The Many Faces Of... Lionel Luthor
Written by Russ Dimino

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Lex Luthor is the arch nemesis of the Man of Steel. If Superman is the champion of truth and justice, then Lex is the epitome of lies and deceit. His cunning and ruthlessness make him a very dangerous adversary for anyone who dares to cross his path. However, Lex was not always this way. Fans who know the Superman legend well know that, in just about every incarnation of the story, it is Lex's father, Lionel Luthor, who pushes him over the edge to the dark side.

In this edition of "The Many Faces Of..." we will take a look at Lionel's history, and the various actors who have brought him to the screen.

Lionel made his first appearance in the comics in "Superboy's Pal Pete Ross" #34 in February of 1947. In this issue, Lionel appears only in flashback, as Clark Kent and Pete Ross recall the time that Lionel purchased the Ross Creamed Corn factory. Pete's resentment toward the Luthor family is established, but then this plot is inexplicably dropped for many years.

During the George Reeves "Adventures of Superman" TV series in the 1950's, Lionel made his live action debut in the form of actor William Frawley. Lionel made only scattered appearances throughout the series, rarely amounting to much more than cameos, since Frawley was also busy starring as Fred Mertz on "I Love Lucy." The series was not the first time that Frawley had acted alongside George Reeves, as they both appeared in the 1952 film "Rancho Notorious." Rumor has it that the two actors formed a friendship while filming the movie, which led to Frawley being cast in the role.

The next time Lionel appeared on the television screen was during the run of the "SuperFriends" cartoons in the 1970's. Veteran actor Orson Welles provided the voice of Lionel this time out, making this an early animated voice-over role for Welles, who would go on to lend his vocal talents to "Rikki Tikki Tavi" and "The Transformers Movie." Lionel appears in only one episode of "SuperFriends," in an episode where he and Lex construct a device that is supposed to render Superman blind... but it takes Lionel's sight, instead (maybe the "Smallville" writers caught this episode during season two?).

Next came the live action Christopher Reeve "Superman" film in 1978. Unfortunately, most versions of the film currently available in the US do not contain the deleted scenes that featured Charlton Heston as Lionel Luthor, which would have given viewers a glimpse into Lex's childhood and his reasons for becoming the world's "greatest criminal mind." There was an entire subplot filmed for "Superman II" that involved Lionel returning after Lex's escape from prison, but sadly this was one of the many elements that were cut when Richard Lester took the reins from director Richard Donner. Fans have been petitioning on the web for years for Warner Brothers to release the "Donner Cut" of "Superman II" on DVD, which would most certainly include Heston's scenes as Lionel. (Heston, only a few years older than Gene Hackman in real life, reportedly underwent extensive makeup for the "Superman II" scenes.)

Two different actors portrayed Lionel on the "Superboy" TV series. Initially, the character was played by Conrad Bain, known for playing Phillip Drummond on "Diff'rent Strokes" in the 70's and 80's. However, after the first season of "Superboy" ended in 1989, Bain was one of the three main actors to be recast (the other two being John Haymes Newton as Superboy and Scott Wells as Lex Luthor, who were replaced by Gerard Christopher and Sherman Howard, respectively). Bain's exit made way for Christopher Hewett to step into the role of Lionel for seasons two through four, until the series ended in 1992. Hewett's appearances on the show were few and far between, however, since he was also simultaneously starring on "Mister Belvedere," where he played the title character. No effort was made within the context of the story to explain the change in Lionel's appearance, though the cast change did happen right after Lionel had been shot by Sheriff Ethan (played by James Best).

Next came "Lois & Clark" in 1993, where Lionel was played by Max Von Sydow. Unfortunately, like John Shea, Michael Landes and Tracy Scoggins, Von Sydow's contract was not renewed after the first season, and he no longer appeared as a series regular. Lionel made only scattered appearances throughout the rest of the series. Sadly, the surprise cancellation of the series at the end of the fourth season meant that we would never learn the truth as to whether or not Lionel and Bill Church Sr. really killed Lex's grandparents.

When "Superman The Animated Series" premiered in 1997, Lionel's voice was supplied by actor James Avery. While he was best known as Uncle Phil on "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Avery is no stranger to voicing animated villains, having provided the voice of The Shredder on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" for many years. He is, of course, the first and only African American actor to play Lionel. Mr. Avery has continued to voice the character on Cartoon Network's "Justice League" and "Justice League Unlimited."

Most fans seem to have become acquainted with Lionel due to the masterful portrayal of the character by John Glover on the WB series "Smallville." Though he started out as only an occasional guest star during the first season of the series, fans apparently could not get enough of "The Magnificent You-Know-What," and Lionel became an official part of the cast starting in season two. Playing a comic book baddie was nothing new for Glover, having starred as Dr. Jason Woodrue in the critically acclaimed "Batman and Robin" film in 1997. He also provided the voice of The Riddler on "Batman The Animated Series." Other credits for Mr. Glover include episodes of "Murder, She Wrote" and "Star Trek Deep Space Nine," and movies like "Scrooged," "Gremlins 2" and "Meet The Hallowheads."

Currently, Warner Brothers and "X-Men" director Bryan Singer are putting together the cast for a brand new "Superman" movie, due out in 2007. Though it is still a bit too early to carve anything in stone, you can be certain that Lionel Luthor will play a key role in this new film. Though at one point it was claimed that "Alias" star and "spy daddy" Victor Garber had officially signed on, casting rumors are still running wild across the internet, with actors supposedly up for the part of Lionel ranging from Rupert Everett, Richard Chamberlain, and even David Bowie. Our money? It's on Ian McKellen, given that director Bryan Singer seems so fond of working with actors that he's done films with in the past (McKellen starred in Singer's "Apt Pupil" and both "X-Men" films).

Though it was not until "Smallville" that Lionel really got much recognition in the public eye from the fans, with John Glover making the character a household name, Lex's dubious dad has always been there, right from the beginning, trying to make his son every bit as sneaky and underhanded as Big Daddy Lionel is himself. After all, the Superman legend has always been a story of fathers and sons. Jor-El sent Kal-El to Earth. Jonathan Kent raised Clark to be a man. And Lionel Luthor planted the seeds of destruction that gave Superman, and mankind, a formidable foe in Lex.

Note: The views of Russ Dimino don't necessarily represent the thoughts and feelings of everyone at KryptonSite. Please read THIS DISCLAIMER before reposting this or linking from another website.

Read some of Russ's other columns! Many Faces Of...: Lana Lang - The Kents - Lex Luthor - Lois Lane - The Flash - Jor-El and Lara - Mxyzptlk

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