Superboy-Prime Claims "I Was Framed!"

METROPOLIS - At a press conference today, youthful supervillain Superboy-Prime insisted he had been framed for crimes against humanity and murder.

"I never knocked Pantha's head off," he insisted. "That was cooked up on somebody's computer. I hit her, sure, but it was clearly Cyborg [Vic Stone] who decapitated her. Yeah, I did rip off Risk's arm but that was an accident. I'm sure he could regrow it or get a mechanical replacement or something--so it's really like I did him a favor."

Asked about collusion with Alexander Luthor Jr. (a dimensional counterpart of criminal mastermind/scientist Lex Luthor), he said, "I was misled by an evil genius. What, none of you were ever deceived by someone pretending to be a friend? Just 'cause I'm Kryptonian doesn't mean I don't extend trust to the wrong people sometimes. Sheesh! These questions are getting me so upset... where is Pantha? I need to kick her head into orbit!"

Asked about being seen with the Sinestro Corps, Superboy-Prime said, "I have a few new friends, what's the problem? They want to shake up the status quo a little. Nothing wrong with that. The Green Lanterns are just authoritarians who don't understand. Lock me in a green cage in Oa's sun, huh? Heh, I sure showed them. I mean, I was released from confinement once they realized the error of their ways. That's what I meant to say."

Superboy-Prime agreed that the (temporary) death of the older Superman from a parallel Earth was a tragedy but that he wasn't responsible. "He flew me through a red sun. C'mon, what am I supposed to do about that? He and the Flashes and that other Superman--you know, the impostor?--beat the stuffing out of me and I have to be okay with that? No way, pal.

"One other thing: I go by the name Superman-Prime now."

Whatever he wants to call himself, in our book, he's still a jerk.

Superboy-Prime artwork copyright DC Comics, all rights reserved