My Adventures With Superman Finally Sets Up The Lex Luthor Showdown I've Wanted For 13 Episodes

Summary My Adventures With Superman sets up an exciting potential showdown between Superman and Lex Luthor, with a unique reimagining of the iconic villain.

The slow buildup of Lex Luthor's villain story ensures a tense and thrilling rivalry between Superman and one of his most famous villains.

The fresh take on both Superman and Lex Luthor's characters in the series makes their potential impending clash all the more exciting.

My Adventures With Superman season 2, episode 4 is seemingly perfectly setup for the Superman vs Lex Luthor showdown I've been waiting the DC show's whole run for. When I initially picked up My Adventures With Superman, it was as a more light-hearted, whimsical story to watch between some of Marvel and DC's darker shows, based on its cheerful art design and breezy trailer. However, after seeing one Iron Man-styled Deathstroke design and a Sailor Moon-esque Superman suit transformation, the series proved to be way, way more than that, especially when it comes to villains.

Superman has some of my favorite villains of all time, seconded only by Batman in terms of how varied and intriguing the overall Rogue's gallery proves to be. This is especially true for Lex Luthor, who is reimagined from a relatively well-meaning but egotistical antihero to a genuinely harrowing antagonist depending on what iteration of the character you happen to have caught. My Adventures With Superman has perhaps one of the most interesting versions of the villain in recent history, making the seeming setup of his first actual showdown against the Man of Steel himself all the more exciting.

My Adventures With Superman Season 2 Episode 4's Synopsis Teases Superman & Lex Luthor's First Showdown

My Adventures With Superman season 2, episode 4's synopsis reveals that "Jimmy gets invited to the S.T.A.R. Labs Symposium; Clark joins him for support, but Lex Luthor takes over", which is exciting in that Clark and Lex have never been in such close proximity since Luthor began his more villainous machinations. Based on the ending of season 2 episode 3, this also suggests it might be the first time Superman has to directly oppose Lex Luthor, who was shown amassing a series of Metallo robots that we can presume he is preparing for some suitably concerning plans.

While this could otherwise just suggest more of Luthor's villain setup, I'm especially interested by this plotline given episode 3 closes with Lex requisitioning John Irons' Steel mecha suit, which seems only a spot of green and purple paint away from becoming Luthor's iconic Warsuit. Given this Lex has entered the battle playing field in dramatic fashion in season 2 by stopping his former mentor, it seems to me like this is the perfect setup for Superman and Luthor to face off against one another as equals of sorts - especially since the show has been heading in this direction for a long time now.

My Adventures With Superman Has Been Teasing A Lex Luthor Battle For A Full Year

In the early days of My Adventures With Superman, the team was asked to not include Lex Luthor at the start of the series, despite his place as the Man of Steel's nemesis in most media. According to executive producer Brendan Clogher, those working on the show were told "to hold off on Lex Luthor for a bit". Producer Josie Campbell explained in an interview with Cosmic Cube that this was also in place for the likes of General Zod and Braniac, and was a note put in place to avoid focusing on the most famous of Superman's antagonists.

Interestingly, though, Lex was still set up early in the show, as "Alex" appeared in season 1, episode 7 with a clear vendetta against Superman from the offset. This name - and the full head of hair Alex also sported - was enough to make it unclear if he was Luthor or Alexander Allston, who is one of the figures to have held to Parasite villain moniker over the years. However, this would be cut short in season 2 episode 2, with the character directly introducing himself as Lex Luthor when meeting and teaming up with Amanda Waller.

As such, this meant the villain had been set up for months by the time season 2 itself released, letting us stew over the implications of introducing the character and building his story for so long without it actually equaling a direct battle between the iconic DC rivals. In many ways, this is actually better than giving Lex a more dramatic and intimidating introduction, as the steady buildup of their inevitable clash is all the more tense.

Luthor's storyline teaming up with Amanda Waller is also a sure sign he's being setup as part of the show's focal antagonist story alongside the Task Force leader.

Why My Adventures With Superman's Lex Vs Superman Rivalry Is So Exciting

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My Adventures With Superman offers a fresh take on both the DC hero and Lex Luthor himself, both in their personalities and their stories - especially Luthor, who is in the show a scientist working for Anthony Ivo until he and his company are taken down by the Man of Steel, and who then turns to Waller's Task Force X after struggling to get a new job. Both figures essentially end up being distilled versions of themselves, with "Alex" being a particularly snarky and distrustful iteration of his namesake, and the show's Superman being perhaps the most peppy and hopeful in recent history.

The combination of this and the setup for Lex to be strong enough to level the playing field for their incoming encounter in My Adventures With Superman certainly sets a precedent I'm genuinely excited about, and that should capitalize on the years of history the characters have with one another while also bringing something new to the table. As such, while there's Kryptonian threats on the horizon and Deathstroke with a Kryptonite blade to worry about, I'm more concerned with how these iconic rivals end up facing off against one another once again.