Superboy

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The Adventures of Superman when he was a boy!
Birth name: Kal-El
Secret Identity: Clark Kent



Contents

Earliest Adventures

Life on Planet Krypton

As a toddler on Krypton, Superboy is kidnapped by the villian Brainiac (prior to Brainiac's theft of the city of Kandor), who plans to hold baby Kal-El for ransom in exchange for a new weapon that Jor-El has invented, the 21 Y-Ronatort. However, Brainiac and his accomplices have unwittingly brought Kal-El to their hideout in a yellow star system (which causes all natives of Krypton's red star system to gain special powers.) His newfound strength, combined with an awkward, uncontrolled flight ability, causes Superboy to utterly destroy the lair of Brainiac- crashing through buildings, throwing away expensive ships like toys, and crushing all of the jewels from Brainiac's treasure vault to dust. Brainiac tries to shrink the baby and stop his rampage, but he accidentally picks up an enlarging ray instead, and the baby walks all over Brainiac's weapons arsenal, destroying it. Unable to take any more humiliation, Brainiac releases Kal-El back to his parents and vows to return to avenge his humiliation. (SB No. 106, Jul 1963: "The Lair of Brainiac")

While Brainiac does return later, he does not have time to make good his threats on the El family. Superboy's father warns the Council of Science that Krypton will explode, and it soon does...baby Kal-El is rocketed away, evacuated to his new home on Earth. Seemingly the sole survivor of the planet Krypton, he is found in a crashed rocketship and later adopted by Jonathan & Martha Kent.


Superboy Comes to Earth

"There had been rumors floating around the region about a super-powered tot almost since the day of young Clark's arrival on Earth. At parties, on hayrides, in local newspaper offices and the like, people would swear that they had seen a three-year-old boy punch a timber wolf and fly away. Or people would tell about others they knew who told some such story." (LSOK, Ch. 11)

On Earth, even before he is adopted by the Kents, Superboy demonstrates his amazing strength after they find him and place him in an orphanage. The baby Kal-El wreaks havok in the "orphan asylum," lifting various pieces of heavy furniture. The director of the orphanage breathes a sigh of relief when the Kents return to adopt the baby they'd found: "--Whew! Thank goodness they're taking him away before he wrecks the asylum!" (S No. 1, Summer 1939.)

The Kents soon find that the blankets he'd been wrapped in when they discovered him are indestructible, and use them to make a playsuit for the mischevious baby. As his powers develop, "super-baby" sightings are reported all over the world, but are never confirmed. (LSOK, Ch. 11) One day the Kents take young Clark to a secluded pond outside of Smallville to play. He begins to chase a bird and loses sight of his parents. This makes him rather upset, so he decides to cross a pond to look for them; however, the "pond" he crosses is actually the Atlantic Ocean, and he soon lands in London. Though gone for a week (while his parents were worried sick) he returns after helping Scotland Yard catch several criminals and spare an innocent man from execution (SB No. 73, Jun 1959: ""Superbaby in Scotland Yard").

After two other boys see him lift an automobile over an injured man, a young Clark Kent says "My powers give me the chance to do a lot of good--but I can't let people know that Clark Kent can do these things...the knowledge might be dangerous!" He then begins to wear the "colorful red and blue costume" that is famous today, and Clark adopts the identity of Superboy. (MFC No. 101, Jan/Feb 1945) Most sources elaborate that the Kents design the costume from the materials found in baby Kal-El's rocket, and that Pa Kent guides Superboy's actions during the next few years.


Learning to Fly

Following an interesting early childhood, the last power that Superboy masters is flight. After presenting him with his costume, Pa Kent reveals to Clark that he often flew when he was a baby, and encourages him to try practicing it again. After his first attempt, he crashes into an oil derrick and ruins it. The next day he designs a box kite with a steel cable and tries again. While he holds on to the inside of the box kite, Pa Kent unwinds the cable, allowing Superboy to stabilize himself in midair. A pilot named Captain Burton photographs this ridiculous-looking exercise, but Superboy overexposes his film using his x-ray vision. On the third day of practice, his box kite is destroyed by lightning, but by the fourth day Superboy is at last able to control his ability to fly, and flies to the edge of outer space for the first time. (SB No. 59, Dec 1958: "How Superboy Learned to Fly!")


Discrepancies in Earliest Accounts

In the earliest accounts of Superman's adventures (S No.1/1, Summer 1939; and others) very little is revealed about Clark Kent's life before adulthood, except that his parents died and he later became known as Superman. However, the chronicles soon begin to reveal that Superman had originally been known as Superboy, an identity that young Clark Kent adopted to keep other children from suspecting that he had abilities far beyond those of normal young men. (MFC No. 101, Jan/Feb 1945; and others) However, in revised accounts appearing a short while later, Clark Kent embarks on his super-heroic career after reaching adulthood, and first learns of his extraterrestrial origins as late as November-December 1949, when, after having already functioned as a super-hero for more than a decade, he journeys through the barriers of time and space --to the planet Krypton prior to its destruction-- and actually witnesses the cataclysm that destroyed his native planet. He also witnesses the aftermath of that cataclysm, including his arrival on Earth in a rocket and his adoption by the Kents.

"That old couple ... they're my foster parents!" thinks Superman excitedly as he watches Jonathan and Martha Kent lift his infant self gently from the rocket that has just brough him to Earth. "I'm Clark Kent! Then that's me .. that infant is me back in the past!

"Now I understand why I'm different from earthmen! I'm not really from Earth at all --I'm from another planet-- the planet Jor-El called Krypton!!"

"So at last," notes the textual narrative, "after all these years, Superman is at last aware of his birthplace, and why he is the strongest man on Earth!" (S No.61/3: "Superman Returns to Krypton!").

In the years that followed, however, these accounts underwent substantial revision. In the newer version, Superman was again portrayed as having battled crime and injustice as a youngster --as Superboy-- prior to embarking on his adult crime-fighting career as Superman (S No.72/2, Sep/Oct 1951: "The Private Life of Perry White!"; and many others), and he was described as having learned of his extraterrestrial origins while still a boy "by overtaking and photographing light rays that had left Krypton before it exploded" (S No.132, October 1959: "Superman's Other Life!" pts.1-3 "Krypton Lives On!"; "Futuro, Super-Hero of Krypton!"; "The Superman of Two Worlds!"; and others) In addition, it was stated that "Because of his super-memory, Superman can recall all the incidents of his childhood!" (Act No,288, May 1962: "The Man Who Exposed Superman!"; and others). However, remembering his life as a toddler sometimes requires great effort, or the assistance of his "mind-prober ray." (SB No. 73, Jun 1959: ""Superbaby in Scotland Yard")

Despite these early revisions, however, all the texts of the Superman chronicles agree that Superman has lived a double life since the onset of his super-heroic career, using his super-powers openly only as Superboy or Superman while concealing his true, extraterrestrial identity beneath the deceptive guise of mild-mannered Clark Kent.


Superboy Goes Public: The Boyhood Adventures

For many years Superboy operates anonymously and in secret. He appears only occasionally as a quickly moving red and blue blur, never revealing himself to those he helps and only rarely to the criminals he hinders. His actions are noticed however, and a legend grows of a kindly spirit who haunts Smallville, performing good deeds and the rare harmless prank.

Superman recalls his first public appearance as Superboy in April, 1961. When young Clark Kent announces that he has spotted a robbery in progress using his x-ray vision, Jonathan Kent declares, "The time has come for you to perform publicly as Superboy! People won't believe you exist at first, but you'll soon convince them! You'll crusade for good!"

Donning his costume, Superboy foils the robbery, after first introducing himself to two Smallville police officers as "Superboy, foe of all criminals." The policemen introduces Superboy to Smallville's Mayor, who in turn introduces him to the Governor. Eventually, Superboy meets the President of the United States, in the process saving the President's life, and is finally revealed to the United States at large through "representatives of the armed services, leading cities, and various charities" for whom Superboy performs special tasks in the following days.

As the adult Superman notes, "By now, the entire world knew that a Superboy existed, and the whole Earth was gripped by a thrill of excitement." Indeed, radio broadcasts announce that "A Superboy exists! He can fly! Bullets bounce off him! He has amazing super-vision! He battles for justice!" (S No.144/2: "Superboy's First Public Appearance!").

The years that follow this event are perhaps the most well-known of Superboy's chronicles, in which many significant life events occurr in the town of Smallville. In the beginning, Clark Kent's circle of friends includes the pretty, blond-haired Margo Griffiths, who would later grow up to be a nurse in Metropolis. (SB No. 1, Mar-April 1949) However, as time passes Clark becomes more well-acquainted with some of his lifelong friends and foes: Pete Ross, the Lang family, and Lex Luthor, among others.


The World of Smallville

Upon his arrival on Earth from Krypton, the baby Kal-El is adopted by Jonathan & Martha Kent. At various times, the Kents are farmers, and during the majority of young Clark's school years, owners of a general store in Smallville.

As a teenager, Superman as Superboy performed numerous heroic exploits in Smallville (S No. 97/3, May 1956: “Superboy’s Last Day in Smallville”; and others).

Krypto, Superboy's lost puppy from Krypton, eventually found his way to Smallville and frequently joins Superboy in many of his adventures. From time to time, he leaves Smallville to go on long "space-romps," but always returns to his master in the end. More recently, on one of his romps through space, Krypto was anointed king of a distant planet...only to play dead and escape when his new subjects presented him with a shiny new meteor rock- kryptonite, the only substance that can kill the Dog King! (SB No. 77, Dec 1959: "The Space Adventures of Krypto!")

Lana Lang is the beautiful, red-haired girl next door, the daughter of archaeologist Lewis Lang...and a pain in Superboy's neck. Clark Kent secretly admires her, and Lana secretly admires Superboy...however, she has eventually come to suspect that Clark Kent and Superboy are one and the same, forcing him to resort to such tricks as using Superboy Robots to allay her suspicions. Pa Kent suspected when Clark was very young that the pair would become interested in one another. (LSOK)

Clark Kent's "only close friend" is Pete Ross. "Grown-up and logical," he once told Lana Lang that anyone who knew Superboy's secret identity would be in constant peril, and it would be best for nobody to know. Several days later, he did find out Superboy's identity, after seeing Clark Kent change to Superboy on a camping trip. He has never told anyone that he knows Clark Kent is Superboy, even Clark himself. (S No. 90, Jul 1961: "Pete Ross' Super Secret!")

Lex Luthor is a farmboy, a huge fan of Superboy who once stored photos and Superboy memorabilia in his barn, but dreams of becoming a scientist. One day he saves Superboy's life by pushing away a rather sizeable kryptonite meteor with a bulldozer, and Superboy repays him by building a state-of-the-art, modern experimental laboratory and presenting it to him as a gift. The two quickly become friends. Luthor immediately begins work in his new laboratory, creating a kryptonite antidote and working on a discovery that he called "the secret of life itself," but when a lab accident starts a fire, Superboy's super-breath accidentally destroys Luthor's new discoveries, and the fumes from the chemical fire cause Luthor to lose his hair. He blames the act on Superboy's jealousy of his scientific mind, and the two have become competitive foes for the foreseeable future. (Adv. No. 271, Apr 1960: "How Luthor Met Superboy!")

When needed by the authorities in an emergency, Police Chief Parker, can summon Superboy by means of an ingenious flashing light system. The town of Smallville has also set aside a special holiday for Superboy. Superboy Day, as it is called, is celebrated annually (S No. 116, Sep 1957: "Disaster Strikes Twice!").

In May 1955, Superman returns to Smallville thwart an underworld scheme to recover $1,000,000 in gold which, following its theft many years ago, hidden in Smallville by the thieves and never recovered (S No. 97/3: “Superboy’s Last Day in Smallville”).

Childhood Adventures Beyond Smallville

"Bizarre" Travels

Another of Superboy's notable boyhood adventures marks the first appearance of Bizarro. Using a duplicator ray, Superboy accidentally creates a "bizarre" imperfect duplicate of himself. The duplicate creature then names himself Bizarro, goes on a mini-rampage on main street, breaks into a farmhouse to tell an older couple "I BE YOUR LOVING SON!", and finally befriends a blind girl who could not be afraid of his chalky white appearance. Superboy apparently destroys Bizarro, but the ensuing vibrations cure his friend's blindness. (SB No. 68, Oct 1958: "Bizarro: The Super-Creature of Steel") While he appears to die that day in Smallville, the future "Bizarro No. 1" has apparently survived and used a duplicator ray to create an array of other Bizarro creatures on the planet Htrae. Conversely referred to as "The Thing of Steel" or "The Idiot of Steel," he lives with his wife Bizarro-Lois No. 1. Superboy and Krypto occasional travel to Htrae and ecounter the Bizarros, as seen when they crash through the time barrier in July 1961 (Adv. No. 285, "The Shame of the Bizarro Family!")


Club Membership

Superboy also meets The Legion of Super-Heroes, a super-hero club founded in his honor, during this time period. Superboy first encounters the Legion in April 1958 when he meets three teenagers in Smallville who inexplicably know his secret identity. In time, the teenagers are revealed to be Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, and Cosmic Boy, members of a "super-hero club" from the 30th Century called the Legion of Super-Heroes. Acknowledging Superboy as an inspiration, the Legion journey back in time to recruit Superboy as a member. After a series of tests in the far-future, Superboy is awarded membership and returned to his own time (Adv No.247/1: "The Legion of Super-Heroes!").


Adolescence

Krypto's Departure from Smallville

Among the many changes that occur during Superboy's teenage years is the absence of his long-time companion, Krypto the Superdog. During one of his space-romps, Krypto encounters the Mindbreaker Beast, a purple, gargoyle-like creature that feeds on the mental energy of the humanoids on which it preys. Krypto challenges the Mindbreaker Beast and sends him hurtling through space; however, Krypto wanders off dazed, an amnesiac. He drifts through space until Clark meets him again in adulthood. (S No. 287, May 1975: "Who Was That Dog I Saw You With Last Night?")


Superboy Meets Superman

In one undated adventure, a teenage Superboy is transported into the future by a troubled and villainous Pete Ross. Though it is impossible for a person to occupy the same space at the same time, Pete Ross circumvents this rule by taking possession of Superboy's body with a mind-transfer ray, thus enabling Superboy and Superman to exist at the same time. Though Pete captures Superman (using Superman's own powerful, youthful Superboy body) his plan fails because Superboy, trapped in Pete Ross' body, frees both himself and the adult Superman. (DCP No. 14, Oct 1979: "Judge, Jury...and NO JUSTICE!")


Superboy's 16th Birthday Celebration

By Superboy's 16th birthday, the Kents are shown to be much younger, their faces no longer wrinkled and their graying hair turned reddish-brown, thanks to a chemical from another dimension. Oddly enough, the Kents are also shown placing seventeen candles on Clark's birthday cake. This is revealed to be due to an episode when Clark turned eight years old, when two immortal beings tried to transfer their immortality to Clark so that they could die. Their plan failed, and on Clark's 16th birthday they celebrated the event (of which Clark's memory had been erased) by placing an extra candle on his cake, as a "secret token of our thanks and good luck for the next year!" It is also clear whose company Clark prefers most...he blows out the candles on his cake with the lovely Lana Lang standing by his side. (NSB No. 1, Jan 1980: "The Most Important Year of Superboy's Life!")


The Deaths of Martha & Jonathan Kent

Less than two years after his sixteenth birthday, the Kents enjoy a vacation in the Caribbean. Superboy drops by to see them, and they reveal that they have found a page from the diary of Pegleg Morgan, dated July 16, 1717, in which he mentions being "driven off the ship by the cruelest pirate of them all!" Martha Kent convinces Superboy to take them to the past to investigate the pirate. He constructs a glass bubble to protect them from friction and takes them back to 1717, where the Kents watch Blackbeard from a distance, sitting and eating fruit before returning to Smallville.

Alas, the next day, the Kents awaken with raging fevers. The doctors inform Clark that his parents appear to have symptoms of the Fever Plague, a disease that has not existed for for 100 years! Nothing can be done for the Kents, so the doctors suggest that Clark quarantine them and make them comfortable. Lana, who has had some training as a nurse's aide, offers to sit with the Kents while Clark looks for some answers. Several courses of action are attempted: Superboy locates an "orchid tree," said in an old manual to cure the Fever Plague, and gives the sap to his parents. Since Pa Kent is on the prison parole board, Lex Luthor uses his "vibro-health restorer" for an hour trying to cure the Kents (and ultimately receive parole,) but to no avail. Lana reassures him: "Chin up, Clark...maybe Superboy will figure out a cure!" Finally, Clark decides to project the Kents into the Phantom Zone until he iss able to find a cure, as he had previously done when Mon-El was incurably ill. However, solar flares interfere with the operation of the Phantom Zone Ray, and Ma Kent dies. In his final moments, Clark's father regains consciousness and makes Clark promise to use his super-powers to do good before saying goodbye and passing away.

In their will, the Kents give Clark their home and business, and donate their savings to the Smallville Orphanage. When Clark presents the money to the director of the orphanage, he thanks Clark for his family's support ever since they adopted him. However, Clark Kent believes himself responsible for his parents' deaths and discards his Superboy costume...until it is proven that their trip through time did not cause their deaths; instead, they died from a virus they contracted while rummaging through Pegleg Morgan's chest on vacation. Upon this discovery, Clark says "Dad...Mother...what a relief to know that I'm not responsible for what happened to you! Now I won't be afraid to become Superboy again!" (S No. 161, May 1963: "The Last Days of Ma and Pa Kent")


Superboy's Farewell

Clark buries his parents, vows not to sell the house and leaves for Metropolis. (Pete Ross attempts to condemn the house years later, to conceal the fact that Clark Kent was Superboy...but changes his mind when he sees how Clark feels about his boyhood home.)(S No. 270, Dec 1973: "I Can't Go Home Again") According to one legend, Clark returns to Smallville for a second farewell as Superboy. As he is leaving town, the townspeople join hands and form letters visible to the sky: "Farewell Superboy, We'll Never Forget You!" This touches Superboy, and he throws the townspeople a giant farewell party, complete with a giant cake that he bakes for them. Many pieces of the cake are preserved by the townspeople as souvenirs.


The College Years

Clark Kent first "thinks of himself as Superman" in order to evade a lie-detector test given to him by Professor Maxwell, who asks if he is Superboy. (S No. 125, 1958: "Clark Kent's College Days") In truth, however, he is still officially called "Superboy" throughout most of his college career. Clark Kent and Lana Lang both attend Metropolis University, with Lana eventually transferring to Hudson University to study broadcast journalism. Clark's college roommates include "Tommy," "Dave," the alcoholic "Ducky," and eventually Billy Cramer, a young man from Smallville whose mother Alice recommends that he either look up Clark or Lana when he arrives at Met U.

On parents' day during his junior year, Clark travels back in time (becoming a phantom) to witness a family dinner at the Kent home. When he returns to the present he finds Ducky in a horrible car accident. Ducky, upset over the ending of his relationship with his girlfriend Amy, has been drinking excessively and crashes into a tree. Superboy arrives after the police and is able to do nothing... Ducky survives, but is paralyzed and bound to a wheelchair. Following the accident, Billy Cramer is placed in Clark's dorm by the housing dean, and one day they come to the rescue of a "crippled girl" in a wheelchair- Lori Lemaris, whose beauty leaves Clark speechless. (While a previous account suggests that Clark meets Lori Lemaris in his senior year of college, it is now clarified that he meets her later in his junior year, while he is still using the "Superboy" name.) Clark and Lori begin dating, but she has many strange habits, including a strict eight o' clock curfew. Meanwhile, Clark reveals to Billy Cramer that he is Superboy, and when Pete Ross shows up for a visit, they each suspect that the other knows Clark's secret, covering for him when necessary. After Clark solves the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle later in the year, he gives Billy a supersonic whistle to contact him in case he is ever in trouble.

At this time, Clark also decides to also tell Lori that he is Superboy, and proposes to her. She rejects his marriage proposal and reveals that she already knew that he was Superboy, before saying that she needs some time alone. The well-meaning Billy, sensing that something is wrong, uses his supersonic whistle to summon Superboy, in order to force him to talk about his relationship problems. Superboy becomes so angry at Billy's misuse of the whistle that he threatens to melt it if Billy ever misuses it again, and flies away. Superboy then goes to confront Lori Lemaris, discovering that she is a mermaid from Atlantis. He offers her a ride home, and upon depositing her in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, they kiss the "strangest" goodbye kiss.

Broken heart or not, a Superboy's work is never done. Not long after he bids Lori farewell, a small island in the south Pacific is threatened to be drowned by a tidal wave. As Superboy works feverishly to rescue the island, he hears Billy's supersonic whistle, and with his super-vision sees Billy trapped in a burning building after attempting to rescue someone. Superboy, forced to choose between his roommate and the populous Pacific island, is unable to make it in time, and Billy tragically dies thinking that Superboy is ignoring his whistle, due to his earlier misuse of it. After Billy's death, Superboy is so grief-stricken--having been unable to save his parents, Ducky, or Billy-- that he sheds the identity of Superboy, going into a self-imposed exile in the Fortress of Solitude. (SSY 1-4, Feb-May 1985)

He returns three months later, defeating Lex Luthor and making peace with his friends and his past, as Superman. At the time Superboy is first announced as Superman by the Daily Planet, he is probably 21 years old, entering his senior year of college. This age is corroborated by an earlier account, in which Clark Kent's early classmate Margo Griffiths is told by a magician that she will die at the age of 21. She is spared from death- at age 21- by Superman. (SB No. 1, Mar-April 1949)


Superboy Returns: Adventures in the Thirtieth Century

Superboy is also the inspiration for the Legion of Super-Heroes. Over 1,000 years after entering adulthood, Superboy resurfaces in the 30th Century. He is subsequently initiated as a regular member of the Legion, which later includes his cousin Supergirl.

Superboy's Greatest Foes

Superboy's foes while living in Smallville include young Lex Luthor, The Kryptonite Kid, Dev-Em a.k.a. the Knave from Krypton, and The Superboy Revenge Squad.



External Links

External Links to Online Comics

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