Alexander Joseph " Lex " Luthor (/ ˈ l uː θ ɔːr, - θ ər /) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in Action Comics #23 (cover dated: April 1940). He has since endured as the archenemy of the superhero Superman.