I can imagine what's running through your head right now. Shock, confusion, outrage! The same emotions I felt when you let Lex die!—Arianna Carlin, to Superman, after shooting him, Madame Ex
Arianna Carlin is a villain in the series.
She was the devoted ex-wife of Lex Luthor and after hearing about his death, sought revenge on Lois Lane and Superman as she blindly blamed them for his death.
History[]
A photo of Arianna and Lex on their Wedding Day
It is not revealed about Arianna's life before she met Lex Luthor or how they met.
But they fell in love and got married on October 8, 1984. After a while, the couple soon divorced for unknown reasons, but Arianna still loved him.
Years later when she heard of Lex's suicidal death, she was full of rage and bitterness. She blamed Lois for driving Lex to his death, by saying no to him at the altar and Superman for not saving him, probably unaware that he was weakened by Kryptonite at the time when Lex was trying to kill him.
With the help of Lex's former doctor Gretchen Kelly, Arianna manged to steal Lex's body from the morgue, froze his remains and decided to bring him back from the dead.
Season 2[]
Arianna with her hired impostor
At a medical hospital, Arianna hired Dr. Heller whom she later killed to leave no witnesses of her crimes to reconstruct the face of a woman who had been in an auto accident to resemble Lois Lane. She promised this woman a large sum of money if she helped her in her revenge against Lois and Superman
Arianna then got a job as the staff psychologist of the Daily Planet where Lois worked. Perry White, the editor was pleased to have her there and was sure that everybody would want to see her. Lois though wasn't so sure.
Meanwhile Arianna also used subliminal messaging in her psychiatry column and her published book to slander Superman's name whilst the Lois impostor was causing all kinds of problems including framing Lois for a crime involving a handgun and disgracing the Man of Steel in public for not saving Lex, which made Superman look even worse.
She then reprimanded the double for almost blowing her cover as the real Lois was right-handed and the double was using her left. She seemed pleased that her plan was working.
Lois was none too pleased when she saw the broadcast of her double slandering Superman and immediately said it wasn't her. Arianna sneakily arranged a session with the reporter so she could get more information on her and her relationship with Superman.
Arianna with Lex's frozen corpse
Later she visited Gretchen who was keeping Lex's frozen corpse in her lab to begin the regenerative process. Arianna stroked the casket containing her ex-husband tenderly, promising him that soon their revenge would be complete. She then kissed Lex's casket and left.
After a session with Arianna, Lois is deemed to be an overworked nutcase who needed some time off. Lois and was determined to get to the bottom of what was really going on.
Meanwhile as Lois and Clark found out who Arianna really was after speaking to the captain who had married her and Lex, the Lois impostor burst into the newsroom, telling Perry that she quit her job before throwing a tear gas canister and walking way.
As Clark and Lois headed back to the Daily Planet, they got separated and Lois finally met her double face to face and Arianna witnessed a fierce battle between them before finally taking the real Lois away at gunpoint.
While Superman successfully disposed of the gas in the newsroom and told Perry and the others the real truth about Arianna, the evil woman took Lois to the penthouse in the abandoned Lex Corp building which was the very same place where Lex had previously committed suicide.
She then contacted Clark at the Daily Planet, telling him of their location and also declaring Lois insane, threatening to kill herself unless she could speak to Superman.
Arianna then held out a piece of Kryptonite in the shape of a bullet, loaded it into the clip and put the clip into a large handgun that the Lois impostor had bought earlier. She then explained to Lois who was bound and gagged that this would kill Superman and Lois would be taking the blame for it so she would know how much pain she had caused her when she drove Lex to his death.
Lois was horrified and declared she had never done such a thing, but Arianna refused to believe her.
After meeting the impostor, Arianna then put Lois into unconsciousness with a serum from a syringe and waited for the Man of Steel to arrive.
Arianna ready to kill Superman with the Kryptonite bullet
Superman arrived and saw Lois unconscious, Arianna then appeared with the gun in her hand and wearing gloves so as not to leave fingerprints on the handle. She then brutally shot Superman in the chest with the Kryptonite bullet, knocking him to the ground.
As Superman lay writhing in pain, Arianna vengefully told him that the bullet probably made him feel the same way she felt when he let Lex die.
She then stepped over him and placed the gun in Lois' hand before she called to the Lois impostor and they made their escape.
However, Superman managed to wake Lois up and she dislodged the bullet from his body.
Meanwhile Arianna and the Lois impostor went into an Lexus car and started driving away, but to their horror, Superman was right in front of them. Knowing he was still weak, Arianna told the Lois impostor to ram the Man of Steel, which she did, sending the Man of Steel flying into the front of parked car but also crashing the Lexus into a fire hydrant.
The two crooks then climbed out and Arianna armed herself again and took the driver of a semi truck at gunpoint to help make their getaway, but Superman still continued to pursue them.
The Lois impostor began to have doubts of losing Superman so Arianna attempted to push her out and the two started wrestling with the gun going off and the driver finding it hard to keep the steering under control.
Arianna and the impostor captured
The truck started skidding into a park, frightening the parents and children who ran for their lives. Superman though he was still very weak, managed to stop it. Arianna and the Lois impostor are then seen by the Man of Steel to be held at gunpoint by the driver who managed to grab it in the struggle. He then handed it to a triumphant Superman who then told the now captured Arianna: "I guess he doesn't read your column."
Both Arianna and the Lois impostor could do nothing but scowl in frustration. The real Lois was cleared and Arianna and the Lois impostor were imprisoned as Perry later told Lois that Arianna and her double were now enjoying "deluxe accommodations with a view of the exercise yard."
Lois then published a story exposing Arianna for the deceiving, vengeful woman she was and hopefully closing the final chapter on the House of Luthor.
Episode Appearances[]
Season 2[]
Trivia[]
- Gretchen eventually succeeded in bringing Lex back from the dead, but died after being murdered by Lex himself. A year later Lex also died, but this time he had no one to bring him back.