Facial Recognition Software

[Ood Omega]

Is facial recognition software a threat to exposing Superman's secret identity? Can any mention of the technology be found in the franchise? How can Kal protect himself?

[sunofdarkchild]

Because he doesn't wear a mask people think he doesn't have a secret identity and that he's Superman 24/7. All he has to do is spread out his appearences so that it does't look like he's not active from 9 to 5 to keep that charade up. No one would think to check for a civilian identity. And he has been shown to vibrate his face so no camera could get a clear picture.

[Ood Omega]

Hasn't Superman posed for pictures in the past? I'm guessing the new 52 version won't be doing so anytime soon then.

[The Batman]

They've done this before. Lex Luthor used facial recognition programs and more to prove the Superman was Clark Kent and, in the end, couldn't believe it. Why would Superman even deign to live as Clark Kent?

[Captain Smith]

You cannot vibrate your face fast enough to fool modern tech without very extreme speeds. If he did that, his face would blur to all that looked at him. We've never seen that. You just have to disbelieve. There is no way that Supes and Kal wouldn't be spotted. If Lex didn't believe it - that was PIS.

[Rithmomachy]

Facial recognition software is bound to get more common and sophisticated in real life, and eventually it won't be avoidable in the comics. I hope they don't do the stupid face-vibrating gag to get around it. I don't think you could do that in a way that would blur any camera without it being noticeable to everyone. They can either pull out some new and even stupider ad hoc superpower, like his suit projects an aura that cloaks his identity from, uh ... electronic detection (yeah, that's it!) or they can fall back on one of Superman's very first superpowers: super facial muscle control allowing him to alter his appearance!

Back in the golden age, he could even appear as a specific other person to that person's friends and colleagues without anyone suspecting anything. (It was easier back then: everyone in comics looked the same!) I thought they hinted at that ability in the recent Action Comics issue where Superman became firefighter Johnny Clark after Clark Kent appeared to die, but it was hard to tell because of the multiple artists in that issue. Nevertheless, he appeared as Johnny to Clark Kent's old friend George Taylor (who had one eye bandaged) without being recognized, and when Johnny was surprised by Metallek in that issue, he suddenly looked a lot more like Clark Kent to me.

[FredrikLjungberg]

Maybe Cyborg and Batman take care of the cyberworld profiling of the JLA members.Protecting them by some genius software which twekas photos of heores's secret identities just neough to get past facial recognition softwares.This is very much doable.

[Mat001]

As noted, no one has reason to suspect Superman of having a secret identity. Especially when Superman's forthcoming about who he is and where he's from. As long as he doesn't slip, it is a non issue.

If Lex didn't believe it - that was PIS.

In a sense, it was due to Lex's own ego. He could not except the fact that Superman, a god amongst insects, would live the humble life of a reporter. Mostly due to the fact that that is not what Lex himself would do. Later on, Lex did find out the truth thanks to Manchester Black providing not only the evidence, but giving Lex a subtle nudge. He later removed that knowledge. In "52", when Clark was powerless, he was kidnapped by Lex's own men and was injected with a truth serum. Something that couldn't happen if he were Superman. Lex asked the wrong question and thus Clark's identity was safe. In "Up, Up And Away", Lex punched Clark three or four times and without injury. Ergo, he was convinced that Clark Kent is human. The same happened in "Krisis Of The Krimson Kryptonite".

[adkal]

As noted, no one has reason to suspect Superman of having a secret identity. Especially when Superman's forthcoming about who he is and where he's from. As long as he doesn't slip, it is a non issue.

And doesn't have people providing him with an 'out', such as when he forgot to take the ring off when he was helping Mongul Jr up


@Ood Friend

http://forums.comicbookresources.com...-Kent-65-match

[Ood Omega]

They've done this before. Lex Luthor used facial recognition programs and more to prove the Superman was Clark Kent and, in the end, couldn't believe it. Why would Superman even deign to live as Clark Kent?

Do you happen to know what book this is from?

[lovelikewinter]

Do you happen to know what book this is from?

Superman issue 2 by John Byrne: "The Secret Revealed"

[Kymeric]

A dude can fly, dosent have to breathe in space, shoot lasers out of his eyes and fooling security cameras is what people find unrealistic.

XD

Any explanations always sounded lame. Its better to just accept it and move on.

[Mat001]

Do you happen to know what book this is from?

A clarity of the facts....

1. In MOS #4, Clark is leaving the hospital after bringing in a woman who was in labor to deliver her son, when he's photographed by one of Lex's men. Clark realizes it too late and laments that he has been careful to avoid that.

2. In the following issue, using DNA scans, Lex and Dr. Teng create the first Bizarro clone.

3. In Superman #2, Lex tries to get a camera to follow Superman to get a good look at his face and Clark vibrates his face in front of it. This frustrates Lex.

4. After spotting Lana in several different videos of crowd reactions to Superman over the past seven years, Lex has her kidnapped and tortured to find out what she knows. This leads to the Kents and the discovery of Martha's scrapbook from issue one of MOS.

5. After compiling all known data about Superman in a computer, the data concludes that Superman is Clark Kent. Amanda Spence believes it, but Lex refuses to do so, because it doesn't make sense to him.

[stk]

Facial recognition software is a problem, but so is the fact we are rapidly approaching an era of computerized record keeping and tracking where there would be no way the Kents could possibly sneak Kal-El into US citizenship.

[Cypher-Z]

Fuck. That means Nightwing, Robin, Flash, Green Lantern, would get caught too.