Superboy Vol 4 74

"Game, Set, and Match - The Evil Factory Pt 5 of 5"

Part of the "Sins of Youth" event.

Cover

Game, Set, and Match - The Evil Factory Pt 5 of 5

Editors

Mike McAvennie

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Superboy Vol 4 # 73	Superboy Vol 4 # 75

Don't lose your head, Tana, after all, it would be... unfortunate if anything happened to Superboy's girlfriend.

— Amanda Spence

Superboy (Volume 4) #74 is an issue of the series Superboy (Volume 4) with a cover date of May, 2000.

Synopsis for "Game, Set, and Match - The Evil Factory Pt 5 of 5"

Following along the "Sins of Youth" storyline, most of the DC super-hero community was gathered in Washington, D.C. and through the machinations of the Contessa and Klarion, the ages of everyone became reversed (the young super-heroes were suddenly adults and the old were kids or teenagers). The only one that was not affected was Superboy since his aging process was stunted. However, there were apparently some other side effects, since Superboy is suddenly wracked with great pain. Match, Superboy's evil clone, is on hand and disguised at the Kid himself. When he realizes that Cadmus has fallen, he takes off for there straight away. Agenda troops that are on hand try to contain the super-heroes but fail miserably. The heroes make tracks; Wonder Girl helps Superboy head back for Cadmus.

The Contessa looks on with satisfaction. Her plan had been to discredit the heroes through their "sidekicks" and clone new ones, but she's had to improvise a little. The Guardian Clone contacts her and asks for help and she refuses to aid him, saying that she can alway grow another clone.

At the Project, the captured Amanda Spence leads Guardian and the rest to the chamber were all the Project's staff and soldiers are being held. Everyone is revived as Tana Moon and Serling Roquette enter the room carrying Dubbilex, who is still unconscious after breaking free from the Gene-Gnome's control. While he is taken to a lab, Match arrives masquerading as Superboy. Tana realizes it isn't him and he attacks Guardian. Just then the real Superboy shows up with Wonder Girl.

Elsewhere, Simyan and Mokkari confront Dabney Donovon, demanding to know if he has created anything of value for the Agenda. Donovon responds by releasing a deadly virus in gaseous form that kills Agenda clones almost instantly.

Match is able to hold his own against Wonder Girl and a weakened Superboy. Things go from bad to worse when the evil clones of Guardian and Mick attack with what's left of the cloned soldiers. Superboy battles Match, angry that the clone has stolen his very identity, and in the midst of the fight Match switches off his holographic disguise. Match gains the upper hand, yet before he can deal the killing blow the corridor is flooded with the clone virus so he teleports away. All of the Agenda clones disintegrate into puddles of goo.

Superboy is rushed to the medilab. Tana admits that she really does love him. Serling quickly begins to check his condition and realizes that he's being torn apart at a genetic level. The mystical aging process was at war with his stunted growth--Serling is able to correct the problem and Superboy transforms into a fully grown man complete with cape. Tana throws herself around the adult Kon-El -- and as she does so, Amanda presses a small switch on her suit that activates a necklace Tana is wearing. Tana's entire head is fried instantly to Superboy's horror -- her memories and mind gone, nothing can be done. Amanda gloats that she's dreamed of this ever since her father, Paul Westfield, died: she wanted Superboy to feel the same pain she did. Amanda teleports away.

Everyone backs off and gives Superboy a moment with his grief, clutching the fallen form of his first love.