Mystery of the Glasses Disguise revealed?

[Man of Tomorrow]

We always wondered how the glasses/reporter disguise would work logically and realistically in SV's context given most of Smallville and Metropolis, and many core Superman/DC characters had already seen/interacted with Clark without the glasses/reporter disguise.

And now we know. They've gone the Dean Cain/George Reeve route where reality and disbelief is suspended and everyone believe the glasses magically make Clark look different than Superman.

The proof is in the scene where someone at the DP (in Homecoming) mistakes Clark for Superman, then he suddenly puts the glasses on and they believe he's the guy from the eight floor. There's no change in mannerisms, attitute, personality, (even attire in that scene)..... just the glasses making all the difference (like in the Cain/George Reeves versions).

Personally this was my only gripe with Homecoming because it seems like a copout. L+C played up on the cheesy, campy aspects of a romantic comedy Superman, so it worked. George Reeves was a television show for children in the 50s, so it worked.

But in the context of Smallville?


Even with the reporter wear on, that is so obviously Clark/Tom Welling there. He looks exactly the same with the glasses on, so I was hoping they'd adjust his personality/voice to make the disguise more believable.

OR come up with an outworldly explanation why the glasses alone make his co-workers and everyone else (even Jeff the Intern) who have all seen him without them, not realize he's Superman.

Al/Miles always said that the Superman identity would be the disguise, but it's hard to imagine how that would work either, given the lack of a mask.

There's still room for much explaining here though, how should they handle this? OR should it be addressed at all?

 

[ShivNasty]

maybe in the SV world nobody has gotten close enough to superman to see his face clearly... he does move pretty fast. imagine your on the streets of Metropolis and you see superman fly past at a 100 mph, think you'd get a good look at his face?

 

[Kevin Roegele]

Ahh....but we haven't seen how he will act as Superman yet. My guess is that he will be far more bold and confident than we have ever seen him. So there will be quite a contrast between how Clark behaves and how Superman behaves.

 

[misjuevos]

when you get rescued by superman you will see his face. if he is carrying you or holding up a bridge or something. there are lots of moments to see him. he can't move fast in all situations. looks at SR for instance when the globe fell he couldn't speed in and stop it. he had to catch it and slowly put it down. everyone saw him. then the airplane again his speed is not a factor when trying not to destroy property. so im sure lots of people have seen the superman of smallville in the future. the glasses thing does seem to be a suspend disbelief thing as mentioned by the man of tommorrow.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

Ahh....but we haven't seen how he will act as Superman yet. My guess is that he will be far more bold and confident than we have ever seen him. So there will be quite a contrast between how Clark behaves and how Superman behaves.

The truth is, we havent really seen how DP Clark behaves.

The bold and confident Clark in the elevator could have been Superman, he could act differently around others whom he needs to shield his identity from.

It is very unlikely though, given the scene where present Clark just wears the glasses and the DP staff suddenly think he is not Superman, but the guy from the eighth floor.

That scene implied the glasses alone magically make all the difference in the SV version.



I thought they could be magical, or Kryptonian technology,.. but then Lois pulled out her spares and used them on Clark. That means they're just ordinary glasses.

 

[SuperNoob]

My only theory is that Future Clark won't act like mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent in an elevator with past Clark Kent. No need for an act, slouchy shoulders, faux clumsiness, etc.

We really don't have all the information we need to make this call. We have no idea how CK will act as part of his disguise in the future.

 

[ShivNasty]

SR is a bad example, his face is already plastered over the cover of the Daily Planet. thats just one of the things I hated about that movie. And its already been established Smallville aint your grandaddy's Superman, in the future scene of homecoming Supes is flying too fast for anyone to see his face, and when the past Clark saves Lois she knocks the pilot out to save his identity.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

SR is a bad example, his face is already plastered over the cover of the Daily Planet.

Difference is in SR, that worked... since Clark Kent (in reporter disguise) essentially faded into the background at the DP, adjusting his personality and mannerisms to go quiet and unnoticed, while Superman was boldly at the forefront of the Planet's headlines.

It made logical sense in that context.

AND no one in that verse really encountered him without the reporter disguise/glasses prior.

 

[Ajendo]

Jeez who cares. No matter what way you look at it, if he changes his clothes, mannerisms or voice,a person still looks the same and is identifiable if he's wearing glasses and has hair slicked back or not. Everybody in the DCU who knows CK and superman and believe they are 2 separate beings are blind.

 

[Webhead2006]

Well I am sure there will be more to it once we get to the final episodes. At least brian and kelly are trying to do something about it. Al and miles said it wasn't there problem.

 

[ShivNasty]

I think at least Jimmy Olsen could put two and two together or maybe even his boss Perry White or anybody else that had to interact with Clark on a daily basis while having the latest issue of the DP

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

No matter what way you look at it, if he changes his clothes, mannerisms or voice,a person still looks the same and is identifiable if he's wearing glasses and has hair slicked back or not.

Depends on the person. Welling's features and voice are very obvious. Even with the glasses, they don't really make him look different, (as seen in the above screenshot).

There have been other actors that could pull it off better, BUT it really depends on the changing in mannerisms and personality (and delivery) the most.


What's interesting about the slicked back hair is, it seems they're going the direction of Welling's Superman having slicked back hair too (since he sports it with the new Blur outfit). Wonder why they're keeping the same hairstyle for CK and Supes?

Again, I believe the SV TPTB have decided the glasses alone are all it takes to fool people in this version, based on that scene with the co-workers at the DP and present Clark.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

I think at least Jimmy Olsen could put two and two together or maybe even his boss Perry White or anybody else that had to interact with Clark on a daily basis while having the latest issue of the DP

Jimmy asked Clark what was with the glasses in "Noir" and identified him easily.

 

[Webhead2006]

Well it was 2017 in the scenes I am sure he gone through many different styles in 7 yrs.

 

[ShivNasty]

Jimmy asked Clark what was with the glasses in "Noir" and identified him easily.

I'm talking about in SR as a response to your above post.. I probally should have quoted

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

I'm talking about in SR as a response to your above post

Oh, in that case I doubt it. Clark wasn't particularly close with Jimmy or Perry there.

Even in scenes with Jimmy, Clark seemed particularly distant and very quiet. They did a good job making him look different enough.


There was the scene where the outsider (Richard) suspected Clark as Superman for a second, and the weirdness of Clark's antisocial behavior and mannerisms made them laugh at such a ridiculous notion.

 

[Primal Slayer]

I liked the glasses scene since to me, it was them making fun of the fact that the glasses make people go "oh he cant be Superman". But they could just also be thinking "well he looks like Superman but couldnt be Superman, why would he be who he is and work for the Daily Planet?"

But i thnk they should just go with Zatanna putting a spell on the glasses/spare glasses so that anyone except for those who already know Supermans identity will not think that Clark could be Superman.

 

[N7 Joseph Shepard]

really doesn't matter if Clark looks like Superman or not, its all in who the person is, Future Clark is not a hero, just reports heroic events and such, would be notice that he looks a bit like Superman.........probably but on that note its not really the huge a deal.

I have a friend (well he's now a friend before I hated him) who looks almost exactly like me, that must mean we are one and the same right lol.

Also on that same note Clark is friends with alot of ppl who have morphing abilities (like Martian Manhunter) who can once Superman is established, pose with Clark as Superman, in the Smallvilleverse no one knows about Martian Manhunter and other ppl who can do that so it does still work

 

[ShivNasty]

Oh, in that case I doubt it. Clark wasn't particularly close with Jimmy or Perry there.

Even in scenes with Jimmy, Clark seemed particularly distant and very quiet. They did a good job making him look different enough.


There was the scene where the outsider (Richard) suspected Clark as Superman for a second, and the weirdness of Clark's antisocial behavior and mannerisms made them laugh at such a ridiculous notion.

come on even if Perry had down syndrome he would've noticed one of his employees looked really similar to supes... unless he was hiding the secret for him which I doubt, he's a journalist and what better headline than: SUPERMAN IS PLANET'S OWN CLARK KENT. with a side by side photo of Supes and Clark

 

[Primal Slayer]

Perry would think that but wouldnt do anything like that unless he know 100% in which I still doubt he would try to out Superman as Clark Kent.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eENUTx1xxM8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JV8OtM8vrM


Now, the new movie definitely won't go with the same personality types as that. However, I'm willing to bet Nolan's script will have Reporter Clark and Superman as vast polar opposite personality types, to make it work with some level of logic/versimilitude/realism.

There should be a believable difference there.

 

[Man of Tomorrow]

Perry would think that but wouldnt do anything like that unless he know 100% in which I still doubt he would try to out Superman as Clark Kent.

True, but in the SV version... I don't see how that would work.

Perry has seen Clark without the glasses (and his true personality) and even remembered Clark from S3 for making such an impact on his life.

And he's trying to bang Clark's mom.


Maybe Perry will be let in on the secret... but then what about Kat Grant and everyone else Clark has encountered?

 

[ShivNasty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eENUTx1xxM8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JV8OtM8vrM


Now, the new movie definitely won't go with the same personality types as that. However, I'm willing to bet Nolan's script will have Reporter Clark and Superman as vast polar opposite personality types, to make it work with some level of logic/versimilitude/realism.

There should be a believable difference there.

I agree

 

[SuperDaniel]

Dude, glasses are Superman's disguise. Get over it. It doesn`t make sense, its not reality and its GREAT! Its fantasy and its beautiful. Get over this explanation for everything thing for Superman. THAT JUST DOES NOT WORK.

 

[Andreth]

I LOVE SUPERMAN in any form or incarnation, but this will never make sense to me, I guess I've learned to live with it because it just doesn't bother me anymore.