Clark and Lex's destiny

"You and I... we will both be great men... because of each other. We have a destiny together, Clark... only on different sides." - Lex

"And I'll always be there to stop you... always." - Clark

"Oh, I'm counting on it." - Lex

Finale, Part 2

Clark and Lex's destiny is to become each other's ultimate opponent and the balance between good and evil.

Season One[]

Following their first meeting after Clark saved Lex from drowning, the two quickly formed a surprising but generally close friendship, Clark believing that Lex could be a good person despite his father's own history while Lex saw in Clark a friend who could be trusted to just be his friend without any agenda behind it. Although Lex occasionally carried out secret investigations into Clark's abilities, his investigations were often halted or delayed after he witnessed Clark suffering from all-too-human weaknesses during periods when Clark had either lost his powers or being overwhelmed by particularly powerful meteor freaks.

Season Three[]

"But if one person could do all that, he'd be a formidable enemy. He could conquer the world. He could become a tyrant if no one kept him in check. So I've been thinking... anybody who'd be willing to fight him would have to be pretty brave. Clark, did it ever occur to you that the hero of the story... is Sageeth?" – Lex to Clark, Talisman

Following the discovery and translation of the inscriptions in the Kawatche Caves, Lex began to take an interest in the legend, showing greater sympathy for Sageeth, the enemy of the deity-like protector Naman, for his willingness to confront such an adversary. His destiny as Sageeth was hinted at when the Starblade- a weapon that could be used against Naman that could not be touched by Sageeth- was destroyed when the Luthors attempted to take it, but there was an equally likely chance that Lionel or Lex's contact with the blade had resulted in its destruction.

Season Four[]

Season Five[]

Lex finally went past the point of no return when he deliberately released three meteor freaks and sent them after Clark to try and expose his secret, informing them that Clark was the only person who could recover a vital serum that was kept in a secure, taped vault. Although Lex never learned Clark's secret as he was currently deprived of his powers due to his defiance of Jor-El, Clark officially called their friendship off after Lex's actions endangered his family. Although they maintained intermittent contact when other circumstances forced Clark to turn to Lex for information, their relationship nevertheless grew increasingly distant, made even worse when Lex deliberately wooed Lana away from Clark.

Season Six[]

Season Seven[]

Years of increasing opposition to each other came to a head when Lex Luthor learned about his father's membership of the secret society, Veritas, and began to research the legend of the Traveller, the alien entity that Veritas believed would come to Earth. Convinced that such an entity could not be trusted, Lex eventually discovered an orb that provided him with a map to the Traveller's base- even killing his own father to recover a key Lionel held that would allow him to recover the Orb-, placing the Orb in the Fortress during his apparently final confrontation with Clark in the belief that he was 'saving' Earth. The resulting collapse of the Fortress left Clark powerless and Lex with serious injuries.

Season Nine[]

"Although Lex Luthor is your ultimate opponent, you will triumph over him." - Kent Nelson about Clark and Lex's destiny in Absolute Justice, Part 2

Kent Nelson revealed to Clark that Lex will become his ultimate opponent and also pointed out that Clark would one day succeed in triumphing over Lex.

Season Ten[]

While Darkseid's planet was coming towards Earth, Clark encountered Lex at the Luthor Mansion's remains. Lex tells Clark that it was not family or friends that defined who people become, but their enemies. Clark tried to tell Lex that he could change, but instead Lex said that they will both be great men in the world because of each other; with Clark on the one side and Lex on the other. Clark told Lex that he will always be there to stop Lex, and Lex said that he would be counting on it and that their story hasn’t been written yet. Calling Clark by his birth name Kal-El, Lex told Clark that he can only be as great as Clark becomes and tells him about what he learned in the Veritas journals about Darkseid. Lex told Clark that they both know who can save the world, Clark apologized for not being able to save Lex, then abruptly departs, leaving Lex in the ruins of his home.