Broken Frontier

As the Blackest Night spreads across the DC Universe, Broken Frontier unearths the histories of several of the players in the event.

SPOILER WARNING: Read no further if you’ve not had the chance to dig into your most recent Blackest Night titles…

Alexander Luthor’s origins stem firmly from one of the infinite multiversal realities that existed prior to Crisis on Infinite Earths.  He was born an Earth-Three, a reality overrun by the evil counterparts of the Justice League of America – the Crime Syndicate of America.  During a visit to this world by the Pre-Crisis/Silver Age Superman (Kal-El) and the Golden Age Superman (Kal-L), the duo inspired the Lex Luthor of that world to become Earth-Three’s first superhero (DC Comics Presents Annual #1 (1982).

When the Anti-Monitor began his campaign to destroy the myriad of multiple realities, Earth-Three was one of the first attacked.  In a desperate gambit, Luthor and his wife (Lois Lane-Luthor), placed their young son (Alexander Jr.) into an experimental transportation craft, and rocketed him from their doomed reality (Crisis on Infinite Earths #1, April 1985).  Traversing the dimensional barriers as Earth-Three was consumed by anti-matter, the infant Luthor was granted the ability to manipulate both matter and anti-matter, as well as open dimensional portals.  The child arrived safely on Earth-One and was taken in by the Anti-Monitor’s rival, The Monitor, and his herald, Harbinger.  Realizing the child may hold the key to defeating the Anti-Monitor, the pair hid Luthor away, watching as over the course of a week he rapidly aged from infant to a young man. 

Following the death of the Monitor, Alexander joined Harbinger and Pariah in assembling the surviving heroes of the DC multiverse into a resistance against the Anti-Monitor (Crisis on Infinite Earths #5, August 1985).  At the conclusion of the Crisis, Luthor, along with Kal-L and the parallel universe hero known as Superboy-Prime made a valiant last stand to save the sole remaining Earth reality (which borrowed elements from all the previous infinite realities).  Having successfully defeated the Anti-Monitor in the anti-matter universe, both Kal-L and Superboy-Prime waited for their deaths from the impending explosion.  At this point, Luthor revealed that he had managed to save Kal-L’s wife (Lois Lane from Earth-Two) and that the four of them could escape to a “paradise dimension.”  Explaining that this would burn-out his powers, stranding them there, the quartet elected to leap into the unknown (Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, March 1986).

The four survived for years in a nether dimension, perfectly safe, but only able to watch what occurred on the new one DC Earth – never actually affect it.  Luthor’s rapid aging slowed, settling in as a man in his 30s, while the non-powered Lois Lane began showing signs of aging (both her and Kal-L were in their 60s at the time of Crisis on Infinite Earths).  Becoming bitter and detached from humanity, Luthor began hatching a plan to escape the “paradise dimension” and restore the multiverse – in his own image.  Keeping the secret that his dimensional hopping powers were returning, Alexander began making excursions to Earth, posing as Lex Luthor.  In between bringing most of Earth's villains together in a Secret Society of Super-Villains (Villains United #1, July 2005), Alexander began manipulating Superboy-Prime for his own needs (Infinite Crisis Secret Files and Origins, April 2006).  With Kal-L distracted by his ailing wife, the pair set into motion a series of events that would enable the return of the DC multiverse.

With the stage set on Earth, Alexander began twisting Kal-L towards his own needs.  Convincing Kal-L that the darker mood of the current DC Universe was proof that Earth’s heroes had squandered the sacrifice the quartet made, Alexander promised that he could save Earth-Two Lois and restore their universe (Infinite Crisis #1, December 2005).  With the aid of his various pawns, Alexander constructed a giant device from the remains of the Anti-Monitor’s armor, powered by various superhumans who had connections to the former multiverse.  With the device activated and the multiverse returned, Alex used his abilities to begin crafting a perfect reality in his own image – keeping and discarding what he saw fit.  Although a team of heroes delayed Alexander (costing him a finger in the process), it was ultimately Kon-El (the Superboy of the current Earth) who destroyed the device at the cost of his own life.  The infinite realities collapsed once again into a single Earth, although several changes were retroactively applied thanks to Alexander’s meddling (Infinite Crisis #6, May 2006).

With his scheme in tatters and Kal-L realizing the deception played upon him, Alexander and Superboy-Prime moved to a secondary plan.  Leading an army of super-villains on Metropolis, Alexander decided to take the existing Earth by force, and impose his will upon it.  During the ensuing battle, Alexander faced off against Batman’s protégé, Nightwing (the original Robin), and seemingly killed the hero.  Grief stricken, Batman beat down Alexander, turning a gun on the refugee from Earth-Three.  Only through the calming influence of Wonder Woman did Batman yield, affording Alexander the opportunity to slip away (Infinite Crisis #7, June 2006).

With his army defeated and Superboy-Prime captured, Alexander retreated to the alleyways of Gotham City.  Already concocting a new scheme, Alexander was forcefully interrupted by Lex Luthor.  Seeking to punish his doppelganger for having the audacity to impersonate him, Luthor unleashed the Joker on Alexander (The Joker was the only major DC villain Alexander excluded from the Society, due to his unpredictable nature).  Angered at not being allowed to “play,” the Joker disfigured Alexander, before executing him with a single gunshot to the head (Infinite Crisis #7, June 2006).  Altering Alexander’s body both physically and genetically to closer resemble himself, Lex allowed the corpse to be found by Gotham City police.  In a public display, Lex explained that Alexander was an invader from a parallel reality who had impersonated him (52 Week 3, June 2008).  As such, Lex Luthor was exonerated of all his crimes and the corpse of Alexander Luthor was interred beneath the Justice League’s Hall of Justice…

…until he was raised by a Black Lantern ring during the Blackest Night (Blackest Night #3, September 2009)…