Compbros
Man of Tomorrow
Superman could pulverize lex just as fast as he could joker. It's superman. Don't act like Lex isn't protected by the power of the writers as well lol. All characters are to an extent or it would be the Superman show.
Lex is not a villain to the World, just Superman and the heroes(gods). He has done good for Metropolis and the human race in general. He does not kill or maim people in the light and he has a well publicized distrust of Superman. Now, with how much hell people know he's made Superman's life if Lex were to just disappear or turn up dead Superman would be the first choice of suspects and be distrusted by all and possibly even hunted down. There are grave consequences for Superman killing Lex.
Edit: Sorry, wrong quote.