Lionel Luthor is a fictional character portrayed by John Glover in the television series Smallville. The character was initially a special guest in season one, and became a series regular in season two and continued until being written out of the show in season seven. The character returned to the show in season ten again in a special guest role as a parallel universe version of the character. In Smallville, Lionel Luthor is the father of Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), and founder and CEO of LuthorCorp. Lex Luthor's father was first introduced in Superman comics by Jerry Siegel in 1961 and has since appeared in other Superman-related media under different names. Smallville is the first appearance in which the character has been an intricate part of a Superman adaptation. Series developers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar created Lionel Luthor for Smallville to provide an antithesis to the parenting style of Jonathan Kent (John Schneider) and Martha Kent (Annette O'Toole). In the DC Comics, Lex Luthor's father was originally named Jules Luthor, but later was renamed Lionel Luthor some time after Smallville. He debuted in Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane #23 (February 1961) and was created by Jerry Siegel and Kurt Schaffenberger.
During the story of Smallville, Lionel evolves from being a nemesis of Clark Kent (Tom Welling) who develops multiple schemes to uncover Clark's secrets, to becoming an ally who eventually dies to protect Clark's secret from his own son. Lionel has a strained relationship with Lex and regularly tries to test him. He attempts to develop a romantic relationship with Martha Kent after inadvertently causing the death of Jonathan Kent, helping her advance toward the United States Senate. A parallel universe version of the character is later introduced in the show's final season who serves as Clark and his allies' adversary and plays a pivotal role in bringing Lex back from his presumed death.
Lionel's development from a main antagonist to an ally was difficult for the writers who felt the character's arc failed to achieve the status they wanted. Although they continued with the story arc, Lionel returned to using deception to protect Clark rather than exploit him. He is characterized as a sinister character who tried hard to further his own ambitions. Lionel's relationship with his son has been likened to that of Harry Osborn and Norman Osborn from Spider-Man comics. When Lex makes a profit for the first time in years, Lionel closes the plant and blames Lex's poor managerial skills. Lionel later confronts his son at the Luthor mansion when Lex tries to orchestrate an employee buyout to save the fertilizer plant. When strong winds force debris to smash through the mansion, Lionel is pinned under a fallen support beam and Lex hesitates to save his father. In season two, Lex saves Lionel but Lionel loses his sight because of Lex's judgment to rush into surgery. Lionel is initially shown as blind until Lex and Lucas Luthor (Paul Wasilewski)—Lionel's illegitimate son—devise a plan to uncover Lionel's deception; it's revealed that Lionel was blind but that his eyes healed and he intentionally neglected to tell anyone so he could watch how they acted around him. Lionel is later aware of the Kawatche caves and tries to unlock the mysterious symbols there, to the dismay of Clark Kent (Tom Welling). Season three revealed that Lionel conspired with Morgan Edge (Rutger Hauer) to murder Lionel's parents and used the insurance money to fund LuthorCorp. Lionel has Lex committed to a mental institution, after Lex discovers what Lionel did. When Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) discovers the truth, her evidence is used to assist Lex in having Lionel arrested for the murder. It is also revealed that Lionel is hates Lex because he blames his son for the death of his youngest son Julian Luthor, although Lex took the blame to protect the true killer Lillian (Alisen Down), Lionel's mentally unwell wife. Lionel also learns that he has a terminal liver disease, which he divulges to Lex while awaiting arraignment.
Lionel is sentenced to prison for his parents' murder in season four. Lionel attempts to switch bodies with Lex using a stone from Clark's homeworld of Krypton but Clark intervenes and Lionel switches bodies with Clark instead. When he and Clark switch back, Lionel discovers his terminal liver disease is healed. Lionel is released from prison by Genevieve Teague (Jane Seymour), and begins searching for three stones of knowledge. During this quest, Lionel falls into a catatonic state after being uploaded with Kryptonian knowledge. Lionel recovers in season five when Jor-El's artificial intelligence takes over his body to speak with Clark. Under Jor-El's guidance, Lionel begins helping Clark by making excuses for Clark's behavior and unexplained disappearances throughout seasons five and six. Season seven revealed that Lionel and three other wealthy families formed the secret society Veritas to protect an alien visitor known as the Traveler (Clark) and that Lionel murdered the other members. Lionel also has Clark kidnapped and tortured. Lex realizes Lionel has been covering up the Traveler's existence and kills him. Season ten reveals that Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman) is Lionel's illegitimate daughter fathered with Pamela Jenkins (Donna Bullock).
Earth-2 doppelgänger
Season ten featured an alternate doppelgänger of the character when Clark unintentionally visits a parallel universe where Lionel found and adopted Clark's doppelgänger to be a murderer going by the alias of Ultraman before escaping back to his own reality but is followed by Lionel. Lionel posed as his own doppelgänger as he assumes control of LuthorCorp from Tess and attempts twice to groom "Alexander Luthor"/Conner Kent (Lucas Grabeel) to his side. However, Lionel fails to bring the hybrid clone of Clark and Lex to his side and loses the company when Tess proves he's an imposter. The series finale revealed that Lionel discovers the original Lex had transplanted body parts from Lex's replicates and was kept hidden. He founded the genetic research company PreClox as he embezzled a large amount of money from LuthorCorp to assist Lex's scientists with a compatible heart. Lionel tries to give Tess's heart to Lex but Tess shoots Lionel and escapes. Lionel surrenders his soul to Darkseid, giving Lionel's heart to effectively resurrecting Lex. Darkseid possesses Lionel's corpse to attack Clark who destroys Lionel's body and dispels Darkseid's threat.
Portrayal
Lionel Luthor was created by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar specifically for Smallville to provide a parallel to the Kents as an "experiment in extreme parenting". The character Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) was also created for the show. Lex's father has previously been depicted in other media.
Lionel Luthor is portrayed in the program by John Glover; Glover said he appreciates the "clear canvas" he had to work with when developing his portrayal of Lionel. In season one, Glover traveled from New York to Vancouver every week while filming his scenes because he was already committed to stage appearances in New York at the time. During season three, Lionel becomes the villain of the show when he tries to discover Clark's secret and drives Lex into a psychotic breakdown. This allows Lionel to use electroshock therapy on Lex to erase his knowledge of Lionel's co-opting of Morgan Edge to kill Lionel's parents for their life insurance. The creative team experimented with Lionel's character in season four, creating a storyline in which Lionel is reformed. Executive producer Greg Beeman said the character development failed, and as a result Lionel returned to his normal self. John Glover found playing Lionel as a straight arrow was "boring".
Season five explores the relationship between Martha and Lionel. Both Annette O'Toole and Al Gough said Lionel was slightly attracted to Martha, but that she would never act on that feeling. The producers had no intentions to create a romantic relationship between the two characters. Most of Lionel's motivations in season five are shrouded in mystery. Glover said he could not determine whether his character is good or bad, so when he is portraying him in season five he tried to present everything as if it was "good".
Characterization
Glover characterizes Lionel as a businessman who is disappointed with his son. To Glover, Lionel is this "rich and powerful businessman" who sees his son as a "wuss" and "fraidy-cat". It was important to Glover that Lionel appear as human as possible; Glover said he does not want to simply "twirl [his] mustache". Lionel is also often portrayed in front of a white or "clinical blue" background. Lionel's signature mane of hair is used to symbolize his power—by growing it out and refusing to style it, Lionel attempts to show he is so powerful that he can do whatever he wants without any backlash.
Relationships
The relationship between Lionel and his son Lex is strained; it has been likened to the relationship between Norman and Harry Osborn in the Spider-Man film. Glover tried to make Lionel appear as though he is trying to "toughen [Lex] up". The character is made to "go out of his way, to give [Lex] tests, so [Lex] can prove himself".