President Lex

The unthinkable happens when Superman's arch-enemy is elected President of the United States.  Revisiting this period after the Trump administration, however, and Lex Luthor's administration doesn't seem sufficiently evil.  Oddly, Luthor didn't have any sinister ulterior motive for wanting the highest office in the nation, he voluntarily complied with ethical norms like divesting his business, and he was a mostly competent executive.  Although the post-Crisis Luthor was inspired by Donald Trump, nobody could have imagined how much worse than a supervillain somebody like Trump could actually be.  Even as events in this period had uncanny parallels to the contemporary Bush administration, yet President Luthor seemed less evil by comparison.

Superman #164

As the polls close, Bizarro #1 from the Reign of Emperor Joker appears in Metropolis.  Bizarro abducts Jimmy Olsen and tries to get him to be the Gravedigger Lad he remembers from the Joker's reality.  Though less powerful now, Supergirl tries to fight Bizarro to save Jimmy.  The conflict is resolved without violence when Superman talks to the monster in backwards Bizarro-speak and convinces him to leave Earth.  But after he flies away, Bizarro is shot down by the villain the Joker didn't remember creating, Ignition, who says he will bring Bizarro to his master to train him.  Another refugee from the Joker-verse will return next month.

Perry White and the Daily Planet staff stay up late ready to print either that Luthor wins or loses, his opponent never even gets a mention.  In the real world, the results of the 2000 election wouldn't be known until weeks later.  This fictionalized version of a U.S. election was written for a simpler time, before Americans were as knowledgeable about the electoral college as they are today, and before the concept of Red and Blue states entered the public awareness.

Superman: Lex 2000 #1

This one-shot is presented as a special edition of Newstime, with an introduction by editor Collin Thornton and fake ads. In several short stories, we see the reactions as it becomes clear on election night that Lex Luthor is the winner.  Cat Grant narrates the biography of Luthor's life so far, including details he'd rather omit like his trial.  While Luthor refines his victory speech alone in his office, Batman breaks in to demand the Kryptonite ring back, but Luthor defiantly refuses, threatening to use the power of the government against Batman and his allies.  The Daily Planet staff react to the news of Luthor's victory as it happens, and Superman flies into space to unleash his frustration on an uninhabited moon.  In Smallville, Lana Lang watches over her son's crib and hopes something bad will happen to Luthor so her husband Pete Ross can become president instead.

Adventures of Superman #586

Superman grudgingly congratulates Luthor on his victory, just like on the cover.  In Collin Thornton's board room, Lord Satanus offers healing to the characters suffering from split personalities who he assembled last issue, for a price of course.  Lucy Lane goes into labor and her sister Lois rushes her to the hospital.  At the hospital, Clark Kent spots a snowy owl outside the window and goes outside to find Night Eagle, the Native American woman he had glimpsed last issue.  The two are ambushed by an army of Adversaries and Lord Satanus reveals himself to the Man of Steel, towering over the city.  Lord Satanus tells Superman he plans to make Metropolis the new Earthly capitol of Hell, but Thorn and Rampage switch sides and offer to help Superman.

Superman: The Man of Steel #108

During a triumphant parade through his hometown of Metropolis, Lex Luthor announces the new CEO of LexCorp, Talia Head.  

At the Steelworks, Clark Kent makes the decision to reveal his secret identity to his colleague Steel, but John Henry Irons had already figured it own on his own.  His niece Natasha, however, still doesn't know.  This was still the year before Batman and Superman would both finally reveal their secret identities to their JLA teammates.

Luna escapes from the Steelworks, but the Lunatick she brought back from the Phantom Zone absorbs energy from the city's Braniac 13 technology and grows to gigantic kaiju size.  The Lunatick is stopped by the return of Superman's long-lost scientist friend, Professor Hamilton, who now has an upgraded prosthetic arm enhanced by the B13 tech.

Action Comics #773

Lois Lane and La Encantadora's brother are held prisoner by Ra's al Ghul's assassins, while his daughter Talia and Superman try to stop him from becoming god-like in the Crucible, something like a Lazarus pit but more powerful.  Though he can see with his x-ray vision that both hostages are still alive, Superman lies and tells La Encantadora that her brother is dead.  Enraged, she destroys the Crucible before Ra's al Ghul can use it to increase his power.  La Encantadora permits Superman to take her to the police in Metropolis, where she briefly flirts with Maggie Sawyer before using her magic to escape.

Talia Head meets with Luthor at Lex Tower and apologizes for not being able to appear in person for his announcement due to family business.  Talia gives Luthor a disc of all her father's secrets and stoically takes her seat as the new CEO of LexCorp.