16. Superboy served to update and backdate the stories of Superman and other Superheroes
In the 1950s the editors of DC Comics decided to set the stories featuring Superboy in the early to mid-1930s. This allowed them to jibe with the emergence of Superman in 1938. In the 1970s the decision was made to keep Superboy about 15 years chronologically behind Superman. Thus, 1970s Superboy stories appeared to take place in the 1950s. In the 1980s Superboy appeared to live in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1960 Superboy first encountered the cosmic imp Mr. Mxyzptlk, sixteen years after Superman had first met the villainous imp. Superboy also appeared in a group of juvenile superheroes, the Legion of Superheroes, which appeared in Adventure Comics, Superboy, and The Legion of Superheroes. The membership of the legion expanded and contracted over time, though Superboy was nearly always included.
The changes, backdating, updating, and characters introduced in Superboy and his associated magazines meant the original story of Superman appearing in Metropolis in 1938, an unknown until then, was completely wrong. Superman was already acquainted with Lois Lane, Perry White, Jimmy Olsen, and others of his world, having met them during his many adventures as a boy. He was also already aware of the dangers of kryptonite, the full use of his superpowers, and his need to retain the dual personalities of Clark Kent and Superman. The many different lives of Superman and Superboy were resolved, partially, through the creation of alternate universes and Earths beginning in the latter portion of the 20th century, which brought other changes to Superman as well.