Conner/Kon

[quiet_tiger]

Is it just me, or do people who approach Kon-El from a Smallville background nearly exclusively refer to him as "Conner" in fics while people from a DC background refer to him as "Kon"?

And if I'm not just imagining this, is it because the people coming from a Smallville angle want to give the characters the semblance (or actual reality) of a family with a kid with a real human name?

I was introduced to the character through DC, meaning Teen Titans stuff, where everyone calls him Kon except Superman (from what I can remember right now). Oh, yeah, Cassie might call him Conner, too. As such, it's a bit foreign to me to refer to him as Conner because even *he* doesn't really think of himself as Conner Kent. He's just Kon.

At least "Conner" is better than just being known as "Superboy."

Comments

[ilyena_sylph]

Huh... you know, I think you're right. Smallville folk do.

Conner might be better than 'Superboy', but through like half of his own title he goes by "Conal" (which is why Conner pisses me off even more).

*resists urge to rant*

[quiet--tiger.livejournal.com]

What the heck is "Conal"? I've never read the Superboy books.

[ilyena_sylph]

Slurred to heck version of Kon-el, the name Superman gave him to recognize that the Superboy was Family.

*kills on DC for this Connor Kent bullshit, KAL had already taken care of that!*

[ilyena_sylph]

slash that "the", bad-typing me. *headdesk*

[quiet--tiger.livejournal.com]

It's all good, no worries.

[quiet--tiger.livejournal.com]

I will just never understand what DC does to its characters. Name nonsense, strife, death...

[ilyena_sylph]

Sometimes they get it so right... and sometimes they screw it up so badly. *sigh*

[herohunter.livejournal.com]

I think you're right, us in the SV fandom are more interested in the "human" aspect for Kon than the super one, cause Clark's been there, done that. It's the angst of being a clone and all that, more than being a Teen Titan and all, IMO.

(and then I go and write an AU where he's "Con" and mess it up even more, hahaha!)

[quiet--tiger.livejournal.com]

That's what I figured, SV people want the family, want the human connection. OR, people are writing AUs and just using the name because they know "Conner" exists in the comics.

And hey, AUs are a separate thing, especially yours where he's still got the Titans as such and makes out with Timmy. It's a good blend. It's just so weird reading stories where other than the name and parentage, the kid has nothing in common with the Kon I know and love.

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

I guess you would refer to me as a SV background, and I prefer to call him Kon. Of course he's only appeared in one fic so far, but... the Lex in my brain thinks of him as Kon. And the proto-Kon* in my brain thinks of himself as Kon, so bluh. I think Superboy is a dumb hero name, actually, and if I were to write anything extended about Kon, I'd have Lex trying to convince him to come up with a new name that didn't automatically mark him as Supes Jr.

*I need to go nab some Teen Titans the next time I'm at Hastings.

[quiet--tiger.livejournal.com]

You're one of the few exceptions, I bet. And yeah, Superboy is a pretty lame name. But I guess it was better than having no name at all.

And yes, pick up some TT trades. They are good stuff until DC screws them over.

[ladydreamer.livejournal.com]

It might because I came to him via fanfiction. Or because I'm attracted to the wierd just as much as the family. *shrug*

DC is horrible for that. Geez.

[amarin-rose.livejournal.com]

It does depend on from what direction you approach the character. If you're writing TT, then Kon's names went Superboy/SB/Kid - Kon-El - Conner Kent. If you're retconning him into the Smallville 'verse, however, lots of people will go with the 'Conner Kent' - then Kon-El - then Superboy angle, because most of this fics will have Kon being a baby at the beginning and growing up 'normally'. (I don't care if DC did have a 'Superbaby' series, no way.) Most Smallville-Kon writers write Kon as knowing that hey, Lex and Clark have a biological kid, and they'll do what they think they need to do to shoehorn Kon/Conner into thier story.

But the reason why Kon thinks of himelf as Kon is because he had that name for like, two years before any other. He got used to it. Just like Dick Grayson got used to being called Dick; you think he wouldn't have tried to switch his nickname to Rick or something? :D

[quiet--tiger.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the Smallville fics seem to do the Clark-and-Lex-have-a-kid-and-name-him-Conner thing, rather than start where the character does, with the test tube. I just find it to be an interesting divide, though sometimes I read the name and I'm like, 'Who the heck is Conner?'

I'm not sure if I'd rather have it the way it is, or have SV writers make up their own kid character. Probably the latter. If they're gonna use the name, I think I'd like the character to be more like the one I've come to know and love.

And yeah, Kon was Kon long before he was Conner. I think "Dick" fits well enough for Mr. Grayson. Rick or Richard just don't have the same ring for the character.