DC Comics have always been leading the pack when it comes to youthful superheroes, the best example being Robin and other sidekicks in the New Teen Titans. It was competing in sales with Uncanny X-Men, one of the hottest titles at the time. DC focused more on legacy than Marvel as they developed, which resulted in an overwhelming number of teen heroes in the DC Universe.
There has been a recent resurgence of a select group of teen characters thanks to Brian Michael Bendis and his Wonder Comics imprint, which has launched new versions of Young Justice, Dial H For Hero, and the Wonder Twins, to name a few. That makes it the perfect time to take a closer look at the most powerful kids in the DC Universe and see how they rank up against each other.
10 DAMIAN WAYNE
Just as any powerful DC adults list would include the powerless Batman, so too must we include his son Damian Wayne/Robin. Not only has Damian been highly trained by both Batman and Ra's al Ghul, but he has also formed and led multiple squads of Teen Titans over the years.
Damian's youthfulness is sometimes his greatest weakness, as he is too eager to become the man he been training to be his entire life. Equal parts Batman and assassin, Damian Wayne may not be physically powerful, but he can still hold his own against the other kids on the list.
9 NAOMI
Brian Michael Bendis introduced a brand new character into the DC Universe with Naomi, though as the character is still so new she is still a bit of a mystery. What we do know about her is that she shares a similar origin to Superman, in that she was sent here from another place, though in Naomi's case it was another Earth in the DC Multiverse.
Naomi is the only child of a group of people that gained "godlike" powers, eventually ending up destroying half of their world (which led to Naomi's parents sending her away). Naomi's powers appear to be energy-based, and include flight and powerful armor, though her powers have yet to be specifically explored. Expect her to jump higher on this list as we learn more about DC's newest hero.
8 CASSIE SANDSMARK
There have been a few characters to go by the name of Wonder Girl, but Cassie Sandsmark is currently the most "kid" version of the heroes. Cassie was another legacy character who was greatly altered by DC's New 52 reboot but has reappeared in a more familiar version in BMB's Young Justice.
Originally Cassie required mystical Amazonian artifacts to get powers similar to those of Wonder Woman, which included super strength and flight. It was later revealed that Cassie was a demigoddess daughter of Zeus, though the Wonder Comics version of the character is actually his granddaughter Zeus.
7 CONNER KENT
Conner Kent was a clone of Superman who became the Superboy of the 90s, but he appeared to be a casualty of DC's New 52 reboot (which introduced a different version of the character). Thankfully, Brian Michael Bendis brought the character into the DC Rebirth continuity in the new Young Justice title.
Conner is a very powerful hero. However, as the cloning process used to create him wasn't perfect and Kryptonian DNA proved to be difficult to fully replicate, his powers are slightly different than those of Superman. Most of his initial abilities were thanks to a tactile telekinetic field he used for flight and strength, though more of his half-strength Kryptonian powers were unlocked over time.
6 TRACI THIRTEEN
Traci 13 was first introduced in 2003's Superman #189, and has continued to appear over the years in various titles and survived multiple reboots. Traci is the daughter of Doctor Thirteen, a classic DC character who worked as a parapsychologist/supernatural detective.
Traci is a member of the Homo Magi, a race of humans in the DC Universe who are born with talents for sorcery. Traci's particular abilities began as urban-based magic, meaning she was able to draw energy from cities to cast various spells. Now, however, her powers have increased to the point where she can perform magic without a city to connect with.
5 BART ALLEN
There are a number of speedsters who have gone by the name of Kid Flash over the years, including the first Wally West who is considered to be the actual fastest man alive. However, the current fastest kid speedster (and there are quite a few running around the DC universe currently) is Bart Allen, who is again going by the name of Impulse.
As with most speedsters, Bart is able to run at super-speeds and possesses a number of other related powers that even include time travel. Bart's unique connection to the Speed Force that powers speedsters give him the potential to be the fastest man alive when he's older, but as of right now, he's the fastest kid alive.
4 MAXINE BAKER
Maxine Baker's name is not instantly recognizable, and she technically doesn't seem to have a DC Rebirth counterpart, though that could be due to the lack of attention given to her father, Buddy Baker/Animal Man. While Maxine was first introduced in 1988, it wasn't until 2011's New 52 reboot of Animal Man that she really leveled up.
Maxine was revealed to be the Avatar of the Red, a position similar to that of Swamp Thing, who serves as the Avatar of the Green. This meant that Maxine had a connection with all living organisms. Maxine was very young, so her use of the power was limited, but she was able to control animals, cure infections, and even rebuild human bodies from raw organic material.
3 KLARION THE WITCH BOY
Klarion the Witch Boy was originally created by Jack Kirby, though a few different variations have appeared in the DC Universe over the years. Commonly, Klarion is a youthful sorcerer from the Witch-World/Limbo Town, which is usually comprised of other beings with magical abilities.
Klarion escaped to Earth with his shapechanging familiar Teekl to learn magic on his own, coming into conflict with a number of magical characters while also featuring prominently in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers of Victory. Along with his inherent magical talents, Klarion also possesses powerful magical artifacts, such as a pair of mystical dice also known as the "Fatherbox."
2 JONATHAN KENT
Jonathan Samuel Kent is the other Superboy to appear on the list, as he shares the name with Conner Kent (until one of them potentially chooses a new codename as teased by Bendis). Jon is the actual son of Superman and Lois Lane, meaning his Kryptonian abilities make him one of the most powerful characters anywhere, even at a young age.
Of course, Jon isn't that young any more either, as Bendis recently aged the character to 17 years old, which only increased his control over his abilities, which include super strength, flight, super speed, heat vision, freeze breath, and --at one point-- the incredibly dangerous solar flare ability.
1 BILLY BATSON
Shazam is often called the World's Mightiest Mortal, and his powers make him a match for Superman, even often taking the edge over the Man of Steel thanks to the magical side of his powers. Of course, Shazam (formerly known as Captain Marvel) is actually a young teenager named Billy Batson.
Batson boasts the power of seven gods when he speaks the magic word "Shazam," which makes him an incredibly powerful adult superhero, though it's still Billy on the inside (in most continuity). Shazam's godlike powers and his connection to magic make Billy Batson the strongest kid in the DC universe.