Dates
- Cover date
- November 2009
- On sale
- September 23, 2009
- Pages
- 52
Editions and covers (2)
Copies of #1 are not all the same book. Here is how to tell each one apart.
Creators
Stories
- The Boy of Steel · 40 pages
Young Clark plays a pick-up game of football with his young friends. Pete tackles him, but breaks his arm in the process. Clark blames himself, but later in school Pete thinks it's no big deal. Clark's x-ray vision kicks in for the first time, and he freaks out. Lana tracks him down to comfort him; she's known he's got special abilities since he stopped a thresher that almost hurt her. She gives him a kiss, which causes his heat vision to kick in for the first time, igniting a banner, and setting off the sprinklers. At home, Clark discusses with his parents what's wrong with him, and they finally take him out to the barn, and for the first time show him the rocket they found him in. When he touches it, it activates, and holograms of his real parents appear, and explain some about who he is. He tries to deny it, striking out with his fists and heat vision, finally running off, wanting to be just Clark. Lex Luthor runs off from his home, and finds a green, glowing rock in a field. Clark gets glasses made from his rocket, as that should prevent any more heat vision problems. Later he and Lana attend the county fair, where Clark meets Lex, who has a booth selling books. Lex shows Clark the green rock, but Clark collapses, causing Lex to drop it, breaking the container and cutting Lex. But then a tornado kicks up, and Lana is dragged into it. Clark runs after her, and for the first time flies after her, although uncontrollably. After they crash in a river, Lana thanks him again with a kiss. After telling his folks what happened, Ma tires of fixing his clothes, and decides to use the blankets he was found in to make a tough uniform, one that honors his other-worldly heritage. When she finishes, Clark tries it on, revealed as Superboy.
Reprinted in
Superman: Secret Origin The Deluxe Edition (2010), Superman: Secret Origin (2011)