Lex Luthor's Most Powerful Anti-Superman Suits, Ranked

One of the most iconic elements of Lex Luthor is his power suit. Utilized across various media, it's given the typically cerebal villain the kind of power he needs to go head to head with someone as powerful as Superman. The design of the suit has evolved over the years, keeping certain elements while each revision finds its own way to stand out.

With the arrival of Lex Luthor on Supergirl and his power suit having already been introduced in the show, it's only a matter of time before audiences get the chance to see the latest take on the suit. Let's take a look back at some of the most famous versions of the suit and how it has evolved over the decades.

Lexorian Armor

While Lex had been wearing his classic purple and green costume since the 1970's, the Pre-Crisis version of Lex didn't gain his first real power suit until Action Comics #544 by Cary Bates, Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson.

Designed on the planet of Lexor, Lex ended up destroying the idyllic planet by accident during a battle with Superman. While this specific suit would be replaced in the Post-Crisis continuity, the general design and look of the suit has informed almost all future versions.

Apokolips Rising

Lex has worn a number of suits since Crisis on Infinite Earths rebooted DC continuity, but the most devastating one may be the one from Apokolips. Given as a gift from Darkseid, the suit was introduced during the course of the first arc of Superman/Batman, "Public Enemies."

Lex wore this suit for years until he eventually moved to a sleeker looking model when he took over as the main character of Action Comics during the Paul Cornell run on the series. This was the suit Lex wore until the events of Flashpoint rebooted the universe again.

The New And Improved Superman

Following the events of Forever Evil, Lex Luthor reevaluated his place in the world and the kind of effect his actions were having on the world. This led to him blackmailing Batman into allowing him to join the Justice League, despite the overt fears of his fellow heroes.

When the New 52 version of Superman died, Lex even took on his name in an attempt to honor his fallen rival. Essentially operating as a suped-up version of the Steel armor, it made Lex a genuine powerhouse who could even attempt to take over Apokolips. But after returning to his evil intentions, he again started rocking a more classically inspired green and purple suit.

NEXT PAGE: Yes, There is a Version of Lex's Suit That Actually Has a Helmet

Justice League

The DC Animated Universe featured Lex as one of it's most consistent villains, making the leap from Superman: The Animated Series to become one of the primary antagonists of Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. A mix of the classic mad scientist and the Post-Crisis business tycoon, this version of Lex didn't immediately bust out a power suit.

However, he eventually donned a version of the armor that's reminiscent of his original Pre-Crisis suit. Funnily enough, though, this version of Luthor actually refers to his business suit as his real "power suit" during the final moments of the Justice League Unlimited series finale.

Good Guy Lex

One of the most unique versions of the Lex Luthor battle suit actually came with the animated film Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths. The Lex Luthor from a parallel Earth is one of the last remaining superheroes on his world, trying to stand up to the tyrannical Crime Syndicate. This Lex wears a sleeker version of his suit, giving him mobility that the other suits lack.

This suit also has a preference for force fields and energy shields over outright weaponry. It's the only one of the suits (besides the Superman-inspired red and blue of the New 52 armor) that doesn't utilize a green and purple color scheme, instead reflecting the alternate universe version of Lex by defining him with yellow and black.

Injustice For All

Perhaps the bulkiest of the power suits appears in DC video games like the Injustice fighting games and the MMORPG DC Online. The massive version of the power suit is noticeably larger than many other versions of the armor.

The overall strength of the suit makes Lex more of a believable threat in something like a fighting game. They tend to also incorporate specific kryptonite weaponry that he can use to take on the various members of the Justice League.

Supergirl Armor

Lex's power suit has actually already premiered in Supergirl. However, it wasn't actually Lex inside the suit. Instead, it was his mother, Lillian Luthor, who actually put on the suit. Donning it to try and assassinate Morgan Edge, Lillian ended up going up against Supergirl while wearing the armor.

The armor is an interesting variant of the Post-Crisis version of the power suit, but stands out for being the only version of the armor that actually comes with a helmet. Across all media, this is the only version of the suit where Lex chose safety over making sure whoever he's fighting knows exactly who is coming at them. If the suit does end up appearing, don't expect the Jon Cryer version of Lex to be hiding his face.

Airing Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, Supergirl stars Melissa Benoist as Kara Danvers, David Harewood as Martian Manhunter, Mehcad Brooks as Jimmy Olsen, Chyler Leigh as Alex Danvers, Katie McGrath as Lena Luthor, Jesse Rath as Brainiac-5, Nicole Maines as Nia Nal and Jon Cryer as Lex Luthor.