So was Luthor ever President in current continuity?

[Ascended]

His Wonder Woman run is going to be interesting because if he can do right by Diana, I think he can do right by Clark.

I think so yeah. I'm tentatively excited by that run. I dunno if King can hit the kind of socio-political vibe that works for Diana but it seems like he's gonna try. And when King hits, he hits big....but when he misses, he misses big too.

He doesn't read his peers' work? Even when following them on a book? Just makes me want him on Superman even less. How does he get away with this? Where's editorial?

Hah that’s actually the exact mindset shift I was thinking of. So Clark is mad and he’s getting more aggressive which only results in Lex goading him all the more which causes Clark to escalate, and now you’ve got this terrifying cycle where it seems like Clark and Lex are locked on a course that’s going to cause the government and the heroes to go to war. And neither one is willing to back down.

Well **** then I'm sold! I thought you were talking more of an emotional "my feelings!" break, not just Clark getting pissed and deciding to burn Lex down no matter the cost. I don't see that as Clark losing faith in humanity so much as him just taking the kid gloves off.

If Lex got elected to the Presidency around the same time Clark founded the United Planets, I could absolutely see Lex pushing for Earth to leave the UP, which drives Clark wild because it would basically leave him with zero credibility.

I'm putting the idea in my back pocket but I do agree with the other guys here, POTUS Lex should be a flashback re-telling, so the UP wouldn't be a thing yet. Maybe you could run twin narratives; one set in the past when Lex is president and one "now" where somehow Lex's time as president matters to a UP plot.

But Jon would be around then, in the new canon, so maybe something could be done with that. Jon wouldn't have been public back then, but maybe Lex could find out somehow and threaten to deport the kid or something?

I love the idea that Lex becoming President flips the traditional PR dynamic between Lex and Clark.

Honestly I wish DC kept more of the "rebel" in Superman anyway.