Lionel Luthor

> I never wanted to hurt anyone, I, I just... didn't care enough when I did.
>
> - Lionel Luthor speaking to the Green Arrow

Lionel Luthor was the former CEO of Luthorcorp and an enemy of the Green Arrow. He died in a car crash in 1987.

## History

Lionel was born and raised in Suicide Slums, Metropolis and lived with his alcoholic parents until a 17 year old Lionel paid the Intergang of Metropolis to burn down his house so that he could gain his parents' insurance.

With his parents' insurance money he began making his own company named; Luthorcorp. Lionel would eventually create a huge reputation in Metropolis as a ruthless businessman with a way of seeking into lives and then ripping them apart from the inside, all in the name of good business.

Lionel would eventually become close friends with the much more respectful and kindhearted business-man Robert Queen (CEO of Queen Industries) and together they would help grow each others companies while actually maintaining a friendship in their social lives despite the fact Lionel's arrogant demeaner sometimes causing slight arguments.

Lionel would eventually marry a woman named Lillian Lenora and would have a son named Alexander Luthor; nicknamed "Lex" by Lionel, believing that a first name with L was good luck in his family. Four years later Lillian would give birth to Lena Luthor and a few days after that Robert Queen called stating that his wife had just given birth to a son named; Oliver Queen.

### Dark path

Despite their long running friendship Queen Industries and Luthorcorp never officially made a partnership, something that always bothered Lionel. Lionel would soon bring that subject to Robert who declined the offer stating that, though he cherished the relationship he had with Lionel, he didn't want to be involved with his brutal business techniques.

This created a rift between the two something which would damage Lionel severely. Despite not always being a model father that went up ten-fold after the disagreement with Robert and Lionel would soon depend solely on his business techniques to "raise" his children and often verging on verbal abuse were whenever Lena was emotionally harmed Alexander would have to force in to tell his father to calm down. Resulting in all the abusive comments to be thrown at him instead of Lena.

Luthorcorp sales would eventually begin to drop leading Lionel into a depression and an argument with Robert which would lead to Lionel ending their friendship. Believing to be betrayed by his best friend Lionel would make an agreement with a Queen Industries scientist named Anthony Ivo to blow up the top layer of Queen Industries plaza killing Robert and his wife Moira.

Ivo and Lionel would then make a deal; they would make a partnership between Luthorcorp and Queen Industries and they would never speak of what they had done. Many weeks later in 1959 when Lex was 7 and a half Lionel would bring him along to a business trip in Smallville, Kansas. While there a meteor shower would hit causing mass panic and destruction. One of the meteorites would hit right near where Lex was and would create a huge ash wave which would hit Lex. Causing him to go completely bald.

Lionel would find Lex bald, shaking and covered in ash. Lionel would soon start screaming for help from all around only to be answered by a friendly farmer named Ben Hubbard who would drive Lionel and Lex to the Smallville hospital center to get help.

### 1960 - 1987

Lionel would continue improving Luthorcorp in 1960, which, by the end of the year was voted the 17th most important company in America. In 1962 Lillian Luthor would pass away of Cancer, something which would result in a depressed Lionel sending both Lena and Lex to boarding schools for their last years of high school.

In 1971 when Lex turned twenty Lionel would have him sent to run his industrial plant in Smallville which he had set up all those years ago during the first meteor shower. This was Lionel's test to see if Lex was capable of running his company once he died. While in Smallville Lionel would set up a lab for a Luthorcorp scientist named Donovan Jamison who he hired to conduct experiments with the meteor rocks that fell during October 1959.

Jamison would then seduce three young teenagers (Rudy Jones, Leslie Willis and Greg Arkin) into becoming part of the experiment, promising that they'd been given incredible powers. Eventually the three students escaped from Jamison's lab and would reek havoc on Smallville, where Lionel would be forced to come to Smallville and shut down Jamison's experiments and would personally kill Jamison after he refused to get rid of his research.

While there Lionel was almost killed by Leslie Willis; now going by the name of **Livewire**, but he was saved at the last minute by The protector of Smallville; the vigilante who cared for the people who couldn't defend for themselves in Smallville. After Lionel returned to Luthorcorp he would have some investigations done into "The Protector" but he'd eventually give up on it.

In 1972 Lionel would give the now 21 year old Lex the chance to return to Metropolis as "the prodigal son". But Lex declined the offer stating that the friends he had made in Smallville meant more then any company. A disgusted Lionel would tell Lex that he hadn't learned anything and that his sister would take the company when he died.

Later that same year Lionel and Anthony Ivo would orchestrate the disappearance of Oliver Queen; in fear that when he turned 18 he would take over Queen Industries and would discover the truth about his parents' death. Anthony would drug Oliver and Lionel would organize Oliver to be put onto a boat and left out to die at sea. But many years later Lionel would discover that Oliver had actually survived.

In 1973 Luthorcorp was voted the 8th most important company in America, something which would make Lionel very happy. In 1975 Lex would make a hostel takeover of Luthorcorp and would rename it **Lexcorp**, just to add salt to injury Lex would then drain most of the money from Lionel's bank deposits and kick Lionel out despite Lionel's warning that "Lexcorp" would corrupt him.

Lionel would sustain with what money was left in his bank(s). In 1986 it was revealed that Oliver Queen had survived at sea and had crashed on an island. In fear that Oliver would disconnect Queen Industries from Luthorcorp and Lex would make the same mistake that he did by killing him, Lionel would hire a gang of assassins (with the resources he had left) to kill Oliver.

But each and everyone of the assassins where beaten badly by a mysterious hooded man. Lionel would then go to Ivo and would tell him to blow up Queen Plaza again like he did in 1959. Ivo would then tell Lionel that he had carried the guilt around for long enough and that he was going to tell the police about what they had done. Lionel would then kill Ivo but not before he would activate a secret robotic experiment Queen Industries where developing named "The Amazing A.M.A.Z.O."

A.M.A.Z.O. would burst into Lionel's cheap apartment and would attempt to kill him only to be stopped by the same hooted figure that defeated the assassins Lionel sent; The **Green Arrow**. The Green Arrow would defeat A.M.A.Z.O. and would then call Lionel a monster and would tell him that if he ever hurt anyone ever again he would find him and he would kill him. Lionel would tell the Green Arrow that he never wanted to hurt people.

In 1987 Lionel heard that his daughter Lena was attempting to overthrow Lex and would immediately tell her that Lex would kill her if she tried. Lena would only reply with saying; "Why would you care? It's not like you ever loved us the way you loved your company." These words pierced Lionel's very heart and would cause Lionel to have a massive breakdown which would result in Lionel coming out of it mentally healthier then he ever was.

Lionel would try and make peace with Lena and would even attempt to make a healthy father-daughter relationship with her. After many attempts he would eventually succeed and Lena would let him into her life. Lionel would then begin to assist Lena in taking back "Lexcorp", believing that it's better to do so with someone with more experience.

After hearing this Lex would set up a recording of himself speaking to Lionel through Lionel's car and would tell him that no one would even remember his name. The next day the Daily Planet would report that Lionel had died in a car crash. Something which would bring much pain to Lena and much happiness to Lex.

He would be buried in Metropolis cemetery right next to his parents and wife.

## Notes

* He was born in 1919 and refused to join the fight in World War two because he believed his company was more important then any war could ever be.
* He met and even befriended Al Capone.

### Out of Universe Notes:

* If there was any audio recordings of Lionel they would sound identical to real life actor; John Glover.