How to Get Rid of Conduit

Superman is known for fighting epic battles against would-be world conquerors and saving Metropolis from evil geniuses like Lex Luthor or alien invaders like Brainiac. But one of Superman’s greatest enemies was consumed by hatred of Clark Kent, and not the Man of Steel. The supervillain, Conduit, actually grew up in Smallville. His enmity toward Kent was of the worst kind, one that started in childhood and never abated, only intensifying over the years.

Before he took the alias Conduit, Kenny Braverman was Clark Kent’s rival in all things athletic, always coming in second. At the time, young Clark didn’t know he possessed superhuman powers, assuming he was just an exceptional talented athlete. Braverman became intensely jealous of Clark’s successes, especially after Lana Lang rejected him in favor of Clark as a date for the prom.

Clark would leave Smallville to embrace his destiny as Superman. Braverman pursued a much darker path. He subjected himself to CIA experiments, and was bonded with special Kryptonite-powered armor. But as Conduit he never forgot his vendetta against Clark all the while not knowing (like the rest of the general public) that Superman and Clark are one and the same. Conduit turned into a rogue agent when he used his powers to assassinate Clark.

Conduit’s Kryptonite-based powers made him a serious threat to Superman, even though the Man of Steel prevailed in their first battle. To get rid of Conduit became even more difficult when Conduit discovered Superman’s secret identity. Now Conduit could channel all his hatred at a single target. In fact, he was even more enraged because he thought that Clark knowingly cheated with his powers as an athlete. He schemed to flush Superman out by trying to harm Clark Kent’s loved ones. This was Superman’s only other vulnerability besides Kryptonite. The plan ultimately failed, and Conduit was defeated once again.