What if Clark Kent isn't a disguise?

[TheDragonator]

That is possibly the dumbest theory ever.

If he's publicly recognized, dressing up as Clark Kent at all is completely pointless. He might as well be Superman 24/7 and never take the damn suit off.

 

[Rowsdower!]

I was thinking about this too and I actually think it could work in the way that Thor did away with the Donald Blake character, Iron Man eliminated Tony's secret identity at the end, and Green Lantern was recognized by pretty much everyone he knew. The problem is, while it might make for a better movie, I'm not so sure it would work here since the Clark Kent character is so iconic and while the whole "using glasses to hide your identity" think is ridiculous, it's something that's been so prevalent in Superman stories that I'm not sure changing it is a good idea because like someone said, it could piss people off like that horrid Abrams script.

 

[Kurosawa]

Superman couldn't handle his duties without having the escape of Clark Kent. Only as Clark can he walk among people as an equal-and unlike Tony Stark or Thor, Superman WANTS to spend time with people as an equal.

 

[ElDuderino]

Smallville Clark (whatever that means, is that the guy who eats cake with his parents while whining about not being able to defeat Lex Luthor?) = Superman

No need to make this overly complicated and keep in mind that the whole Smallville chapter should be over the moment Superman moves to Metropolis, it's only the cradle of a hero. The only remnants of this time might be Lana Lang (and Pete Ross... and Lex, perhaps).

Smallville Clark is the guy he was up until his early 20s. The guy he grew up being. That IS HIM. You don't just reach the age of 24 and then become someone else. You're that person for the rest of your life. It's how you were raised and how you grew up and how you learned about the world, developed tastes, mannerisms, peccadilloes, etc.

 

[Kurosawa]

Smallville Clark (whatever that means, is that the guy who eats cake with his parents while whining about not being able to defeat Lex Luthor?) = Superman

No need to make this overly complicated and keep in mind that the whole Smallville chapter should be over the moment Superman moves to Metropolis, it's only the cradle of a hero. The only remnants of this time might be Lana Lang (and Pete Ross... and Lex, perhaps).

"Smallville Clark" was one of the worst things to ever happen to Superman...I'll be glad to see him gone in the comics.

 

[ArmsHeldOut]

Smallville Clark is the guy he was up until his early 20s. The guy he grew up being. That IS HIM. You don't just reach the age of 24 and then become someone else. You're that person for the rest of your life. It's how you were raised and how you grew up and how you learned about the world, developed tastes, mannerisms, peccadilloes, etc.

Very well said!

 

[sf2]

don't care at all if kent the disguise or the real person as long as he has the most screen time and the character is well developed.

don't make it like a movie about lex luthor seeking revenge like previously did or about the battle of krypton continues to the planet earth.

 

[elgaz]

I think getting rid of Superman's secret identity would be a total disaster.

Superman may be alien and have godlike powers, but he's still also very human. He has emotions, insecurities, fears. He's not a robot.

The Clark Kent (Metropolis Kent, not Smallville Kent) identity is his way of coping with that. He needs downtime. He can't be on call 24/7 saving people. He needs time to think, time to feel he's part of humanity and not just this detached guardian who stands watch over everyone.

Having the Clark Kent identity also has numerous practical advantages - instant access to world news in the newsroom, a means to do investigative work without exposing who he is, a way to guage how Superman is perceived by the people on the street, etc.

Whilst your reasons for your theory are sound, I disagree that Clark may be a DP reporter before becoming Superman. I think it will be the other way round. I have a suspicion that Clark will have travelled a lot as a freelance journalist, will return to Smallville and suddenly be faced by Zod/etc. He will become Superman, and then later down the line figure that he needs a dual identity for the reasons I posted above ............... which will lead to him getting a job in the Daily Planet and developed his Metropolis Clark Kent persona. This would explain why we have not yet seen him in any glasses or suits.

 

[The Sage]

Smallville Clark is the guy he was up until his early 20s. The guy he grew up being. That IS HIM. You don't just reach the age of 24 and then become someone else. You're that person for the rest of your life. It's how you were raised and how you grew up and how you learned about the world, developed tastes, mannerisms, peccadilloes, etc.

Smallville Clark Kent is the guy that grew up and became Superman. The Clark Kent seen by everyone from that point on was the mild-mannered Clark Kent, whose persona he assumes.

Fans see it one of these ways:

Superman/Kal-El - Real person
Clark Kent - Persona

Or...

REAL Clark Kent/Kal-El - Real person
Mild-mannered Clark Kent - Persona
Superman - Extension of Clark Kent/Kal-El

For me, Superman and REAL Clark Kent/Kal-El are pretty much the same personality, so the dual persona is my viewpoint. I love it, it's what makes Superman unique.

 

[Superman_200]

Didn't Marlon Brando do that for Vito Corleone?

He sure did, and a few other actors do this too for parts where they are being aged. I think Russell Crowe did it too for "A Beautiful Mind".

 

[Krumm]

Smallville Clark is the guy he was up until his early 20s. The guy he grew up being. That IS HIM. You don't just reach the age of 24 and then become someone else. You're that person for the rest of your life. It's how you were raised and how you grew up and how you learned about the world, developed tastes, mannerisms, peccadilloes, etc.

Totally agree.

I like seeing Smallville Clark Kent as a person - it makes him relatable. Even though he is not a human, he was raised by humans and has always seen himself as one until he discovers the truth. That is a heavy burden to carry and it's good to see him struggle -- something the movies seem to shy away from.

I personally hope the cutdown on mild-mannered Clark's screen time.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

I like seeing Smallville Clark Kent as a person - it makes him relatable.

This word should be banned.

How is a guy that has everything (superpowers, career success, family) relatable?

 

[Krumm]

This word should be banned.

How is a guy that has everything (superpowers, career success, family) relatable?

Because deep down he is a person. He was raised by humans, has lived as a human for most of his life, he has human emotions. Now naturally he does struggle with his human and Kryptonian side but that just makes for great conflict.

If Superman wasn't relatable or if you didn't care about him, you wouldn't be a fan. It's Character Writing 101 and the foundation of good storytelling -- you need to care about your characters, you need to relate to them. If you don't, it's because they are simply bad characters.

It's actually that single minded thinking that "Superman has everything. What's he got to complain about," that's gotten him to where he is with the public. And quite frankly, one of the biggest reasons I'm a fan of him is only because I was a fan since I was kid. Frankly, if find good Superman stories hard to come by. But the ones that I love, are the ones where I relate to him... go figure.

 

[El Payaso]

He can't be Superman all the time. Clark Kent allows him a chance to take a break and a live norman human life. Plus, as a reporter, he can fight the good fight through journalism. So both roles can go towards his mission of helping the world.

I agree. And I like the double personality thing. But exactly, why can't he be Superman all the time? I mean, it might be boring, torturing etc, but why exactly it is 'impossible'?

Wasn't Supes trying to be Supes 24/7 part of the Kingdom Come storyline? It's been so long since I read it. Wasn't that what lead him to retirement?

He was kind of Kal-El all the time. As you said he was retired. At the end, Wonder Woman gives him his old Clark Kent glasses, he puts them on and he... becomes human again.

I was thinking about this too and I actually think it could work in the way that Thor did away with the Donald Blake character, Iron Man eliminated Tony's secret identity at the end, and Green Lantern was recognized by pretty much everyone he knew. The problem is, while it might make for a better movie, I'm not so sure it would work here since the Clark Kent character is so iconic and while the whole "using glasses to hide your identity" think is ridiculous, it's something that's been so prevalent in Superman stories that I'm not sure changing it is a good idea because like someone said, it could piss people off like that horrid Abrams script.

I liked when they had Wonder Woman without her Diana Prince doubnle personality in some animated movie. I ignore if she is the same in comic currently though.

Superman couldn't handle his duties without having the escape of Clark Kent. Only as Clark can he walk among people as an equal-and unlike Tony Stark or Thor, Superman WANTS to spend time with people as an equal.

I understand and I porefer it this way. But, as I asked Sage, why exactly Superman can NOT handle his duties witout walking among men? Couldn't he stop crimes and perevent accidents all the same?

 

[Tacit Ronin]

It's Character Writing 101 and the foundation of good storytelling -- you need to care about your characters, you need to relate to them. If you don't, it's because they are simply bad characters.

Daniel Plainviw is a bad character? What about Jake Lamotta?

But the ones that I love, are the ones where I relate to him... go figure.

Did you read All Star Superman? And did you relate to that version of Supes?

 

[Krumm]

Daniel Plainviw is a bad character? What about Jake Lamotta?

No. But I can relate to some aspect of them. And to care about a character doesn't mean they have to be a good person. I can care about seeing them succeed or fail. The fact is that I care.

Did you read All Star Superman? And did you relate to that version of Supes?

Yes. I occasionally question my own mortality.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

It's actually that single minded thinking that "Superman has everything. What's he got to complain about," that's gotten him to where he is with the public. And quite frankly, one of the biggest reasons I'm a fan of him is only because I was a fan since I was kid. Frankly, if find good Superman stories hard to come by. But the ones that I love, are the ones where I relate to him... go figure.

Pre-Crisis: Superman was more of an outsider
Post-Crisis: "Superman"(Clark Kent in a costume) has everything

That's not single-minded thinking it was fact in the last 25 years of Superman. Here's a guy who doesn't feel alien, his parents are alive and super-nice, the women loved him even as Clark Kent, with a successful career. And yet, he failed. That made him a loser.

Seriously, half of the people think Superman is a loser because of that and the other half thinks he's lame because so perfect. Both do not really know **** about the real Superman.

 

[Krumm]

Pre-Crisis: Superman was more of an outsider
Post-Crisis: "Superman"(Clark Kent in a costume) has everything

That's not single-minded thinking it was fact in the last 25 years of Superman. Here's a guy who doesn't feel alien, his parents are alive and super-nice, the women loved him even as Clark Kent, with a successful career. And yet, he failed. That made him a loser.

Seriously, half of the people think Superman is a loser because of that and the other half thinks he's lame because so perfect. Both do not really know **** about the real Superman.

I don't think I'm necessarily disagreeing with you on this point. I'm not say it's single-minded to think that comics portray Superman as having everything, I think it's single-minded to view Superman as a character who is this perfect God that has everything -- as a character who doesn't have human emotions and thereby isn't relatable.

Like I said, I find good Superman stories hard to come by because they treat him as too "super" and too perfect. The ones I like are where he is more flawed, more human, more relatable.

 

[SuperFerret]

With all the arguing over who's the "real" person, Clark Kent or Superman, you've gotta admit that the glasses are working. Nobody can agree that they're the same guy.

 

[Krumm]

Ha! Nice.

 

[Doc Krypton]

This word should be banned.

How is a guy that has everything (superpowers, career success, family) relatable?

The protagonist of a story generally should be relatable. It's good writing. It's why so many people enjoy Spider-Man and, to some extent (considering his monetary status), Batman. I have no problem with Superman actually having human problems. It grounds him and makes him more human rather than making him some sort of god, which would defeat all the beliefs that he tries to expound.

 

[SuperFerret]

This word should be banned.

How is a guy that has everything (superpowers, career success, family) relatable?

Superpowers don't count, first of all. Second, don't assume all of us are unemployed orphans. Third, the details in a life of a character don't need to be like yours to be relatable. All "relatable" means is that you can empathize with them.

 

[ElDuderino]

Smallville Clark Kent is the guy that grew up and became Superman. The Clark Kent seen by everyone from that point on was the mild-mannered Clark Kent, whose persona he assumes.

Fans see it one of these ways:

Superman/Kal-El - Real person
Clark Kent - Persona

Or...

REAL Clark Kent/Kal-El - Real person
Mild-mannered Clark Kent - Persona
Superman - Extension of Clark Kent/Kal-El

For me, Superman and REAL Clark Kent/Kal-El are pretty much the same personality, so the dual persona is my viewpoint. I love it, it's what makes Superman unique.

Yeah, it's a mixture of the two. I've said it before on here, it's like how every person acts slightly different at their job. They're not someone different. You just have to put on different faces for different reasons. But the whole point is that it's not as black & white as most people put it when they say "Clark is the disguise".

 

[SuperFerret]

He's the same guy at all times. Have you ever seen people at all? Put the same person into different situations and you'll see them consistently act differently but none of those are personas, just varying degrees of expressing certain traits.

 

[Rowsdower!]

How about a movie where everyone else knows that Clark is Superman, but HE doesn't know. I don't mean that he naively assumes people won't recognize him behind a pair of glasses. I mean that he literally believes he is two different people.

That would be a new take on Superman.