Comics Something I never understood about Superman

[Idiotic Idiot06]

How come nobody realizes that Clark Kent is Superman. So, okay, he wears glasses and slightly changes his hair style and has different clothes on; it's still pretty obvious he's the same person. Why is everybody so clueless about his identity if it is so obvious?

 

[double A-ron]

It's not just the glasses, hair and clothes. He also tends to slouch a bit and also there's the whole thing of suspension of disbelief you need to take into account.

 

[Kebab gud]

ohh and the fact that its a Fing comicbook ! and people are not supposed to see that its him. its just how its is

 

[Idiotic Idiot06]

Oh, okay. I thought there was some obvious reason that was addressed in the comic books; I guess not. Oh well.

 

[TwilightPro101]

It's a element of suspension of disbelief. Simple as that.

 

[Joker]

he also acts differently while he's Clark...I liken it to character actors...some guys who are really good can do 2 different roles in movies that come out at roughly the same time, and how well they act makes it hard to believe it's the same guy

 

[The Question]

How come nobody realizes that Clark Kent is Superman. So, okay, he wears glasses and slightly changes his hair style and has different clothes on; it's still pretty obvious he's the same person. Why is everybody so clueless about his identity if it is so obvious?

Because not everyone knows what Clark Kent looks like, and most people don't know exactly what Superman looks like. Even though he's a very public figure, he does his best to make sure no one ever gets a good picture of his face and as few people as possible get a good look at is face as Superman. And while Clark is well known as a writer, nobody besides his imediate circle of friends and family knows what he looks like as he never does public apearences. The only people who should figure it out are Lex, Lois, and Perry. The explanation for Lois and Lex are that both had enough reason to suspect, but neither would let themselves beleive it, Lex because he'd never accept that Superman is really humble enough to live as a human, and Lois because she refused to believe that her friend lied to her like that and because she refused to believe that her dream man was really a rather boring person with a simple everyday life who simply happened to have super powers. There has been some speculation that Perry figured it out long ago but keeps a tight lip about it.

he also acts differently while he's Clark...I liken it to character actors...some guys who are really good can do 2 different roles in movies that come out at roughly the same time, and how well they act makes it hard to believe it's the same guy

He acts differently while he's both, really. As Superman, he does his best to come off as larger than life. As Clark, he does his best to blend into the croud and be someone you wouldn't normally pay much atention to if you weren't talking to him.

 

[bestever23]

this always comes up and it's the way he acts. he's clumbsy and weak and no one would believe Clark can be Superman. what I don't get is why Superman can't handle Magic lol It's lame

 

[Andy C.]

The reason Superman is vulnerable to magic is because all of his powers are confined to physics (comic book physics, yes, but still). He can do all sorts of amazing stuff, but there's still a set of rules to it. Magic is a way around those rules, so therefore it's also a way around his powers.

 

[The Question]

Well, yes and no. Really, it's just that while he has as much resistance to an energy blast or a blow from a magic person of equal force to an energy blast or blow coming from a non mystical source, he's still just as susceptible to magic that alters matter or even reality as anyone else.

 

[Superman: Idols]

Thre have been many times in the comics (as in "Return of Superman" where Superman and Clark Kent appear in the exact same place.

 

[dude stannis]

The thing is, the public assume Superman is Superman 100% of the time. They have no reason to beleive he has a seceret identity.

 

[not_a_victim]

Congrats on starting a thread that has only been done about 60 times in here.
If you had bothered using any of the resources on this vast mysterious thing called the internets, you would know that in the earliest comics, Supes had the ability to kinda "blur" his appearance.
Over time, the writers just kinda let this power slide to the wayside.
Even back then, the creaters knew that glasses were a flimsy disguise.
Also, Kent didn't become the bumbling idiot he is/was portrayed as until much later in his existence.

 

[Scottish Flash]

Just read Birthright, Clark Kent is more than just superman with glasses. It's an act that he works on

 

[chaoticreign]

Yeah he relaxes his muscles a certain way and as clark he comes off as clumsy and weak. He also super vibrates himself so that pictures always come slightly blurred. And to add to that he chose not to wear a mask as superman so that the public would assume he has nothing to hide and just must be superman 24/7. Noone thinks superman has a secret identity. He's superman. He's an alien and has these extraordinary abilities he uses to save lives why would anyone have any reason to think he lived as a regular person sometimes.

Plus I always believed in the Tom Cruise defense. If you saw a guy walking down the street that looked kind of like Tom Cruise you wouldn't think "hey look its Tom Cruise" you would say "Hey, that guy kinda looks like Tom Cruise" With no reason to believe superman is anything but superman Clark would only be seen as just a clumsy wuss who looks kinda like big blue.

 

[Bnightwing]

OK here's the deal superman shaped his face muscles when he takes a picture or something so no 1 can notice and he also changes his vocal cords to sound different to

 

[Jake-El]

The thing kind of goes like this for me: The public views Superman as a larger than life(near-god?) icon. No one would look for Superman while he is hiding in plain sight amongst them because they do not see him as being anywhere near human. This idea is kind of taken from Jeph Loeb's take in Superman/Batman: Supergirl. Kara asks him why the disguise works and this is Clark's explanation. I kind of adopted this approach because I am a fan of the non bumbling Clark Kent. I know he slouches a little and wears more baggy clothes(i.e. Birthright) but I hate the idea that Clark has to act COMPLETELY ignorant (I.E. Superman Movies). Take it for what you will.

 

[Kevin Roegele]

The thing is, the public assume Superman is Superman 100% of the time. They have no reason to beleive he has a seceret identity.

Only in post-Crisis comics.

 

[Marvin]

no one has any reason to believe superman has a secret identity.
thus no one really puts any thought into it.

there must be plenty of people who look like jesus, but we all believe he's not with us anymore so we don't really look at these ppl and think about it.

 

[Marvin]

better example Elvis

 

[mathhater]

The main reason his secret identity works is that it's more psychological than it is physical. For most people, Superman is seen as a god. Someone whose only pupose is to serve and save. I think most people just believe that he's always watching and waiting, ready to help anyone and everyone at a moment's notice. People aren't going to think that this is someone who works 9-5, has relationships, or lives a normal life similar to theirs. (For example, in the recent "For Tomorrow" storyline, Father Daniel was surprised to find out that Superman sleeps.) It just doesn't dawn on people that Superman has a secret identity. Besides, look at Batman, Spider-Man, and others. They all wear masks, so people know that there's another person to go with that identity...they know that there's an actual person under that mask...this is something that Superman just doesn't have to deal with...he's pretty much hiding right out in the open and it works. And just look at Superman...he's this bright and dynamic force in the world...look at Clark...a mild mannered, average, and dull kind of everyman...the fact that the two personas are worlds apart make the fact that Superman is actually somebody else is an ideal that the average person in Metropolis just can't grasp.

 

[Marvin]

nicely said..

too bad bryan singer doesn't dwell on such things

 

[ariellem]

There was a great bit in L&C that covered this. K Callan (Martha) is working with DC (Clark) on a costume. He's modeling it for her: shiny blue bodysuit, red briefs. They discuss this. Mom looks him over, amused, and comments something to the effect of, "They won't be looking at your *face*."

check out DC in various costumes (above scene is there, but muted):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0XMQFfhJZQ

 

[TheOriginalman]

no one has any reason to believe superman has a secret identity.
thus no one really puts any thought into it.

there must be plenty of people who look like jesus, but we all believe he's not with us anymore so we don't really look at these ppl and think about it.

That's true, if one believes that Jesus had long straight hair and fair skinned (not me). That topic however belongs on another board.
As for Superman, I guess he had a method to his disguise. In old cartoons, he talks with somewhat a higher voice as Clark. I don't remember if he talked like that in the Bruce Timm animated series.

 

[Orko Is King]

Just read Birthright, Clark Kent is more than just superman with glasses. It's an act that he works on

I was gonna say that.