History Comicbook / Superboy

* BroadStrokes: The version of Superboy we see in ''Convergence'' is largely based on the late-90s version where he lived at Cadmus. However, there are a few alterations. Namely, he possesses a smattering of Kryptonian powers that he never possessed during that era (namely, SuperSpeed, XRayVision and [[BreathWeapon Freeze Breath]]. The latter of which was notably the ''last'' Kryptonian power he awakened during the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' era (which itself came much later). The InfoDump at the end of the book also glosses over exactly whom Superboy is cloned from. While Paul Westfield is mentioned, it's simply stated that he mixed Kryptonian DNA with human, which is quite different than the original story.

* FingerlessGloves: His second streamlined costume dropped the red gloves and instead had his sleeves end in these.

** His next costume kept the jacket, earring and shades (although with a new design and color scheme), but his hairstyle was radically changed since a fade had been way past dated by that point and he had FingerlessGloves instead of his bulky red ones. His slang got slightly toned down as well, but was still in use.
** The third costume (which he kept up until the reboot of the ''Comicbook/{{New 52}}'') was an extensive overhaul. It ditched the jacket, skintight costume, earring, shades and TotallyRadical attitude (the CivvieSpandex look took a heavy turn toward "civvie", with a t-shirt and jeans). Instead, he became more dark, brooding, and angsty, which became popular following the late 2000s.

Then came ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' and the subsequent ComicBook/PostCrisis Byrne revamp in 1986, which after 40+ years of existence [[RetGone retconned Superboy out of existence]]. Under Byrne's origin, ''ComicBook/TheManOfSteel'', Superman was once again shown as having started his career as an adult. This caused a ContinuitySnarl with the ''Legion'' comics, which was fixed by stating that a separate Superboy character was created in a "[[AlternateUniverse pocket universe]]" by the Legion villain known as the Time Trapper [[CosmicRetcon just to preserve the Legion's history]]; the Legion was redirected there everytime they traveled to what they thought was Superboy's time. The Pocket Universe became a major recurring storyline for both the Legion and for the Post-Crisis Superman. Pocket Superboy sacrificed himself to save both his universe and the Legion from the Time Trapper. Superman eventually violated ThouShaltNotKill to execute the Pocket Universe equivalents of General Zod [[TerribleTrio and his henchmen]] for killing ''[[ApocalypseHow everyone]]'' on their Earth except for the "Matrix" Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}. Eventually, the editors decreed that the Pocket Universe and its Superboy be written out of continuity altogether (in yet another CosmicRetcon). Then after ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'', Clark's career as Superboy was brought back in ''ComicBook/SupermanSecretOrigin'', though only his adventures with the Legion. Then the ''[[ComicBook/TheNew52 New 52]]'' ContinuityReboot happened and it was gone again, until it was implied to have been restored in ''ComicBook/DCRebirth''.

''ComicBook/DoomsdayClock'' restored the classic Superboy, bringing the DeconReconSwitch full circle.

After the early [[TheNineties 1990s]]' ''ComicBook/TheDeathOfSuperman'' storyline, a new version of Superboy came into existence--this one an artificially created teenage clone. The character first appeared in ''The Adventures of Superman'' #500 (June, 1993), created by Karl Kesel and Tom Grummett. Exactly who he is a clone of was {{retcon}}ned, but he is currently a combination of Superman and Lex Luthor. This version eventually was befriended by Superman, who gave him an honorary Kryptonian name, "Kon-El." Kon also met and stayed briefly with Ma and Pa Kent (who no longer were dead in Superman's adult years post-Crisis), where he gained an identity of "Conner Kent".

Several alternate versions of Superboy were also seen over the years (including the aforementioned "Pocket Universe" version). The most prominent one is ComicBook/SuperboyPrime, a formerly heroic alternate-Earth Superboy seen in ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' who reappeared in modern continuity as an EvilTwin of Superman/Superboy. The original Superman-as-a-boy has also been restored to continuity.

After disappearing from DC's comics following the CosmicRetcon ''Comicbook/{{Flashpoint}}'', Conner was announced to be returning as part of the ComicBook/DCRebirth relaunch. His New 52 history seems to have been removed, while his absence from the universe is noted in the aftermath of ''ComicBook/SupermanReborn''. A future version of Tim Drake from the pre-Flashpoint story "Titans Tomorrow" also makes mention of him to his younger counterpart, who does not recall knowing a Conner. Of course, the Superboy name is already being used by Jonathan Kent (see below), so how this will affect him is not yet known. Conner finally made his in the January 2019 relaunch of ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'', revealed to have settled down in Gemworld--where he even acquired a wife and son.

The next change in Superboy's status quo came in the aftermath of the CrisisCrossover ''Comicbook/{{Flashpoint}}'', as part of the line-wide reboot known as either "The ComicBook/{{New 52}}" or "[[FanNickname The DCnU]]". This Superboy was a biological experiment of the conspiracy known as N.O.W.H.E.R.E, made from Superman's DNA and that of several others, both human and alien. Or so we were told. He is eventually revealed to be a clone of Superman and Lois Lane's child, Jon, from the same future the leader of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. comes from. He was used by them as a living weapon, under the supervision of both "Red", a.k.a. [[ComicBook/{{Gen13}} Dr. Caitlin Fairchild]] (the last survivor of the team of scientists working on him) and Rose Wilson, a young mercenary hired to make sure that he stays under control. This Superboy has Kon-El's tactile telekinesis, but virtually none of the empathy of his earlier incarnation; he just wants to escape N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and he's not picky about what he has to do until he can.

After succeeding in his escape, a stint with the Teen Titans and undergoing a series of humbling adventures and ordeals, he became [[AllLovingHero considerably more heroic.]] Afterward, he was PutOnABus with his whereabouts and status unknown, in light of the return of the original Conner Kent (who was revealed to have always existed post-reboot).

** ''The New Adventures of Superboy'' (1980 - 1984)

** ''The Adventures of Superman'' (1993 - 1994, during ''Reign of the Supermen'')

** ''ComicBook/SuperboyAndTheRavers'' (1996 - 1998)

** ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'' (1998 - 2003)
** ''Adventure Comics (vol. 2)'' (2009 - 2010)
** ''[[ComicBook/Superboy2011 Superboy (vol. 5)]]'': (2010 - 2011)
** ''ComicBook/YoungJustice2019'' (2019 - )

** ''Superboy (vol. 6)'': (2011 - 2014)
** ''Teen Titans (vol. 4)'': (2011 - 2014)
** ''Ravagers'': (2012 - 2013)

** ''Superman: Lois and Clark'': (2015 - 2016)
** ''Action Comics'': (2016-)
** ''[[ComicBook/SupermanRebirth Superman (vol. 4)]]'': (2016 - 2018)
** ''ComicBook/SuperSons'': (2017 - 2018)
** ''Superman (vol. 5)'': (2018-)
** ''Legion of Super-Heroes (vol. 8)'': (2019-)

* DemotedToExtra: The ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}} was the ''cause'' of this for him. They originally appeared as supporting characters in a 1958 Superboy story, then starting in 1962 they appeared as the backup feature in ''Adventure Comics'' where Superboy had been the star since 1946. Within a year they had taken over the comic, reducing Superboy to the back up in what had been ''his'' title, and not long after solo Superboy stories stopped appearing altogether (though he continued to appear as a member of the Legion). A decade later they repeated the feat when they started appearing in ''Superboy'' as a backup feature, which was renamed ''Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes'' and eventually just ''Legion of Super-Heroes'' as they again took over the comic. Fortunately, this time, Superboy also gained a new solo series, though the Legion made a guest appearance late in its run.

** ''Adventure Comics'' (2009 - 2010)

!! Jon Kent version:
** ''Action Comics'': (2016-)
** ''[[ComicBook/SupermanRebirth Superman (vol. 4)]]'': (2016-)
** ''ComicBook/SuperSons'': (2017-)

* ContinuitySnarl: Inverted; while removing Superboy from canon after Crisis didn't affect Superman, it did affect the Legion of the Super-Heroes big time.

* CallToAgriculture: When Conner arrived in Gemworld he became a farmer as well as [[spoiler:pretending to be the husband of the widow who took him him in after he helped her]]. He even mentions what Pa Kent said.

* TheBusCameBack: During 2015's ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}'' event, this version of Superboy (from the era in which he lived at Cadmus and still wore the original costume, earring and shaved fade) returned as part of a multiversal crossover.

* ChivalrousPervert: Just some examples in ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman''. Once he and Supergirl (Cir-El) are caught in a "walls closing in" DeathTrap and Conner compain that would have preferred if there was ComicBook/PowerGirl with him. Another occasion, he find some sexbots of the female Teen Titans, belonging to the teenage Toyman (''not'' the original villainous version); Conner clearly enjoys...until [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]] (Robin) destroys them!

!! Kon-El version:

** ''Superboy (vol. 6)'': (2011 - 2014) (ComicBook/New52 version)

* RetGone: ComicBook/DCRebirth has made it clear that Conner has been wiped from history, though both Superman and Tim's current iterations have realized someone is missing and Tim and Steph are trying to figure out what happened to the timeline to erase someone named Conner.

In the late 2000s, DC Comics fought a legal battle with the surviving family of Superman's creators over the rights to Superboy, which due to a quirk of copyright law can be reclaimed by them (though a subsequent ruling has stated that DC can claim rights to the concept of Superboy, the teenage clone of Superman even if the Siegel/Shuster estates have rights to the Superman-as-a-boy version of Superboy). The effect of this lawsuit has been that DC refused to use the name "Superboy", so Kon-El died, Superboy-Prime was called "Superman-Prime", and the ''WesternAnimation/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' cartoon stars a "young Superman" rather than Superboy. The lawsuit is not yet over, but currently DC feels it can use the name again, so Kon-El is back, and Superboy-Prime gets to be called that again.

The most recent change in Superboy's status quo came in the aftermath of the CrisisCrossover ''Comicbook/{{Flashpoint}}'', as part of the line-wide reboot known as either "The ComicBook/{{New 52}}" or "[[FanNickname The DCnU]]". Right now, "Superboy" is a biological experiment of the conspiracy known as N.O.W.H.E.R.E, made from Superman's DNA and that of several others, both human and alien. Or so we were told. He is eventually revealed to be a clone of Superman and Lois Lane's child, Jon, from the same future the leader of N.O.W.H.E.R.E. comes from. He is currently being used by them as a living weapon, under the supervision of both "Red", a.k.a. [[ComicBook/{{Gen13}} Dr. Caitlin Fairchild]] (the last survivor of the team of scientists working on him) and Rose Wilson, a young mercenary hired to make sure that he stays under control. This Superboy has Kon-El's tactile telekinesis, but virtually none of the empathy of his earlier incarnation; he just wants to escape N.O.W.H.E.R.E., and he's not picky about what he has to do until he can.

After succeeding in his escape, a stint with the Teen Titans, being attacked by H'el, during which he undergoes significant CharacterDevelopment and becomes first a KnightInSourArmour, followed by a jaunt or two through time and pulling a HeroicSacrifice on Krypton to launch Argo City into space, fighting his original, Jon Lane Kent the future son of Lois and Clark, then teaming up with Jon after the latter pulled a HeelFaceTurn to fight a version of Jon that had yet to perform the HeelFaceTurn in a pocket universe that the two of them accidentally created, he's become [[AllLovingHero considerably more heroic.]]

After disappearing from DC's comics, Conner was announced to be returning as part of the ComicBook/DCRebirth relaunch. His New 52 history seems to have been removed, while his absence from the universe is noted in the aftermath of ''ComicBook/SupermanReborn''. A future version of Tim Drake from the pre-Flashpoint story "Titans Tomorrow" also makes mention of him to his younger counterpart, who does not recall knowing a Conner. Of course, the Superboy name is already being used by Jonathan Kent (see below), so how this will affect him is not yet known. Conner will finally make his return in the January 2019 relaunch of ''ComicBook/YoungJustice'' with where he disappeared to being revealed.

The son of the Pre-New 52 Superman and Lois Lane, born during the ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}'' event. Jon is named after the fathers of both his parents (Jonathan Kent and General Samuel Lane). After the trio escape to the New 52 universe, Jon is raised as a normal boy under the surname White (after ''Daily Planet'' [[DaEditor Editor-in-Chief]] Perry White), unaware of his parents' history or their secret activities (Clark carried on as Superman in secret, while Lois became an author known as "Author X"). Eventually, Jon's Kryptonian powers manifest, just in time for the death of the New 52 Superman. This eventually forces Jon's father back into action as Superman, and Jon is taken along for the experience. After ''ComicBook/SupermanReborn'' merged the histories of the pre-Flashpoint and New 52 versions of Superman and Lois Lane, his history has been slightly altered -- he's never gone by Jonathan White, and was born in the mainstream DCU. Instead of living a sheltered life with his parents, all of Clark and Lois' friends, civilian and superhero, know of his existence.

As part of the ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' line, Jon features in ''Comicbook/SupermanRebirth'' regularly along with his parents and in ''ComicBook/SuperSons'' alongside Bruce Wayne's son and current Robin, Damian Wayne. He is also central to a crossover between ''Super Sons'', ''Superman'' and ''ComicBook/TeenTitansRebirth'' titled ''The Super Sons of Tomorrow''.

* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[spoiler: Harvest wants him dead for this reason.]]

[[folder:Jonathan Samuel "Jon" Kent]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/superboy_jonathan_kent.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The New Kid on the Block]]
->"Up until a couple days ago I thought I was a normal kid--with normal parents livin' a normal life. But that was a lie! Now I'm hearing about other planets and aliens and dad bein' Superman even though there's another Superman and I just... I mean, what I really want to know is... what does all this mean?"
---> '''Jon before learning about his heritage'''
* ActionBomb: [[spoiler:Jon's Solar Flare ability, also inherited from his father, turns him into this, releasing massive amounts of solar energy from his cells all at once, dealing catastrophic damage to his surroundings in the process. Unfortunately, Jon's unique genome means that he doesn't control over this ability, giving it the potential to trigger whenever he's pushed to the emotional brink. Worse yet, it has the potential to ''kill'' him if he uses it twice in a row.]]
* {{Adorkable}}: He loves his pop-culture references and wants Damian to teach him how to use a sword so he can be "[[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Super-Ninja]]-[[Franchise/StarWars Jedi]]-Boy".
* AdultFear: Jon's very existence and activity as a superhero is a huge source of this for his parents. To date, Jon has been taken by Intergang, stood just a few meters away from a rampaging Doomsday, nearly had half his genome sucked out by the Eradicator, been abducted and sedated without warning by Damian, attacked by Lex Luthor, attacked later ''the same night'' by Kid Amazo and his army of power-copying robots, whisked away by [[spoiler:a hyper-dimensional imp]], fought a living planet that has crushed universes, [[spoiler:was near ground zero of an epidemic that turned the entirety of Metropolis' population into copies of Doomsday, and is targeted by an alternate future version of Batman for assassination.]] Needless to say, being Superboy is dangerous.
* AGodAmI: Discussed in ''Superman #40''. His dad tells him that they're often treated with awe upon visiting an alien world. Jon then asks if he'd be treated like a god, but Superman simply tells him that they'll have lots of questions.
* TheAllAmericanBoy: A Middle Example, being a small-town boy who's sweet, polite, and more than a bit naive. However, he does have a cheeky side and he tends to be somewhat rebellious when no one's looking.
* AlternateSelf: Similar to Damian Wayne, Jon is but the latest (and [[{{Canon}} canonical]]) version of Superman and Lois Lane's son. Other versions include:
** Clark Kent Jr. from the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] Super-Sons.
** Jonathan Elliott from ''ComicBook/WhateverHappenedToTheManOfTomorrow'', the first to be called Jonathan.
** Superman Secundus, Superman's "heir" from ''ComicBook/DCOneMillion'' and the first in a long line of [[LegacyCharacter successors]], who is heavily implied to be the genetically-engineered future offspring of Superman and Lois in ''ComicBook/AllStarSuperman''.
** Jonathan "Jon" [[TheMaidenNameDebate Lane Kent]], his immediate AlternateUniverse EvilCounterpart as the future son of the ComicBook/New52 Superman and Lois instead of the ComicBook/PostCrisis/[[ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}} Pre-Flashpoint]] ones.
** A few {{Elseworld}}s titles include a version of him, most prominently ''Son of Superman'' by Creator/HowardChaykin, where he's named Jonathan (and nicknamed Jon) too.
** Jason White from ''Film/SupermanReturns'', [[{{BroadStrokes}} meant to be conceived]] during ''Film/SupermanII''.
** Christopher "Chris" Kent was a Kryptonian boy adopted by ComicBook/PostCrisis[=/=]Pre-Flashpoint Clark and Lois, but he turns out to be Lor-Zod, the biological son of General Zod and Ursa. Never took the name Superboy (as he existed alongside Kon-El), was PutOnABus and is pretty much ExiledFromContinuity nowadays. [[spoiler:He reappears in the ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' continuity as a boy Jon's age. This version of Lor-Zod is a prisoner of the Phantom Zone and a loyal ally to his father General Zod.]]
* ApologeticAttacker: After accidentally using his Freeze Breath on Maya and Goliath, sending them all plummeting towards the ground.
-->'''Jon:''' I'msorry-I'msorry-I'msorry!
* ArmorIsUseless: His dad's original costume was woven from Kryptonian fabric that was as durable as he is. Jon wears his jeans and a thrift store jacket with the Superman logo on it. Thanks to his natural invulnerability and forcefield, it holds up just fine. Even when fighting the [[spoiler: denizens of Apokolips, the body armor he picks up from the grunts he beat doesn't do much to stop him from getting tossed across the field by a punch from Kalibak.]]
* AudienceSurrogate: Due to being conceived during the events of ComicBook/{{Convergence}}, he serves as one for readers who aren't quite caught up with the events of ComicBook/SupermanLoisAndClark as well as the events of the Post-Crisis timeline. He also lampshades the UnderwearOfPower his father's old suit had.
-->'''Jon:''' ''[holding up a phone with pictures of his dad's old suits]'' Hey Dad! Why don't you wear one of these? You shoulda stuck with the black suit or gone back to the old one with the undies on the outside.\\
'''Clark:''' It wasn't "underwear", Jon. It was part of the suit, a decorative element, all sewn together as one piece.\\
'''Jon:''' Looks like undies to me.
* BackToBackBadasses: In the opening scene of ''Super Sons'', he and Damian are this when faced with a swarm of their robotic counterparts.
* BadassAdorable: Being the (physically) youngest incarnation of the titleholder, this shouldn't come as a surprise. Even when his powers were just developing, he had no problems beating an armed man into unconsciousness with a loose pipe. He only gets more badass as time goes on thanks to his increasing mastery of his powers, impressing Starfire in ''Super Sons #7'', who inducts him into the Teen Titans after only a night of working with him. At the same time, he's worried about his curfew, tries his best not to cuss, and gushes over the thought of working with the Teen Titans.
-->'''Starfire:''' ''[while pinching a grinning Jon's cheek]'' And do not forget to bring our newest member along with you. He's adorable and great in a fight!
* BadassCape: The first mainstream Superboy to wear a cape.
* BadLiar: Jon is a ''horrible'' liar. Case in point, his excuse to the Teen Titans about Damian dragging them there.
-->'''Jon:''' "S" What "S"? [[BlatantLies I'm just a regular kid... that Robin happens to know...]]
* BashBrothers: With Damian on their best days.
* BatmanCanBreatheInSpace: Averted. Although his father can hold up in space just fine with a pressured respirator for air, Jon gets outfitted with a special transparent suit and a pair of googles that he wears over his regular hero costume in order to protect him from harmful alien atmospheres (and lack there of) in ''Superman #40''. He certainly isn't bothered by the frigid temperatures or heat of reentry associated with space travel though.
* BerserkButton: Taunting him over The death of his beloved cat.
* BigEater: Less explicit than most examples, but in ''Superman #7'' he's shown eating a burger while slurping soda with his Dad holding an armful of snacks in tow. The snacks are nowhere to be seen a few panels later. He then helps himself to cotton candy and all-you-can-drink milk. Later on, he's seen enjoying several tubs of ice cream, at least two boxes of pizza, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, cherries, and numerous liter bottles of soda with his friend Kathy and his first dog Ranger. In ''Action Comics #966'', Jon also expresses a particular fondness for his Dad's deluxe "Blow Your Guts Out" meatballs.
-->'''Kathy:''' ''[adding condiments to her ice cream]'' Want any cherries?\\
'''Jon:''' Thanks Kathy! '''''All''''' the cherries!
** He's also ''very'' excited to see the mini-fridge in the hideout (which he christens the "Fortress of Attitude") his dad and Batman built for him and Damian.
--->'''Jon:''' We have a ''mini-fridge?!'' Is this heaven, or what?
** In ''Super Sons Annual #1'', Jon eats the veggie kabob meant for Damian out of spite after Damian mocked him while the two stopped a bank robbery in New York City.
--->'''Damian:''' Copter's a half mile away. Hand over my veggie kabob and let's get out of here.\\
'''Jon:''' ''[smugly grinning while holding two empty kabobs]'' Oops, my bad.
** After finding a particularly good take-out joint in Metropolis, Jon has this to say about the fried noodles:
--->'''Jon:''' Damian, I'm never going to get married, but when I do, it's going to be these noodles.
* TheBigGuy: He has this relationship with Damian, being noticeably taller despite being several years younger, as [[http://comicsalliance.com/files/2016/10/Superman10b.jpg?w=630&h=968&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89 this picture shows]]. He's also much stronger physically and has superpowers to support him, but this is counterbalanced by his lack of proper combat training and general naivety, putting him at odds with Damian.
-->'''Jon:''' ''[after getting insulted by Damian]'' Aren't you forgetting something? I'm '''''much''''' [[BerserkButton taller.]]
* BlowYouAway: He discovers his Super-Breath in ''Superman #10'', which he can use to blow things great distances or freeze them solid if he so wishes.
* BookDumb: Played with. Jon doesn't like being in school and frequently complains about everything from studying to the food. But he isn't a particularly ''bad'' student either, being able to mentally solve problems at his grade level in seconds when his teacher calls him out for not paying attention in class, and one of his parent's requirements for letting him be superhero is to keep up his grades. Played more straight in ''Super Sons #13'', since one of his classmates makes fun of him for his grades.
* BrainsAndBrawn: Has this relationship with Damian Wayne (Robin) as the Brawn to his Brains, being the superpowered newcomer vs Damian's experience and lack of superpowers. Somewhat subverted since Jon isn't ''dumb'', sometimes being more thoughtful and reasonable than his TeenGenius best friend. In addition, his Kryptonian heritage means that he can effectively be a walking supercomputer if he were to ever put his mind to it, as seen when he used his Super-Vision to analyze over 175 hours of camera footage to pick out four specific frames in seconds. He also once unlocked a door by sticking his finger in the lock and using his SuperStrength to discreetly force the door to open rather than bust the door down in order to avoid revealing his powers to his maternal grandfather, Sam Lane.
* BreakoutCharacter: His popularity skyrocketed as ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth'' went on, maintaining a major role in his father's comic and making regular, important appearances in Action Comics. Then there's his guest appearances in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague'' and his leading role in ''ComicBook/SuperSons''.
* BrilliantButLazy: Despite being portrayed as the DumbMuscle of the Super Sons (not helped by the fact that Damian is an InsufferableGenius and a ChildProdigy), Jon is surprisingly intelligent for his age when he puts his mind to it, solving fifth-grade math problems nearly instantly after not listening to the question and tinkering with Kryptonian technology under his father's supervision. He already knows how to drive a tractor and subsequently a truck, which he rams into the guy who was starting to overpower his dad. He also sees through [[spoiler:Mr. Mxyzptlk's]] first riddle after remembering his offhand statement about "bedtime stories". Jon's foolishness comes more out of naivety, inexperience, and immaturity than any stupidity on his part. It also helps that he's around ten-years old and is thus not particularly invested in academia or otherwise using that brain of his to its full potential. As his teacher describes him:
-->'''Tony Martinez:''' ''[To Clark and Lois]'' You've got a great boy here. Quick thinking, always a few steps ahead, little bit of a '''''daydreamer''''', but [[NiceGuy always respectful of me and his classmates.]] A real pleasure to have in class.
** After transferring to a new private school in Metropolis, Jon gets teased for how poor his grades are. At the same time, he's analyzing alien teleportation algorithms with Damian in the Fortress of Solitude.
* BrokenPedestal: [[spoiler:His father's bedtime stories made Mr. Mxyzptlk out to be a pretty swell guy that Jon always called "Ruppletat". However, with the five-dimensional imp seething with hatred and resentment for Superman's inability to rescue him from Mr. Oz, "Ruppletat" is far less jolly and nice in person.]]
-->'''Jon:''' Dad was wrong, you '''''are''''' a bad guy!
** The ''Black Dawn'' story arc is shaping up to be one for his dad, as one of Jon's neighbors was seriously injured after Superman [[ThouShaltNotKill refused to kill a giant squid monster]] that was attacking Hamilton even as the local police officer encouraged the two of them to use their heat vision.
* BroughtDownToNormal: In ''Superman #20'', Batman reveals that something is stifling the growth of Jon's powers and may make him powerless in the long run if it isn't stopped. This is stopped once [[spoiler:Manchester Black's actions on Jon are stopped.]]
* CarFu: He once drove a truck into a guy who began beating his Dad.
* CatchPhrase: "Yessir!" along with a little salute whenever he's affirming something to his Dad. This has disappeared over time though, as Jon becomes [[CharacterDevelopment less dependent on his dad for decision making.]]
* CharacterDevelopment: He becomes more confident and assertive as his powers grow and his adventures continue. In the first issues of ''ComicBook/SuperSons'', he's constantly complaining to Damian about how much trouble they're going to be in when they're caught and is somewhat lacking in confidence due to his PowerIncontinence. Come ''Issue #13'', he's happy to spook trained assassins for fun and watch their weapons shatter against his skin. [[ToxicFriendInfluence Damian's traits have also rubbed off on Jon]], making the Superboy more independent and willing to disobey his parents to do what he feels is right. For reference, in ''ComicBook/SupermanLoisAndClark'', he sticks by his mom's word to the letter when his powers were first developing. After surviving Apokolips, he ends up making a pillow dummy to throw off Perry White while secretly tailing his mom on her mission to save his maternal grandfather from execution in a foreign country.
* CharacterizationMarchesOn: While he's still the same cheerful kid he started as, his [[RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic diction]], which was extremely childish to the point of using "hafta" instead of "have to" and pronouncing "because" as "cuz" among other things in ''ComicBook/SupermanLoisAndClark'', improved dramatically by the time of ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth'', which heavily toned this down. He was also more naughty in these early appearances, using his phone in class instead of paying attention, getting sent to the principal's office multiple times, and being reprimanded for cussing in his parents' presence. This is a farcry from his extremely empathetic and sweet NiceGuy portrayal that was popularized by his appearances in ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth'' and his leading role in ''ComicBook/SuperSons''. In addition, while Jon was able to at least hover at the end of Lois and Clark, he's completely unable to do so in the more recent comics until the end of the ''Black Dawn'' arc.
* CheerfulChild: Much like any other child raised in a loving household at his age, he is very excitable involving superhero related matters, sports, holidays, and basically anything that isn't school. This trope ''does'' get zigzagged depending on the writer, with this trait being more prominent with Tomasi than Jurgens, who writes Jon as being indifferent to adult matters, preferring to stare at a video game screen instead of listening to his father's co-workers.
* ChildOfTwoWorlds: The HalfHumanHybrid son of the so-called "Last Son of Krypton" and one of its most prominent human reporters. Ever since learning about his heritage, he's been drilled in Kryptonian culture in addition to what he's already happy to experience on Earth. By the time of ''Superman #40'', he's memorized the exact date on which Krypton was destroyed and can name drop Rao, the most worshipped god on Krypton, while trying to convince his father to take him on an interstellar adventure.
* CivvieSpandex: Like his Post-Crisis counterpart, Jon doesn't have a super-advanced suit, instead opting for a jacket with the Superman logo and a cape he soldered on with heat vision, otherwise wearing what he normally wears to school, torn jeans and all.
** This compared to Damian's elaborate Robin setup led to a meme that "just by their uniforms, you can tell which one has a [[Fiction500 rich dad]] and which one doesn't"
* ClarkKenting: At the end of the first ''Superman'' storyline, Jonathan is given glasses like his father. Jon isn't happy that he has to wear them, but Clark tells him that they work surprisingly well. That said, he's possibly an even more egregious example than his father, as he makes no attempt to modify his voice and wears the exact same jeans and sneakers that he does in his daily life. Lampshaded by Beast Boy.
-->'''Beast Boy:''' We know who you are. Your secret identity is more obvious than mine... and I'm '''''green!'''''
* CorruptTheCutie: Any villain who doesn't want him dead wants to turn him evil so they can use him against his father and the rest of the world.
* DarkerAndEdgier: At a casual glance, Jon's character and circumstances aren't too dissimilar from his father's when he was his age with his parents thinking that they'll have an even easier time raising him than the Kents had due to Clark being around to teach him about his powers. However, while Clark had the odd high-concept adventure in his youth, the world wasn't as lousy with super villains and other threats back when he was a boy so Jon's formative years are much more dangerous with many fiends aiming to either kill him or corrupt him.
* DeadGuyJunior: Is named after his paternal (adoptive in this case) and maternal grandfathers, both of whom died in the Post-Crisis continuity (but Sam Lane is later revealed to be alive in the ''Rebirth'' continuity). Lois also initially planned on naming Jon after Clark's biological father, Jor-El, which would also likely be Jon's Kryptonian name. [[spoiler:Who is later revealed to be alive.]]
* DeadpanSnarker: While he's pretty straightforward and nice most of the time, Jon cranks up the snark in a way that would make his mom proud whenever Damian is involved. Case in point, when he and Damian are confronted by dozens of robot duplicates of themselves:
-->'''Damian:''' I'll admit, maybe in retrospect we should have called our fathers.
-->'''Jon:''' [[SarcasmMode That's nice to hear, thanks.]]
* DistressedDude: When he isn't the focus of the story, Jon tends to get kidnapped a lot, either for being the son of Lois Lane or the son of Superman, depending on the villains involved. [[AdultFear Superman himself is terrified of anything happening to Jon as a result.]]
* DreamSequence: Spends the opening pages of ''Superman #21'' dreaming of flying while in his own unique spandex costume based on his current CivvieSpandex.
* EmotionalBruiser: He gets really emotional whenever his parents are in danger and he's prone to crying in such situations. He also freaks out upon seeing a murdered family for the first time. [[spoiler:He's also forced to watch his mom's leg get shot off and his dad's efforts to cauterize the wound with heat vision, though this was later revealed to have been an illusion created by Manchester Black to break Jon's idealism.]]
* FamedInStory: Becomes this by the events of ''Superman #21'', with the residents of Hamilton instantly recognizing him as Superboy and are greatly reassured by his presence. [[spoiler:Though this was later revealed to have been part of Manchester Black's plot.]] He's still an unknown anywhere outside of Metropolis, since a Gothamite thought he was just a normal little boy in a costume while a source Lois was speaking with was unaware that Superman even had a son.
* FarmBoy: Runs in the family. He's also very resistant to the idea of moving to Metropolis, constantly begging his parents to stay in Hamilton and running all the way to Gotham to complain to Damian about it. The latter is, of course, less than sympathetic and just chastises him, leading to their climactic fight in ''Super Sons #5''.
* FlyingBrick: Being part-Kryptonian (and the son of the TropeCodifier) naturally makes him this, with all of the associated powers.
* {{Foil}}: To Damian Wayne in ''ComicBook/SuperSons''. Jon has superpowers, [[UnskilledButStrong but can't]] [[PowerIncontinence control them]] and is generally a pleasant person to be around due to his [[GoodParents normal]] and happy upbringing. Damian is a (comparatively) WeakButSkilled BadassNormal and a JerkWithAHeartOfGold with absolutely atrocious social skills due to his upbringing in the League of Assassins.
* ForcedToWatch: [[spoiler:Manchester Black made it appear as though Lois' leg was blasted off while Jon was restrained with his eyes forcibly kept open to watch the whole thing. Then in ''ComicBook/DarkNightsMetal'', he's forced to watch as his mother succumbs to the Doomsday Virus after she locked him in the family safe room to protect him from it.]]
* FriendshipMoment: The ''Super Sons of Tomorrow'' arc is one for him and Damian. Damian comes to Jon's defense when the Future Tim Drake comes to kill him. He does everything he can to protect Jon, even fighting his own team, the Teen Titans, to do so. At the end, Superman is uncertain of letting Jon continue his adventures with Damian, since Damian's future supposedly has bad ramifications for Jon, but both boys vow to stick together and protect each other from whatever comes their way.
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Downplayed. Like most other kids his age, Jon loves animals and regularly cares for the many on his family farm, even offering to take Damian's pets there so they can get some clean air and sunshine. He is also devastated when he accidentally kills Goldie and when Krypto seemingly dies. Then on Apokolips, he exposes himself to a bunch of Apokoliptians to save the dogs that were being slaughtered for their meat. However, it's nowhere near Damian's levels, as he shows visible disgust at the notion of being at a cow-raising contest as he dislikes the smell of their manure.
* FullNameUltimatum: His mom dishes this out to him when [[spoiler:he's in the middle of rampaging and fighting both his father and Manchester Black while under Black's influence, which freezes Jon in his tracks, as Black had made Jon believe that Lois lost her leg and that Superman had failed to help her.]]
* GenerationXerox: Jon looks exactly as his father did at his age and is also a generally sweet and respectful boy who always tries to take the moral high ground. He even has a childhood friend who happens to be his SecretKeeper much like his dad's relationship with Lana Lang. That said, he has his natural bursts of childish unruliness, and his moral code doesn't always stop him from [[TheGadfly intentionally getting on Damian's nerves in their petty arguments.]]
** In addition, there are numerous allegories to many of his dad's most iconic showings in Jon's own stories, such as standing idly as spitballs are fired at him, much like [[ShootingSuperman Superman's general relationship with bullets.]]
** While normally polite like Clark, Jon has proven more than once he's inherited his [[DeadpanSnarker Mother's wit]] when people want to push him.
* GoodFeelsGood: Thanks to the positive example set by his dad, superhero work is a blast for Jon, since it's when he gets to cut loose and make his parents proud with the gifts he's born with. He's positively beaming when handing a lady her cat after it (presumably) got stuck in a tree or lost and tells off Damian for trying to turn low-level crimefighting into some sort of militaristic training.
-->'''Superman:''' And remember... what are we helping people for, buddy?\\
'''Jon:''' ''[fistbumping his dad]'' Good people get involved.
* GoshDarnItToHeck: He's only ten, so he's quick to correct himself when a cuss word slips out while under Tomasi's pen. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] [[CharacterizationMarchesOn in his earlier portrayals]], where his parents reprimanded him for cussing.
-->'''Damian:''' Superboy, stay out of the way.\\
'''Jon:''' Like ''hell'' I will! ''[pauses]'' Nn. My bad. Like ''heck'' I will.
** Again in Super Sons Issue #8.
--->'''Jon:''' ''[after being saved from a giant mechanical tentacle]'' Who the '''''H''''' are they?\\
'''Damien''': I have no idea. And your parents are a whole dimension away. You can curse here.
** Averted in ''[[ComicBook/SupermanRebirth Superman #36]]'' after [[spoiler:getting punched by Kalibak, son of Darkseid, to which he offers an appropriate "Crap!" as he falls to the floor.]]
** In Super Sons Issue #5, he looks around to make sure no one is around to hear him say that moving sucks.
* HalfHumanHybrid: Jon is the first naturally-born mainstream Human-Kryptonian hybrid Superboy with the exception of his villainous predecessor from the New 52 continuity. It should also be noted that Jon is the first ''stable'' and complete hybrid of his kind, as Jon Lane Kent suffered constant agony from his unique genome, and none of the other Superboys used the standard Kryptonian powers at first, instead mimicking superhuman strength, speed, and flight with [[MindOverMatter telekinesis]] before getting their Kryptonian powers over time.
* HeadbuttingHeroes: To put it bluntly, he and Damian do not get along well at all at first, but this evolves into VitriolicBestBuds down the line.
-->'''Damian:''' ''[after making fun of each other over getting a Christmas tree]'' I'll have your miserable, mutated head, '''''[[FantasticRacism ALIEN!]]'''''\\
'''Jon:''' Come and get it, '''''[[HeightAngst TWERP-ZILLA!]]'''''
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Whilst they still bicker a lot, he and Damian seem to have become this trope by ''ComicBook/AdventuresOfTheSuperSons''.
* HeroesLoveDogs: Jon loves dogs and is often seen spending time with Krypto and Ranger ([[WhatHappenedToTheMouse his golden retriever who hasn't been seen since the Kents moved to Metropolis]]). He was also eager [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe to adopt the dogs he befriended on Apokolips]], but his mom shoots him down rather quickly.
-->'''Jon:''' Mom, don't you think Krypto would like another friend to come live--\\
'''Lois:''' Don't even ''think'' about it kiddo.\\
'''Jon:''' Aww...
* HonorBeforeReason: Played with. Jon insists on helping out the people of Eoroe since they rescued the boys were rescued from Yggardis' clutches in Issue #8 of ''Super Sons'' despite Damian's protests that they should find a way home first and foremost. However, Jon rationalizes this by saying that they needed to help the locals in order to get info that could help them get home, which isn't totally unreasonable. Ironically enough, this is the inverse of the stance Jon took in the first arc of the series, where he continually told Damian that they were in over their heads and should get help rather than confront Kid Amazo themselves.
* IAmWho: It takes Jon a while to come to terms with the fact that he's Half-Kryptonian along with the fact that his ordinary, constantly tired and busy father is Superman, but not the Superman he grew up watching on television.
* AnIcePerson: Jon can flash-freeze almost anything with his Super-Breath, generating giant swathes of ice from thin air with ease.
* IGotBigger: Many glimpses of the future show Jon as tall and well-built as his dad is, with Wonder Woman's future son Hunter making special note of how broad Jon's shoulders were.
** In Adventures of the Super Sons, future version of Jon is shown with some gut.
* InASingleBound: Got around this way until he developed his ability to fly.
* InnocentBlueEyes: Shares his father's icy blue eyes and remains cheerful as ever amidst things that would traumatize any other child. Depending on the artist, Jon's eyes downright ''sparkle'' when he's happy, making this trope especially prominent.
* KeepingSecretsSucks: Jon hates the fact that he has to hide everything about him and wants to tell the world everything. Lois and Clark have to keep him tempered from this sort of idea. He also has to make up excuses during ''Superman #17'', during his little escapade with Kathy. He even does this to an extent with his ''parents'', as he makes it seem as though he was in bed all night due to staying up to watch a horror film and again when Damian took him out to Metropolis. [[spoiler:Mr. Oz, AKA Jor-El, uses this trait to get Jon to work with him by preying on Jon's frustrations with mundane life and by using the fact that he coached Jon on the use of the Hellbat suit during the attack on the Fortress of Solitude.]]
-->'''Kathy:''' ''[After Jon busts a door down]'' How did you-\\
'''Jon:''' [[BlatantLies Workout routine with my Dad! Lots of pull ups!]]
* KryptoniteFactor: His powers are tied to his Kryptonian heritage and thus will short out if he's exposed to Kryptonite or kept away from yellow sunlight for an extended period of time.
* LamarckWasRight: Jon is inheriting all of his father's powers one by one, but it's taking an awful lot of time for it to happen, which has Batman suspicious...
* LegacyCharacter: As of ''Superman Rebirth #6'', Jonathan has officially claimed the "Superboy" title and the S-shield worn by his father and his cousin Kara (better known as ''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}'').
* LighterAndSofter: Compared to his immediate predecessors, the New 52's Kon-El and the villainous Jon Lane Kent, Jonathan Samuel Kent has a much happier and more normal upbringing, being raised by his loving parents instead of a terrorist organization or being manufactured in a lab. He also lacks most of the angst, abrasiveness, and JerkAss traits that defined the New 52 era.
* LightningBruiser: Is developing into this as time goes on, being strong enough to bench press cars, tough enough to get knocked through buildings without a scratch, and fast enough to reach Metropolis or Gotham City more than twice as quickly as the pod Cyborg developed for him,
* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: Like his dad, Jon is a kind, upstanding, and empathetic person who constantly tries to see the best in people and wants to use his superpowers to help others. But unlike his dad, Jon has a different set of interests and standards due to growing up in a vastly different time than when his father was a youth. The most blatant example of this is Jon's unwillingness to move to Metropolis. When Clark was a boy, everyone dreamed of moving there. On the other hand, Jon sees Metropolis as one, crowded prison where he won't have any privacy, becoming unusually antsy and irritable when faced with the prospect of moving. As a result, it takes quite a bit of coaxing for Jon to finally relent.
-->'''Clark:''' Jon, you'll ''love'' Metropolis. There's nothing wrong with change sometimes. When I was your age the Big M was all I ever dreamed about.\\
'''Jon:''' Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Big dreams, big city newspaper, a big world out there... But I'm ''not'' you. Please don't make us move. I like it here. All my friends are here.\\
'''Lois:''' Sweetie, you'll make new friends. I promise. You always do.\\
'''Clark:''' We've talked about this. Right now, after everything we've been through, this is what's best for all of us, buddy.\\
'''Jon:''' ''[tears his shirt to shreds to reveal his Superboy uniform]'' No, this is what's best for ''you!'' Just like not making me use my powers! You think that's going to be easier in a city! You want to keep me in a prison... so I never get to be myself! ''[leaps off into the distance and runs to Gotham]'' Moving... sucks! Cities suck!
** Jon can also be rather petty in a way his father isn't when dealing with Damian, always making jabs at his friend's height when they argue. During ''Super Sons Annual #1'', the two get into a minor squabble while stopping a bank robbery. Jon subsequently eats both of the kabobs given to him by a grateful food vendor when one of them was meant for Damian, doing so with a satisfied expression and a clearly sarcastic "Oops, my bad." He also cheekily pushes down on Damian's barbell while the latter was in the middle of bench pressing it.
** Superman was a straight-A student in school, but Jon is thoroughly disinterested in schoolwork, doing poorly enough that he gets teased for his grades even though he's definitely intelligent enough to do better.
* LittleStowaway: When his mom sneaks onto a Air Force transport plane to rescue her father, she expected Jon to stay at home. Instead, Jon followed Damian's example by making a pillow dummy and hid in the trunk of Lois' car before flying into the cargo compartment while staying out of his mom's sight.
* MagneticHero: His niceness pays off in making him extremely likable to others. Wonder Woman takes a shine to him immediately despite her previous romance with the New 52 Superman, Sara [[spoiler:or at least her robotic duplicate]] is perfectly willing to stay behind and sacrifice herself for Jon despite only just meeting him due to the immediate kindness he displayed to her. The Teen Titans are also willing to induct him as an official member after just one night of working together. Compare this to the Titans' relationship with Damian, which is tense at best given his abrasiveness even after working with him for months. He's also on very good terms with Simon Baz, whom Jon simply calls "Baz" while giving him a hearty high-five, and Cyborg, due to their shared appreciation for video games to the point of having the same favorite character while hanging out aboard the Watchtower in ''Justice League #22''.
** In ''Superman #35'', Jon saves a bunch of mutant dogs that were going to be slaughtered and eaten by the residents of Apokolips. The dogs are so grateful that they're willing to allow Jon to ride them into battle against Kalibak, who had just totaled both Superman and Lex Luthor.
* MessyHair: As shown by the picture above, his hair is pretty unruly in his downtime and while on the job, but it's combed more neatly for school-related matters.
* MundaneUtility:
** He uses SuperSpeed to quickly get home, shower, and dry his hair before slipping under the covers as his parents come back from work to check on him.
** His SuperStrength comes in handy when helping someone change their tires.
** His invulnerability also lets him pull off stunts that no other kid would ever be able to do, like boogie-board down Niagra Falls while on vacation.
* MusclesAreMeaningless: He has the build of an active, but average boy his age, leading Damian to say that Jon has "narrow shoulders". Nevertheless, Jon is strong enough to casually toss Damian, who has demonstrated [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower numerous Olympic-level feats at his age]], aside with little effort and hold him up by the collar when angered. Later on he's stopping trains with ease and has no problem throwing down with other super-strong villains. Especially noticeable when compared to his predecessors, who were all [[HeroicBuild ripped teenagers.]]
* MyNameIsInigoMontoya: With a good smattering of LukeYouAreMyFather. [[spoiler:After being empowered by the spirits of the New 52 Superman and Lois, he delivers this trope to override the influence of Mr. Mxyzptlk, who was slowly stripping away his parents' memories of him.]]
-->'''Jon:''' My name is Jonathan Samuel Kent. I'm your '''''son!'''''
* MythologyGag: In the ''DC Legends'' mobile game, Jon's "Legendary" upgrade trades out his jacket, jeans, and cape for his predecessor Kon-El's containment suit.
* NaughtyIsGood: Zig-zagged. While he's sweet and polite and needs to be coaxed out of sticking to his bedtime, he's also a bit of a rebel who loves running off to do things he's not supposed to when no one is looking (such as watch a scary movie late at night) and starts a snowball fight right after school.
* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Justified. Jon's powers are still growing in and thus he is slowly gaining his Dad's powers. While he's initially limited to limited SuperStrength and Heat Vision, he later [[spoiler:gets Freeze Breath after having an allergic reaction to Goliath while being kidnapped by Damian and Maya.]]
* NiceGuy: Jon is generally upbeat and cheerful and is pretty upstanding and polite (everyone older than him is Mr. or Ms. and he even refers to his biologically teenager first-cousin-once removed Kara as "Cousin Kara"), though he does have to vent his childish impulses from time to time and he loosens up while at home and with friends.
** The first thing he does when the Teen Titans show up on his parent's balcony is to start passing out hot food and drinks while letting the Titans help themselves to the fridge.
* NiceHat: Frequently wears numerous baseball caps to help hide his identity as Superboy.
* NighInvulnerable: Originally zigzagged due to his PowerIncontinence, which caused him to be injured by things as minor as falling off a tree or being sedated via injection, but he still grabbed red-hot metal with ease. As his control improved, so did his durability, as knives and [[ItMakesSenseInContext giant porcupine quills]] harmlessly shattered against his skin and clothing in ''Superman #17''. In more recent comics, he's only slightly dazed after being knocked through a building and has no problems getting back up after being punched by the super-strong Chun Yull, the Faceless Hunter. [[spoiler:Also plainly noticeable after Jon, his mom, and grandfather Sam Lane are all shot by heavy machine gun fire. Jon is on the floor, but he's not bleeding profusely the way his family members were.]]
* OhCrap: Has this reaction with Damian after their fight as their dads look down at them in disappointment.
--> '''Jon and Damian:''' Uh oh.
** Again after he [[spoiler:accidentally runs into the non-powered Clark Kent while trying to get the door for Chinese takeout delivery.]]
--->'''Jon:''' ''[eyes slowly widening]'' How much do I--owe--you...
** Yet again after being confronted by Lex Luthor.
--->'''Jon:''' Oh god... Oh god... I'm in so much trouble...
* PersonOfMassDestruction: Thanks to his Kryptonian heritage, Batman refers to Jon as one of the "two most dangerous beings on the planet" even while ''ComicBook/WonderWoman'' is in the room. The "Batman of Tomorrow" also says that Jon will be responsible for the death of millions in the near future. Hence the former's attempts to murder him in the present to prevent that from happening.
* PintSizedPowerhouse: His powers are slowly growing over the course of his appearances, punching dinosaurs in the face and easily tackling doors down. While he could initially get a concussion by falling off a tree, knives shatter against his skin as of ''Superman #17'', and he fell down a well none the worse for wear. According to Batman, once Jon reaches his full potential, he'll be stronger than his dad ever will be on top of potentially manifesting some unique powers of his own.
* PleaseDontLeaveMe: [[spoiler:Begs his parents not to let him go as he seemingly fades from existence. Luckily, it doesn't stick.]]
* ThePollyanna: Even after all the danger and horror he gets put through in his adventures, he still considers himself the luckiest boy in the world to be the son of Superman.
* PopCulturedBadass: He's a 21st Century kid who's more than happy to drop references to Star Wars and play any number of games on his Xbox and phone. He's also a Half-Kryptonian FlyingBrick who can curb-stomp villains who can take on entire superhero teams.
* PowerIncontinence: Jon is still growing in his powers, so they tend to fluctuate in and out in how strong they are and if they work at all. One moment he can lift a car above his head, the next he's scraping his knee on the sidewalk. They seem to work better when he's emotionally charged, such as when he's angry, determined, scared, or surprised.
** On one occasion, he accidentally used his Heat Vision while trying to use X-Ray Vision to see who the unexpected visitors were, blasting straight through the door and sending both Wonder Woman and Batman flying backwards. Bruce would have had a hole punched through him if it weren't for Diana's quick thinking.
** In ''Superman #17'', his Heat Vision goes off again when Kathy rang the doorbell while he was in the middle of watching a horror film.
** This is mostly phased out by the end of the ''Black Dawn'' arc, after which it comes down to teaching Jon how to use his powers properly in order to do the most good. [[spoiler:But he falls right back into this trope while being attacked by "Savior" during the ''Super Sons of Tomorrow'' arc. When pushed to the emotional brink, Jon loses control of the solar energy within him, unleashing a Solar Flare powerful enough to severely damage Titans Tower even after flying away to limit collateral. While his father is able to control this power, Jon's version is far more unstable due to Jon's hybrid nature, having the potential to kill Jon if he does so twice in a row, which nearly happens after Jon freaks out while seeing his father on the verge of dying due to Red Kryptonite exposure.]]
* PowerLimiter: Batman notes that Jon's powers should have grown exponentially by the events of ''Superman #20'' due to hybrid vigor, with powers matching or exceeding his father's at this point. Thus, he suspects, that something in Jon's vicinity is keeping his powers from reaching their full potential. [[spoiler:Manchester Black had been rewiring Jon's neurons to stunt his development and make him a "better hero".]]
* PrimaryColorChampion: Like Dad, Red, Blue, and Yellow characterize his super outfit, in contrast to the Black and Red of his predecessors.
* PutOnABus: [[spoiler:During ''Comicbook/DarkNightsMetal'', Lois locks Jon in a special safe room designed to be nigh-impenetrable to even Kryptonians in order to save him from the Doomsday Virus that was infecting her and the rest of Metropolis as well as the other members of the Super-Family like Supergirl and Superwoman. As a result, he's absent for almost the entire event.]]
* RealisticDictionIsUnrealistic: Completely averted. Jon peppers his dialogue with all sorts of likes, gonnas, wouldas, comin's and other forms of realistic diction. This only highlights Jon's differences with Damian, who speaks with polished prose much of the time due to Damian's classical education under Talia.
* {{Reconstruction}}: Of the classic young superhero sidekick. After years of {{Deconstruction}} and cynical depictions, Jon is among the first in recent DC comics to return to the cheerful, naive, and somewhat bumbling child superheroes that drew many children to comics in the first place. Granted, his appearances also showcase the hardships and implications of having powers at his age, but he still remains true to this core concept.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: They're a sign that he's about to blast your face off with heat vision.
* RetCon: After ''ComicBook/SupermanReborn'' ([[spoiler: where Pre-Flaspoint and New-52 Supermen stories merge]]), the events of ''ComicBook/{{Convergence}}: Superman'' are undone as Clark and Lois gave birth Jon in the New-52 universe (in the Fortress) and not the ''Flashpoint'' Batcave.
* RousingSpeech: Provides one to Hard Line and Big Shot when they were all under threat from Yggardis.
-->'''Jon:''' My mom taught me that while I might have a hard time describing just what a hero is... I'll know it when I see it. And I sure as heck see it in you.\\
'''Big Shot:''' We want to help. [[spoiler:But if we're made of magical clay, what can we even do?]] He can destroy us in an instant.\\
'''Jon:''' You do what every hero does... the best you can.\\
'''Damian:''' [[GenerationXerox Jeez, you sound like your dad.]]\\
'''Jon:''' Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment.
* RudeAwakening: The ''ComicBook/SuperSons'' preview shows [[http://www.cbr.com/robin-superboy-super-sons-1-preview/ Jon ready to blast Damian with heat vision after he snuck in right before Jon was about to go to sleep.]]
* SadisticChoice: Jon is frequently one of these choices for his father, forcing Supes to choose between going after a bad guy or saving Jon and Lois from a threat they cannot handle. Other times this crosses into LetsYouAndHimFight and ConflictBall, with Jon being forced to fight his father over a particular dispute.
* SecretLegacy: Is completely unaware of his father's superhero activities until he's around ten years old and his powers begin manifesting.
* ShipTease: With Kathy, his OnlyFriend in Hamilton after they move there. He trusts her enough to be his SecretKeeper and they frequently hang out, clearly enjoying their time with each other. [[spoiler:Even after it was revealed that she was deceiving him the whole time, she cherished Jon enough to ultimately try to defend him from Manchester Black, later going so far as to forcibly remove Manchester's consciousness from his body. Afterwards, they part on amicable terms and are implied to talk to each other on the phone from time to time.]]
* SignatureAttack: Heat Vision, which he uses more than any of his other powers thus far. It's simultaneously the power he has the most control over, being able to activate it at will, and the least control over, often having it go off accidentally and has difficulty turning it off at times.
** Later issues have him pulling his father's signature "heat up a gun until it's too hot to hold" trick and setting his heat vision to a low enough power setting to burn tiny holes through someone's leg to incapacitate rather than maim or kill.
* StrongAsTheyNeedToBe: Jon's strength tends to vary based on how strong the plot needs him to be. For instance, he can lift a car over his head in one issue but has trouble breaking iron chains in another. This becomes particularly glaring after the ''Black Dawn'' arc, where he's strong enough to stop a train with ease, but Damian can still punch him hard enough to feel pain. Sometimes justified by the fact that as a Half-Kryptonian, he ''has'' to hold back or he'll splatter normal people with a regular punch.
* SuperheroesWearCapes: Duh.
* SuperpowerLottery: Is developing his Dad's Kryptonian powerset and is stated to have the potential to become even more powerful than his father. That's not even taking the fact that Jon might manifest unique powers of his own.
* SuperSenses: Like his dad, Jon is armed with Super-Vision of all kinds, from X-Ray to Telescopic. He also possesses his father's Super-Hearing, which also happened to be Jon's first superpower.
* SuperiorSuccessor: As mentioned above, Jon's hybrid nature gives him even more potential than his father, with Batman predicting that Jon would have long-surpassed Superman in power if not for [[spoiler:Manchester Black messing with the neurons in Jon's brain to stunt his growth.]] As of the current comics, Jon can already outrace his dad and can match him blow for blow.
* TagalongKid: Due to the instability of his powers, his dad and mom are reluctant to let Jon get into the thick of the fight, forcing him to stay on the sidelines most of the time. Jon eventually becomes frustrated with this, thinking that his parents are making him hide his abilities for their convenience rather than his own benefit. By ''Super Sons #5'', his parents agree to allow him to go on his own superhero adventures for as long as he sticks with the more experienced Damian.
* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Complains to Damian in the first few issues of ''ComicBook/SuperSons'' that they were going to get in a lot of trouble for their unauthorized escapade.
* TookALevelInBadass: As time goes on, Jon's mastery of his Kryptonian powers makes him more and more of a powerhouse. In earlier appearances, he could be knocked out by falling out of a tree and struggled to break metal chains. In more recent issues, he's stopping trains, having cars rammed into him, and slugging it out with monsters the size of skyscrapers. By ''Super Sons #11'', he's powerful enough to deliver a CurbStompBattle to a group of supervillains that were overwhelming the entirety of the Teen Titans in less than a minute while being way too fast for even Kid Flash to realize what was going on.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Ice cream. He's always eating scoops or tubs of it whenever he has the chance.
* TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening: Played with. Jon's powers are most likely to work when he's emotionally charged, but they continue to fluctuate in and out when he least expects it and he has yet to achieve full control over it despite being kidnapped by Intergang, accidentally frying his pet cat Goldie to death with heat vision, nearly having half his genome sucked out by the Eradicator, watching his Dad and Krypto get sucked into the Eradicator.
* {{Tsundere}}: A minor one towards the Teen Titans. After spending most of ''ComicBook/SuperSons'' making fun of them due to Damian constantly harping about being older than him, Jon is still clearly excited to be working alongside them and is made an official member in all but name above Damian's protests. Despite this, when Damian goes back to putting Jon down, he calls them Damian's "Glee Club".
* UnskilledButStrong: Jon's powers are unstable, making him above average at best and a liability at worst. This is further exacerbated by his inexperience and naivety. Nevertheless, when they do kick in, he's powerful enough to burn his father with his heat vision and even outrace him. After his powers stabilize, he's working on becoming StrongAndSkilled, mastering his abilities and gaining more experience to handle himself alone and with others.
* UnwittingPawn: Jon naivete makes it easy for Damian to manipulate him, a fact the [[BullyingADragon young Superboy doesn't appreciate.]]
* VitriolicBestFriends: Heavy on the Vitriolic towards [[ComicBook/{{Robin}} Damian Wayne]]. One minute, they could be saving the world, the next they're slugging each other silly. That said, by the events of the annual holiday special (which is heavily implied to take place a good deal of time after their last encounter) they're close enough to have each other on speed dial and to buy gifts for each other (with Damian buying the two of them a video game they both wanted). Heck, they even have Christmas dinner together! Of course, [[https://i1.wp.com/cdn.batman-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/DC-Rebirth-Holiday-Special.jpg?quality=85&strip=info&ssl=1&w=800 the front cover of the same comic has Damian kicking a Heat Vision-ready Jon in the face while stealing a present from him]], so they aren't ''that'' chummy yet. It's also implied that Damian respects Jon deep down, but is too prideful to admit it, as noted by [[TheEmpath Raven]]. Eventually, Jon comes to enjoy being around Damian enough to be disappointed when he doesn't get a chance to go out with him on a weekend.
-->'''Raven:''' Do not let Robin's defensiveness get to you, Superboy. He respects you deeply. We ALL do now that we know you.
** Their relationship cools off for the most part by the latter end of ''ComicBook/SuperSons'', with their fiery arguments settling into playful jabs like Jon pushing a finger down on a barbell Damian was using. They also regularly risk life-and-limb for each other and are each outraged when the other one is in danger.
* WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld: Jon is always fighting the temptation to avoid using his powers in school and seems to enjoy letting loose as Superboy, given his eagerness to help. He also hates school as a whole and would much rather be playing video games or being a superhero than reading a textbook.
* WarriorPrince: As of ''Superman #36'' [[spoiler:his dad is the God-King of Apokolips, making Jon the prince of Apokolips.]] Naturally, Jon can kick ass with the best of them.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Jon knows that he has big shoes to fill after learning about his superpowers and is anxious to get into the thick of things and prove himself.
* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Jon can be surprisingly mature and thoughtful for his age, usually being able to carry himself so well in the face of danger that his father sometimes forgets that he's only ten years old. Jon also shares his father's empathy and his mom's wit, being able to drop a RousingSpeech when he wants to and think through problems more readily than even his friend [[TeenGenius Damian]] is willing to.
-->'''Superman:''' The way you act and carry yourself like a big guy--sometimes you make me forget.\\
'''Jon:''' Forget what?\\
'''Superman:''' That you're only ten years old.
* YoungerThanTheyLook: When adventuring with Damian, the pair are often mistaken for a SiblingTeam due to their similar hair color and age. Since Jon is the taller of the two, he's almost always assumed to be the older brother, much to Jon's amusement and Damian's annoyance. Also a case of DependingOnTheArtist, since while most comics portray him as clearly having the height and physique of a ten year old, some issues could have him comfortably passing for a teenager, as seen in ''Action Comics #997'', [[https://78.media.tumblr.com/0f3f59a2f00c9d0b09e00572df230e3e/tumblr_p45twodtbv1sek4xio1_540.png where his chest muscles are prominent enough to show through his sweatshirt.]]
[[/folder]]

** [[spoiler: Season 1 of ''Series/Titans2018'']] (2018)

* FlyingBrick: His original abilities were "programmed" to mimic Franchise/{{Superman}}'s as closely as possible, including flight, deflecting bullets and mimicking SuperStrength through {{Telekinesis}} and over time he developed the usual Kryptonain power set allowing him to find more creative uses for his telekinesis.

* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Before Superman gave him a Kryptonain name and then an earth name, both of which placed Kon in his family, Superboy didn't ''have'' a name outside of a nickname or a number.

** ''Adventure Comics'' (1946-1962) (as the lead feature), 1962-1969 (as part of the Legion of Super-Heroes feature)

** ''The New Adventures of Superboy'' (1980-1984)

** ''ComicBook/SuperboyAndTheRavers'' (1996-1998)
** ''WF3: World's Finest Three'' (1996)

* ArchEnemy: Superboy-Prime. He hates Conner calling him a fake Superboy.

* TakingYouWithMe: He decides this is the only way to deal with Knockout, but since she passes out before him he's able to hand her over to the authorities for arrest instead.
* TearsOfJoy: After Kal-El bestows him with the name Kon-El he tears up out of joy at being given his own name outside of a designation (13), superhero name (Superboy), or nickname (The Kid, S.B.).

* WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld: S.B. was attending Ilupani High School while working as Hawaii's hero and found himself in trouble when school caught up to and surpassed the knowledge Cadmus had implanted in his brain. He got kicked out for unrelated reasons soon after but his school teachers still expect him to keep up with at home schooling.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: The Kid does not like sharks. They're not really physically a problem for him bu this interactions with King Shark have left him unnerved by actual sharks.

** [[spoiler: Season 1 of ''Series/Titans2018'']]

** ''[[spoiler: WesternAnimation/YoungJustice: Outsiders (2019)]]''

** [[spoiler: Season 1 of Series/Titans|2018]]
** WesternAnimation/ReignOfTheSupermen (2019)

** [[spoiler: WesternAnimation/YoungJustice: Outsiders (2019)

** Superboy's mentioned in the 2017 WesternAnimation/BugsBunny / ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes crossover as living in the 21st century, which would put the Boy of Steel's time-era in [[TurnOfTheMillennium the aughts]].

--->'''Jon:''' ''[after being saved from a giant mechanical tentacle]'' Who the '''''H''''' are they?

* ChivalrousPervert: Just some examples in ''ComicBook/SupermanBatman''. Once he and Supergirl (Cir-El) are caught in a "walls closing in" DeathTrap and Conner compain that would have preferred if there was ComicBook/PowerGirl with him. Another occasion, he find some sexbots of the female Teen Titans, belonging to the teenage Toyman (''not'' the original villainous version); Conner clearly enjoys...until [[Comicbook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]] (Robin) destroys them!.
--> '''Superboy''': I hate you. I hate you more than anyone i ever known.

-->'''Jon:''' ''[holding up a phone with pictures of his dad's old suits]'' Hey Dad! Why don't you wear one of these? You shoulda stuck with the black suit or gone back to the old one with the undies on the outside.
-->'''Clark:''' It wasn't "underwear", Jon. It was part of the suit, a decorative element, all sewn together as one piece.
-->'''Jon:''' Looks like undies to me.

-->'''Kathy:''' ''[adding condiments to her ice cream]'' Want any cherries?
-->'''Jon:''' Thanks Kathy! '''''All''''' the cherries!

--->'''Damian:''' Copter's a half mile away. Hand over my veggie kabob and let's get out of here.
--->'''Jon:''' ''[smugly grinning while holding two empty kabobs]'' Oops, my bad.

* BrilliantButLazy: Despite being portrayed as the DumbMuscle of the Super Sons (not helped by the fact that Damian is an InsufferableGenius and a ChildProdigy), Jon is surprisingly intelligent for his age when he puts his mind to it, solving fifth-grade math problems nearly instantly after not listening to the question, tinkering with Kryptonian technology under his father's supervision, and already knows how to drive a tractor and subsequently a truck, which he rams into the guy who was starting to overpower his dad. He also sees through [[spoiler:Mr. Mxyzptlk's]] first riddle after remembering his offhand statement about "bedtime stories". Jon's foolishness comes more out of naivety, inexperience, and immaturity than any stupidity on his part. It also helps that he's around ten-years old and is thus not particularly invested in academia or otherwise using that brain of his to its full potential. As his teacher describes him:

-->'''Superman:''' And remember... what are we helping people for, buddy?
-->'''Jon:''' ''[fistbumping his dad]'' Good people get involved.

-->'''Damian:''' Superboy, stay out of the way.
-->'''Jon:''' Like ''hell'' I will! ''[pauses]'' Nn. My bad. Like ''heck'' I will.

* In Super Sons Issue #5, he looks around to make sure no one is around to hear him say that moving sucks.

-->'''Damian:''' ''[after making fun of each other over getting a Christmas tree]'' I'll have your miserable, mutated head, '''''[[FantasticRacism ALIEN!]]'''''
-->'''Jon:''' Come and get it, '''''[[HeightAngst TWERP-ZILLA!]]'''''

-->'''Jon:''' Mom, don't you think Krypto would like another friend to come live--
-->'''Lois:''' Don't even ''think'' about it kiddo.
-->'''Jon:''' Aww...

-->'''Kathy:''' ''[After Jon busts a door down]'' How did you-
-->'''Jon:''' [[BlatantLies Workout routine with my Dad! Lots of pull ups!]]

** ''Superboy (vol. 5)'': (2010 - 2011)
** ''Superboy (vol. 6)'': (2011 - 2014)