al ▁after ▁Lex ' s ▁( J on ▁Cry er ) ▁birth ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁wife ▁L ill ian ▁( Br enda ▁Str ong ), ▁who ▁gradually ▁reve als ▁herself ▁being ▁r uth less ▁and ▁n arc iss istic ; ▁these ▁tra its ▁also ▁later ▁pass ▁on ▁to ▁Lex ▁which ▁leads ▁him ▁to ▁become ▁Super man ' s ▁ar chen emy ▁and ▁t arn ishes ▁his ▁family ▁name ▁in ▁the ▁process . ▁Having ▁difficulty ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁his ▁wife , ▁Lion el ▁begins ▁an ▁extr amar ital ▁affair ▁with ▁an ▁un named ▁woman ▁that ▁would ▁lead ▁to ▁L ena ▁L ut hor ' s ▁( K atie ▁Mc Gr ath ) ▁conception , ▁but ▁remains ▁with ▁his ▁family ▁for ▁the ▁sake ▁of ▁his ▁son ▁in ▁hopes ▁to ▁save ▁him ▁from ▁L ill ian ▁but ▁un success fully . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁revealed ▁later ▁by ▁Lex ▁that ▁Lion el ▁had ▁taken ▁up ▁drink ing ▁as ▁a ▁cop ing ▁mechanism ▁for ▁their ▁family ' s ▁d ys functions . ▁After ▁L ena ' s ▁mother ' s ▁death , ▁Lion el ▁takes ▁his ▁il leg it imate ▁daughter ▁in ▁their ▁house ▁but ▁lies ▁to ▁her ▁and ▁the ▁public ▁that ▁his ▁second ▁child ▁is ▁adopted , ▁and ▁he ▁fav ors ▁L ena ▁over ▁Lex ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁love ▁for ▁her ▁mother . ▁Lion el ▁died ▁som etime ▁afterwards ▁in ▁unknown ▁circumstances ▁and ▁his ▁son ▁Lex ▁inherited ▁his ▁fortune ▁to ▁lead ▁L ut hor Cor p ▁company ▁for ▁years ▁until ▁his ▁imprison ment . ▁L ena