In the DC Superman Comics, Lex Luthor is portrayed as the evil, sociopath who has a thirst for bitter revenge on Superman. However, in Smallville, the mood between Lex and Clark is totally different. On Smallville, Lex is about 22. The son of a manipulative, brilliant billionaire Lionel Luthor, and determined to get out from under his father's thumb, Lex is constantly working to build up his own empire, while trying to assimilate to Smallville life. We find out, in the early episodes, that Lex has shunned the rebellious party days of his teens for a responsible, though not always law-abiding, business tycoon's life. In the beginning of season two, Lex begins to build Lex Co with his trust fund, the mortgages of his most loyal employees, and his late mother's stock. Though not pleased with his son's decision to turn his back on LuthorCorp, Lionel maintains patient, cool distance from Lex's business life for a while. In the most recent episode, Lionel visits Lex after a brief hiatus in Metropolis to accuse him of stealing a Kryptonite shipment (Season 2-Witness). It is then we see Lex and Lionel begin to clash once more.

On a more personal level, Lex is constantly trying to convince Smallville's dubious, mistrusting citizens of his wholly good intentions. Now that he's been resident of what he once sarcastically referred to as a "charming little cow town" for almost two years, Lex begins to regain the trust of some of his peers. His friendship with Clark is the first stone in the foundation of trust he wishes to build with Smallville. Entirely by uh, accident (no pun intended) Lex and Clark meet, when Lex accidentally hits Clark as his Porsche is driven off a bridge. Clark, of course, is fine, he saves Lex's life, and the rest is history. But with their friendship comes Lex's ultimate project--the investigation of Clark and why the crash didn't kill both he and Clark. His suspicion of Clark, though, does not extend to their mutual liking for each other, and so the two are essentially the best of friends. Especially since Clark has no idea Lex is still investigating him... However determined Lex is to find out about the crash--and Clark--, he won't allow anyone else to inquire, and is extremely protective of the entire Kent family.

Another building block is Jonathan Kent. While Clark's mother becomes pretty trusting of Lex--to a point--and has always opened her home to him, Jonathan bears extreme mistrust of both Lex and his father from the very beginning. When Lionel and Jonthan made a "deal" over ten years ago, on the very day of the meteor shower, the deal that both helped to cement the Luthor's stranglehold on Smallville and made Clark's adoption legal (Season 2-Lineage), Jonathan realized the capability of the Luthor family's deceit and corruption, and swore he'd never trust them again. Unfortunately for Jonathan, Clark befriends Lex. As the two become close, Jonathan begins to trust Lex a little more, and even--just my opinion--maybe like him a little. Although Jonathan wil probably always be suspicious of both Lex and his father, his hatred for Lionel no longer extends to the younger Luthor. Lex's charm, extreme generosity, and friendship with Clark all are factor's in the building of trust between Jonathan Kent and Lex.

Once known as a heartbreaking Romeo among Metropolis women, Lex has seemingly settled down. Although a brief fling with old flame Victoria Hardwick that mutually benefits the two for a while--they both dislike their father's and want to ruin their businesses--Lex finds evidence of Victoria's loyalty to her father and a plan to take over LuthorCorp, so he betrays her right back, and helps his father take over Hardwick Industries. Lucky for Lex, business isn't the only way to meet women. At an anger management meeting after attacking a meter maid's car with a nine iron (Season 2-Dichotic) Lex runs into a doctor he met at Smallville General (guest star Emanuelle Vaugier) named Helen Bryce and the two start dating. To everyone's surprise (no one more than us viewers!) the run-around-boy seems to settle down as he and Dr. Bryce become increasingly intimate. She even moves into the mansion (Season 2-Precipice) and in the same beat of a heart, it seems, Lex asks for her hand in marriage. Whoa! Is anyone else having difficulty picturing Lex as a married man?

Lex's relationship with other Smallville residents is not well-known, obviously the majority of Smallville still either dislikes him or just doesn't trust him. While Lex has hardly won over Pete Ross--Pete is envious of possibly being replaced as Clark's #1 bud and bitter towards the Luthors for cheating his family in the past-- Chloe Sullivan seems to like him and takes avid interest in his business. Of course, her father also works for Lex, since he defected from LuthorCorp to help form LexCo, and if it wasn't for Lex, he would have been laid off with hundreds of other employees in the Smallville plant. So she's a little bias. (Season 1-Tempest) But it's Lana and Lex's relationship which becomes much more trusting and strong. When Lana wants to buy the Talon, she and Lex become partners to fund the deal (Season 1-Leech). Not only is Lex her boss, but as Lana and Clark become closer, Lex becomes better aquainted with Lana. Not to mention trying to play matchmaker between the two! While Lex has pulled some strange, and seemingly illegal stunts in the past, he has essentially shown himself to be "true blue"-as they say. But proof of his deceit sometimes comes creeping to the surface at unlikely times...and we all know how Lex Luthor winds up, don't we? Still, there's something about this sexy, bald, semi-bad boy that makes us all want to know...Lex Luthor...who?