#alas. the obsession with blood relation and legacy that dc has developed...

[boyfridged]

i don't think i ever explained in detail why i'm so deadset on kon's primary name being kon and not conner, so here it is: kon getting his kryptonian name first despite the fact that he has no kryptonian dna is so salient because of 1. what it means in terms of clark's affirmation of his legacy 2. their familial connection being a chosen one, and 3. a bit sadly, the fact that kon finds closure and connection in culture that is already long gone, reminding the reader of his isolation. before getting this name (superboy #59) kon goes exclusively by superboy and is often referred to as "kid." this is what people call him even when he gets enrolled in school, the name on the register and all. kon came to life as a public figure. as a superhero. he has no civilian identity at this point. his core personality is developed in this dimension, and later in relation to his association with clark's alien legacy. and it might sound sorrowful, but this is also who he is; this is what he ultimately finds comfort in, what makes his family. it's bitter-sweet, it's complicated, it's nuanced and interesting. so any civilian identity that he adopts later should logically be his secondary identity. there's absolutely no reason for him to consider "conner" his actual name and not a monicker he uses for secret identity purposes, unless you want to lean into the horrible retcons that make "kon" to be a slur. i don't think he would mind it, per se– but i do believe that kon as we know him in superboy (94) wouldn't ever consider it to be his "true" self. and this is the hill i will die on.