LexCorp
Encyclopedia
LexCorp is the fictional company founded by Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...

 in the popular DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

 Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...

 series. It made its first proper appearance in John Byrne's The Man of Steel
The Man of Steel (comic book)
The Man of Steel is a six-issue comic book limited series released in 1986 by DC Comics, several months after the twelve-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths completed. The Man of Steel was written and penciled by John Byrne and inked by Dick Giordano.-Overview:The mini-series was...

 miniseries, which established the post-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...

 Superman setting. However it had previously been referred to some months before the Crisis in an Elliot S! Maggin
Elliot S! Maggin
Elliot S. Maggin, also spelled Elliot S! Maggin , is an American writer of comic books, film, television and novels. He was a main writer for DC Comics during the Bronze and early Modern ages of comics in the 1970s and 1980s...

 story set in a future New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, where the Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...

 Luthor establishes it after he is reformed.

Fictional history

Unlike his earliest appearances where he was portrayed as a warlord and a would be dictator, most of Lex Luthor's post golden age appearances portrayed him as a mere thief who would use his genius to rob banks. Writers like Marv Wolfman, who along with John Byrne created the post-Crisis Luthor, have questioned this asking "if he could afford all those labs and giant robots he wouldn't need to rob banks." However, the idea that mere money was Luthor's chief motivation for crime was undermined as early as 1961. After robbing the United States Bullion Depository
United States Bullion Depository
The United States Bullion Depository, often known as Fort Knox, is a fortified vault building located adjacent to Fort Knox, Kentucky, used to store a large portion of United States official gold reserves and occasionally other precious items belonging or entrusted to the federal government.The...

 at Fort Knox
Fort Knox
Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...

 and defeating Superman in the process, Luthor and his men celebrate. When they learn that the Superman they defeated was a robot standing in for the real Man of Steel who was on a space mission, Luthor ordered his men to return the gold. He does this because he does not steal for money's sake; anything he might steal is a mere symbol of a victory over Superman. Having defeated a mere robot, the gold he stole was worthless. (Action Comics #277)

Later writers such Elliot S. Maggin refined this idea. In his in-continuity novel Superman: Last Son of Krypton Luthor is revealed to secretly own the Thunder Corporation, a very large and powerful company that he uses as a front to finance his criminal organization. The Chairman of the Board and principal stockholder of Thunder Corporation was a non-existent billionaire playboy named Lucius D. Tommytown. Luthor would occasionally hire an actor to portray Tommytown in order to continue the illusion and would even write fanciful reports about the playboy's activities and having them sent to a magazine under the alias Brian Wallingford. The headquarters for the Thunder Corporation legitimate operations and, unbeknownst to all, headquarters for Lex Luthor's criminal empire and location of his penthouse suite was the Zephrymore Building. Luthor went through an elaborate ruse because he thought himself too honest to pretend to be anything but a criminal.

Maggin speculated that Luthor, whom he characterized as not being completely evil would eventually reform and, retiring from crime, become a legitimate business man. In Superman #416, it is shown that his company Lex Corp, would go on to be tremendously successful. A future Superman is pleased to learn that his old friend's holographic devices are standard equipment for reporters.

In the wake of the Crisis, John Bryne and the aforementioned Marv Wolfman greatly popularized the idea of Luthor as an evil businessman and established their version of the character as having always been a ruthless capitalist. Originally organized as an aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...

 firm, LexCorp has become one of the world's largest, most diversified multinational corporations. Under the astute - some would say, ruthless - management of its founder, Lex Luthor, LexCorp grew and prospered, absorbing scores of smaller businesses.

While still in its original offices on the top floor of Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....

' famed Daily Planet
Daily Planet
The Daily Planet is a fictional broadsheet newspaper in the , appearing mostly in the stories of Superman. The building's original features were based upon the AT&T Huron Road Building in Cleveland, Ohio...

 building, LexCorp made its first acquisitions of two then-struggling airlines, Inter-Continental Airlines and Atlantic Coast Air Systems (since renamed LexAir). As LexCorp subsidiaries, the airlines began to prosper and when rising profits were threatened by fuel shortages, LexCorp bought out Southwestern Petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...

, now known as LexOil.

For a brief period, the Daily Planet itself came under the ownership of LexCorp, but Luthor quickly became disenchanted with what he considered the low profit margins of the newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...

 business. He moved LexCorp's offices into a new high-rise building and began buying up downtown properties in preparation for the day when LexCorp would build its own corporate headquarters. LexCorp soon bought out a Metropolis television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 station and acquired a satellite transmission company, linking both under the corporation's new LexCom subsidiary as SuperStation WLEX. With a potentially worldwide electronic communications outlet under the LexCorp umbrella, Luthor soon sold the Planet, building and all, to TransNational Enterprises.

In time, LexCorp gained controlling interest in no fewer than three banks - the Metropolis Mercantile Bank, Commerce Bank of Metropolis, and First Metro Security - and moved into all the major financial markets, absorbing new holdings worldwide.

By the timeframe of the Alliance Invasion
Invasion! (DC Comics)
Invasion! was a three issue comic book limited series and crossover event published in late 1988-early 1989 by DC Comics. It was plotted by Keith Giffen, and ties up a great many plotlines from various Giffen-created DC series, including Omega Men, Justice League International, and Legion of...

, LexCorp dominated the commerce of the city - and, indeed, of much of the world - from the 96-story L-shaped building which towered above the Metropolis skyline from the eastern tip of the borough of New Troy. It was estimated that LexCorp at its height, either directly or indirectly, employed nearly two-thirds of the city's 11 million people. A majority of local businesses were wholly or partially owned subsidiaries of LexCorp. Among those many subsidiaries are such diverse businesses as Advanced Research Laboratories, Secur-Corp Armored Car Service, North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

n Robotics, Hell's Gate Disposal Services, and the Good Foods Group, owners of Ralli's Family Restaurants and the Koul-Brau Breweries.

In addition to its many properties in the greater Metropolis area, LexCorp has domestic holdings in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

, Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...

, New Orleans, Chicago, Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...

, and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. LexCorp currently maintains financial institutions, research facilities, refineries, and/or manufacturing plants in a score of countries, including Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, the Union of South Africa
Union of South Africa
The Union of South Africa is the historic predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into being on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the previously separate colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State...

, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, and the free market of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

. When CEO Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...

 was elected President of the United States, Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...

 took over the company. Following his dismissal as president, he unofficially fired her and took back his place, unaware that she kept a portion of stock from him.

Competitors include Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises is a company in the DC Universe, owned by Bruce Wayne and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized...

, Kord Enterprises, Queen Industries
Queen Industries
Queen Industries is a fictional business organization in the DC Comics universe. It is owned and run by businessman Oliver Queen, aka the Green Arrow. Oliver reluctantly inherited the company after his parents, Robert and Moira Queen, were killed on safari...

 and S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...

.

One Year Later

A year after the events of Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...

, Lex Luthor has been stripped of his wealth, assets, and businesses and is reduced to living like a vagrant. LexCorp has had its stocks dissolved and sold off to other companies, most notably Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises
Wayne Enterprises is a company in the DC Universe, owned by Bruce Wayne and run by his business manager, Lucius Fox. It was founded by merchant ancestors of the Wayne family in the 17th century as a merchant house, although the company changed when the heir of Judge Solomon Wayne, Alan, utilized...

. Talia Head
Talia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...

 donated a large portion of its profits to the Wayne Foundation during Superman and Batman's year long absences.

Lana Lang
Lana Lang
Lana Lang is a fictional supporting character in DC Comics' Superman series. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist John Sikela, the character first appears in Superboy #10...

 became LexCorp's new CEO following Luthor's public acquittal from criminal charges, although the company seems to be heading towards bankruptcy.

Recent developments

Lana Lang was automatically dismissed from her post of CEO when she attempted to use Team Luthor (a LexCorp security unit) to aid Superman in a battle against the superpowered Atlas; this was in violation of a contractual clause in all LexCorp employment charters forbidding aiding Superman in any way - Lang had not read the fine print.

The DC Animated Universe

LexCorp has been shown in the DC Animated Universe
DC animated universe
The DC Animated Universe is a fan term that refers to a series of popular animated television series and related spin-offs produced by Warner Bros. Animation which share the same continuity. Most of these series are adapted from DC Comics properties...

. It's been seen or referred to in episodes of Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...

 and Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...

.

Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman

In Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, LexCorp was founded over twenty years before Superman appeared and employs nearly a million people. Its exact history is unknown, but Lois Lane alludes to events in the pilot episode (Luthor's parents dying suddenly when he was young, alleged unethical business practices leading to LexCorp's inception, etc.) which are similar to events which lead to the formation of LexCorp in the comics. LexCorp's main subsidiaries are:
  • Luthor Technologies:

Research and development into weapons, pharmaceuticals, robotics, computer hardware and software (LexComp), bio-engineering, fertiliser, preservatives, hydroponics, air conditioning, and probably other things.
  • Luthor Industries:

Operates most of Metropolis' utilities, including electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and waste disposal.
  • Luthor Communications:

Phone company (LexCom), television stations (LexTel and Luthor News Network) and briefly the Daily Planet newspaper.
  • Luthor Enterprises:

Cash businesses, including hotels (Lexor), rented accommodation, restaurants and public transportation.
  • Luthor Financial:

Banks, brokerage houses, investment firm (LexEl Investments).
  • Luthor Agricultural:

Large commercial fields and orchards.
  • Luthor Foundation:

Philanthropic enterprises including Luthor Hospital, Luthor Home for Children, Luthor Foundation for the Arts and LexMet Square Garden.
  • Property Holdings:

LexCorp also owns considerable property in Metropolis, such as the Lexor hotel.

Smallville

The major conglomerate featured regularly on Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...

 is LuthorCorp, which was founded by Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor
Lionel Luthor is a fictional character in the television series Smallville, portrayed continuously by John Glover. Initially a recurring guest in season one, the character became a series regular in season two and continued with that status until he was written out of the show in the seventh season...

. It started out as an agricultural conglomerate during but then later it turned more focus towards biotechnology. LexCorp appears on the series early in the second season when Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor (Smallville)
Lex Luthor is a fictional character from the television series Smallville. He was a series regular from the pilot episode until the season seven finale, and has been played continuously by Michael Rosenbaum, with various actors portraying Lex as a child throughout the series...

 (Lionel's son) stages a coup with a handful of LuthorCorp managers and splits off from the parent company to form Lex's own enterprise that are based entirely in Smallville, which Lionel retaliated by blackmailing Lex's shareholders individually in order to financially eliminate LexCorp and afterwards Lex has since returned to his father's corporation. Upon Lionel's incarceration in the fourth season, Lex became LuthorCorp's new CEO and had gradually morphed from a agri-business/biotech company to a corporation with many subsidiaries and divisions, very much similar to LexCorp in the comics. In the eighth season following Lex's disappearance, LuthorCorp is placed in the hands of Tess Mercer, under whose management the firm merges with Queen Industries
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...

. In the series finale, Lex is in the LuthorCorp tower when several explosions damage and disfigure LuthorCorp's corporate logo on the side of the building with the scarred remains subtly spell out "LexCorp".

Krypto the Superdog

LexCorp is shown to be the home of Luthor's pet lizard Ignatius, in the cartoon Krypto the Superdog
Krypto the Superdog
Krypto the Superdog is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation, based on the DC Comics character Krypto. The show premiered on Cartoon Network on March 25, 2005 and aired on Kids' WB! in September 2006...

.

The Batman

In The Batman
The Batman (TV series)
The Batman is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It ran from 2004 to 2008, on the Saturday morning television block Kids' WB...

, LexCorp is shown in the two part episode "The Superman/Batman Story."

Justice League: The New Frontier

LexCorp is shown in the animated film Justice League: The New Frontier, where it is referred to as "LexCo."

The Dark Knight

LexCorp is mentioned in a piece of scrolling text in one of the web pages for The Dark Knights viral marketing.

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies

LexCorp's logo can be seen during the beginning of the DVD feature Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
# "Markets Crash"# "Main Titles"# "Freeway Chase"# "Admit Something"# "Meteor"# "Metallo"# "High Voltage"# "Framed"# "Luthor talks to Power Girl"# "S.T.A.R...

. It also marked on Lex Luthor's armor as well.

Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe

The background of LexCorp is seen when players fight on Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....

.
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