Superman's cover-up crisis

[adkal]

With the original Siegel/Shuster character, Superman was the true personality, and Clark Kent -- although the name he was raised with -- was a disguise.

hmm...you should take another look at Action Comics issue 1 - there, it says:

'Early, Clark decided he must turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind - and so was created...Superman'.

If, however, you're suggesting there was a 'transposition' when that decision was made, then I'd probably agree with you

[Auguste Dupin]

hmm...you should take another look at Action Comics issue 1 - there, it says:

'Early, Clark decided he must turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind - and so was created...Superman'.

If, however, you're suggesting there was a 'transposition' when that decision was made, then I'd probably agree with you

Honestly, I just don't think Siegel and Shuster went as far as rationnalizing this issue. Clearly, the cowardly meek Clark Kent who was hiding his face behind glasses was not his real personnality, but that's it.
I just think it's the kind of question that should not be answered. In fact, I think the passage in AC where, when asked about it, Clark just says "how about we talk about something else?" is the most clever way of dealing with this.
However, if I had to choose, I'd say Superman. Because Superman is what happens when you take a last of his kind alien (Kal El), and raise him as a human being (Clark). He's not just a normal Kansas Farmboy: his powers, his perception of the world induced by his supersenses, hell, probably certain natural inclinasions specific of his species make him too different for this. But he's not a Kryptonian either: his culture, his upbringing, his friends.....all of this are human by nature. he is nature AND nurture put not one again another, but together. He's not human, he's not alien, he's superhuman. Y'know.....Superman.

[Tom Strong]

I like how they're doing it in the New 52, where both are real to some extent.

[adkal]

He's not human, he's not alien, he's superhuman. Y'know.....Superman.

Where's the 'like' option?

[Van Cleaf]

When it comes to Nature vs Nuture, I believe how you're raised has more impact than genetics when it comes to personality.

This is not a matter of believe. It has been proven many times that nuture is more important when it comes to personality.

[666MasterOfPuppets]

Well that kind of depends. Yes his name is Kal-El, but he was raised a Clark Kent. So to me while they are both sides of the same coin, Clark I belive is more the actual person and Superman is just sort of the "Heroic" image that he feels he needs to present.

I understand, and it is a valid point, but I see it as him having this underlying layer that supports the rest.

[Auguste Dupin]

This is not a matter of believe. It has been proven many times that nuture is more important when it comes to personality.

Even when it comes to someone who is basically from a different species than us?
Crocodiles don't make good pets just because you raise them as cats.

[Kizmet]

Even when it comes to someone who is basically from a different species than us?
Crocodiles don't make good pets just because you raise them as cats.

Fictional aliens that are full characters as opposed to something lurking in the shadows are, at most, humans with an exaggerated trait. Clark is a human with special abilities, it's a natural consequence of having human creators.

[Auguste Dupin]

Fictional aliens that are full characters as opposed to something lurking in the shadows are, at most, humans with an exaggerated trait. Clark is a human with special abilities, it's a natural consequence of having human creators.

Superman is as human as his writers "allow" him to be.
There have been fictionnal aliens with non human traits (or at least, that were supposed to have non human traits) just like you had fictionnal aliens with human traits.
Just like Superman's heroism has been explained as coming from his Kryptonian heritage or from his Earth upbringing.
There is no "rule" about neither Superman nor fictionnal aliens in this matter.

[DonC]

Here's a question that I've been thinking a lot for a while and I was hoping you guys could give your thoughts on: Is Clark Kent the cover-up for Superman or is Superman the cover-up for Clark Kent?

What do you think?

[stk]

hmm...you should take another look at Action Comics issue 1 - there, it says:

'Early, Clark decided he must turn his titanic strength into channels that would benefit mankind - and so was created...Superman'.

If, however, you're suggesting there was a 'transposition' when that decision was made, then I'd probably agree with you

I mean the personality he displayed as Superman in those early Action issues was his true one. They make that extremely clear within the stories and dialogue. Whatever the name he was raised with, from the moment he joined the Star, the Clark he presented the world was an act, and being Superman allowed him to be completely himself, acting and speaking as he naturally would have.

[Van Cleaf]

Even when it comes to someone who is basically from a different species than us?
Crocodiles don't make good pets just because you raise them as cats.

Well, does it matter? In general, I don't see Superman as a character based on the "nurture versus nature" debate, it's more like about overlooked qualities and the true self.

Does he feel Kryptonian? Terran? Doesn't really matter in this debate. Fact is: The basic Superman concept was that a mild-mannered reporter was an in fact someone entirely else.

I was just talking about that the idea that a Kryptonian being raised as an Earthman doesn't necessarily have to be like one when all is sad is done. Perfectly valid, even from a more "realistic" point of view.

[J. Robb]

Superman is Clark Kent, Clark Kent is Superman. They're one person.

His secret identity gets the disguise out of necessity, Superman wearing a disguise would raise suspicion about his character (as opposed to someone like Batman, who wants to seem mysterious.)

[dupersuper]

Unless he thinks of himself as Kal. And this "slightly cold" BS comes from your post-Crisis bias.

Sorry: I'm a child of the 80s and 90s. Must you call my childhood BS? Next you'll call my Atari 2600 games crappy...

You could also say it's illogical to assume that someone as powerful as Superman can really be normal.

...Lex?

Even when it comes to someone who is basically from a different species than us?
Crocodiles don't make good pets just because you raise them as cats.

*covers his cats ear holes* Don't listen to him, Bitey!

[stk]

Sorry: I'm a child of the 80s and 90s. Must you call my childhood BS? Next you'll call my Atari 2600 games crappy...

What?! Atari is pre-Crisis.