Supergirl or Superboy?

[Iron_Leopard]

Who's more popular and iconic?

[Sacred Knight]

Which Superboy? If we're talking Kon-El, then Supergirl is more iconic, but Superboy during his day was more popular than Supergirl was at that same time.

If we're talking Kal-El Superboy though then he takes both.

[Digifiend]

Yeah, Supergirl's better known than the 90s and modern Superboys for sure (she had a movie in the 80s after all), but not the original who was a teenage Clark Kent.

[Spiderboy12]

Superboy, of course, preceded Supergirl by fourteen years in terms of their first appearances, so he "wins" the 1940s (no competition) and 1950s (no competition until 1959). And he was undeniably more popular than Supergirl in the 1960s and 1970s, even though in the 1970s Superboy's sales were tied to the Legion of Super-Heroes. That was also the period when Superboy actually made appearances in cartoons, while Supergirl did not.

I'd say Superboy was arguably more popular in the 1980s, but both characters were declining in popularity. Superboy's revived comic (in late 1979) lasted longer than Supergirl's did in the same period. They were actually due to be sold together in their own shared comic when the decision came down to remove both of them from continuity in 1986. That the Supergirl movie bombed might have had something to do with her fate.

Superboy and Supergirl both got a bit of renewed life in the late 1980s. Supergirl came back in the Supergirl Saga story in 1988, John Byrne's swan song on Superman, which was (ironically) a sequel to the death of Superboy story a year earlier (in a Superman/Legion crossover tale). The same year, the Superboy TV series started up and lasted four seasons; it even had a comic book tie-in series.

In the 1990s, of course, after the Superboy TV series ended in 1992, we had a new Superboy debut in 1993 the Reign of the Supermen story in the Superman comics following Clark's apparent death. Then Kon-El had his ongoing that lasted 100 issues. And Supergirl, after getting a mini-series of four issues, had her own ongoing that lasted 80 issues. As a cartoon character, the original version, Kara, got some exposure late in the decade (I think) in the Justice League animated series. So I think I'd call the 1990s a draw.

For the most part since the turn of the century, though, I think Kara, once she returned in Superman/Batman in late 2003, has kind of stolen the show in the realm of comics. Superboy perhaps had a slightly higher profile until his death in 2006 (the tail end of his own series, his participation in Young Justice and Teen Titans). But Supergirl had an ongoing by then, and she has had an ongoing for nearly the entire time since then. Superboy's ongoing has been more sporadic, even after his return to life. The New 52 version even died again, and came back, just in time for his "replacement" Jon Lane Kent to die and the Superboy series to be cancelled in 2014. He hasn't appeared much since then. But we have gotten a new Superboy in Jonathan Samuel Kent, star of Super Sons with Damian.

On TV, we got to see Superboy for two seasons of Young Justice, a couple episodes of Smallville, and of course we're awaiting Kon-El's return next year in YJ. But Supergirl had a far longer stretch on Smallville, and for the last two years, has had her own TV series on the CW, with the third season set to debut in two weeks. So I think Kara kind of "wins" regarding the small screen as well.

Which one is more iconic? I don't know. Kara Zor-El is surely the iconic Supergirl, easily beating Matrix/Linda Danvers. But Superboy Classic (Kal-El) has certainly been challenged in the last couple decades by "New" Superboy (Kon-El), so I'm not even certain which Superboy would now be considered the "iconic" one. (I take it for granted that Jon hasn't been around long enough to be iconic yet.) Superboy in general might have been more iconic if you consider the entirety of the last 74 years, or even just the last 60. But Supergirl probably reigns supreme at the moment.

[Iron_Leopard]

Superboy, of course, preceded Supergirl by fourteen years in terms of their first appearances, so he "wins" the 1940s (no competition) and 1950s (no competition until 1959). And he was undeniably more popular than Supergirl in the 1960s and 1970s, even though in the 1970s Superboy's sales were tied to the Legion of Super-Heroes. That was also the period when Superboy actually made appearances in cartoons, while Supergirl did not.

I'd say Superboy was arguably more popular in the 1980s, but both characters were declining in popularity. Superboy's revived comic (in late 1979) lasted longer than Supergirl's did in the same period. They were actually due to be sold together in their own shared comic when the decision came down to remove both of them from continuity in 1986. That the Supergirl movie bombed might have had something to do with her fate.

Superboy and Supergirl both got a bit of renewed life in the late 1980s. Supergirl came back in the Supergirl Saga story in 1988, John Byrne's swan song on Superman, which was (ironically) a sequel to the death of Superboy story a year earlier (in a Superman/Legion crossover tale). The same year, the Superboy TV series started up and lasted four seasons; it even had a comic book tie-in series.

In the 1990s, of course, after the Superboy TV series ended in 1992, we had a new Superboy debut in 1993 the Reign of the Supermen story in the Superman comics following Clark's apparent death. Then Kon-El had his ongoing that lasted 100 issues. And Supergirl, after getting a mini-series of four issues, had her own ongoing that lasted 80 issues. As a cartoon character, the original version, Kara, got some exposure late in the decade (I think) in the Justice League animated series. So I think I'd call the 1990s a draw.

For the most part since the turn of the century, though, I think Kara, once she returned in Superman/Batman in late 2003, has kind of stolen the show in the realm of comics. Superboy perhaps had a slightly higher profile until his death in 2006 (the tail end of his own series, his participation in Young Justice and Teen Titans). But Supergirl had an ongoing by then, and she has had an ongoing for nearly the entire time since then. Superboy's ongoing has been more sporadic, even after his return to life. The New 52 version even died again, and came back, just in time for his "replacement" Jon Lane Kent to die and the Superboy series to be cancelled in 2014. He hasn't appeared much since then. But we have gotten a new Superboy in Jonathan Samuel Kent, star of Super Sons with Damian.

On TV, we got to see Superboy for two seasons of Young Justice, a couple episodes of Smallville, and of course we're awaiting Kon-El's return next year in YJ. But Supergirl had a far longer stretch on Smallville, and for the last two years, has had her own TV series on the CW, with the third season set to debut in two weeks. So I think Kara kind of "wins" regarding the small screen as well.

Which one is more iconic? I don't know. Kara Zor-El is surely the iconic Supergirl, easily beating Matrix/Linda Danvers. But Superboy Classic (Kal-El) has certainly been challenged in the last couple decades by "New" Superboy (Kon-El), so I'm not even certain which Superboy would now be considered the "iconic" one. (I take it for granted that Jon hasn't been around long enough to be iconic yet.) Superboy in general might have been more iconic if you consider the entirety of the last 74 years, or even just the last 60. But Supergirl probably reigns supreme at the moment.

Great post.

Wouldn't you also say Supergirl death in COIE was a bigger deal than Superboy death in IC?

[Frontier]

I think Supergirl is probably the most popular and iconic Super-Family member after Superman himself (who for the sake of argument I won't count as Superboy).

I think Kon/Conner's Superboy might be the next most iconic, but I think Krypto would probably give him a good run for his money .

[adrikito]

I think that Supergirl.

[Celgress]

Supergirl I would say.

[Lvenger]

Currently it's Supergirl but in the 1950s and 60s Superboy was super popular. There's a reason why that name has a trademark alongside Superman whenever Conner or Jon showed up in a comic.

[Spiderboy12]

Great post.

Wouldn't you also say Supergirl death in COIE was a bigger deal than Superboy death in IC?

Thanks. Yes, it probably was. But I think primarily because in 1985, it wasn't that common for characters to return from the dead.

I've long been a big Superboy fan, though, so Superboy(s)' deaths in 1987 (which I did NOT expect!) and 2006 affected me more emotionally. Supergirl's also suffered from being telegraphed in the media for weeks ahead of COIE #7. We all knew it was coming. Though it's a big off-topic, I think Flash's death the next issue was actually more shocking and a bigger deal. No Internet then, and the mainstream media didn't publicize his death.

[Kuwagaton]

Spiderboy, I think you might get this one: what was the deal with the Superboy tv show buzz in the early 70s? Was that a thing people expected and anticipated? Whatever became of that?

[md62]

1. Kal-El Superboy.
2. Kara Supergirl.
3. Kara Power Girl.
4. Kon-El Superboy.
5. Jon Superboy.
6. Matrix Supergirl.

[Spiderboy12]

Spiderboy, I think you might get this one: what was the deal with the Superboy tv show buzz in the early 70s? Was that a thing people expected and anticipated? Whatever became of that?

I don't recall any Superboy TV buzz in the 1970s, and a Google search doesn't bring up any references. So I'm not sure what you're referring to.

There was a Superboy pilot filmed in 1961 for a TV series, but it was never picked up by a network. You can watch the Superboy pilot on YouTube (search for "Superboy pilot 1961") if you've never seen it. It's about 30 minutes long.

[Kuwagaton]

This thread reminded me that the Amazing World of DC Comics second issue had an ad that ran in the "January 1975" comics. It featured Cary Bates and Batman, and the latter mentioned a scoop on the Superboy tv show. I guess it could have been a look back. Thanks for mentioning that pilot, though, because it's something I never thought to seek.

The time of Kal Superboy is a curious thing to someone born in 1987. Superboy was an extremely prolific feature for so many decades, but at two different stages I thought the traditional Superboy was just an early 90s tv show take on Superman or a joke played in the 1994 Superboy series, where The Kid meets his pre-crisis equivalent. I saw the 1984 movie and some 80s Supergirl comics early on though, so I knew she was a real comic thing.

[superduperman]

I would say Supergirl simply because she is less ambiguous than he is. When we are talking about Superboy, there is some question as to which version we are talking about. Are we talking about young Superman or are we talking about Conner Kent? For a time, both versions existed simultaneously. Most people are only familiar with the "cousin of Superman" version of Supergirl.