What if an assassin shoots Clark Kent in the face?

[adkal]

Even if Clark DOES react, the shooter would SEE him react at super speed, thus blowing his identity

Again, merely turning in his sleep easily allows for his.

Heck, even if he fired multiple rounds it could be dismissed as Clark suddenly having a bad dream, or a restless period of sleep.


A sharp shooter tried to shoot Batman - he had him clear in his sights - and the bullet missed him. The shooter didn't jump to the conclusion that Batman is also Superman



In the Lois & Clark series, Intergang (I think) tried to tag Clark with radioactive tracer via a 'bug', but each time they tried it the injector on the 'bug' broke. They just figured they were hitting his watch or something else, not that he was invulnerable.

[carabas]

- sleeping Clark doesn't react to the sound of a gunshot
- sleeping Clark doesn't react to the sound of a bullet going through his bedroom window

Those are pretty unfounded assumptions...

Anyway, it'd be a pretty badass assassin who can get past the security Clark no doubt uses to secure his home. Starting with alien glass, bullet-proof windows.

[adkal]

Those are pretty unfounded assumptions...

Perhaps. But we're talking about a guy who snaps awake when he hears a siren or a gunshot miles away, so something breaching his (relatively) immediate personal space seems like, to me, something he would react to/be aware of very quickly.

Heck, him 'snapping awake' could be what 'saves' him...

[adkal]

Anyway, it'd be a pretty badass assassin who can get past the security Clark no doubt uses to secure his home. Starting with alien glass, bullet-proof windows.

Or, pre52, they could hack into Batman's systems and create an opening in Lois and Clark's apartment that way

[Jon Clark]

The assassin finds Superman standing right in front of his gunsight. Superman at super-speed managed to move Clark out of the line of fire (and thus the assassin's line of sight).

In reality Clark awoke just as the bullet impacted him "Like Wally in that one Flash issue" and he was moving so fast the im,age of the bullet hitting Clark hasn't registered with the assassin before Superman is standing in front of the assassin.

[SLGBARTELL]

The assassin finds Superman standing right in front of his gunsight. Superman at super-speed managed to move Clark out of the line of fire (and thus the assassin's line of sight).

In reality Clark awoke just as the bullet impacted him "Like Wally in that one Flash issue" and he was moving so fast the im,age of the bullet hitting Clark hasn't registered with the assassin before Superman is standing in front of the assassin.

Winner!






10char

[DragonPiece]

Didn't something like this just happen in "The First Superman" story arc in Action Comics?

[adkal]

Didn't something like this just happen in "The First Superman" story arc in Action Comics?

Not quite - Clark wasn't the target and, at the time, because of the increasing activity and responsibility he had as Superman and his awareness of him being 'hunted', Clark had come to the conclusion that 'Clark' wasn't needed any more. Without thinking things through fully, he made use of the bomb to provide an 'out'.

He regretted it.

There is the animated series 'The Late Mr Kent', too

[adkal]

Kept meaning to mention this one:

Action Comics Annual - Armageddon 2001 tie-in

Pete Ross is running for President and Clark is heading up the campaign team. Towards the end of the campaign, Clark is a little distracted and doesn't spot a gunman in the crowd. Pete is shot at (and hit) and Clark rushes in and shields him and others from the remaining bullets, his shirt is shredded and the blue is uncovered.

The secret is out.

[Mat001]

That was a different scenario. Clark wasn't thinking about protecting his identity. He was thinking about protecting Pete, when the gunshots rang out. Nor was Clark ever a target. If someone were to fire a bullet at Clark when he's asleep, his hearing will pick up on it and he will have enough time to react. First, because the bullet will be fired near his apartment which will catch his attention even more. He'll then move into super speed as he's looking for the source of said gunshot, which will lead him to the bullet coming at him. What happens next depends. He could easily destroy it with his heat vision. Or he could move at super speed and change into Superman, then fly out and approach the gunman, with a lie stating that he moved Clark out of the way after hearing the gunshot and stopped him cold. A similar approach in Superman #0, from 1994, when Conduit's bomb went off while Clark was giving a speech at the Excalibur awards. His clothes were destroyed and Clark lied about how he saved his alter ego.

[adkal]

That was a different scenario.

I know, and I clearly outlined it as such.

[Mat001]

I meant in so much as how Clark reacted there, versus how it would be if it was himself that was the target. Such as in "Peer Pressure" and that early issue of Action.

[The Frozen Reptile]

Clark could easily catch the bullet and send it back making it look like the assassins weapon jammed (or use heat vision form a different angle to melt the muzzle) then make the appearance as Superman in less than the time it takes for the shooter to hear the recoil sound of the bullet. The assassin will never see the effects of the shot.

Speed of bullet (high-powered sniper rifle) 4,000 ft/s (1,200 m/s)
Speed of sound 343.2 metres per second (1,126 ft/s)
Heat vision (speed of light) (299,792,458 m/s, 186,282 mi/s)

Superman is faster than all, therefore he will be in the shooter's optics before his/her eye can register the image of Clark's reaction anyways.

Now, how come the bullet doesn't create a sonic boom, moving that fast...

[carabas]

Now, how come the bullet doesn't create a sonic boom, moving that fast...

It does. All bullets do.

[dupersuper]

Not quite - Clark wasn't the target and, at the time, because of the increasing activity and responsibility he had as Superman and his awareness of him being 'hunted', Clark had come to the conclusion that 'Clark' wasn't needed any more. Without thinking things through fully, he made use of the bomb to provide an 'out'.

He regretted it.

There is the animated series 'The Late Mr Kent', too

It also happened in a Lois&Clark. It's an old Superman idea.