Kon-El

A supporting player woven into the fabric of DC's 1990s cosmic and street-level drama, Kon-El made their debut in Guy Gardner #8 in 1993, courtesy of the creative team of Gerard Jones, Will Jacobs, and Joe Staton — right in the thick of the Copper/Modern Age when DC was pushing its universe into bold new territory. Over a 26-year publishing span, this character carved out a niche across titles like Guy Gardner: Warrior, JLA, and The Darkstars, sharing pages with heavy hitters including Green Lantern, Batman, Robin, and Superboy. Three of those appearances carry key-issue status, a mark of genuine collector significance that speaks to Kon-El's place in some memorable moments. With 24 catalog appearances across nearly three decades, this is a character for the dedicated DC completist — the kind of discovery that rewards fans who love digging into the connective tissue of the universe.