Superboy
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Real Identity: Jon Kent / Jonathan Lane
Appearances: All's Fair in Love and W.O.R.M.S., Guess Who's Slammin' to Dinner?, The Death of Superman, The Ex Games, It's Reigning (Super)Men, Vae Victis, and The Return
Powers/Skills: Enhanced Strength, Enhanced Speed, Impenetrable Skin, Enhanced Vision, Flight, and Solar Absorption
Voiced By: Darren Criss
In a version of the future, Metropolis was left in ruins and dominated by Lex Drones. Superboy made his way into Lexcorp. Jimmy Olsen and John Henry Irons exchanged fire with several drones while Lex Luthor hurried Superboy in. Irons placed an S shield over Superboy's. Drones blasted their way in. Luthor placed a Time Travel Watch on Superboy's wrist and told him the only way he could help them was the make sure all this never happened. The device activated and Superboy vanished just as Luthor was the last to be vaporized by the drones. On November 15th, about 20 years into the past, Superboy found Clark Kent and Lois Lane inside the Poundcake Palace and quickly ate all the food at their table while hanging upside down from their booth's ceiling light fixture. He greeted them as mom and dad then asked if they ordered yet. He sped read the menu then concluded they should have one of everything. Kent was at a loss for words. Lane asked what he meant by "mom" and Kent added "dad" as well.
Superboy introduced himself as "Jon," their son from the future. He couldn't believe they were so long and peppered them with questions. He swiped her compass using X-ray vision and his pick pocket skills. Lane took it back but Jimmy Olsen interrupted with his story about being turned into a human porcupine by a bad date and he needed to go to S.T.A.R. Labs. Kent told him it wasn't a good time. Lane got poked by accident. Olsen tried to blame it on Lane hanging up on him earlier. Kara Zor-El arrived and asked Lane for help because her dating app broke from having too many suitors. She paused and was amazing by the Poundcake Palace then asked who the boy was. Superboy introduced himself to Kara and Olsen. They were amazed, taking solace in what his existence meant: the Four Best Friends were for life and the Kryptonian bloodline continued. Lane had enough. A waitress was startled and dropped a platter of poundcakes. Kent apologized and asked to have their leftovers packed up.
Olsen was brought to S.T.A.R. Labs to be cured of his current affliction after another scientifically matched date from W.O.R.M.S. turned out to be a mad scientist again. A scientist removed each quill one by one with a pair of tweezers. Superboy inquired about everything on display, including an Invisibility Vest, until something broke. Clark Kent suggested taking him outside. Superboy ate a poundcake while apologizing for coming on too strong. Lois Lane, unlike Kent, didn't want to just take Superboy's word he was their son and wanted more evidence. Kent and Kara watched as they both ate in the exact same manner. Lane began to panic she really was going to be a mother. She got a text from Perry White reminding her she owed him a story and used work as an excuse to ditch but Superboy wanted to come, too. She asked him why he came to the present but he wouldn't answer. Kara volunteered to spend family time with him instead and asked him if he wished to train, grapple, or spar to his confusion. Kent suggested normal stuff. Kara understood and they headed to the mall.
They went on a shopping spree. Superboy took a liking to a black biker jacket and shoes with wheels. Olsen paid for him and went further into debt. Another tremor struck, but Superboy raced off to save a mother and her child from a falling giant cat used to advertise a toy store sale. Lane attempted to ditch them under the pretext of owing an article to Perry White. However, they went with her to the Daily Planet and crowded over her. The last straw was Olsen correcting her misuse of "who" but they ate with her on the roof instead of leaving her alone. Lane noticed Superboy ordered his noodles spicy, too. He mused he got it from her but noticed her unease. She pointed out it wasn't everyday your kid came from the future to say "hi" to you. He understood. She admitted it was more about being locked into a future she had no control over. He revealed he didn't believe in fate and what's coming was a person's to shape. He joked she had to listen to him since he was from the future. She asked what happened in the future and why he came to the present but a disturbance at a construction site caught everyone's attention. Superman took off.
Superboy asked Supergirl if he could have some quality time with his father. She agreed to his request. Superboy was confused the source of the disturbance were the Subterranosauri since from his experience, they were "super cool" and "very, very reasonable guys." Superboy tried to talk to Krull but got knocked into a pile of caissons. He was confused since Subterranosauri are supposed to be humanity's allies. Superman told him to get the civilians to safety while he handled the dinosaurs. He used super breath to knock several off their feet. Superboy yelled at people to stay back but Superman instructed him to be gentle so they feel safe. Superboy found a little girl but she was afraid of heights he opted to skate to safety. After Superman froze Krull, Prince Tyrannko arrived and stated humanity has dug too far and drilled too deep, causing his people suffering. Superboy begged his forgiveness and explained he came from a future where man and Subterranosauri lived in harmony side by side, hand and claw. Tyrannko was moved by his call to make prejudice extinct together. Peace was declared. Superboy realized he was the person who brokered peace between the two races.
Everyone retired to the Kent Farm in Smallville to get all patched up. Instead of playing catch, Superboy went to help Lane with her article. He helped with spelling Tyrannko's name right. Superboy loved the article and thought she was just how he imagined her. Lane keyed in on "imagined" and snatched a family photo without him noticing. He thanked for the day's festivities and admitted he needed it. Lane admitted she thought she did, too. Superboy helped Pa Kent with work on the truck by holding up the rear. Kara Zor-El called everyone in to watch a live news report about Cyborg Superman's rampage. Superman and Supergirl left. Superboy was stunned, having thought he would have more time. Lane pressed him for answers. Superboy revealed in his time, she and Superman were dead and he came to the present to save them and everyone from Cyborg Superman.
Jimmy Olsen consoled Ma Kent while Lane pressed Superboy for more information. He revealed Cyborg Superman and his drones destroyed the world and killed her but that was why Dr. Luthor sent him back in time, to save everyone. She asked why he didn't just tell her all of that sooner. Superboy confessed it all happened so fast and just wanted to be a part of their world. He promised he wouldn't let his future happen and he would save her and Superman. He told her to stay on the farm where it was safe. She demanded in vain he come back. Superboy arrived in time to save a boy then kicked Cyborg Superman off the Daily Planet globe. Superboy tried to get Superman to go to Smallville and told him the truth about his mission. Superman couldn't bring himself to leave Superboy to fight alone. Cyborg Superman overheard Superboy called Superman "Dad" and became irate "the aliens" were breeding and gut punched Superboy hard. The knowledge Superman had a family when he never could made him angrier. He threw Superboy into Superman, kicked Superboy away, bashed Superman into the street, then electrocuted him. Supergirl decked him into a building.
Superman continued to try to reason with Cyborg Superman saying he was better than this. He took it the wrong way and stated he was better than Superman and the world belonged to him. Using technopathic abilities, he remotely blew up an airplane's turbine, made a subway train speed past the 95th Street stop, and made a helicopter die in mid-air. Superboy and Supergirl left to protect the city. He saved the airplane. From a construction site, Superboy chucked pipes towards Lexcorp and nailed Cyborg Superman to save his mother. Cyborg Superman clotheslined him into the street, swatted his heat vision away, and punched him three times. Supergirl shoved Cyborg Superman into a building. She tried to convince Superboy he could not win alone and they needed a plan. He revealed he had prototype Kryptonite shielding. She pointed out Cyborg Superman was still too powerful. He told her to stay out of range.
In frustration, she grabbed his arm and asked why he hated her so much, wouldn't look her in the eyes, and wouldn't fight by her side. He revealed Supergirl raised him in the future and taught him how to use his powers, how to fight, how to be brave, and showed him the world could be kind but she, too, was killed by Cyborg Superman and his drones. He refused to lose her again. Supergirl stated he was her family and wanted to protect him. Superboy relented and shared his shielding with her. Cyborg Superman resumed beating Superman over and over until he was tackled by Supergirl and Superboy. They ripped his arms off then alternated hitting him. Henshaw summoned drone parts to him, assimilated them and restored his arms in grotesque form. He realized they were wearing armor and destroyed them with his own heat vision. He was about to execute Supergirl but Superboy charged. Henshaw held him by the face and wondered how much he could take. He prepared a to fire a point blank Kryptonite blast.
Superman mustered all of his power at once and shattered Henshaw's arms. He declared the future belonged to everyone then ripped the Kryptonite out of Henshaw and crushed it to pieces. Henshaw initiated a self-destruct sequence but realized Superboy was half-human and started to compare his age to Superman's. Superboy revealed he was sent from the future to stop him. Henshaw lamented Superman and the aliens were chosen by the people to be the future rather than him. Henshaw's power source went dead. Superboy hugged Supergirl but realized his time travel device was running out of power and he needed to return to his rightful place in the timeline. He wished he had more time but said his goodbyes to Superman and Lois Lane. She asked how he knew things would be better this time. Superboy reckoned because they would all be together. He vanished. Superboy returned to a timeline where Lex Luthor took over the world. Branded a renegade, Superboy was eventually captured by Slade Wilson and brought to High Commander Luthor. Luthor gave his regards to his mother then shared he heard Superboy was trying to travel back to the past and wondered where he even got that idea from.
Superboy later returned to the past with another Supergirl. They arrived at a park to Clark Kent and Lois Lane over month after Cyborg Superman was defeated. Naturally, they were more shocked to learn they now had a daughter than they were Superboy returned. Oddly, he clarified his name was "Jonathan" rather than "Jon" then he asked what they meant by him being back since this was the first time he came to the past. Lois Lane reminded him he was in the present a month ago and they saved his father. He had no idea what she was talking about. Lane and Kent realized when the latter's life was saved, the future was changed and Superboy's entire life was re-written. Kent and Lane decided to try and figure things out at the Kent farm. Jonathan tried to grasp that they previously came to the present and tried to change the future. Lane corrected him and informed him Lara wasn't there. She was startled. Lane added they are so happy to meet her. Lara was concerned at the implication she didn't exist. Lane told her not technically. Lara worried she was an accident. Kent was at a loss for words.
Jonathan theorized things didn't work out but Kent repeated his life was saved. Jonathan was tired of hearing that and repeated that was a different version of him. Lane stated he made the present better. Jonathan countered his future was made worse. Kent opened the front door and quickly ushered Kara and Olsen inside to meet the twins. Kara was elated to see Superboy but Lane told him it wasn't that Jon. Kent warned not to provoke him. Kara welcomed "New Jon." He repeated his name was Jonathan. Lara suggested they should get back on mission. Jonathan pointed out how well that worked out for the last guy. Lane asked what the mission was. Lara clarified it was a mission given to them by General Lane. Lane wasn't surprised her father was still giving orders. Olsen tried to look at the silver lining and was glad to have Superboy back. He stated he was Superman. Olsen pointed out they already had one. He asked if they really did. Olsen tried to cut the tension by offering Pa Kent's world famous pound cake but Jonathan stormed out.
Kent tried to talk to him and offer to listen but Jonathan wasn't moved by the thought of having a heart-to-heart or hearing a motivational speech. Kara listened to their conversation. Jonathan wasn't about to hear about a better tomorrow or play a game of catch. He threw a baseball across a field and ignited it. He revealed he learned to use his powers on his own and defended Earth on his own because no else was there. Kara walked away. Jonathan told Kent to stay out of his way and he didn't come to save Superman. He flew away. A short time later, everyone headed to Metropolis to look for Lara. Jonathan knew she had a bad habit of rushing head long into things and always trying to be "Mommy's Perfect Little Soldier." Slade Wilson refused to allow Kent, Lane, Supergirl, and Jonathan entry into Lexcorp. Jonathan and Kara went underground last. The former deiceed to split up to find everyone faster and ignored Kara's concern about the lead shielding. He was led into an ambush by the Eradicator, a prototype clone of Superman created by Lex Luthor - the very thing he and his sister came to the past to prevent from being activated.
Jonathan rejoined the fight and saved his sister but she was unsure of who to listen to, him or Lois Lane. Eradicator grabbed him by head and tossed him. Kara arrived and took over the fighting. The kids ignored their parents and flew up after them. Lara and Jonathan were viciously defeated but Supergirl resumed her attack. Jonathan began to panic. Supergirl told him she saw other futures and they could still choose a better tomorrow. She powered up and destroyed two arms and twisted its remaining ones but Eradicator blasted her in the face with heat vision. Eradicator charged the twins and fired heat vision at full power but Supergirl took the full brunt of it for them. Jonathan asked her why. She told him he was her better tomorrow and lost consciousness. Kent had a vision of Superman and saw the Fortress of Solitude. Jonathan launched an uppercut that destroyed an arm but in throwing his second punch, Eradicator stole his time travel device and vanished into the time stream. He was beside himself for failing.
Director Amanda Waller asked who she was arresting. Lane explained the kids were sent from the future to stop Lex Luthor from unleashing the monster. Luthor claimed he was defending himself from an assassination then explained the prototype was never meant to be active at its current stage and blamed it on Lara. No one was buying it. Luthor implored Wilson to explain what they were trying to accomplish. Waller ordered Wilson to book Luthor while they sorted out their new guests later. Lane went to check on Supergirl. Olsen confirmed she was alive needed real help. Lara asked where her father was. Before Lane could answer, Waller declared she was taking command of the new Kryptonian assets. Lane pointed out they were barely more than children. Waller reiterated there was a monster on the loose who defeated Supergirl, impervious to Kryptonite, and no one knew when it was coming back so the assets needed to be taking orders from Uncle Sam when it did. Lane insisted they weren't soldiers. Waller implored her to catch up, they were in a post-Superman world and no one was coming to save them.
Lane psyched herself up to talk to the twins. She informed them there was a new plan. Jonathan wasn't buying it and surmised it was just them risking their lives against the monster again while she watched. Lane clarified the plan hinged on everyone doing their part. Jonathan was still skeptical and asked how their father felt about it then asked where he was. Lane told them he found a way to recover his powers and he would be back. Jonathan was fed up with them not being enough and the plan was always bringing back Superman. He wanted to leave. Lara suggested hearing their mother out. Jonathan was irritated she kept taking her side. Lane heard enough and told him off, reminding him their plan to murder Lex Luthor created an uncontrollable monster that beat Kara unconscious before disappearing into the time stream. Jonathan was crestfallen and flew away. Lara assured Lane he was always like that. Lane believed it was because she made him that way.
Jonathan threw rocks to himself on the Moon. Kara arrived but he wanted to be left alone and flew away. She told him it was better to talk than to run and he would not be able to escape her. He asked what she wanted and threw the rock to her. She wanted to know why he was on the Moon and why he was angry at her despite saving his life. She threw the rock back. Jonathan clarified he wasn't mad at her. He was mad at himself for failing over and over and that was why everyone wanted Superman, not him. He threw the rock harder than before. Kara told him he was mistaken and explained Superman wasn't perfect but Lois Lane and the others imagined he was because even in failure, he would not give up on them. She promised she would not give up on him then placed the rock in his hand. She told him they needed them. They returned to camp. He stated he wasn't taking orders from his mother or Waller. He also wanted to prove he could win by himself. Lane didn't care and hugged him.
After Lex Luthor found a temporal anomaly in his scans, Director Amanda Waller gathered her forces and took Lois Lane, Supergirl, and Jonathan and Lara Lane to the site of Zero Day, the first Kryptonian incursion of Earth and first alien attack on American soil. It was now a Checkmate command post named Area Zero. They had less than 48 hours to prepare. Waller held a briefing on Operation Doomsday: there would be two lines of defense, the first being the superhumans led by Agent Slade Wilson. Lane informed her Jonathan and Lara would be taking orders from Supergirl. Waller had no issue with it. Kara held a training session with Jonathan and Lara. John Henry Irons forged a sword and a spear. Jonathan chose the sword. The Eradicator teleported to Area Zero in a new form. He was surprised to see a contingent waiting for him. In mid-speech, Jonathan Kent sliced him in half with his sword. One half regenerated into a form similar to that of when he teleported away from Lexcorp while the other half regenerated into his current form. The brutish form pounded Jonathan. Eradicator called them all fools and stated they had no Superman to defend them and he came to make sure they never did.
Jonathan came to and saw Heatwave and Damage were defeated and an intense firefight was going on in the sky with everyone firing at the Eradicators. He was confused as to why the Eradicator was still standing. Lara was punched down into the crater then Supergirl was slammed ever harder. Lara briefed Jonathan on the Eradicator healing and replicating itself. Jonathan was bereft they kept on losing. Lara pointed out their father would be back. He exclaimed he wasn't coming back and they weren't enough. Supergirl surfaced from the ground and told him they would never know unless they tried. Waller ordered everyone to hold their fire. Supergirl powered up and carried the clone further up. Lara and Jonathan held his arms back and Supergirl plowed through its chest. The clone disintegrated. Eradicator wondered if they could sacrifice their allies for the sake of victory. Kryptonian robots emerged from the ground and attacked.
The twins flew down to protect Lane. Eradicator felt he understood them and what made them weak. The Supers were overwhelmed by the number of robots. Waller ordered an immediate and total retreat, effectively abandoning Area Zero. Lane was aghast they were just leaving the Kryptonians to die. Waller mused they could order their own retreat. The Supers were no match in hand-to-hand combat against Eradicator. He believed he was like them and driven by fear. He revealed he traveled to countless timelines and killed them and evolved. He clarified their fear was a weakness but his was a weapon. Five brutish clones were created. Eradicator ordered them to kill the Supers. Luthor put on his cybernetic helmet and took up a sitting meditation pose. The Eradicators recoiled in pain. He took over the clones and sent them to attack Eradicator but he overwhelmed Luthor's mind and retook control of the clones. Jonathan apologized to Lane for not being enough. She told him he would always be enough and apologized for failing him. He admitted while the future was a bad place, she was the best thing in it.
A clone was about to kill them with a palm blast but Superman arrived in Kryptonian armor and made short work of the clones. Lara ran up and hugged him. Jonathan pointed out he showed up just in time to take all the credit. Superman apologized for leaving him alone to take up such a terrible burden and commended him for being so brave but he didn't have to be Superman anymore nor fight alone. They hugged. Superman tried to be diplomatic with Eradicator but he believed he would have no peace as long as Superman lived. He transformed again then conjured six brutish clones. Supergirl powered up, followed by the twins and Bizarro, and they destroyed the clones. Superman defeated Eradicator and held out his hand and implored him to be brave and stop fighting. Eradicator refused and preferred to die. He disintegrated. Jonathan thought they were always going to win. Supergirl punched him in the arm and put her arm around him. Jonathan and Lara prepared to return to the future. Jonathan asked Lane how they could know the future would be better. Lane promised they were going to fight for the future they deserved. The four of them hugged then the twins vanished.