The Horrific Birth of Lex Luthor in ‘Absolute Superman’ #17
We talk a lot about Absolute Batman here on Dread Central, especially because it’s a horror-tinged nightmare of a series where co-creators Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta drag Batman literally through hell. And with each issue, it just keeps getting worse and worse for him. He’s gone up against twisted versions of villains like Mr. Freeze and Bane, and even got pulled into a full-on body horror nightmare with Absolute Ivy. Absolute Scarecrow is up next, which is only going to make things even more brutal. But even with everything Bruce Wayne has been through, it’s nothing compared to what Lex Luthor just experienced.
Absolute Superman #17 is honestly kind of a surprise. While Absolute Batman is nonstop horror, Absolute Superman has always had a little bit more hope baked into it, even if the world itself is pretty messed up. But there’s been one constant horror element running through the entire series, and that’s Brainiac. This version of Brainiac is straight up terrifying. He’s not just some calculating alien. He feels more like a cold, unstoppable force that treats people like experiments. Throughout the series, he’s wiped out entire populations, taken what he needs, and left nothing behind. Everything he does feels cruel and clinical at the same time, which somehow makes it even worse.
That all comes to a head in Absolute Superman #17. The issue, penned by Jason Aaron, is already pretty horrific right out of the gate, with that giant Thing-inspired Parasite tearing through everything. It’s gross, it’s intense, and it puts Jimmy Olsen through absolute hell. There’s a moment where Jimmy is literally begging to die because the pain is so bad, and the panels don’t hold back. It’s rough to look at.
But even that isn’t the worst part.
The real horror comes at the end with Lex Luthor. In the epilogue, Brainiac has him tied up, completely broken, and forced to watch something truly awful. His eyes are wired open, very much like A Clockwork Orange, and it’s revealed that he was forced to watch as Brainiac dismembers and tortures his entire family in front of him. It’s slow, it’s deliberate, and it’s meant to break him.
This is the moment Lex Luthor is born in the Absolute universe.
By the end, Brainiac pretty much spells it out.
“What happens next will be up to you,” Braniac tells Lex. “I do hope you won’t squander the work we’ve done here today. Seize this opportunity, Lex Luthor, I beg of you.”
“MAKE YOURSELF INTERESTING.”
He has created something new and something horrific. You can feel it. This is not going to be the usual Lex, who just hates Superman or wants power. This is someone who has been completely shattered and rebuilt through pure trauma.
And honestly, it might be one of the darkest villain origin stories DC has ever done.
DC’s Absolute Universe has sold roughly 12 million units and has become one of the greatest runs in the history of comics. It’s not too late to join the party.
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