Superboy (Earth-One)



Real Name: Kal-El Legally adopted in the name of Clark Kent Nicknames: The Boy of Steel Former Aliases: Superbaby; Super-Tot; The Mighty Mite Future Aliases: Superman; Nightwing of the bottled city of Kandor

Status
Occupation: Student, Adventurer Legal Status: As Clark Kent, Superboy is a legal citizen of the United States with no criminal record. As Superboy, Kal-El is not publically known to be actually an extraterrestial alien. Kal-El's legal status specific as Superboy is undetermined. It would not be until later in his life that as the adult Superman his alien nature would be publically disclosed and naturalized as a citizen of the United States Identity: Secret Marital Status: Single Group Affiliation: Legion of Super-Heroes; Partner of Krypto his puppy from Kyrpton Base of Operations: Earth-One: Smallville, Kansas and Metropolis current time and in the 30th century.

Origin
Place of Birth: Kryptonopolis, Krypton (planet destroyed) Known Relatives: Jor-El II, (father, deceased); Lara Lor-Van (mother, deceased); Jonathan Kent (adoptive father, deceased); Martha Kent (adoptive mother, deceased); Zor-El (uncle); Alura (aunt); Nim-El (paternal uncle, deceased); Jor-El I (paternal grandfather, deceased); Nimda An-Dor (paternal grandmother, deceased); Lor-Van (maternal grandfather, deceased); Val-El (paternal great-grandfather, deceased); An-Dor (maternal great-grandfather, deceased); Kru-El (uncle); Zim-El (great-uncle, deceased); Kalya Var-El (great-aunt, deceased); Gem-Zee (uncle, deceased); Van-Zee (uncle); Kara Zor-El (cousin); Don-El (cousin); Fedra Shu-El (ancestor, deceased); Gam-El (ancestor, deceased); Hatu-El (ancestor, deceased); Plen-El (ancestor, deceased); Shu-El (ancestor, deceased); Sul-El (ancestor, deceased); Tala-El (ancestor, deceased); Thar-El (ancestor, deceased); Wir-El (ancestor, deceased)

Future Relatives (includes alternate timelines): Laurel Kent (descendent); Buddy Blank (descendent from Earth-AD); Jon Hudson (son); Kamandi (descendent from Earth-AD); Lois Lane (wife); Lisa Kent (future daughter); Tommy Tomorrow (descendent)

First Appearance: Historic More Fun Comics #101 in canon as Earth 1 Superbaby & Superboy: Superman (Volume 1) #145 Final Appearance: Superboy (Volume 2) #54

History
Born as Kal-El on the distant planet of Krypton, Superboy was the natural son of the highly decorated scientific genius Jor-El and his wife Lara, a former astronaut on their home planet of Krypton. Like all Kryptonians, Kal-El had no superhuman powers or abilities on Krypton, but like his father was a very astute and intelligent boy who learned to speak and read in his native language by the time he was three years old.

About this time Jor-El made a startling discovery. He learned that solar flare activity from the planet's sun, Rao, had caused a great geological change in the core of the planet Krypton. Within a short period of time, Krypton's core would become unstable and it would explode. Jor-El addressed his fellow colleagues in the Kryptonian Science Council, but they ignored his concerns. Disbelieving Jor-El's prediction, the ruling council refused to warn their fellow Kryptonians, and forbade Jor-El to speak publically about it too, for fear of widescale panic resulting from Jor-El's claims.

Jor-El returned to his apartment in Kryptonopolis and told his wife, Lara Lor-Van the news. As the forefather of anti-grav technology, Jor-El had designed a rocket equipped for deep interstellar travel. He had invented Krypton's first lunar module, and even launched his son Kal-El's pet dog, Krypto, into outer space in a test rocket. The time had come however when hard choices had to be made. The remaining rocket in Jor-El's possession was not large enough to accommodate all three family members, so Jor-El suggested that Lara only accompany their son on the journey to escape the doomed planet. Lara refused to leave her husband deciding that the rocket had a far better chance with only their son aboard. They placed their infant son inside of escape rocket, in the hopes that he might survive Krypton's ultimate destruction. Jor-El plotted a course for a planet called Earth and the Els tearfully waved goodbye to baby Kal-El as the rocket broke free of the planet's atmosphere. Moments later, Krypton exploded.

After traveling through space for an indeterminate amount of time, Kal-El's rocket finally reached Earth. It crash landed in a farming community in Kansas known as Smallville. Farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent were driving down the road when they discovered then smoldering space craft. Extraditing baby Kal-El from the ship, they took him to the local orphanage. (Some later origin stories state the Kents directly kept Kal-El than turned him over the orphanage for fear of others keeping him once they discovered Kal-El's superpowers.)

Although they were not yet aware of Kal-El's alien heritage, they knew that he was not like other infants as this Superbaby began running amok throughout the orphanage displaying wild feats of super-strength. The administration had no means by which to control him, so the Kents volunteered to adopt the child as their son, naming him Clark after Martha's unmarried surname (as stated in Superman 145 (1961)).

Raising a babe of steel was not easy for the Kents, but they committed themselves towards providing him with a healthy home and teaching him strong, moral values. Shortly after being adopted, young Clark began adventuring on his own in the surrounding neighborhood, often engaging in various unbelievable feats of strength and speed, mostly helping people. Miraculously, few people made a connection between these random bizarre acts of derring-do and the Kents adopted son, and the identity of Superbaby became something of a tabloid urban legend (See Superbaby for more information on Superboy's adventures as a toddler). Durting this time, the Kents sold most of their farm and relocated to the main town of Smallville as storekeepers and young Clark began to develop his powers in ever increasing levels and proficiency.

At age eight, young Clark began specifically performing as Superboy publically and later formally began working with Smallville Police Chief Parker and other law officials. Within a few years Smallville would become publically known as the home of the greatest public costumed hero Superboy.

Kal-El would continue in this role until the deaths of his foster parents and attend Metropolis University and formally relocate to Metropolis and begin his adult career as Superman (Earth-One) and news reporter Clark Kent.

Characteristics
Height: x'xx" Weight: xxx lbs (xxx kg) Eyes: Blue Hair: Black Unusual Features: No unusual features

Powers
Known Powers: Near infinite power levels of Flight, Invulnerability, Strength and Speed (faster than light which allowed him to time travel on his own power) which were all based on his body's ability to absord, process and store yellow sun radiation in some way to allow him to do these feats. Action #262 (March 1960) Superboy would lose all of his powers under the presence of a red sun such as his native Krypton star in a short period of time. As long as the Earth 1 Superboy is charged under a yellow sun, he doesn't need to eat, breathe, or sleep. He is also impervious to extreme heat and cold. Able to survive indefinately in a vacuum in a yellow sun system.

Known Abilities: The Earth 1 Superboy's physical abilities included Heat Vision, Telescopic Vision, Microscopic Vision, X-Ray Vision, Super Breath, Super Ventriloquism, Super Hypnotism.

The only true limitations to his power levels were kryptonite and powerful magics. Psionics could also effect him but unless done quickly, Superboy's superconcentration would overcome most enemies who used mind control techniques on him, same as did magic forms that did not immediately immobolize him whereby he would move out of their range of effectiveness.

Known Abilities: Briliant scientist and inventor, especially in robotics. Appears to speak every known language on Earth as well as several alien languages. Strength Level: Near Infinite as he has been shown juggling moons as if plastic balls. In later life he would become truly infinite powered.

Miscellaneous
Equipment: Various super science devices to aid him in analzing and protecting the universe that were based on his native Kryptonian heritage from super powered robot duplicates to interdimensional transporters. Transportation: Usually just flies under his own power, but occasionally made use of a Supermobile to compensate for loss of powers or for protection against NON Yellow Sun systems (mostly red sun) whereby Kal-EL would lose all of his powers. Weapons: Multiple devices that could be used for offensive and defensive abilities including the most notable Phantom Zone Projector.

Trivia

 * Some readers mistakenly believe that the Superboy shown in the Crisis on Infinite Earths event was the same as the young Superman during his teenage years. As later distinguish by the term of  Superboy was actually from Earth-Prime he was known to be different from the original Earth-One Superboy who by this time had grown up into the Adult Superman and the later Conner who Superboy-Prime would end up killing.

Recommended Readings

 * Adventure Comics
 * Legion of Super-Heroes (Volume 1)
 * Superboy (Volume 1) #1-258
 * Superboy (Volume 2) #1-54
 * Superboy (Volume 3) #1-17

Related Articles

 * Earth-One
 * House of El
 * Jonathan Kent
 * Krypto (Silver Age)
 * Lana Lang
 * Legion of Super-Heroes
 * Martha Kent
 * Smallville
 * Smallville High School
 * Superboy appearances list