Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and is the archenemy of Superman. Lex Luthor was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, and first appeared in Action Comics #23 (April 1940). The character is a power-mad American billionaire, business magnate, gifted scientist, inventor, philanthropist to the city of Metropolis, and one of the most intelligent people in the world.