early 1970s through the mid-1980s. The Modern Age of Comic Books runs from the mid-1980s to the present day. A significant event in the timeline of American comic books occurred when psychiatrist Fredric Wertham voiced his criticisms of the medium through his book Seduction of
20394-482: The Superman comics and the series Superman/Batman made references to the canonicity of the new origin series. But after Infinite Crisis ended in 2006, new stories discredited parts of it and it was officially replaced by the 2009–2010 series Superman: Secret Origin . Superman: Secret Origin revised Lex's backstory so that he now again had a sister Lena. While he knew Clark as a teenager in Smallville, he rejected
20600-426: The U.S. "Spider-Man 'made it clear that militant black power was not the remedy for racial injustice'." "The Falcon openly criticized black behavior stating' maybe it's important fo [ sic ] us to cool things down-so we can protect the rights we been fightin' for'." This portrayal and character development of black characters can be partially blamed on the fact that, during this time, "there had rarely been
20806-468: The U.S. government and his company, Wayne Enterprises . In response to Wayne Enterprises severing ties with his government, Luthor arranges the murder of Wayne's lover, Vesper Fairchild , and frames Wayne for the murder (as seen in Bruce Wayne: Fugitive ), the plan being more successful than Luthor anticipated when his chosen assassin of David Cain realizes Wayne's identity as Batman and sets up
21012-507: The UK has increased in the last two decades. The British company Cinebook , founded in 2005, has released English translated versions of many European series. In the 1980s, a resurgence of British writers and artists gained prominence in mainstream comic books, which was dubbed the " British Invasion " in comic book history. These writers and artists brought with them their own mature themes and philosophy such as anarchy, controversy and politics common in British media. These elements would pave
21218-523: The United States , winning the election on a platform of promoting technological progress. His first action as president is to take a proposed moratorium on fossil-based fuels to the U.S. Congress . On the night of the election, Batman threatens that Luthor can keep the kryptonite ring or the White House but not both. Later on, Superman, Batman and Lois Lane seemingly try to steal the ring only to be thwarted. In actuality, they manipulated Luthor into retrieving
21424-443: The United States. They were the ones painted as intolerant and disrespectful of the dominant concerns of white America". Manga (漫画) are comic books or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, though the art form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art . The term manga is used in Japan to refer to both comics and cartooning in general. Outside Japan,
21630-424: The agent, giving Constantine time to kill it, and Billy regains his power. Constantine pleads with Billy not to touch Pandora's box, afraid of the power it may possess, but Shazam leaves Constantine and returns to the group, where he sees the effect the box has had on Wonder Woman. He knocks the box aside and picks it up; the resulting contact corrupts him also, giving him an appearance similar to Black Adam and causing
21836-493: The alien hero, either by displaying his own superiority by achieving victory without the benefit of superpowers or to prove the Man of Steel is motivated by selfish desire rather than altruism. Many times, Luthor has claimed he could create a better way of life for the entire human race if not for Superman's interference with his work; he has even argued that the Man of Tomorrow's presence not only invites danger, it actually encourages human society not to strive for greatness because
22042-449: The armor's neural control unit destroys his mind. Along with this, Luthor participates in the creation of two Superman villains, Parasite (indirectly) and Bizarro (a failed attempt by Luthor's scientists to clone Superman). When Superman fights the cyborg Metallo , Luthor intervenes. In Superman (vol. 2) #2, discovering Metallo is powered by a 'heart' of kryptonite that can hurt and potentially kill Superman, Luthor steals it and
22248-458: The army doesn't need two Luthors, Brainiac agrees and executes him. Following Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-1986), DC rebooted its universe yet again, creating the "Post- Crisis " reality. In the 1986 limited series The Man of Steel , John Byrne redesigned Lex Luthor from scratch, intending to make him a villain that the 1980s would recognize: an evil corporate executive . Byrne intentionally chose to base this new depiction of Luthor on
22454-468: The authorities, Superboy declares they are even now and expresses hope Lex will "straighten out" and use his intelligence to help humanity rather than try to prove his superiority or waste time seeking power and vengeance. Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #23 (1961) reveals the Silver Age Lex Luthor parents are Jules and Arlene and that he has a younger sister Lena. When Lex becomes a criminal,
22660-419: The big event DC has been building towards since the start of the New 52 and more like another stepping stone on the road to Forever Evil," but was surprised at Johns' ability to not dwell on The Outsider that much in this issue, and give each member a moral ambiguity, questioning their role in the conflict. Schedeen, however, was disappointed at how little the Trinity of Sin appeared in the issue. He also felt that
22866-413: The boardroom). Regarding the character being a corrupt billionaire rather than a mad scientist, author Neil Gaiman commented: It's a pity Lex Luthor has become a multinationalist ; I liked him better as a bald scientist. He was in prison, but they couldn't put his mind in prison. Now he's just a skinny Kingpin . Luthor's romantic aspirations toward Lois Lane, established early on in the series, become
23072-423: The body for a short period of time before rigor mortis sets in, then abandons it, running out of power shortly afterward. As part of the continuity changes which followed The Man of Steel and Superman: Secret Origin , Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor is a corrupt businessman profiting from many hidden criminal operations. This Luthor grew up a poor child alongside Perry White , later causing his parents' death via
23278-529: The box, but he is also unable to do so. While Batman examines Doctor Light's body, the Phantom Stranger arrives to warn him that should Wonder Woman locate Pandora and the box, it will be the death of all. They confront Wonder Woman and the Justice League Dark at Constantine's House of Mystery, but when Wonder Woman questions the Phantom Stranger about Superman's ailment, the Stranger admits he does not know what caused Superman's condition. Batman convinces
23484-474: The box. She learns that he did not forge it and that Zeus and the other gods used Pandora to open the box because it contained something that the Gods of Olympus could not control. She meets with the Justice League Dark in order to recruit them to track down Pandora. At A.R.G.U.S. headquarters, the Question enters Superman's cell and releases him. The Question explains that he has evidence that indicates Doctor Psycho
23690-478: The businessmen Donald Trump , Ted Turner , and Howard Hughes as well as Satan . Initially brutish and overweight, the character later evolved into a sleeker, more athletic version of his old self. Luthor is no longer recounted as having lost his hair in a chemical fire; rather, his hairline is shown to be receding naturally over time. Marv Wolfman , a writer on Action Comics who had one conversation with Byrne prior to Luthor's reboot recalled: I never believed
23896-533: The character in television series, while Lyle Talbot , Gene Hackman , Kevin Spacey , and Jesse Eisenberg have portrayed the character in films, and Nicholas Hoult is set to play him in the upcoming film Superman . Several actors have provided Luthor's voice in animated adaptations, including Clancy Brown , Mark Rolston , James Marsters , Giancarlo Esposito , Marc Maron , and Max Mittelman . In his first story appearance, Action Comics #23 (April 1940), Luthor
24102-439: The citizenry's scorn, Lex's hate for Superboy only grew in rationalization of his failures. This revised origin makes Luthor's fight with Superman a personal one and suggests that if events had unfolded differently, Luthor might have grown to be a more noble person. Luthor's ego preventing him from personal growth and the tragedy that he and Clark could have been a force for good together are played up in various stories throughout
24308-687: The comic book market size for North America was just over $ 1 billion with digital sales being flat, book stores having a 1 percent decline, and comic book stores having a 10 percent decline over 2016. The global comic book market saw a substantial 12% growth in 2020, reaching a total worth of US$ 8.49 billion. This positive trajectory continued in 2021, with the market's annual valuation surging to US$ 9.21 billion. The rising popularity of comic books can be attributed to heightened global interest, driven significantly by collaborative efforts among diverse brands. These collaborations are geared towards producing more engaging and appealing comic content, contributing to
24514-463: The comic book market. The rarest modern comic books include the original press run of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #5, which DC executive Paul Levitz recalled and pulped due to the appearance of a vintage Victorian era advertisement for "Marvel Douche ", which the publisher considered offensive; only 100 copies exist, most of which have been CGC graded. (See Recalled comics for more pulped, recalled, and erroneous comics.) In 2000,
24720-534: The comics all together. There was a comic created about the 99th Squadron, also known as the Tuskegee Airmen , an all-black air force unit. Instead of making the comic about their story, the comic was about Hop Harrigan. A white pilot who captures a Nazi, shows him videos of the 99th Squadron defeating his men and then reveals to the Nazi that his men were defeated by African Americans which infuriated him as he sees them as
24926-415: The comics art form. Comic Cuts was a British comic published from 1890 to 1953. It was preceded by Ally Sloper's Half Holiday (1884), which is notable for its use of sequential cartoons to unfold narrative. These British comics existed alongside the popular lurid " penny dreadfuls " (such as Spring-heeled Jack ), boys' " story papers " and the humorous Punch magazine, which was the first to use
25132-433: The coon stereotype but had some subtle differences. They are both a derogatory way of portraying black characters. "The name itself, an abbreviation of raccoon, is dehumanizing. As with Sambo, the coon was portrayed as a lazy, easily frightened, chronically idle, inarticulate, buffoon." This portrayal "was of course another attempt to solidify the intellectual inferiority of the black race through popular culture." However, in
25338-548: The course of his history. In 1960, writer Jerry Siegel altered Luthor's backstory to incorporate his hair loss into his origin. During World War II , the War Department asked for dailies of the Superman comic strip to be pulled. The strips in question were created in April 1945 and depicted Lex Luthor bombarding Superman with the radiation from a cyclotron. This violated wartime voluntary censorship guidelines meant to help conceal
25544-460: The criminal businessman he's been for the past 17 years. The Lois & Clark producers liked it, the WB cartoon guys liked it ... so clearly, it works on some level. My concern is that, at least in my eyes, the fact that Luthor's allowed to operate uncontested for years makes Superman look ineffectual. Birthright was initially intended to establish a new origin for Superman and Luthor. Immediately,
25750-510: The debate seems more plot driven than character driven. Despite the criticism of the story, Thompson praised Janin's art saying, "he does nearly the impossible and draws just about every single major character in the DCU perfectly." The fifth part of "Trinity War" was given 4 stars out of 5 by Doug Zawiska at Comic Book Resources. He said, "The pacing of Justice League Dark #23 is smart and gives readers lots to chew on, but it also leaves what seems like
25956-521: The debut appearances of iconic characters such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman , the Flash , Captain Marvel , Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk , Iron Man , Captain America and the Mighty Thor are regarded as priceless treasures within the comic book world. Many early iterations of black characters in comics "became variations on the 'single stereotypical image of Sambo'." Sambo was closely related to
26162-415: The developments in this issue are going to have lasting ramifications for the Phantom Stranger and his quest for redemption." Newsarama's Richard Gray gave it an 8 out 10 saying "Some will pick up this issue for the links to the current “Trinity War” arc, but all should be transfixed by the way J.M. DeMatteis views the afterlife." For July 2013, Diamond Comic Distributors announced that Justice League #22
26368-420: The eradication of Asian invaders." There was "a constant relay race in which one Asian culture merely handed off the baton of hatred to another with no perceptible changes in the manner in which the characters would be portrayed." "The only specific depiction of a Hispanic superhero did not end well. In 1975, Marvel gave us Hector Ayala (a.k.a. The White Tiger)." "Although he fought for several years alongside
26574-478: The experiment, that he also thinks Lex is lying or "crazy" as others do. The machine then explodes and Luthor survives but loses his hair as a result of radiation. Years later, his scientific research, largely based on his ideas about alien life, results in a small fortune that he uses to create LexCorp. When Superman appears in Metropolis, Lex is angered the man won't bow to his control and takes it very personally that
26780-413: The extent of promulgating a code, nor did it last long. The UK has also established a healthy market in the reprinting and repackaging of material, notably material originating in the US. The lack of reliable supplies of American comic books led to a variety of black-and-white reprints, including Marvel's monster comics of the 1950s, Fawcett's Captain Marvel , and other characters such as Sheena , Mandrake
26986-459: The fact that Pandora's origin greatly differed from that of her Greek counterpart and the story had little to do with the "Trinity War". Like Yehl, Johnson also praised the fluidity of the art from Zircher, Cannon, Sampere and Cifuentes. Newsarama's Aaron Duran gave the title a 5 out of 10, saying the comic is simply okay and would have worked better as a shorter installment within other books or as bonus digital content. Trinity of Sin: Pandora #2
27192-490: The family moves away from Smallville and changes its name to Thorul (an anagram ) to start a new life free of him. Lena Thorul is a toddler at the time and grows up not remembering her real last name, while her parents say her older brother died in a mountain climbing accident. Lex later watches over the adult Lena, making sure she does not discover her connection to one of Earth's greatest villains. As an adult, Lex Luthor's driving ambitions are to kill Superman and rule Earth,
27398-455: The fire, Luthor concludes Superboy intentionally sabotaged his work, jealous of the young scientist's achievements, and swears revenge. Luthor creates grandiose engineering projects to prove his superiority over the superhero, but each one fails and causes problems that Superboy then solves. Luthor then makes his first attempt to murder the Last Son of Krypton and fails. Instead of bringing him to
27604-494: The first appearance of Spider-Man took place in Amazing Fantasy #15. New characters were frequently introduced in this manner, waiting for an established audience before launching their own titles. Consequently, comics featuring the debut appearance of a significant character can sometimes be even more challenging to locate than the inaugural issue of that character's standalone series. Some rare comic books include copies of
27810-508: The first appearance of Superman , both sold privately through online dealer ComicConnect.com in 2010, and Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman , via public auction. Updating the above price obtained for Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman , the highest sale on record for this book is $ 3.2 million, for a 9.0 copy. Misprints, promotional comic-dealer incentive printings, and issues with exceptionally low distribution tend to possess scarcity value in
28016-447: The first issue, but the series still lacks a clear, ongoing purpose" and "as a "Trinity War" tie-in, this is certainly a more compelling read than Constantine #5." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 2 stars out of 5, saying " Trinity of Sin: Pandora #2 is an average comic book all the way around. It doesn't add much to the "Trinity War" story despite the logo on the cover and it certainly isn't going to stick with me until
28222-402: The first issue. Comic Book Resources' Doug Zawisza gave the issue 4 stars out of 5, saying "Johns manages to balance personality expositions with story breaks, giving readers a sense of who the opposing sides are, if nothing else. Johns brings lots of big moments to the pages, but the emotions he wrings from those moments really help sell this book." Zawisza was surprised by the amount of time that
28428-526: The fourth issue, which takes place over a year after Superman's arrival in Metropolis. Terrorists seize Luthor's yacht, forcing Superman to intervene. Satisfied at the hero's performance, Luthor attempts to hire him, admitting he knew about the incoming attack and allowed it to occur so he could see how Superman responded (assuming that the Man of Steel would arrive in time). Enraged, the Mayor deputizes Superman to arrest Luthor for reckless endangerment. Although Luthor
28634-405: The fourth part of "Trinity War", Justice League of America #7, a 6.5 out of 10. Yehl said, "With nearly two dozen heroes filling up every ounce of panel space, the reading experience becomes stretched thin as writers Geoff Johns and Jeff Lemire try to find something for everyone to say or do. The result is an event comic that has two more issues to go yet still hasn't decided exactly what this story
28840-529: The harm he has caused them. During the battle, Luthor releases an energy salvo that accidentally overloads the Neutrarod, resulting in the complete destruction of the planet Lexor and all its inhabitants, including Ardora and Lex Jr.. Similar to how he reacted after the destruction of his lab in Smallville, Lex is unable to process his grief and accept his responsibility for Lexor's destruction. He psychologically blocks part of his own memory to convince himself Superman
29046-454: The hero's constant interference with his plans. Luthor's obsessive hatred of Superman came later in the character's development. In Luthor's earliest appearances, he is shown as a middle-aged man with a full head of red hair. Less than a year later however, an artistic mistake resulted in Luthor being depicted as completely bald in a newspaper strip. The original error is attributed to Leo Nowak ,
29252-487: The hero's good deeds are often actually passive-aggressive ways of flaunting his power and popularity to Lex. When the hero joins forces with others to form a new, powerful version of the Justice League of America, Lex decides this is Superman's direct challenge to his own power, and establishes an "Injustice League" composed of various supervillains to rival them. While the Golden Age Luthor (later named Alexei Luthor)
29458-418: The highest at 37. The entire storyline is collected in the following volume : Comic book A comic book , comic-magazine or simply ' comic' , is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and written narrative, usually dialogue contained in word balloons emblematic of
29664-590: The hugely popular football based strip recounting the life of Roy Race and the team he played for, Melchester Rovers . The stock media phrase "real 'Roy of the Rovers' stuff" is often used by football writers, commentators and fans when describing displays of great skill, or surprising results that go against the odds, in reference to the dramatic storylines that were the strip's trademark. Other comic books such as Eagle , Valiant , Warrior , Viz and 2000 AD also flourished. Some comics, such as Judge Dredd and other 2000 AD titles, have been published in
29870-490: The impending terrorist attack. Humiliated, Luthor swears revenge, repeatedly letting Superman know about his criminal schemes but never leaving him enough evidence to bring the man to justice again. Luthor becomes obsessed with Superman and gathers all information on him and his associates, leading a computer analysis to conclude Clark Kent and Superman are the same person. Unable to believe someone as powerful as Superman regularly hides his powers and pretends to be average, as that
30076-426: The industry's continued growth. The 1970s saw the advent of specialty comic book stores . Initially, comic books were marketed by publishers to children because comic books were perceived as children's entertainment. However, with increasing recognition of comics as an art form and the growing pop culture presence of comic book conventions , they are now embraced by many adults. Comic book collectors often exhibit
30282-465: The influence of the Francophone "Franco-Belgian" comics but have their own distinct style. Although Ally Sloper's Half Holiday (1884) was aimed at an adult market, publishers quickly targeted a younger demographic, which has led to most publications being for children and has created an association in the public's mind of comics as somewhat juvenile. The Guardian refers to Ally Sloper as "one of
30488-429: The issue 0.5 stars out of 5, stating the issue "exhibits all the worst flaws of "tie-ins" or "interludes" for crossover event books [and] adds nothing to the big event and is almost useless to the ongoing title." IGN's Joshua Yehl gave Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1 a 6.9 out of 10, saying "Ray Fawkes definitely gets a lot of credit for telling a story that spans all the way from 8000 B.C.E. to the present and making it such
30694-484: The issue an 8 out of 10, saying, "Everything about this issue feels like a climax...even if next week's final chapter proves to be less than definitive." IGN's Jesse Schedeen gave Constantine #5 a 6.5 out of 10, feeling that "this issue doesn't seem to have much to add to the larger "Trinity War" picture," and that "Ray Fawkes sets up the next storyline for this series, certainly, but there's little tangible impact on "Trinity War"." Comic Book Resources' Jennifer Cheng gave
30900-437: The likes of much more popular heroes such as Spider-Man and Daredevil, he only lasted six years before sales of comics featuring him got so bad that Marvel had him retire. The most famous Hispanic character is Bane, a villain from Batman." The Native American representation in comic books "can be summed up in the noble savage stereotype" " a recurring theme...urged American indians to abandon their traditional hostility towards
31106-475: The love of the public, Luthor swears vengeance. Following changes to continuity in 2016's DC Rebirth , the history from Superman: Secret Origin is still largely intact, though it has also been revealed that for a time Lionel Luthor worked as a scientist for Vandal Savage and that this led to a brief friendship between Lex and J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter , when both were children. Whether he
31312-412: The machine, Lex mistakes his reaction as doubt in the young scientist's ability and sanity. Feeling betrayed, Lex continues the experiment but an explosion erupts, the radiation blast causing his hair to fall out. Luthor leaves Metropolis and years later his scientific work, largely based on his ideas about alien life, results in a fortune he uses to create LexCorp. When Superman appears, Lex is angry that
31518-553: The manga market in Japan reached a new record value of ¥612.5 billion due to a fast growth of digital manga sales as well as an increase in print sales. The comic book market in the United States and Canada was valued at $ 1.09 billion in 2016. As of 2017 , the largest comic book publisher in the United States is manga distributor Viz Media , followed by DC Comics and Marvel Comics featuring superhero comics franchises such as Superman , Batman , Wonder Woman , Spider-Man ,
31724-459: The mix as well." He also praised that the story advanced and showed similar promise that the reboot to the New 52 did in 2011. Joshua Yehl of IGN gave the first chapter of the Trinity War a 7.8 out of 10. He felt the issue set the stage for the event and praised the character work. However, he thought that the conflict was not presented clearly yet and criticized the lack of the Justice League Dark in
31930-495: The most lucrative branches of magazine publishing". In 1905 G.W. Dillingham Company published 24 select strips by the cartoonist Gustave Verbeek in an anthology book called 'The Incredible Upside-Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo'. The introduction of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster 's Superman in 1938 turned comic books into a major industry and ushered in the Golden Age of Comic Books . The Golden Age originated
32136-533: The name Atomica, revealing that she had arrived on Prime Earth along with the Outsider, who is revealed to be the Alfred Pennyworth of Earth-3. Cyborg's Apokoliptical mechanical prosthetics proceed to tear themselves from his body, ripping free from his biological form and coalescing into a robot named Grid , a sentient computer virus . Trailing behind the Crime Syndicate is a prisoner from Earth-3 whose identity
32342-556: The name Foolbert Sturgeon, has been credited as the first underground comix; while R. Crumb and the crew of cartoonists who worked on Zap Comix popularized the form. The rise of comic book specialty stores in the late 1970s created and paralleled a dedicated market for "independent" or " alternative comics " in the US. The first such comics included the anthology series Star Reach , published by comic book writer Mike Friedrich from 1974 to 1979, and Harvey Pekar 's American Splendor , which continued sporadic publication into
32548-405: The new Supergirl (a protoplasmic being), who falls in love with him due to his resemblance to her lost love and creator, the Luthor of a parallel Earth. When Superman is seemingly killed by the living weapon Doomsday , the genetic research facility Project Cadmus creates a seeming clone of the hero called Superboy (Kon-El) . As Earth science cannot perfectly replicate Kryptonian DNA, Superboy
32754-486: The newspaper almost bankrupt. Superman's arrival challenges Luthor's image and brings renewed interest to the Planet when he does exclusive interviews with their staff. Clark Kent, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane work together to oppose Luthor's power and Superman tells the public they should strive to achieve great things themselves and not wait for others to be their saviors. Angry at Superman's interference and blaming him for losing
32960-411: The next issue." Trinity of Sin: Pandora #3 was given a 6.0 out of 10 by IGN's Jesse Schedeen. Schedeen said the issue "is a dull tie-in that still succeeds on an intellectual level at times." Doug Zawisza of Comic Book Resources gave the issue 3 stars out of 5 saying, the issue "doesn't do much to advance the agenda or tighten up the plotlines of "Trinity War", but there is absolutely no question that
33166-535: The original Luthor. Every story would begin with him breaking out of prison, finding some giant robot in an old lab he hid somewhere, and then he'd be defeated. My view was if he could afford all those labs and giant robots he wouldn't need to rob banks. I also thought later that Luthor should not have super powers. Every other villain had super powers. Luthor's power was his mind. He needed to be smarter than Superman. Superman's powers had to be useless against him because they couldn't physically fight each other and Superman
33372-408: The original artwork pages from comic books, which are perhaps the most rarefied items in the realm of comic book collecting. These pages hold unparalleled scarcity due to the fact that there exists only one unique page of artwork for every page that was printed and published. The creation of these original artwork pages involves a collaborative effort: a writer crafts the story, a pencil artist designs
33578-473: The other boy's attempts to form a friendship. Resentful toward his alcoholic and abusive father, Lex arranges his parents to die in a car accident and uses the insurance money to leave Smallville and start a better life. After studying under the villains Ra's al Ghul and Darkseid , he founds LexCorp and uses his PR, resources, and media control to set himself up as a near-savior in Metropolis. The Daily Planet opposes Luthor and he retaliates in ways that leave
33784-400: The overall plot of Trinity War leaves much to be desired." However, he praised Jeff Lemire's character work, and felt that Mikel Janin's art was the "cleanest and most consistent looking chapter of "Trinity War" thus far." Comic Book Resources' Kelly Thompson gave the issue 2.5 stars out of 5, saying the issue "gets devoured by the massive "Trinity War" and buckles under the weight" adding that
33990-418: The planet Lexor and it becomes a regular home base and retreat for Luthor in-between his efforts to fight Superman and take over Earth. He later meets a local woman named Ardora (first called "Tharla" but renamed "Ardora" in later stories as well as the reprint of her first appearance). The two eventually fall in love and marry. Deciding to retire permanently, Luthor returns to Lexor and learns he has fathered
34196-491: The popular and widely understood negative tropes used for decades in American mass culture...". However, they were not accomplishing this agenda within all of their comics. In the comic series Captain Marvel Adventures , there was a character named Steamboat who embodied a collection of highly negative stereotypes prevalent during that period. The Writers' War Board did not request any alterations to this character despite
34402-428: The pornographic and even more obscure " Tijuana bibles ". Underground comics were almost never sold at newsstands, but rather in such youth-oriented outlets as head shops and record stores, as well as by mail order . The underground comics encouraged creators to publish their work independently so that they would have full ownership rights to their characters. Frank Stack 's The Adventures of Jesus , published under
34608-736: The positioning of panels. These characteristics are crucial for effectively conveying the content and messages within the comic book. Key components of comic books encompass panels, speech bubbles (also known as balloons), text lines, and characters. Speech balloons generally take the form of convex containers that hold character dialogue and are connected to the character via a tail element. The tail comprises an origin, path, tip, and directional point. The creation of comic books involves several essential steps: writing, drawing, and coloring. Various technological tools and methods are employed to craft comic books, incorporating concepts such as directions, axes, data, and metrics. Following these formatting guidelines,
34814-453: The powerful alien, the kind of companion he'd often hoped for, looks on him with disapproval and openly disrespects him in front of the media. For this and his interference with Luthor's criminal operations, the scientist businessman decides to humiliate and destroy the alien. Waid's original intention was to jettison the notion of Lex Luthor being an evil businessman, restoring his status as a mad scientist. He ultimately conceded, however, that
35020-606: The problematic portrayal. The removal of Steamboat from the series only came about due to the persistent advocacy of a black youth group based in New York City." Originally their request was refused by individuals working on the comic stating, " Captain Marvel Adventures included many kinds of caricatures 'for the sake of humor'." The black youth group responded with "this is not the Negro race, but your one-and-a-half millions readers will think it so." Afterwards, Steamboat disappeared from
35226-488: The process unfolds with writing, drawing, and coloring. In the United States, the term "comic book", is generally used for comics periodicals and trade paperbacks while " graphic novel " is the term used for standalone books. Comics as a print medium have existed in the United States since the printing of The Adventures of Mr. Obadiah Oldbuck in 1842 in hardcover, making it the first known American prototype comic book. Proto-comics periodicals began appearing early in
35432-451: The process. In the end, Luthor becomes a prisoner in his own body, unable to move or even blink, internally swearing vengeance on Superman. During the crossover Underworld Unleashed , the demon-lord Neron offers Luthor full health and vitality in exchange for services and his soul. Not believing in the existence of souls, Lex agrees and is restored, regaining the physical fitness of his Lex II body but again lacking head and facial hair, and
35638-422: The relaunch, but this issue proves – without an inkling of doubt – that that is simply not the case." Newsarama's Richard Gray gave Justice League #22 an 8 out of 10. Gray stated that "Johns does a terrific job of pulling together what has been essentially four or five separate stories, incorporating not only the three main titles that this will span over the coming months, but introducing several new players into
35844-452: The same for Asian people. However, "Japanese and Filipino characters were visually indistinguishable. Both groups have grotesque buckteeth, tattered clothing, and bright yellow skin." "Publishers depicted America's Asian allies through derogatory images and language honed over the preceding decades." Asian characters were previously portrayed as, "ghastly yellow demons". During WWII, "[every] major superhero worth his spandex devoted himself to
36050-450: The same treatment. "By the time the United States entered WWII, negative perceptions of Chinese were an established part of mass culture...." However, concerned that the Japanese could use America's anti-Chinese material as propaganda they began "to present a more positive image of America's Chinese allies..." Just as they tried to show better representation for Black people in comics they did
36256-551: The sequential panels on the page, an ink artist goes over the pencil with pen and ink, a letterer provides the dialogue and narration through hand-lettering, and finally, a colorist adds color as the final touch before the pages are sent to the printer. When the printer returns the original artwork pages, they are typically returned to the artists themselves. These artists sometimes opt to sell these pages at comic book conventions, in galleries, and at art shows centered around comic book art. The original pages from DC and Marvel, featuring
36462-589: The sins above the Justice League members fighting over the box. As the battle continues, Pandora is finally able to attack the Sins, by killing Envy. Constantine takes Shazam out of the area and tricks him into switching off his powers. Constantine then uses a ritual artifact to steal Billy's powers. When he is attacked by an agent of the Cold Flame, Constantine uses the Shazam power, but is unable to control it. Billy Batson distracts
36668-462: The splash pages were overused and did not like lack of conclusion. Finally, he felt it was "refreshing to see that Johns has been executing a long-term plan for the past two years" and "the highlight of this issue, and probably the crossover as a whole, is the reveal of the Justice League traitor." Ivan Reis' art was a standout in the issue, and praised by all. Newsarama's Richard Gray gave the second part of "Trinity War", Justice League of America #6,
36874-452: The status of fine art . During the 1970s the " small press " culture grew and diversified. By the 1980s, several independent publishers – such as Pacific , Eclipse , First , Comico , and Fantagraphics – had started releasing a wide range of styles and formats—from color-superhero, detective , and science-fiction comic books to black-and-white magazine-format stories of Latin American magical realism . A number of small publishers in
37080-402: The storyline "The Black Ring", Luthor is endowed with cosmic powers that could enable him to bring peace and bliss to the entire universe and therefore achieve his dream of being more respected than Superman, but he ultimately chooses to renounce his new powers when he realizes that his greatest enemy would never suffer again if he used them. At times, Lex has been shown evidence that Clark Kent
37286-401: The storytelling, with the event "cleverly weaving in threads set up two years ago in all related titles." However, Gray was somewhat critical of the fact that "the last panel of “Trinity War” leads directly into “Forever Evil”, effectively making this one big event that begets another. It's a crime that both major syndicates are repeatedly guilty of these last few years, one so commonplace that it
37492-421: The suit, Luthor performs several acts of destruction on Lexor, feigning ignorance when he hears about the "mystery marauder" and telling Ardora he has no knowledge of the armored man. When Superman arrives, Luthor dons his warsuit and attacks, now obsessed with the need to best the hero in combat and prove his superiority. The people of Lexor are shocked to realize he is the mystery marauder and does not care about
37698-453: The surgery) would be stolen. Eventually coming into the possession of Superman, who in turn entrusts it to Batman, tasking the Dark Knight to use it if the Man of Steel ever becomes corrupt or falls under the control of another. But removing the tainted limb was a mere half measure, as his affliction had already metastasized rendering Lex's condition terminal. Luthor fakes his death in
37904-738: The switch from traditional print manhwa to online webtoons thanks to better pay and more freedom than traditional print manhwa. The webtoon format has also expanded to other countries outside of Korea like China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Western countries. Major webtoon distributors include Lezhin , Naver , and Kakao . France and Belgium have a long tradition in comics and comic books, often called BDs (an abbreviation of bandes dessinées , meaning literally "drawn strips") in French, and strips in Dutch or Flemish . Belgian comic books originally written in Dutch show
38110-492: The temple. Constantine, still in possession of the box, realizes that the box is allowing evil thoughts to go through everyone's mind, and a massive fight breaks out as the heroes struggle to get possession of the box. Firestorm tells everyone that Superman is emitting Kryptonite. Element Woman goes inside Superman's blood stream and finds a small sliver in his brain. Atom then tells everyone that she put it there in Kahndaq, and that it
38316-406: The term " graphic novel ". Precursors of the form existed by the 1920s, which saw a revival of the medieval woodcut tradition by Belgian Frans Masereel , American Lynd Ward and others, including Stan Lee. In 1947, Fawcett Publications published "Comics Novel No. 1", as the first in an intended series of these "comics novels". The story in the first issue was "Anarcho, Dictator of Death",
38522-423: The term "cartoon" in its modern sense of a humorous drawing. The first modern American-style comic book , Famous Funnies: A Carnival of Comics , was released in the U.S. in 1933 and was a reprinting of earlier newspaper humor comic strips , which had established many of the story-telling devices used in comics. The term comic book derives from American comic books once being a compilation of comic strips of
38728-548: The time-traveling villain Brainiac 13 infuses Metropolis with technology from the future while his ancestor Brainiac, in need of a new physical vessel, mentally inhabits young Lena's body. Brainiac 13 offers Luthor control of the technology if Luthor turns over Brainiac and hands over his daughter. He later tells Superman that he has a "kingdom" now as a result of his deal, adding "As for my princess... I can always make another." Deciding to turn to politics, Luthor becomes President of
38934-419: The universes resulting from the Justice League's battle with Darkseid . The Outsider uses Pandora's box to open a portal to his home world, Earth-3 , breaking the box in the process. The Earth-3 incarnation of the Justice League emerge — Ultraman , Superwoman , Owlman , Johnny Quick , Power Ring , and Deathstorm . Sea King does not survive the journey and collapses dead. Atom joins the group, answering to
39140-496: The unreleased Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 from 1939. Eight copies, plus one without a cover, emerged in the estate of the deceased publisher in 1974. The "Pay Copy" of this book sold for $ 43,125 in a 2005 Heritage auction. The most valuable American comics have combined rarity and quality with the first appearances of popular and enduring characters. Four comic books have sold for over US$ 1 million as of December 2010 , including two examples of Action Comics #1,
39346-578: The way for mature and "darker and edgier" comic books and jump start the Modern Age of Comics . Writers included Alan Moore , famous for his V for Vendetta , From Hell , Watchmen , Marvelman , and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ; Neil Gaiman with The Sandman mythos and Books of Magic ; Warren Ellis , creator of Transmetropolitan and Planetary ; and others such as Mark Millar , creator of Wanted and Kick-Ass . The comic book series John Constantine, Hellblazer , which
39552-417: The word is typically used to refer to comics originally published in the country. Dōjinshi ( 同人誌 , fan magazine ) , fan-made Japanese comics, operate in a far larger market in Japan than the American "underground comix" market; the largest dōjinshi fair, Comiket , attracts 500,000 visitors twice a year. Manhwa (만화) are comic books or graphic novels originating from South Korea . The term manhwa
39758-591: The world's first iconic cartoon characters", and "as famous in Victorian Britain as Dennis the Menace would be a century later." British comics in the early 20th century typically evolved from illustrated penny dreadfuls of the Victorian era (featuring Sweeney Todd , Dick Turpin and Varney the Vampire ). First published in the 1830s, penny dreadfuls were "Britain's first taste of mass-produced popular culture for
39964-664: The year 8000 BC, Pandora finds the box and inadvertently opens it, unleashing the Seven Sins on the world. As a result, she is punished by the Council of Wizards with immortality. Pandora begins her travels, training and trying to destroy the Seven Sins. In the present, she receives information from the Wizard informing her that the box can only be opened by either the purest or darkest of heart. Pandora approaches Superman to open her box, believing he
40170-451: The young scientist creates an artificial life-form of "primitive protoplasm." Overjoyed, he accidentally causes a chemical fire in the lab. Superboy puts out the fire, inadvertently spilling other chemicals, destroying the artificial life-form and the accumulated research notes that led to its creation. The chemical fumes also cause Lex's hair to completely fall out. Enraged he has lost years of research but unwilling to accept responsibility for
40376-453: The young." The two most popular British comic books, The Beano and The Dandy , were first published by DC Thomson in the 1930s. By 1950 the weekly circulation of both reached two million. Explaining the enormous popularity of comics in the UK during this period, Anita O'Brien, director curator at London's Cartoon Museum, states: "When comics like the Beano and Dandy were invented back in
40582-422: Was "a bit of a mystery" around it saying, "Is it about the Trinity of Sin? The trinity of Leagues? Is it about Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman? What does "trinity" mean? What is it all about? That's something that the story explores." In Justice League #23, it is revealed that the "Trinity" refers to the true number of evil, three, referencing Earth-3. The review aggregator website Comic Book Roundup reported
40788-440: Was given a 6 out of 10 by Newsarama's Richard Gray. He stated that "despite the “Trinity War” tie-in banners, [the issue] scarcely essential reading for current DC fans" adding that "Pandora's focus doesn't appear to be as concerned with this bigger picture" and the series requires a lot of backstory, only in its second issue. IGN's Jesse Schedeen gave the issue a 7.5 out of 10, commenting that " Trinity of Sin: Pandora #2 improves on
40994-409: Was in Kahndaq when Doctor Light was killed. Superman is physically ill and struggles to control his powers as he and the Question break out of the base to track down Doctor Psycho, with several other heroes in tow. When they confront Doctor Psycho, they determine that although he was present, he was not responsible for what happened in Kahndaq. Meanwhile, Pandora attempts to convince Vandal Savage to open
41200-474: Was jealous of his intellect and caused the fire himself. Believing he's been betrayed by his hero and friend, Lex swears revenge. His first attempts at that are grandiose scientific and engineering projects around Smallville to steal Superboy's thunder. When these attempts, for which, unknown to Luthor, Superboy was supportive as consolation that Lex was at least being constructive in his vendetta, each go disastrously awry and force Superboy to intervene while earning
41406-512: Was part of the larger DC Multiverse . The Silver Age version of Luthor was introduced in Adventure Comics #271 (April 1960), now given the first name "Lex" (later said to be short for Alexis, eventually retconned as Alexander) and an origin story . Originally hero-worshiping Superboy, teenage Lex Luthor of Smallville is determined to prove he is Earth's greatest scientist by creating artificial life. His recklessness and inexperience causes
41612-517: Was ranked 4th on IGN ' s list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time and as the 8th Greatest Villain by Wizard on its 100 Greatest Villains of All Time list. Luthor is one of a few genre-crossing villains whose adventures take place "in a world in which the ordinary laws of nature are slightly suspended". Scott James Wells , Sherman Howard , John Shea , Michael Rosenbaum , Jon Cryer , Titus Welliver , and Michael Cudlitz have portrayed
41818-875: Was simply not as smart as Luthor. As originally presented in the Post- Crisis version of the DC Comics Universe, Lex Luthor is a product of child abuse and early poverty. Born in the Suicide Slum district of Metropolis , he is instilled with a desire to become a self-made man of great power and influence. As a teenager, he takes out a large life insurance policy on his parents without their knowledge, then sabotages their car's brakes, causing their deaths. Upon graduating from MIT , Luthor founds his own business, LexCorp , which grows to dominate much of Metropolis. Luthor does not fully appear in The Man of Steel mini-series until
42024-433: Was spent on Madame Xanadu, feeling as though it was only there for reason to include the Justice League Dark, and was wary that the characters are in danger of being absorbed by the plot. All three praised the art in the issue, especially Ivan Reis' pencils. The conclusion to "Trinity War" received an 8 out of 10 from Richard Gray of Newsarama. He said, "It was clear from the start of “Trinity War” that this would only ever be
42230-472: Was the fourth best selling title and Justice League of America #6 was the seventh best selling title for the month. For August 2013, Diamond Comic Distributors announced that Justice League #23 was once again the fourth best selling title and Justice League of America #7 was the fifth best selling title for the month. All six Justice League issues ranked in the top 200 of Diamond Comic Distributors' Top 500 Comic Books of 2013, with Justice League #22 ranking
42436-418: Was this that has been causing Superman's illness and loss of control of his powers. The Outsider comes out of the shadows to pick up the box. He tells the heroes that the box is not magic, but science, that was created on his world and can only be opened by someone from his world. He explains that the box opens a gateway to his homeworld, and that he and Atom arrived following the weakening of the barriers between
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