The Xyth

The Xyth

The Xyth are a race green-skinned of space-faring super-sorcerers from a distant star system that Superboy encounters in a 1979 chronicle.

During a spaceflight near Earth’s solar system, two Xyth are rescued by Superboy from seeming disaster when their spacecraft is damaged by a meteoroid. After repairing the craft and seeing to the condition of those aboard, the Boy of Steel learns that the damage could have been repaired easily by the master sorcerer aboard. However, as Superboy was not aware of this fact, the aliens grant him one wish to show their gratitude for his selfless actions on their behalf.

Having only recently accidentally exposed his dual identity as Clark Kent to Lana Lang, Superboy asks the super-sorcerers to render Ma and Pa Kent invulnerable to harm so that he won’t have to hide his secret identity any longer. The aliens agree to his terms, and Superboy returns to Earth.

Upon returning home to Smallville, Superboy begins to publicly reveal his secret to the town, which leads to several problems: Jonathan Kent is mobbed by people seeking his autograph; Clark is expelled from school for creating a distraction; and Lana abandons him feeling that he insulted her by publicly revealing his identity, turning her from a special person because she knew his secret into someone just like everyone else so that he didn’t have to trust her.

After several more incidents, Superboy decides to leave the Earth because of all the trouble his revelation has caused those he cares about. Leaving, his eyes filled with tears, Superboy wishes that he had never asked for his parents to become invulnerable, at which point he hears the voice of the master sorcerer, who tells him that ‘’”It is not ‘’’too late’’’ to ‘’’change’’’ it, if you like.”’’

The master sorcerer, having startled Superboy with his sudden appearance, reveals that the Kents were never made invulnerable, and that the events that the Boy of Steel had just experienced were all implanted in the youth’s mind so that he could see the consequences of his wish. The sorcerer asks Superboy if he would care to ask for something else, at which point the young hero asks that the knowledge of his dual identity be wiped from Lana Lang’s memory, a request that the aliens eagerly comply with (SF No. 195/1, Jun 1979: "The Curse of the Un-Secret Identity!").