Superboy-Prime is currently headlining the flagship Superman title by superstar writer Joshua Williamson and artist Dan Mora, and the DC Universe is holding its collective breath. Prime is the ultimate wild card, having transitioned from a wide-eyed Silver Age hero to a meta-textual monster who punched through the literal walls of reality. If you’re trying to keep up with the current Reign of the Superboys era, you need to understand the volatile history of the kid from Earth-Prime. He’s the DC Multiverse’s greatest threat and most tragic cautionary tale, and now it’s his time. It’s Prime Time.
I’ve always been a fan of the guy, even when his stories were a bit hit-or-miss. When it comes to 4th-wall-busting characters, your mileage goes as far as the writer’s ability to make it funny. Prime hasn’t always been at the top of his game, but I still love the concept of him. He’s a Superman who goes full power and doesn’t hold back. He can take on the whole world if needed and he’s got a cocky attitude that very few characters can pull off well.
Where did Superboy-Prime come from?
The story starts in the pages of DC Comics Presents #87. Writer Elliot S. Maggin and artist Curt Swan introduced us to Clark Kent of Earth-Prime. In this world, there were no superheroes except for the ones found in the pages of DC Comics. This Clark was a normal teenager named after a fictional character as a joke by his parents, Jerry and Naomi Kent. Everything changed during the 1985 classic Crisis on Infinite Earths. While dressed as Superboy for a costume party, Clark’s latent Kryptonian powers activated. The Anti-Monitor’s antimatter wave began consuming his home at that exact moment.
In Crisis on Infinite Earths #10, he met the mainstream Superman and joined the desperate fight to save existence. By the time the dust settled in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, Earth-Prime was gone. Young Clark had no home to return to. He agreed to join the Golden Age Superman, Lois Lane, and Alexander Luthor Jr. in a “paradise dimension.” It was supposed to be a happy ending. Instead, a teenage boy watched the “real” DC Universe through a crystalline barrier for twenty years. It became a slow-motion psychological breakdown.
How did he become a villain in Infinite Crisis?
Superboy-Prime’s transformation into a villain is a famous turn in modern comic history. By the mid-2000s, writer Geoff Johns utilized Prime’s frustration with the darkening tone of DC comics to turn him into an antagonist. In the Infinite Crisis Secret Files and Origins special, we saw Prime’s descent into madness. He began pounding on the walls of reality. These “reality punches” caused ripples through Hypertime. They were also used to explain continuity shifts like the sudden resurrection of Jason Todd that occurred in Batman #635.
When he finally broke out in Infinite Crisis #1, he wasn’t the hero we remembered. He wore a suit of solar-collecting armor modeled after the Anti-Monitor and attacked the modern Superboy, Conner Kent, in Infinite Crisis #4. This sequence remains one of the most brutal battles in the medium. Prime accidentally (and then intentionally) dismembered and murdered several members of the Teen Titans. His tantrum eventually required the combined might of every speedster in the DCU to push him into the Speed Force in Infinite Crisis #5, and he still couldn’t be held. He returned for a final, bloody showdown on Mogo, where two Supermen flew him through a red sun to depower him.
What are his most seminal stories and powers?
Prime’s power level is essentially “Pre-Crisis.” He possesses the absurd, planet-moving strength levels that Superman had in the 1970s. After his defeat, he was imprisoned by the Guardians of Oa. He quickly escaped to join the Sinestro Corps. Throughout the Sinestro Corps War event, specifically in Green Lantern #21 through #25, Prime proved he was nearly unstoppable. He faced the entire Green Lantern Corps simultaneously. However, this time, he wasn’t motivated by evil ideology; he just wanted his home back. He hated everyone who “ruined” the legacy of Superman.
His meta-textual nature reached its peak in Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds, with the legendary George Pérez illustrating it. Prime traveled to the 31st century and was confronted by the Time Trapper. The Trapper was revealed to be a bitter, aged version of Prime himself. This story was monumental for Prime as it explored the deep self-loathing at the core of the character. Later, in Adventure Comics #4 and #5, Prime was actually sent back to “our” world. He was depicted as a depowered nerd living in his parents’ basement. He read about his own villainous exploits in DC comics and raged at writers on internet message boards. It was a scathing critique of toxic fandom.
Is Superboy-Prime a hero after Death Metal?
The road to the current status quo post-DC K.O. started with a surprising redemption arc. During the Dark Nights: Death Metal event, Prime was plucked from the Source Wall to serve as an enforcer for the Batman Who Laughs. However, in the one-shot Dark Nights: Death Metal The Secret Origin #1, Prime finally grew up. He realized that the “perfect world” being offered to him was a lie. In a moment of genuine heroism, he sacrificed himself to take down the Darkest Knight’s nightmare multiverses.
His reward was a literal reboot. He was shown waking up on a restored Earth-Prime as a normal boy. He was greeted by his long-lost girlfriend, Laurie. This was supposed to be his final rest, but the events of DC K.O. have dragged him back into the center of the DC Universe.
When Joshua Williamson brought him back for his Superman run, I immediately reattached to him. Maybe it’s the angle. Maybe it’s Dan Mora’s art. A character who wants to be good who was previously bad is a great angle. The charms are also on full display with this new iteration, and I think that really helps. Superboy-Prime is back in the forefront, and he looks great in the position. It might be early, but I hope he stays a while.
Check out these key issues to see how Prime went from a tragic hero to a reality-punching nightmare and finally found his way back.
The KPB Comics Essential Superboy-Prime Reading List:
- DC Comics Presents #87: The first appearance and origin of the Earth-Prime Clark Kent.
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #10 & #12: Prime joins the fight for the Multiverse and enters the “paradise dimension.”
- Infinite Crisis Secret Files and Origins: The setup for Prime’s descent into madness and the “reality punches.”
- Infinite Crisis #1, #4, & #5: Prime’s breakout, his brutal battle with the Teen Titans, and his exile to the Speed Force.
- Batman #635: Referenced for the resurrection of Jason Todd (caused by Prime’s reality warping).
- Green Lantern #21–25: The “Sinestro Corps War” where Prime takes on the entire Green Lantern Corps.
- Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds: A meta-textual battle in the 31st century against the Time Trapper.
- Adventure Comics #4–5: Prime is sent back to the “real” Earth-Prime as a depowered comic fan.
- Dark Nights: Death Metal: Prime returns as an enforcer for the Batman Who Laughs.
- Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Secret Origin #1: The pivotal one-shot featuring Prime’s ultimate sacrifice and redemption.
- Superman (Current Series): The ongoing run by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora featuring Prime’s return in the “Reign of the Superboys” era.
