THE MAN OF TOMORROW?

By Lois Lane

In an office on the top floor of the tallest building in Metropolis, he sits behind an old oak desk. His back faces the window, blocking my view of the unparalleled view of the city. His suit is custom fitted by an Italian designer. It's unique. It's for him and only him. Alexander Luthor. Named by his father for Alexander The Great. "Alexander wanted to rule the world. My ambitions aren't quite so lofty." His words may ring falls somehow given his status in our great city. "Only my father ever called me Alexander. He never made me forget who I was named for. I have been Lex since I was a boy." Indeed, Lex seems to have spent his whole life trying to escape his father. "Lionel was a stern father, even before my mother passed. When she died, he turned to alcohol. His dreams for me turned to regrets for himself. Regrets he took out on me with a belt or a bottle."

To look at Lex Luthor today, it's hard to imagine that he ever had a hard life, that he ever went hungry. The Luthors were well known in Metropolis. They were a part of high society and very influential in local politics. That was a century ago. The Wall Street crash of 1929 saw the Luthor family lose everything. "My grandfather inherited his fortune. He was advised to invest it and he did so. When the crash happened, he couldn't bear the shame. He committed suicide." Lionel Luthor was just three years old when his father jumped from the construction site of the Daily Planet building. Lionel and his mother were left penniless. Lionel would grow up to work in the old railyards, a place Lex would often go to play as a child. "I would watch sheets of metal and wood be transformed into giant trains that went all around the country. I thought my father was brilliant. He was just a metal worker but still, he played a part in connecting everyone. It made me want to build things, to bring people together."

The Metropolis Railyards were closed down in 1978, an event that impacted the Luthor family beyond measure. "We were never wealthy. I wouldn't have even called us middle class. But we got by. When my father lost his job we had to sell the house and move into a small apartment in Suicide Slums. It wasn't called that at the time of course. Crime was rife but nowhere near as bad as it is today. We were just lucky to have a roof over our heads." The loss of Lionel's job had larger consequences than where the family would live. Lionel and Lillian had been sending little Alexander to a private school. His genius had become apparent as a toddler and they were determined to give their son the best chance of success. Without a steady income, Lex was forced to attend public school in the Slums. "It wasn't the best of times. That school was severely underfunded. Most of the kids there were from poor families and all the crime on the streets seemed to have a profound effect on them. Was I bullied? Sure I was. I was the smart kid at the front of the class who knew all the answers before the poorly educated teacher could look them up in her answer book. But I survived. Brains didn't always beat braun but I managed to get through."

The greatest tragedy of Lex's life happened in 1981. Lillian Luthor contracted pneumonia and with no health insurance or money to pay for care, she was spit out by the system, told to wrap up warm and drink fluids as if she had nothing but a mild head cold. Her death has since spawned Lex Luthor's health initiative, a program whereby any citizen of Metropolis can avail of health care free of charge should they not be able to afford their own. It is a program that is paid for by Lex Luthor's company – LexCorp. "It's not so much about me giving something back as it about a selfish desire to make sure that what happened to my mother doesn't happen to someone else." Lionel Luthor soon turned to the bottle for comfort and began taking out his frustrations on Lex. "A few lashes from his belt were nothing. I knew his pain. I felt it as well. I could deal with that. When he was drunk he was violent and abrasive. I was ten, maybe eleven. But that's not what hurt the most. It was the times when he was sobering up, when the hangover hit. He couldn't look at me. He was cold. I think he died when my mother did. What was left was an empty shell going through the motions. I found myself waiting for him to get drunk because even though he was violent, at least he noticed me."

It's hard not to notice Lex Luthor these days. His trademarked bald head is plastered across billboards throughout the city, promoting his project to renovate the Slums and rejuvenate that entire area. Like everything else in Lex Luthor's life, the story of Lex's chrome dome is an intriguing one. It is commonly believed that he was born that way. This is far from true. "I had red hair. The curly kind that everyone hates. I hated it." And does he long to have it back? "In brief moments of vanity I look in the mirror and wonder. But I've been bald for so long it's but a vague memory." He stands up and guides me to a glass case near the rear of his office. "I was twelve when it happened. I was reading in the railyards. Nietzsche I think it was. The railyards were closed by then of course but I still went there all the time. There must have been a meteor shower though I've since asked astronomers who were working during that time and I even went to NASA. There was never any record of a meteor shower over the United States. A few small meteorites hit the ground not far from me. I was a smart child but still, a child. Curiosity got the better of me." When Lex went to investigate the fallen meteorite, he couldn't help but reach out to touch it. "I should have known better. If it had fallen from the sky it would have been extremely hot. I found out the hard way." Lex raised his right hand, covered by a black glove, his skin having been burned away by the meteorite. "It's a lesson I'll never forget. Always stop and think. Always be careful." The meteorite did more than burn the flesh from his hand. "I didn't notice it at first. It didn't occur to me that it would be radioactive. It was so small, small enough to fit in my hand. My hair started to fall out. It started and it didn't stop. Now the only things that grow there are ideas." Inside the glass case sits that same meteorite. It looks slightly green in color and is joined by a few others that Lex found upon going back there a few days later. Strange for a man who doesn't appear to value sentiment. "I keep them as reminders. In a strange way, what happened inspired me. Burning my hand, losing my hair...it taught me of the fragility of my existence and that I need to make the most of life."

At fourteen, Lex had himself emancipated from his father. Lionel died of liver failure in 1997, living long enough to see his son reach his potential but without ever reconciling. "It saddens me. I didn't even know he had died. I was at a technology conference in Switzerland. Would I have liked to have put things behind us? Of course. But it wasn't to be." He attended Metropolis State University, becoming it's youngest ever graduate at seventeen. "I had so many job offers. Bill Gates came to see me personally. He was the richest man in the world and he was in my small apartment offering me a job." Lex was even approached by the CIA. "That was an interesting one. I'm not entirely sure what they wanted from me. They mentioned code breaking but it just seemed so mundane. They weren't the only government agency to come knocking either but I knew from the beginning that I needed to be my own man, to answer only to myself." At nineteen, he founded LexCorp. "Lachlan, my grandfather, ran the family business into the ground. It was called LuthorCorp. I contemplated bringing that company back from the dead so to speak but what became LexCorp needed to belong to me. It's legacy had to be mine. I wasn't interested in trading on past glories or being reminded of past failures. Plus I didn't really know what I wanted to do. LexCorp seemed generic enough to do anything."

These days, LexCorp does everything. From manufacturing to pharmaceuticals, weapons to the building trade, media to charitable foundations, Lex Luthor has his fingers in a lot of pies. He even attempted a takeover of Wayne Enterprises before its owner and CEO returned from an extended sabbatical and halted the deal. "We all thought he was dead. A merger between the two companies seemed ideal, especially given the many common interests between the two companies. Bruce Wayne put a stop to it and now Wayne Enterprises is stronger than ever. I'm glad of that. I don't see us as competitors. Companies like Wayne's and Queen Industries want to make a better world. I'm happy to share in that dream." Even companies with no apparent association with LexCorp seem to owe a lot to its founder. It's long been rumored that Lex was in part responsible for the rise of Apple in mobile devices. "Steve (Jobs) is a smart guy. He didn't need my help. I had contemplated moving into the telecommunications market with a device that did pretty much everything but the company wasn't set up for that. What Steve did was pretty ingenius, starting with the music market before gradually expanding. Believe me I wish I'd thought of it."

LexCorp's achievements have seen Metropolis rise from a failing city of industry to a thriving financial centre. Lex Luthor's success in breathing life into the city and making it one of the premier places to live and work in America has prompted many people to label him as "The Man of Tomorrow" - a label he seems uncomfortable with. "People talk of the future, of tomorrow. I don't want to change the world tomorrow. We can't wait for a better tomorrow. If we do we'll be waiting forever. We have to change the world today." And is that his ultimate goal? To change the world? "I'm just one man. Even I can't help everyone. But if others see fit to follow my example, all the better." So how would he label himself? "I'm a mad scientist. Anything I dream of I believe I can turn into reality. Some people have called me a business mogul. I read an article in your own paper that suggested I was the greatest criminal mind of our age. It's a catchy title Ms. Lane but not one that fits."

Criticism of LexCorp and its founder have been hard to come by of late, following its take over of media conglomerate, Galaxy Broadcasting. "I believe in a free and independent press. I believe in truth. I believe in justice. LexCorp is in a great position to bring truth to the world. I have no interest in gagging the media. I have no interest in propaganda. That is why I agreed to this interview. I don't own the Daily Planet. Your newspaper has been the most critical of me and that is why it had to be you who interviewed me. A critical eye is always welcome."

Lex Luthor's reign as master of Metropolis hasn't been without controversy. He personally oversaw the radical renovation of the business sector of the city, now known as the Hyper Sector, home to the LexCorp building and a stones throw from my desk at the Daily Planet. It had been suggested that Lex used criminal elements to force old businesses out of the area to make way for the glistening skyscrapers and corporate entities that exist here today. It is a claim he strenuously denies. "I grew up in Suicide Slums. I know the effect that crime can have on a society. Associating with criminals isn't my idea of affecting change." It remains true however that Lex Luthor's influence spreads across the city and beyond. "I hear this all the time. I have the Mayor's office bought and paid for. I won the election for the governor. Yes it's true that I paid for most of the new housing developments. It's true that I own most of the media outlets in town. It's true that I have friends in high places. It's also true that LexCorp gives more aid to the poor of this city than any government run program. It's also true that LexCorp has several education centers around the country in order to give children a chance at a good education regardless of their social or economic status. It's also true that LexCorp operates several projects in various third world countries to improve living conditions. I've donated more money to the Red Cross than anyone on the planet. LexCorp's research facility at STAR Labs is leading the field in finding cures for AIDS, cancer and various other diseases that threaten our right to life."

Yet for all his philanthropy, his company is the biggest arms supplier not only to the US, but many other nations in the western hemisphere. "Part of LexCorp is dedicated to the manufacturing of state of the art weaponry for the United States and our allies. But it is only part of it. Government contracts are about more than weapons. We have built over a dozen schools and hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last five years alone. Metropolis General Hospital's state of the art facilities were paid for by LexCorp money. I could list everything LexCorp does and be here all day but if you wish to focus on weapons, so be it. We live in an imperfect world Ms. Lane. Do I wish there were no wars? Of course. The weapons my company builds, weapons I helped design, are meant to save people. Collateral damage is a bigger killer in war than battlefield skirmishes. Our targeting systems are the most advanced in the world with pin point accuracy, meaning that missiles hit their targets and only their targets. Everything our weapons division produces is designed to be clean and reduce the risk to civilian life. Of course the world would be better without weapons or war but don't live in a fantasy. If war must happen, is it not better to use weapons that minimize unintended consequences? I believe so."

Even as he defends his company, Lex remains calm and composed. It is not hard to see why he is the darling of politicians, respected by business leaders and loved by the people he has helped. His latest project which is currently going through the City Council for approval, is a radical renovation of Suicide Slums. "It's simple really. Instead of papering over the cracks I want to tear down the wall completely and start again. The Slums is a dreadful place. Metropolis is suppose to be the jewel in the crown of America's great cities but the Slums make it a flawed jewel. My goal is to rebuild it and make it better." And what of people currently residing there? "People are attached to their homes, even when they hate them. I don't want to displace anybody. Anyone living in the Slums who wants to live there after the rejuvenation is complete will be given one of the new houses. LexCorp will even pay for temporary accommodation while the area is rebuilt. This isn't a property scheme as your paper has suggested. Land is of little interest to me. What interests me is progress and people. We need to eradicate the criminal element in this city and it starts in the Slums. In five years time, the name Suicide Slums will be a thing of the past."

Lex's rise to prominence in Metropolis was nothing short of meteoric. By the time Lex turned 25, he was a self-made billionaire, profiting from his many creations. "I'm an inventor at heart. I always have been. It goes back to watching my father build trains." LexCorp Tower, saw Lex literally rise to the top of Metropolis. Perhaps he likes looking down on people? "Not at all. This building isn't a container for my ego. It's a symbol for progress and for the future but as I've already said, the future doesn't interest me. It's about today. If LexCorp is about anything it's about changing our reality as it exists, not what we wish it was. And what of his free time? "I don't have free time," he jokes, "I'm always working on something, even when I'm not supposed to be. This is fun for me. Relaxing vacations are a myth in my life." It has been suggested that he might run for governor at the next election and possibly even President. "I feel like I can do more good on my own. Politics is a noble cause. It's just not my cause. At least not at the moment." If Lex ever does decide to run for office, he will most likely do so as an independent, having been critical of both political parties numerous times. Unlike most independents, he has the money to run a campaign and the influence to get both parties on side should he win. "It's really not something I think about. I won't say it will never interest me but I'm at a stage in my life where political power would do more to prevent me from achieving my ultimate goals than aid me." For Lex Luthor it seems, the office of the President would amount to a demotion. "I probably wouldn't make a good political leader in truth. Compromise has never been my strong suit."

And what of Lex Luthor's legacy? "I recently turned forty. I've only lived half my life. It's a bit early to think about legacies." But if he were to die tomorrow? "I don't know. Lex Luthor the man isn't important. If people forget me it isn't important. What matters is what I leave behind. I hope I will have contributed something worthy to the world. That's all anyone can ask for I think."

As Ms. Graves, his personal assistant enters to inform me that our time is up, I am reminded once again of the kind of man Lex Luthor is. Mercy Graves was homeless until she met Lex Luthor. He gave her his coat to keep her warm and a thousand dollars in the coat pocket. When she tried to steal his wallet, rather than turn her over to the police, he gave her a job. In truth Lex Luthor is a bit of an enigma. His life story is one of overcoming obstacles to achieve ones goals. He has helped many people in Metropolis and around the world. Yet there remains a side to him that remains hidden behind his eyes. His drive to succeed has seen speculation arise about the dark parts of his path. It has been suggested that upon emancipating himself at fourteen, Lex fell in with the criminal organization Intergang, allowing him to fund his education through criminal deeds. He has always denied this strenuously as part of a smear campaign by the media. It has even been suggested that his reason for buying out Galaxy Broadcasting was to silence that speculation. Rumors of a continuing relationship with Intergang persist in some quarters. What is true is that there are no police records to indicate such an association at any time in his life. It's also true that Lex Luthor is perhaps the most respected man on the East Coast, especially in Metropolis. "People tell me I own Metropolis. But for all my money and influence, I am just a citizen. I love this city and the people in it. I don't want to own this city, I merely want to be a part of it."

- From The Daily Planet, October 1st 2011