# Talk:Lex Luthor (Smallville)

Before this turns into an all out war, I figure it should be brought here. There is disagreement over whether the character should be identified as "Alexander 'Lex' Luthor" or simply "Lex Luthor". I believe that it should be "Lex Luthor" for multiple reasons. First, Michael Rosenbaum is only credited as "Lex Luthor" on the show. He is never credited as "Alexander Luthor" or "Alexander 'Lex' Luthor". I know that other articles put in a full name for the characters, but just because other articles do it does not make it right, or is a reason for this article to do it. Secondly, the name "Alexander" was not even part of the original show. It was not stated until later when there was a flashback and his mother called him by that name. When writing articles, we write from a real world perspective, we do not write from an in-universe perspective. Thus, we do not retroactively change names of characters simply because some new revelation has happened that shows that they were born with a different name. Unless that name somehow becomes the more commonly used name, we don't treat fictional characters as if they are real by changing their listed name in an article to their "born" name in that fictional universe.   BIGNOLE   (Contact me) 16:36, 29 August 2011 (UTC)

We add facts with characters that have a reliable source. There are sources of him being called Alexander in the show. Much of this page is talking about his developement in the show through events in the series. It would be impossible to add facts about the character without using some of the show as a basis. Therefore, as long as there is a source for a fact, and it isn't an opinion, and it isn't overly trivial, there is nothing wrong with adding it. Further, he isn't credited as it, but for him to be called that by his mother it had to be written into the script of the show for the actress playing his mother to read the detail.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Odoital25 (talk • contribs) 02:24, 30 August 2011 (UTC)
Just because something can be sourced doesn't mean that it's added to an article. You're missing the point. You need to read WP:INUNIVERSE, as what you're trying to do is retroactively change the character's name based on events that transpired later in the show's history. We do not write from that perspective, we write from a real world perspective. Just because some fictional detail can be sourced (sourced by the show itself), that doesn't mean that that detail is relevant outside of the show. As far as an encyclopedia is concerned, it's a neglible detail about the character. His development as a character has nothing to do with his name. His mother, as seen in the flashbacks, never referred to him as "Lex". Everyone else did, thus his transition from morally ambivalent to evil has nothing to do with his name. It wasn't like his name somehow symbolically represented a shift in character status, because he's been going by "Lex" since he was a child and he clearly wasn't evil then. It's an ancillary detail.   BIGNOLE   (Contact me) 02:49, 30 August 2011 (UTC)

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Yes, it is not significant to understand the character... but this name has been used several times during the series. Conner Kent, the clone of Lex, was initially called "Alexander" and whenever the young version of Lex was shown during the series he was referred to as "Alexander".  Redjedi23 (talk) 15:26, 1 February 2023 (UTC)

What's your point? Clark's middle name is mentioend are various points in the series, but it's neither important to the character nor how Tom Welling is credited. Michael Rosenbaum wasn't credited as "Alexander Luthor", nor was that full first name important to him. The only person that ever called him that was his mother.   BIGNOLE   (Contact me) 18:43, 1 February 2023 (UTC)
I just rewatched the series, and I noticed how "Joseph" was never used for Clark. Anyway, Clark refers to Lex as “Alexander” when talking to the young Lex in “Fracture”. And Conner Kent was called for half a season “Alexander”. The full name of Lex seems to have importance in the series so, imo, it should be reported. Redjedi23 (talk) 10:02, 2 February 2023 (UTC)
Connor Kent isn't Lex Luthor, so what he's called is irrelevant. His full name has no real importance, but at best it would be in the plot section of the article as it isn't essential to understanding him nor is it his common name in the series.   BIGNOLE   (Contact me) 14:25, 2 February 2023 (UTC)
You’re right, Conner is not Lex, but the full name of the latter was used for the former. For this reason, and because it was used almost every time they talks about the young Lex, imho the full name is relevant. Surely more relevant than the full name of several cinematic/tv superheroes (such as Tony Stark (Marvel Cinematic Universe)). Redjedi23 (talk) 14:37, 2 February 2023 (UTC)

Unless it's important to the characterization or plot (see Tess Mercer), it's just trivia. DonQuixote (talk) 14:41, 2 February 2023 (UTC)
The full name was used because he was part Lex and part Clark, and it would have been weird to call him "Lex" when you already have Lex. So they used his full name to differentiate the characters. Again, then Lex is young it's only his mother than calls him Alexander. Lionel ALWAYS calls him Lex. Either way, you're talking a handful of episodes in a 218 episode long series. It is not common, nor is it essential to the character. So, as I said, at best this is a plot section inclusion item.   BIGNOLE   (Contact me) 14:41, 2 February 2023 (UTC)