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Superboy

Young Justice Super-Boy gets Angry 


250px-Superboy_v2_61Cover to Superboy vol. 3, No. 61 (1999) by Tom Grummett, showing Kon-El (in jacket), Kal-El (beneath Kon’s right arm), and other Superboys from DC’s Multiverse.

Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published byDC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC.

The first, and arguably best-known, Superboy was simply Superman as a boy, acting as a superhero in Smallville, where Kal-El (Superboy’s Kryptonian name) lives under his secret identityClark Kent. The character was featured in several series from the 1940s until the 1980s, with long runs appearing in Adventure Comicsand two eponymous series, Superboy and The New Adventures of Superboy. He developed a mythos and supporting cast of his own, including foster parents Ma and Pa Kent, love interest Lana Lang, and time traveling allies the Legion of Super-Heroes.

When DC Comics rewrote much of its continuity in 1986, Superman’s history was changed so that he never took a costumed identity until adulthood, erasing Superboy from the canonical history of Superman, although many aspects of the backstory created in Superboy comics, such as Clark’s friendship with Lana Lang, remained. In the last few years, some additional features of Superboy’s history, such as his tenure in the Legion, have also been reintroduced into the story of Superman’s youth.

The character was adapted into a Superboy television series (1988–1992), which also spawned another, short-lived Superboy comic book series; and a teenage Clark Kent, secretly using his powers in heroic acts, appeared in the highly successful Smallville TV series (2001–2011), drawing to a great extent on the comic book continuity in its depiction of young Clark’s life.

Superboy_v1_1

Superboy vol. 1, No. 1 (Mar–Apr, 1949).
Featuring Superman inviting the readers to explore the new title.
Art by Wayne Boring.

In 1993, DC introduced a new, modernized Superboy, a teenage clone of both Superman and Lex Luthor, also known by his Kryptonian name Kon-El and his secret identity as Clark’s cousin Conner Kent. The new Superboy was featured in his own series, Superboy (volume 3), from 1994 until 2002, and in several series devoted to teenage superhero groups. He was featured in DC’s relaunch of Adventure Comics and got his own series again starting in late 2010. This Superboy made his Smallville debut on Friday, March 4, 2011 in the episode “Scion.” In this episode (as in the comics), Conner is a clone made up of both Lex and Clark’s DNA, and has several of Superman’s powers. Superboy is also featured in the animated series Young Justice that debuted in early 2011.

Due to DC Comics’ complex Multiverse, several other Superboys have appeared over time, with the most notable being the mentally unstable Superboy-Prime.

Fictional character biographies Superboy (Kal-El)

180px-More_Fun_Comics_101_SuperboyFirst appearance of Superboy. Art by Joe Shuster from More Fun Comics #101.

The original pitch for a “Superboy” character was made by Jerry Siegel (without Joe Shuster) in November 1938. The idea was turned down by Detective Comics, Inc., and the publisher again rejected a second, more detailed pitch by Siegel two years later.  After the appeal of kid superheroes had been demonstrated by the success of Robin, the Boy Wonder and similar characters, Detective Comics reversed itself in late 1944 and started publishing a Superboy feature, in an effort to expand the Superman franchise by presenting a version of the character to whom younger readers could easily relate.  Superboy first appeared in More Fun Comics No. 101 (1944, with a 1945 cover date). Though Joe Shuster supplied the art, the Superboy feature was published without the input or approval of Jerry Siegel, who was serving in World War II. This fact increased an already-growing rift between the publisher and Siegel and Shuster.

Superboy in Adventure Comics

In early 1946, Superboy moved to Adventure Comics, where he debuted in issue No. 103 (Apr 1946) as the lead feature for the anthology comic, and he remained the headlining feature for over 200 issues. Stories in Adventure Comics treat Superboy as essentially a junior version of Superman. To that end, he wears the Superman costume and his alter ego Clark Kent wears glasses as a disguise for his civilian identity. Superboy is the superhero of Clark’s hometown of Smallville and grows up under the guidance of his foster parents, Ma and Pa Kent. Superboy’s adventures in Adventure Comics include the story of how he was reunited with his pet superdog, Krypto; the story of how his friend, the teenage scientist Lex Luthor, becomes his most bitter foe; and how Superboy joins the 30th-century Legion of Super-Heroes.

The popular Legion spun off from Superboy into its own feature, which debuted in Adventure Comics No. 300 (Sep 1962). The feature soon dominated the comic and forced out original Superboy features, with the last new Superboy story appearing in No. 315 (Dec 1963). Superboy continued to appear in the comic in reprinted stories and as a member of the Legion until the Legion’s final issue,Adventure Comics No. 380 (May 1969).

Superboy (volume 1) (1949–1977)

Four years after his debut, Superboy became only the sixth DC superhero to receive his own comic book when Superboy No. 1 (Mar–Apr 1949) was published. The series became the first new DC superhero title to succeed since World War II. Superboy saw the debuts of the first Superbaby story, (about Clark’s adventures as a super-powered toddler), and of Clark’s two closest friends: Lana Lang, who also serves as a romantic interest for Superboy; and Pete Ross, who later discovers and helps protect Clark’s secret identity. Other notable stories to appear in Superboy include the story of the first Bizarro and the first appearances of Legion of Super-Heroes members Mon-El and Ultra Boy.

After the Legion pushed new Superboy stories out of Adventure Comics in 1963, Superboy became the only comic book to feature original Superboy stories. Less than two years after the Legion itself left Adventure ComicsSuperboy became the Legion’s new home. Starting with Superboy No. 172 (Mar 1971), the Legion appeared as an occasional backup feature. Once again, the Legion feature proved so popular that by Superboy No. 197 (Sep 1973), the Legion had become the lead feature, and with the next issue, the title’s only feature. Although from issue No. 197, the cover logo read “Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes” (“and” replaced “starring” with #222), the official title (shown in the indicia) of the comic remained Superboy until No. 231 (Sep 1977), when the comic became Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes. In issue No. 259 (Jan 1980), Superboy left the Legion and his name was dropped from the title altogether, which now became simply The Legion of Super-Heroes. Though Superboy still periodically appeared in the series that once bore his name, the series remained a Legion title until its final issue, No. 354, in 1987.

The New Adventures of Superboy (1980–1984)

After the Legion took over Superboy, the Superboy feature was nearly moribund until the late 1970s, when it appeared in two short runs, first in Adventure Comics (again) and then in Superman Family. Then, in the same month Superboy left the Legion in Legion of Super-Heroes No. 259 (Jan 1980), a new series entitled The New Adventures of Superboy debuted, with the first issue depicting Clark Kent celebrating his sixteenth birthday. Published monthly, this title lasted for 54 issues until 1984. Between issues No. 28 (Apr 1982) and No. 49 (Jan 1984), the series also featured “Dial H for Hero” as a backup.

Several months after the last issue of The New Adventures of Superboy, a four-issue miniseries was published called Superman: The Secret Years (1985), which tells the story of how Superboy becomes Superman during his junior year of college.

Continuity changes

Shortly after the miniseries was published, Superboy’s career was discarded from Superman’s continuity after the 1985–1986 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths and writer John Byrne‘s 1986 revamp of Superman’s origin, The Man of Steel.  Twenty years later, following the Infinite Crisis limited series, some elements of Superboy’s history were restored to the story of Superman’s youth (see the Infinite Crisis subsection).

Post-Crisis appearances of Superboy (Kal-El)

220px-Superboy_pocket_universeSuperboy from the Pocket Universe. – The Greatest Hero of Them All

Following John Byrne’s revamp of Superman, a new version of Superboy was introduced as a means of patching the Legion of Super-Heroes‘ continuity, which was undermined by the removal of Kal-El’s Superboy career. This Superboy is said to have been created by the Time Trapper, one of the Legion’s greatest enemies, when he notices that the great youthful hero they take inspiration from does not start his career until he is an adult. Wishing to preserve this history due to his own history’s connection to the Legion’s past, the Trapper takes a sliver of time from the ancient universe and uses it to craft a “pocket universe” in which Earth and Krypton are the only inhabited planets. Whenever the Legionnaires travel back in time, they travel to the 20th century of the Pocket Universe, not the main DC Universe. From birth until the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superboy’s life is similar to the life of the original Superboy. When the universe-destroying Crisis strikes, Superboy lacks the power to save his Earth, but the Time Trapper can do so, provided Kal-El helps him capture the Legion. Superboy reluctantly agrees. After a battle with the post-Crisis Superman– during which Superman is drastically overpowered by Superboy’s pre-Crisis strength while managing to keep Superboy on his toes due to his superior experience-, Superboy realizes he can’t turn on his friends and instead helps the Legionnaires defeat the Trapper. Using a device the Trapper employed to stave off Earth’s destruction, Superboy saves his Earth, but only at the cost of his own life. His dying act is to return the Legion to their century (and Earth), where he is later buried.  Later editorial mandates that removed Superboy from the history of the Legion led to a story where the Time Trapper is apparently erased from history, wiping the Pocket Universe and that universe’s Superboy from existence.

However by that time Pocket Universe itself was required for such things as the entire Superman in Exile storyline (which introduced the Eradicator) as well as the Matrix Supergirl. In fact it was later revealed that very same year that both the Time Trapper and his Pocket Universe survived Mon-El’s attack and that he had been trying to use Glorith as a way to return to power only to be literally consumed by her resulting in her stepping into his role. In the Time and Time Again saga (1991) it is shown that both Superman and the Legion still remember the Pocket Universe Superboy so the editorial mandate was basically being ignored within a year.

This version of Superboy was later seen again during the events of Zero Hour. He was time-displaced in the 30th century where he saw various incarnations of The Legion of Super Heroes before being displaced again in present day Smallville where he encountered a still young and inexperienced modern day clone Superboy(Kon-El). Thinking he was somehow in his own future he was confused to see another Superboy and fought him until coming to realize that something bigger was going on. After talking it out with the modern Superboy the Pocket Universe Superboy vanished back to his proper time and reality. This Superboy was later retconned to have been the Earth-One Superboy.

This Superboy was always the Earth – One Superboy, as shown in Legion of Superheroes #38. The retcon was actually the fact that the Time Trapper created a Universe that he could manipulate the Legion with having them time travel to a 20th century of his design. On that universe it was shown that the Time Trapper,with the help of Superboy, was holding back the effects of the Crisis.

This retcon allowed for all passed Legion stories to exist and keep in line with the connection Superboy had for so many years before Crisis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superboy

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