Superboy #7/1981

In a quiet Smallville moment, Superboy faces a surprising offer when Jonathan Kent’s wealthy friend Rupert Pyle Thaxter arrives with a proposal to adopt the young hero. With a series of calculated near-misses and dramatic stunts, Thaxter tries to win Clark’s trust—but Superboy, ever sharp, sees through the act and turns the tables with calm wit and quick thinking.

In a daring attempt to stop a tornado, Superboy breaches the dimensional barrier and lands in Smallville on Earth II in 1930—where he meets a Clark Kent who doesn’t know his origins. Though the young man dreams of joining the circus, his hidden powers soon spark a bond as the two test their strength, putting them to the test when a fire breaks out. As they race across the countryside, their combined speed begins to shake the very ground beneath them.

When young Clark Kent watches the magician Zatara make his mother fly during a magic show, he’s stunned — but even more so when Zatara accidentally casts a spell that gives Clark flight. Now, with villains seeking to exploit Zatara’s magic, the bewildered magician must confront the truth: the boy he thought he’d cursed is actually the one who’s been flying all along.