ALL-STAR SPOILER: DC solicits reveal that Quintum is really...

[Kal-L]

Spoiler picture below




















...Lex Luthor.

Check out the cover to AS-S #12:



Note the similarity to Quintum's outift. He's also apparently got super powers, which he could have easily given himself via all the tech he had access to as Quintum.

This is a great riff on the original Death of Superman. Luthor pretended to turn good and helped humanity, but it was really all a plot to destroy Superman, which he did.

Here, Luthor takes on a new identity as Quintum, achieving great things for humanity all with the intent of killing Superman.

The Luthor in prison is probably a robot or clone.

And this also gives new light to Quintum and Superman's convo on Mars.

Quintum: "For all you know, I could be the devil himself, Superman."

Superman: "I think I'm a better judge of character than that, Leo."

It's an ironic nod to Superman's hope in humanity in the original DoS story, which led to his murder at Lex's hands.

I can't wait to see if Superman really knows Leo is Quintum and if so, what he's got up his sleeve to deal with it.

\S/

[Bizarro #98]

Lois gets a suit that gives her Kryptonian powers, Jimmy turns into Doomsday, and now Lex has Titano-style kryptonite vision. Everybody gets powers in All-Star Superman!

Now I want to see Lex's kryptonite vision vs. Bizarro Superman's freeze vision.

[Myshkin]

I don't think that Quintum and Lex are one and the same.
On All Star Supes 12, Lex is apparently wearing a trenchcoat with a military-like uniform under it (look at the boots).
Leo usually wears a white (rainbow?) tie with thin tailcoats.
The two outfits are rather different. But there is a possibility that Leo is evil or one of Lex's accomplice (Brainiac?)

[Benjamin Birdie]

Yeah, I don't see how that confirms that Lex is Quintum at all.

[Kal-L]

^^^Re-read my original post. There's more than just the costume to confirm this.

It's all part of Morrison's homage to one of the greatest imaginary stories in Superman history.

\S/

[Greg Owens]

I love that cover so much that words can't even begin to describe my love.

[Myshkin]

^^^Re-read my original post. There's more than just the costume to confirm this. It's all part of Morrison's homage to one of the greatest imaginary stories in Superman history. \S/

Kal-L

Yes, i read it and I know the story you make reference to, but I don't find it so convincing an evidence anyway.
Perhaps it could foreshadow, as I said, that Quintum is somehow malevolent or connected to Luthor, but not that they're the same person (it doesn't mean that they're NOT the same persone either... I just think that there are not evidence enough to prove this theory).

[Benjamin Birdie]

^^^Re-read my original post. There's more than just the costume to confirm this. It's all part of Morrison's homage to one of the greatest imaginary stories in Superman history. \S/

Kal-L

I read it. It would be a very clever homage, well told, but I still don't see how it's any more than speculation at this point.

[jcowman]

This Superman is one of the most powerful we've ever seen. I really don't see how Quintum being Lex Luthor could slip past his radar.

[Patrick Gerard]

This Superman is one of the most powerful we've ever seen. I really don't see how Quintum being Lex Luthor could slip past his radar.

jcowman

Well, there's a chance it DIDN'T.

But if Lex is Leo then one would also have to consider that however powerful Superman is, Lex rises in intellect to match.

New DNA, retinas plucked from a fresh victim, hormonal and dietary changes to mask his scent and breath (Superman will know if you have Luthor's diet from the smell of your stomach), new neural engrams and heart rhythm through bio feedback, breathing and voice modulation, hair (naturally).

Do that and you can fool Superman.

[.osid]

you never know...things could surprise you...

[Kal-L]

Quintum is Superman.

The clues are there. That remote controlled clone-bomb in the first issue? Explains how Quintum-Luthor is controlling the Luthor-clone in jail.

And who is it that created the imperfect duplicate of Superman in the traditional Superman mythos?

Luthor.

Who created the Bizarro drones that eventually get their own world in AS-S?

Quintum.

The pieces are there.

Put them together.

\S/

[Bizarro #98]

Quintum is Superman.

Kal-L

That's a funny typo.

Quintum is Superman! The Superman in every scene with Quintum is actually a Superman robot!

[carmine007]

Superman gives Leo/lex his dna code so then Lex uses the DNA-Stuff on himself and turns himself into a green supervision demigod.

Notice that Superman is using his Krytonite ray as seen when Lois goes crazy and tries to kill him in the fortress.

the kryptonite ray would work on lex now that he has kryptonian powers.

PS. I don't think that leo and lex are the same guy

PPS. I guess solaris is lex's "friend in high places" or whatever he says when he points out that he isnt concerned about the death pentatly.

[Patrick Gerard]

I think Quintum is working WITH Luthor but setting Luthor up for a doublecross.

Remember: Quintum has a base on the moon. Luthor said he had friends in "high places". That's enough connection for me.

I think there IS a Quintum/Luthor connection. But I think Quintum is one step ahead because we know from Superman Prime's inclusion that these events will play out in Superman's favor in the long run.

Here's a nutty idea:

Quintum is Lex Luthor from the 853rd century, the counterpart to Superman Prime. He comes back in time and pretends to team up with his past self... But Leo is really trying to teach Lex a lesson and lead Lex into becoming him.

The infinity sign in Quintum's bank account and Solaris connection, coupled with the DC1M Supermen appearing could all point to Quintum being a time traveler. (Only a time traveler could have unlimited funds.)

But Lex with hair is good Lex, iconically speaking.

And I think that cover is less about Quintum being revealed as Lex and is more about Lex's first step in becoming Quintum. (Note he has the coat but it's only one color. Visually, that suggests that he's an incomplete Quintum.)

And so, this story is really "The Last Lex Luthor Story" more than it is "The Last Superman Story". (Remember the lines Lex had in #1 about how he was getting older and Superman wasn't? More evocative of his story ending than Superman's... And Superman Prime's inclusion tells us that Superman's story doesn't end here.)

My guess is that this whole arc functions as Lex's ultimate attempt to kill Superman (with both future Lex and future Superman taking part) but winds up sending him down an entirely different path.

Lex represents humanity. The 853rd century (and the future alluded to in this book) reflects a world where the gap between man and superman has vanished, with ALL of humanity rising up to Superman's level, morally and physically.

In my mind, the logical way for this to play out is with distant future Superman and Lex (with his hair back) as best friends in a utopia, having maneuvered their past selves towards this outcome.

So IMO, Quintum is Lex. But he's future, redeemed Lex, playing a nasty prank on his past self in order to get all the bad mojo out of his system so that Lex can become the evolved humanitarian he's meant to be.

[jcowman]

Wowsers. I like that alot.