Back when I started collecting comic books, one of my favorite series was Who’s Who: The Definite Directory of the DC Universe. Published between 1984 and 1987, it was a sort of companion to Crisis on Infinite Earths, the twelve issue maxiseries designed to streamline the DC Universe and eliminate any problems in continuity. The character biographies contained inside were my introduction to the DC Universe at large, and they proved useful as I began my scholarship of the DCAU.
While character bios of the characters from Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League, and other related shows exist, I found many of them to be lacking in depth, content, and quality. Therefore, I’ve taken it upon myself to create character bios for the characters of the DCAU based upon existing information from Series Bibles, the episodes themselves, material from the comic books, and information from the creative teams. Many of these began as bios written for my character profiles on The Justice League Watchtower. Also, the bios I’m writing are limited to characters that I consider key, so no bios for Thomas Blake, Dana Tan, or Snapper Carr.
This time, we're doing letters K and L. Again, everyone noteworthy from that section of the dictionary will be included, along with voice actor information, the date and location of their first appearance, and accompanying images.
Kalibak
Voiced by Michael Dorn
The son of Darkseid and Suli, the massive, misshapen Kalibak serves his father with absolute loyalty. Nearly equal to Superman and Orion in terms of strength and fighting ability, he longs for the approval of his father, but it is unlikely that the cruel tyrant would ever give him what he seeks. It must be said, however, that Darkseld does show leniency in regard to his son’s failures than those of his other servants, possibly because his mother was the one being the dark god had truly loved and because Kalibak is one of his few minions with genuine, unquestioning allegiance to him.
In Darkseid’s absence, Kalibak returned to Earth to pursue personal revenge, joining up with several other villains to form the Superman Revenge Squad to fight the Man of Steel and the Justice League. However, as the biological son of Darkseid, he would later become a pawn in the civil war on Apokolips between Virman Vundabar and Granny Goodness. Abducted by Vundabar in an attempt to have him join his ranks, he was rescued by Mister Miracle, Big Barda, and the Flash at the behest of Granny Goodness, who wanted him for her own ends. However, following a double cross, Kalibak was returned to Earth, where he is currently in custody.
Kanjar Ro
Voiced by René Auberjonois
First Appearance: Justice League of America #3 (March 1961)
A Dhorian criminal specializing in smuggling and piracy, Kanjar Ro was involved in the Manhunter’s plot to frame Green Lantern John Stewart for the destruction of Ajuris 4 and, in doing so, draw the Guardians of the Universe away from Oa. Presumably arrested for perjury and conspiracy in regard to this event, he may cross paths with Green Lantern again once released.
Kanto
Voiced by Michael York (STAS), Corey Burton (Uncredited, JLU)
First Appearance: Mister Miracle #7 (April 1972)
A master assassin and loyal minion of Darkseid, he was initially tasked with supplying Metropolis’ Intergang with advanced weaponry with which to fight Superman. Later, following Darkseid’s death, Kanto sided with Virman Vundabar during Apokolips’ civil war.
Karkull
Voiced by Ted Levine
First Appearance: More Fun Comics #69 (Ian Karkull, July 1941), “The Hand of Fate” (October 11, 1997)
A seventh-level Lord of the Inner Pit, Karkull is an eldritch spirit who seeks to expand its territory by enslaving humanity via demonic possession and terraforming the Earth into his own private Hell. An attempt over a century ago led to the demon becoming imprisoned by Doctor Fate in the Artifact of Lorta, a mystical stone tablet, but a lucky encounter with a thief allowed it to escape and possess his body. It was only through the combined efforts of Superman and Doctor Fate that they were able to return the entity to its prison.
Katma Tui
Voiced by Kim Mai Guest
First Appearance: Green Lantern #30 (July 1964)
A native of the planet Korugar, Katma Tui lived under the oppressive regime of Sinestro from an early age. Joining a resistance movement while the tyrant was off world, she aided in making the Corps aware of Sinestro’s actions and personally testified against him during his trial on Oa. Recommended by Tomar-Re as a replacement, she received a power ring and was trained as Green Lantern by master trainer Kilowog.
During her tenure, Katma Tui proved herself to be an excellent teacher in her own right, eventually training John Stewart, with whom she shared a brief relationship. Other noteworthy accomplishments include preventing a jailbreak on the Guardian’s prison planet, serving as a member of Oa’s Honor Guard, and appointing a Green Lantern in the Obsidian Deeps, where she successfully devised a way of recruiting from a species that had no concept of light or color. Through her determination, along with the realization that sound could be a possible way of manipulating the ring’s energies, she selected Rot Lop Fan as the sector’s newest hero, the F-Sharp Bell.
The Key
Voiced by Corey Burton (Uncredited)
First Appearance: Justice League of America #41 (December 1965)
His true identity unknown, the man who calls himself the Key began his criminal career as a minor figure working in the narcotics division of Intergang. While there, he developed a series of chemicals that, when injected, caused incredible reactions within brain tissue—increasing intelligence and magnifying the senses. Naming his creations “psycho-chemicals,” he began to inject these compounds into his body, and these mental steroids began to unlock the untapped potential of his brain.
Now possessing various psionic powers—such as additional senses and heightened intelligence—he vowed to become a “key” individual in the criminal underworld using his chemically-enhanced talents. Calling himself the Key, he used his increased acumen to construct various key-related weapons, such as his Key Gun, Key Cycle, and robotic Key Men servants. In addition, he also created the matter-phasing technology that augmented his newfound process as an escape artist, for the Key soon discovered that, among his new abilities, he was no longer deterred by locks, bolts, and shackles—now no door could be closed to him, no barrier could obstruct him, and no prison could restrain him.
Originally an independent agent, the Key soon joined Grodd’s Legion of Doom, where he quickly become a “key” member of the organization. Unfortunately, following Luthor’s usurpation of leadership, the Key sided with Grodd during his mutiny. Because of this, he was singled out for punishment by Luthor and, as a result, died at the hands of Killer Frost.
The KGBeast
A former assassin for the former Soviet Union’s KGB, Anatoli Knyazev eventually went rogue and travelled to America to pursue a life of crime. Following a conflict with Batman in which the KGBeast found himself trapped by one of the Dark Knight’s weapons, Knyazev chose to sever his own arm rather than face capture. Outfitting his stump with a machine gun, the KGBeast continues to operate as a supervillain, most recently as a member of the Legion of Doom.
Although he sided with Grodd during the mutiny, the KGBeast was not singled out for punishment by Luthor. However, it appears that he died in the Hall of Doom’s destruction in deep space.
Killer Croc
Voiced by Aron Kincaid (BTAS), Brooks Gardner (TNBA)
Born with an extreme form of Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis, Waylon Jones possessed reptilian traits forcing him to resemble a humanoid crocodile. Raised by his alcoholic and abusive aunt, he later worked as part of a carnival sideshow before becoming a professional wrestler known in the ring as “Killer Croc.” Eventually deciding that, with his attributes—including super strength, jaws that can bite through chains, and a formidable swimming ability—he might be able to make more money through crime, he relocated from Florida to Gotham City, possibly due to its reputation for possessing a theatrical criminal element.
Once in town, however, he was busted by Harvey Bullock and, with testimony obtained from criminals Spider Conway and Joey the Snail, he was imprisoned. Seeking revenge, he escaped prison via the sewers and, after abducting Joey and Conway, he attempted to frame Bullock for the kidnappings before taking him out himself. His plan was foiled, however, by Batman, setting off a long-running rivalry between the inhuman criminal and the Dark Knight. However, either alone or teamed with his fellow Rogues, he is no match for the Caped Crusader.
Killer Frost
Voiced by Jennifer Hale
Little is known about the unnamed woman who would become Killer Frost but, following an accident in a thermafrost chamber, she was transformed into a cryokinetic predator who, seeking to absorb external heat to sustain herself, kills men by freezing them to death. Able to generate solid ice and snow from water molecules in the air, her skill set made her an early recruit for Gorilla Grodd for both his Secret Society and, later, the Legion of Doom.
A literal cold-blooded killer, the supervillain is always eager to murder her targets, such as when she froze billionaire collector Morgan Edge during Grodd’s invasion of his private island. Later, Frost remained a member of the Legion following Lex Luthor’s hostile takeover, but she sided with Grodd during his later revolt. However, after Luthor defeated the uprising and Grodd’s loyalists were lined up, he asked them if there was any reason to let them live. In response, Frost casually stepped forward and, with a slight smile, froze the other traitors into a glacier. Impressed, Luthor accepted Killer Frost back into his ranks.
Kilowog
Voiced by Dennis Haysbert (Justice League), Kevin Michael Richardson (Justice League vs. The Fatal Five)
First Appearance: Green Lantern Corps #201 (June 1986)
Leaving the telepathic unity of his native Bolovax Vik, Kilowog went onto become one of the best recruiters and trainers of the Green Lantern Corps. In addition, he is a skilled geneticist and mechanic with extensive knowledge of advanced technologies.
Klarion the Witch Boy
Voiced by Stephen Wolfe Smith
A powerful practitioner of dark magic in the body of a child, Klarion rejected the authority of his elders who sought to dictate the use of his powers. Seeking freedom, he transformed his parents into mice and, along with his familiar, Teekl, left his otherworldly dimension to entertain himself on Earth. Countering him upon arrival was occult expert Jason Blood, and their frequent encounters led to Klarion calling him “Uncle Jason” as a way to get under his skin. However, following a recent encounter where he sought to control Blood’s “alter ego,” Etrigan the Demon, with the branding iron of Morgaine le Fey, he put the witch boy in “time out” by imprisoning him in a crystal ball.
Kragger
Voiced by Hector Elizondo
First Appearance: “Starcrossed” (May 29, 2004)
A gay Thanagarian in love with his commanding officer, Hro Talak, Lieutenant Kragger resented Shayera Hol for being the recipient of Talak’s affections. Later suffering significant mental damage following a telepathic interrogation by J’onn J’onzz, he was rebuilt into a cyborg to aid in the hunt for Shayera Hol after she betrayed the Thanagarian empire during their invasion of Earth.
Lady Lunar
First Appearance: Wonder Woman #252 (February 1979)
An astronaut in the NASA space program, Stacy Macklin was transformed into a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality when, one night, she was struck by the moonlight that reflected off of a space capsule—one that had been altered during a mission where it had passed through the tail of a strange comet—which bathed her in the strange radiations from the comet. Now possessing gravitational and hypnotic abilities, Stacy Macklin transformed into Lady Lunar to embark on criminal activities. This villain was a particular threat to Superman, as the comet’s energies also infused her with kryptonite radiation.
While present during the Hall of Doom’s launch into space, it is unknown whether Lady Lunar sided with Luthor or Grodd during the rebellion. However, it is obvious that she did not survive the headquarters’ destruction.
Larvox
First Appearance: Green Lantern #9 (December 1961)
Born of a world where life evolved from insects, bacteria, and plants; Larvox fought alongside its fellow Corps members against the threat of Sinestro and his yellow power ring. In addition, this genderless Green Lantern served on many committees where the Corps’ role in the universe was debated.
Lashina
Voiced by Diane Michelle
First Appearance: Mister Miracle #6 (February 1972)
The other co-leader of the Female Furies, Lashina is a master of the flexible steel bands, known as “Lashes,” which function as electrified whips on the battlefield. Like the other Female Furies, she sided with Granny Goodness in the civil war.
The Legion of Doom
First Appearance: “Wanted: The Super Friends” (September 9, 1978), Extreme Justice #16 (May 1996)
Recognizing that the new, expanded Justice League posed a greater threat to the supervillain community than the original team ever did, Gorilla Grodd decided that, like the heroes, the bad guys needed to organize. Taking a cue from the League, the simian criminal created a newer, larger alliance designed to offer protection and support to criminals. In exchange for 25% of the gross, participating supervillains were able to call in reinforcements if confronted by the Justice League during their criminal activities. All of this was directed by Grodd, who managed the organization from his camouflaged headquarters in a remote swampland. While officially referred to as the Secret Society, the same name as its predecessor, it was also informally known by its more popular moniker: the Legion of Doom.
Seeking to organize the majority of the supervillain population under him, Grodd was concerned about the presence of Lex Luthor, who—with Darkseid dead and immortals Vandal Savage and R’as Al Ghul off the radar for the moment—was arguably the only major player that could complicate his plans. Thus, he sought to diffuse the situation by bringing him in-house. Following his escape from prison, Grodd brought him to his headquarters and blackmailed him into offering his council and technological genius in exchange for one of the last pieces of Brainiac tech on the planet and Luthor, desperate to achieve techno-godhood again, accepted.
Finding his forced employment by Grodd distasteful, Luthor bided his time looking for an opportunity to take command. Tasked with improving and enhancing the super powers of Legion members, he became familiar with his coworkers and, over time, developed methods for negating and / or hijacking their powers. With Bizarro under Grodd’s patronage, Luthor performed brain surgery on his former experiment, making the failed clone controllable by him. He also assisted on missions, despite his disdain for the sorceress Tala and Grodd’s then-unknown master plan. However, when Grodd revealed that plan—to transform all of humanity into gorillas—Luthor had had enough. Pulling a gun on him mid-meeting, Luthor took the ape out and assumed control of the Legion.
Laboring night and day attempting to unlock the secrets of the Brainiac fragment, Luthor largely treated the Legion as an annoyance, sending them on missions largely to keep them busy or to acquire funds with which to continue his research. In addition, he had to fend of the amorous affections of Tala, who had targeted Luthor as her new man following his mutiny, as well as other supervillains like Dr. Polaris, who saw him as a weak leader and sought to replace him. Eventually discerning that Grodd’s Brainiac fragment was largely worthless, Luthor nonetheless discovered—through Tala’s magic—the location of the destruction of Brainiac’s central database. Converting the headquarters into a star ship and plotting a course, Luthor vowed to travel there and acquire additional Brainiac scraps from the debris to reconstitute his partner.
Meanwhile, Tala—who’s romantic overtures were rebuffed—desired revenge against her would-be lover. Freeing Grodd from captivity, they plotted a mutiny of their own, acquiring a significant number of the Legion for their ranks. Confronting Luthor and his loyalists while the citadel was in warp to the interstellar location, both factions participated in a melee fight for control of the team. Eventually defeating Grodd and ejecting him out of an airlock, Luthor eliminated those loyal to the ape and used Tala’s energies to reconstitute Brainiac from the debris. However, the attempt was only partially successful, as while the machines successfully pulled the essence of something from the void, it was actually the essence of Darkseid that was reconstituted by Luthor’s mix of science and sorcery. Thanking him for the effort, the dark god destroyed the headquarters, and Luthor—who, along with a handful of others, survived thanks to Sinestro and Star Sapphire creating an energy shield to protect them, and he had to lower himself to ask the Justice League for help against the impending invasion from Apokolips.
Following Darkseid’s invasion of Earth, where Luthor—who had solved the Anti-Life Equation—defeated the lord of Apokolips and disappeared with him in an explosion, the remaining Legion members were granted a generous five minute head start to escape by Batman.
Touted by the creative team as containing every supervillain from the series—save for the Batman villains held captive by the “Bat-Embargo”—this list only utilizes Legion members seen at the Hall of Doom or participating in Legion missions.
EPISODE APPEARANCES:
“I Am Legion”: Atomic Skull, Bizarro, Black Mass, Blockbuster, Cheetah, Copperhead, Devil Ray, Doctor Cyber, Doctor Destiny, Doctor Polaris, Evil Star, Gentleman Ghost, Giganta, Gorilla Grodd, Heat Wave, The Key, KGBeast, Killer Frost, Lex Luthor, Major Disaster, Metallo, The Parasite, The Puzzler, Queen Bee, Rampage, The Shark, Silver Banshee, Sinestro, Sonar, Star Sapphire, The Thinker, Toyman, Volcana, Weather Wizard
“Chaos at the Earth’s Core”: Metallo, Silver Banshee
“To Another Shore”: Bizarro, Devil Ray, Giganta, Gorilla Grodd, Heat Wave, The Key, Killer Frost, Lex Luthor, Star Sapphire
“Dead Reckoning”: Angle Man, Atomic Skull, Bizarro, Black Mass, Blockbuster, Bloodsport, The Blue Lama, Cheetah, Copperhead, Crowbar, Devil Ray, Doctor Cyber, Doctor Polaris, Doctor Spectro, The Dummy, Evil Star, Fastball, Goldface, Gorilla Grodd, Javelin, The Key, KGBeast, Lady Lunar, Lex Luthor, Livewire, Major Disaster, Merlyn, The Monocle, Psycho Pirate, The Puzzler, Queen Bee, Rampage, The Shark, Sinestro, Sonar, Star Sapphire, Tala, The Tattooed Man, Tsukuri, Volcana, Weather Wizard
“The Great Brain Robbery”: Angle Man, Atomic Skull, Bizarro, Black Mass, Blockbuster, Bloodsport, The Blue Lama, Cheetah, Copperhead, Crowbar, Doctor Cyber, Doctor Polaris, Doctor Spectro, The Dummy, Electrocutioner, Evil Star, Gentleman Ghost, Giganta, Goldface, Gorilla Grodd, Heat Wave, Javelin, The Key, KGBeast, Lady Lunar, Lex Luthor, Livewire, Merlyn, Mirror Master, The Monocle, Neutron, The Parasite, Psycho Pirate, The Puppeteer, The Puzzler, Queen Bee, Rampage, The Shade, The Shark, Silver Banshee, Sinestro, Sonar, The Sportsmaster, Star Sapphire, Tala, The Tattooed Man, The Thinker, The Top, Toyman, Weather Wizard
“Grudge Match”: Lex Luthor, Sonar, Tala
“Alive”: Angle Man, Atomic Skull, Bizarro, Blockbuster, Bloodsport, Cheetah, Copperhead, Crowbar, Doctor Cyber, Electrocutioner, Evil Star, Fastball, Giganta, Goldface, Gorilla Grodd, Heat Wave, Hellgrammite, The Key, KGBeast, Killer Frost, Lady Lunar, Lex Luthor, Major Disaster, Merlyn, The Monocle, Neutron, The Parasite, Rampage, The Shade, Silver Banshee, Sinestro, Star Sapphire, Tala, Toyman, Volcana, Weather Wizard
“Destroyer”: Atomic Skull, Bizarro, Cheetah, Evil Star, Giganta, Heat Wave, Killer Frost, Lex Luthor, Sinestro, Star Sapphire, Toyman, Volcana
The Legion of Super Heroes
First Appearance: Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958)
The Legion of Super Heroes is a 30th / 31st century organization of patterned after the Justice League from a thousand years prior. Based in the city of Metropolis and serving the United Planets, the team features super-powered teenagers and young adults from many worlds from across the galaxy. Each member of the Legion is issued a Legion flight ring allowing each member access to flight and communication.
EPISODE APPEARANCES:
“New Kids in Town”: Andromeda, Bouncing Boy, Brainiac 5, Dream Girl, Kid Quantum, Light Lass, Lightning Lad, Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl, Ultra Boy
“Far from Home”: Brainiac 5, Bouncing Boy, Phantom Girl, Blok, Chameleon Boy, Colossal Boy, Cosmic Boy, Douglas Nolan, Ferro Lad, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Shadow Lass, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, Supergirl
Justice League vs. The Fatal Five: Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl, Star Boy, Tyroc, Chameleon Boy, Cosmic Boy, Dawnstar, Kid Quantum, Shadow Lass, Bouncing Boy, Phantom Girl, Blok, Colossal Boy, Lightning Lass, Lightning Lad, Mon-El, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, Ferro Lad, Douglas Nolan
Lex Luthor
Voiced by Clancy Brown
First Appearance: Action Comics #23 (April 1940)
Born into poverty and raised in the Suicide Slum neighborhood of Metropolis, the man who the world would come to know as Lex Luthor aspired to greatness in his earliest years. Growing up resenting his alcoholic and abusive parents, he was nonetheless fascinated by their stories of his family’s more affluent past—one of the founders of the colonial settlement that would one day become Metropolis, the Luthors grew into a prominent family of wealth and privilege until they lost everything in the Stock Market Crash of 1929. Inspired by the tales of his forebears, young Luthor vowed to restore the legacy of the Luthor name by any means necessary.
A brilliant child, young Luthor possessed an intuitive understanding of the nature of power, as well as the concept of deniability. To that end, he used this knowledge as a first step on his path to greatness: at the age of fourteen, Luthor took out a sizable insurance claim on his parents and then paid off a mechanic to tinker with the breaks of their car. Following their deaths, Luthor collected $250,000 and used that money to become the youngest student to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (or MIT), where he amazed his professors and graduated three years later with a master’s degree.
Following his graduation, Luthor immediately began making inroads into the aerospace field by designing and building a revolutionary sub-orbital aircraft. Dubbed the LexWing, Luthor made international headlines when he personally flew the prototype from Metropolis to Sydney, Australia. This stunt made him a household name and netted him numerous defense department contracts, which he used to build his fledgling business. By the age of twenty, he was already a billionaire, thanks to the money made on the inventions he patented and from his lucrative ties to the U.S. military.
His childhood goal achieved, Luthor spent the next twenty to thirty years cementing his power base and ensuring his legacy. Originally an aerospace firm, Luthor’s company—LexCorp—diversified its holdings as it grew in power, purchasing legitimate businesses and creating networks of dummy corporations to hide his shadier dealings. On the surface, the multinational LexCorp was a sterling example of capitalism and scientific pursuit—making contributions in the fields of advanced robotics, genetic engineering, and defensive systems—but beneath the surface lay ties to organized crime, as well as hostile nations, who were also interested in purchasing Luthor’s wares. In addition, Luthor systematically blackmailed his detractors and competition to comply with his wishes, and those he could not manipulate either disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances.
That is not to say, however, that Luthor did not have a charitable side, as he single-handedly took Metropolis, a city in decline, and transformed it into a shining city of tomorrow. Wishing to make his childhood home into a suitable kingdom from which to rule, Luthor oversaw the city’s development every step of the way—his billions financed it, his companies constructed it, and his corporation provided it with industry. As a consequence, his businesses stimulated the job market, providing roughly two-thirds of Metropolis’ population with employment. It was due to these works that Luthor found himself regarded as a hero by the citizens of what was now his city.
Finally, after decades of hard work, determination, and various untraceable crimes, Luthor had reached the top. He had wealth, power, influence, and a skyline in which half of the buildings bore his name. Idolized by the populace, Luthor kept his hands clean by handing off his dirty dealings to subordinates and, in the odd occasion when an accusation was made, either a bribed city official saw to it that an investigation stopped before it began, or his phalanx of lawyers ensured that he would be cleared of all charges. Yes, life was perfect … until Superman made his debut in the skies above Metropolis and began to meddle in his affairs.
In retrospect, it was another of Luthor’s brilliant plans: the rogue nation of Kasnia wished to purchase a Lexo-Skel 5000—a piloted suit of armor the size of a tank—from LexCorp, but they were unable to due to a U.S. embargo against the nation. Unable to sell the weapon directly without committing an act of treason, Luthor arranged for terrorists to steal the prototype during a press conference, which would provide him with wealth from Kasnia and a military contract to build another prototype for the U.S. However, due to Superman’s interference, the terrorists were thwarted and the prototype was destroyed. Initially annoyed by the setback, Luthor still saw the caped newcomer as a potential resource, but this annoyance turned to rage when Superman ignored his overtures and vowed to keep an eye on him. Realizing the genuine threat that this super-powered alien presented to his continued operations, Luthor vowed to destroy him.
Lex Luthor’s war against the Man of Steel was one fought on many levels, as Luthor attempted to manipulate the public’s opinion about their alien defender even as he sent out newer and exotic weapons to face him. As for his more direct assaults—operations listed under the heading of Project: Achilles—Luthor used every trick from his formidable arsenal to hound his rival, and while each offensive proved to be a failure, it did provide him with unexpected opportunities to pursue his vendetta further. For example, while his discovery of kryptonite did not kill Superman as he had hoped, the Kryptonian blood collected from the scene provided him with a basis for his cloning experiments, and the kryptonite itself provided him with a proverbial cross with which to keep his vampire at bay. In addition, many members of Superman’s Rogues’ Gallery—such as Metallo, Bizarro, Luminus, and Livewire—can trace their origins back to Luthor in some way, and the Kryptonian computer program Brainiac renewed its acquaintance with the son of Jor-El at Luthor’s urging. Through it all, Luthor managed to cover his tracks—the laboratory that created clones of the Kryptonian was destroyed by a bomb, satellites used to block the yellow spectrum of the sun’s light were hijacked by a costumed extremist—but, little by little, these incidents began to pile up, causing public opinion to shift until, finally, Luthor found himself in a situation he could not buy his way out of. Following a sting operation organized by the Justice League—one that acquired irrefutable evidence that he had sold weapons to terrorists—Luthor was forced to flee for the first time. However, this would not be his first humbling experience that night.
As the threat that Superman posed to Luthor was ongoing, Luthor had always made a point of keeping a piece of kryptonite close at hand, which proved to be his undoing as kryptonite, while not immediately fatal to humans as it is to Kryptonians, emits a low level of radiation that, over time, can cause cancer in humans. A seizure interrupted his escape attempt from the Justice League and, while awaiting trial in Stryker’s Island Penitentiary, he began to feel the first pangs of his own mortality. His reputation destroyed and his assets seized, Luthor turned to the one thing that he had left—the one thing that could keep him going—his undying hatred of Superman. Utilizing the time he had left, he decided to take his battle with the Man of Steel to the streets, using his scientific genius and the wealth he had hidden over the years to destroy his nemesis and his friends in the Justice League.
For a time, Lex Luthor operated as a supervillain, organizing teams—such as the Injustice Gang—to fight the League directly, or sending giant robots operated by remote control but, as was the case with his more covert attacks, they also came to naught. A device created by the Ultra-Humanite slowed the spread of his cancer, but it only bought him a little more time to gain vengeance against his enemies. In the end, Luthor was smart enough to see that this track wasn’t working, and when Superman and the authorities came to him for help in their struggle against the Justice Lords, Luthor agreed to help in exchange for a full pardon. A free man once again, Luthor presented himself as a man reformed who was seeking the presidency, but secretly he began working with the black ops-oriented Cadmus Project, whose mission was to develop weapons to combat the threat that the Justice League now posed.
Working with project leader Amanda Waller and scientist Dr. Emil Hamilton, Luthor supplied them with advanced technology and notes from his Kryptonian cloning experiments—which Hamilton used to create Galatea and Doomsday—in order to help them combat the Justice League on behalf of government interests. During this cold war of global powers, Luthor discovered that his cancer had mysteriously disappeared from his body and that he now possessed super-strength. Curious as this was, however, he put it out of his mind and used his fake political ambitions and the rivalry between Cadmus and the League as a smokescreen for his true goal: the construction of an AMAZO android body for himself. However, before he could transfer his mind into the nanotech body, he was confronted Waller and the Justice League. The body destroyed, it was at this moment that both parties were surprised to find out that Brainiac was manipulating Luthor—reconfiguring his body, curing his cancer, and mentally nudging him to create a new, powerful body for the Kryptonian intelligence to house itself in.
Escaping during the ensuing battle, Luthor negotiated with Brainiac, offering his imagination and willpower in exchange for a true partnership between the entities. Brainiac agreed, and the two merged into one being using the Dark Heart nanotech. Now a binary, technological god, the Luthor / Brainiac hybrid formulated a plan to absorb the Earth’s knowledge all at once—and use it as a stepping stone towards galactic conquest—but they were defeated by the Flash, who literally tore the Brainiac circuitry out of Luthor’s body at super-speed.
Returned to prison, Luthor came to believe that Brainiac’s consciousness still resided within him, and it was this connection that motivated him to join Grodd’s Legion of Doom, where he worked for the simian criminal in exchange for the last piece of Brainiac tech on Earth, which Luthor hoped would allow him to remerge with his Kryptonian benefactor. However, a falling out between the two supervillains led to Luthor overthrowing Grodd and taking over the organization himself, and this leadership position was maintained following a mutiny led by Grodd. In the end, Luthor inadvertently resurrected Darkseid rather than Brainiac, leading to his Legion of Doom joining forces with the Justice League to prevent an invasion by the warlord’s forces.
Luthor hates Superman—he despises him with a passion that cannot be quenched by his other noteworthy accomplishments, but the question of why often puzzles the Man of Steel and his friends. Perhaps it is the fact that the public’s devotion to Superman came so freely to him, while Luthor had to buy it with charitable works and years of public service. Maybe he resents the fact that he had to fight for decades to claim his power, while Superman was granted power by a simple twist of fate. Or, perhaps, the answer is deceptively simple: he hates Superman merely because he is in his way.
Having defeated Darkseid by providing him the answer to the Anti-Life Equation, the only thing the Lord of Apokolips truly desired, both entities are now trapped in the Source Wall. Nevertheless, for a being like Lex Luthor, this is nothing more than a temporary situation, and he will be a constant thorn in the side of Krypton’s last son for many years to come.
Lex Luthor (Crime Syndicate Universe)
Voiced by Chris Noth
First Appearance: DC Comics Presents Annual #1 (Alexander Luthor, September 1982)
A heroic version of Lex Luthor from a parallel Earth, this Luthor is the final surviving member of his world’s Justice League, as its’ previous members have all been eliminated by an organization known as the Crime Syndicate. Desperate to save his world from their influence, Luthor travelled to another Earth seeking aid, eventually finding another Earth’s Justice League, this one containing members similar to the five remaining heads of the Syndicate’s families. With their aid, he was successful in overthrow the villainous organization, allowing the proper authorities to resume power.
Lightray
Voiced by Rob Paulsen
A childhood friend of Orion, Lightray developed the powers of flight and energy manipulation after absorbing solar energy during an attack by Darkseid’s soldiers.
Livewire
Voiced by Lori Petty (STAS), Maria Canals-Barrera (Justice League)
First Appearance: “Livewire” (September 19, 1997), Superman Adventures #5 (March 1997), Action Comics #835 (March 2006)
Originally the hottest and most controversial talk radio personality in Metropolis, Leslie Willis was well known for taking frequent shots at Superman during her drive time program. Seeing him as a privileged, holier-than-thou boy scout that the city was slavishly devoted to, her views mirrored that of Lex Luthor, owner of radio station WLXL. Their one-sided rivalry came to a head during the celebration of her show’s third anniversary, which was taking place in the city’s park during a severe thunderstorm. Refusing to shut the show down over public safety issues, she nearly incited a riot until the Man of Steel showed up in an attempt to reason with her. Refusing to back down, their standoff was interrupted when lightning struck the metal scaffolding, electrocuting both of them. Recovering in the hospital, Willis discovered that her skin was now powder white, her hair was bright blue, and she possessed electricity-based powers. Giddy over her new abilities, she immediately took on the identity of Livewire and chose to vie with Superman in the streets rather than over the airwaves.
Comprised of pure energy, the former shock jock can fire lightning bolts from her hands and travel through powerlines. Claiming to seek revenge against the Man of Steel, her motivation was more likely to cause chaos and to extort Metropolis for money by controlling the electrical grid. Either way, her agenda did include trying to kill Superman, which she attempted either solo or with help, such as during a team up with Parasite or the Superman Revenge Squad, a coalition of Superman villains who took on the Justice League. She has also branched out, teaming up with Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn while visiting Gotham City and joining Grodd’s Legion of Doom.
As of this time, it is unknown whether she was at Legion headquarters when Luthor launched it into space and, if she was, whether she survived its destruction, so it is entirely possible that she may return to “shake things up.”
Lobo
Voiced by Brad Garrett
Born on the idyllic paradise known as Czarnia, Lobo was an anomaly—a violent, sadistic maniac on a world of enlightened pacifists. Taking advantage of his situation, Lobo did what he pleased, drank what he pleased, and killed who he pleased, until his eighteenth birthday, when he slaughtered the entire population of his planet so he could be unique in the universe. Realizing that he had a knack for destruction and violence, Lobo decided to become a mercenary.
In the years since that fateful day, Lobo has successfully established himself as the galaxy’s foremost bounty hunter and assassin. Showing no favoritism, the Main Man (as he calls himself) will work for anyone, provided that they can afford his services. The added expense is worth it, however as once Lobo is on a job, he will not stop until it is complete. Capable of tracking quarry across vast distances, Lobo will go to any lengths necessary to finish a mission—no body count too high, no amount of damage too great—as he considers his word sacred and refuses to renege on a deal once it is made. And once his target is cornered, Lobo quickly dispatches his opponent using his arsenal of weapons, super strength, and limitless regenerative abilities.
Lobo briefly encountered the Justice League during the period when Superman was believed to be dead, as the previous agreement between them was for Lobo to leave “me and everyone on Earth in peace.” However, once the Man of Steel returned, Lobo quickly honored that agreement and returned to space.
Cruising the galaxy on his customized SpazFrag 666 intergalacticycle, Lobo spends his off-hours drinking, fighting, and picking up women. But make no mistake: whether he’s drunk or sober—and whether you’re a client, target, or bystander—Lobo is the last person that you would ever want to meet.
Lock-Up
Voiced by Bruce Weitz
A former head of security for Wayne Enterprises, Lyle Bolton was hired as chief of security for Arkham Asylum as part of a Wayne Foundation grant. However, when it was discovered that he maintained order through intimidation, fear, and other draconian policies, he was removed from his position. Seeking revenge upon the “real causes” of disorder in Gotham City—the police department, the mayor’s office, Arkham’s staff, and the media—he took on the identity of Lock-Up to abduct and punish those he felt were responsible. He was, however, brought down by the team of Batman and Robin, and Bolton was imprisoned in the asylum that he once guarded.
Luminus
Voiced by Robert Hays (STAS), Nicholas Guest (Uncredited, Justice League)
First Appearance: “Target” (September 19, 1997)
A notable scientist and engineer at LexCorp specializing in light-based technology (possibly for Luthor’s Project: Achilles, the series of secret plans dedicated to taking down the Man of Steel), Edward Lytener served as a confidential source for Lois Lane on a corporate corruption expose. While being an informant was for the public good, his intentions were not altruistic, as he became attracted to the beautiful, young reporter and was looking for an “in” with her. In the end, she received a nomination for an Excalibur Award, a prize given for exceptional journalism, and he was fired from his job and blacklisted for employment for being a corporate whistleblower. And, as for his crush, Lois remained oblivious to his interest in her, and his affections were not reciprocated. Bitter and feeling used by the reporter, Lytener vowed revenge against Lois Lane should she win the award.
The night of the awards ceremony, Lois received a message stating that if she received the reward, she’d die. Moments later, she won and, while giving her thanks to the audience, a remote controlled laser began cutting the wires holding the stage decoration—a crystal sword dangling over the podium—loose, which would have killed Lois had Superman not heard the device and saved her at the last minute. A series of near-fatal death traps followed until Luthor discovered that one of the devices used was from LexCorp inventory that was stolen around the time Lytener was fired. Superman confronted him in his lab and—following a close fight where he wore a harness that generated the light spectrum of a red sun—Lytener was arrested and sent to Stryker’s Island Penitentiary.
While behind bars, Luthor apparently settled with Lytener and rehired him, providing him with resources with which to pursue “legitimate LexCorp research.” Lytener used these assets to escape and—under the costumed identity of Luminus—hijacked LexCorp’s satellites in order to filter the light from the sun, letting only the red wavelengths through. As a result, Superman was considerably weakened, and Luminus could have killed him had the satellite equipment not been destroyed during their battle. Restored to full strength, Superman returned Luminus to prison.
A technological genius specializing in light manipulation, Luminus has the ability to create holograms that can be either immaterial or solid, allowing them to cause physical damage to his targets. He can also bend light around himself to appear invisible, and he can use lasers beams as weapons. Lytener also appears to have flight capabilities while wearing the Luminus costume, but that could simply be a holographic illusion. Finally, he can also create multiple solid light copies of himself, as the Flash discovered when a group of them ganged up on the Scarlet Speedster during a jailbreak.
Currently in custody, it is possible that Luminus could escape again. With this in mind, Superman is ready for their next encounter, even if he can’t see it coming.
Images courtesy of Warner Bros. Discovery, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and DC Comics.
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