Lionel Luthor is a major recurring character in the TV series Smallville. He is the father of Lex Luthor and CEO of the multi-billion dollar conglomerate LuthorCorp. He has been both an enemy and ally of Clark Kent and his family, initially concocting various schemes to acquire more power and uncover Clark's secret, but later turning over a new leaf and trying to protect Clark from those who would try to take advantage of his powers. He was portrayed by John Glover.
Personality[]
Lionel was extremely rich, powerful, manipulative and intelligent; he was prone to forming numerous Machiavellian schemes. For most of his appearances, he was obsessed with obtaining power and control over everything he encountered. With all these character traits, Lionel's actions may be described as sociopathic, but his attitude is that of a narcissist. If a person dared to back out of their "agreement" with Lionel, they were met with swift retaliation (costing them their job, blacklisting their family members and, in extreme cases, having them killed. Lionel's attitude can even be seen in his trademark long hair: He is so powerful he can appear however he likes without being called on it.
Lionel seemed intent on controlling Lex as much as possible, to mold him into his own conquering, amoral image. Lionel saw himself as a modern Philip of Macedonia, and named his firstborn son Lex after Philip's son, Alexander the Great. His second legitimate son was named Julian; perhaps an homage to Julius Caesar.
However, after being cured of his liver disease, Lionel's personality transformed completely, resulting in a more caring (but still manipulative) man, such as when he was upset about his driver's murder and covered him up with his coat. Lionel still shows these feelings all the way up to the sixth season when he admits his feeling towards Martha Kent. Lionel's ruthless tendencies would sometimes resurface, when someone would threaten his son Lex, or Clark. Although he was no longer self-serving, he still treated those around him as if they were his enemy, the only exceptions being Clark, Martha, and anyone who knew of his Kryptonian heritage.
In Season Five, Lionel became the Kryptonian vessel of Jor-El, but when the Fortress of Solitude "died", he lost his connection to it. However, J'onn J'onzz revealed to Clark Kent that Lionel was still an emissary of Jor-El.
Towards the end of his life he tried all that he could to protect Clark. His protection however once more dissolved into control, when Patricia Swann sent him letters through Veritas threatening to expose his past crimes if he did not produce the traveler and, as a result, held Clark captive in a kryptonite cage. All too familiar with Lionel's desire to control, Clark took it the wrong way and began to treat Lionel as an enemy. Lionel realizing that no one trusted him, tried to convince Clark and his friends that he was in serious danger. Though no one believed him, he tried his hardest to help them and did not expose Clark's identity as the traveler to Lex before he was murdered. Towards the end of his life, Lionel revealed he truly had changed to a caring, loyal man.
History[]
Early life[]
Lionel Luthor grew up as the son of Scottish immigrants Lachlan Luthor and Eliza Luthor in Suicide Slums. As a teenager, Lionel conspired with Morgan Edge to kill his parents to collect the insurance money to fund LuthorCorp, and their criminal dealings continued well into their adult years after their lives have taken divergent turns.
Sometime before the 1980s, Lionel married a woman named Lillian. After their marriage, Lionel and Lillian had their first child Alexander "Lex" Luthor. Lionel hired Pamela Jenkins to act as a nanny to the household.
Sometime a year later in 1981, Lionel fathered his second child Lutessa Lena Luthor with Pamela (It is unknown if Pamela raised her with Lionel without Lillian's knowledge or not). When the girl was nine, Lionel had her placed in Granny Goodness's orphanage.
After Lillian gave birth to their second son Julian Luthor, Lillian smothered Julian to death when he was an infant; Lex took the blame, and Lionel has resented his surviving son ever since. Also Lionel engaged in an affair with Rachel Dunleavy, a nurse hired to care for Lillian as her health declined. The relationship resulted in an illegitimate son whom Lionel had placed with an adopted family. Lex has often been a victim of Lionel's wrath; Lionel frequently puts him in harm's way under the motive of "making Lex stronger." Lex has survived many attempts on his life and his business. However, all that Lex wanted from Lionel were things that Lionel found foreign: kindness, respect and love.
Before the 1989 meteor shower and Julian's birth, Lionel was working on a project called "Veritas," which was discovered in his briefcase by Lillian. Veritas was an "astronomy club" involving the Teagues (Genevieve, Edward and Jason), the Queens (Robert, Laura and Oliver), and the Swanns (Virgil and Patricia) having to do with what they referred to as "The Traveler." Lionel believed the Traveler to be Kal-El.
Lionel bought a Scottish mansion and had it shipped to America to be reassembled. Lionel, along with the rest of the Veritas group hid the Orb in the fireplace of the mansion, to keep it safe.
When on a business meeting in Smallville in 1989, Lionel and Lex were caught in the meteor shower. Lionel found Lex in the cornfield, completely bald, and was helped by the Kents to get him to the hospital. Because of that, Lionel had made it possible for the Kents to adopt Clark, and Jonathan Kent had to make the painful decision to convince Pete Ross' family to sell their property to Lionel to build his LuthorCorp Plant.
When Kal-El's ship landed on Earth, he sent a search team to get the Traveler, only to grab a young boy, named Davis. Believing him to be the Traveler, Lionel took Davis in. Studying him and gathering information, Lionel allowed the boy to stay in the Luthor Mansion. After five days when he realized he grabbed the wrong boy, Lionel had the boy thrown out in the streets of Metropolis.
Season One[]
Years later, Lionel sent Lex to run the LuthorCorp factory in Smallville so he could keep him out of trouble. While Lex ran the Smallville factory of LuthorCorp, Lionel stayed in Metropolis. Lionel later came to Smallville to give Lex a hard time about his decision to increase his workforce. They couldn't come to an agreement, leading Lionel to suggest that they fence for it; Lex lost the bet.
When Earl Jenkins attempted to get Lionel's attention by holding hostages inside the LuthorCorp plant, Lionel came to Smallville and was confronted by Lex about a secret project named Level Three, but Lionel refers to Level Three as a redundant storage area.
Lionel orchestrated a plan to set up Lex to make him lose the Smallville factory of LuthorCorp and used Lex's new girlfriend Victoria Hardwick to accomplish this, but without success. Nixon later gave photos to Lex of Lionel in an intimate position with Victoria.
Months later, Lionel returned to Smallville for a surprise visit, to compliment Lex's work at the Smallville plant, and offered Lex a new position in Metropolis as Special Advisor to the Chairman but Lex ultimately turned him down.
Finally, Lionel announced that the Smallville plant will be closed due to management problems beyond their control; he did this to force Lex out of Smallville. While Lex and Lionel were arguing during the tornadoes that hit the town, the storm blew out a window. Lionel was injured, and he called out to Lex for help. Lionel was rescued by Lex and taken to the Smallville Medical Center, where he underwent surgery that saved his life, but left him blind. Lionel then went into therapy, and moved into the Luthor Mansion with Lex as he refused to be gawked at by others.
Season Two[]
Lionel would have the mansion redecorated and conducted his business there, much to Lex's annoyance. Lionel also met Clark Kent who, under the influence of red kryptonite, proceeded to mock Lionel. Later on, Lex had everything put back the way it was before Lionel moved in and laid down the law with his father, causing Lionel to wonder aloud if Lex discovered the value of directness from his friend Clark as he fingered flattened bullets that were blocked by Clark earlier.
Lionel hired Martha Kent to be his assistant. However, he found himself attracted to Martha. Also, his sight had returned and tried to fake being blind for a couple of weeks until Lucas Luthor exposed the truth.
When Lionel's ex-lover Rachel Dunleavy came back into his life, she kidnapped Lex to force Lionel to acknowledge Clark as their illegitimate son. Rachel angrily stormed in on Lionel, accusing him of switching the DNA samples and forcing her to give up her child. Unbeknownst to Rachel and Lionel, Clark and Pete broke into the lab and switched the DNA samples. She threatened to expose him; Lionel flirted with her and offered to get her psychiatric help.
When Lionel learned that Clark had a mysterious connection to the Kawatche Caves, he did all he could to figure out who Clark really was and, more importantly, where he came from.
Later on, while in Metropolis, Lionel gave Martha a beautiful watch and told her that she had been promoted and had her own office there in Metropolis. Martha turned the promotion down, but they were held hostage before she could leave. Shortly after Martha quit her job, Lionel was shot by Sheriff Ethan Miller, but recovered and returned to Metropolis.
Lex located Rachel's missing child, Lucas, and introduced him to Lionel. Lionel revealed that he knew all along where Lucas was. This was when Lionel revealed that he was no longer blind and was confronted by Lex.
A few months later, Lionel offered Chloe Sullivan a column at the Daily Planet in exchange for her helping him get information on Clark. At first, Chloe turned him down, but then she reconsidered his offer.
At an attempt at peace with Lex, Lionel offered him a honeymoon trip, but got control of the Kawatche Caves. At the same time, Lionel made a duplicate of Clark's spaceship key manufactured from the pattern on Dr. Frederick Walden's palm and refined kryptonite, and planned to insert it into the hole in the cave. Unfortunately, the kryptonite key was stolen by Clark with assistance from Pete Ross.
Season Three[]
After Lex crashed en route to his honeymoon, Lionel held a funeral service for his son after the rescue teams came up empty. Martha, Jonathan, Lex's widow Helen Bryce, Lana Lang, and Clark all attended. Lionel publicly denounced Helen, although he couldn't completely have her disposed, due to the special vial of blood he bought from her and the fact that she was the only one who knew where it came from. When Lex returned, Lionel had to prove he had nothing to do with the plane crash.
When Lex stumbled upon the mysterious deaths of his grandparents and learned that Lionel had his parents killed for the insurance money, Lionel schemed to have Lex—and everyone else—believe that Lex was insane in order to cover up the murders. To have Lex committed, he had untraceable drugs placed in Lex's drink that made him hysterical, and "cleaned" up his messes that he made in the Luthor Mansion. Lionel then ordered for Lex to receive electroshock therapy at Belle Reve; afterward, Lex remembered little of the last seven weeks.
Lionel wanting to learn more and more about Clark, demanding more on the reports of Clark from Chloe Sullivan. When Chloe arrived in Lionel's office and had no information on Clark, Lionel canceled her column at the Daily Planet and had her father fired. He also sent a mysterious young man named Adam Knight to Smallville to get close to Lana so she could tell him everything there is about Clark.
Later on, Lionel and Lex argued about the project Lex wanted to be in charge of, which resulted in Lionel hiding the lab. He got Dr. Lia Teng to move the lab, but in the end, she and her lab technicians were killed by an unstable inmate that Lionel was experimenting on (Adam Knight). Lionel was not responsible for their deaths, but knew that the FBI suspected him. So he pinned the murders on Lex, framing his own son. Knowing that the destruction of the lab would end his chances of surviving his liver disease, Lionel contemplated suicide, knowing he only had a matter of months.
Lionel then met with Dr. Virgil Swann to ask about the hieroglyphics on the walls of the Kawatche Caves. Dr. Swann didn't give Lionel the information that he needed, but offered another arrangement. Lionel attempted to force his way into the cave wall, but was stopped by Jonathan Kent; they fought, and Lionel watched as the key flew into the wall. Later, he had his people torture Pete Ross, resulting in Pete's departure from Smallville.
With the help of Chloe, Lionel was arrested, but not before setting several events in motion. He gave Clark the key to Lex's secret room, ending the friendship between Lex and Clark; had Chloe and her father's safe house compromised, resulting in it exploding; and had Lex's brandy poisoned. Lionel was incarcerated in a transparent prison cell having his lion's mane of hair being completely shaved off.
Season Four[]
Even while incarcerated, Lionel proved that he was still a significant threat to Clark and those he loved. Lionel's schemes against Lex and Chloe failed and to keep Chloe from testifying, Lionel sent a metahuman, Trent MacGowen, to go after Chloe and kill her.
Lionel got a hold of the Crystal of Water, which he planned to use to switch bodies with Lex, but the attempt failed when Clark interfered, resulting in Lionel switching bodies with Clark instead. While Lionel used his newfound powers to attempt to regain his lost fortune and alienate Clark's friends, Clark arranged to have it all switched back to normal. Lionel discovered that his body-swapping experience had somehow cured his liver cancer and told Clark about the energy coursing through him that healed him. Ever since he returned to his body, with no memory of being in Clark's body and his liver completely healed, Lionel dedicated himself to helping others, to make up for his past misdeeds. But, he didn't intend to leave prison, for that was his punishment and he accepted it.
When Lex was framed for killing a woman after a one-night stand, Lionel helped Clark search for the proof needed to help Lex, meanwhile falsely implying that Lex had a perverse fetish. Lionel was released from prison and his conviction overturned thanks to his mysterious benefactor, who happened to be Genevieve Teague.
Lionel came to visit Lex and told him he wanted to reconcile, as well as make the world a better place for everyone. Lex didn't listen to Lionel, but decided to let his father use the guest house at the mansion. Lionel later told Lana Lang about how Margaret Isobel Thoreaux was using her to get the Stones of Power, and gave Lana a map of China, saying Jason Teague was there with Lex attempting to find the Crystal of Air. He also let her and Clark use the LuthorCorp plane to get to China.
Lionel's completely peaceful nature was shattered when he faced Alexander, Lex's evil counterpart. After that encounter, Lionel revealed his deceitful nature once again, blackmailing Lex into giving him the Crystal of Air (which Lana had) or else he would reveal Lana's killing of Genevieve Teague.
While Lex later tried to bargain with his father over the stones, the Crystal of Water that was in Lionel's pocket gave off a massive force of energy, putting Lionel in a coma. Lionel was placed in an upstairs bedroom. Before departing, Lex told Lionel that he was now the son Lionel raised him to be.
Season Five[]
Due to being exposed to the energy from the Crystal of Water, Lionel was transformed into a Kryptonian vessel for the essence of Jor-El, Clark Kent's Kryptonian birth father, and installed with all the knowledge of the planet Krypton.
After the second meteor shower that hit Smallville, Lionel scratched Kryptonian symbols on the floor of the office in the Luthor Mansion, as Lana watched him. In a trance, he told Lana that the Disciples of Zod, Aethyr and Nam-Ek, had come and must be stopped, and cryptically told her that "their home is their poison," giving Lana the information she used to stop the two Kryptonians. Lionel was later put in Belle Reve, due to his unresponsive state, his blank eyes and his creation of numerous Kryptonian symbols of General Zod.
After Clark was shot and killed by Gabriel Duncan, Jor-El possessed a catatonic Lionel, giving him Kryptonian powers in order for the body to carry out Jor-El's commands; Lionel broke out of his cell and retrieved Clark's body, taking it to the Fortress of Solitude, where Jor-El resurrected Clark and restored his powers. Jor-El, through Lionel, told Clark he loved him, hoping one day Clark will learn to call him father, setting up the stage for Lionel and Clark's father/son bond, and also warned Clark that giving him back his powers came with a price that one of his loved ones will die and that it would be paid in due time.
Later, Lionel turned up at the Luthor Mansion, completely healthy and conscious; he denied having memory of what happened during the meteor shower. Lionel continued his normal persona, and gave Chloe clever hints about stopping Lex from winning the senatorial race against Jonathan Kent, and about Professor Milton Fine.
As a Kryptonian oracle, Lionel received messages in the form of Kryptonian symbols which he would have pass along to Clark. With each message, he wrote the symbols on sheets of paper, and placed them all in a vault in his office at LuthorCorp. Whenever he received a message, Lionel was overcome with a headache, dropping to his knees and frantically starting to jot the message down on paper.
After Jonathan Kent won the state senate race, Lionel asked for a partnership, but he was refused. He threatened to release incriminating pictures of Clark using his powers, causing Jonathan's temper to rise, resulting in a fatal heart attack to the senator-elect. Lionel temporarily returned to his status as CEO of LuthorCorp, but was blackmailed by Lex to get out because of possible evidence linking him to Jonathan's heart attack.
With Jonathan gone, Lionel tried to be a friend to Martha as she took the position of State Senator. He also got her out of being blackmailed with footage of Clark using his powers. Later, while viewing the footage, Lionel said to himself, "Your secret is safe with me... Kal-El."
Lionel continued his work at LuthorCorp, but only at an area where he would not take total control of it.
A masked tormentor, Lincoln Cole, took Lionel hostage and orchestrated a series of elaborate games that he had to win in order to stay alive. Cole later brought in Martha to torment Lionel even more. When it came down to one of them killing the other with a gun, Lionel pleaded for Martha to kill him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. When Lionel tried it on himself, it turned out that the gun wasn't loaded. They were then dropped down in a falling elevator until they were caught by Clark.
As Clark realized that Lionel knew his secret, he confronted Lionel and learned how he knew. Apparently, Lionel knew a great deal about Clark from the day he held one of the crystals that created the Fortress of Solitude. He then told Clark that he only wanted what was best for him and his mother, but Clark did not believe him and told him to stay away. After Clark left, Lionel began channeling Jor-El and started scribbling down Kryptonian symbols.
As Lionel failed to persuade Lex from working with Milton Fine, he again channeled Jor-El and scribbled another Kryptonian message on paper. When the spirit of Jonathan Kent (who was actually Brainiac in disguise) tried to persuade Clark to kill him, Lionel reminded Clark that his father would never make him be a killer. Once Clark realized what he was doing, he fought Brainiac, and Lionel once more began channeling Jor-El who, with one touch, vaporized the Brainiac duplicate. As soon as the Brainiac was gone, Lionel returned to normal with no memory of what happened. He later showed Clark his vault of Kryptonian symbols which neither he nor Clark could decipher. They then joined forces to stop Fine and Lex, and had Chloe scan the symbols into her computer.
Lionel later went to see Martha to explain what happened with Jonathan on the night of his death. In the interim, Chloe's computer compiled the scribbles into three Kryptonian symbols, which, when translated, read as, "Zod is coming."
Lionel gave Martha and Lois the LuthorCorp jet to use to get to a conference in Washington, D.C. He later confronted Clark with another message from Jor-El about Zod instructing Clark to destroy the "vessel" to prevent Zod from being unleashed onto the Earth. Lionel told Clark that every hero's greatest test would be for the benefit of mankind, even if it meant conducting an evil act, but when Clark told him that Lex was Zod's vessel, Lionel went to find Lex. Once he did, he witnessed Lex possessing Kryptonian powers, which Lex demonstrated on Lionel by tossing him onto the hood of his car. Lionel told Clark about the encounter, and when Metropolis had broken out into riots during a powerful power failure caused by Brainiac, he gave Chloe a ride, but they were attacked by angry mobs.
Season Six[]
Lionel managed to save Chloe and witnessed General Zod, now inhabiting Lex's body, take flight with Lana in tow. He told Chloe that his connection with Jor-El was gone, and that he was no longer influenced by him. When Chloe opted to go back to the Daily Planet, Lionel gave her his gun to use in case of danger, and went to Martha to help and find the Kryptonian dagger, which Lana took to use on Zod.
Even though his connection with Jor-El was gone, Lionel still remembered a few Kryptonian symbols. He kept his information about the Kryptonian symbols to himself, and informed Clark and Martha about everything happening with Lex. Lionel met Oliver Queen, and welcomed him to Metropolis. Later, Lionel's help was enlisted by Lex to test Lana's loyalty. Lionel accidentally admitted his feelings for Martha, and he attended Thanksgiving dinner at the Kents.
Over the course of the season, Lionel became more and more of a father figure to Clark than even his own son Lex; he often found himself being more encouraging and supportive of Clark than he ever was to Lex. This was not lost on Lex, who questioned Lionel on it; Lionel replied that Clark was "the kind of son a father can be proud of," furthering his preference of Clark over Lex. He even went as far as to call Clark "son," a name he formerly used only with Lex. For his part, Clark, somewhat begrudgingly, came to reciprocate the father/son bond Lionel had for him. He often came to Lionel when he needed advice, and found that only Lionel could point him in the right direction.
Later, Lex spoke to Lionel about Level 33.1. Lionel was concerned that the press would find out that Lex was experimenting on metahumans and managed to discover there was a person with superhuman speed. He was confronted by Lex and thought that Clark was in Mexico, but it turned out to be Bart Allen, who was the superhuman speedster. Lionel later covered for Clark when he was suspected in being in the Project 33.1 facility blown up by the "Justice League."
When Clark was attacked in his barn by an Zoner and put in an illusion world, he found that his adoptive mother was married to Lionel, and Lionel was the one who wanted to help Clark with his mental state and put Clark in the mental hospital.
On the day of Lex and Lana's wedding, Lionel found Lex at LuthorCorp alone, and asked him what he'd be willing to do to make sure the wedding happened; Lex answered that he'd do anything. Lionel then left as Lex received a phone call; he listened at the door when Lex told the caller that he would meet him later. When Lionel went to see Lana, he read her letter and realized that she didn't intend to marry Lex, correctly guessing that she knew Clark's secret. Lionel revealed to Lana that he knew Clark's secret too, but that he also knew Clark's weakness; he then told her that if she didn't marry Lex, he would kill Clark. Lionel met Lex after the ceremony because he knew that Lex killed Dr. Langston. Lex offered him control of LuthorCorp or even Level 33.1, but Lionel just said Lex would know when it was time for him to collect.
When Lionel was severely injured in an explosion caused by Jodi Keenan, Lana forced him to tell her the reason he forced her to marry Lex; he told her that it was to protect Clark. Lana later forced Lionel to tell her how he was protecting Clark; it was not yet been revealed if he told her the truth or not.
Lionel had learned that Lois Lane had stolen a cigarette carrier from the crime scene where Lana had been shot, and crept into her apartment to retrieve it. When she came in, Lionel took it and saw that there was a flash drive inside it; he used it to see that Lex was working with Senator Ed Burke on Project Ares.
Lionel was watching a video about a phantom attacking a reporter in Patagonia, and translated more Kryptonian symbols into the word "mirror." Clark then came in and accused Lionel of having Lana marry Lex.
Lex demanded that Lionel get out of his life, but Lionel did not oblige. Later, Lionel was confronted by Clark, who had discovered the truth about Lex and Lana's wedding; Clark was about to kill him until Martian Manhunter stopped him, telling him that Lionel was an emissary of Jor-El. He then explained the reason why he had Lana marry Lex: so Lana could get close to Lex to get information from him.
Lionel went to talk to Lana before she left Smallville and saw her getting in the car; it exploded with her in it. Later on, he told Clark about what happened, and begged him not to do what he would later regret, but Clark was too grief-stricken to listen. Lionel went to Reeves Dam to stop Clark from hurting Lex, taking a piece of kryptonite with him, but ended up using the kryptonite against Bizarro; this only made the phantom stronger. Bizarro then threw Lionel against the dam wall; Lionel was left unconscious as the dam cracked and began flooding.
Season Seven[]
Lionel washed ashore after the dam broke, and was then dragged away by a mysterious figure. No one knew of this, so he was presumed dead by Lex and the media. Sometime later, Lionel finally awoke to find himself chained to a bed by a woman named Marilyn. He managed to get loose, but was knocked out by Lana. After Lex tried to free Lionel, Marilyn had a gun pointed at his son, and Lionel snuck up behind her and beat her to death. Lionel went to see Lana at the Kent Farm, and knew she was behind his disappearance. He warned her not to continue with her sense of retribution or something bad would happen.
Lionel returned to LuthorCorp, and was kept out of the loop about Clark's Kryptonian cousin, Kara, though he later helped Clark save Kara by shooting Agent Carter.
Lionel was later attacked by Zor-El, who threatened to kill him if he didn't tell Clark to trust him. Lionel refused, claiming that Clark was following his own destiny. Clark showed up and saved Lionel, who was later hospitalized with minor injuries.
Grant Gabriel went to Lionel, and told him he was the clone of his deceased son Julian Luthor. Lionel was proud and happy to see the man his "son" had come to be; unfortunately, he was disgusted that Lex had done this. When Lionel took Grant to a steak restaurant in Metropolis, Lex had an assassin find Grant and kill him in front of Lionel.
Still angry and mourning over Grant's death, Lionel asked for Lana's help in bringing down Lex for what he had done, threatening to tell Clark about her role in the death of Casey Brock if she didn't help him. Lana told Clark the news himself, and later came to Lionel's office and told him she had no information. She also said she was not going to spy for him any longer.
Lionel let Clark and Chloe know what happened to Lex, and watched over Lex and Clark as Project Intercept allowed Clark to go inside Lex's mind. After Lex died, Chloe healed him, and Clark awoke to find Chloe dead in Lionel's arms. Lionel was confused when Clark told him to bring Chloe to her apartment without taking her to a doctor. Later, he told Lex that he loved him.
Lionel discussed the situation about Kara with Clark and Lana, but unbeknownst to Clark, Lionel had Kara's bracelet in his vault, which Lex knew about and Clark later found out about.
While in his office, Lionel received a letter from Veritas and started fearing the worst. He went to meet Patricia Swann, the daughter of Virgil Swann, and was suspected of murdering Oliver Queen's parents as well as Dr. Swann. As it turned out, it was Lionel who staged Clark's capture by Pierce. Lionel threw the suspicion off of himself to Lex when Lana and Chloe came to him for answers. Wanting the evidence to link him to the murders of the Veritas members, Lionel agreed to set Clark free, but Pierce betrayed him and intended to kill Clark. After Kara saved Clark, Pierce prepared to shoot them with kryptonite tasers but Lionel hit him with a pipe, killing him. As Lionel attempted to explain to Clark about Veritas and keeping him in a kryptonite cage, he realized that his friendship with Clark had been greatly damaged.
Lionel was later ambushed by Lois and Jimmy Olsen as they questioned him about the murder of Patricia Swann; he admitted nothing. He had left evidence to Lana proving that it was Lex who was responsible for Patricia's murder. While it was probably Lionel who arranged for the Queens to be killed, all evidence pointed to Lex as the murderer of Patricia Swann. Lionel claimed to be a changed man after he was chosen to be Jor-El's vessel, hoping that by protecting Clark now, he might atone for some of his past sins.
Lex eventually came to believe that the LuthorCorp plant in Smallville was only a cover-up to see "The Traveler," and confronted his father about this in his office. Lionel tried to warn Lex not to press him about Veritas, telling his son that Lex was actually the Traveler. Unfortunately, Lex did not believe any of this, and shattered the office window by shooting it. Lex tore the locket off of his father's neck and pushed him out the open window, letting him to fall to his death.