The awkward teenage years…we’ve all been there. But imagine struggling through the uncomfortable and often embarrassing problems of youth while also learning to control overwhelming superpowers. Such was the case of a young DC Comics hero introduced 75 years ago. Do you know who this is?

Based on the character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Superboy was introduced by Siegel and Don Cameron in More Fun Comics #101 in 1945. Superboy is the preteen/teenage version of the Man of Steel, with most of his adventures taking place in the fictional town of Smallville. In the series, Superboy is sent to earth to avoid the destruction of his home planet Krypton. He is found by Jonathan and Martha Kent who later adopt him and name him Clark Kent. You thought raising a normal baby was hard? Try reigning in one that can fly and possesses heat vision. The Kents face tremendous challenges trying to teach Clark to control his powers and keep his identity a secret. 

As he gains more command over his abilities, Jonathan and Martha instill in Clark the importance of using his powers for the benefit of others rather than for a reward. Around this time, the Kents relocate from the family farm to the town of Smallville proper and Clark adopts a mild-mannered demeanor and begins wearing glasses to conceal his identity. On his eighth birthday, Martha gifts Clark an indestructible costume woven from the Kryptonian blankets that he arrived on Earth with. At this time, Clark became the costumed superhero Superboy and began learning about his Kryptonian origin. Although most of his superhero outings occurred in Smallville, he became famous for his heroics around the globe. As Superboy’s adventures take him into interstellar space, he gains fame on other worlds as well.  

Despite his heroic alter ego, Clark’s mild-mannered attitude lends him few friends and makes him the target of many bullies. While this series featured many similarities to other Superman stories, it also introduced new characters and themes. Among these was Clark’s neighbor and close friend the beautiful Lana Lang, who would become a romantic foil for both Superboy and the grown-up Superman. For a time, Superboy is the only superhero who has a well-known public profile, but he is later joined by Krypto the superdog. Eventually, Superboy recruited by Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, and Lightning Lad for the 30th century Legion of Super-Heroes. 

Shortly after joining the Legion, Superboy’s life is threatened by a Green Kryptonite meteor. His life is remarkably saved by a Smallville farm boy named Lex Luthor, who just so happens to be a science prodigy. The pair become fast friends, with Superboy even building Luthor a fully stocked laboratory to conduct his experiments. After a fire breaks out that destroys the lab and all of Luthor’s hair, he blames Superboy and dedicates his life to destroying him. At 21, while attending college in Metropolis, Kal-El makes his official debut as Superman. 

Outside of comics, Superboy has also made the transition to television several times, most notably 1988’s Superboy. This series followed Clark Kent/Superboy as he navigated college and superheroics. Many elements of the Superboy series, including the town of Smallville, the close relationship between Kent and Luthor and Lana Lang, were incorporated into the popular television series Smallville. 

Not every hero becomes super, and not every boy becomes a man, but in the case of Clark Kent, he grew to be both.