The Clark Kent Thread (mostly pics, bio, guise)

[phoenixflight]

Who is Clark Kent?
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/5020/clarkkv2.jpg

I can imagine this topic has been discussed a thousand times. Most notably since the end of Kill Bill vol. 2 when Bill tells the Bride that Superman is the real identity of Superman and Clark Kent is his view of the human race. Well he forgot to mention Kal-El. So lets talk about this...

_______________________

Well, this thread was created, not just to talk about the man been the Man of Steel, but really to post ALL types of images of Clark Kent (pre, post and modern).

I am actually looking for images of Clark done by Ed Benes.

[The Sage]

Old school...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v396/sage1047/steverudeclarkkent.jpg

[hammy]

I love the old school Clark/Superman. :up: Phoenixflight, yeah, I had a discussion on this topic a while back, but I can't find it now. Basically, it was about who is the real person - Clark or Superman/Kal-El. It was pretty interesting. Everyone has a slightly different view. Sage, post more old school pics. :woot:

[phoenixflight]

Thanks Sage, that's a really cool pic...

[The Sage]

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/8755/classiclarkkent9ymmv5.jpg (http://img110.imageshack.us/my.php?image=classiclarkkent9ymmv5.jpg)

[The Sage]

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/8630/allstarsuperman01page20pz1.jpg (http://img161.imageshack.us/my.php?image=allstarsuperman01page20pz1.jpg)

[The Sage]

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5452/supermanfasbook0144uy5.jpg (http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=supermanfasbook0144uy5.jpg)

[The Sage]

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/7669/garyfrankclarksm3.jpg (http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=garyfrankclarksm3.jpg)

[SuperDaniel]

Steve Rude is the best!!

[Suzi_Jazz]

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/7669/garyfrankclarksm3.jpg (http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=garyfrankclarksm3.jpg)
I love this pic. The style, color, and the detail are the best.

[hammy]

Thanks, Sage. :up:

[phoenixflight]

Thanks so much for all the posts SAGE...you are the best!!!!

[The Sage]

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/1829/reisclarkgv5.jpg (http://img256.imageshack.us/my.php?image=reisclarkgv5.jpg)

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/9176/clarkkentkq9.jpg (http://img411.imageshack.us/my.php?image=clarkkentkq9.jpg)

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/9530/jasonpalmerclarkxm2.jpg (http://img49.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jasonpalmerclarkxm2.jpg)

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5387/leesupes53mrzu3.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=leesupes53mrzu3.jpg)

[matthooper]

Most notably since the end of Kill Bill vol. 2 when Bill tells the Bride that Superman is the real identity of Superman and Clark Kent is his view of the human race. Well he forgot to mention Kal-El. So lets talk about this...



I still think that is the biggest joke of a speech. Tarrantino has absolutely no clue. He forgets to mention that Clark was adopted as a baby and raised by humans, NOT kryptonians. He fails to mention there are many many incarnations of Clark Kent, where only a few are bumbling fools. Even if you take the first incarnations, he is simply a mild mannered guy. That would come simply from the fact he is a farmboy at heart and not an alien with superpowers at heart. He lives as Clark Kent, in the city, not Superman.

If anything Q.T.'s limited view is solely based on Superman : The Movie, and even that is interpreted wrong by Tarrantino. At the heart of Superman, he is Clark Kent, and becomes Superman to save the day. Tarrantino miises the whole point of how close Clark is to his mother and father. In most incarnations, wher Jonathon is alive, Clark goes back to the farm often and is right at home talking to his parents about life and love. Is he faking? Of course not, he is their son Clark Kent with the secret identity of Superman.

Tarrantino has no clue. So Clark Kent's view of the human race is to become a reporter and a stand up guy. OK.

[matthooper]

Tarrantino also fails to mention that Clark doesn't become Superman until he's an adult. He mentions Spider-Man and other heroes as a 180 degree difference but Peter becomes Spider-Man even earlier in life than Clark. Sure Clark had powers from an early age but so what, he wasn't Superman, he was simply Clark Kent with powers.

Jonathon and Martha raised him as human and instilled all of their virtues and values. Jor-El might have given him insight into his origins, but had nothing to do with his values. Kal-El might be his birth name, but his real name is Clark Kent. The things he does in all walks of life are a result of his upbringing. The fact that he has superpowers only adds to his ability to do good things. Without powers, he'd still be a great human being.

Clark doesn't pretend to be Clark Kent, he is Clark Kent!

[The Sage]

And now it begins...:D

You're right, Clark doesn't pretend to be Clark Kent. Superman/Kal-El pretends to be Clark Kent.

I believe that when the kid Clark Kent learns of his heritage and decides to use his abilities to help humanity and improve the world, he becomes Superman.

In order to blend in with people to ensure they won't be able to tell he's Superman, he makes his Clark Kent persona a disguise, which is why he wears glasses, changes his voice and at certain times, act aloof.

As Superman, he is truly himself. He doesn't have to hide his powers or that he's an alien. He's also being the person the Kents raised him; he uses the morals that they taught him in his mission. He's also honoring his Kryptonian heritage; his suit is made of the fabrics from Krypton, with the emblem on his chest, which is either the House of El crest or a Kryptonian symbol for hope and unity.

As the adult, mild-mannered Clark Kent, he's not doing any of that.

[SuperDaniel]

^That is if you like Pre-Crisis...

I believe it should be a mix of both. Clark is not a total act just like Superman is not totally himself.

[The Sage]

^That is if you like Pre-Crisis...

I believe it should be a mix of both. Clark is not a total act just like Superman is not totally himself.

I like Pre-Crisis and Post-Crisis. I wouldn't say it's a total act just that Clark Kent represents the disguise since he's wearing glasses, acting aloof and such.

As Superman, I can't see how he's not totally himself. He's kind, gentle, helping people, and confident. None of that is a ruse.

[SuperDaniel]

Well...the celebrity...the famous hero...cant talk to people about his parents...about life, girls, etc...Superman is an image. It is who Clark is but i think its more of a image and a concept than an actual person.

I think the real person is in the middle. Superman is Clark Kent x10 and Metropolis Clark is Clark/10.

I think they are both an act and real at the same time.

My concept of Superman is that Clark is not a total act and he is a shy and mild-mannered person in its heart. Bumbling, etc.

[The Sage]

Talking to people about his parents, life, and girls is irrelevant. Why should he talk about those things much in the first place?

If Superman is who Clark is, then why he an image?

[SuperDaniel]

I mean that Superman isnt completely honest to people cause he cant tell his secret identity, etc. Superman is more of a symbol in peoples minds.

To me Superman is not JUSTwho Clark is. Superman is a perfect version of Clark. More of a symbol for Truth, Justice, etc.

Just like Clark of the Daily Planeit is not completely a mask. I really dont like Pre-Crisis becuase if he is a mask, it makes relations with people completely impossible. And i find impossible that someone can live without that. It is what makes Superman Super in my opinion. The fact that he is normal at heart, was raised by human beings. It needs this balance to carry on.

I think both are maks, Superman and Metropolis Clark. Clark because he fakes to people that he is normal and Superman because he fakes to people he doesnt have a normal life, doesnt have a secret identity, etc.

I think masks is too much one-dimensional thinking. That he is either Clark or Superman. To me HE IS both. Different aspects of his personality but none are fake.

Have u ever read speeding bullets? The story that Superman is Batman?

Anyway, theres this part in the comic when Clark/Bruce Wayne meets Lois. He acts totally bumbling, drops some stuff, is shy and its funny cause he is not pretending. He doesnt have glasses etc. He is just this simple farmboy, honest, bumbling, shy.

I think Clark is an aspect of his personality. Not an act, like he reads book on acting, etc. I dont like this.

[The Sage]

I don't agree with the notion that Clark is really bumbling and shy, or that he's just a simple farmboy with superpowers. Not my cup of tea.

[SuperDaniel]

I dont agree Metropolis Clark is a mask. Not my cup of tea. Actually the whole Pre-crisis is so one-dimensional and boring, except for some stories...The perfect representation of Superman to me is Superman for all seasons.

[The Sage]

I disagree. The Pre-Crisis Superman is one-dimensional in the hands of poor writers, just as the Post-Crisis Superman is one-dimensional in the hands of poor writers. In great ones such as Grant Morrison, Elliott Maggin, and Alan Moore, it's a wonderful character.

[Spike_x1]

I think that both Clark and Superman are real; simply showing different elements of the whole. As Clark, sure, he trips once in a while and stuff like that to avoid any suspicion that he could possibly be Superman to anyone who happens to notice a resemblance. Still, as a (very good) journalist and farmboy at heart, he fights for truth and justice for those who can't speak for themselves, is a gentle soul, has friends and relationships, etc. As Superman, he doesn't have to fake the occasional stumble, he's still a farmboy, compassionate, and has all of those other personality traits that he has as Clark; he just goes about acting on them in a more hands-on way, instead of writing about them, just as a lot of humans do to bring about change in the world.

As for how the "Kal-El" identity fits into all that, I think that it was summed up very well at the end of MOS, where Superman says that Krypton gave him his powers, but Earth made him who he is. He still respects Krypton and its heritage, but he was raised with Earthly values, and is therefore truly a human being at heart, rather than the whole "alien alone among humanity" crap that Bryan Singer and others keep trying to force down our throats.

[Spike_x1]

Some pics...

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/8691/clark1ni8.jpg

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8783/clark003st8.jpg

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2513/clark028js0.jpg

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/6836/clark029vl4.jpg

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/4213/clark027em9.jpg

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/5906/clarkjo7.jpg

[The Sage]

I think that both Clark and Superman are real; simply showing different elements of the whole. As Clark, sure, he trips once in a while and stuff like that to avoid any suspicion that he could possibly be Superman to anyone who happens to notice a resemblance. Still, as a (very good) journalist and farmboy at heart, he fights for truth and justice for those who can't speak for themselves, is a gentle soul, has friends and relationships, etc. As Superman, he doesn't have to fake the occasional stumble, he's still a farmboy, compassionate, and has all of those other personality traits that he has as Clark; he just goes about acting on them in a more hands-on way, instead of writing about them, just as a lot of humans do to bring about change in the world.

As for how the "Kal-El" identity fits into all that, I think that it was summed up very well at the end of MOS, where Superman says that Krypton gave him his powers, but Earth made him who he is. He still respects Krypton and its heritage, but he was raised with Earthly values, and is therefore truly a human being at heart, rather than the whole "alien alone among humanity" crap that Bryan Singer and others keep trying to force down our throats.

While that's a nice view, I disagree with Byrne's take on Superman. If you make Superman just a simple farmboy with superpowers, you take away a lot of the great qualities that make him who he is.

One of the qualities of Superman is that he's the ultimate immigrant, a guy who comes from another heritage but adopts our mantra and fights for us, but he never loses where he's from and that's always important to him. He's the walking American Dream. If he's just a farmboy, you lose that: he would be just a U.S. citizen with some heritage of another civilization.

Another unique quality I like is that it is both Earth and Krypton that make him who he is. The Kents' upbringing give him his morals, his sense of right and wrong. The knowledge of his heritage I believe helps give him the drive to fight for a better world on Earth. Krypton was a civilization that achieved the best out of its potential; they conquered disease, war, and attained peace. Its only flaw was its pride, which lead to its destruction. Superman is able to fight for a better world on Earth, not just because he was taught right from wrong and that his powers are for more than personal show-off, but because he knows that it can be achieved; he's from a civilization that did. And I believe he's also here to make sure we don't repeat the same mistake as Krypton did.

It's both, the same way his abilities are a byproduct of both worlds: his Kryptonian physiology and Earth's atmosphere and yellow sun.

[Spike_x1]

While that's a nice view, I disagree with Byrne's take on Superman. If you make Superman just a simple farmboy with superpowers, you take away a lot of the great qualities that make him who he is.

One of the qualities of Superman is that he's the ultimate immigrant,Why can't he be "the ultimate immigrant" and still be a farmboy at heart? I wasn't aware of such a limitation. :huh:

Superman's been referred to many times as supposedly being the most human of us all, and that really doesn't work at all if he's actually a 50/50 split between Kryptonian and Human at heart.

I'd much rather have the so-called "all american" (for lack of a better term) farmboy whose values come from Earth and his upbringing.a guy who comes from another heritage but adopts our mantra and fights for us, but he never loses where he's from and that's always important to him.I never said his Kryptonian heritage wasn't important to him; I just said that it's not the driving factor in his actions, whereas the actual motivator for what he does is the values that the Kents put into him.He's the walking American Dream. If he's just a farmboy, you lose that: he would be just a U.S. citizen with some heritage of another civilization.I don't see how :huh:. I never said that he'd magically forget where he came from. I mean, I have Scottish heritage, which is very important to me and something that I never wish to forget, but I'm still 100% Canadian at heart. It's the same with Superman; just replace "Scottish" with "Kryptonian", and "Canadian" with "Human".

[The Sage]

Why can't he be "the ultimate immigrant" and still be a farmboy at heart? I wasn't aware of such a limitation. :huh:


How can you be the ultimate immigrant and a farmboy at heart? :huh:


Superman's been referred to many times as supposedly being the most human of us all, and that really doesn't work at all if he's actually a 50/50 split between Kryptonian and Human at heart.


Couldn't the fact that Superman's an alien be the reason why he's the most human of us all? That outsider's POV could be what allows him to see the beauty and potential in people that a regular human being couldn't. I believe he views the world on a perspective larger than most people could fathom. I believe it's why Superman doesn't fall prey too often to many of the vices that people do. Part of the reason anyway. The other part being the Kents' upbringing. That's all I'm saying.


I'd much rather have the so-called "all american" (for lack of a better term) farmboy whose values come from Earth and his upbringing.I never said his Kryptonian heritage wasn't important to him; I just said that it's not the driving factor in his actions, whereas the actual motivator for what he does is the values that the Kents put into him.I don't see how :huh:. I never said that he'd magically forget where he came from. I mean, I have Scottish heritage, which is very important to me and something that I never wish to forget, but I'm still 100% Canadian at heart. It's the same with Superman; just replace "Scottish" with "Kryptonian", and "Canadian" with "Human".

Why can't it be both? Why can't the pride in his heritage and the Kents' upbringing be the driving force behind his actions?

[Spike_x1]

How can you be the ultimate immigrant and a farmboy at heart? :huh:I really don't understand the question. Is there anything at all stopping him from being an immigrant and still having those wholesome farmboy values? Any reason why he can't be both? :huh:Couldn't the fact that Superman's an alien be the reason why he's the most human of us all? That outsider's POV could be what allows him to see the beauty and potential in people that a regular human being couldn't. I believe he views the world on a perspective larger than most people could fathom. I believe it's why Superman doesn't fall prey too often to many of the vices that people do. Part of the reason anyway. The other part being the Kents' upbringing. That's all I'm saying.I think the character you're talking about is the Silver Surfer.

If Superman's alien heritage heightens his humanistic views, and is the reason why he's the most human of us all, then it really lessens (and almost negates) the impact of the values that the Kents and humanity would've instilled into him, and instead, it reduces his "most human of us all" status to just a big coincidence that Kryptonian values happen to coincide with (and go above) Earthly values. That would make his values not really human at all, but rather more along the lines of being an angelic alien; and as neat and good as that is, it's certainly not human.Why can't it be both? Why can't the pride in his heritage and the Kents' upbringing be the driving force behind his actions?I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this particular front. I just don't see why pride in his heritage has anything to do with what he does, rather than it simply being 100% attributable to the Kents' upbringing. Treasuring his place as being The Last Son of Krypton is great thing for him to do, but it's not what makes him fly around saving people. He wasn't raised as Kal-El. He was raised as Clark Kent, so as far as I'm concerned, that's who he is, and that upbringing is what makes him do what he does.

[SuperDaniel]

While that's a nice view, I disagree with Byrne's take on Superman. If you make Superman just a simple farmboy with superpowers, you take away a lot of the great qualities that make him who he is.

One of the qualities of Superman is that he's the ultimate immigrant, a guy who comes from another heritage but adopts our mantra and fights for us, but he never loses where he's from and that's always important to him. He's the walking American Dream. If he's just a farmboy, you lose that: he would be just a U.S. citizen with some heritage of another civilization.

Another unique quality I like is that it is both Earth and Krypton that make him who he is. The Kents' upbringing give him his morals, his sense of right and wrong. The knowledge of his heritage I believe helps give him the drive to fight for a better world on Earth. Krypton was a civilization that achieved the best out of its potential; they conquered disease, war, and attained peace. Its only flaw was its pride, which lead to its destruction. Superman is able to fight for a better world on Earth, not just because he was taught right from wrong and that his powers are for more than personal show-off, but because he knows that it can be achieved; he's from a civilization that did. And I believe he's also here to make sure we don't repeat the same mistake as Krypton did.

It's both, the same way his abilities are a byproduct of both worlds: his Kryptonian physiology and Earth's atmosphere and yellow sun.

Tell me where this isnt showed in the post-crisis version? Because you`ve been reading the wrong comics.

[SuperDaniel]

I really don't understand the question. Is there anything at all stopping him from being an immigrant and still having those wholesome farmboy values? Any reason why he can't be both? :huh:I think the character you're talking about is the Silver Surfer.

If Superman's alien heritage heightens his humanistic views, and is the reason why he's the most human of us all, then it really lessens (and almost negates) the impact of the values that the Kents and humanity would've instilled into him, and instead, it reduces his "most human of us all" status to just a big coincidence that Kryptonian values happen to coincide with (and go above) Earthly values. That would make his values not really human at all, but rather more along the lines of being an angelic alien; and as neat and good as that is, it's certainly not human.I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this particular front. I just don't see why pride in his heritage has anything to do with what he does, rather than it simply being 100% attributable to the Kents' upbringing. Treasuring his place as being The Last Son of Krypton is great thing for him to do, but it's not what makes him fly around saving people. He wasn't raised as Kal-El. He was raised as Clark Kent, so as far as I'm concerned, that's who he is, and that upbringing is what makes him do what he does.

Totally agree!

[The Sage]

Tell me where this isnt showed in the post-crisis version? Because you`ve been reading the wrong comics.

Tell me where this isn't shown in the pre-crisis comics. I thought the whole "Krypton is where I'm from, but it's Earth that makes me human" was Byrne saying Krypton isn't that important. :huh:

[bestever23]

http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/7669/garyfrankclarksm3.jpg wow I love this picture of Clark

Honestly you can tell me you see Superman being that guy from that picture

It looks just like another nerdy guy worried

nothing looks like a brave courageous guy like superman

very good job on that pic

[Stallion9979]

i wont go into a huge detailed explanation but i will give my simple view...

he has 3 sides to his personality

Smallville Clark...the real man...raised by his parents with friends he grew up with...this is the heart of who is and who he was before superman was even a concept...

Metropolis Clark...someone introverted a bit clumsy...the reason for this is so that he cant keep distance with the uber celebrity that is superman...slouches...its so that anyone that sees him who as clark kent is a novelist and award winning persona could never be connected...

Superman...this is him at his prime...stands tall...authoritive voice...meant to inspire...to stand next to superman would be like standing next to a god...i mean you would be in constant awe...

he tweaks his mannurisms slightly between personas so as to keep each identity unique...

[mego joe]

i wont go into a huge detailed explanation but i will give my simple view...

he has 3 sides to his personality

Smallville Clark...the real man...raised by his parents with friends he grew up with...this is the heart of who is and who he was before superman was even a concept...

Metropolis Clark...someone introverted a bit clumsy...the reason for this is so that he cant keep distance with the uber celebrity that is superman...slouches...its so that anyone that sees him who as clark kent is a novelist and award winning persona could never be connected...

Superman...this is him at his prime...stands tall...authoritive voice...meant to inspire...to stand next to superman would be like standing next to a god...i mean you would be in constant awe...

he tweaks his mannurisms slightly between personas so as to keep each identity unique...


I think to go a step beyond that is to say that the 3 different aspects of his personality are not any different than the average person- just to greater extremes.

A work, at home, visiting family- we all have different aspects of our personality that become emphasized depending upon our environment. Often, the people that know us at work may not know a lot about our family or home life and vice versa.

Superman is not like J'onn J'onzz who purposely disguises himself as a human to blend in, Superman had a human upbringing and knows what it is to be human. It is part of who he truly is.

So when the question is asked:

"Who is Superman really? Clark or Superman?"

The answer is that he is really both or all 3 if you prefer, he is one person with extreme facets to his personality, so extreme that they can be unrecognizable from one another.



.