Superboy's History
Project 13
Superboy is a clone grafted with Superman's DNA (as opposed to a younger version of Superman), who was
introduced in 1993. He was created by Project Cadmus to replace Superman following the Death of Superman
story, and was artificially aged to mid-teens and implanted with the necessary knowledge of someone his
biological age (in regards to general studies, such as math, reading, etc). Before the experiment could be
completed (i.e. aging him to full adulthood and implanting him with safeguards to control him), he was freed
by the Newsboy Legion and escaped. One of the boys gave him a leather jacket before he set out into the city
(having his first brush with being Superman when he encounters Sidearm attempting to rip off an ATM).
The Metropolis Kid
When Superboy arrived in Metropolis, he went by "Superman" and had no real name. While glibly asserting he was
the original Superman, he quickly rebuked any insinuation he was the original Superman. In fact, he told
anyone who'd listen that he was a clone of Superman. This revelation was first revealed to Lois Lane, but she
was not entirely interested. This prompts the Kid to turn to another reporter he bumps into, Tana Moon, who
breaks the story live on WGBS. In fact, three other Supermen emerged simultaneously: "The Man of Tomorrow,"
really the Cyborg Superman; "The Last Son of Krypton," really the Eradicator; and "The Man of Steel," John
Henry Irons. WGBS's Vinnie Edge arranges for the Kid to go into Suicide Slum and apprehend a gangster named
Steel Hand. After the encounter, the Kid is confronted by the Guardian, who tells him to be careful--and
mindful that Cadmus will not simply forget about him.
Superboy loved the limelight, but was not particularly cautious at first. Steel had to have some words with
the Kid about not trying to be Superman just for the glory after Superboy's carelessness inadvertently led to
the death of a Daily Planet chopper pilot. The Kid, angry at first that Steel would tell him off, came to see
the wisdom in Steel's words and helped pull Steel from a fire later on.
Superboy is approached by Supergirl to work with her at LexCorp. While initially he's interested (much to the
delight of Lex Luthor II), Tana and WGBS get to him first, convincing him to sign a contract to be represented
by Rex Leech. He meets Rex's daughter Roxy Leech at this time. Vinnie Edge, eager to shore up ratings, hires a
villain named Stinger to attack Superboy on live television. After a matched battle between the two, Supergirl
joins the fray, but even together they are incapable of stopping Stinger from destroying the Hobsneck Bridge,
one of the major bridges into Metropolis. Superboy and Supergirl work together to save lives, pulling many
people from cars that fell into the river, before Supergirl is left with the unhappy job of telling Luthor
that Superboy turned down his offer.
After Coast City is destroyed, Superboy is duped by the Cyborg Superman into joining him in a mock
investigation (having told everyone that the "Last Son" was responsible). It is really a ruse, and the Kid was
quickly defeated and imprisoned by the Cyborg inside Engine City. The Cyborg reveals his plans, and his
servant, Mongul, to the Kid while being held prisoner. The Cyborg also uses Superboy's image via a video feed
to trick Justice League America into going off world in a wild goose chase against the alleged destroyers of
Coast City. Unknown to the Cyborg, Mongul reveals their plan to destroy Metropolis next to the Kid, hoping it
will prompt the Kid to escape and lead to the downfall of Mongul's hated master. Superboy is able to
eventually escape and flies back to Metropolis, arriving to find Steel, Luthor, Lois Lane, and Supergirl
gathered near the harbor. The Kid warns everyone that it was the Cyborg and not the Eradicator who was
responsible for Coast City's destruction--and that he meant to do the same to Metropolis, even as a Kryptonian
War Suit emerges from the water. The warsuit opens and the real Superman emerges, though he is underpowered
and clad in a black Kryptonian recovery suit. While Superboy and Steel are skeptical about his claim, they
joined him in an frontal attack on Engine City. They discover a huge missile, capable of wiping out all of
Metropolis. Superboy clung onto the missile after the Cyborg launched it, and managed to stray it off course
before it could destroy Metropolis.
Despite minor injuries, the Kid rejoins the fight in Engine City, saving the life of Steel. He acknowledges
after the defeat of the Cyborg that the "man in black" is indeed the one true Superman. Afterwards, he returns
to Metropolis with Supergirl and Steel. Tana comes to visit him, telling him that she quit her job and is
leaving Metropolis for good.
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 then 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 Westfield's 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 mind 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 back in.
The Hero of Hawaii
Karl Kesel begins the new Superboy series as the lead writer.
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 super strong stripper 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 Lono. 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' 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. Cadmus had suffered major damage (and Paul Westfield had been murdered by Dabney Donovan, 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 Worlds 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 the pocket universe Superboy, 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 "Bizarro" technique, resulting in a
Bizarro Superboy that was still being held by the lab. The Bizarro escaped, but died shortly thereafter. When
he returns to Hawaii, Tana throws him a birthday party (making Superboy officially one year old).
After getting back to Hawaii, Superboy began to have his own rogues gallery come together. 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 acquired a visor 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 in defeating 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 (specifically, 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 then 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 regained his memory, he also realized he is dying of
lead poisoning. While Knockout takes care of Mr. Gamboli, who had been manipulating Valor, Superboy helped
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 happened 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'onel 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.
Paired with Knockout
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 tenure 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). 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 Knockout.
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 sunk back beneath the waves. Roxy, having
recovered his S-shield, put it back on his costume.
The Ravers and Rough Times
Superboy became one of the leading stars in a concurrent series, Superboy and the Ravers, which involved a
bunch of young heroes involved in a few intergalactic adventures. The series ran 19 issues and was also mostly
written by Karl Kesel. 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 also got involved with the Darkstars. Superboy and Kaliber were transported back to
the event before they could be arrested, and 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).
Ron Marz took over as lead writer for the regular series beginning with issue number 32.
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 sent Amanda Spence to kidnap Superboy. Spence is successful, kidnapping
Superboy after defeating him at the Compound.
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.
Unknown 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 S.T.A.R. Labs cannot correct his condition, Superboy is rushed back to Project Cadmus.
Cadmus is able to slow the condition, but not halt it. Superman, Supergirl, 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 role 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 of never growing up. Nightmares
plague him, even as he hast to deal with Mo-o, and a married couple who 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 recovering 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. Also, Krypto is left with
Hillary Chang.
A New Direction with an Old Team
Superboy awoke amnesic in the Wild Lands, an island of anthropomorphic animal-men, a homage to Jack Kirby's
Kamandi, The Last Boy on Earth. Superboy quickly regains his memory, and briefly fears he is somehow in the
distant future. After passing a test and other challenges, Superboy and some other humans stranded on the
island manage to leave the Wild Lands. 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 Project"). 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 rejoined Cadmus and began 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 traveled 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 Drake) 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). See the Young Justice entry for more details on his
adventures with the team.
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 Mickey 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.
A defining moment in Superboy's life would come at the onset of the Superman: King of the World storyline.
Superman drops by Cadmus and asks Superboy to come with him to the Fortress of Solitude. While there, Superboy
visits 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 name "Conner."
Superboy was one of the first to explore Hypertime, after a Superboy from an alternate reality arrived at the
Watchtower, 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 timeline/reality.
During the trip, however, he had learned that Superman was 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.
Superboy is ordered to revisit 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 new bride, Nosferata). Winterbourne requests to be taken to the area where he was captured, and Tuftan
leads the way to the Glowing Swamp. They find Ratsputin 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 as 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' holding cells)
steps out and compliments the Kid on his new look. The glove had changed SB's costume to resemble Black
Zero's. 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
its 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, Kon-El is the one he
feels closest too. After he leaves, Superboy hints to Lois that he knows, 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 "The Evil Factory" story arc). 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, Mickey 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.
This leads into the Young Justice: Sins of Youth. A public outcry over Young Justice's actions at Mount
Rushmore prompted a calling of the superhero community to come to D.C. The heroes are all shocked at how
Superboy (standing with Young Justice) seems to be betraying his friends and comrades to the media, until they
realize that this Superboy is in fact Match, who had infiltrated Young Justice after the real Superboy had
been captured and locked up in Cadmus. The real Superboy arrives on scene, slugging it out with his clone. As
the tension mounts, the Contessa and her partner, Klarion the Witch-Boy, enact their plan. Klarion's sorcery
alters the ages of everyone present: the adults become kids (with the oldest heroes becoming the youngest) and
the younger heroes all become adults--all except Superboy, who is still stuck at sixteen.
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 Mickey 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, Donovan 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, 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.
Tragedy and Loss
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.
However, 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 still had his Legionnaire flight ring and had some special training with Guardian. Gadget Guru 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 Mickey 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.
Karl Kesel left the series as lead writer for a second and final time with issue #79.
Roxy is still bound by the alien lifeform. Using her body, it breaks free from Cadmus and arrives in the
nearby town of Kurtzberg. The newly reformed Titans arrive on scene to contain the situation, but Superboy
puts himself between them and Roxy. When Guardian and Heat Wave arrive, a brief battle breaks out. When the
heroes all manage to cool it, the alien (identified as Pyra) breaks free of Roxy's body and flies off into
space. Kon tells Roxy how he thinks of her as family, and she tells him the same. She and her dad are going
off for a while to really get to know one another, but she promises to come back some day.
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.
Slapstick and War
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 of Guardian cannot move on. Guardian has been re-cloned to life (but is a baby) as 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 them 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 meets 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 of this 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 then 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.
He then got fully involved with the events of Our Worlds at War, first helping to aid injured heroes and then
being recruited by President Luthor (with the rest of Young Justice) for a special assignment that takes the
team to Apokolips. Things go badly and the team is briefly captured by Granny Goodness. Impulse is traumatized
when one of his "speed scouts" is killed right in front of him. The team is eventually able to make it back to
Earth, one of the last groups to be accounted for. The war deeply impacted Superboy, having witnessed much
death and destruction, as well as some scarring to some of his closest friends (see the Young Justice entry
for more information regarding Superboy's exploits in the war). Superboy decides to go to the Kent's to rest,
but is troubled by nightmares for some time.
The End of an Era
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. 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' Clubs, but the fight with the
Run Riot Boys makes him miss the meeting and actually involved the tenement block being destroyed in a battle.
A 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. Superboy was taken by Superman to stay with his
parents in Smallville, which he did for some time.
Fall of a Hero
After Young Justice disolves, Superboy becomes a member of the new Teen Titans, but begins to doubt himself
and his abilities once he learns that Lex Luthor, not Paul Westfield, was the original donor of his DNA. He
stays on the Kent farm for longer.
During Infinite Crisis, Superboy-Prime shows up, harassing Superboy about being a failure and prompting a
battle. Superboy is on the losing side until he calls in some allies, resulting in a battle which causes
Superboy-Prime to be taken away into the Speed Force--but not without casualties. Superboy himself is injured
and needs to be taken in for medical treatment. Kon-El is forced to battle Superboy-Prime again, but while
succeeding in stopping Prime's plan to create a new multiverse, Conner is beaten to death by the planet-moving
power-level Prime. Conner is buried in Metropolis beneath his own statue (next to Kal-L's and Lois Kent's
graves) and the Cult of Conner soon starts up, hoping for his return.
Rebirth
Later, during Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds, Superboy was reanimated in the 30th Century by the Legion
of Super-Heroes. Brainiac 5 used the Kryptonian technology that reanimated Superman after he was killed by
Doomsday, combined with a lock of Lex Luthor's hair to bring him back to life to help them in the fight
against Superboy-Prime and his new Legion of Super-Villains. Connor later returns to the 21st century along
with Bart Allen.
Headlining Adventure Comics
The revived ongoing title Adventure Comics features Conner as the headlining character. In the first story arc
entitled, "Superboy: The Boy of Steel," Conner settles back into his life in Smallville, Kansas. Returning to
live with Martha Kent, who is thrilled to take the young boy in after her husband's death, 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 West.
After visiting Lex Luthor's childhood home in Smallville, Superman arrives and talks to Conner about his
desire to understand his "other father". Superman 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 accepts 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 obviously 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,
statementing that, since he was dead and Cassie had no means to know about his future resurrection, her
liaison with Robin can't be considered a true affair. As they share a reconciliation kiss, Martha Kent stares
at them, remembering about her past with Jonathan and Clark.
The Blackest Night
In the Origins and Omens back-up story in Adventure Comics #0, the former Guardian of the Universe, Scar, who
now works for Nekron, discusses Lex Luthor and his place in the forthcoming Blackest Night crossover. The
Guardian also makes mention of "another" that Luthor will have control over. The character to which she is
referring is revealed using a picture of Conner flying over Smallville. The only elaboration following the
image of Conner is, "...But he is dead. And we control the dead. For once I bear witness to the book of the
black, and I question what it shows me, the dead will save you, Luthor. From Brainiac. From Superman. And from
yourself."
In the Blackest Night storylines, Conner Kent has returned to the present. He is dressed in a red Smallville
high sweater and is standing behind Martha Kent and Clark Kent at the tomb of her husband, the late Jonathan
"Pa" Kent. Clutching his fist, Conner declares, "I ... I should've been here. It should've been me instead of
..." Martha Kent consoles him and advises Conner that Jonathan would have wanted him and Clark to "stand up
straight." Unbeknownst to the Kents, the Black Lantern Corps is targeting Conner and Clark along with other
resurrected characters.
The Corps sends the Kal-L and Lois Lane 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
he was reanimated, Conner pushes Kal-L away from Superman. It is revealed that Conner has been holding back
and chose not to use his Tactile Telekinetic powers since his Kryptonian powers manifested, in an attempt to
be more like Superman. Conner then goes after Psycho-Pirate, stealing the Medusa Mask and using its emotional
powers to attract the black rings, causing them to leave their hosts, reducing them to lifeless corpses once
more.
Superboy, along with the few available members of the Teen Titans and Justice League, arrive at Coast City to
battle Nekron. Despite being resurrected, Conner's previous status as a deceased still allows one of Nekron's
black rings to transform him into a Black Lantern. He is later seen battling Lex Luthor, who becomes a deputy
Orange Lantern, with a Black Lantern version of Superman.
Black Lantern Conner attacks Wonder Girl, his girlfriend, all the while trying to break free from the Black
Ring's control. Conner manages to break the control in temporary, short lapses, which he uses to summon Krypto
and alert Cassie of the solution to his Black Ring problem. While under the influence of the ring, Conner
displays a new power, arctic-breath, while also trying to hurt Wonder Girl on a emotional level. The battle
moves to the Fortress, where Krypto realizes what Conner was referring to when he told them to move to the
Fortress of Solitude: Conner's corpse, placed in the rebirth matrix where he awaits his resurrection in Legion
of Three Worlds. The Black Ring, confused and confronted with unexpected resistance from Conner, leaves the
living Conner and tries to attach itself to his corpse, but Conner awakens his arctic breath ability, which
freezes the ring, and Cassie throws it into orbit. After reconciling, the trio heads back to Coast City for
the final battle.
New Krypton
Since his return, Conner has been seen playing a supporting role in the Superman story arc Man of Valor
starring Mon-El, who has been filling in for Superman as the Man of Steel is on New Krypton. Mon-El asks
Conner to enter the Fortress of Solitude using his DNA from Superman and retrieve his rocket from Daxam.
Conner and Mon-El join a secret team of Legion of Super-Heroes in the present. They go to New Krypton to help
defeat Brainiac without destroying the bottle cities that will one day join the United Planets and are the
future home of the members of the Legion of Super-Heroes.
War of the Supermen
Following the events of Last Stand of New Krypton, Superboy is rounded up with Guardian, Steel, Nightwing,
Flamebird, and Krypto join together to expose and stop General Lane's plans to wipe out the Kryptonians.
Conner saved the Justice League of America and Supergirl from Non and Ursa, and imprisoned they in the Phantom
Zone. After this, he and Krypto backed Superman up against Zod and his kryptonians soldiers, but Zod injured
Krypto, that make Conner have to leave to saved his dog, leaving the Phantom Zone Projector to Superman, who
uses to imprisoned Zod and himself in Phantom Zone, but Superman was later freed by Chris Kent.
