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

[phoenixflight]

Who is Clark Kent?

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...

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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...

 

[hammy]

I love the old school Clark/Superman. 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. t:

 

[phoenixflight]

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

 

[The Sage]

 

[The Sage]

 

[The Sage]

 

[The Sage]

 

[SuperDaniel]

Steve Rude is the best!!

 

[Suzi_Jazz]

I love this pic. The style, color, and the detail are the best.

 

[hammy]

Thanks, Sage.

 

[phoenixflight]

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

 

[The Sage]

 

[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...

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.