Superboy

Superman as a Boy

First Superboy in More Fun Comics #101

Superboy of Earth-Prime

Creation of the Time Trapper

The birth of Superboy

Conner Kent

With the real Superman back in action, the Kid relinquishes the rights to the name and symbol (which had been nailed down by Rex Leech during Superman's absence, and which Rex begrudgingly agrees to turn over to the real Man of Steel) and decided to leave Metropolis after finally accepting the name Superboy. It was decided that he would go on a world tour in order to establish himself in his new identity. He also went back to Cadmus and was told more about his origins--he was not in fact a direct clone of Superman's, but rather a human clone genetically engineered to look like Superman and mimic his major powers by way of tactile telekinesis. Despite Director Paul Westfields initial protests, Cadmus agreed to stop trying to bring him back to the Project--partially because of the publicity that would come with such a move--on the terms that a "chaperon" would go with him. Dubbilex is chosen for the role, in part because Westfield was trying to hide the fact he had sent Payback D.N.Aliens against the Kid earlier that day (and Westfield did not having a mind-reader around). The last thing he takes care of before leaving is moving out of his apartment, allowing Clark Kent to move in.

After a few weeks of traveling, Superboy arrived in Hawaii during his world tour. With him came Rex Leech, Roxy Leech, and Dubbilex. After a running battle with Sidearm on the beach, Superboy learned that Tana Moon had moved to Hawaii. Superboy decided to stay on the islands, stylizing himself as the "Hero of Hawaii." Superboy met Knockout and the insane Scavenger early on--the former was a former Female Fury who thought of a fistfight as foreplay, the other was a crazy old man who seemed obsessed with acquiring weapons for his arsenal. Superboy's battle with the latter involved a fight over the mystical Spear of Lona. After the battle with Scavenger, Superboy fell ill. His condition worsened and he had to be flown back to Metropolis after a brief fight with Silver Sword, a new would-be hero turned thug who thought he knew what was best for the islands. Superboy collapsed at the end of the battle and the Navy took custody of Silver Sword.

Superboy was suffering from the Clone Plague that was ravaging most of the Underworlders and other Cadmus clones (including Lex Luthor II). Superboy was successfully cured, the first of the few survivors, thanks to Cadmus's efforts. Superboy had to help fight off some of Luthor's Team Luthor goons when they tried to steal the cure from the Project.He then joined Superman and Supergirl in the Fall of Metropolis, trying to minimize the damage as much as possible, and together they apprehended Lex Luthor--although most of downtown Metropolis was destroyed. Camdus had suffered major damage (and Paul Westfield had been murdered by Dabney Donovon, but most of the staff and clones survived.Superboy stuck around in Metropolis for a while, battling the Parasite and getting caught up in the World's Collide storyline.

Much to his chagrin, Dubbilex was asked to take in Krypto by Bibbo--he and the dog did not care for one another at all. On his way back to Hawaii, Superboy is forced to make a pit stop in Smallville, where he meets The Kents. He also meets Superboy (Pocket Universe), who was there because of the effects of the time disruption. This is just prior to Zero Hour, and the Kid had to join the heroes in that crisis. About this time, Superboy learned that the DNA donor for him was in fact the late Cadmus director, Paul Westfield...or so he thought. This revelation also came with one from Robert Packard that Superboy had been the thirteenth attempt by Cadmus to clone Superboy. The first had utilized Dr. Teng's "Bizzaro" technique, resulting in a Bizzaro Superboy that was still being held by the lab. The Bizarro escapes but dies shortly thereafter. When he returns to Hawaii, Tana throws him a birthday party (one year old).

After getting back to Hawaii, Superboy began to have his own rogues gallery cement. This included first appearances by King Shark, B.E.M., Techno, and the Silicon Dragons. Each of these adventures typically opened with Superboy acting immature in some way and having an "adult" moment towards the end, such as when a celebrity look-a-like of him was shot and killed by the Dragons who thought the actor was the real Superboy.  Superboy also clashed with Aquaman at Pearl Harbor, with the King of the Seas putting the Kid in his place with the help of a pod of blue whales.

Thanks to Dr. Emil Hamilton, Superboy also acquires a visor ( X-ray glasses)that simulated Superman's X-Ray, Heat, and infra-vision powers. He met Hamilton while the scientist was vacationing in Hawaii and inadvertently assisted Superboy defeat Sidearm, who had reemerged at this time. Superboy also settled into a new residence called The Compound, in a secluded spot near the beach, with the Leeches and Dubbilex staying there as a well (although on their first night, he had to fight off Copperhead, who had been hired to collect a debt from Rex).

At this time, Superboy also formally became involved with Tana Moon. A special agent named Sam Makoa decided to organize a task force to go after the Silicon Dragons. This ended up being Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad. Superboy forced himself onto the team, which consisted of Knockout, Sidearm, King Shark, Captain Boomerang, and Deadshot. Despite the death of Sidearm and the apparent deaths of Knockout and King Shark, the mission successfully destroyed the lair of the Silicon Dragons, even though their leader, Lady Dragon, escaped after a solo battle against the Kid. Superboy lost his visor in this adventure, and saw more death than he cared to think about. 

Superboy was also told by the state (specially, a man named Mack Harlin that he was required to start attending school. Superboy enrolled at a local high school where me met some new friends, including Hillary Chang, and discovered that he was reaching the end of the implanted knowledge Cadmus had given him. When he wasn't trying to impress his classmates or going out with Tana (who, again, was probably seven or eight years older than him), Superboy managed to find time for some gratuitous violence--like brawling with Loose Cannon, or rounding up Loophole. When Roxy unexpectedly left for Las Vegas, Superboy followed her, sensing there was trouble. Roxy was trying to put some things in her past to rest, since she had decided to enroll as a cop in Hawaii. This meant a confrontation with an old boyfriend, a loser who called himself Neon. After a brief battle, Neon blew himself up by detonating a gas station. Superboy and Roxy returned home.

Superboy is forced to battle against Valor, who was amnesic and fighting under the name of Champion. Knockout, alive and well, decided to join in on the fight. As Valor regains his memory, he also realizes he is dying of lead poisoning. While Knockout takes care of Mr. Gamboli, who had been manipulating Valor, Superboy helps Valor escape into the Phantom Zone to save his life. 

Superboy also works with Green Lantern in a rematch with Scavenger and a first encounter with the horribly new mutated Black Manta.

The Alpha Centurion recruits Superboy into the Superman Rescue Squad, after the Man of Steel is kidnapped by an alien Tribunal. Superboy joins the Centurion, Supergirl, the Eradicator, and Steel, and leave Earth to find Superman. On the trip, Superboy admits to the others he does not trust the Centurion--in fact, he thinks he is really the Cyborg Superman in disguise. His suspicions seem to be confirmed when the Centurion seemingly abandons them in the midst of a battle--and the Cyborg Superman arrives on scene soon thereafter. The Cyborg easily defeats the entire team and turns them over to the Tribunal. While a prisoner, Superboy is put in the same cell as the Centurion, but this is not enough to convince him he is not a double agent. Only when he later escapes and sees the two actually fighting does he admit his mistake. The team frees themselves and rallies behind Superman, who confronts the Tribunal head on. The Tribunal admits an error in their reasoning, and "exonerates" Superman for his "crime." The team returns triumphantly to Earth.

Superboy meets the Legion of Super-Heroes who come to the past seek to save Valor's life. Superboy explains what happens and accompanies the Legion to the 30th Century to help Valor. Valor is freed from the Phantom Zone in his own time and takes the name M'on-El and decides to fight wearing Superman's costume. The Legion rewards Superboy with making him an honorary Legionnaire, complete with flight ring, before sending him home.

Upon returning to the present after helping the Legion, Superboy finds Knockout waiting for him at The Compound. She wants to join him as a partner, loving the heat of battle more than anything. Together they battle Killer Frost (part of the Underworld Unleashed saga), the Technician, and Silver Sword. Knockout teaches Superboy how to use his powers in new and creative ways, such as extending his TK field to cover another person just by touching them. Superboy regains his visor (which had been recovered by the Technician) but destroys it, reasoning that he would just lose it again. Superboy and Knockout are then attacked by the Female Furies, revealing that Knockout was one of their lost "sisters". An intense battle ensues at SB's high school, with Superboy and Knockout (joined by Sam Makoa, Dan Turpin, and a contingent of police officers) severely outclassed. Thanks to Dubbilex, however, the Furies are driven off, leaving much of the high school in ruins (prompting the state to decide Superboy should be home schooled, thus ending his brief time in high school). During the battle, Knockout killed a police officer in the fray. Dubbilex discovered what had happened and the police--in the process of forming their own Special Crimes Unit attempt to arrest Knockout. Superboy refuses to believe the evidence, however, and after a confrontation with Snare and the SCU at the Compound, the two briefly go on the run from the law (prompting Superboy to break up with Tana Moon even). This led to a battle on the beach between Supergirl and Knockout. After Sparx helps separate the two women, Supergirl rips the S-shield off Superboy's costume because of his lawlessness. Still, Superboy persisted that he was in the right and everyone just did not understand KO. Knockout's true colors are revealed, however, during a meeting with Victor Volcaneum, who had risen an island for himself near Hawaii. Knockout first tried to get Superboy to kill him and then finished him off herself. In this act, Superboy realized then that she did not love him the way he thought he loved her, but that she merely was using him as her lapdog. Superboy apprehended Knockout, in part due to the training she had given him on how to use his powers, bringing her in as the island sinks back beneath the wave. Roxy, having recovered his S-shield, put it back on his costume.

 Superboy is brought by Sparx to the Event Horizon, an intergalactic rave party open to metas only. It was hosted by a being called Kindred Marx. His first night there, Superboy met Hero and got into a fight with Kaliber, which prompted the two of them to be teleported to a distant asteroid--where a police force known as I.N.T.E.R.C.E.P.T. attempted to place the two of them under arrest for being part of Event Horizon. The group was involved with the Darkstars. Superboy and Kaliber were transported back to the event before they could be arrested, and there another brawl broke out between some Khunds (and their gang, Red Shift) and Aura which spilled out onto Earth proper (the rave itself could shift between worlds).

Superboy resumed his relationship with Tana, just before Roxy revealed to him during the Final Night that she had always loved him. Despite this confession, Superboy did not reciprocate, still loving Tana.  Roxy nevertheless could not dismiss her feelings for SB so easily. While helping Dubbilex recover from an injury, an organization called the Agenda sends Amanda Spence to kidnap Superboy. Spence is successful, kidnapping Superboy after defeating him at The Compound.

Superboy's clone Match

The Agenda uses Superboy to create a clone called Match, who had even greater power than Superboy. The Agenda plans on making an entire army of Match clones. The Kid manages to defeat Match, however, and destroy the Agenda's lair. Match is thought to be killed, but Spence and the Directors are all taken into custody.

Unbeknown to the Kid, the Agenda infected Superboy with a virus that began to break down his DNA. It did not manifest itself at first, but lay dormant for weeks, until a rematch with Copperhead made it all too clear that he was sick. When STAR Labs cannot correct his condition, Superboy is rushed to Project Cadmus. Cadmus is able to slow the condition but not halt it. Superman, Superboy, and Steel came to his aid, each tracking down leads that might help. The Directors do not talk, however, and though Superman is able to locate Match (who might serve as a donor to Superboy) the clone is not interested in helping and flees. Amanda Spence, however, offers a solution, by explaining that he needs a DNA donor to "re-zip" the breakdown of his own DNA. Roxy Leech offers to be part of the procedure to help restructure the Kid's DNA and cure him of the virus. The plan succeeded, although a side effect was that Superboy was locked at the age of sixteen. Superboy is crushed at the news, having always dreamed of one day assuming the roll of Superman. A heart-to-heart with Superman (who was in his Energy-phase at the time) helped make the Kid feel better, though not exactly thrilled.

Despite what Superman had to say, Superboy is still troubled by thoughts he will not grow up. Nightmares plague him, even as he hast to deal with Mo-o, and a married couple who are pursue thrills by trying to get their picture taken with superheroes. He finds a magic atoll where there are some "lost boys" who seemingly never grow up, and despite the temptation to stay, he leaves it.

Things began to break down upon returning to Hawaii. The Legion of Super-Heroes turns up, angry that Superboy had given away his Legion Flight Ring to Roxy. Superboy manages to work things out with them as they fight Silver Sword. However, his constant flirting and "devil-may-care" attitude have been wearing on Tana (who was also uncomfortable with the thought that Superboy would stay a teenager forever). Despite trying to prove how responsible he is by having another fight with Silver Sword (and recovers the Spear of Lono, which SS had stolen), Tana breaks up with the Kid. 

Superboy decides to travel a bit to clear his head. He stops by Jersey City and asks Natasha Irons, Steel's niece, out on a date. Nat has fun but tells him she's not interested in a relationship because she can tell he's still very much in love with Tana.

Silver Sword is finally brought down with the help of Green Lantern. He had been serving a being known as Pele, whom he believed was a native Hawaiian goddess, but during Pele's battle with SB and GL (when she threatened innocent Hawaiian bystanders), Silver Sword realized she was no benevolent goddess. He turned on her, leading to his death. Pele is defeated, but Superboy is feeling anything but heroic. More than ever he feels isolated.

Superboy, after a failed publicity stunt (i.e. "Superboy: The Event") and wavering public opinion in Hawaii and abroad, disappears without a trace while flying back to Hawaii and getting caught in a storm. Superboy's cast largely left at this point: Rex was on the run from his past, Roxy goes to find him, Tana left the islands tracking down information on the Agenda, and Dubbilex is recalled to Cadmus. Krypto is left with Hillary Chang.

Superboy awoke amnesic in the Savage Lands, an island of anthropomorphic animals called the Wild Men. They first saw Superboy as dumb 'animal' but he  quickly regains his memory, and briefly fears he is somehow in the distant future. After passing a test and other challenges to prove that he is the 'Mighty One', Superboy and some other humans stranded on the island manage to leave the Savage Land. Superboy befriends the Wild Men, who decide to explore the world at large and leave with Superboy. They quickly discover they are not in the distant future, but really only a few months have passed since Superboy's disappearance. The islands had been created by a precursor to Project Cadmus (part of an experiment in the 1940s known as the "Moreua Projet"). Superboy did have to contend with the fallout of a coup de tat that spilled out into the world at large, but managed to work it out. Back in Hawaii, Superboy learned that most of his friends were gone and decided there was nothing really left for him.

He rejoins Cadmus and begins working as a field agent with Dubbilex and Guardian, after leaving Krypto with his friend, Hillary Chang (perhaps for the last time). In their first assignment, they travel to Paris and battled the Agenda once again, specifically Director Alpha. They also encounter Grokk the Living Gargoyle and a supermodel named "Hex," who claims to be Jonah Hex. They take Grokk back to Project Cadmus, where Superboy meets the new Director ( Mickey "the Mechanic" Cannon, new military liaison, Col. Adam Winterbourne (one of the men SB rescued from the Wild Lands), and one of the new ace scientists, Serling Roquette. Superboy is at first happy to be back at the Project, but is distraught when Mickey fires the head scientists (the original Newsboy Legion) and orders them to take their clones (the current Newsboys) with them as they leave.

Superboy was a founding member of the team Young Justice, along with Robin ( Tim Drak e) and Impulse. The team formed after the three boys decided to have a "camp out" in the old JLA Justice Cave, where they encountered Red Tornado (who agreed to keep an eye on them).

Superboy is interested in Serling (as she's one of the few females at the Project and the only one close to his own age) but she is oblivious at first, harboring a crush on Guardian. Superboy has to respond when someone steals the Whiz Wagon and enters the Demolition Run, a lethal cross country race involving all manner of high tech vehicles. The thief turns out to be Roxy, who is desperate for money to help her father. Even with Superboy and Mick Cannon helping her, the Whiz Wagon is totaled and Fastbak wins the race. Superboy realizes the man who set up the race, Mr. Big, set it up knowing Fastbak would win and forfeit any prize. Rather than let Mr. Big walk away with millions, he convinces Fastbak to ask for all profits Big might have made off the deal. Big honors the deal, but promises Superboy he won't forget. Superman drops by Cadmus and asks Superboy to come with him to the Fortress of Solitude. While there, Superboy visit Krypton via virtual reality. After explaining how he considers Superboy part of his family, Superman offers him the Kryptonian name Kon-El. Superboy tearfully accepts, overjoyed with the simple joy of having a real name. He would eventually accept the nickname "Conner."

Superboy was one of the first to explore Hypertime, after a Superboy from an alternate reality arrived at the Watchtow er, dying shortly thereafter from injuries. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman all explained their recent experiences with Hypertime, and ask Superboy to volunteer for part of an experiment. During this journey, he met a villainous counterpart, Black Zero, from a reality where he had not been freed from Cadmus as a teenager, nor had Superman ever returned to life. Black Zero had become a cruel tyrant in his world, and then had set out to other worlds he had found via Hypertime. He did not understand the resistance he met from the other Superboys, but one by one he captured them and brought them to his lair. Superboy (Kon-El) led these other versions in an uprising that defeated Black Zero, and then returned to his proper time line/reality. During the trip, however, he had learned that Superman is also Clark Kent. Superboy did not reveal this at first, harboring a little shock and resentment that his closest "relative" had never told him about this.

The possible future

Superboy is ordered to return to the revisited the Wild Lands, taking a number of personnel from Cadmus (including Col. Winterbourne) with him via the Whiz Wagon. They land in Roam and are greeted warmly by King Tuftan (and coldly by his now bride, Nosferata. Winterbourne requests to be taken to the area were he was captured, and Tuftan leads the way to the Glowing Swamp. They find Rasputin there--and also King Shark. Tuftan and Winterbourne are almost killed by King Shark in a tough battle. Winterbourne discovers what he had come there to find--an experimental Blackbird fighter jet that he had crashed--and uses it to impale King Shark, shortly before it detonates. Tuftan returns to Roam and Superboy and the others are recalled to Cadmus.

They arrive just at the Day of Judgment event has begun. Cadmus workers had unearthed an ancient glove, Hyssa's Fist, that Guardian put on. The power of the evil glove had impaired his perceptions and he had run off into the caverns beneath the Project after attacking some guards. The Demon Etrigan emerges, explaining he is there to help them. Etrigan and Superboy manage to defeat the possessed Guardian, but SB is not wild about the idea of handing the artifact over to the Demon, who attacks him for his obstinacy. Superboy puts on the glove and easily defeats Etrigan, but Dabney Donovan (whom Guardian had freed from Cadmus's holding cells) steps out and compliments the Kid on his new look. The glove had changed SB's costume to resemble Black Zero. Horrified, Superboy destroys the glove, causing a huge cave-in. Etrigan saves Donovan before leaving. Superboy decides he wants to return to Hawaii to tie up some loose ends.

About this time, Superboy decides to visit Smallville, specifically to drop by the Kents. Clark Kent arrives there, too, and Superboy hints around that he knows Clark's secret, but does not come out and say it. Clark is reluctant to come out with it too, not because he doesn't trust the Kid, but because he is afraid that eventually Superman and Clark Kent may no longer be distinguishable. Still, he does hint back to SB that he knows the Kid knows about him (while teaching Kon-El how to milk a cow).

Superboy (accompanied by Serling) take the Whiz Wagon to Hawaii. Superboy discovers that he is no longer well thought of among the locals there, and that a new hero, Kana is the local favorite. Kana, however, sites Superboy as being his inspiration for being a hero. Superboy catches up with Sam Makoa and Hillary Chang, and even visits Knockout in prison (who tries unsuccessfully to manipulate the Kid into letting her go). After one last visit to The Compound, Superboy realizes nothing will ever be like it once was. He decides to take Krypto back with him to Cadmus.

Still frustrated that he has not been able to come out and acknowledge to Superman he knows the truth of his dual identity, Superboy heads to Metropolis. He meets up with Lois Lane and takes her to Locomotive Park, where the Man of Steel is battling a four armed monster (but unfortunately, suffers some allergic reaction to it's skin). The two put the creature down. Afterwards, Superboy is still unable to come out with what he knows, but he is comforted when Superman tells him that of all the people who wear the S-shield, SB is the one he feels closest too. After he leaves, Superboy hints to Lois that he know, but Lois merely replies that everyone--even Superman--needs a little privacy in life. Upon arriving back at Cadmus, Superboy is quickly knocked out. The Agenda, using Simyan, and Mokkari to create an army of clones, have seized control of the Project (during an arc "The Evil Factory"). Dubbilex, manipulated through a being known as the Gene-Gnome, is helping the Agenda. Superboy and the rest of the good guys are placed in holding under the eye of Amanda Spence, now harboring a special hatred of the Kid. Superboy rallies the forces of Cadmus, along with Grokk the Living Gargoyle, Hex, and even Krypto, in a desperate struggle to win back Cadmus. All they can do, however, is temporarily retreat, as the Gene-Gnome not only can read their minds but also coordinate the clone armies. As they flee, they run into the Wild Men ( Gorr, Growler, and Howler) who had escaped the Agenda's clutches in Alaska--where they had also rescued Tana Moon, whom they have with them. Realizing the Gene-Gnome cannot read the minds of non-humans, they decide to launch a counter attack on the Project, leaving Serling, Tana, and Krypto behind. After they leave, Dubbilex and the Gene Gnome emerge on the three, but Dubbilex manages to break the Gnome's control and knock him out. The strike force (Superboy, Guardian, Mick Cannon, Hex, Grokk the Living Gargoyle, Angry Charlie, and the Wild Men trio) put the Agenda's army to rout, wrestling control back from Amanda Spence. A holographic message from the Agenda's Director Beta (the Contessa Erica Alexandra del Portenza) alerts them to a contingency plan in Washington, D.C. While suspecting a trap, Superboy takes off to investigate anyway.

The spell that changed everyone's age is frustrated by Superboy's stunted aging process--and as a result, his body begins to tear apart at a molecular level, at "war" with itself. Wonder Girl helps Superboy back to Cadmus, arriving just after Match (again in the guise of Superboy) and he is able to hold his own against Wonder Girl and the weakened SB. Guardian and Mic prepare to make another stand against the Agenda clones who had rallied and were coming back, but Dabney Donovan surprises everyone. Having escaped Simyan and Mokkari, he unleashes a gas that contains a virus lethal only to the newly cloned Agenda soldiers. All the evil clones disintegrate, though Match escapes by activating a teleporter. Superboy is taken to the medical bay, 
 

Superboy grown-up

Adult Superboy holding the remains of Tana Moon

Tana at his side, still very much in love with him. Serling is able to cure his aging condition, and by doing so the spell ages him to a full adult. Emerging from the lab, Superboy embraces Tana. Amanda Spence, looking on, activates a device around Tana's neck that kills Tana. She gloats about how now Superboy knows the pain she knew when her father, Paul Westfield, died. Before Superboy can strike Spence down, she teleports away.

Superboy is devastated over the death of Tana. He barely has time to mourn, however, as he is called in by Superman (still a teen) to help him defeat Klarion and reverse the spell. Superman finally divulges straight up about his dual identity, asking Superboy to contact Lois to assure her everything is alright. As an adult, it appears as though Superboy may have even greater power than Superman. Klarion is eventually defeated and everyone is restored to their natural ages.

Depowered

When he was restored to youth, Superboy lost his powers as well. Guardian encourages him to take some time to grieve and see the world as a "normal" kid. He tries to do just that, though everything keeps changing around him: Tana's death, his powers gone, and Dubbilex decides to leave the Project on sabbatical. The Wild Men depart for places unknown, Hex decides to take Grokk the Living Gargoyle and become a bounty hunter, and Heat Wave is now working for Guardian. Superboy decides he still wants to continue the good fight, so he turns to the Gadget Guru to help him be Superboy once again.

He might be just a boy now but he is still super

He still had his Legionnaire flight ring and had some special training with Guardian. GadgetGuru fashions a shield for him to use: the shield is nearly indestructible, but can shrink in size. He barely has begun his new training when Superboy (along with Mick Cannon and Gadget Guru) are kidnapped and taken into orbit by Kossak the Slaver. Superboy and his friends manage to rally the slaves in a successful uprising against their hated master. After battling all over Kossak's slave ship, the rebellion is successful. Kossak flees on a shuttle heading straight for Earth. Superboy pursues him back to the Project, where he learns Kossak's true intent for coming to Earth is to retrieve an escaped slave--one that has fused with Roxy Leech! The alien has solar/heat based powers and restores Superboy to full power, allowing the Kid to take down Kossak. Superboy gives Guardian a new shield--one that can shrink the way his could.

After the battle, Guardian realized that the man he was cloned from (Jim Harper) was related to Roy Harper, the Titan now known as Arsenal. Superboy later takes Guardian to New York City to meet with Roy and Liam Harper at Warrior's. While they have their "family" reunion, Superboy takes down a villain named Negative G.

After being teased by some teenage girls and feeling despondent, Superboy feels like he is in a rut. A talk with Superman helps him realize he just needs to shake things up a bit. He decides to adopt a new uniform, abandoning the leather jacket and streamlining the look.

Lex Luthor, recently elected President of the United States, has appointed Amanda Waller Secretary of Meta-Human Affairs and tasked her to keep an eye on the Project. After some more training with Guardian, Superboy and Serling head to Los Angeles per Waller's orders to size up a situation involving alien activity. Superboy meets up with Lobo there and deals with an alien named Scizmore that feeds off rage. Kon has to deal with some rage issues himself--when a gang war refuses to die down in front of him, he releases his powers in an incredible burst that destroys nearly every gun in L.A.

Exhausted from a recent adventure with Batman and Batgirl, Superboy asks Guardian to go to Detroit to fight Shrapnel in his place. Superboy heads to a Florida bayou where he encounters Gorgeous Gilly (and is nearly forced to marry her). Fleeing the scene, he returns to Cadmus and receives startling news--Guardian was killed in the battle with Shrapnel. Superboy arranges a team to take down Shrapnel. During the battle, he is contacted by Deadman, who tells him that the soul

The DNAngels

of Guardian cannot move on. Guardian has been re-cloned to life (but is a baby) part of a plot to create a whole army of clones based on him. The D.N.Angels are sent to recover the baby, but Superboy fights them off at a supermarket and takes the baby to a friend's house. The next day, he finds that Project Cadmus has been closed down per the President's orders. The site is empty--save for the rest of Young Justice, who insist Superboy give him some answers.

After straightening things out with his teammates, Superboy is called to Metropolis by Lois Lane to join Supergirl and Steel (really Kelex) to head to Pokolikstan, after Superman insisted on heading there alone to confront a mysterious general. The team meet up with Superman and battle Faora, Ignition, and Kancer until the general arrives and sucker punches Superman hard enough to break his jaw! The team quickly retreats from the scene. All is a prelude to Our Worlds at War .

Superboy learns that President Luthor is up to something involving Strange Visitor at LexCorp Towers in the newly upgraded Metropolis. Catching up with Serling and Heat Wave (and "baby" Guardian, now a boy about the age of nine or ten), Superboy leads the team on an infiltration of LexCorp. Towers. They free Strange Visitor from a a machine, but she angrily chides them that she is no prisoner, but came there willingly. Talia Head, now the head of LexCorp, enters and tells them they have broken U.S. law and stolen government property (namely, Guardian). A man named General Good arrives with the D.N.Angels and places them under military arrest.

Superboy and the others are taken as prisoners to a huge spaceship in orbit. General Good explains that he plans to create an entire army of clones based on Guardian to be used as soldiers in an upcoming war--not a war between the U.S. and Pokolikstan, as many had feared was coming, but a war on a much bigger scale. Working for Good is Amanda Spence, now heavily modified into a cyborg. Superboy frees himself and battles the D.N.Angels and Spence, until the Angels decide they are on the wrong side. Spence, who boasts she no longer needs to eat or breathe, is knocked into the void by Superboy. He frees Guardian (now almost fully grown), Heat Wave, and Serling. Guardian--psychically linked to the other clones still in their pods--knows their wishes are the same as his. He did not want to be brought back, but that choice was stolen from him, but it will not be from them. The clones are destroyed. Viewing out into space, everyone notices a vast armada of alien ships--and Apokolips itself--in orbit around Earth. General Frank Rock  arrives, places Good under arrest, and tells Superboy to consider himself drafted.

With Cadmus shut down, Superboy has no job and no place to stay. After Wonder Girl insists he has to find a place of his own, Superboy relocates to Metropolis, becoming the "super" at a tenement building called Calvin Gardens. A local gang called the Run Riot Boys keeps harassing the neighborhood. He also meets a young woman named Trixie.

Superboy decides to throw a housewarming party. Wonder Girl shows up, but Superboy is enamored with Trixie, not realizing her boyfriend, Wipeout, leads the Run Riot Boys. Wipeout instructs one of the new gang members, Cooper, to kill Superboy. Cooper befriends Superboy, initially intending to betray him, but cannot go through with it when the gang attacks the building. When Superboy learned that Cooper was a member of the gang when some of the building's kids went in his room and stole his armor, he losted all trust in Cooper, until he learned Cooper help the building's residence get before the building was destroyed by explosives set by the gang. Unfortunately Cooper died, and Superboy had the mournful duty of carrying his body out of the reckage. Scavenger also resurfaces, and after a brief fight, Superboy convinces him to call a truce. Superboy agrees to meet up with him at the Ace O' Club, but the fight with Run Riot makes him miss the meeting. which actually involved the tenement block being destroyed. With so called 'new life' gone, Superboy was taken by Superman to stay with his parents in Smallville, which he did for some time.

Few other loose ends were tied up--Dubbilex was still on sabbatical, though Superboy managed to finally convince Scavenger that he was not working for his enemy.

Titans Area

Those genes just might come through

When the events of the Infinite Crisis began to unfold and the heroes of the world being pushed to their limits, instead of coming to help Connor sat at home and watched, still fearful that Luthor might once again take control of him and ashamed at how he felt the Titans viewed him. All these events unfolded before Superboy-Prime, who came to the Kent's doorstep to retake his place as the Superboy of earth. He forced Connor Kent into a fight, demolishing Smallville. Already quickly beaten and clearly out powered, Connor sent a distress signal that was received by current and auxiliary members of the Teen Titans along with their allies in the Justice Society and the Doom Patrol. Despite the death of Pantha and numerous injuries, the Flashes  Wally West, Jay Garrick and Bart Allen were able to push Superboy-Prime into another dimension.

Prime wants his spot as Superboy

Conner was put into a rapid-healing tube to immediately after the fight. When he was healthy enough to rejoin the battle, he made peace with his origin and rekindled his romance with Wonder Girl.

Meanwhile, Superboy Prime was able to free himself from the alternate dimension, having been imprisoned for years yet returning just days later. Soon after Connor answered a signal from Nightwing at the Titans Tower. Deaths, injuries and the sheer number of other catastrophes left all other Titans unavailable to respond to the call.

Conner saves the world at the cost of his life

Nightwing and Superboy alone went to Alexander Luthor's base hidden away in Superman's original Fortress of Solitude in Antarctica. At the center of this base was the corpse of the  Anti-Monitor, converted into a tower able to tap into the vibrational frequency of any dimension. The tower, imprisoned with members of various Earths alongside Alexander Luthor's own reality altering powers was the source of Alexander's plan to reshape reality. There Superboy and Superboy-Prime had their rematch. Despite still being overpowered, Superboy was able to defeat Superboy Prime, hurling him into the Anti-Monitor tower and single-handedly putting a stop to Alexander Luthor's grand scheme. This valiant effort cost him his life though.

One Year Later there have been attempts by both Wonder Girl and Robin to bring Connor back from the dead, to no avail. Currently there is a statue of him outside of Titans Tower.

The return of the boy of steel

 The events of Legion Of 3 Worlds saw the triumphant and seemingly permanent return of Bart Allen as Kid Flash in its third installment. And in the fourth, another mind blowing resurrection was acheived. 

 For months, Starman has been a mainstay in the JSA, his constant excuse being that he was on a mission from Braniac 5. However, it was never really clear what Starman's mission was. That is, it wasn't until he snuck into a cemetery in the middle of the night and began digging up a grave with the Kent name on it.

 Fast forward to the future, where the three Braniac 5's are waiting in Superman's Fortress of Solitude for Dawnstar, Polarboy, and  Wildfire to return from the past with a strand of Lex Luthor's hair. They put the hair into a Kryptonian Chrysalis hidden beneath the fortress. The Chrysalis was what brought Superman back from the dead when he died, and after the hair was added and the Chrysalis' program was completed, Superboy was revived!

 Aparently, Starman put Conner's body into the Chrysalis all those thousand of years ago (A.K.A. NOW), and it slowly revitalized him. The only thing they still needed was the other half of Conner's DNA: Lex Luthor's.

 Conner went directly after Prime, eager to dish out his revenge. And while Conner is alive and fighting, it is still unclear if he will stay that way, or if he will ever make it back to the presesnt. But there's still one more issue of LO3W to find out.

Origins and Omens

The image of Superboy with Scars "ink"

Back in Smallville

Conner settles back into his life in Smallville. Returning to live with Martha Kent, who is thrilled to take the young boy in after her husband's death, she also insists on Conner calling her Ma, Conner returns to Smallville High School and begins keeping a journal of everything Superman has done as a costumed hero, going down a checklist titled, "What Did Superman Do?" He and the also recently-returned Bart Allen supposedly rejoin the Teen Titans, and Conner symbolizes the team being stacked again by destroying his memorial statue outside of Titans Tower.

After visiting Lex Luthor's childhood home in Smallville, Superman arrives and talks to Conner about his desire to understand his "other father." Clark tells Conner not to worry about Luthor, saying that the madman is a problem for the Man of Steel. Conner remarks that the next time he sees Lex Luthor will be, "too soon." Soon after, Conner returns home and under a similar checklist in his notebook entitled, "What Does Lex Luthor Do?," Conner checks off, Lies to Superman.

In his attempt to confront his shared legacy, he goes on a date with Wonder Girl. Conflicted between opening his heart to his girlfriend (thus "Telling the truth" as Superman always did in his life), and deliberately lying to avoid touching delicate subjects with Cassie (thus "Lying" as Luthor would do), ultimately Conner chooses to share with Cassie his fears and desires, and his desire to find himself by exploring both his legacies, but only to find his real self. Cassie is touched, and despite her initial doubts, mostly out fear that in his desire to be more like the Man of Steel eventually Conner could discard her as Clark Kent did with Lana Lang, feels compelled to admit her brief bond with Tim Drake. Conner quickly forgives her, arguing that, since he was dead and Cassie had no means to know about his future resurrection, her liason with Robin can't be considered an affair. As they share a kiss, Martha Kent stares at them, remembering about her past with Johnathan and when Clark was Conner’s age.     

Blackest Night

 
Conner is standing behind Martha Kent and Clark Kent at the tomb of her husband, the late Jonathan "Pa" Kent. Clutching his fist, Conner begins to blame himself for not being there for Jonathan but Martha consoles him and advises Conner that Jonathan would have wanted him and Clark to stand up straight. Unbeknownst to the Kent’s, the Black Lantern Corps are targeting Conner and Clark along with other resurrected characters.

The Corps sends the Kal-L and Lois Lane [who have been resurrected as Black Lantern’s] of Earth-Two to attack the Kent family after they've reanimated them, and stated to the modern version of the Man of Steel, Conner, and Martha, that they wish for the family to be reunited with Jonathan Kent in death. While Superman battles, Kal-L, Conner encounters the Black Lantern Psycho-Pirate, who manipulates him into attacking Superman.  However, Conner manages to come to his senses when Kal-L is on the verge of ripping out Superman's heart. Using his tactile telekinesis for the first time since his resurrection, Conner pushes Kal-L away from Superman. Conner then goes after Psycho-Pirate, stealing the medusa mask and using it's emotional powers to attract the black rings, causing them to leave their hosts, reducing them to lifeless corpses once more.    

Powers and Abilities

Superboy has many powers some of which are the same as Superman, one of Conner's main powers is his telekinesis which was only his only power before his other powers manifested. His telekinesis allowed Conner to do a number of things, he used his telekinesis to enable him to fly but he could only reach speeds of 500 mph, he can also project telekinetic shield for protection or to contain large items for a period of time, he could use his ability to reconstruct things and take them apart using small individual fields. Another way he can use his telekinesis is to unleash powerful blasts. Unlike his other powers his telekinesis is not effected by the sun for example in the final night story arc his telekinesis was not effected by the lack of sunlight. A disadvantage of his telekinesis is it can be weak against energy blasts. After his Kryptonian powers manifested he stopped using his telekinetic abilities as much as he did before but he still uses his telekinesis to unleash powerful blasts and to project telekinetic shields to protect people.

After a short time Conner's Kryptonian physiology developed he gained near enough the same powers as Superman, he gained super strength, although the full extent of his strength has never been shown he is strong enough to go toe to toe with the likes of Superboy-prime, Conner also gained invulnerability which gives him a massive durability level, heat vision, x-ray vision, and super hearing but has never been shown to use super breath or telescopic vision. However, because Conner is still growing and developing,his powers continue to increase in strength.There is a slight down fall in that his body sometimes uses up it's stored solar energy too quickly so Superboy can't always push himself to the limit. 
 

What people think of the boy of steel

   
GEOFF JOHNS TALKS SUPERBOY

This ain't your Daddy's Superboy. Heck, he might not even be the Superboy that many returning comic book fans remember, but under the guidance of DC Comics' "Teen Titans" writer Geoff Johns, the new Superboy (first seen a decade ago in the "Reign of The Supermen" storyline) has seen a definite resurgence in popularity. With the exciting events surrounding the Teen of Steel, CBR News' Superman Celebration squad caught up with California Kid Geoff Johns and his role in "Teen Titans."

"He's a central figure, right up there with Robin," says Johns of Superboy's role in the team full of many "jr" members. "But Superboy's more of our homegrown jock, a tough kid who's maturing a bit but like everyone else, still trying to find his way. The greatest thing about these young characters is that their future is wide open, and it's about what direction they're going to go in -- getting on the wrong path often and trying to find the right one. To me Superboy embodies this literally for us. We don't want him to be a junior boy scout -- we want him to get in trouble, to make bad decisions to learn what the good ones are. And the whole time he's thinking 'Superman never made a mistake. Why do I make so many?'"

Now this Superboy isn't a young Clark Kent… in a way. Johns was happy to bring readers up to speed on "The Kid's" origin. "Superboy was created by Cadmus Labs in an attempt to clone Superman. Unable to grasp the details of Kryptonian D.N.A. they altered human D.N.A. and mixed it in with what they could of Kryptonian. The results were Superboy. A being genetically designed to resemble Superman in every way. Unfortunately, he "escaped" before he could be fully grown. Superboy is now living with the Kents in Smallville, under the guise of Clark's cousin Conner. He recently learned the human donor was Lex Luthor. How and why have yet to be revealed.

"Superboy is brash, a little cocky at times, enthusiastic and occasionally very serious -- especially when it comes to exploring his purpose."  
 
Now the obvious CK in Superboy's real name may be cute to fans, but Johns explains he chose it because, "We liked the name. It was better than Clancy Kent. And it was a play of off the Kryptonian name Superman gave him -- Kon-El."

While he may be seen by some readers as "Superman Jr," Superboy is a distinct character in the mind of Johns, who has written Superman on many occasions and with quite some acclaim, and explains, "Superboy is much different, and that is obvious. He's still relatively new to all of this, he puts immense pressure on his own shoulders. His views of how Superman is and how he thinks are skewed. Superboy thinks Superman is perfect. This guy who doesn't have a single bad thought in his head. No one's like that. And Conner's going to have to learn to accept that he has faults. But his faults are going to be a hell of a lot more challenging than most."

In writer Peter David's "Young Justice" series, a precursor of sorts to "Teen Titans," Superboy and Wonder Girl were established as being somewhat of an item, albeit with the repressed feelings of teenagers their age. "I can't tell you where it's going because that's part of the story, but Superboy has always been attracted to girls -- any pretty girl," says Johns. "Wonder Girl to me, is the first girl his own age that he really respects and admires and likes not because she's beautiful but because she's strong, caring and confident."

Further adding his own twist to the relationship of the younger "World's Finest" (the older ones considered to be Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman), Superboy's best friend is Robin and Johns' own experience with his brother- who co-writes stories with Johns on occasion- was a big influence on how he portrayed these two best friends. "Sure. But it's going to continue to evolve. I think Robin and Superboy are the cornerstone dynamic for Teen Titans and despite what's going on with Robin right now, or in conjunction with it, that will become even more apparent. Superboy relies on Robin a lot, he's the only other Titan that knows the truth about his genetics, and yet he still only knows Tim's first name."

While Johns has loved working on Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in various tales, he freely admits to having more creative freedom with their partners. "That's obvious, of course. The changes we're putting the kids through, the stories they're dealing with, they're all just going on through. We don't have a checklist to hit due to outside media influence -- even with the prominence of Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy in the cartoon, we're pretty free to move these characters in any direction we want. Additionally, no one has their own book as of now, so we can develop and change the characters within 'Teen Titans.' It's a luxury we have over in 'JSA' as well."

To many readers, it seems like Superboy's story in "Titans" focuses more on maturity and his place in the world more so than any of the other characters. There's an irony to some as it is believed Superman is a very grounded person, but Johns isn't sure he sees that. "Maybe, but if you think Superman's grounded then...I don't know, I don't think that's necessarily the case with Superman. He's well adjusted, obviously, but he's still got issues. He just deals with them privately -- he doesn't talk to Superboy when he feels like an outsider or if he's over-burdened by all of this pressure. For me, Superboy never sees that side of Superman and that adds extra weight to his shoulders. He should be able to handle anything and nothing should bother him, but that's not the case with anyone -- even Superman."

Another side of Superman that hasn't been seen is the reaction to Conner's genes- something that has been kept a secret from The Man Of Steel. "It'll be developing as we go," explains Johns of the storyline. "It's all been planned out since Day One, as to the how's, why's and where it all connects with everything else Superboy has gone through. The clues are there, since his first appearance. It's going to be a big story, it's going to involve more than just the Titans."     
  

Creators of Inifinite Crisis on Conner’s death

An interview with Inifinite Crisis Writer Geoff Johns, Artist Phil Jimenez, Editor Eddie Berganaza, and Assistant Editor Jeanine Schaefer.

DC: The ending of this issue really hit a lot of people hard, with the death of Superboy.

GEOFF: We originally talked about killing Nightwing. That was always Dan's plan.

EDDIE: But we didn't want [Nightwing] to die.
 
GEOFF: We wanted to have issue #6 be about bringing the Trinity back. Dan focused on offing Nightwing, but we all felt it was just the wrong character.

PHIL: Though I can't think of a character who would have a greater impact than Nightwing dying.

GEOFF: True, but it's Dick Grayson. My mom knows who he is. Nightwing would've been a mistake. Superboy was the best choice.

PHIL: Just in terms of links to other characters, though. Dick has so many connections to other characters. In many ways, even more than Superman or Batman, Nightwing is the soul, the linchpin, of the DCU. He's well respected by everyone, known to the JLA, the Titans, the Outsiders, Birds of Prey - everyone looks to him for advice, for friendship, for his skills. He's the natural leader of the DCU. His loss would devastate everyone and create ripples through the DCU. If it wasn't him, it had to be a hero that really impacted so many.

GEOFF: Well, what other character? Not Wonder Girl. Enough women have died in the DCU. Superboy was my favorite Titan. And I literally had to offer him as a sacrificial lamb.
 
DC: You killed your favorite Titan? That must have been hard to write.

JEANINE: I literally had tears in my eyes when the pages came in.
 
GEOFF: I really fought to have Conner in TEEN TITANS. He gave the title a dynamic the book never had before.
 
JEANINE: It's one of the reasons [his death] worked so well and became such a powerful scene. I remember talking to Geoff when the decision was made, and he was, correctly, really adamant that it matter.
 
GEOFF: And Phil did such a great job with facial expressions there, depicting everyone's sorrow.

EDDIE: We were hoping to save both Nightwing AND Superboy. But at the end of the day, if we were going to do something really impactful, we really had to go all the way. It just worked for the whole story.
 
JEANINE- "Deaths are meaningless." But you couldn't not care about this.