I feel like someone will probably be able to mention three or four I'm forgetting (or haven't read...) but who was the last breakout villain in the Superman books? I'm going with Doomsday and the Cyborg Superman, since it feels like they're both trotted out all the time; but remember Conduit? He got an action figure, y'know! That may be still on a peg near you...From 1995, Action Comics #711, "Home and the Hollow Heart!" Written by David Michelinie, pencils by Jackson Guice, inks by Denis Rodier.
Conduit was probably doomed from the get-go, since his origin hinged on knowing Clark Kent was Superman: without any follow-up research, I think he was a high-school rival who pieced it together, then became resentful that he was using his powers in football. Clark argues he didn't even have his powers then, but Kenny's not having that; besides, he's got a bunch of daddy issues too. By this point, Clark, his parents, and Lois were all believed dead; but Lois had been separated from the Kents, who had gone into hiding, so they didn't know she was alive. This final battle was set at a fake Smallville, built somewhere in the Dakotas, with an army of robotic citizens that loved Kenny and hated Clark. (I don't know if Conduit built his robot minions himself, or bought them from Toyman or somebody. He apparently had some kind of spy syndicate, so had the resources for it. Traditionally, if you have that kind of money to burn you buy supercars or cocaine or something, but in the DCU...) Facing off at the stadium (packed with replicas of Kenny's dad) Superman realizes there's no talking him out of it, and opts to take off his shirt (and associated emblem) so they can face each other as "just Clark and Kenny." No heat vision, no kryptonite blasts. That lasts about three punches...
Thrown into (and smashing) a robot at the concession stand, Supes realizes they were hard-wired, and tears the power cable out of the ground. Cramming it into Conduit, he overloads and then burns out. Did Superman just kill that guy? Eh, Kenny probably could've stopped sucking down the power if he hadn't been so dead-set on killing Supes. I don't think Superman had to spend as many issues cleaning up this mess--rebuilding his secret identity, finding Lois, covering up evidence--as it took to get here, but it might be close. It probably would've been easy enough to bring him back, or have someone else take up the mantle, but to date no one's bothered.
Ha, I actually remember that action figure too. Yes he hasn't aged well like his contemporaries as you pointed out. I think the combo of his poor design and being too much like Luthor and any other revenge-minded villain never really helped him. He seemed, and rightfully so like a whiner, mich like Superboy Prime. I know Kenny briefly showed up in the New 52, but that was it thankfully.
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