Superman's Secret Identity - Why Can't Anyone Recognize Clark Kent is
Superman?
Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful
than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look
up in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane. It's Superman. Yes, it's
Superman strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with
powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman, who can
change
the course of mighty rivers, bend steel in his bare hands, and who
disguised as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter for a great metropolitan
newspaper, fights for truth, justice, and the American way. I know
we already got all that, but why is it that Superman's mild mannered identity as Clark
Kent has fooled everyone including those who work with him everyday like
Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen for so long? Well, Lois is privy to that info
now as his wife, but she never guessed decade after decade. Why?
How dumb was she? Well
that's exactly what the evil villain from the future,
Tempus wanted
to know in the
Lois and Clark TV series. Clip to the right, but here's how the
dialogue went.
Lois: If you
wanna kill Superman, I don't know why you're going to Smallville or
1966.
Tempus: She doesn't know yet. Oh, this is good. This is really good.
Um, Lois, did you know that, in the future, you're revered at the
same level as Superman? Why there are books about you, statues, an
interactive game. You're even a breakfast cereal.
Lois: Really?
Tempus: Yes. But, as much as everybody loves you, there is one
question that keeps coming up: "How dumb was she?"
Tempus mocking Lois Lane
Tempus: Here, I'll show you
what I mean. Look (puts glasses on), I'm Clark Kent. (Takes glasses off)
No, I'm Superman. (Puts glasses on) Mild-mannered reporter. (Takes
glasses off) Superhero! Hello! Duh! Clark Kent is Superman. Ha,
ha, ha. Well, that was worth the whole trip. To actually meet the most
galactically stupid woman who ever lived.
Sometimes it takes a
villain to say what we have always thought in our subconscious mind,
but were too goodie goodie to say so out loud.
On the CW series Smallville Clark who hasn't taken on the mantle of
Superman yet, has only wore glasses once or twice in almost a decade
of episodes. Now how in the world is Lois and the gang supposed to
be suddenly duped the minute he shows up as Superman in the future
with no glasses? Will Clark then start to wear glasses in his secret
identity and Lois will somehow forget what Clark looks like without
them?
Even Superman wondered how he's gotten away with this bit for so
long way back in Superman #330 1978. He changes his voice a bit,
slumps, and puts on the glasses. As simple as it sounds somehow it's always worked.
In Superman #330 Superman ponders how ordinary people are so easily
recognized when they wear glasses.
So what's the deal? Again
from that same issue Superman notices something very strange. An artist
draws Clark more frail in appearance than he actually appears while at
the same time
drawing Superman perfectly accurate.
The last two pages explains
it all, and perhaps this may be the only time a Superman writer
attempted to explain how Superman's identity fools everyone so easily.
Superman by using glass from his rocket ship for his glasses, combined
with his natural ability to hypnotize others, was able to push his
attempt at a disguise to the subconscious mind of those around him.
Maybe be a little far fetched, but not as much as someone simply being
fooled by a pair of glasses. This could be a way for television's
Smallville to explain how Clark can fool Lois into believing he's not
Superman with a simple pair of glasses in the future.
