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Conduit (comics)
Encyclopedia
Conduit is a DC Comics
supervillain
, and primarily an enemy of Superman
.
's starship passed over the Braverman's car. Kenny suffered a high level of radiation poisoning
due to Kryptonite
exposure from the Kryptonian
ship, and during his childhood, his health failed from time to time, but he always managed to recover. Kenny even became a remarkable athlete at Smallville High School. However, he always came in second place to Clark Kent
.
In order to learn how to manage the changes his body went through, Kenny volunteered to be thoroughly examined by the CIA
. Afterward, they recruited him to do a covert operation in France
, but Clark ultimately thwarted Kenny's efforts. Thus, Kenny grew to despise Clark.
Once he developed inherent superpowers due to the events of his birth, Kenny focuses them through a special high-tech suit. He also wears metal gauntlets on each arm that can emit beams of Kryptonite radiation. Kenny then tries to kill Clark and Lois Lane
. While he fails to kill them, he ends up dueling Superman
.
When Conduit discovered Superman was secretly Clark, he began to stalk Clark, sending Clark notes saying "I KNOW" and planting bombs intended to kill Clark's friends and co-workers. Kenny concluded that when they had competed as children, Clark had possessed all of the powers he possesses as Superman, and thus had cheated, refusing to believe Clark's insistence that his powers only fully developed when he was an adult. Seeing no other option, Superman attempted to forsake his identity as Clark Kent and go into hiding, but Kenny eventually tracked him down and knocked him unconscious.
Kenny then proceeded to place Clark in a fake Smallville set twenty years in the past, filled with android versions of its citizens programmed to hate Superman and regard Kenny as a hero. Several of them attacked Superman, including imitations of Clark's parents, Jonathan and Martha. Conduit also added an android of Lois to the mix, although this one was the same age as the real Lois due to her not being part of the childhood Kenny was trying to duplicate. While Superman dealt with that, Conduit waited for him at a duplication of the Smallville High School football stadium, where the two agreed to fight one-on-one without their powers, making it "just Clark and Kenny."
However, Kenny eventually resorted to using his powers and the hand-to-hand combat escalated to an all-out brawl that heavily damaged the stadium. In a desperate attempt to defeat Clark, Kenny channeled electrical energy that was powering an audience of robots, all of which were built in the image of Kenny's father, into himself. As a result, Kenny overloaded and died, his last words being to say that this is all Clark's fault. Saddened by Kenny's death, Superman returned Kenny's body to his father. He also criticized the man for only focusing on Kenny's losses, rather than congratulating Kenny for his successes in life.
Conduit has been identified as one of the deceased entombed below the Hall of Justice
.
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
, and primarily an enemy of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
.
Fictional character biography
On the night Kenny's mother gave birth to him, a powerful snowstorm made the roads icy and slick. On the way to the hospital, the car Mr. Braverman was driving skidded on ice. Moments later, Kenny was born in the car, and infant Kal-ElSuperman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
's starship passed over the Braverman's car. Kenny suffered a high level of radiation poisoning
Radiation poisoning
Acute radiation syndrome also known as radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or radiation toxicity, is a constellation of health effects which occur within several months of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation...
due to Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
exposure from the Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
ship, and during his childhood, his health failed from time to time, but he always managed to recover. Kenny even became a remarkable athlete at Smallville High School. However, he always came in second place to Clark Kent
Clark Kent
Clark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
.
In order to learn how to manage the changes his body went through, Kenny volunteered to be thoroughly examined by the CIA
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
. Afterward, they recruited him to do a covert operation in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, but Clark ultimately thwarted Kenny's efforts. Thus, Kenny grew to despise Clark.
Once he developed inherent superpowers due to the events of his birth, Kenny focuses them through a special high-tech suit. He also wears metal gauntlets on each arm that can emit beams of Kryptonite radiation. Kenny then tries to kill Clark and Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
. While he fails to kill them, he ends up dueling Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
.
When Conduit discovered Superman was secretly Clark, he began to stalk Clark, sending Clark notes saying "I KNOW" and planting bombs intended to kill Clark's friends and co-workers. Kenny concluded that when they had competed as children, Clark had possessed all of the powers he possesses as Superman, and thus had cheated, refusing to believe Clark's insistence that his powers only fully developed when he was an adult. Seeing no other option, Superman attempted to forsake his identity as Clark Kent and go into hiding, but Kenny eventually tracked him down and knocked him unconscious.
Kenny then proceeded to place Clark in a fake Smallville set twenty years in the past, filled with android versions of its citizens programmed to hate Superman and regard Kenny as a hero. Several of them attacked Superman, including imitations of Clark's parents, Jonathan and Martha. Conduit also added an android of Lois to the mix, although this one was the same age as the real Lois due to her not being part of the childhood Kenny was trying to duplicate. While Superman dealt with that, Conduit waited for him at a duplication of the Smallville High School football stadium, where the two agreed to fight one-on-one without their powers, making it "just Clark and Kenny."
However, Kenny eventually resorted to using his powers and the hand-to-hand combat escalated to an all-out brawl that heavily damaged the stadium. In a desperate attempt to defeat Clark, Kenny channeled electrical energy that was powering an audience of robots, all of which were built in the image of Kenny's father, into himself. As a result, Kenny overloaded and died, his last words being to say that this is all Clark's fault. Saddened by Kenny's death, Superman returned Kenny's body to his father. He also criticized the man for only focusing on Kenny's losses, rather than congratulating Kenny for his successes in life.
Conduit has been identified as one of the deceased entombed below the Hall of Justice
Hall of Justice (comics)
The Hall of Justice is the fictional headquarters of the Super Friends, in the eponymous animated series. It has subsequently been incorporated into the DC Comics main shared universe, the DC Universe as the new headquarters of the Justice League....
.
Powers and abilities
Conduit wears body armour that provides some protection from energy and physical attacks. His body armour allows him to fly. He has two extendable cable with which he can ensnare an opponent. Conduit is able to fire blasts of Kryptonite radiation, and also learned how to channel this energy into his body to enhance his strength to a point where he could physically compete with Superman.In other media
- Kenny Braverman (voiced by Scott MenvilleScott MenvilleScott David Menville is primarily an American voice actor, actor, musician, and comedian.-Early life and career:The son of Chuck Menville, he was bassist for the Southern California rock band Boy Hits Car, which released three albums until he left the band in 2006. He was with the group since...
) appeared in "New Kids In Town," an episode of Superman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
. The episode, set in the early 1980s, featured Clark KentClark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
as a teenager, first becoming aware of his superpowers in Smallville. The arrogant football athlete Kenny taunts Clark at a high school dance. Clark, in turn, inadvertently humiliates and physically injures Kenny by using his superpowers. Later, at a roadside diner, Kenny is accosted by BrainiacBrainiac (comics)Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, who demands to know where Clark lives. He eventually tells the KryptonianKryptonianKryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
android what he wants to know, and is hurled through a neonNeonNeon is the chemical element that has the symbol Ne and an atomic number of 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. A colorless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in either low-voltage neon glow lamps or...
sign for his troubles. Kenny is not shown with any of his Conduit superpowers.
- In the first episode of Legion of Superheroes animated series when Clark goes to fair and tries to knock some bottles in a game there's a teenager taunting clark to use his powers, while never stated the identity it's probable that's Kenny Braverman.
- Although Kenny himself never appeared in SmallvilleSmallville (TV series)Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
- a series exploring Clark Kent's development into Superman-, echoes of his origin can be seen in Clark's foes in the show's first few seasons, as his adversaries at this stage primarily consisted of individuals who had been mutated in some way due to exposure to kryptonite, much like Kenny was altered (Although nobody shown demonstrated Kenny's ability to fire kryptonite blasts, many were physically enhanced by kryptonite exposure under the right circumstances).