Lex And Max

Lex Luthor in Andy Diggle's Batman: Rules Of Engagement pulls the same stunt as Max in the same author's The Losers: quietly acquires power, then stages a coup.

One difference is that Max, introduced in Diggle's run on The Losers, can be, and is, killed in the same run whereas Lex, of course, must survive and has an elaborate exit strategy and escape route for when his coup is defeated.

Rules Of Engagement ranks alongside Diggle's Green Arrow: Year One, Miller's Batman: Year One and John Byrne's The Man Of Steel as a good early story of familiar characters showing the origins of well known aspects of their later careers.

These stories remain valid because of their quality whatever subsequent changes have been made to mainstream comics continuity.

Superheroes IV

Two more:

(xxxix) James Hudnall's The Unauthorised Biography of Lex Luthor credibly describes the Byrne-Wolfman era Luthor's rise to power, featuring Kent but not Supes.

(xl) Andy Diggle's Batman: Rules of Engagement pits not only the Batman against Luthor but also Waynetech against Lexcorp and accounts for the bat plane with some plausibility.

That brings us up to a round number and maybe we can leave it there.