The Science of Supervillains
Chapter One
The Original Dr. Evil
Lex Luthor
In "How Luthor Met Superboy" (Adventure Comics #271, 1960), Superboy
flies to a farm in Smallville to introduce himself to a new kid in
town. The kid, who has curly hair, is riding a tractor. A giant meteor
of kryptonite falls from the sky and crashes to the ground next to
Superboy. The farm kid whisks the meteor away with his tractor,
depositing the kryptonite in quicksand. Superboy shakes the farm
kid's hand, and the kid proclaims, "Meeting you, Superboy, is about
the most thrilling thing that ever happened to me!" The curly-haired
farm kid is Lex Luthor.
Luthor takes Superboy into his barn, where there is a shrine to
Superboy: photos on the walls, rocks Superboy has punched, metal
Superboy has bent. Luthor confesses, "I have hero-worshipped you
for years. To me, you are the greatest boy in the world!"
The barn holds more surprises. It also contains an advanced scientific
laboratory. As Luthor tells Superboy, his secret goal in life is
to become a great scientist as famous as Superboy. To thank Luthor
for saving him from the kryptonite meteor, Superboy builds an even
more highly ... read full excerpt from The Science of Supervillains ebook
