By Ryan Riley, Correspondent
As I write this article, it is less than two weeks until the presidential election on Nov. 4, 2008. With the economy in it current state of disarray, there is more at stake in this election for the American people than in almost any other election in our history. We were brought to this precipice by our current president, a man that, to the majority of his critics, has done a woefully inept job leading our country. In fact, some of his harsher, more emotional detractors have been known to describe his actions as evil.
But you have to wonder what would happen if the American people elected someone that made old "W" look downright noble and heroic. DC Comics explored this quandary in 2000 by having Superman's most ardent foe, Lex Luthor, win over both Al Gore and George W. Bush to become president. This story concept played out over the course of a couple of years throughout not only all of the Superman books but was also touched upon in almost every other book that DC puts out. Many of these tales are available in trade paperback form (and I will cite those throughout this article) and paint a pretty unique picture of what it takes to lead the free world in the DC universe.
How in the heck did he get elected?
The answer to that question is in the collection Superman: President Lex. Luthor, seething as he always does over the fact that Superman's presence on Earth diminishes his own achievements, decides to address the problem by becoming the leader of the free world. After he is elected he steps down as CEO of his own company, Lexcorp. Between (possibly staged) attempts on his live by various super-powered ne'er-do-wells, he managed to win the support of voters hungry for an alternative to the empty promises of both the Democratic and Republican politicians. The fact that so many people got behind Luthor as a candidate irked Superman like never before. The Man of Steel knew the true colors of his nemesis but was hampered by the moral issue of whether or not to interfere with the freedom of choice he has fought so hard to maintain. To add even more insult, Superman will be under the command of Luthor whenever the nation is in peril.
Superman's annoyance is increased (albeit unintentionally, for once) by Lex during and after his election, when he selects Superman's childhood chum Pete Ross as Vice President, his father-in-law Sam Lane as Secretary of Defense and semi-retired superhero Jefferson Pierce (a.k.a. Black Lightning) as Secretary of Education. Somewhere along the line he actually manages an impressive diplomatic coup by negotiating a trade agreement with Atlantis and proposed ground-breaking legislation for a moratorium on fossil fuels to Congress.
What did he do while in office?
Luthor's new position of prominence ensured that he would appear in more than just the Superman comic books. He made his presence known in a variety of DC comic books. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights) of his years in the Oval Office:
• Detective Comics #756
When Luthor took his oath of office, he still had in his possession a Kryptonite ring with which he could bring Superman low. Batman unsuccessfully attempted to intimidate Luthor into giving up the ring shortly after his inauguration. Bats decides to perform a little breaking & entering into the Oval Office with the help of Lois Lane to pilfer the ring. Superman actually tries to prevent them from doing it, but Batman slips away thanks to the lead paint and sonic disruptors Luthor has in place to prevent Superman's surveillance. Luthor catches Batman in the act, but thanks to a well-executed bait-and-switch he manages to escape with the ring.
• Green Lantern Vol. 2 #153-155
This story is currently available in the trade paperback Green Lantern: Brother's Keeper
Luthor's presence in this story, which features Green Lantern Kyle Rayner's assistant being beaten in a hate crime, is limited to a television soundbite. During the media coverage of the incident, Luthor called the victim's parents to offer his prayers & support. He also promised "...greater hate crime legislation on the federal level..." and asked that "...parents take a guiding hand in the education of our young people. Tolerance and understanding begin at home." Wow, what a surprisingly open-minded master criminal!
• The Outsiders Vol. 2 #2-3
This story is currently available in the trade paperback Outsiders: Looking For Trouble
President Luthor is in New York City for a speaking engagement when the city comes under attack by Gorilla Grodd and his simian soldiers. After being rescued from their attack by Jade, the Secret Service moves him to a safehouse in New Jersey. Unfortunately, his men are immediately killed by the Joker and his henchmen, who are lying there in wait. The Joker wants access to weapons that Lexcorp currently has in its possession, and he is more than willing to torture the hapless commander-in-chief until he gets his former company to relinquish them. The coolest part of the story comes when Luthor taunts the Joker by implying that he has an unrequited homosexual crush on Batman.
• Batman: No Man's Land
This story is currently available in the trade paperback Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 1-5
After Gotham City is rocked by a catastrophic earthquake, the U.S. Government finds that it is not economically viable to provide federal aid to the decimated city. Instead, they blow up the bridges leading into the city, cutting off Gotham City from the rest of the country. Shortly after his election, Luthor decides to bring Gotham back into the fold and send in federal aid. Later, Batman discovers that the events of No Man's Land would not have come about if it weren't for Luthor's actions, but since Batman can't make the information public due to lack of evidence, he won't lose any brownie points with his constituents.
A Wartime President
Luthor's first real test of mettle as president came with the invading armies of Imperiex. In the storyline Our Worlds At War (currently available in Superman: Our Worlds At War - The Complete Edition), Lex does an admirable job of marshalling an alliance to fight Imperiex consisting of superheroes that don't trust him and villains like Darkseid to fight the greater threat of invasion. However, he acts true to form by doing nothing when he gets advance warning of the imminent alien assault, seeing the conflict as an opportunity to place Superman firmly under his thumb and ensure his place in history. Many heroes die in the conflict, including Wonder Woman's mother Hippolyta, Maxima and Lois' father Sam Lane. It's been theorized that before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in World War II, President Roosevelt knew about the attack but offered no warning of it. While it could be argued (mostly by himself) that he acted no differently, Luthor's behavior smacked of self-interest.
The End Of An Era
The Luthor era in the White House came to an end in the pages of the "Public Enemies" story in the first story arc of Superman/Batman (currently available in the trade paperback Superman/Batman: Public Enemies). An asteroid the size of Brazil and made of Kryptonite is on a collision course with Earth, and Luthor uses the news as an opportunity to blame Superman for the impending destruction of the planet. He calls for the arrest of Superman in a televised address to the nation, which spurs Superman and Batman to end his reign as president once and for all. Luthor's actions split the superhero community right down the middle, and Captain Atom saves the day while Superman confronts a battlesuit-wearing, drug-crazed commander-in-chief in downtown Metropolis. After Superman disables his armor, Luthor stabs Batman in the abdomen and falls from a great height only to reappear in a Wolverine-style pose and utter the promise "There shall be a reckoning...a crisis!"
Through the course of the story, it is revealed that Luthor had more ties to Darkseid than he ever let on. He used secretly-acquired Boom-Tube tech to teleport nuclear missiles in an attempt to destroy the asteroid, and revealed that it was Darkseid that revealed the asteroid was coming to Earth because Superman was there. This cryptic hint was explained in the following arc of Superman/Batman with the arrival of Supergirl.
Variations On A Theme
The idea of Luthor as president didn't just confine itself to the mainstream DC universe. In the "Elseworlds" story Superman: Red Son, where Kal-El's rocketship lands in the Soviet Union instead of the United States, Lex Luthor eventually gets elected president. He ends up reuniting the country and restoring America's fortunes, all to get the goat of Soviet President Superman, who has converted the rest of the world to the ways of Communism. The premise was also used on the "Justice League Unlimited" animated series and alluded to in an apocalyptic dream sequence on "Smallville".
The Presidential Report Card
Okay, so as Commander-In-Chief he was pretty self-serving. He was at least slightly more honest about it than most politicians. If I had been a voter in the DC Universe back in 2000, and I had to choose between George W. Bush and the most brilliant human being on the planet, I'd definitely vote for Luthor. I'd overlook the whole "kill Superman no matter what the cost" thing for a president as progressive as Lex was in the white house.
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