Superboy Robots

Superboy Robots

Extremely complex and highly sophisticated robots employed by Superboy to help him carry out his customary super-tasks and protect the secret of his dual identity. These so-called Super-Robots, which were constructed to resemble the Boy of Steel himself, as well as Clark Kent, were housed behind a secret panel in the basement of the Kent house in Smallville (when Superboy becomes Superman, most of the Superboy Robots are de-activated or destroyed, see: Superboy Robot-6).

Pete Ross lets his curiosity get the better of him, damaging a Superboy robot. Image by George Papp.

In a text for January 1954, Superboy controls and speaks from inside a giant Superboy robot in order to befriend a giant baby that has ingested a growth serum (SB No. 30/1, Jan 1954: "The Giant Who Came to Smallville!"). He later uses this same robot to convince a Professor Tinker that his growth serum really worked, and show him how a giant human creates more problems than it solves. This way he convinces the professor to apply his genius to more worthwhile inventions (SB No. 50/3, Jul 1956: "The Super Giant of Smallville").

In a text for October 1962, while exploring Superboy's secret trophy room in the Kent basement, Pete Ross accidentally damages the only Superboy robot left behind in Smallville while Superboy is off on a mission to the future. When a call comes in from Police Chief Parker, Pete dons an anti-gravity belt and a Superboy costume to respond to the emergency. For the next day, disguised as a Superboy Robot and using his own ingenuity to simulate Superboy's powers, Pete impersonates the robot in a variety of situations, rescuing people from disasters large and small. Finally, just before Superboy's return, Mon-El journeys from the future and repairs the damaged robot in time for it to put out a fire in the Kent's kitchen (SB No. 100/2: "The Day Pete Ross Became a Robot!").

Many years after the time of active Superboy Robots, an old Superboy Robot tape is accidentally used to program a Supergirl Robot (see "Linda Lee Robot"), causing it to journey to Smallville Orphanage and have confused memories of Superman's past (Adv No. 396/2, Aug 1970: "The Mystery of the Super-Orphan!").