Superboy is the name of several
comic book series published by
DC Comics, featuring characters of
the same name. The first three titles feature the original
Superboy, the legendary hero
Superman as a boy. Later series feature the second
Superboy, who is a partial clone of the original Superman.
Publication history
Volume 1 (1949-1977)
The first series featured the original Superboy, a teenage incarnation of
the Man of Steel. It began publication in 1949, four years after the character's debut in
More Fun Comics #101 (January 1945). The majority of the stories were set in the rural town of
Smallville during the character's youth. The supporting cast included Superboy's adoptive parents
Jonathan and Martha Kent, his over-inquisitive classmate and neighbor
Lana Lang, best friend
Pete Ross (who was secretly aware of Superboy's true identity as
Clark Kent), Police Chief Parker, and the super-powered canine
Krypto. With the exception of a teenage
Lex Luthor, who was a frequent foe of the Boy of Steel, almost none of the featured villains appeared more than once.
Beginning in the early 1960s, several stories featured appearances by the futuristic
Legion of Super-Heroes. The Legion starred in their own backup feature starting with #172 (March 1971). With issue #197 (September 1973), the Legion became permanent co-stars, and the cover logo became "Superboy starring the Legion of Super-Heroes" while the title of the book itself remained
Superboy. With #222 (December...
Read More