So I’m reading teen titans 25 and I read where Luthor basically said he is using superboy to destroy Superman by having superboy grow real close to him then use him to kill him.
Was this Luthors plan the whole time? Or something he thought of later on? I thought The reason why superboy was created was as a potential weapon to use against him if superman ever turned on the world, and also to replace Superman if he ever died.
I think it makes lex look way more cunning if he actual had thought of the long term plan to create superboy, have Superman basically adopt him as a son and then have him kill him.
I’m not super read up on Superboy, but every iteration I’ve seen has been to defeat and kill Superman. He could use Superboy to kill him and then control Superboy afterwards to be in charge. But I’m sure there are probably some more read individuals who will better be able to explain.
The idea that Superboy is a creation of Luthor is actually a Geoff Johns invention for his Teen Titans series in 2003. For 10 years before that, Superboy was designed as a contingency by Cadmus Laboratories to replace Superman in case he was ever disposed. It was Johns who made the connection between Cadmus and Luthor, and retroactively established Superboy as Luthor’s own partial clone.
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I would say it’s so Luthor could replace Superman, and take all the credit for the new one.
And I’d like to add; Superman was already dead by the time of Superboy’s conception in a test tube.
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No, no. Superboy and Lex knew each other as kids. Due to an unfortunate lab accident, Luthor lost his hair and blamed Superboy for it. Therein lies their deadly rivalry.
whisper whisper
Oh, you mean the “Reign of the Supermen” Superboy! Well, he’s from the 90s, so he doesn’t count. 
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Yeah, as other people have pointed out, Lex Luthor being the secret head of Cadmus, Luthor being responsible for creating Superboy, and Superboy being half Lex Luthor were all massive retcons suddenly pulled out of nowhere. Plot holes and a lack of clarity are to be expected.
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It was his plan all along. Remember Lex hates Superman! The other stuff, created to replace or take down Superman if he turned was a cover up for his actions. Lex is always cunning…
What he said.