Superman Returns Superman's Personas

[IAmHe9]

In various interviews relating to Superman Returns, Brian Singer has said that he believes that Superman is 3 people: Kal-El, Clark Kent, and Superman. I, personally, couldn't disagree more, and it's beyond me how he thinks Kal-El (the boy from Krypton with a Kryptonian name) could possibly be the same as the farmboy the Kents named Clark.

I think these are Superman's personas:

1. Kal-El: this is who Superman really is by birth, a Kryptonian boy. Because of the obvious reasons, this is also his least developed personality, at least until he discovered his heritage and the memory of his biological parents through the Fortress Of Solitude.

2. The Real Clark Kent: This is the farm boy Kent, the son named and raised by Ma and Pa Kent, who is depicted in the TV Smallville. This is where his values, morals, and the way he behaves overall were truly formed, and it is probably the most accurate representation of his true personality.

3. The Metropolis Clark Kent: This is a version of Kent devised by Clark to hide that he is Superman. He wears thick glasses, has a nerdy hairstyle, and tries to act as un-superhero-like as possible in an attempt to fool everyone that knows him without wearing a mask in his alter-ego.

4. Superman: This is the hero Clark created in order to use his powers to protect the innocent and uphold truth, justice, and the American way. In short, this persona is the world's greatest protector.

What do you all think? Any one agree with Singer? Anybody agree with me? Have your own thoughts on his persona? Say your piece, my friends.

 

[Jul-el]

Yes,spot on.

 

[Danger Mouse]

Cool take.

I agree with you there.

 

[Galactical]

I like it.

 

[Parker]

That's a nice breakdown of the personalities he displays depending on his current circumstance. I think over time, his "Kal-El" persona has become intertwined with his "Real Clark Kent" persona, and that's where your analogy goes deeper into Superman's psyche than Bryan Singer's. Although he's only truly himself in the fortress of solitude, you can tell he shows the same emotions and character traits when he is alone on the Kent farm, or with his adoptive parents.

 

[Matt]

I don't get why everyone says Singer 'nailed' the 'real' Clark Kent. He had 2 lines.

 

[Parker]

I don't think Singer nailed anything. Brandon Routh made the movie.

 

[Dave W]

Hmmm, bit of a grey area this one. I'm not saying I disagree, but the whole Kal-El/Real Clark can be debated depending on your point of view. Does Clark act differently when he's in the Fortress? He's adopted, but that doesn't mean he is two different personalities when he's with his biological father and his adopted mother. I'd say it's Kal-El aka Clark Kent, Metropolis Clark (the Clark everyone apart from his mother knows) and Superman. I'd say Kal-El aka Clark Kent is the REAL person and Metropolis Clark and Superman are both an act. One to appear unsure and not very confident to go unnoticed, the other heroic and really confident to be a symbol to the people, with Kal-El in between.

 

[Nerial]

From what I've seen on these boards, this is the most debated issue when it comes to Superman. Some people pick pre-Crisis persona, some post-Crisis...some find a spot between the two.

Maybe Kal-El/Clark/Superman has so much crap going on, even he can't figure himself out, and that's why we're all confused.

 

[Steelsheen]

In various interviews relating to Superman Returns, Brian Singer has said that he believes that Superman is 3 people: Kal-El, Clark Kent, and Superman. I, personally, couldn't disagree more, and it's beyond me how he thinks Kal-El (the boy from Krypton with a Kryptonian name) could possibly be the same as the farmboy the Kents named Clark.

I think these are Superman's personas:

1. Kal-El: this is who Superman really is by birth, a Kryptonian boy. Because of the obvious reasons, this is also his least developed personality, at least until he discovered his heritage and the memory of his biological parents through the Fortress Of Solitude.

2. The Real Clark Kent: This is the farm boy Kent, the son named and raised by Ma and Pa Kent, who is depicted in the TV Smallville. This is where his values, morals, and the way he behaves overall were truly formed, and it is probably the most accurate representation of his true personality.

i agree entirely with your points 3 and 4, but these two points my take is slighly different. to me Kal-El and "real Clark Kent" is one and the same, but moreso Kal-El IS the real person, it is his birth name. his "Earth name" if you will is Clark Kent. but the boy whom the Kents raised, the boy who discovered his powers, the boy who left home and discovered his heritage up in the arctic, and finally the man who after five years have come full circle back on the farm-- that is Kal-El.

my take on the names Kal-El and Clark Kent can be analogous to the way the Popes take their name, an example: lots of people know the last Pope as John Paul II, but his real name is Karol Wojtyla. just because he has taken the name John Paul II doesnt mean he ceases being Karol Wojtyla and vice versa. same goes with Kal-El and Clark Kent-- they mean the same person, just called different to different people (Kal-El for Kryptonians, Clark Kent for humans).

 

[afan]

In the strict sense of the word, "Metropolis Clark", the mild mannered reporter for the Daily planet is the only persona, otherwise he is just being himself.

 

[GreenCapt]

This is why I personally prefer 'Lois & Clark's' take on Kent/Superman. He's a much more integrated persona. He has his issues but doesn't have to stretch much one way or another to pretend to be something he's not. He's rooted in his Smallville/Kent upbringing and has his parents to talk to when the going gets tough.

 

[Arkady Rossovich]

According to the comics,i think there is only 2 Personas.Kal-El,[Superman] and Clark Kent.Kal-El is Superman,Clark Kent is the human he strives to always be.

 

[afan]

Just to clarify for the discussion, a persona is an assumed identity.

 

[LostSon88]

Your perspective is almost identical to mine. Well done.

The only part we differ is in regards to Kal-El...like for me, Superman is a creation that combines both Kal-El's amazing powers and Farmboy Clark Kent's morals.

For me, Kal-El is more about a physical manifestation. But that's just me.

 

[IAmHe9]

According to the comics,i think there is only 2 Personas.Kal-El,[Superman] and Clark Kent.Kal-El is Superman,Clark Kent is the human he strives to always be.

I disagree with this one, simply because Clark on the farm and Clark in Metropolis don't really behave like the same person.

And to the multiple folks that have said that the Real Clark and Kal-El are one and the same, that argument does make a lot of sense. Except, I think of the Real Clark as the person Kent was before he discovered the Fortress Of Solitude; the person the Kents raised him to be. He only discovered his origins, heritage, and bloodlines through the Fortress. In short, The Farm Kent is who he is thanks to Nurture, and Kal-El is who he is thanks to Nature.

 

[Steelsheen]

I disagree with this one, simply because Clark on the farm and Clark in Metropolis don't really behave like the same person.

And to the multiple folks that have said that the Real Clark and Kal-El are one and the same, that argument does make a lot of sense. Except, I think of the Real Clark as the person Kent was before he discovered the Fortress Of Solitude; the person the Kents raised him to be. He only discovered his origins, heritage, and bloodlines through the Fortress. In short, The Farm Kent is who he is thanks to Nurture, and Kal-El is who he is thanks to Nature.

but arent all of us a product of Nurture and Nature?

and what do you call the guy who goes from farm boy to arctic fortress dweller to superhero to mild manner reporter to space explorer then back to farm boy? following your argument above he will neither be Clark Kent not Kal-El since Nurture and Nature has merged into one complete person.

 

[pspring5]

I wish Singer would make it clear Clark's purpose as Superman's alter ego. The old movies made clear that Clark is just the baffling idiot who is supermans disguise. In Returns, there were some parts where you wish that lois would see something in clark like in the elevator...or in the office when lois goes to see superman when she drops her stuff and clark drops his glasses....or the part where clark apologizes to lois for stealing the story where he says i hope this doesnt ruin our relationship.

I know there's really no point to this but ppl not familiar with superman should know that there's a reason Superman hasnt fully opened up to Lois.

 

[gimmen64]

After watching the film again, I must say that Singer did an excellent job with SR. Superman was right on and Clark was even better. I think that Singer showed Superman that was emotionally unsure....I hope in the sequel that Superman is stronger and confident in himself like he was in first two movies.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

I don't get why everyone says Singer 'nailed' the 'real' Clark Kent. He had 2 lines.

Don't count very well, do we?

 

[Mr. Socko]

Singer knows jack about the real Superman.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

Singer knows jack about the real Superman.

For someone you obviously hate so much, you seem to talk about him an awful lot.