Favorite explainations for the Clark Kent disguise actually working

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Throughout the years, as comics fans grew older and older, they began demanding more and more convoluted explainations why ideas as nonsensical and ridiculous as super-heroes aren't nonsensical or ridiculous at all. Amongst the most popular is explaining why nobody recognizes Clark Kent and Superman as the same guy.

Superman possessed super-hypnosis that subconsciously kept people from recognizing him as Clark Kent.

Similarly, Clark Kent's glasses were actually Kryptonian lenses with the ability to cloud Superman's identity.

At one point, it was said that Superman's face muscles were actually able to contort themselves into a new shape so that Clark Kent's face was noticably different from Superman's.

Superman's built robot doubles to appear alongside Clark Kent. Also, J'Onn J'Onzz has posed as both Superman and Clark on occassion when both men were required to appear together.

More recent explainations have included Clark studying acting, slouching, changing his voice and the lenses of his glasses masking the unearthly blue of his Kryptonian eyes.

Which of these works best for you? Or, do you have a better idea?

[bw38]

I would like to see him lose the disguise. What if it was revealed that Clark Kent = Superman. Would it really make a difference to the world? Consider this, Superman is stronger than any other human already. What is really stopping him for revealing his identity? I don't buy that he needs to disguise himself as a news reporter to know more about the bad things going on in the world. I mean he's Superman. In the movie Superman Returns, if you recall, Superman goes up into outer space or far enough where he could still breath and he lays still hearing all the cries for help. If Superman could do that, why does he really need to be a news reporter at all? Does he feel that being a news reporter is as close to being a human as he'll ever get? Whatever the excuse I would like to see Superman without a disguise (they all seem pretty lame anyways). Reveal to the world that Clark Kent and Superman are one in the same. It isn't like the world hates him as Superman.

Sorry for turning it around a bit. I guess my question would be, why does Superman need a disguise in the first place if he's Superman?

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Sorry for turning it around a bit. I guess my question would be, why does Superman need a disguise in the first place if he's Superman?

Superman doesn't have a secret identity to protect himself, he has a secret identity to protect his loved ones. If it were revealed that Clark Kent was Superman, how long do you think it would take before Lex Luthor had Ma & Pa Kent snatched and started sending Superman peices of them in the mail?

Superman may be invunerable, but his friends & family are all too human.

[PatrickG]

In a city the size of Metropolis, there are dozens of people who look exactly like Superman or close to it.

Clark's acting is believable.

They've been seen together countless times.

People see a passing resemblance but everybody's seen more than one or two people who look just as much like Superman as Clark and, well... Clark is Clark.

Though if we're to believe Clark is accepted as being good friends with Superman, maybe there's a story for how the public thinks they met. Maybe a situation where Clark had to wear the costume in public and still acknowledge that he was Clark. Perhaps he "met Superman", the two were seen together and its presumed that they pulled a switcheroo.

If you needed to make the lie elaborate, Superman could claim to have modeled his appearance on Clark.

[Paul Dee]

I've always just gone along with "there's no reason for anyone to suspect that Superman has a secret identity".

[Your Imaginary Pal]

If Superman decides to lose the CLark Persona it doesn't necessarilly mean that he has to out himself as Clark, Leaving his loved ones safe. He could just have Clark "die, having out loved his usefulness." maybe he can do this after the Kents kick the Bucket.

As for the threads intent.
A well placed double seems to be the simplest ruse.
Everything else is beyond absurd and like way too much work.

[MaxofSteel]

why does Superman need a disguise in the first place if he's Superman?

Superman was raised as Clark Kent. Letting that persona go would be equal to letting his humanity go (in some respect).

Even if revealing his identity to the world would do little risk to himself physically, he would never get to do all the little things that normal humans get to do on a daily basis. This is the way I see it at least.

Anyhow these are the methods I find more believable:

Clark studying acting, slouching, changing his voice and the lenses of his glasses masking the unearthly blue of his Kryptonian eyes.

J'Onn J'Onzz has posed as both Superman and Clark on occassion when both men were required to appear together.

[Gernot]

I've always just gone along with "there's no reason for anyone to suspect that Superman has a secret identity".

This reason as stated by Paul, plus the fact that when Superman appears, people are so taken by his costume and ablilities that they don't THINK to look at his face, has always worked for me.

Think about it. If YOU saw a man lifting an 18-wheeler over his head, would YOU stop to examine his face very closely? Or, if you saw Superman dropping down harmlessly from 20 stories above?

[dancj]

I've always just gone along with "there's no reason for anyone to suspect that Superman has a secret identity".
Yeah - that combined with the fact that he acts completely differently as Clark Kent. When I was a kid I couldn't see the resemblance between Christopher Reeve as Clark and Christopher Reeve as Superman

[Hellcow]

I think All Star Superman got it right.

[MythicBrawn]

None of them work for me. Anyone that knows, and is arguably, close with Clark and Superman should be able to figure it out. Joe Citizen would have a hard time putting it together but there is no reason that prize-winning, investigative reporters (Perry White, Lois Lane) shouldn't figure it. Other people would start to wonder why Superman is always defending, protecting, etc. another man's wife. Lois was known as Superman's girlfriend and then she drops him to marry another guy, Clark Kent. Yet, Superman is always around them "two" or mostly her. I'm surprised that a rag newspaper hasn't made speculations about their relationship. To me, it wouldn't take much to figure Superman and Clark are one and the same. Even if they've been seen together. What, no one would think that Superman can create duplicates?

[The Mirrorball Man]

"I've always liked you Kent. You're humble, modest, uncoordinated: human. You're everything he's not".
Lex Luthor - All Star Superman

That's enough for me, though I like Mark Waid's "kryptonian blue eyes" explanation. It makes Superman slightly more alien.

[MaxofSteel]

I like Mark Waid's "kryptonian blue eyes" explanation. It makes Superman slightly more alien.

Yea I thought that was a pretty cool idea too.

[Joe Acro]

I like the idea that no one's looking for it. Maybe in conjunction with him hiding it through various physical changes.

[dupersuper]

The best is J'onn or Mae having been seen/televised/photographed with Clark/Supes while posing as his alter-ego.

[David Atkins]

The best explanation is that not only is he an excellent actor, but he has such minute control over his body's musculature that Superman and Clark actually look quite a bit different-- Superman being a couple of inches taller, broader shouldered, etc. etc. etc.

This, of course, works even more effectively with the shapeshifters whom have allowed the two identities to appear in public together over the years, and the 'Why would he need one?' mentality of many people concerning a 'secret identity'.

[Phthano]

I can see the Kryptonian blue eyes explanation. There ARE real lenses that do this exact thing, so it's not exactly far-fetched. I also think the "Why Would He Need a secret identity?" idea is valid. I mean, If you were someone who came from an alien world, (And I don't think many know that he landed as an infant? Not up to date on my Ubermensch.) and you were invulnerable, you probably wouldn't have any "loved ones" considering you're almost a monster despite humanoid appearance. I mean, the difference between a monster and a powerful ally is basically diplomacy. Also, I propose the reason that no one at the newspaper speculated on Clark/Superman as one is that journalists aren't supposed to write about their own. At least, that is what I was taught in my journalism class. I realize journalism has a lot of varying ethics, though.

Just my ideas ;o

-Phthano

[Black Atom]

I've always just gone along with "there's no reason for anyone to suspect that Superman has a secret identity".

This really is the best, and simplest, explanation. The example I always use is of my friend Juile, who looks remarkably like Kirsten Dunst. I've never stood in the room with both of them, yet it'd be pretty silly of me to think that my friend Julie is really Kirsten Dunst's secret identity.

[Ekko]

This really is the best, and simplest, explanation. The example I always use is of my friend Juile, who looks remarkably like Kirsten Dunst. I've never stood in the room with both of them, yet it'd be pretty silly of me to think that my friend Julie is really Kirsten Dunst's secret identity.

I'd remembered you posted this in another thread, I thought it was a great analogy and it really put it in perspective for me, and I was just about to bring it up. This, coupled with the fact that the two of them have been seen together a multitude of times and it really isn't farfetched at all.

[Ekko]

Throughout the years, as comics fans grew older and older, they began demanding more and more convoluted explainations why ideas as nonsensical and ridiculous as super-heroes aren't nonsensical or ridiculous at all. Amongst the most popular is explaining why nobody recognizes Clark Kent and Superman as the same guy.


Oh by the by, this is one of the greatest lines I've ever read. I humbly bow before your awesomeness!

[ACertainMrDoe]

Now, there is a guy who can move planets, fly through a star, stop bullets with his chest, turn coal into diamonds, create hurricanes through breathing, melt guns by looking at them, fly faster than sound and lift buildings.

Then, there is a guy who stumbles around, wears nerdy glasses, is timid and always "away" when something violent happens, doesn't speak out loud and is reporter at a newspaper.

In reality, NO ONE would ever even come close to thinking that these two guys could be the same! It's so out of this world... It's like saying "I found out that Tony Blair and Arnold Schwarzenegger are in fact the same person!"

[Syzygy]

When I was a kid I couldn't see the resemblance between Christopher Reeve as Clark and Christopher Reeve as Superman

Chris Reeve, RIP, gave a truly masterful performance. He really did work to make the two appear truly different.

Chris was one of my favorite actors.

Peace,
Syzygy

[The Foreigner]

This is a great thread.

I'd remembered you posted this in another thread, I thought it was a great analogy and it really put it in perspective for me, and I was just about to bring it up. This, coupled with the fact that the two of them have been seen together a multitude of times and it really isn't farfetched at all.

I also remember Black Atom mentioning this analogy elsewhere, and agree that it's a great comparison.

I stick by the "nobody expects Superman to have a secret identity" explanation. I dig Quitely's Clark in All Star Superman, but I'm generally fine with having a more subtle, less bumbling Clark and having it be perfectly believable (Routh in Superman Returns, for example)

[Paul Dee]

The thing I find odd is how the comics and the movies seem to ignore the "nobody expects Superman to have a secret identity" idea. Lois Lane in Superman II springs to mind as does that brilliant Superman issue by John Byrne where Lex uses a super computer to deduce Superman's identity (when it reveals it to be Clark Kent Lex's arrogance blinds him into dismissing it as he can't comprehend why someone with the power of a God would chose to live their life like a humble newsreporter like Kent). I guess ignoring this aspect makes for better stories really, as the 2 points sort of prove.

[Sijo]

I like a combination of ideas:

-That Superman has no secret identity. As far as most people know, he came from Krypton as an adult and lives in the Fortress of Solitude.

-That there are several famous people who look like him. (Pre-Crisis, Superman kept running into people who were IDENTICAL to him, including an actor who played him in the movies (of Earth-1.)

-Finally, he's got Kryptonian technology at his disposition. If the X-Men can have image inducers to disguise Beast's and Nightcrawler's appearance, why not Superman?

[lucasb]

Chris Reeve, RIP, gave a truly masterful performance. He really did work to make the two appear truly different.

Chris was one of my favorite actors.

Peace,
Syzygy

Seconded. But you probably already deduced that just from my avatar...

I'd also add: the actor who playes Hiro on Heroes. Last Monday we got to see him as bumbly, nerdy, present-day Hiro and his badass "future" version. Masi Oka did a fantastic job of presenting two completely different personalities; his future version somehow even LOOKED slimmer and tougher.

Favorite lines:

Ando: "Go talk to you."

Present-Day Hiro: "No! I scare me!"

[Pinual]

I tend to follow the "no one expects him to have a secret id" belief. However, I always thought a cool story would have been Perry (and maybe Jimmy) revealing that they have known for a long time now but have respected Clark enough to maintain the "act."

[Joker2503]

That has been mentioned several times before. In 'Hush', Superman says that Perry White was too good an investigator to not know his secret. Batman said the same about Jim Gordon.

I think those closest to Superman know, but they don't reveal it out of respect and loyalty to him.

[Jack]

That has been mentioned several times before. In 'Hush', Superman says that Perry White was too good an investigator to not know his secret. Batman said the same about Jim Gordon.

I think those closest to Superman know, but they don't reveal it out of respect and loyalty to him.Jimmy doesn't know, but I can remember at least one case of Clark actually being surprised about this. My theory would be that Jimmy doesn't want to connect the two of them consciously, because he likes things as they are. I think there's also the fact that for both Perry White and Jim Gordon knowing Superman or Batman's identity could be extremely dangerous - they then might find themselves unable to lie about it, or even ethically bound to reveal it.

[Captain Smith]

I'm sorry - in a really intense technological and media age - given the suspicion that heroes have secret identities, someone would check out Supes. Given they are seen together means little as anyone in the DCU could come up with 15 ways to do that.

Modern facial recognition software is capable of abstracting the facial structures away from hair and glasses.

Unless, Clark really changes his face - it's just part of the plot we accept for love of the story.

[shadow of a madman]

Everybody knows.They're just playing along to make Clark feel clever.

*Jimmy and Perry are standing at the water cooler*
Perry:Heh,here comes Superman.Oh,wait,I mean "Clark" play dumb,Olsen.
*Clark walks up*
Jimmy:Hey,Clark how's things?
Clark: Dull as usual,Jimmy.
Jimmy:Yeah,sure.....
*Clark leaves and Jimmy and Perry burst into laughter*

[sun tzu]

If you needed to make the lie elaborate, Superman could claim to have modeled his appearance on Clark.
You know, that actually happened in a webcomic I read...
In "Fans", there was a short arc with a superheroic "Hyperman" showing up, and the lookalike reporter Lance Clarckson constantly criticizing him. As it turned out, Hyperman was a shape-shifting alien who, when he came to Earth, had seen Lance and copied his appearance to blend in. As a result of that, wherever Lance went, people assumed he was Hyperman in disguise and "humored" him - and he didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise. Hence his hatred of Hyperman.

[Sean Whitmore]

Superman doesn't have a secret identity to protect himself, he has a secret identity to protect his loved ones.

It's also to give Superman some well-deserved downtime. Like Jor-El says, he can't serve humanity 28 hours a day. :)


I've always just gone along with "there's no reason for anyone to suspect that Superman has a secret identity".

That's always been my favorite. I call it the "Arrogance of Luthor" theory.


SEAN

[PatrickG]

I'm sorry - in a really intense technological and media age - given the suspicion that heroes have secret identities, someone would check out Supes. Given they are seen together means little as anyone in the DCU could come up with 15 ways to do that.

Modern facial recognition software is capable of abstracting the facial structures away from hair and glasses.

Unless, Clark really changes his face - it's just part of the plot we accept for love of the story.

Okay...

Howabout this...

Jor-El hid a device in the rocket designed to make 200,000 infants with the right genetics into exact physical doppelgangers of his son.

So there are 200,000 men on earth with the EXACT bone structure, hairline, build, etc.

Heck, that could be an interesting story.

[Lightbend]

Someone said it first-look how Chris Reeves did it. Clark's voice, stature, height, even facial expression was entirely different from Superman's. In the directors cut of Superman II, the scene where Lois makes him reveal, the transformation is right there on screen.

I'd imagine it's the same in the comics-given, when Clark doesn't have to separate the two (the OYL arc, for example), the line is a little blurred. During his year without powers, for example, he became quite the ballsy reporter. On the other hand, he's so good at differentiating the two and making use of his resources (shape-shifting friends, kryptonian tech), that even Lex Luthor, super-genius, thinks they're two different people.

[dreyga2000]

I pretty much came off with idea many famous people have look alikes. I mean if I saw the some looking identical to the Pope (Or any other famous person for that matter) wearing a hoodie or somtething at the supermarket and went "You look idetical like the Pope there for you must be the one and only Pope..."

The he goes "No I'm pretty much just a guy... y know buying milk but I do like a famous person..."

I'd be inclince to believe him unless there were clues that lean toward him being the Pope...

If that makes any sense... I'd think the same thing would apply of Clark Kent

[Gernot]

Here's more proof that Superman's disguise works.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c145/Gernot1962/SupermanClarkKent.jpg

Do you REALLY need more? :)

[Harding Prime]

"Superman's built robot doubles to appear alongside Clark Kent. Also, J'Onn J'Onzz has posed as both Superman and Clark on occassion when both men were required to appear together."

"More recent explainations have included Clark studying acting, slouching, changing his voice and the lenses of his glasses masking the unearthly blue of his Kryptonian eyes."

Those are my two favorite or best explanations for his disguise working. The first one is just an obvious diversion that can fool anyone. But I like the last one, the newest one from "Birthright" because its so simplistic and makes you feel that it could actually work. Something you can add to that is that when you blend into the crowd, even if you are Superman's twin, (which Clark obviously is) no is going to put that together. We question it because we know the truth and think it is stupid, but if we lived in a world with a Superman, who would even bring the question up of who else could this man be. No one even thinks that Superman would have a secret identity in the first place, he shows his face to the world every day. So no one noticing that Clark and Superman are one in the same is obvious because no one would have think that Superman would ever have to be a Clark Kent.

[Darth Joker]

Here's more proof that Superman's disguise works.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c145/Gernot1962/SupermanClarkKent.jpg

Do you REALLY need more? :)

Yeah... that picture works for me. Simply seeing that picture has changed my mind a bit.

Really, it's not *that* hard to buy, especially given what Martian Manhunter did for Clark/Superman. If I saw Superman and Clark Kent talking to one another, I'd obviously wipe out any idea that they're one and the same.

The main problem is Lois Lane... all around. I can see Superman fooling her for, say, even up to a year... but EVENTUALLY she'd get it, unless Martian Manhunter did his thing within the first year of Lois meeting Clark (and I don't think he did).

Now that Lois is married to Clark, I'm surprised tabloid reporters haven't seen controversial scenes of Lois with Superman and start to add 2 and 2 together.

[Harding Prime]

Now that Lois is married to Clark, I'm surprised tabloid reporters haven't seen controversial scenes of Lois with Superman and start to add 2 and 2 together.

Now that would be a good angle to go with. That's when people can start wondering. Good thinking!

[dupersuper]

Now that would be a good angle to go with. That's when people can start wondering. Good thinking!

It was already done in an old Lois&Clark episode.

[Captain Smith]

The picture is wonderfully symmetrical. Clark is Superman! Just suspend disbelief. It would be figured out in a second if someone made a picture like that.

Just take the picture into any image program and zap out the glasses. It's the same guy.

[Harding Prime]

It was already done in an old Lois&Clark episode.

Well maybe in some type of continuity, and not some garbage show. It's not like they haven't taken anything from other media's and put it into the comic.:rolleyes:

[aeastwic]

Someone said it first-look how Chris Reeves did it. Clark's voice, stature, height, even facial expression was entirely different from Superman's. In the directors cut of Superman II, the scene where Lois makes him reveal, the transformation is right there on screen.

I'd imagine it's the same in the comics-given, when Clark doesn't have to separate the two (the OYL arc, for example), the line is a little blurred. During his year without powers, for example, he became quite the ballsy reporter. On the other hand, he's so good at differentiating the two and making use of his resources (shape-shifting friends, kryptonian tech), that even Lex Luthor, super-genius, thinks they're two different people.

Agree 100%. Not only do Clark and Superman completely act different, but their entire demeanor is different. Plus the fact that who is going to believe that someone they know is "Superman", plus a little suspension of disbelief and you have it.

Although I have my issues with Birthright, Ma Kent has it right when she implies that it's more than a pair of glasses.

[zebop]

There's way too much over-thinking going on here. There really are only two possible explanations for why the Clark Kent disguise works.

1. Everyone around Superman is extremely stupid and near-sighted. The same principle works for why nobody in Star City notices that the mayor and their only super-hero are both blondes with a funny goatees.

2. Everybody knows Clark is Superman and saw through the lame disguise years ago. It's kind of the same way your friends won't tell you how your hairline is receding or you've put on a few pounds. They just allow you your happy illusion and hope eventually you'll figure it out yourself.

:cool:

[Bored at 3:00AM]

There's way too much over-thinking going on here.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but over-thinking is the entire point of the thread.

[Rik Levins]

Part of the problem here is that people are thinking of Superman in terms of celebrities. Actors, rock stars, politicians, sports figures, people whose faces you see plastered all over the media, 24/7. Heck, most of them hire publicists whose sole job is to make sure we are bombarded with images of their client as often as possible.
If Superman were real, that would be the last thing he'd do. Think in terms of Bigfoot rather than Paris Hilton. Superman wouldn't appear on talk shows or give interviews with a photo spread. Instead, he'd appear out of nowhere when there was a disaster, catch the falling plane or whatever, hang around just long enough to make sure everyone was okay, and then disappear.
Sure, there'd be photos, especially in this day and age when camera phones are everywhere. But there wouldn't be very many nice, posed, closeup shots, except when some cameraman got really lucky with a telephoto lens. Most pictures of Superman would be blurred distance shots taken while he was moving.
Add to that the fact that, for any given person, there are always other people who resemble him or her, sometimes very strongly. Some people even make their living by "doubling" for celebrities.
And finally, as other people here have already said, why would anyone think he even had a "secret identity"? I once stood in line at a Subway sub shop next to a woman who looked exactly like a well-known actress; even the checkout girl commented on how amazing her resemblance was. At no time did it ever even occur to us that it might actually have been the person she looked like. Who would expect to see a wealthy actress standing in line at an ordinary sub shop in Orlando? Who would expect to see a godlike being such as Superman wearing an ordinary business suit and working at the next desk over in the office...especially when the guy acted like a nerd?
The one mistake in both the 1978 movie and Byrne's Man of Steel reboot was in having Superman grant an interview to Lois Lane, a woman he worked with every day, rather than some other reporter from a different newspaper. Obviously this was necessary to the story, but it would have been a serious error in judgment had these been real people. Once Superman interacted closely enough with someone like that, they would eventually have seen through the Clark disguise.
But for casual acquaintances of Clark's, who've never seen Superman except at a distance--I see no reason why the disguise wouldn't work.

[Froggy]

You know, that actually happened in a webcomic I read...
In "Fans", there was a short arc with a superheroic "Hyperman" showing up, and the lookalike reporter Lance Clarckson constantly criticizing him. As it turned out, Hyperman was a shape-shifting alien who, when he came to Earth, had seen Lance and copied his appearance to blend in. As a result of that, wherever Lance went, people assumed he was Hyperman in disguise and "humored" him - and he didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise. Hence his hatred of Hyperman.
I gotta check this out
It's also to give Superman some well-deserved downtime. Like Jor-El says, he can't serve humanity 28 hours a day. :)




That's always been my favorite. I call it the "Arrogance of Luthor" theory.


SEAN

That was a great story. Loved the ending with luthor dismissing it all cause of what he'd do with that power

[Kid Omega]

I like the fact that fans will accept a character that flies, is impossibly strong, bulletproof, and can shoot rays of heat out of his eye-balls... but somehow his method of disguise is unrealistic.

[glennsim]

I like the fact that fans will accept a character that flies, is impossibly strong, bulletproof, and can shoot rays of heat out of his eye-balls... but somehow his method of disguise is unrealistic.

Nobody says they don't accept it. But just as we want to hear that his super-powers are the result of lighter gravity and yellow sun rays, we want to know why people don't recognize him.

Since we don't have first-hand knowledge of the effects of lighter gravity and yellow sun rays on someone from another planet, it's easy to take their word for it. But since we all know people who wear glasses, it's a little harder to believe.

Again, nobody is saying Superman comics are totally ruined by this, it's just a fun discussion to have.

[Rattlehead]

I remember an episode of the old George Reeves television show where he jokes with Lois and Jimmy about being Superman and they both have a good hearty laugh at his expense about it. No one wants to believe that the most powerful being on Earth is really a bumbling dork like Clark Kent.

[Rugal 3:16]

My Favourite explanation was a "theoretical" explanation from Pre-crisis

since the "Sword of Superman" story basically connotes superman as the "Chosen one" in which destiny itself is guiding (hence Jonathan Kent's dream about the S-Logo)

It kinda indirectly leads to the DCU version of god (the spectre's boss AKA The Presence) is himself PROTECTING Superman's disguise (although this fails in Whatever happened to the man of tomorrow) so no one would be able to recognize him even in glasses, people's minds are shut (somehow)

but again these are comics and that's just my favourite explanation.

[Nintendite]

A. He's a damn good actor
B. Nobody thinks that he HAS a secret identity
C. Those that DO or COULD figure out his secret identity either have reason not to tell anyone (Lois, Lana, and the Kents for their own safety), are other superheroes (the rest of the Justice League and a few other heroes), have been mindwiped (the villains of the last great switcharoo) or don't let on that they probably know it (Perry, who I'm guessing is in the Jim Gordon school of not-admitting-you-know even when you almost certainly have figured it out).
D. Superman has an unknown power that makes people think he isn't Superman unless if the person is extremely strong-willed or Clark himself rips open his shirt to show the S right in front of them. Call it "Super-Disbelief Projection".

[Powerboy]

I'm partial to the face muscles explanation. The super hypnosis is fun but leads to, "Why doesn't he use it for other things?" As long as the changes he can make to his face are fairly minor, it could work but then he should be able to do at leasts a variety of minor disguises. Hmm, maybe the lenses are a gift from Dr. Fate or the Phantom Stranger or Zatanna, keyed specifically to prevent people from seeing him as the same person when he's not wearing them as when he is. Or maybe the lenses just bend light in a strange way and make him look different. Or maybe I'm just gonna stop now.

Throughout the years, as comics fans grew older and older, they began demanding more and more convoluted explainations why ideas as nonsensical and ridiculous as super-heroes aren't nonsensical or ridiculous at all. Amongst the most popular is explaining why nobody recognizes Clark Kent and Superman as the same guy.

Superman possessed super-hypnosis that subconsciously kept people from recognizing him as Clark Kent.

Similarly, Clark Kent's glasses were actually Kryptonian lenses with the ability to cloud Superman's identity.

At one point, it was said that Superman's face muscles were actually able to contort themselves into a new shape so that Clark Kent's face was noticably different from Superman's.

Superman's built robot doubles to appear alongside Clark Kent. Also, J'Onn J'Onzz has posed as both Superman and Clark on occassion when both men were required to appear together.

More recent explainations have included Clark studying acting, slouching, changing his voice and the lenses of his glasses masking the unearthly blue of his Kryptonian eyes.

Which of these works best for you? Or, do you have a better idea?

[Powerboy]

I'm partial to the face muscles explanation. The super hypnosis is fun but leads to, "Why doesn't he use it for other things?" As long as the changes he can make to his face are fairly minor, it could work but then he should be able to do at leasts a variety of minor disguises. Hmm, maybe the lenses are a gift from Dr. Fate or the Phantom Stranger or Zatanna, keyed specifically to prevent people from seeing him as the same person when he's not wearing them as when he is. Or maybe the lenses just bend light in a strange way and make him look different. Or maybe I'm just gonna stop now.

Oh I forgot the John Byrne explanation. Because people never get a real look at his face as Superman. He is constantly moving his head back and forth slightly at superspeed so his face is a blur. He isn't drawn to look like he is doing that but actually is. Its so fast even cameras get a blur.

Byrne was a goldmine of updated explanations.

[BoosterBronze]

I cast my hat in with the "No one ever suspects Superman HAS a secret identity" crowd.

[mattx110]

humans are really really dumb.

ask a random person on the street if they'e a genius, and they'll say "no, but there was this kid on 20/20 who could count to a billion and knew morse code."
humanity has a massive inferiority complex that doesn't let them admit anything that someone "smarter" than them might say is false, so they just don't notice anything that obvious.

that retroactive causality thing. they just go "no way" and don't notice because subconsciously they're afraid of being wrong.

[Stanlos]

Changing her hair from curly and bouncy to straight and putting it up in a bun literally prevented me from recognizing a co-worker. I can't criticize this aspect of the secret ID.

[Patient Boy]

1. Everyone around Superman is extremely stupid and near-sighted. The same principle works for why nobody in Star City notices that the mayor and their only super-hero are both blondes with a funny goatees.


Yeah, Ollie's "disguise" I find much harder to buy. than Superman's. That goatee really gives him away.

[Powerboy]

humans are really really dumb.

ask a random person on the street if they'e a genius, and they'll say "no, but there was this kid on 20/20 who could count to a billion and knew morse code."
humanity has a massive inferiority complex that doesn't let them admit anything that someone "smarter" than them might say is false, so they just don't notice anything that obvious.

that retroactive causality thing. they just go "no way" and don't notice because subconsciously they're afraid of being wrong.

Its as often the other way though. People will hang on to ideas that are roven wrong and come up with the most outlandish reasons to hang on to them. They'll ridicule smarter people as 'eggheads' and brag about not understanding vertain things. So very often, insecurity and ego win out.

[Sean Whitmore]

I think the obvious answer here is that Superman and Clark Kent are NOT the same person, and we've been mistaken all these years.


SEAN

[The Batman]

I cast my hat in with the "No one ever suspects Superman HAS a secret identity" crowd.

There's definately gotta be something to this one. I mean, first, by not wearing a mask Superman gives the impression that he's got nothing to hide. Secondly, most people imagine that with the powers of Superman they'd elect to avoid the humdrum day to day existence. They'd use their powers not necessarily for evil but at least for personal gain. They'd become celebrities. They'd appear on television shows and host MTV Cribs: Fortress of Solitude, not pretend to be a mild mannered reporter.

[gideon]

I think another important part of this is that, due to his speed, he can be anywhere on the planet in a heartbeat. And since so much of what he does also involves space, working with third-world peoples who don't have 24/7 news coverage, and missions in other planes and dimensions, it's not a surprise to anyone that there may be times when he's not accounted for.

How many times have we seen a panel in the comic where Clark takes off, comes back a panel later, with only a minute passing if that, and says he dealt with a fire or robbery, and goes back to talking to Lois?

With that sort of speed and ability, no one expects you aren't doing something all the time. Thus, no one wonders about his down time. Especially when he oftens does do things in costume often, like being at a parade, or walking down the street with Seinfeld ;)

[Manta]

In Superman/Batman annual #1 (dec 2006) Clark says that he vibrates his chin...

It is Superman of Earth One, whom I don't know yet if it is the Superman I've come to know for the last 20 years...

[The Mirrorball Man]

Byrne was a goldmine of updated explanations.

Also known as a "crapmine".