Canon Events: Superboy’s Dark Betrayal Nearly Cost Him Everything and Almost Destroyed Two Teams

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Welcome to a weekly feature where I’ll explore some of the most shocking and impactful moments in comics – moments involving both heroes and villains – and discuss how they resonated with fans and sometimes even changed the comic book world.

Over the years, comic book fans have seen several characters take on the role of Superboy. The early adventures of Clark Kent as Superboy have been rewritten and changed multiple times, and his son, Jon Kent, briefly carried the title as well. But a different Superboy emerged in the 1990s who truly made the name his own – earning the approval of Superman and helping to shape what it meant to be Superboy, just as the mantle shaped him. This version seemed confident and capable, but he would eventually be tested in a profound way.

“The Insiders” was a story arc that spanned six issues of Teen Titans and Outsiders. It focused on both teams – groups already struggling with loss – as they uncovered the truth about Superboy’s past. The story featured two classic DC villains working together, using others as pawns to dismantle both teams and create a bleak future. It was a pivotal moment for Superboy, threatening everything he cared about, and brought both teams to the brink of collapse after they’d already faced so much hardship.

Young Justice’s Graduation Day Introduced The Team to Tragedy

The current version of Superboy debuted in the 1990s during the famous “Death and Return of Superman” comic book event. He knew he was a clone, but the details of his creation were a little unclear, especially since he escaped from the Cadmus labs rather than being intentionally freed. After Superman came back to life, the two went to Cadmus together to find out more about Superboy’s origins. There, they discovered that cloning Kryptonian DNA was difficult, so the scientists at Cadmus had combined it with human DNA to make the process work.

It all made sense why Superboy’s powers were different – he had to develop tactile telekinesis to make up for missing Kryptonian abilities. He was shocked to learn his human DNA came from Paul Westfield, the head of Cadmus and a known villain, but he focused on forging his own identity. Trying to establish himself was difficult; Metropolis already had Superman, and even his fame wasn’t enough to make Hawaii feel like home. Eventually, he found a sense of belonging when he met Bart Allen, also known as Impulse, and Tim Drake, the current Robin.

Audiences were familiar with teams of young heroes, but Young Justice stood out. This new generation of heroes truly reflected the spirit of their time and largely operated without much guidance from established superheroes. While they found support and safety within their own group, they frequently faced challenges that were overwhelming. The team became caught in a brutal attack on the Titans during the ‘Graduation Day’ story arc. The appearance of a faulty robot named Indigo activated a Superman Robot, leading to an assault on the Titans and the tragic deaths of Donna Troy and Omen.

After a difficult period of loss, the original Titans disbanded, prompting Young Justice to mature and take on more responsibility. Some former Titans decided to rebuild as the Teen Titans, mentoring the new generation of heroes from Young Justice. Meanwhile, those Titans who had moved on after their ‘graduation’ created a new team called the Outsiders, including Indigo, a robot seeking redemption for past mistakes. Both teams were starting to thrive when a new crisis arose.

The Insiders’ Crossover Introduced the Modern Teen Titans to Betrayal

While working with the Teen Titans, Superboy learned that Cadmus had deceived him about his genetic origins. Lex Luthor, a hidden owner of Cadmus, privately told Superboy the surprising truth: Conner Kent was a clone created using Luthor’s own DNA, making him half-Superman and half-Luthor. Superboy confided in his friend Robin, and together they secretly investigated Luthor’s revelation, keeping it hidden from the rest of the team.

Luthor exploited the team’s disorientation by sending Superboy a hidden message. This message triggered something within Superboy, putting him under Luthor’s control and unexpectedly awakening Kryptonian powers, like heat vision. While controlled, Superboy launched a fierce attack on the Teen Titans, causing widespread damage and seriously hurting his friends. He violently broke Robin’s arm and brutally attacked Cassie Sandsmark, also known as Wonder Girl, despite having romantic feelings for her.

Suddenly, a secret program within Indigo was triggered, exposing her true identity as Brainiac 8, a being from the future. She violently betrayed her Outsiders teammates, even attacking Shift, with whom she had a romantic connection. Following orders from their evil creators – Luthor-Superboy and Indigo/Brainiac 8 – the pair joined forces to battle their former allies and fulfill the twisted schemes of their supervillain masters.

During the battle, both Wonder Girl and Shift managed to reach their partners, but it was too late to prevent serious harm. Indigo briefly regained control of herself, asking to be stopped before she could hurt others. Shift then transformed her body into organic matter, allowing her to die peacefully in his arms. Superboy also regained control and continued fighting, though he was deeply hurt by the betrayal he’d experienced. Despite the pain, this difficult experience ultimately offered Conner Kent a chance for growth.

Superboy’s Greatest Enemy Unlocked His True Potential

When Superboy discovered his troubling origins, he worried about whether he even had a soul and asked his teammate Raven to check. At first, she couldn’t detect one, which left him feeling lost and allowed Lex Luthor to gain control. But while Superboy recovered at the Kent farm, Raven revisited him and had a surprising discovery: she could now sense a strong, new soul within him. This soul had emerged from his fight against Luthor, representing the first truly independent choice he’d made since escaping Cadmus.

The story of Superboy’s origins, first appearing in a significant Canon event, has been retold in various adaptations beyond the original comics. The TV show Smallville created its own version of the character, initially called LX-15, as a blend of Superman and Lex Luthor. The Young Justice animated series also explored his unusual family history, but with a different approach. Most recently, the live-action series Titans featured Conner Kent/Superboy, who briefly went by Conner Luthor as part of a storyline about his manipulation and betrayal by Lex Luthor.

Conner Kent, originally created as a blend of Superman and Lex Luthor, ultimately became his own hero, proving his worth through his actions. He wasn’t simply a copy of either of those figures, especially after it was revealed he possessed a soul. Alongside Nightwing, Conner played a vital role in defeating Alexander Luthor of Earth-3 and stopping his attempt to reshape reality. Tragically, this victory came at the cost of Conner’s life, as he was killed by the villainous Superboy-Prime.

Like the Superboy before him, Conner Kent—also known as Kon-El—eventually came back to life after seemingly dying in the Infinite Crisis. The Legion of Super-Heroes helped him return from the future. But Conner never forgot his difficult beginnings, and those origins motivated him to become the best hero he could be—a true Superboy and a worthy member of the El family.

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2025-11-24 02:42