Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Titans season 4.The twist of Titans season 4’s mid-season premiere paints a kindly picture of Lex Luthor, but it seems likely that it’s all according to a sinister plan to win the heroes’ trust. Despite only appearing in one episode of Titans season 4, Lex Luthor has been a major influence on the first half of the season’s storyline. It was his efforts to uncover the Temple of Azarath that led to the rise of the Church of Blood. It was also Luthor’s guidance that led to Superboy’s sudden change in character.
Lex Luthor continued to steer the story of Titans season 4’s second half, having planted a journal containing everything he had learned about the Church of Blood within the Temple of Azarath itself. He also left behind a letter for Superboy, instructing him to stop the Church of Blood’s leader Mother Mayhem at any cost. While these actions seemed to corroborate Luthor’s claims of wanting to make up for his wicked ways and develop a relationship with the young clone he created using his and Superman’s DNA, there is ample reason to doubt his word.
Titans Is Trying To Make Lex Luthor Seem Reasonable
Luthor was uncharacteristically helpful and forthcoming with information in Titans season 4, episode 7, “Caul’s Folly.” The letter Luthor left for Conner Kent was straightforward in instructing him to give the book he left behind regarding the Church of Blood and the prophecy of Trigon’s return to Nightwing. Granting that Luthor’s tone in the letter was snarky, saying that Nightwing “claims to be a master detective, so let him detect,” it was still atypical of Lex Luthor to openly admit that anyone might be more skilled than him at anything.
The fact that Lex Luthor made a contingency plan in case he failed is also out of character. While Luthor is a master strategist, he is also incredibly arrogant and prone to hubris, with most of his defeats coming about because of his own stubborn nature and refusal to admit weakness. It seems unlikely that the revelation of his own mortality brought on by his diagnosis of advanced Kryptonite poisoning led Luthor to reassess his life and start thinking of how to fight the Church of Blood in the event of his death.
Lex Luthor Could Be Playing Both The Titans & Mother Mayhem
Taking into account Luthor’s infamous lack of humility and history of failing to plan for failure, it seems impossible that his planting the journal and letter in the Temple of Azarath is not part of some larger scheme. While Luthor might agree to help the heroes on occasion, he will only do so if it benefits him somehow. Given Luthor’s death in Titans’ season 4 premiere, it seems likely that Luthor foresaw how things would end with Mother Mayhem and took steps to arrange his own resurrection.
Luthor began investigating the Temple of Azarath, hoping he might find some way to use it to prolong his life or cure his condition. He spoke of his research briefly with Superboy, saying that “death may no longer be the foe I once thought it to be.” Luthor also warned Superboy that Mother Mayhem “may have… even darker ideas than I do,” just before her magic killed him.
Ironically, it was Mother Mayhem’s efforts to kill Superboy that pushed him to start becoming the son that Lex Luthor hoped he might be. Beyond shaving his head in imitation of his biological father, Superboy began to behave in a more secretive manner and became more dependent upon his considerable intellect than his Kryptonian powers. This led some to theorize that Lex Luthor had taken over Superboy’s body or was somehow subtly influencing his behavior. It was also suggested that Mother Mayhem’s grudge against Lex was an act, and that he had contracted her to magically resurrect him somehow.
While all these suggestions are merely theories, they all seem equally plausible. The one common element is the idea that Lex Luthor’s death came about too easily and that he has to be manipulating someone, somehow, into helping him cheat death. The means is immaterial, as it cannot be denied that if there is anyone who can scheme their way out of the afterlife with a convoluted plan that involves pitting their enemies against one another and finding a way to come out on top, it is definitely Lex Luthor.
Superboy’s Story Is Setting Up Lex Luthor As Titans’ Final Villain
The greatest piece of evidence that Lex will return to be the final villain of Titans season 4 lies in Superboy’s storyline. The events of Titans season 4 have seen Conner Kent struggling with his identity and seeking a connection with both of his biological fathers. After Lex’s death, Conner begins to look into what sort of man Lex Luthor was outside the public record of his criminal acts, hoping to find some evidence of Luthor being a misunderstood genius.
This leads Superboy to seek out Lex’s former bodyguard Mercy Graves in Titans season 4, episode 7, “Caul’s Folly.” While Conner nominally looks for her to learn what countermeasures Luthor had begun preparing to fight Mother Mayhem before his death, Superboy also asks Mercy about what sort of man Luthor was. Mercy’s report is a glowing one, praising Luthor for “his ability to see people’s potential and harness it for his own gain.” Not only does this acknowledge Lex’s manipulative nature regarding his treatment of the Titans, but it seems to foreshadow his finding a way to win in the current battle between the Titans and the Church of Blood.
It is clear that Mercy believed her former boss had intended to use Superboy and the Titans for his own ends in some fashion. Precisely what those ends are beyond saving Luthor’s life remains unclear, but Mercy’s opinions count for much. As Lex Luthor’s right hand, she knew him better than anybody, presuming she is not directly involved in Luthor’s plan to fight against Mother Mayhem and the Church of Blood.
The unspoken implication in Superboy’s story is that Conner fears his own selfish impulses are born of Lex Luthor’s influence upon him. Thus, Superboy begins to emulate and idealize Luthor, seeking that familial connection to something he lacks, having been born without parents. The irony is that the Titans are the family Conner seeks, and they’ve been waiting for him throughout Titans.
Titans season 4 continues on Thursdays on HBO Max.
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