Donald Trump is Lex Luthor
Superman and Donald Trump: two figures that are not often considered in the same space (though I imagine the latter likes to think he's in league with the former), but my mind has been on them today. My mind has been on Superman because February 29 is the Man of Steel's birthday in comic books. Granted, I probably think about Superman more than the average person. And I don't have to tell you why I've been thinking about Trump. He's burrowed his way into our collective conscience like an orange woodchuck.
As these two streams got crossed, I realized something and I can't believed I never drew the comparison: Donald Trump is the real-life Lex Luthor.
Think about it. Both are:
- Megalomaniacal billionaires
- Openly hostile towards aliens
- Firmly convinced of their own greatness
- Liked by evil men who wear ridiculous costumes
- On the record as believing that blowing things up is a valid solution to problems
- Known to have an antagonistic relationship with the press
- Prominently known for their hair or lack thereof
There was even a story in 2000 in which Lex Luthor ran for President of the United States. And you're probably thinking, "Chris, that's ridiculous. Lex Luthor is a supervillain. There's no way that he would be taken seriously as a candidate for president." That's what Superman thought and he didn't say anything to sway the election because he trusted the American people.
Superman was wrong. Lex Luthor got elected president. This is the same guy who, when I was reading comic books as a kid, destroyed the city of Metropolis and later made a literal deal with the devil. Granted, Luthor's presidency ended in disgrace before his first term was finished. Supervillains gonna supervillain. But the point is people looked at the candidacy of both individuals and said, "There's no way that guy's going to win." And they were wrong.
Now I do think that Lex Luthor is far smarter than Donald Trump. Luthor is perhaps one of the most brilliant individuals in the DC Universe. Trump...well, no one is going to confuse Trump with one of the most brilliant people on the planet. So maybe Trump is like a poor man's Lex Luthor (which is perhaps more dangerous). Regardless, the similarities are a little bit unnerving. So to those who are still voting in primaries, remember that a vote for Trump is kind of like a vote for Lex Luthor which is kind of like voting against Truth, Justice, and the American Way.
I'm kidding. But not really.