As a super-intelligent teenager, LEX LUTHOR idolized SUPERBOY and saved him from a piece of KRYPTONITE.  While working toward curing Superboy’s weakness, one of Luthor’s lab experiments went awry, catching fire.  The resultant fumes made Luthor’s hair fall out permanently and damaged his psyche.  Luthor blamed Superboy for the mishap, and dedicated himself to humiliating and destroying his former friend.  As the two grew to adulthood, Luthor tried many times to prove his superiority to SUPERMAN, concocting numerous schemes and weapons, none more powerful than his deadly battle-suit. Superman overcame all of Luthor’s plots, and Luthor’s failures only served to magnify his hatred of Superman, renewing his determination to destroy his archenemy.  Luthor occasionally moved from overt attacks on the MAN OF STEEL to more subtle, behind-the-scenes strategies, becoming an industrial benefactor of society, or working to turn public sentiment against Superman, but these, too, fell short.  From time to time, Luthor has allied himself with other supervillains in a loose association known as the INJUSTICE LEAGUE, but their efforts have always proven fruitless, leaving Luthor convinced that if you want the LAST SON OF KRYPTON destroyed, it’s best to do it yourself.