Superboy: Underrated Thread

[Mass Nerder]

I use to LOVE this character more than Spider-man. I've only recently started reading DC again and I'm not to sure what happen to him other than he died. The last time I read DC he was with the Teen Titans. Anyway just wondering if anyone wanted to look back at the character, or if there is any information on him for the future and if DC plans on bringing him back anytime soon.

I remeber in Teen Titans it was revealed that he was a clone of both Superman and Lex Luthor but I remeber very well that when Ron Marz was writing Superboy they said it was a misconception that Superboy was a clone of Superman and that no one really knew who he was a clone of. What am I missing here?

 

[fifthfiend]

As best I remember, he was originally basically a human who was genetically tinkered with to have Kryptonian-like abilities, which was retconned to him being half human and half Kryptonian, which was subsequently retconned to his human half being Lex Luthor's DNA.

 

[chamber-music]

I really liked the character. Superboy was one of the first comics I brought. I liked his evolution as a character as well and making him half Luthor and half Superman was a really intresting concept.

I hope he gets revived sometime down the line. If Jason Todd can comeback I don't see why Connor can't.

P.S what happened to his Clone Match?

 

[Aristotle]

What happened to Superboy: The original creators of Superboy won a court case, and have decided that what that means is that no one should publish Superboy comics ever again, apparently. As far as I can tell, they're not even asking for compensation. They're just not allowing Superboy to be published anymore.

What happened to Match: Jericho is currently inhabiting him in Titans Tower.

 

[Assassin]

really?

 

[fifthfiend]

No, not really.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

As best I remember, he was originally basically a human who was genetically tinkered with to have Kryptonian-like abilities, which was retconned to him being half human and half Kryptonian, which was subsequently retconned to his human half being Lex Luthor's DNA.

Well, he was always a test-tube baby. I may be misinterpreting, but when you say he was originally a human who was genetically tinkered with, it sounds like Superboy had a life before being Superboy. He didn't. He was grown by Cadmus to be a clone of Superman.

And his Kryptonian DNA comes from, of course, Superman.

 

[fifthfiend]

Well, he was always a test-tube baby. I may be misinterpreting, but when you say he was originally a human who was genetically tinkered with, it sounds like Superboy had a life before being Superboy. He didn't. He was grown by Cadmus to be a clone of Superman.

Naw I mean yeah he was always a clone. It's just that as I recall the story, he was cloned from human DNA which Cadmus then jury-rigged to give him powers which would resemble a Kryptonian's. There was a whole thing about how, oh, they got a full sample of Superman's DNA but then some clone of Guardian stole it, and then they couldn't get another sample because Lois broke into Cadmus with a telepathic walrus and made them give his (apparent) corpse back, so they sort of just said **** it, we'll fake up some human DNA as best we can and call it a day. I'm pretty sure the thing about him actually being half-Kryptonian was a later retcon.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, he was initially thought to be a clone of Superman himself, but it was later revealed that he was actually a clone of Paul Westfield, the director of Cadmus, with some kind of genetic engineering that gave him a tactile telekinesis ability enabling him to approximate Superman's powers--the TK field would move objects he touched, giving him the appearance of super-strength, the TK field could move him, giving him the appearance of flight, etc. Later on, we learned that he was indeed a clone of Superman, but only halfway. The rest came from Lex.

 

[Anubis]

Which in the long run was a better origin.

 

[Aristotle]

That's true.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I guess. I preferred his TK-based powers, though.

 

[Anubis]

I thought he had both. Considering his powers in that future Titans story.

 

[yenaled]

Yeah I'm sure his powers were still mainly TK based.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Nope. Kryptonian. He had heat vision and everything. His TK was downsized to just something he could use alongside the Kryptonian powers or as that "touchdown" maneuver in Titans Tomorrow.

I thought he had both. Considering his powers in that future Titans story.

Yeah, but once he discovered his dual heritage, he almost always used the Kryptonian powers.

 

[yenaled]

Ahh OK, I know my Superboy from Young Justice I never really got into Johns' Titans.

I never got over Graduation Day (screw you Winick), it's like my OMD.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Heh, I guess for Young Justice, it would be.

 

[Aristotle]

Except a trillion times better, and sans an out-of-character deal with the devil.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Well, it's tough to get down to OMD's level.

 

[Aristotle]

Yeah, it's almost impossible. Comics worse than OMD include Fruitman and Hansi The Girl Who Loved the Swastika.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

That second one doesn't really exist, does it?

 

[Aristotle]

You think I'd lie to you, Corp?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

In a heartbeat.

 

[Aristotle]

You want the scan of the comic?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Sure. Not because I don't believe you. For novelty's sake, you know.