LexCorp
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LexCorp is the fictional company founded by billionaire Lex Luthor in the popular DC Comics Superman series. It made its first proper appearance in John Byrne's Man of Steel miniseries, which established the post-Crisis Superman setting. However it had previously been referred to some months before the Crisis in an Elliot S! Maggin story set in the future,New York City where the Silver Age Luthor establishes it after he is reformed.
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[edit] Fictional history
Originally organized as an aerospace engineering firm, LexCorp has become one of the world's largest, most diversified multinational corporations. Under the astute - some would say, ruthless - management of its founder, Lex Luthor, LexCorp grew and prospered, absorbing scores of smaller businesses.
While still in its original offices on the top floor of Metropolis' famed Daily Planet building, LexCorp made its first acquisitions of two then-struggling airlines, Inter-Continental Airlines and Atlantic Coast Air Systems (since renamed LexAir). As LexCorp subsidiaries, the airlines began to prosper. And when rising profits were threatened by fuel shortages, LexCorp bought out Southwestern Petroleum, now known as LexOil.
For a brief period, the Daily Planet itself came under the ownership of LexCorp, but Luthor quickly became disenchanted with what he considered the low profit margins of the newspaper business. He moved LexCorp's offices into a new high-rise building and began buying up downtown properties in preparation for the day when LexCorp would build its own corporate headquarters. LexCorp soon bought out a Metropolis television station and acquired a satellite transmission company, linking both under the corporation's new LexCom subsidiary as SuperStation WLEX. With a potentially worldwide electronic communications out-let under the LexCorp umbrella, Luthor soon sold the Planet, building and all, to TransNational Enterprises.
In time, LexCorp gained controlling interest in no fewer than three banks - the Metropolis Mercantile Bank, Commerce Bank of Metropolis, and First Metro Security - and moved into all the major financial markets, absorbing new holdings worldwide.
By the timeframe of the Alliance Invasion, LexCorp dominated the commerce of the city - and, indeed, of much of the world - from the 96-story L-shaped building which towered above the Metropolis skyline from the eastern tip of the borough of New Troy. It was estimated that LexCorp at its height, either directly or indirectly, employed nearly two-thirds of the city's 11 million people. A majority of local businesses were wholly- or partially-owned subsidiaries of LexCorp. Among those many subsidiaries are such diverse businesses as Advanced Research Laboratories, Secur-Corp Armored Car Service, North American Robotics, Hell's Gate Disposal Services, and the Good Foods Group, owners of Ralli's Family Restaurants and the Koul-Brau Breweries.
In addition to its many properties in the greater Metropolis area, LexCorp has domestic holdings in Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, New Orleans, Chicago, Gotham City, and Boston. LexCorp currently maintains financial institutions, research facilities, refineries, and/or manufacturing plants in a score of countries, including Australia, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Union of South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore, and the free market of Hong Kong. When CEO Lex Luthor was elected President of the United States, Talia Al Ghul took over the company. Following his dismissal as president, he unofficially fired her and took back his place, unaware that she kept a portion of stock from him.
Competitors include Wayne Enterprises, Kord Industries,Queen Industries and S.T.A.R. Labs.
[edit] One Year Later
A year after the events of Infinite Crisis, Lex Luthor has been stripped of his wealth, assets, and businesses and is reduced to living like a vagrant. LexCorp has had its stocks dissolved and sold off to other companies, most notably Wayne Enterprises. Talia Head donated a large portion of its profits to the Wayne Foundation during Superman and Batman's year long absences.[citation needed]
Lana Lang has since become LexCorp's new CEO following Luthor's public acquittal from criminal charges,[1] although the company seems to be heading towards bankruptcy.[2]
[edit] In other media
[edit] Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
LexCorp was founded over twenty years before Superman appeared and employs nearly a million people. Its exact history is unknown, but Lois Lane alludes to events in the pilot episode (Luthor's parents dying suddenly when he was young, alleged unethical business practices leading to LexCorp's inception, etc) which are similar to events which lead to the formation of LexCorp in the comics. LexCorp's main subsidiaries are:
- Luthor Technologies:
Research and development into weapons, pharmaceuticals, robotics, computer hardware and software (LexComp), bio-engineering, fertiliser, preservatives, hydroponics, air conditioning, and probably other things.
- Luthor Industries:
Operates most of Metropolis' utilities, including electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and waste disposal.
- Luthor Communications:
Phone company (LexCom), television stations (LexTel and Luthor News Network) and briefly the Daily Planet newspaper.
- Luthor Enterprises:
Cash businesses, including hotels (Lexor), rented accommodation, restaurants and public transportation.
- Luthor Financial:
Banks, brokerage houses, investment firm (LexEl Investments).
- Luthor Foundation:
Philanthropic enterprises including Luthor Hospital, Luthor Home for Children, Luthor Foundation for the Arts and LexMet Square Garden.
- Property Holdings:
LexCorp also owns considerable property in Metropolis, such as the Lexor hotel.
[edit] Smallville
LexCorp made a brief appearance in the series Smallville when Lex tried to distance himself from his father Lionel. Lex staged a coup with a handful of LuthorCorp managers and split off from their parent company to form Lex's own enterprise, based entirely in Smallville. Lionel retaliated by blackmailing Lex's shareholders individually, in order to financially eliminate LexCorp. Lex has since returned to his father's corporation. However, it is been shown that Lex has been planning for some time to go public with LexCorp and make it an independent franchise from LuthorCorp. Upon Lionel's indictment and later arrest, Lex became LuthorCorp's new CEO. Under his helm, LuthorCorp has gradually morphed from a biotech/agri-business to a corporation very similar to the future LexCorp.
