#i hate that tumblr still won't let you upload more than 10 images

[radioactive-earthshine]

Hey did the comics ever explain outright why Conner stopped being punk? He was in the jeans and t shirt in the first issue of Titans and the comic prior he wasn't???? Did something happen to him to make him stop?

Hello and thank you for this question, I apologize that this is not a simple answer because Kon's fashion, as is his personality, isn't simple to answer because his shift in fashion is a story of his sense of identity and purpose. To get to the point of your question Conner's leather jacket and "look" was not part of his character for quite some time prior to Teen Titans. I will extrapolate on that in a while but for right now I feel that some things need to be settled about Kon because there's a lot that people just get wrong about him.

I feel it important to remember that Kon didn't really go out and choose the leather jacket and "punk" style all on his own. There is a misconception that some fans have that Kon went out and sort of assembled his iconic look all on his own to be a direct rebel and to deviate from being like Superman to "piss Clark off." This is extremely far from the truth and is fanon. What actually happened is Kon broke out of his CADMUS tank with the help of The Newsboys; he was already dressed with his ear pierced (yes). Then his iconic leather jacket was given to him by them.

"Until you get some other clothes or something" HAH.

Adventures of Superman #500 So he's fresh out of his tank, he's pumped full of purpose, he's out in the world, and he just looks like this pre-made even with the hair and belts. In some flashbacks with him in the tank his earring is replaced by a tag (yes) but when he does officially first show up his iconic "punk" style is almost very nearly complete and it doesn't change (officially) until Superboy #83. Kon didn't really go out and choose this look, he came out like this and just... stuck with it. This is not to say that this is not Kon, he could have at any time dropped the look. But Kon didn't. This is his uniform.

Another point to note about Kon that is extremely important is that unlike Tim, Bart and Cassie he did not have a civilian identity and it was extremely RARE that he ever was in civilian clothes beyond some underwear or a swimsuit. His civilian clothes that he did sport were fairly... tame, and not punky in the slightest. Kon looks just like a typical 16 year old kid.

Superboy #75 My whole point here is that Kon WAS Superboy. Just Superboy. SB. He did not even have a name until Superboy #59, until then he just went by Superboy. His uniform was so intrinsically tied to who he was he didn't have a real need for any civilian clothes. His "style" was just Superboy because he did not have an "off switch." Trust me this is important. Back to the jacket... Because the jacket is important and is part of his uniform and his self identity. There was a brief period of time in his comics when he completely ditched his iconic look because he lost all of his powers in response to the resolution of the Sins of Youth anthology and Tana being murdered by Amanda Spence.

Superboy #75 The original leather jacket is actually buried with Tana. And after that he takes on a temporary new look.

Superboy #76 This is the first time we see him in a "jeans" and t-shirt ensemble and as far as we are able to tell he picked this out all on his own. Kon actually really kicks ass during this time and he was content with losing his powers and was legitimately looking forward to living like a regular person.

Superboy #76 Well, this did not last long. Kon got his powers back and he got a new leather jacket and his plans for living in the real world as a "regular person" just fell through. Kon was back to being Superboy.

Superboy #79 Kon's "normal" is Superboy so he was back to the look but with everything that happened he just never was quite the same... PTSD

Kon remains back in his original outfit until Superboy #83 when the writing takes a turn into the lighter side...

Kon comes to the conclusion that he's no longer cool, hip, relevant and decides that he needs to totally reinvent himself and his uniform. He enlists help from Bianca (the brunette who comes off as a major bi) to help him get his swagger back. After a comical montage of going through outfits and watching an exceedingly unhealthy amount of current television Kon finds himself a new look that he remains in for the rest of his series and Young Justice up until Teen Titans.

Naturally, something like this cannot be so cut and dry and we get to the root of the "problem" Kon was facing.

Superboy #83 is the first time we see Kon ditch the leather jacket and the earring for good in favor of his new suit and jacket and this was well before Teen Titans started.

While Kon wears this particular outfit he is still without that secret identity and his life is complete utter destructive mayhem as he lives openly without an off switch as Superboy. It is not until his final issue of #100 that Kon is set up by Clark to live with Ma and Pa Kent on their farm as Conner Kent (this honestly should have happened much much sooner).

This marks the end of Kon's solo series but he continues to make appearances in Young Justice in this suit until that series completed itself and was replaced by Teen Titans where we finally see Kon as Conner Kent sporting his jeans and a t-shirt as he lives in Smallville which he loathes for a while until it grows on him. Kon's entire purpose of moving to Smallville was to slow down and right from Clark's mouth to "Start a new life." (Superboy #100) So he completely reinvented himself again to fit in with that civilian identity which he never had before. It's hard on him at first but eventually he starts to come around to loving Smallville. There's a lot of debate and evidence you can make about Kon and if he is truly or ever was punk; was him living in Smallville "closeting"; was his shift to jeans and a t shirt really him or was that something he felt was necessary in order to find himself? To answer your question of what made him "stop being punk" was he finally got an off-switch. Kon will always be Kon and by the time he gets that t-shirt and jeans I feel like he knows the clothes don't make him, he makes himself.