The Legion of Super Bloggers! : Who's Who: Superboy

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Who's Who: Superboy

Superboy
by Russell & Siskoid

Real Name: Kal-El (Clark Kent)

Super-Power(s): Super-strength, super-speed, super-invulnerability, various vision powers, etc.
Planet of Origin: Krypton

Legion Seniority: Although Superboy was asked to join the Legion in their first published appearance in Adventure Comics #247, he was clearly not the fourth member to join. However, there is some discrepancy as to who he actually joined before and/or after. According to the DC Heroes Role Playing Reference: LSH, written by long-time LSH writer Paul Levitz, Superboy was Member #11.

Legion Log
Superboy made his debut appearance in More Fun Comics #101 in 1944. He had his own series in Adventure Comics, as well as his own title, Superboy, until both were taken over by the Legion of Super-Heroes. In Adventure Comics #247 he first met Cosmic Boy, Lighting Boy (Lad), and Saturn Girl, and they asked him to join their Legion. He agreed, and for the next several years he was a regular member, participating actively.

In the Legion's seventh year the United Planets instituted a 25 member limit, so Superboy resigned rather than forcing someone else to. However, in Year Nine, with the resignations of Duo Damsel, Bouncing Boy, and Supergirl, Superboy was asked to return, and graciously agreed. He served as an active member for two more years. In Year Eleven, Superboy resigned again, choosing Reserve status due to the demands on his time in Smallville as he neared maturity there.

Superboy was humble and easy-going with everyone, even though the majority of members suffered from a sense of awe and reverence when interacting with a Living Legend. Duo Damsel had a crush on Superboy when he first joined, but eventually got over him, as she knew who he was going to grow up to be with. Superboy was on friendly terms with all of the earliest members, but was especially close to Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl (his first three friends from the future), and with Mon-El and Ultra Boy, as super-peers.

Immediately after the so-called Crisis on Infinite Earths it was revealed that there was never a Superboy in the "true" Legion timeline, and that Superboy's very existence was a creation of the diabolical Time Trapper. Superboy sacrificed himself to save his "pocket" universe from the Crisis and to return his Legion friends to their true timeline.

After Glorith changed Legion history, Superboy's role was played by Kent Shakespeare.

After the Reboot, the Legion met the clone Superboy (later known as Kon-El) when they returned to the past in an effort to save Valor's life. After they rescue the latter from the Phantom Zone, he joins the Legion as M'onel and Kon-El is awarded honorary membership. He seldom encountered the Legion after this, though did use and sometimes misuse his Legion Flight Ring. After developing Kryptonian powers, Kon-El is accidentally taken to the 31st century by Darkseid, where he found by Phantom Girl and made a full-time member of the Legion, spending five months with the team.

In the Threeboot timeline, no version of Superboy has ever been a member nor even met the Legion.

After Infinite Crisis, the original Legion history was more or less restored. One obvious change is that the "pocket universe" Superboy isn't a member. Instead, Clark Kent is once again visited in his youth by the founding Legionnaires and only acts as Superboy in the 30th century. He has no contemporary career. As an adult, Superman still keeps his Legion flight ring as a keepsake.

During the Final Crisis, Kon-El, believed dead for a millennium, is saved and resurrected by Brainiac 5 and other members of the Legion in time to help them fight Superboy-Prime's new Legion of Super-Villains. Kon-El is returned to the 21st-century after "Legion of 3 Worlds".

It is not clear how Clark Kent's history interacts with the Legion's in the timeline created after Flashpoint. The clone Superboy did eventually meet members of the Legion lost in the 21st century one two occasions.

Superboy was the hero of his own Filmation cartoon in 1966-1969, voiced by Bob Hastings. Superboy also had his own syndicated television drama from 1988-1992, starring first John Haymes Newton (first season) and then Gerard Christopher (2nd-4th seasons). A young Clark Kent was portrayed by Tom Welling on the television series Smallville (2001-2011). In the Smallville episode, "Legion" Clark meets three teenagers from the future named Rokk, Imra, and Garth. A young Superman was also the featured star of The Legion of Super-Heroes animated series, voiced by Yuri Lowenthal.

Important Superboy Stories:

Adventure Comics #247

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 1)

Superboy joins the Legion

Superboy #89

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 1)

The first appearance of Superboy's "Big Brother," Mon-El

Adventure Comics #333

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 4)

The Legion becomes involved in a war between Krypton and Earth

Adventure Comics #342
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 5)

Superboy defends Star Boy against the charge of murder

Adventure Comics #345
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 5)

Superboy inadvertently causes Matter Eater Lad to enlarge to an obese size

Adventure Comics #350-351
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 6)

Supergirl and Superboy must leave the Legion.....

....then rejoins it one issue later!

Adventure Comics #352
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 6)

Superboy helps bring the Fatal Five together

Adventure Comics #353
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 6)

Ferro Lad stops Superboy from sacrificing himself to save Earth

Adventure Comics #369-370
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 8)

The Legion hides out in Smallville to escape from Mordru

Action Comics #387
(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 9)

Superboy leaves the Legion, taking Reservist status

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #200

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 10)

Mon-El decides to ask Superboy to return to full-time membership

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #205

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 11)

The friendship between Superboy and Ultra Boy is highlighted

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #208

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 11)

The friendship between Superboy and Mon-El is highlighted

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #217

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 12)

The debut of Superboy's descendent, Laurel Kent

Superboy/Legion of Super-Heroes #225

(reprinted in Legion of Super-Heroes Archives Vol. 11)

Superboy is elected Leader, but cannot serve

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #259

Superboy quits the Legion again

Legion of Super-Heroes (v2) #280-282

Superboy returns to the Legion as a Reservist

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #37

The last iconic Superboy-centric cover, by birthday-boy Steve Lightle

Legion of Super-Heroes (v3) #38

Superboy sacrifices himself to save Smallville and the Legion

Legionnaires #31

Superboy (Kon-El) saves Valor and is made a honorary member of the Legion

Superboy's Legion #1-2

Elseworlds mini-series in which Superboy creates the Legion

The Legion #25-33

Kon-El spends times as a full member of the Legion;
he spends 5 months in the future, loses only 5 weeks in the present

Teen Titans (v3) #16 - The Legion/Teen Titans Special #1