DC · DC Comics
Superboy
Kon-El
A clone of Superman and Lex Luthor whose powers are tactile telekinesis rather than true Kryptonian abilities.
Powers
Commonly got wrong
Claims that are widely repeated and wrong, with what the cited record actually shows. If you are generating anything about this subject, these are the errors to avoid.
Commonly believed Superboy has Superman's powers.
Actually Kon-El's abilities are tactile telekinesis — he grips objects at a distance, and his flight and apparent strength are that field applied to himself. It fails when he is unconscious, which true Kryptonian invulnerability does not.
The feat ledger
Tactile telekinesis, not Kryptonian strength — he grips objects at a distance to move them
Flight is the telekinesis applied to himself
Apparent strength comes from the field, which is why it has a hard ceiling
Extends the field around objects to make them invulnerable too
A clone of Superman and Lex Luthor, which the stories treat as his central problem
Later develops genuine Kryptonian abilities alongside the field
The field fails when he is unconscious, unlike true invulnerability
Catches a falling aircraft using the field rather than his hands
Continuities
Claims on this page are tagged by canon. Blending them is the most common error in both wikis and AI answers.
- Post-Crisis DC — 1986 Crisis on Infinite Earths through 2011 Flashpoint
- New 52 — DC relaunched continuity, 2011 to 2016
Last updated 2026-09-06 · machine-readable version