This is an in-universe article with out-of-universe material.
Superboy (Volume 4) #59 is an issue of the series Superboy (Volume 4) with a cover date of February, 1999.
Synopsis for "Mission to Krypton"
Superboy brings what's left of the Whiz Wagon back to Cadmus so that Mic can try to rebuild it. He flirts some more with Dr. Serling Roquette, but her crush on Guardian blinds her to the Kid--however, while Guardian might not realize her intentions, Dabney Donovon sure does and plans on exploiting it. The Project gets an unexpected visitor when none other than Superman shows up. He is introduced to the new staff and makes a point to warn Mic about the Project's policy against human cloning. Then he requests to talk to Superboy alone.
Taking Superboy by the hand, Superman flies them all the way to Antarctica in a manner of seconds--right to the Fortress of Solitude. He gives the Kid the grand tour before asking him to hook up to a VR program in order to experience what Krypton was like. The program places SB in the middle of a Kryptonian civil war that occurred thousands of years ago--the Clone Wars that ravaged Krypton.
Back at Cadmus, Dubbilex is becoming more and more paranoid about the people around him.
In the VR hookup, the scene shifts to right before Krypton's destruction. SB meets Jor-El and witnesses him rocket off young Kal as the world dies around them. The VR feed ends and Superboy is back in reality. Superman talks about how cloning lead to the death of Krypton and he doesn't want to see the same mistakes repeated on earth. He asks Superboy to keep an eye on things at Cadmus for him, which the Kid agrees to without question. Superman tells him that the persona he was filling in the VR hookup, the one who met Jor-El, was named Kon-El, a member of the second house of El and adopted cousin of himself. He asks Superboy to take that name and be linked to him in spirit, if not in blood.
The final scene is of Superboy flying high, tears in his eyes, declaring that he has a real name -- Kon-El!
Appearing in "Mission to Krypton"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Jor-El (Flashback only)
- Van-L (Flashback only)
- (Kryptonian) Kon-El (Flashback only)
- Mrs. Avilla
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- After more than five years in real time, Superboy is finally given a real name.
- Superman's presence here is part of the "King of the World" storyline from the main Superman comic titles.
- This issue is reprinted in Superboy: A Celebration of 75 Years.
Trivia
- "Kon-el" is a near anagram of the word "clone".