"Don't Mess With The S": Superboy (Kesel/Grummett)

[C-Dot]

The Costumes (continued)

Superboy: The Last Boy on Earth



If you know your Jack Kirby, then you know who Superboy looks like and who the story is a homage of.



The four issue "Superboy: The Last Boy On Earth" story started with Superboy being transported to the "Lost Lands", an uncharted island where evolved animals known as "Furries" (yeah I know) lived. Pretty much everything in the lands came from Jack Kirby's Kamandi from Tuftan the teen tiger prince to Sacker, the snake trader (the "S" in this costume was Sacker's symbol). He eventually reclaims his costume near the end of the four issue story.

[C-Dot]

The Costumes (Continued)

"The New Superboy" costume



After losing his powers during the Young Justice "Sins of Youth" event (and losing a lot more), Superboy was determined to still be Superboy. After being put off active duty in Superboy #75, he wanted to train hard and be Cadmus' top field agent again. In Superboy #76, he asked the Guardian to train him and wore this new costume.



Designed by the Gadget Guru of the Hairies (evolved humans of Cadmus), the wrist guard gave Superboy an expanding "S" shield for use in battle and the ability to fly via his Legion of Superheroes flight ring.

[C-Dot]

The Costumes (Continued)

Superboy 2.0



A redesign from head to toe with new costume, new matching jacket, and even new hair (no more fade), this will be the costume that kicked off Joe Kelly's run in Superboy. After Kon-El received some strict "cool training" from Metropolis teen Bianca in Superboy #83 (in an effort to get his cool back), Superboy wore this new costume (after several fails).



He originally wore some new red shades with it, but SB didn't wear them much (and wore the jacket sometimes).

[C-Dot]

As Superman



The aim of Project Cadmus creating Superboy was to age him into a full grown Superman. But Cadmus' little experiment in recreating Superman would end up being more successful than they realized. His alternate universe adult self, a Superman turned tyrant, displayed abilities that matched Superman. So you could pretty much expect Kon to be upgraded as well.



Superboy was aged into an adult by Klarion The Witch Boy during "Sins of Youth" (he was stuck at age 16 at the time). At full adult age, Superboy displayed the full range of Superman's abilities. He possessed heat vision, super hearing, an increase in strength and other abilities.



But another upgrade was that his tactile telekinetic field had increased and expanded. giving him far more power than he did as a teen.

[C-Dot]

Project Cadmus

A.K.A. "the guys who created Superboy".



Cadmus insignia and personnel. From Left: Executive Director Paul Westfield, The Guardian (Head of Security), and Dubbilex. Guy on the screen is former scientist and rather insane Dr. Dabney Donovan.

The world's most advanced genetic research facility, Project Cadmus is a fully funded top secret United States government research project and federal agency. The DNA Project was created by Jack Kirby and featured in several Superman books. It takes its real world inspiration from the US military's Manhattan Project, which made the first nuclear weapons in WWII. But instead of nuclear weapons research, Cadmus' mission was based on genetic research and developing advancements. Superman worked with the Project and also would allow them to break his DNA code. The DNA Project would make the jump from Pre-Crisis to Post Crisis in Superman Annual #2 with the name primarily known as The Cadmus Project or Project Cadmus, the name based on the Greek legend of Prince Cadmus growing Spartanoi soldiers from dragon's teeth (See: Jack Kirby's "The Cadmus Seed" story).


From the Pre-Crisis Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen

Like the Manhattan Project, which based their offices in its namesake, Cadmus based their main facility near Metropolis in a massive complex with several access points in the city itself. With their cloning research, their known creations were basic identical human clones, "step-ups" (advanced human clones such as the Hairies), and "aliens" which weren't really aliens but clones radically changed to the point that they don't resemble human beings (like the character Dubbilex). Superboy would kind of be in the "alien" category as he was cloned and radically changed to resemble an alien being, but there are differences as he is a custom made metahuman.



Cadmus not only had cloning labs and advanced science, but its own troops and military support with advanced weaponry.

[C-Dot]

Project Cadmus (Continued)


Mt. Curtis. Location of Project Cadmus. In, where else, Kirby County

Cadmus was ran by one executive director and five other directors. The guy in charge was Paul Westfield (more on him later), former soldier turned unethical government bureaucrat. The other directors, scientists at the Project, were previously known as The Newsboy Legion (a group of kid characters that starred in Pre-Crisis comics with the Guardian and created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon). Each of the five have younger clones of themselves (and they were responsible for Superboy's release).


Some of the Newsboys, their young clones, and the Guardian

Also on board was Dr. Carl Packard, who headed Westfield's science team and was the lead scientist that created Superboy (but a bit shady and double dealing). While Pre-Crisis Cadmus Superman and Cadmus had a good relationship, their Post Crisis relationship is rocky from the start (due to Superman's feelings on cloning) and Paul Westfield didn't help much. From Westfield capturing him out of the belief of Superman being a threat to control to Westfield (again) stealing his body to Westfield (again) taking part in a war with Lexcorp and other mess. But Superboy would end up being the project's most successful creation.


The All New Cadmus: (Clockwise) The Guardian, Director Mickey "The Mechanic" Cannon, Dubbilex, military liaison Colonel Adam Winterbourne. and Dr. Serling "Doc Rocket" Roquette

Project Cadmus was believed to be destroyed after the war with Lexcorp, but it went further underground with the other five directors in charge. The US Government would eventually decide that one director was more than enough and that Cadmus needed change. Mickey "The Mechanic" Cannon was brought in to start a new Cadmus as its new Director In Chief and the other directors (and their clones) were let go. Cadmus was no longer secret and their mission now went away from human cloning (which brought ethical questions), focused more on using science for good, and going beyond genetic research which included investigating and handling the weird and strange world of genetics from monsters to mutants to the unknown. Superboy would end up being their top field agent.

[C-Dot]

Superman


From Superboy #60

Superman and Superboy's relationship was a big brother/little brother type of deal. While Superman was upset at Project Cadmus for stealing his body, he never distanced himself from Superboy or treated him like dirt for being a clone based on him. Kon would fight alongside him the battle against the Cyborg Superman in "Reign of the Supermen". In Adventures of Superman #506, Superboy was pretty ticked at the attempt on his life and blamed Project Cadmus (which he exposed on TV), Kon did take his frustration out on Superman, but he would show Kon the truth of his origins and give him a name that he felt was earned by the Kid: the "Superboy" name (which Kon didn't care for at first).

"This is the dude that we're all striving to be. He is truth, justice, and all that. And he makes you believe it."

Superman would be there for him at times in which Superboy needed someone. He fully trusted Superboy and respected what Superboy achieved with the "S". He saw the kid as family and eventually gave him his late cousin's name Kon-El.


'I was made in the guy's image with maybe an extra dose of cool"

But while Superman let Kon in on the "Kal-El the Kryptonian" side, it took Superman a while to let Kon in on the 'Clark the human" side. Superboy would have feelings of not being fully trusted when he learns of Superman's identity (from Clark himself as Superboy). The feeling lingered despite Superman saying that he trusts Superboy with his life. But a talk with Superman's better half in Superboy #70 and a trip to the Kent Farm in Superman #155 (after being invited by the Kents a while ago) would help Superboy understand a bit more of Clark's need of solitude away from being Superman. Superman was annoyed at Superboy showing up but it was solely for the reason of wanting to keep his life as Clark separate from Superman. But a talk with Jon Kent helped him understand Superboy's need of the things that make Clark human.

Clark and Kon would finally work things out in Sins of Youth: Superman Jr. Superboy Sr.

Young Clark and Adult Kon

[C-Dot]

More With Superman


Apparently Superman plays hockey on the moon. From Superboy #83.



Kon and Kal leaving the Kent Farm. With Jon Kent narrating. From Superman #155

[C-Dot]

More With Superman


From Superboy #59. Superman asking Kon for his help in preventing clone science trouble.





From Superboy #70. With Lois figuring out that Kon knows Clark's secret.

[C-Dot]

Lois Lane

"You can’t be Superman!" - Lois
"The one and only. Contrary to current re- Wow! My death really aged you, huh Lois?" - Superboy


From Adventures of Superman #501. Lois meets Superboy. Girl on the bottom right? We'll see more of her later.

Lois went through the ringer during Reign of the Supermen. Dealing with Superman's death, the appearance of four men with a claim of being Superman, etc. Lois would meet Kon for the first time at the Daily Planet in Adventures of Superman #501. After seeing his actions on TV, Lois would consider him....well "arrogant" and a "young egomaniac with raging hormones" at first. But Lois would warm up to Kon. On honeymoon, Lois and Clark would end up helping Superboy take down a threat in Hawaii.



From showing up at the Planet offices to blatant hint dropping, Superboy made it clear that he knew who Superman was. Clark would be a bit oblivious, but Lois would figure it out and give Superboy some advice. And who better to tell him than the woman who knows both Clark and Superman best.

[deadboy80]

The only Superboy worth a damn.

Totally. This is Superboy. Loved this book sooooo much when it came out. Ya, the Superboy's sence this just havent been quite right.

[dupersuper]

Fun fact: this is just before Lois gets kidnapped by a shape-shifting Parasite.

[Pharozonk]

The only Superboy worth a damn.

I disagree. Kon-El is pretty awsesome, but I also think Pre-Crisis Superboy is cool too.

[stephens2177]

I disagree. Kon-El is pretty awsesome, but I also think Pre-Crisis Superboy is cool too.

Well yeah other versions of Superboy are cool,but this is a history lesson from C-Dot about the Kesel,grummett,hazelwood 90's version fans,like me,came into comics with.

[Crazy Diamond]

Are there really many characters today who are like Kon-El? One I'm fond of is Josuke Higashikata from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. His stand allows him to control the form of anything he touches, kinda like TTK. He's kinda goofy, but he's loyal to his friends and family and he's confident with a great sense of humor.