| Character Name: | Conduit |
| Real Name: | Kenny Braverman |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Debut: | #0 (October 1994) |
| Creators: | Dan Jurgens Louise Simonson |
| Species: | Human |
| Powers: | Kryptonite-based energy manipulation |
Conduit (Kenny Braverman) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.[1]
Conduit first appeared in #0 and was created by Dan Jurgens and Louise Simonson. In the 1995 story arc "Death of Clark Kent" spanning four Superman titles, Conduit tried to murder everyone important to Kent.[2]
Kenny Braverman was born on route to a hospital as the infant Kal-El's starship landed on Earth, exposing him to Kryptonite radiation which altered his biology. As a teenager, he became an athlete at Smallville High School, but always came in second place to Clark Kent.[3]
To learn how to manage his body's changes, Kenny volunteered to be thoroughly examined by the CIA.[4] Afterward, he was recruited to partake in a covert operation in France, but Clark ultimately thwarted Kenny's efforts. This, coupled with years of being outdone by him in their youth, caused Kenny to grow to despise Clark.[5]
Kenny later develops Kryptonite energy manipulation, which he can channel through his suit..[6]
When Conduit discovered Superman was secretly Clark, he began to stalk Clark, sending Clark notes saying "I KNOW" and planting bombs intended to kill Clark's friends and co-workers. Kenny concluded that when they had competed as children, Clark had possessed all of the powers he possesses as Superman, and thus had cheated, refusing to believe Clark's insistence that his powers only fully developed when he was an adult. Seeing no other option, Superman attempted to forsake his identity as Clark Kent and go into hiding, but Kenny eventually tracked him down and knocked him unconscious.[7]
Kenny then proceeded to place Clark in a fake Smallville set twenty years in the past, filled with android versions of its citizens programmed to hate Superman and regard Kenny as a hero.[8] Several of them attacked Superman, including imitations of Clark's parents Jonathan and Martha Kent. Conduit also added an android of Lois to the mix, although this one was the same age as the real Lois due to her not being part of the childhood Kenny was trying to duplicate. While Superman dealt with that, Conduit waited for him at a duplication of the Smallville High School football stadium, where the two agreed to fight one-on-one without their powers, making it "just Clark and Kenny".[9]
Kenny eventually resorted to using his powers and the hand-to-hand combat escalated to an all-out brawl that heavily damaged the stadium. In a desperate attempt to defeat Clark, Kenny channelled electrical energy that was powering an audience of robots, all of which were built in the image of Kenny's father, into himself. As a result, Kenny overloaded and died, his last words being to say that this is all Clark's fault. Saddened by Kenny's death, Superman returned Kenny's body to his father. He also criticized the man for only focusing on Kenny's losses, rather than congratulating Kenny for his successes in life.[10]
In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC universe. Psycho-Pirate used his Medusa Mask to make Superman relive his history. One of his flashbacks had him being bullied by Kenny Braverman.[11]
Conduit wears body armor that provides some protection from energy and physical attacks. His powered exo-frame allows him to fly. He has two extendable cables with which he can ensnare an opponent as well as fire blasts of Kryptonite radiation. Conduit also learned how to channel this energy he gave off back into his body to enhance his strength to a point where he could physically compete with Superman.