Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, Superman | Tagged: conner kent, Connie Kent, Darick Roberston, Magdalene Visaggio, Skyrocket, superboy

The DC Comics Pitch That Saw Conner Kent, Superboy as a Trans Woman

Magdalene Visaggio posted to social media her DC Superboy pitch with Darick Robertson that would have portrayed Conner Kent as a trans woman,

Comic book creator Magdalene Visaggio, co-creator of Kim & Kim and Vagrant Queen, posted to social media yesterday her Superboy pitch that never happened, featuring Conner Kent, Superboy, cloned from Superman and Lex Luthor, introduced thirty years ago. He was played by Lucas Grabeel in Smallville and by Joshua Orpin in Titans. Magdalene Visaggio wrote "Since it's never going to happen, yes, I was going to make Conner Kent a trans girl. I give you SKYROCKET, my master plan for a story that will never happen." She links to a document on Dropbox of her pitch that delved really deep into both Superman and Conner Kent history, mythos and what makes up this Superboy. And illustrated by Transmetropolitan, Happy and The Boys' co-creator, Darick Robertson. Whatever your take on where this leads, Superboy fans of whatever stripe should find this fascinating. And then, towards the end of the pitch, puts all the pieces together in a brand new way. In the document, she writes, jumping from one gender and name to the other when pitching the transition for one Connie Kent.

"The whole dynamic I've been describing in this document is one of struggle to secure a sense of self, and it's…it's just incredibly trans. His story is one of failure upon failure: he tried to be Superman, and that didn't take. He tried to make a new life in Hawaii, and that didn't take. He's founded multiple super-teams that crashed and burned. He's had identity crises revolving around his origins before, but none of which led to meaningful, lasting change, all the while dealing with perpetual rage problems so common to closeted trans women."

"Connie always reverts to the mean. Connie found out she's a Luthor, and the most that came of it was she shaved her head. She forged her own life on Gemworld only to end up right back on the farm. Whatever changes she tries to make in her life never stick. In other words, Connie has never faced herself square in the mirror and admitted the one thing that's really bothering her. As a trans woman, I need to make clear that this is very common, and it's not a story people tell in the media very often. There are countless trans folk who finally put it together, finally connect those dots, post-adolescence. Sending Conner on a quest for personal identity would absolutely shake this stuff loose. The person who comes out the other side would be meaningfully different no matter what, and forcing her to reckon with herself instead of with "legacy" provides strong context."

"And if we want, it's not hard to look at Conner's history and see an initial burst of queer bravado followed by a deliberate hyper-masc, rage-filled
compensatory phase (the black shirt, the shaved head) followed by a return to a "purer" version of the character already in the middle of an identity crisis (Conner on Gemworld, Conner forgotten), and what does he do? He does the same thing he's tried before; starting a new superhero team where he's the Superman guy and it just…doesn't…work."

"From a visual standpoint, Conner's transitioning would break up the guy-with-short-black-hair monotony of the Superman fam. And seriously, the Superfam already has three Supermen. What does Conner offer if he's just another copy? Conner's relationship with Superman would change, his relationship with the Kents would change, everything would change and Connie would, at last, be more than just a failed legacy clone. And look. Conner already dresses like a lesbian. The leather jacket, the side buzz, c'mon."

"From a sales and editorial perspective, this has some major benefits. First, it distinguishes Conner from the rest of the Superman Family in a really big way; second, it elevates him by offering a wide range of new stories to be told; third, it refreshes him, putting him back in the spotlight while attracting a whole generation of new fans; and lastly, it would sell like fire. It would be in the news. I don't think anyone has "transed" a pre-existing character, let alone one so tied to the deep mythos of the DCU, and while it's sure to excite controversy, it will be the only book anyone is talking about for like a month."

Whatever your take on this take, I don't believe anyone would disagree with that. Magdalene Visaggio concludes;

"Trans issues are at the forefront of the public conversation right now. Absolutely the forefront. We are in the middle of a sustained, ongoing assault on our right to
exist publicly. We are being legislated out of existence. Trans kids are finding their access to gender-affirming care cut off. It feels like the world is closing in on us. Connie Kent/Skyrocket would immediately become the most visible trans superhero in the world when trans heroes are desperately needed – all under the S-shield. This will save kids' lives. This will give them hope. That's what Superman is for. Steel brought Black people into the Superfam. Kenan brought Asian people into the Superfam. It's time."

And it seems she had already laid the groundwork in the recent Action Comcis #1057, with Conner Kent changing his hair and establishing a current romantic relationship between Miss Martian and Conner Kent, such as in the cartoon. Magdalene Visaggio continues;

"DC has every right to pursue their own direction with their own IP, and I wish them the best. No hard feelings whatsoever. But this is what I was setting up in AC 1057.  The whole 10-pager was designed to be a subtle overture to this direction: Conner confronting what she actually does and doesn't *want* out of life."

Of course, that's not the only major chance to the character that Magdalene Visaggio envisaged. Conner Kent would no longer have the leather jacket.

"So! Why did we get rid of the leather jacket? Because Conner was designed around youth culture thirty+ years ago and I wanted her to reflect actually zoomers. Darick consulted with his daughter on Connie's design… Structurally, after my arc, Connie would have inhabited the same space Red Hood occupies in the Bat family: the one who keeps some distance and is a little skeptical of falling into line behind the central guy's identity and beliefs, but still part of it. If this pitch doc meant anything to you, go pick up Action Comics 1057 from your local comic shops."

That is if you can still buy a copy. I expect demand for this comic to get a little bump as a result of this. And, I presume, a bunch of YouTube videos from people who don't read Superboy comics, declaiming, mocking and condemning the very idea, for the usual clicks and grift.

ACTION COMICS #1057 CVR A STEVE BEACH
(W) Various (A) Various (CA) Steve Beach
Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens, and Magdalene Visaggio Art by Rafa Sandoval, Lee Weeks and Matthew Clark As the Super-Family and Steelworks rebuild their city, a new Golden Age of Metropolis has begun…and not everyone is happy about it! As the charismatic but volatile young terrorist leader Norah Stone reveals herself and her vision for a city without Kryptonians, members of the Super-Family inexplicably start losing their powers…and a new team of metahumans emerges to take their place. Who is Norah Stone? And what's her strange obsession with Clark Kent? The newest arc of Action Comics begins here! Retail: $4.99 In-Store Date: 9/26/2023

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