The concept of Superboy debuted in 1949. Superman was big business and Superboy was a way to make even more money off the character, by showcasing his adventures when he was younger. DC's shifting continuity would eventually render these stories non-canon, but Superboy would eventually return. After Superman's death, a younger clone of the Man of Steel would appear and try to take Superman's place.
He would eventually be known as Connor Kent and take on the moniker of Superboy before disappearing as DC's continuity shifted once again. In recent years, an entirely new Superboy has appeared - the son of Superman and Lois Lane, Jon Kent. Connor has also returned, so now there are two Superboys running around. This list is going to take a look at which one is better - Connor or Jon.
10 Connor: On His Own
Connor was pretty much on his own for most of the beginning of his superhero career. Superman was dead and even after the Man of Steel returned, Connor went off to Hawaii on his own to try and forge his own superheroic identity outside of the Man of Tomorrow's shadow.
This time on his own taught him to rely more on himself and his powers. Connor didn't have anyone looking out for him and this made him a more independent hero.
9 Jon: The Best Back-Up There Is
Jon started his time as Superboy at a very young age and, from the beginning, he had the best back-up around – Superman. That's not to say that Superman was holding his hand all the time, but he wasn't about to let his son get into too much trouble.
Everyone needs help, especially when they are young as Jon is. Being a superhero isn't simple and a young person can screw it up pretty easily, so having Superman around to watch over him gives Jon the back-up he needs when things get out of hand.
8 Connor: Experience
DC's continuity shenanigans always make it hard to know how experienced a hero actually is because one doesn't always know what is canon. Connor has been around longer, but his disappearance from continuity means that it's hard to know just what actually happened to him from older iterations of the universe. It seems like Connor has most of his experiences from the pre-Flashpoint universe, though.
Even taking into account Jon's time in the timestream, Connor has more actual superhero experience than him even if their ages are now similar.
7 Jon: His Time With Jor-El
Jon learned some hard lessons during his time traveling space with Jor-El and his mother. Jor-El involved them in all kinds of intergalactic disputes, giving him experience in matters that he wouldn't have if he had stayed on Earth.
He even got stuck on Earth-3 for a while, the home of the Crime Syndicate of America where he learned some very hard lessons about the Multiverse. These experiences changed him and made him see things he wouldn't have before.
6 Connor: His Tactile Telekinesis Gives Him An Extra Edge
When Connor first appeared, he didn't exactly have all of Superman's powers. In fact, his powers were a little different than Superman's in that they mostly ran off an ability called tactile telekinesis. His body was surrounded by an energy field that protected him, allowed him to fly, and lift heavy things. He would eventually develop more of the regular powers associated with being Kryptonian but keep the tactile telekinesis.
This ability gives him an extra dimension in his fights that Jon doesn't have. Connor can use this power to wreck any technology he comes into contact with as well as use it to fire blasts of energy and protect others with forcefields.
5 Jon: Grew Up With His Powers
Because of Jon's Kryptonian and human heritage, his powers grew over time and this gave him more time to get used to them. Connor basically came out of the cloning tank not really knowing exactly what he could do. Jon's powers, on the other hand, blossomed over time.
This gave him more time to get used to them and also allowed him to practice with them more. Connor thrust himself into the superhero life without any time to train at all. By the time Jon put on the costume, he already had a working knowledge of his powers.
4 Connor: A Team Player
When Connor debuted, he wasn't much of a joiner- he was arrogant and self-centered and it took time for him to open to anyone... except women he had a crush on, like Tana Moon or Knockout. However, he would eventually become a founding member of Young Justice and join up with the Teen Titans.
Connor would learn a lot about being a hero and team player during his time with these two teams, becoming more well rounded as a person.
3 Jon: Already An Inspiration
Jon Kent was able to defuse an intergalactic war and laid the groundwork for the interplanetary alliance called the United Planets. Immediately after this, the Legion of Superheroes showed up and told him how his example inspired them to become superheroes.
Jon had barely been a superhero for any long period of time and has already become someone to look up to. That's kind of a big deal.
2 Connor: The Ultimate Sacrifice
Connor Kent made the ultimate sacrifice during the events of Infinite Crisis- he put himself in the way of Superboy-Prime, a mad version of a young pre-Crisis Clark Kent, with all of the frankly insane power levels of a pre-Crisis Kryptonian. Superboy-Prime had already beat him down once, but he still clashed with the unbalanced villain.
He was able to destroy the multiversal tuning fork that Prime and Alexander Luthor to attempting to use to change reality, losing his life in the process. He was willing to lose his life to save all of creation, proving just how great a hero he could be.
1 Jon: The Best Teacher Around
Jon Kent has a big advantage that Connor never had- he has been raised by Superman and Lois Lane. Connor was raised by Ma and Pa Kent for a time, but he wasn't with them nearly as long as Jon was with his parents.
Guidance for a young hero means a lot and Jon had years of guidance from the best hero around. This forged him into the kind of person who was smart enough to find a peaceful solution to an intergalactic war and inspire a generation of young heroes to band together.