Superboy (live action) a look back

With Superboy aka Conner Kent making his live action debut this Friday on the CW's Smallville, I thought we'd take a look back to other Super-Teens who made it, or almost made it, onto the small screen.

The very first actor to don the classic tights and cape was Johnny Rockwell. After George Reeves (TVs Superman) killed himself a few ideas were tossed around on how to keep the immensely popular show going. Rather than recasting the part, a Superboy pilot was filmed but sadly never picked up.

"The Adventures of Superboy" would have followed the exploits of young Clark Kent in his home town of Smallville. Lana Lang was there too, played by actress Bunny Henning. Lana Lang, like her comic book counter part, would pine for Superboy while trying to prove that Clark Kent was indeed the Boy of Steel.

The show never aired but I believe you can watch the shaky pilot on YouTube. 

Decades later Superboy would finally make his first appearance in the syndicated series "Superboy" later retitled "The Adventures of Superboy" . This series came to TV from Ilya and Alexander Salkind, the producers of the first three Superman movies and the 1984 Supergirl film.

The show originally starred John Newton and the premise was not unlike TVs Smallville. While attending Shuster University Clark Kent would disguise himself as the colorful and powerful Superboy to thwart evil doers.

Clark Kent the was true identity (with Superboy being his mask to fight crime.)  Stories often revolved around his troubles fitting in, relationships with girls, making time for his friends (Lana Lang and TJ White) and getting his school work done.

When the show was picked up for its second and remaining seasons the focus of the show changed.

Newton was replaced by more seasoned actor Gerard Christopher and Superboy became the real

persona with Clark Kent as the disguise. This closely mirrored the Christopher Reeve films but the show's stories were more in tune with the comics. Probably the closest any TV show has actually achieved.

Here Superboy faced off against mad genius Lex Luthor, Bizarro, Metallo, a version of the Toy Man, Mr. Myxlplyx and evil doppelgangers. He also longed to discover where he came from and learn why was he sent to Earth. It was understood that Superboy had no knowledge of  Krypton's destruction, making Superboy a much more tragic character.



The show was cancelled after its fourth season when the WB regained film and TV rights thus moving forward with its new series "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"

Now, jumping a head to 2011, we have our first live action Superboy in 19 years. It's uncertain and highly unlikely that the CW is planning any kind of spin off but Superboy seems to be at a new height in popularity.

He's starring in his own on-going comic book again and is a major character on the Cartoon Networks 'Young Justice' animated show.

So its all together possible that the Boy of Steel in some form or another could wind up back on the small screen. But at the very least he'll have Friday's Smallville episode, titled 'Scion' where he'll be played by Lucas Gabreel.

If only all superhero characters could be this lucky.