Mister Terrific Escapes His Taxes

THE TOP 10 GREATEST SUPERHERO INVENTORS

What Is He Doing Now?

~Mister Terrific #7 (2012)

Alright: Is he number 2 or number 3? That's a good question because DC Comics swears up and down that Michael Holt, aka Mister Terrific, is the world's 3rd smartest man. And with his natural gift of being...naturally gifted, he's certainly a brilliant inventor to boot.(You want to know the real question, though? Those folks over at DC have never officially told us who the two before Michael are; it's possibly  Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne.)

All things under consideration, what shoots Mister Terrific so far in a list of greatest superhero inventors? Well, it's not his 14 PhDs, that's for sure; that only qualifies him for serious college loan debt consolidation. But what about those incredible T-Spheres, metallic orbs that travel with him, capable of assimilating and controlling other technological components? The trademark of his heroic powers, he uses them for everything from flight to firepower.

Whatever his brainy advancements, lately Mister Terrific - as smart as he may be - has had a run in with the government; his taxes are piling up. HE OWES THE 99%! He's been AWOL from earth and could be on the run (check Earth 2, the 2012 comic book release, to find out where he went.) The whispers have been scattered and few, but we think he might be "Too Big To Fail".

If you have any sightings of Mister Terrific, please contact the IRS at 1-800-BIG-DEAL.

The Top 10 Greatest Superhero Inventors is a Countdown sponsored by The Superheroes List, giving you a look at some of the most brilliant minds, working their way with gadgets and innovations. It's also a tribute to the 2012 coming of Labor Day. If you like this kind of thing, head on over and check it out!

Superman's #1 Villain: Lex Luthor, and why is it always you?

Nowhere in the history of Man of Tomorrow has one man, a human at that, put so much distress into a superhero's life. He's even made Superman an Enemy of the State on occasion, and there he is, always waiting, plotting, invariably planning to kill the Son of Krypton at his weakest moment.

But has anyone else noticed that Lex Luthor is, almost always, the central villain in every Superman movie or release?

Ok. To be fair, the movie company has one shot for your love. And we definately like seeing a hero that clashes against his greatest foe; only if that flick has success or luck, can we expect a sequel. But Lex has had the spotlight since the Man of Steel arrived:

• He appears first in Action Comics #44 (1940)
• He was the main villian of the late 70's Superman, Superman II, and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
• He was the central villain in Superman Returns.
• He was the reoccurring bad guy, as a teenager, in the TV series "Smallvile".
• He was the main reoccurring enemy in Superman: The Animated Series.
• He returned many times as the key antagonist in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.
• And more...

But the goal here is not to hammer at Lex; he truly deserves to be Superman's #1 arch-nemesis. One of the great things about him is that his only claims to power are his genius intellect, wit, and charisma. After all, it is no small achievement to become elected President.

My only thin line of contention is that contiously bringing Lex Luthor back as the main villain in each Superman movie release might be overdoing it. In the cartoon and TV series, it's understandable; Lex and Kal-El represent that eternal balance of good vs. evil, just like Batman and The Joker. But when major superhero movies and animated releases are issued, I'd like to see the Last Son of Krypton face off against different threats, ones that require him to use his powers.

Left: The cover of Superman All-Star, which can be purchased at Amazon.com for $13.49

(I do recognize that two recent animated movies, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam and Superman/Batman: Apocalypse did not feature Luthor as the main villain. They played out pretty well and I admired them.)

Nevertheless, I'm sure many of you have opinions on the recent animated release of All-Star Superman. If you haven't guessed by my commentary, Lex Luthor is the main villain. Perhaps I appear to be complaining; actually, I'm just interested in why Warner Home Video is using Lex so much. I guess it's because he makes them money.

I mean, regardless, I know I'll be buying it.

Interested in some Superman Triva: Check out: The Top 10 Villains of Superman.