Summary
- Writer Magdalene Visaggio pitched a story in which Conner Kent, aka Superboy, would transform into a trans superhero named Constance Lara Kent.
- The pitch explored Conner’s struggle with his identity and how becoming Connie could help him find his true self.
- While DC Comics is not taking this direction with Superboy, this pitch highlights the importance of trans representation in the DCU.
Warning! Minor spoilers for Action Comics #1057!A pitch from one DC writer is revealing a huge change that could have completely redefined everything fans knew about Superboy. Writer Magdalene Visaggio shared details on social media for a story that would have given Conner Kent a new superhero identity and reinvented Superman’s half-clone into a high-profile trans superhero.
Comic creator Magdalene Visaggio recently wrote Conner Kent in the story “Super is as Super Does” with Matthew Clark. The story saw Superboy expressing some rebellious tendencies such as truancy and dyeing a streak of red in his hair. A date with his new love interest Miss Martian also revealed Conner was undergoing some extreme identity issues due to his connection to Superman.
After allowing Miss Martian a chance to peer into his mind, Conner expressed how much he didn’t want to be like Superman and how he was desperate to be his own person. He even went as far as to tell his girlfriend that he just didn’t want to be Superboy anymore.
One Superboy Pitch Would Have Reinvented Conner as the Trans Hero Skyrocket
On Twitter, Visaggio posted a Dropbox link to a pitch for Superboy she says is “never going to happen“. The pitch revolves around Conner Kent directly facing his identity issues in an event where he battles an evil line of Superman descendants in the far future with his new half-brother, Leland Luthor. After Conner dethrones the evil Kryptonians, Leland helps Conner discover who he is once and for all with Kryptonian tech that transforms Conner into who he truly is: A woman named Constance Lara Kent. The pitch also includes art by Darick Robertson that shows Connie as the hero Skyrocket, the new hero identity she would have taken.
Visaggio confirmed that this pitch is what her backup story in Action Comics #1057 was setting up, but also confirmed that this is not the direction DC Comics is taking with Superboy. Still, it’s interesting to see the line of thinking Visaggio had for Conner. Visaggio noted in her pitch that Conner’s struggle to find his true self is something that resonates with a lot of trans individuals and that becoming Connie could have helped Superboy resolve his painful struggle with his identity. While it’s not the future DC Comics has in store for Conner, the pitch does shine a light on trans representation in the DCU.
What Does the Future Look Like for DC’s Trans Heroes?
In the last several years, DC Comics has given more presence to trans and trans-coded heroes such as Dreamer, Circuit Breaker, and Galaxy. But the publisher has yet to have an established hero character like Superboy come out as trans and showcase their transition. It’s a bold and fairly risky move taking a character that’s been around for years and exploring such a topic. But it can be an interesting avenue that can build upon and naturally gel with the history of certain characters, making them richer and deeper individuals. While Superboy isn’t going anywhere, it’s an interesting look at the potentially trailblazing future the hero could have had.
Source: Twitter
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
