- "Loss does strange things to my family and I have lost a lot of people. I think when I feel things again... I'm going to be very, very afraid of the person I might be."
- —Lena Luthor[src]
Lena Luthor (born 1993)[1][2] is the billionaire CEO of L-Corp, having succeeded her half-brother Lex following his incarceration. She is the best friend and ally of Kara Danvers and her alter-ego Supergirl. Despite this, she is currently unaware that the two are one-and-the-same. She is also the owner of CatCo Magazine, after buying it to ensure that it would remain a fair and unbiased company.
Biography
Early life
Lena was born in 1993 in Metropolis to the billionaire Lionel Luthor and an unnamed woman with whom he was having an affair.[2]
Four-year-old Lena is welcomed to the Luthor family.
After the death of her biological mother, when she was four, Lena was adopted by the Luthor family.[1] However, despite being loved deeply by her half-brother Lex, who made her feel especially welcomed in the new family, and her father Lionel, who considered her his favorite, Lena had a difficult upbringing with her adoptive mother Lillian, who never considered her a "real Luthor" and always favored Lex over her.[3] Also, the truth about her parentage was left unknown to her and she was convinced that she was simply adopted.[1]
Lena went to boarding school with Veronica Sinclair, but she never really got along with her.[4] Later she graduated from MIT.[5] In their youth, she and her half-brother Lex used to be very close but, as adults, Lex grew cold, power-mad and delusional; when he started targeting Superman she grew concerned for his well-being and tried to help him, but he ignored her[6] and proceeded with his plans to destroy Superman, resulting in the deaths of many people.[1]
In 2012, at the age of nineteen, she met Jack Spheer and began working with him to try and find a cure for cancer and other diseases using nanotechnology. After three years, Lena and Jack fell in love with each other and started a romantic relationship;[7] however after her half-brother, Lex, was sentenced to 37 life terms in prison, Lena interrupts any contact with her mother[3], took over as the CEO of LuthorCorp, moved to National City to helm the company, and immediately set about atoning for her brother's crimes,[1] thus ending her relationship with Jack.[7]
Transforming LuthorCorp into L-Corp
Lena was given the opportunity to travel on the suborbital spacecraft Venture but had to back out at the last minute due to an important business meeting regarding the renaming of her company.
Lena interviewed by Clark Kent and Kara Danvers.
After the spacecraft exploded, Clark Kent and Kara Danvers ventured to LuthorCorp to investigate her. However, she urged that she had nothing to do with it, simply wanting to start anew outside of her family, giving the two a flash drive with information on the Venture's destroyed oscillator that a subsidiary of her company had manufactured. Later that day she boarded a helicopter. However, before the helicopter could get very far, two drones appeared, controlled by mercenary John Corben, and targeted Lena. Supergirl and Superman intervened, preventing Lena from being shot. The latter went looking for more drones, while the former took out the two angling Lena's chopper, helping it land safely while informing Lena that someone was trying to kill her.
The following day, at a presentation unveiling Lena's intention to rebrand LuthorCorp to L-Corp, a number of explosions occur, causing her to run to safety. She encountered a police officer, but he was revealed to be John Corben, a mercenary hired by Lex Luthor to kill his adopted sister. Alex Danvers helped to hold him off, but she was overpowered. Before he could escape, Lena nearly fatally shot him. The day after, Clark and Kara visited Lena's office and she offered her thanks for a pleasing article about L-Corp published in the Daily Planet.[1]
Befriending Kara
Kara interviews Lena.
When the US President came to National City to sign a decree on the Alien Amnesty Act, Kara came to Lena as she needed a comment from "the sister of the most famous alien-hater". She tells her that L-Corp developed a new device that can identify aliens and offers Kara to test it. When Lena turned, Kara used her laser vision to sabotage the device and then agrees to test it, so it gives a negative result. Lena believes that people have the right to know who is an alien and who is not, therefore, she plans to put the device in all the country stores.
Later Kara came back to Lena, who praised her for her wonderful article, but admits she initially thought that Kara would "mix it with mud" because of their differing views on alien lifestyle. Bringing up her past with Lex, Lena then notes that some people are inherently evil, even if their ill intents are not obvious at first, and that those closest to them are also the ones hurt the most once the former show their true colors; protecting oneself from them is all that can be hoped for.[6]
A few days later, Kara came to Lena to ask her if she knew where Veronica Sinclair would be hosting her next alien fight club. As a Luthor, Lena was invited, although, she presumably wasn't aware that Sinclair has expanded her enterprise to include alien competitors, both willing and coerced, taking into account the recent signing of the Alien Amnesty Act that was now allowing aliens residing on Earth to walk freely in National City, albeit still trying to find their proper places within the domain. However, Lena stated that she was never interested in Roulette's kind of "entertainment" from the start and that her family was only one of many supposed, publicly unscrupulous circles that Sinclaire reach out to for profit. Lena wrote down and gave the address to Kara, who thanked her and said that she owed her a great debt, to which Lena replied that she did not, as she knows that she would help her when the time came.[4]
Lena "meets" Supergirl.
Later, Lena comes to CatCo and invites Kara to a charity event to raise funds for a children's hospital as she was practically the only bonafide friend Lena had in National City. The next day, Lena - who presumably deduced a close correspondence between her friend and the city's alien protector after noticing the connection between Supergirl's taking down of Sinclair's fight club operations not long after she herself handed the coordinates to Kara - came to Kara's apartment and asked her to arrange a meeting with Supergirl, so, in the evening, Kara arrives at Lena's L-Corp office in the guise of Supergirl. Lena invites her to the same party in the case of gang attacks. The next evening, Kara and Winn arrive at the charity event, where Kara supports two conversations at once with Lena, both as Supergirl and in her civilian identity, by using her superspeed to rapidly change her clothes. After some time, a gang of criminals crashes the party starting a struggle with Supergirl. Winn hides under one of the tables where he meets Lena, who tried to establish a black burst generator, which would cut down their weapons. Together they were able to fix the device, destroying the criminals' weapons so that the gang would be captured. In the evening Kara, in the guise of Supergirl, flew back to Lena thanking her for her help; at this point, Lillian Luthor enters her daughter's office and Kara leaves. Lillian apologizes for having missed her Lena's party, but her absence does not faze her.[8]
Medusa
Kara questioning Lena about her mother.
When Kara comes to ask Lena about her mother, she says they did not have a very good relationship and often disagreed. However, after Kara's departure, Lena calls her mother and says they need to talk. As Lillian comes, Lena tells her that a reporter is investigating about her, and asks if she's hiding something. Lillian says that she has no idea, however, Lena realizes that her mother is lying.
Later Cyborg Superman comes to L-Corp, in an attempt to steal a substance that Cadmus needed to spread the Medusa Virus, but Supergirl arrives and a fight between the two ensued. Lena comes to the site of their fight and, noticing her, the cyborg throws her a piece of a broken bench. Kara manages to cover her and asks her to leave. After a while Kara returns to Lena's office in the guise of Supergirl and Lena thanks her for saving her life, then Supergirl reveals to her that her mother runs Cadmus. Lena refuses to believe it and asks Supergirl to leave. Later, Lena organizes another meeting with her mother at L-Corp and confesses she knows Lillian runs Cadmus. Then she says that if she wanted her help, all she had to do was ask; and she gives Lillian Isotope 454, the substance Cadmus needed to initiate the Medusa Virus.
Lena betrays Lillian and gets her arrested.
After that, they left for the National City port, where they intend to release the virus with a rocket launcher. Lillian, as a means to test her daughter's loyalty to Cadmus, gives Lena the key to activate it. Just as she is about to do it, Martian Manhunter and Supergirl arrive to stop her. Supergirl attempts to talk Lena out of releasing the virus but the latter conforms to her tainted family legacy, remarking that she is "a Luthor", and launches the rocket. Supergirl flies after it while Martian Manhunter battles Cyborg Superman. Lillian makes the rocket explode before Supergirl could act, spreading the virus across the sky. However, none of the aliens are affected. Lillian realizes that Lena substituted the isotope for one that would instead render the virus inert. Lena confesses and reveals she also called the police, who were incoming to arrest Lillian.[3]
Kara's trust
When Lena testified against her mother for her actions as the leader of Cadmus, the media was divided between calling her testimony the rant of a scorned child, or the bravery of a hero — though some also called her a bitch. Kara visits Lena to learn that Lillian is desperate to see her daughter, but Lena does not want to go and seeks Kara's counsel. Kara suggests that Lena visits the prison, despite their estranged relationship, as Lillian was still her mother.
Lena discovers the truth about her adoption.
Lena goes to the prison to see her mother where Lillian reveals that Lena is Lionel Luthor's illegitimate daughter. Her mother was a woman Lionel was having an affair with and then paid off to disappear with the intention to start anew with Lillian. However, four years later, his mistress died and Lionel decided to adopt his four-year-old daughter. Neither Lionel nor Lillian revealed to Lena or Lex that she was an actual Luthor growing up, which Lillian further uses to guilt a distraught Lena into supporting her mother. She tells her to have her back, as the only two Luthors left. The next day, Metallo uses synthetic Kryptonite to break him and Lillian out, and the moment it happens, fingers point to Lena. Kara attempts to warn Lena about these allegations when the NCPD, lead by Detective Maggie Sawyer, arrives to arrest Lena with video footage revealing that she had recovered Kryptonite the day prior to the escape. Lena's arrest makes the headlines, and the stigma of being a Luthor is heightened with people commenting on how she is just like her brother. The only one exempt from this belief is Kara, who confronts her friends about their lack of faith in a woman who has done nothing but help them. James Olsen leaves to find proof that Lena is guilty, discovering that Metallo returned to the prison that evening to break Lena out. Metallo succeeds, having battled and defeated James, in the guise of Guardian.
Lena, Lillian and Metallo in one of Lex's vaults.
Metallo reunites Lena with Lillian, who tells Lena that no one would believe her now that she, too, escaped police custody. She tries to use this as a means to goad Lena into joining Cadmus, saying the public would never offer redemption to a Luthor and that her efforts to prove otherwise were pointless. Lillian divulges that this is the only way for them to be a family again, as fugitives on the run. Lillian takes Lena to a vault created by Lex which has to be opened with the blood of a Luthor. Lena denotes that this entire plan was never to tie loose ends between the two, but to bring her to Lex's vault so that Lillian could gain access to whatever is inside. Lena refuses but is forced to open the vault, which is filled with anti-alien weapons. Supergirl comes to the rescue, announces that Kara Danvers asked her to help as she believed in her, and informs them that the synthetic Kryptonite in Metallo's chest is volatile and would shortly explode, killing them all. She escapes with Lena, who fills Kara's office with thank-you flowers the following day after she learns that Kara not only sent Supergirl to rescue her, but she also managed to prove that the incriminating footage was falsified. Lena thanks, Kara when she visits later, commenting that she wasn't just her friend, but her hero, too. [2]
Lena meets Kara at CatCo.
One day, Kara bumps into Lena at CatCo having forgotten that the two were schedule for a public outing. Kara expresses her frustration in trying to get a warning out that Cadmus were abducting aliens after the terrorist organization stole the National Alien Registry. Snapper Carr wouldn't publish the article without a second viable source apart from Supergirl. Lena suggests she write a blog to get the news abroad. She also volunteered to check into her company's history as her mother had been on the board when Lex was the CEO and might have left a trail. Lena discovers a LuthorCorp facility that was supposed to be defunct yet her company was billed for its utilities. She asks her assistant for the records, who is a Cadmus mole unbeknownst to Lena. The assistant calla Lillian who tasked two goons to capture Lena but they fail thanks to Supergirl.[9]
Biomax and working with Queen Rhea
Lena is reunited with Jack Spheer.
Weeks later, Lena receives a personal invite from Spheerical Industries' CEO, Jack Spheer, for her to attend his press conference about a new technology. She visits Kara at her apartment to ask if she could attend the presentation with her as support, revealing that she and Jack were romantically involved for two of their five years together, just before she moved to National City. She reminisces about the good times she spent with Jack as they journeyed to find a cure for cancer in a garage, but found the prospect of having to attend the press conference alone challenging as they ended on a bad note. Kara agrees to go to make it bearable for Lena to face. At the presentation, Jack showcases his newly-designed nanobot technology that is able to cure any medical application, such as injuries or diseases, revealing that he perfected his and Lena's project, Biomax, which Lena is insanely proud of. Jack wishes to catch up with Lena, asking her to dinner after the press conference but the company's CFO, Beth Breen, tears him away before she can answer. He then appears at Lena's office at L-Corp to ask her again, which she declines. Jack thinks she may be mad at him for having cracked Biomax on his own, to which she says she wishes the best for him. He then asks her about her life in National City before delving into the good memories of their relationship and then asks to go to dinner again after confessing that he missed her. Lena agrees on the account that the occasion is non-romantic, just for the sole purpose of catching up with each other.
She later tries to call Kara to ask her to talk her out of the dinner but left a message with Mon-El as she was not there (she was following up on a lead regarding Biomax). However, when Kara learns about the dinner upon returning, she brings Mon-El to the restaurant Jack and Lena were eating at. It's clear to Lena that Kara is investigating Jack about Biomax, which leads her to ask how he perfected the project. His story denotes that his breakthrough only came after he realized that he should have gone with Lena to National City. Kara attempts to press on with her investigation but Lena kindly asks Kara and Mon-El to leave them alone so that they may speak. They leave for L-Corp where Jack apologizes for making Lena's decision to move more difficult, that he wishes he had rather said that he could make space for her and his work.
Lena and Jack kiss.
Lena understands, confiding in him how she wonders whether her life and legacy may have turned out different had she stayed. They kiss but then Jack seems to zone out and tells her that he needs to go and then leaves her abruptly. The following morning, Kara informs Lena that the Biomax human trials were faked and that Jack was covering it up, that he had used it on himself. Kara wanted her to know but makes her promise she won't confront him. Lena defies that, however, and meets Jack at Spheerical informing him that she knows about the trials and that he's killed two people with Biomax. Jack has no idea what she's talking about until Beth Breen reveals that she has been using Biomax to control Jack, planning to use it on Lena to control her and L-Corp.
As Supergirl comes into the mix of things, gradually being attacked by the nanobots, Lena brawls Breen, disarming her of the earpiece that controls Jack and destroying it. With Jack suffering agonizing pain from the nanobots, and Supergirl slowly dying too, Lena attempts to override the Biomax mainframe. However, Breen tells her that the nanobots have merged with Jack's body and that overriding the mainframe destroys the nanobots and kills Jack. Lena reluctantly chooses to override the mainframe, saving Supergirl. Kara visits Lena the next day. Lena explains that she feels cold and calm like her mother after Lex's incarceration, with the only consolation being the thought of Breen dying in her cell — which startles Kara. Lena continues, saying that loss does strange things to her family, thinking that whatever may happen within the span of her mourning could mold her into something she will one day fear. Kara assures her that she will never let anything happen to her, that she is there to protect her forever and always. As she is watching the city from her office that night, she is visited by Rhea who tells her that she has come with a proposal.[7]
Lena is visited by Rhea for her proposal.
Rhea had given Lena the design schematics for a transmatter portal. Lena was excited at the possibilities and benefits that such a device could have on the world though she knew that it was presently just a theory. Rhea told her that it was possible and then revealed that she didn't tell Lena all of her secrets towards the design as she wanted to gauge her interest before trusting her with them. Lena told her that she was very interested and Rhea agreed to share them. They went off to have dinner together where Rhea gave her a thumb drive with the remaining pieces of the schematics for the device. Rhea then said that her mother must be quite proud of her but Lena told her that she and her mother don't speak to one another anymore especially after her attempts to frame her. Rhea told her that she was surprised as she believed that a mother/daughter relationship was a strong one. She told Lena about her son and that she loved him deeply but then he had fallen for a woman that went on to take her from him and after which her husband was killed.
Lena was then visited by Rhea again as she was going over all the new data for the portal. Lena told Rhea she was arranging for security to let her have access to her office but she just needed her thumbprint. She then moved her alien detection device for Rhea to use and saw that she was an alien. When Rhea asked why the device acted the way it did, Lena dismissed it before she told Rhea that she had reviewed her design and realized that it would need an element that didn't exist on Earth. She then revealed that she knew that Rhea was an alien. Lena angrily told her that she wouldn't build anything for her and that she wanted her out of the building. Rhea then left without another word. Later on in the evening, Lena was visited by Rhea who told her that the reason she lied about being an alien was because she had been aware of her mother's reputation and couldn't be sure that she wasn't the same way. Lena spitefully told her that many people automatically assume that she was a certain way because she was a Luthor. Rhea then told her that her proposal was genuine and she did want to work with her and hoped that Lena would reconsider. She then teleported out of her office to leave Lena to her thoughts. She tried to call Kara for her opinion but Kara told her that it wasn't a good time as she was in the middle of a crisis of her own.
Later, Lena was called by Kara and she asked if she was okay. Kara told her that everything had turned out fine and Kara then asked what Lena wanted to talk about earlier. Lena told her that she had actually settled that on her own. Lena then looked over at Rhea, whom she had decided to work with on the portal after all. Lena then asked if they were ready to change the world which Rhea told her that she was.[5]
Rhea's betrayal
Lena having lunch with Kara as she talks of her new project.
Lena later has lunch with Kara, who asks what has kept her so busy. Lena tells her that she is working with a new partner before leaving to do their first test on the portal. Later, Lena and Rhea are at dinner discussing the failed first test of the portal. Lena is disappointed but Lillian reassures Lena that she believes in her. Once again, their tests fail and Lena suggests they go get Lex because he would be able to fix it. Lena continues to be frustrated at the lack of progress being made and says she wanted to get it working to prove to everyone, and herself that she was just as good as Lex. Rhea reassures Lena that she is smart and assures her that she can do it and gives her advice on how to get it to work.
When Rhea is next seen, Lena runs up to her and on this test run, the portal is activated. Lena suddenly comes to realize that success means that Rhea will be leaving and is disappointed, having seen her as a mentor figure. Rhea tells her that no matter what, she cherished the time they spent together. Moments after, Rhea powers the portal again and Lena realizes that Rhea used her to get the portal working and it is discovered that she was using the portal to bring something to earth. While Supergirl is fighting Rhea, Lena is knocked unconscious and later transported with Rhea and Mon-El to one of the ships.
Lena and Mon-El tell Rhea that they refuse to get married for her.
Lena wakes to up Rhea sitting by her side. Rhea tries to convince her that Supergirl almost killed her but Lena knows that she was trying to stop Rhea and says that she should have been one to stop her. Lena is hurt that Rhea used her and betrayed her while Rhea tries to convince her that everything she said was true. Rhea calls Lena the best of her race amongst the wasted potential. Rhea calls Lena and Mon-El into the throne room and announces they are to be married and they are to produce an heir which Lena flat out refused though Mon-El informed her that only their genetic material is needed. Despite that, the two of them still refuse to be married which Rhea answers by threatening to kill thousands of people in hospitals, including the Luthor Family Children's Hospital. Both Lena and Mon-El reluctantly agree to Rhea's demands after that to avoid innocents suffering.
While the ceremony commences, it is interrupted by Cat Grant, warning Rhea that she messed with the wrong people and encouraging the people of National City to defend themselves and not let them win. Lena and Mon-El are then ordered back to their holdings while Rhea tries to see to the refreshed resistance that is occurring in the city. Mon-El orders the guard to stand down as the Prince of Daxam, he struggles to take him out until Lena shoots him with his dropped gun and walks off.
Lena is surprised to see her mother working with Supergirl to save her.
When they come across a locked door, Lena orders Mon-El to break the glass and uses the tiara she is wearing to get it to open, where Mon-El tells Lena he realizes why Kara loves her and she responds with likewise. Getting through the door, they run into Supergirl, Lillian and Cyborg Hank Henshaw. Lena is shocked to see her mother having come to get her along with Supergirl and Lillian told her that she would do anything to save her. They then moved to leave through the portal and emerged in the Fortress of Solitude, however, she saw that only she, her mother and Henshaw had come while Supergirl and Mon-El weren't. Lillian then told her that she had rigged the portal to only allow humans to come back and not the aliens before she sent the call for Rhea's ship to be destroyed. Upon seeing that her mother betrayed and had left Supergirl and Mon-El on the ship to die, she realized that her mother hadn't changed. However, Supergirl and Winn had foreseen this move and had rigged an override in Hank Henshaw that made him re-start the portal and keep Lillian from interfering. When the portal was reactivated, Mon-El stepped through and told Lena that Supergirl chose to stay to confront his mother.
Lena's mother Lillian comes to see her about the Daxamites.
Lena found her way back to L-Corp where she moved to make a mess of the Luthor Family chess set in her office. Lillian then came in and asked her why she would let herself be duped by Rhea and Lena told her that it was because Rhea believed in her and had inspired her. She felt that with Rhea she gave her the encouragement that Lillian never gave her. Lillian relented that she wasn't the best mother but that they needed to work together to stop Rhea and her army. She then revealed the device that Lena had seen her take from Lex's vault. She revealed that it was intended to be used on Kryptonians but, with Lena's help, it could be altered to be used on the Daxamites instead. Lena then contacted the D.E.O. and told them that she and her mother had a weapon to turn the tide. She was then visited by Supergirl and Superman and she revealed that the device they had was built by Lex to dispense Kryptonite into the atmosphere in order to make the planet uninhabitable to Kryptonians. However, Lena was working to make it dispense lead instead so that it would force the Daxamites to leave. But, Lena knew that it would work on all Daxamites, including Mon-El. She then asked if Supergirl knew that Mon-El had been dating Kara Danvers, missing the look passing between her and Lillian. Later, Winn (who was sent by J'onn to assist Lena in her office) and Lena are working on the device. Upon completion, Lillian grabs the device and activates it but, when it doesn't work, is told by Lena that she gave Supergirl the remote, so that she could activate it when she needs it. After everything is over, it is discovered that Lillian took all the credit despite Lena and Winn being the ones to fix the device.
Re-building National City
Following the months after the expunged Daxamite invasion, it was revealed that Lena has allocated her resources to have her company assist in any way it can for the rebuilding of all the damage left by the invaders, donating billions of dollars for the renovation and rebuilding of damage left in the Daxamites' wake. In that daunting venture, she reached out to Morgan Edge for aid, as the land and real estate developer's impeccable portfolio deemed Edge's development plans as her (and everyone else's) best shot in the restoration efforts for the ravaged National City. And true enough, within barely half a year, the collaborated efforts (together with Supergirl and the mayor's permission) permitted the city infrastructure and economy to emerge stable and operational once more. However, overtime, Lena became aware of Morgan's egotistical sexism, about how he thinks little of other people's thoughts and opinions, especially if from the fairer sex; but Lena kept silent about hers concerning Edge. She however, like some of the city's one percenters, vocally disapproved when Edge furthers his notions of renewing National City by remaking its waterfront to his liking (and profitability). During these past six months of mass-scale renewals, Lena also attempted contact with Kara, who was suffering emotionally from the lost of Mon-El, setting up schedules and plans, but was turned down every time due to Kara dedicating her time and focus as Supergirl (drastically reducing crime despite the vulnerable and shattered state their city was in) which Lena wasn't aware of.
Morgan Edge verbally slandering Lena's good efforts to help National City.
She was seen, along with other business representatives and negotiates, seated at a table conference in Morgan's office wherein he was basically over-praising himself and those who enabled him to conduct his projects for reviving the city back to its former glory. But Lena, along with James Olsen who was also seated there, was rather quick to point out that Supergirl had a hand in the restoration as well. Morgan then shifted the subject as to why his business proposition to renovate the waterfront as well has yet to be given clearance from the city officials; and again, both James and Lena responded with simultaneous controversy as such an undertaking would deprive the less-than-privileged of their homes for the benefit of the wealthy. Morgan then proceeded to verbally target Lena, bringing up the fact that she was trying to absolve not only her family of their transgressions but also her own, since it was because of her that the Daxamites were able to descend upon National City in the first place. He stresses to her that guilt is not a particularly effective business strategem, with Lena coldly replying that neither was exploitation. Sensing that he may have gone too far and that it was almost lunch time, Morgan suggested everyone present there that they all adjourn to the office room next door, where his staff prepared a glorious buffet for Edge's business associates and guests. As the group rose up, Lena calls out to Morgan, telling him that he's not as influential as he'd like to believe himself. Morgan arrogantly brushes this off, pointing out to her that powerful people, herself included, were in his office.
Lena was later visited by Kara in her office at L-Corp, bringing up Morgan Edge's intent to buy CatCo, which was now up for sale as a result of Edge cunningly and subtly buying a series of its company shares, rallying up the editorial's shareholders behind him as support, and with Snapper Carr off to a Sabbatical and Cat Grant not being there (Cat now serves as the president's press secretary) to rebuke his impending takeover. Kara rather thinks Morgan's bid was intended to stop James from further using his editorial influence to downplaying Edge's future land development plans and about how he and Lena stood up against Morgan in his office from earlier; Lena did not put this past Morgan, whom she believes wasn't above spending that much money on a petty grudge. She nevertheless agrees with Kara that Morgan also taking control of CatCo would mean bad for those below the higher societal class since the real estate mogul would then be able to sway public opinions and supports to his favor, leaving his developmental projects unopposed in National City. Lena was then asked by her friend to try convincing Morgan Edge to lay off his purchasing CatCo. Assuring Kara that she would try, Lena then tells the reporter she misses her. The two apparently have had very little contact with each other after the city's alien invasion. Lena thinks Kara was cold-shouldering her for her part in driving away the Daxamites with that lead dispersion device she modified from Lex's original design, that also resulted in Mon-El having to be sent away from Earth to keep the planet's lead-infused atmosphere from killing the Daxamite prince. She tells Kara that she was there for her, as Kara was for her when Lena lost Jack, and wanted to apologize for her conduct. Kara replies that Lena did what she had to do; and that in the end, it was Supergirl's decision to activate the device and so Mon-El's fate was not on Lena's, but was then distracted by a crime in progress being reported from a tablet on Lena's desk. Excusing herself out the door, Lena suggests brunch later with the departing reporter, to which Kara wordlessly nods as she left, leaving Lena doubtful about to Kara's claim of not blaming her for the Daxamite's forced banishment.
She later visits Morgan Edge in his office. Morgan, who was playing office golf, took note of this and coyly expresses what people might say of they heard of Lena's recurring presence in his domain and tells him that his charms equate to a film starring Michael Douglas from the concluding decade of last century. Morgan found that flattering, but finds it unlikely that the Luthor would come all this way just for that and Lena extends his proposition of investing more capital to Edge's campaigns. Morgan immediately suspects that in return for the commission, Lena would want him to cease his bid in buying CatCo Magazine. Lena doesn't deny that and emphasizes that Morgan should just stick to what he's good at: overseeing the rebirth of National City, as there were still sectors that require renovating, and managing a media conglomerate at the same time could eat away at his time table. Morgan ignores this and mocks Lena by stating that no matter what she does, no matter how benevolent, people will still see her as one who bears a name that brought prominence and infamy to her known family, a Luthor. A belief that he intends to reinforce and then use to his personal advantage in turning the community against Lena via CatCo's resources. Lena then realizes the twofold reason behind Morgan's attempt-in-progress to purchase CatCo: negating the biased reports that the people have been receiving about him and also using that same media outlet to deface his enemies in business, starting with Lena. Edge would only affirm this, attributing it as "good business". Disgusted, Lena saw herself out, missing Robert Dubois, who was hiding behind one of the pillars in Morgan's personal office.
Standing later behind the podium at the unveiling of the Girl Of Steel Statue by the waterfront, Lena gave a few witty and amiable words to the people who came there for the event in deference for their savior. But everyone's elation quickly turned to horror when a large tremor erupted somewhere by the waterfront, causing Lena and so many others to duck for cover. She soon witnessed as Supergirl arrived and stopped Dubois' attack and flew his submarine out of the water.
Kara later visits Lena again in the latter's office. After two of them pushing aside the absolved matter concerning the underwater assault at the waterfront, Lena tells Kara how she bought CatCo Magazine from under Morgan Edge, meaning she is now the official proprietor of both Cat Grant's company and L-Corp, sparing the former from Edge's reach much to Kara's delight. However, Lena became distraught when Kara tells her of her resignation from CatCo; she urges Kara to return to there for work, knowing very little about journalism in which Kara knows plenty. Lena adds that it's rare to work together with someone close to you, and Kara seems to consider this. And that was when Morgan Edge, evidently peeved for having been out-bought by L-Corp in his CatCo takeover, unceremoniously came by insulting Lena' sanity, forcing Kara to get in between the two capitalists. Edge continues to vocally threaten Lena, who tells him that he warrants getting himself tossed, by her security detail, out of her office with that attitude. This prompts Kara to take her leave. That left Morgan and Lena alone, with the former menacingly going on with his verbal harassment. Lena retorts by saying she couldn't care less. Supergirl unexpectedly descends on the balcony, greeting Lena and then asking if she was done with Edge. Lena confirms that she was and moves away from her business rival.
Later, after Kara looked on at photos of herself and Mon-El, she sent Lena a reply to her text to accept her offer to hang out together the next day, addressing her as boss. Lena sends back a heart shaped emoji to Kara.
Heading CatCo
On her first day at CatCo Magazine, Lena arrives on her first day at the office through Cat Grant’s private elevator, which she was apparently unaware as to whom it was specifically reserved for. Upon arriving and surveying the work environment, she seemed uncertain of what to do next, having delved into a wholly new business enterprise of which is entirely foreign to her. She was warmly greeted by Eve Teschmacher, who offers to get her anything on her Lena’s first day as her and Lena suggests that Tess utilizes the private elevator as it would be faster to traverse up and down the establishment that way. Eve shies away from the suggestion and explained that particular elevator was reserved for only for Miss Grant’s usage, or for whomsoever’s at the top of CatCo’s hierarchy — meaning that the Luthor definitely qualifies.
Lena refutes this, saying that anyone could now use the elevator at their discretion and not just her, much to Eve’s delight and Lena soon stumbles upon James Olsen who wanted to chaperone Lena around the office and amenities that day. But knowing that she also had a company to run in L-Corp, James advises her to segregate her now-divided time between both companies wisely; and Lena informs Olsen that it won’t be necessary, as she had already arranged and settled affairs at L-Corp in her stead, so she could roam free in CatCo, taking in all of its intricacies, without any hindrances from the former, much to Olsen’s surprise. They both get into his office (formerly Cat Grant’s) and Lena tells him he could keep it, as her experience in L-Corp has somewhat made her antsy in having a whole office room all to herself (she had no idea how Cat nor James does it, cooped up in theirs with all those flat television screen monitors in broadcast, lining the wall behind them), and that she’d rather have an active running the establishment by roaming about and supervising its branches. Kara approaches them, congratulating Lena as her new boss after the latter’s generous purchase. Lena brings up that she has a liaison at Morgan Edge’s accounting that she wants Kara to interview, but an emergency call from the D.E.O. forced the newly returned reporter to decline from the assignment.
She would later approach both Kara and James again, after a conference meeting with some of CatCo’s top-brass staff that Eve informs them of; having apparently sent the latter to get the former, though James was apparently unaware of the meeting until last minute and, quite frankly, was beginning to feel that she was trying to leach the office off of him to his displeasure. Lena then reminds Kara of her task with Edge’s faction, but yet another D.E.O. urgent call caused the office subordinate to take her leave. James and Lena then tensely stared down at each other.
Seemingly grown weary of Kara’s constantly weaseling away from her, Lena goes to visit the former at her desk, mildly confronting Kara of her scuttling behavior but states that she understands why so. Kara thinks and worries that Lena finally worked out her secret, afraid that what Lillian predicted — of Lena hating her best-friend for lying to her — has finally come true, but learns that Lena believes Kara hasn’t truly gotten over Mon-El’s necessary departure, which was causing her work performance to suffer, and ignorant to the fact that Kara recently had her hands full as Supergirl battling against a formidable meta-human Psi, who recently arrived in National City robbing its banks and easily defeating Supergirl at every turn of confrontation by using the Kryptonian’s worst fears against her, incapacitating the city’s heroine twice in a row now while the poetically-gloating superpowered criminal gets away clean with her stolen prize at both times.
Relieved that her apprehensions weren’t the case, Kara tries to let Lena down easy saying that she intends to settle the matter with Mon-El in her own way, overlapping with work if she must, despite Lena stating that she was free to take a break from duty if that was what Kara needed. She then shifts to stern pragmatism and talked to Kara not as a friend, but as her employer declaring that she did not spend sums to overtake Morgan’s attempt in owning CatCo on a whim; that she was a businesswoman at her core with expectations, not just in remuneration, from her fresh purchase and that, as CatCo’s newest owner, she cannot slack off of her duties there much less tolerate such conduct from the employees under her and not even from Kara, as that would be favoritism, tightening tension between the two close friends. Kara promises to get Lena’s delegated task done. And with that, she left Kara to her thoughts.
Lena’s suppositions on Kara’s inner conflict would later prove to be correct after all, when Kara’s third confrontation with Psi revealed her deepest and darkest fear: having sent Mon-El from Earth’s lead-infused atmosphere in a pod, she has no idea what became of her beloved after his exile and that, having been sent off in a similar fashion by her own mother, Kara knows the feeling of being sent away by someone dear (a parent, and from a planet that was once home, no less, but was rejecting you in your final moments there) all too well and worries that she may very well have sent the Daxamite to his death — never to be heard from again. Alex’s words of encouragement, of how Mon-El was safe wherever he is now just as Kara was when Allura loaded her into the pod that brought her to Earth and the premise that the two literally star-crossed lovers will eventually reunite because of that, finally enabled Supergirl to get over her own crippling fears and she bested Psi with her newfound courage.
Upon her return to CatCo, Kara searches for Lena, whom she finds overseeing the work progress of one the office workers there. She tentatively approaches the Luthor, admitting to what the latter surmised from earlier but just didn’t want to admit it in herself and then apologizing in regards of her job performance as a reporter, that it was crass of Kara not giving Lena her due respect, not merely as her new employer but also her friend, and suggested they make amends with a hug. Lena was hesitant, maintaining her stance against favoritism but gives in, the two women wrapping each other together in their arms.
It was then that they were approached by the newly promoted Samantha Arias, Lena’s new mouthpiece and privy in L-Corp, governing its activities and operations in Lena’s place, causing Lena and Kara to break off from their warm hug. Smiling, Lena introduces her to Kara and vice-versa, and her two acquaintances amiably shook hands. A fateful encounter, this triumvirate of powerful women (with some of them perhaps more powerful than even they themselves presently realize) are only blissfully aware of what awaits them in the future.
Later that night, Lena was seen leaving the office with Eve. They came across James, who appeared to have gotten over his hard-shelled demeanor for and impression of Lena; the two higher-ups of Catco briefly greeted and departed for the night.
Personality
Despite being raised by Lillian; following Lionel's death, Lena is a stark contrast to what the public perceives to be a Luthor. Where as they are delusional, egotistical, amoral, and murderous, Lena is kind, caring, dutiful, selfless, moral and honorable. While proud of her family name, she is determined to return her company to its former good status and use it to help people. However, she is not above withholding crucial information from known allies if it meant the smooth proceeding of any plans she orchestrates but has thus far done in good conscience. In addition, she is quite intelligent, as she feigned allegiance to Lillian Luthor in order to destroy the Medusa virus and at age four, beat her older half-brother in chess upon being brought home by her father.[3] Lena mentioned she is not fond of flying, even though it is statistically the safest way to travel.[1]
Lena seems to admire those with strong resolve. This was shown when she accused Clark Kent of suspecting her based on her last name, as he did not back off and she responded by showing respect for his steel resolve.[1] She is also perceptive enough to know that Kara was actually trying to milk from her intel concerning Lilian.[3] During times of distress, or anything detrimental, Lena often exhibits, for as long as it isn't personal, the ability to remain oddly calm and perhaps even coldly calculating, allowing her to commit necessary acts with evident conviction and pragmatism, as seen when she shot Corben from behind while the latter was restraining Alex; she later repeated the act by shooting a Daxamite guard whom Mon-El was fighting against with the guard's very weapon, which Lena quite reservedly retrieved from where it fell to use on their captor. She did, however, showed some internal conflict when she set out to thwart Lilian's Medusa Virus plot, followed by reluctance when it was revealed that her mother broke her out of incarceration so she could use Lena to bypass the genetic lock securing Lex's weapons vault, had to condemn Jack to death to save Kara from the Biomax swarm and later distrusted Rhea (despite developing a mother-daughter like bond) when she realized the Daxamite queen used her orchestrate the invasion of Planet Earth by her scattered species.
Lena is disgusted by the horrible acts committed by her half-brother and step-mother respectively, as she makes no attempt to defend her half-brother, Lex Luthor for his crimes, and doesn't blame Superman for his imprisonment, as she knows full well that the latter brought it on himself, but did attempt to reach out to Lex and reprimanded him; she was even disgusted by her step-mother, Lillian for her attempt to wipe out all alien life on Earth, as Lena had no qualms about turning her step-mother over to the authorities for her crimes; the reason why she never had a good relationship with Lillian, partly due to her step-mother always favored Lex over her and mainly because Lillian has always been cold to Lena, because she is a living reminder of Lionel's affair.
Despite her estranged relationships with her half-brother and step-mother, Lena at least had a good relationship with her father, Lionel Luthor (prior to his death), as he was always loving towards her and treated her warmly, Lena held her father in high esteem, so much that she became angry when her step-mother spoke ill of him, although she did not know Lionel was her biological father until she was an adult and years after her father passed away, after finding out that Lionel was her biological father, Lena showed no signs of anger or bitterness that he never told her the truth about their relationship.[2]
Lena has proved to be very different from her family, however other individuals, such as Winn Schott and James Olsen (incorrectly) believe that she is secretly like any other Luthor and Lena herself does worry, especially after learning of her true biological relation to Lex, that she may become like him and Lillian one day.[2]
However, Lena is also sometimes emotionally vulnerable, a trait that Rhea exploited in order to get the portal repaired. She becomes a mentor and almost a mother-figure to Lena by giving her pep talks, reassuring her that she is intelligent, that she can repair the portal, and that she believes in her. It is clear that Lena craves a mother-like relationship that she did not get from her step-mother Lillian.
Abilities
- Expert engineer: Lena was able to construct a black body field generator that effectively disabled the Cadmus-supplied alien weaponry that Miner's gang used; though she needed finalizing assistance from Winn to render the device functional, since Lena was not certain if the pulse to be generated by the device would be appropriate to counter the extra-terrestrial armaments without seeing the weapons in person herself, hence the trap she sprang to lure Chet Miner's gang to her charity gala. Still, she was nonetheless praised by the latter for her ingenuity; the D.E.O. had thought up of a similar approach, as Alex stated earlier to Maggie, but was enacted ahead by Lena.[8] She would later head the successful large-scale construction of a Transmatter portal on Earth, with a few helpful tips from Rhea, that allowed the Daxamites to invade the planet. Perhaps her greatest engineering feat was when she re-purposed (once again, with Winn's help) the device made to imbue Earth's atmosphere with Kryptonite into dispersing lead instead, complete with a remote controller which she entrusted to Supergirl, which drove away the Daxamite invaders.
- Expert programmer: Lena was able to override the Biomax nanobot swarm, after accessing Spheerical Industries mainframe from Jack's lab, in time to save Kara from being consumed by the said swarm. This hints great aptitude in the field of computer programming, having spent years with Jack trying to perfect the nanobots' operational programs to guide their functions, coming pretty close to solving it together had the two of them not broke up and parted ways.
- Genius-level intellect/Great business acumen/Expert tactician/Leader: Lena is highly intelligent, able to often beat her prodigious older half-brother in chess in her toddler years. Later, her intelligence was proven enough to CEO of L-Corp, overseeing its daily activities and ensuring its success as a multibillion-dollar corporation, as well as re-branding it as a force of good.[1] She is also clever enough to deceive Lillian Luthor feigning an allegiance to her in order to destroy the Medusa virus.[3] By the time of her late teens, Lena was already well-versed in nanotechnology and nano-robotics, working with Jack Spheer for the pre-cursor of Biomax. During her and Mon-El's escape from their guards aboard the Daxamite flagship, Lena was able to bypass a technologically advanced alien security system's lock using a tiara, given to her for the forced wedding, as a makeshift lock-pick, practically deducing with a glance how the mechanism works.
- Skilled hand-to-hand combatant: Though mostly "unpolished", Lena has shown some aptitude in unarmed fighting when she traded blows with Beth Breen, a self-proclaimed black belt, and was resilient enough to take one of Beth's kicks to the gut before retaliating herself and knocking Beth down twice.[7]
- Skilled markswoman/Firearms: Lena is quite proficient in the use of firearms, human-made or otherwise, as she proves by gunning down John Corben and later a Daxamite with the latter's own weapon.[1]
Appearances
Supergirl
Season 2
Season 3 |
Trivia
- This version of Lena Luthor is legally Lex's adoptive sister, instead of his biological sister. However, it was later revealed that Lena does have biological ties to Lex by being his paternal half-sister. This is the second instance the two siblings appear to share only one parent, with the first one being the TV show, Smallville, though on which Lena (Tess Mercer) is never adopted by the Luthors.
- Lena is 24 years old and thus at least a couple of years younger than Kara on the physical level; but chronologically, the latter is much older taking into account her stymied aging during her stay in the Phantom Zone.
Behind the scenes
- Lena Luthor first appeared in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #23 (February 1961) and was created by Jerry Siegel and Kurt Schaffenberger. She usually appears as Lex Luthor's younger, and in some versions estranged or foster, sister.
- Not to be confused with the character of the same name, who is Lex's daughter with his eighth or ninth wife and is named after her aunt, the original Lena.
- Supergirl marks Lena's third live action television appearance; previously appearing in Superboy, and most notably, Smallville (although in Smallville the character was initially introduced under the name Tess Mercer in the show's eighth season, with her true identity not being revealed until the tenth season as Lutessa Lena Luthor).