The rivalry between Superman and Lex Luthor is the stuff of legend. In many ways, the two are perfect opposites – an alien being of incorruptible morality battling a mortal man who defines himself by corruption. Lex’s high intellect allows him to compete against even Superman’s Kryptonian might, and while the Man of Steel might be able to throw him in prison, Lex always seems to find a way out to begin their eternal struggle again.
In one odd moment of self-reflection, however, Lex admitted that while he has plenty of reasons for hating Superman, he has just as many reasons for liking Superman’s alter ego Clark Kent! While ironically humorous on the surface, Lex’s reasons for liking Kent fit disturbingly well within his narcissistic personality.
The revelation occurred in All-Star Superman #5, which sees Clark Kent visit Lex in prison to interview the criminal mastermind shortly after he’s found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death. Still playing the bumbling reporter, Kent is surprised to see Luthor spending his last days hard at work on various robotics projects and working out in the prison gym. Luthor treats Kent with his customary contempt as the clumsy Kansas farmboy trips over some cables in Lex’s lab, sneering, “You write like a poet, but you move like a landslide.”
Of course, Clark's "clumsiness" is actually him protecting Lex from the dangerous cables, which were set to electrocute his enemy. Later, Clark is forced to take more drastic measures when the supervillain Parasite absorbs some of his solar energy and starts a prison riot. Kent secretly uses his super-breath to freeze some attacking prisoners (giving the credit to the prison’s security system). He then stops the Parasite by stamping and causing the floor to cave in (this time giving the credit to “an earthquake”).
Lex, of course, remains utterly oblivious to Clark’s secret aid – believing in his trademark narcissistic way that Clark is under his protection and that their continued survival is dependent solely on Lex’s genius. At one point, their interview delves into decidedly uncomfortable territory when Lex invites Kent to feel his muscles after a workout just to feel what “real muscles” that don't come from Krypton are like. Soon, however, Lex drops his pretense completely and just admits, “I’ve always liked you, Kent. You’re a humble, modest, uncoordinated human. You’re everything he’s not.”
It’s an admission that is by turns hilarious, pathetic, and illuminating. Readers know Lex’s appraisal of Clark is actually right in many ways, but the fact that Lex is unable to see the obvious connection between Superman and Clark is due more to his massive ego than Superman’s acting skills. Lex needs to see Clark as humble and uncoordinated – just like he sees the rest of humanity – in order to maintain his personal reality. And since Clark does such a great job of playing a bumbling nerd, Lex can’t help but like him as Clark’s very nature serves to reinforce his own prejudices.
The irony, of course, is that by recognizing Clark Kent’s humanity, Lex is acknowledging Superman’s humanity as well. Since he can’t consciously admit this to himself, however, the “greatest criminal mind of our time” continues to create a mental construct of the arrogant alien overlord he wants Superman to be. It’s a massive mental block – but one that’s been protecting Clark Kent’s identity better than any pair of glasses could for over eighty years.