Warning: SPOILERS for Action Comics #1057
As a fan-favorite member of the Superman Family, Superboy has almost always felt stuck in the shadow of the Man of Steel. A clone of Superman and his arch-rival Lex Luthor, Conner Kent’s experience has also never been quite the same as Clark’s, and, aside from his radically different personality, his specific powers and biology have reflected that. As he undergoes yet another journey of self-discovery, Superboy discovers another ability that differs from Krypton’s Last Son – he can dye his hair.
The backup story “Super Is as Super Does” by Magdalene Visaggio, Matthew Clark, Matt Herms, and Rob Leigh in the pages of Action Comics #1057 finds Conner back in Smallville following his intergalactic travels, as seen in the miniseries Superboy: Man of Tomorrow by Kenny Porter, Jahnoy Lindsay, and Lucas Gattoni. Conner still seeks to come to terms with his own identity separate from Superman. As a visual manifestation of this struggle, Conner makes it appoint to bleach his hair with a striking red streak.
When Ma Kent reminds him that they decided against such a drastic change, Conner replies, “No, you just told me it wouldn’t work because Clark’s hair can’t be bleached.” And while this may seem like a glib, spur-of-the-moment decision for the Boy of Steel, this simple instance of super-teenaged rebellion is having exactly the effect that Superboy intended.
Superboy Isn’t Superman: He Can Bleach His Hair
With his solar-powered invulnerability, Superman’s hair has often been the subject of fan debate. There have been numerous questions surrounding how he ever manages to shave or cut his hair, when almost every aspect of his being is physically tougher than any Earth-borne substance. Fans are rarely ever given a satisfying explanation to this strange question. But that Superboy is able to bleach his hair with relative ease — despite what his adoptive parents, the Kent, believe — goes a long way in displaying just how different Clark and Conner are, both biologically and in terms of personality. It also shows just how detached the Boy of Steel is feeling from his genetic template.
As a literal clone, Superboy was specifically created as a replacement Superman, leaving him with no shortage of internal crises regarding his place in the world. But he has always differed greatly from Kal-El at a genetic level. It even took Conner years to develop Kryptonian abilities, as he originally relied on tactile telekinesis to recreate the Man of Steel’s iconic powers. Whether or not his new hairstyle sticks, the simple ability to bleach her hair is even clearer biological proof that he and Superman are not the same – a fact that Conner refuses to let anyone forget as he starts to branch out and rediscover his own identity yet again.
Superboy has proven himself as a hero in his own right more times than fans can count, but he still struggles with living up to some pretty Super expectations. Conner Kent truly wants to be his own man, and this new hairdo goes a long way towards reminding everyone that he’s not his older brother, Clark. Superman can do just about anything, but when it comes to pulling off astonishing follicular feats, Superboy simply has him beat.
Action Comics #1057 is on sale now from DC Comics.
