Who is the True Identity-- Superman or clark Kent

[stargazer01]

Let's have a fun discussion, shall we?

So in your opinion, who is the real deal, Supes or Clark? Or is it Kal-El? And who is the disguise then? Let's think about what works best for the character, and let's include all eras--Pre and Post crisis for those who are more familiar with the comics.

I know this argument is an old and very debatable one, just like the "Who's stronger, Superman or Hulk" one, haha, but oh well, we have all the time in the world, and I'd love to know what you guys think. And I just love talking Superman, plain and simple. lol

[belloq]

I'd say Kal-El or Smallville Clark; whichever you'd call it. Superman's a job, and we all act a little differently at work. Metropolis Clark I guess is a bit of a hobby (Donnerverse version).
As great as STM and II were about showing all the different sides of Superman, I still love the first part of SR with Routh hanging around the farm. To me, that's who he really is. Great topic, though. Superman has more layers than an artichoke.

[Valentine Smith]

A terrific thread!

There's room for debate here, and I haven't voted yet. For awhile, I definitely fell into the "Clark Is Real, Superman is the mask" camp. But lately, I feel there's a third option.

You have the "adult Clark", "Metropolis Clark" who is very much the put-on. While he's kind and empathetic and polite, the bumbling is, of course, a mask. You have Superman who, while polite, is pretty much all-business, and you know the Kents raised him to be a much warmer person than that.

But then you have the Clark who goes back to Smallville to visit his parents. Or talk to Lana or Pete. This is a guy who's the combination of both personalities. This is the guy who grew up discovering his powers and had to BUILD the "Metropolis Clark" persona around them to hide his abilities. You see a glimpse of this Clark in Superman Returns when he's hanging on the farm with the dog and the baseball.

I could go on for pages here, but I have to get my ass to work.

[Metallo]

All 3 identities are valid. Its one thing SR and Batman begins got right about the characters. Its three separate but connected persona's. You basically have Superman, Metropolis Clark, Smallville Clark, and Kal-El just as you have young Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne the playboy facade, and Batman.

I chose other. the most "natural" is the Clark Kent who grew up in Smallville but Clark Kent the mild mannered reporter is an aspect of his desire to fit in as well as his feelings of being awkward. Superman is the truest expression of his goodness as well as the pride of his Kryptonian heritage.

Saying he is one or the other is just being limited in the characters potential for study and development. We ALL have many facets to our personalities don't we? We act different around our wives and parents and co workers and buddies sometimes don't we?

[Legsy]

GREAT IDEA, GAZER!

This is a tough one, it really is. I'd say he's Clark Kent from Smallville. He has their morals, their values. He was their son after all.

[stargazer01]

^thanks, legsy!

Very interesting comments guys, keep them coming. And even though I think I already know my answer, I'm not voting yet.

[superman]

Christopher Reeve played the ‘true identity’ in SUPERMAN III.

The Clark Kent from Smallville.

But then again, his other ‘true identity’ is Kal El.

He was raised as Clark Kent… so that is his ‘true identity’.

Either way, I chose the Other option.

My favorite scenes BTW in SUPERMAN RETURNS were the Smallville scenes, and if Singer had chosen to include the Return to Krypton scene, I believe that would easily become my favorite.

[Deleted]

Definitely depends on the source.

Obviously Kal El is the true identity in the comics, but, particularly the movies, since he even says Clark is fake, I'd say in the movies, it's more towards Superman or Kal El than Clark.

Lois and Clark, DEFINITELY Clark. Superman was the fake persona, Clark was the real one.

The animated series, I'd say it was a healthy mix of the two, to be honest, but maybe more towards Clark.

[MAVERICK]

Kal El in the Fortress.

Clark on the Farm.

Superman when hes with Lois or Jason.

Those are all his real personality.

Planet Clark is an act.

Superman is him using his Kryptonian Ambassador posture.

[Paul (ral)]

Definitely Clark / Kal-El from Smallville.

Superman is the "tough, suckin' in the gut, puttin' out the chest" guy. I especially love how Reeve portrays this in STM. He goes into Lex's lair with this act and it slips for a second when he is standing infront of Lex shouting "Miss Teschmacher!".

I'm not sure how the comics portray Supes but that's how i see the flicks.

[Kirok]

In pre-crisis it was Superman, in post-crisis it's Clark Kent.

In pre-crisis material like the Donner films he is himself when he is Kal-El, in the Fortress talking to Jor-El. In post-crisis material like "Lois & Clark" he is himself when he's at home talking to his parents (or other confidants); same goes for SR and "Smallville."

This discussion reminds me of this scene:

[Superman cdn]

Poor Kal he definitiely must suffer from an identity crisis. I agree with Mav's breakdown, makes sense to me.

[stargazer01]

Jan 22, 2009 17:43:49 GMT -5 Superman cdn said:

Poor Kal he definitiely must suffer from an identity crisis. I agree with Mav's breakdown, makes sense to me.

hahahaha! That's what I was thinking as well! ;D

Poor dude, no wonder is not easy being him.

[fggafagas]

In the movies, I think there are times when we see the true Clark in all three personas. Clark loosened up a bit on the Metropolis Clark persona in Superman III and even IV. He's still clumsy but he's no longer the uber-nerd of the first two movies. He speaks his mind and isn't nearly as naive.

In the first movie, we only see the real Clark in the Smallville scenes, the fortress scenes, and when nobody is looking. The Superman persona here comes off as more of a put on, with his spouting statistics and saying things that just seem out of character for the Clark we met in the Smallville scenes.

Superman II gives us the real Clark in the diner scenes I believe. In a sense, it's a preview of the Clark of Superman III and IV.

My ideal portrayal of Clark is one who does put on an act as the mild mannered reporter, but not one that goes so far as to make everyone dislike him and deprive him of a normal life.

[atp]

Ironically, I think that Superman 4 is the film where we see the real personality most developed.

In that movie, even the disguises start to overlap a bit more: we see Superman wearing glasses (after jumping off balcony with Lois), and we see also see Clark Kent without glasses (e.g. at farm and watching TV at home).

[ShogunLogan]

Wasn't this topic covered at the end of Kill Bill 2?

[Jor-L5150]

john byrne beleived that silver-age superman was superman as the dominate personality with clark as a disguise. of course that silver age version had superboy so he had grown up with nerd-clark as his disguise .
byrne deliberately went the other direction with no superboy and clark as the dominate personailty and superman as the mask. in modern comics i ithink it has switched back to superman always being superman since he and lois are married he is even less nerdy as clark than before he married lois.
byrne wanted clark to be a sharp , confident investigative reporter , and pa kent suggested a mystery man disguise so clark would always have a private life. byrne also rejected the " S" as a kryptonian symbol/letter .

in film the TRUE person is SIII smallville clark - but he reverts to nerd-clark when brad is around. in the films the other aspects are tangents. he is raised clark - discovers he is kal-el and blends the 2 , with " superman " and " planet clark " are masks.

[Matt in the Hat]

Tom Mankewicz said to Christophe Reeve once:

You're ALWAYS Superman and you're PLAYING Clark Kent

I agree with this.

[Kirok]

Tom Mankiewicz also said, "Clark Kent should never kiss Lois Lane."

[atp]

Jan 24, 2009 12:59:18 GMT -5 Kirok said:

Tom Mankiewicz also said, "Clark Kent should never kiss Lois Lane."

He also said that turning back the world would be a good ending.

Twice.

[supermanearth2]

I've always found that Clark Kent would be the real identity, because he is the main persona of who Superman is. He grew up raised by a Kansas family. His entire life was/is Clark. He can't be Kal-El because he never had a life on Krypton. Superman would be his disguise to help those in need with his great powers. I know in the comic books that in pre-Crisis, its always that Clark was the disguise while in post-Crisis, Clark is the real persona.

[stargazer01]

So, I voted for Superman as the real identity.

Sure, like others said, I agree that all identities are valid and that are connected, just like any one of us; we are not the same in front of all people. We act differently when we are with our friends, at work, with our children, husbands/wives, etc. And Clark is no exception.

But the way I view our hero is of a god amongs men. A god who thinks and feels like a human.

Sure, he grew up as a human (farmboy), with the best of human values here on Earth, but once he discovered his Kryptonian heritage and the full extent of his amazing powers, he evolved into something bigger than any of us humans. He became Superman. I think this is his true calling. He is no longer the farmboy who grew up in Kansas, he is much more, and even when he is not in the suit, he is Superman. And he can't quit, because he really cares and he wants to protect those of his adopted world. That requires sacrifice and lots of commitment, but it is what it is. His Metropolis Clark is really just a disguise that he uses to blend in and live amongs us.

;D

[adam15]

Well considering the Reeve films I'd say that Kal-El is the real person. Clark was the real identity until he had his 12 years of solitude; after he asked "Who am I?" he truly became Kal-El the Last Son of Krypton. Of course, to the world he is either Clark or Superman at any given time, and to his earth mother he is regular old clark but his true self is someone that no one can really understand aside from Jor-El.

[crazy_asian_man]

Great topic!

Was fascinating reading everyone's take on the character, I agree with most in bits and pieces.

To me, Kal-el is the 'real' character. Superman is the 'celebrity' that also has a burden of being a symbol of power and hope to the world. Clark is Kal-el's attempt to be a 'real' human, but his guilt at keeping secrets/lying to others (in my opinion) forces Kal-el to make him a bumbling fool of sorts so that Kal can tell himself that he's playing a role with parts of himself that peek out now and then- versus out and out deception to the people he's working with, co-existing with.

Given his otherworldly heritage, one thing that I think Smallville does get right for the most part is Kal-el's feeling of alienation from everyone around him. To quote Jor-el in STM: "You may look like one of them, but you'll never BE one of them".

The closest I think we ever got to seeing the 'real' Kal-el is either with people who already know his secret (Martha Kent and the Legion in the comix), or Clark once he got depowered in SII--- though only briefly. (It might have been interesting to see how Clark would have lived for awhile as a human before finding out about Zod. Would he have felt constantly inadequate because any trucker could beat him up? Or was that a passing bad moment? In some ways, that would be an interesting movie in itself. Who is Superman without the powers?)