Editing Lex Luthor (section)

===== Revised backstory and removal from office =====
Following the publication of ''[[Superman: Birthright]]'' in 2003–2004, Luthor's history 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 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 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 personally that a powerful alien, the kind of companion Luthor had often hoped for and believed would see him as a peer, instead looks on him with disapproval and moral judgment. This, along with Superman interfering with his criminal agenda and openly disrespecting Luthor in front of the media, motivates Lex to humiliate and destroy the alien hero.

The initial story arc of the ''[[Superman/Batman]]'' ongoing series depicts the fall of Luthor's reign as U.S. president before he finishes his first term of office. In "The World's Finest" (more commonly referred to as "Public Enemies"), a kryptonite asteroid threatens Earth. Luthor has been secretly injecting himself with a new version of the "super-[[steroid]]" Venom (a chemical associated with the Batman villain [[Bane (comics)|Bane]]) mixed with liquified synthetic kryptonite. While increasing his physical strength and speed, it starts making him irrational and more prone to aggression. Seeing an opportunity with the appearance of the asteroid, Luthor decides to finally end Superman and tells the media that he has evidence the Man of Steel himself is drawing the meteorite towards Earth. He offers a billion-dollar reward for Superman's capture. As these efforts fail and the meteorite is destroyed, an enraged Luthor decides to fight Superman directly, injecting himself with more Venom and donning a high-tech warsuit.

Maddened by the Venom, Luthor admits during the battle that he has no real proof Superman is the cause of the deadly asteroid heading to Earth and reveals he traded [[Doomsday (DC Comics)|Doomsday]] to [[Darkseid]] in return for technology. After Superman damages his warsuit, Luthor retreats to LexCorp HQ only to discover that Talia has sold the entire company to the Wayne Foundation. Without resources and realizing his confession to criminal acts and conspiring with a hostile power was recorded and broadcast, Luthor flees, now a wanted fugitive. Vice President [[Pete Ross]] briefly assumes his place as president. While on the run, Luthor takes a renewed interest in his "son" Superboy, hoping to corrupt him into being his soldier.

In 2009, the ''Public Enemies'' story arc was adapted as a [[direct-to-video]] [[animated film]] entitled ''[[Superman/Batman: Public Enemies]]''.