Noticed people around here don't think that story lived up to its potential, and I kind of agree. So what would you have done?
Noticed people around here don't think that story lived up to its potential, and I kind of agree. So what would you have done?
Wouldn't have done it at all. The idea of having a major fictional player in a character's lore be president, that reflects wholesale in the wider shared universe, I think is a dumb idea. Be it Lex Luthor or anyone else from anyone's mythos. As far as I ever would have taken the idea is that maybe he ran a campaign or something but ultimately lost. I don't particularly like that its back in continuity as having ever happened.
Last edited by Sacred Knight; 11-10-2018 at 02:01 PM.
"They can be a great people Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you. My only son." - Jor-El
Sadly president Trump is already going above and beyond expectations for anything I could have imagined on the whole "evil president" thing (minus the brains), so I don't really feel like I need to come up with anything new for Lex. If only we could have a real world Superman to go with our real world Luthor.
Sorry if anyone got offended, political views being what they are and all. But the fear mongering, hate spreading, and systematic dismantling of fundamental institutions, this is the sort of thing I expected from a Lex Luthor as president story, but I got it in real life instead.
Maybe Lex should have equipped a military task force with kryptonite?
I would use the President Lex storyline to teach kids about the dangers of not voting.
Last edited by Rod G; 11-13-2018 at 02:10 PM. Reason: Addition
Pull List: Currently Empty
I would have just let it keep rolling.
I liked Lex as President. I thought it was an interesting way to use him and I liked the dynamic it forced between Clark and the government. Of course, I love the Golden Age style material where Clark is an outlaw anyway, so I have a bias. But I thought Lex was a fascinating character for the oval office; he's enough of an egomaniac to want America to succeed because that would reflect well on him, so he's not going to ruin the nation....but he's Lex Luthor, and the dude is a total monster of a human being.
I thought the whole thing was working pretty well until DC decided to torpedo it after OW@W. So the only change I would've made is letting Lex stay in office longer, rather than self-destructing like he did with Loeb.
After ten (or so) years of President Lex you could say that election time has come again in the DCU and he could be voted out. You could get some concern and some noise out of whether Lex would willingly relinquish the role, and then move on.
When it comes to politicians in my DCU, I don't want real faces. Any time Clinton or Bush or Obama show up, it instantly dates the story. And sometimes you want that (like the Spidey-Obama issue or Watchmen) but usually? It's best to have a fake and/or unseen POTUS.
I personally would insert a member of the Knight family (of Starman and Phantom Lady fame) since that family is basically the Kennedy's of the DCU (and had one short lived POTUS already, in the 06 Freedom Fighters series) or the son of Frank Rock or maybe even Sam Lane, since Sam is (when written correctly) in a really fun gray area when it comes to superhero morality. Amanda Waller is an obvious choice too, but I feel like it's a little too obvious.
Last edited by Ascended; 11-10-2018 at 05:11 PM.
"We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe."
~ Black Panther.
Pete Ross was Luthor's successor for about 10 minutes,replaced by a generic guy that looked an awfully like Bush. Then sometime just before the New 52 they used Obama (I remember him briefly appearing in the Reign of Doomsdays story arc that ran in the last few issues of ACTION just prior to the relaunch. Then of course Obama cameoed during TRUTH.
When it comes to comics,one person's "fan-service" is another persons personal cannon. So by definition it's ALL fan service. Aren't we ALL fans?
SUPERMAN is the greatest fictional character ever created.
Pete Ross was just as bad.
By the way, when the New 52 started, Bush was in office with no mention of anyone other than Clinton preceding him, and then we had Obama.
The current POTUS is supposed to be implied to be Trump as seen in recent issues of Suicide Squad.
Last edited by Rod G; 11-10-2018 at 06:49 PM.
Pull List: Currently Empty
Honestly, I don't mind that it didn't get cleverly deep or scathing of real politics. I think the initial story, what I imagine is collected in the new trade, was good. I kinda have to re read year 2001. At the time I really didn't like the disconnect with real life but I'm more or less for it now, because it's not like Metropolis is a real place anyway.
The only thing is I'd have scrapped some of the subplots, like Lena being given away, Lex possibly finding out about Clark, and the cabinet of pre existing characters. Even in a completely fictional world I just think that was over the top.
Lois had some parts that were a little hard to swallow. Captain Atom being a stooge was the worst. That last Pok Zod story and the first arc of Superman/Batman were not my favorites at all.
Rofl, of course. I didn't remember that though. I smell a "how would you fix Truth" thread at some point, and that's the one story I would just not do.
President Obama was in a lot of AQUAMAN REBIRTH.
I wouldn't do the Lex as PotUS storyline, but he should always be around as the true power behind the chair.
I’d do it like JLU did, Lex RUNS for President with no intention of winning- All That Money for a Fake Campaign, just to tick Superman off
Pull List:
DC: Batman, Nightwing, Red Hood: Outlaw, Detective Comics, Superman, Action Comics, Young Justice, Legion of Superheroes, John Constantine: Hellblazer, Batman Beyond, Dark Nights: Death Metal
MARVEL: Fantastic Four, Daredevil, The Immortal Hulk, Venom, Web of Venom, Dawn of X
BOOM STUDIOS: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow, Angel and Spike
DARK HORSE: Bill and Ted are doomed.
IMAGE: The Walking Dead: Deluxe
I think it's great story idea and I think perhaps it could be used to great effect between the two. Lex pushing for morally dubious means of making sure the government has a counter to superheroes if they ever go rogue while Clark and Lois try to expose him. Lex putting Waller in charge of the DEO and putting ARGUS and SHADE, as well as Checkmate, under her control could be very interesting. I think honestly it would've been great to have it run for a couple of years also as a means of letting other supervillains take the status of top dog in Metropolis while Lex is in the White House. I thought the fall of Lex was great, his own pride and arrogance plus his need to upstage Superman does him in.
If I was the Kevin Feige of the DC films I would have used this as the unifying plot line for all movies. Basically, in the first Superman film establish that Luthor is running for President. Then in all the movies that follow, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Aquaman etc etc - each has an appearance from Luthor as he visits their cities as part of his campaign run. Then I'd tie it all together with a movie sort of based on Public Enemies where Luthor becomes President and issues an executive order to arrest Supes. Batman's the only guy on Supers side while the rest of them are out to capture him.
Then I'd do a follow up Justice League where Luthor brings Darkseid to Earth.
That's how I would've done it.
Collects
80's 90's Post Crisis Era
Eaglemoss DC Graphic Novels Collection
New 52 (discontinued)
DC Rebirth
DC Black Label