WARNING: The following contains spoilers for "Heritage," the latest episode of Superman & Lois, which aired Tuesday on The CW.
In the series premiere of Superman & Lois, The CW series introduced a mysterious villain named the Stranger, who turned out to be Captain Luthor. Upon his debut, it was unclear exactly who the character was. He wore an advanced armored suit, kept his face hidden and had a personal vendetta against Superman, but nothing else beyond that was known. In Episode 2, however, the character's veil of mystery is lifted.
In Heritage," fans find out that Captain Luthor comes from another Earth, a parallel universe where he is part of a squadron meant to take on Superman. In a way, Captain Luthor and his soldiers are similar to Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice's Superman Soldiers -- just with one big difference.
"Heritage" sees Captain Luthor approach Sam Lane, explaining that he knew another version of him back on his world. Before he leaves, he even gives him a parting gift: a dog tag from his unit, which bears the House of El crest. At the end of the episode, a brief flashback sequence then takes viewers to Captain Luthor's Earth, where his entire squadron is in battle. During a rainy night, they are attacked by an evil Superman wearing a black suit, a murderous doppelganger of the Man of Steel. This evil Superman uses his heat vision to kill Captain Luthor's men, leaving him as the sole survivor.
The scene bears more than a few similarities to 2016's Batman v. Superman. In the DC Extended Universe film, Bruce Wayne experienced a vision of a bleak future dubbed the Knightmare reality, where Darkseid had taken over the Earth and Superman became the evil New God's primary enforcer. In that reality, Superman had his own minions, an army of Superman Soldiers who wore the House of El crest on their shoulders.
In both Superman & Lois and Batman v. Superman, there is a world where the Man of Steel is a frightening force of evil. In the DCEU film, this was due to Darkseid's influence, while the reason for the character's dark turn in Superman & Lois remains to be revealed. The result, however, is the same in that an evil Superman doesn't hesitate to kill those who stand against him.
The main difference, though, is the allegiance of the Superman Soldiers. In the DCEU film, they are on Superman's side, while on The CW series, they are his enemies. Future episodes of Superman & Lois will surely reveal more about Captain Luthor's homeworld and what happened to Superman there. Perhaps then fans will learn if Luthor and his squadron used to be on the Man of Steel's side, or if they used his crest as a reminder of what they were fighting.
Superman & Lois stars Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Dylan Walsh, Alex Garfin, Jordan Elsass, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Inde Navarrette and Wolé Parks. The series airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on The CW.