investigate, which results in Lois being kidnapped. Luthor battles Superman with a green ray but he is ultimately defeated, and Lois is rescued. Superman destroys Luthor's dirigible with him still on it, and concludes that Luthor is dead. Stories ending with Luthor's apparent death become common in his earliest appearances, with him turning up alive later on. This contrasted with Superman's previous arch-nemesis, the Ultra-Humanite, who makes a clean getaway at the end of most of his stories.

Luthor