Editing Lex Luthor (section)

===== ''One Year Later'' and ''Countdown'' =====
One year after the events of "Infinite Crisis", weeks after the New Year's Eve Massacre, Luthor is cleared of all criminal charges in the "[[One Year Later]]" storyline. Despite this, his public image is ruined and, thanks to the machinations of the villain [[Doctor Sivana]], he has lost most of his wealth and had no control over the newly reformed LexCorp, now being run by [[Lana Lang]]. He blames Clark Kent for swaying public opinion and pledges vengeance on Metropolis after an angry mob jeers him. Amassing large quantities of kryptonite and kidnapping the super-villains [[Metallo]] and the [[Kryptonite Man]], Lex uses them to power a Kryptonian warship controlled through a "sunstone" crystal.<ref>''Action Comics'' #839, DC Comics</ref> Having recently regained his powers, Superman destroys the kryptonite-powered ship and confronts Lex with the fact that, despite his claims that Superman is what prevents him from helping humanity, the only thing he accomplished during the Man of Steel's absence was to cause pain and acquire a machine that could cause more destruction. Enraged, Lex manages to escape custody yet again.<ref>''Action Comics'' #840, DC Comics</ref>

Lex Luthor continues his open campaigns against Superman and Earth's heroes, working with Bizarro, a new [[Superman Revenge Squad|Revenge Squad]], and the Kryptonian [[General Zod]]. Alongside Joker and [[Cheetah (comics)|Cheetah]] III, Luthor (once again wearing his warsuit) organizes a new [[Injustice League]] to help destroy the reformed Justice League. During this period, he creates the third [[Shaggy Man (comics)|Shaggy Man]] and the third [[Blockbuster (DC Comics)|Blockbuster]].

Luthor plays a large role in the ''[[Countdown to Final Crisis]]'' tie-in series ''[[Salvation Run]]''. Exiled to a distant planet along with many of Earth's villains, Lex quickly assumes command and convinces many to follow him as he finds a way home. He is opposed by those who join forces with Joker and [[Gorilla Grodd]]. Eventually, the villains are attacked by [[Parademons]]. Luthor manages to get the villains off the planet with a makeshift teleporter, using the villains [[Neutron (DC Comics)|Neutron]], [[Aryan Brigade (comics)|Heatmonger]], [[Plasmus]], [[Warp (comics)|Warp]], and [[Thunder and Lightning (comics)|Thunder and Lightning]] as unwilling power sources. When called a "monster" by Thunder, Luthor claims the ones who exiled them are the real monsters and he is the hero. He sets the teleporter to self-destruct after he uses it, killing the Parademons as well as his living batteries.