Spoilers ahead for Suicide Squad #6!
DC has proved that Superboy could defeat Superman in combat. In Suicide Squad #6, on sale now in print and digital, Superboy travels with the Squad to Earth-3, where he engages Ultraman, Earth-3’s evil Superman, in battle. Superboy administers a severe beating to Ultraman, without even breaking a sweat.
There have been different versions of Superboy over the years, including Kon-El, a clone of Superman. He first appeared in 1993’s Adventures of Superman #500, as one of the “replacement” Supermen who showed up in Metropolis after Superman’s death. Superboy has many of the same powers as Superman, in addition to psychokinetic abilities. The character returned in the pages of Young Justice and after Dark Nights: Death Metal, he was pressed by Amanda Waller into joining the Suicide Squad. Waller is planning to take control of Earth-3, the home of the villainous Crime Syndicate, and steer it in a better direction. To that end, she captured Superboy and forced him into service. She has dispatched him to Earth-3 along with other members of the Squad, including Bloodsport, to begin the offensive, and in issue six, he finally encounters Ultraman. The issue is written by Robbie Thompson, with art by Eduardo Pansica, Julio Ferreira and Dexter Soy, with colors by Alex Sinclar and letters by Wes Abbott.
The Squad arrives through an interdimensional gate and tries to take a moment to assess the situation. No sooner than they do than Superboy’s enhanced senses detect Ultraman coming their way. Superboy is amazed, sensing everyone on the planet is mean—a fact Ultraman confirms. The two fight, and the Earth-3 Black Canary, who has allied herself with the Squad, nails Ultraman with her sonic scream, allowing Superboy to begin pummeling Ultraman. After Ultraman threatens Earth-0, Superboy snaps and beats Ultraman within an inch of his life, and it is only because Superboy turns his back that Ultraman gives him the slip.
Superboy has a code against killing, a fact Amanda Waller reminds him of, so Ultraman lives to fight another day. Yet the fact remains that Superboy took Ultraman down to the wire, which means defeating Superman should not be a problem; as a matter of fact, it could be even easier. Ultraman will use his powers, such as super-breath and heat vision, to kill people rather than contain them. This made him much more difficult for Superboy to fight, yet he did and almost won. Superman does not use those powers in that way, which could tip the scales even further in Superboy's favor. Superboy’s psychokinetic powers also give him another edge over the Man of Steel.
Superman is one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, but in Suicide Squad #6, it is revealed that his clone Superboy could defeat him in battle if need be.