#superman secret identity

[vertigoartgore]

2004's Superman: Secret Identity #1-4 covers by Stuart Immonen.

[cantsayidont]

January to April 2004. Fans of MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN would likely enjoy this poignant 2004 miniseries by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen, about a young man named Clark Kent in a world very much like ours, where Superman is a familiar — and fictional — pop culture icon. Clark grows up the butt of many jokes, but when he's in high school, he discovers that he really does have powers like Superman's, something that has no precedent in his world outside of comic books.

If this premise sounds familiar, it's because it's a lot like the origin of the Earth-Prime Superboy, before he became a way for Geoff Johns to mock comics fans (and for DC to play out its institutional hostility toward Siegel and Shuster). In the pre-Crisis era, Earth-Prime, one of editor Julius Schwartz's little jokes, was supposed to be our world, where comics artists, writers, and editors transcribed the adventures of the real heroes of the other Earths. In the afterword to the trade paperback compilation of SECRET IDENTITY, Busiek admits that the similarities were wholly intentional, and that while he didn't mention it in his proposal (and DC didn't advertise it as such), this was essentially his extrapolation of that 1985 concept by Elliot S! Maggin, Curt Swan, and Al Williamson.

After moving to New York City in his '20s, this Clark becomes a reporter — though not for the Daily Planet — and meets a young woman named Lois Chaudhari. To my knowledge, this was the first time a counterpart of Lois Lane was presented as an Asian woman (although of course she's not precisely Lois Lane).

Throughout most of the story, Clark uses his powers only in secret, but he does make himself a Superman costume. Eventually, he feels compelled to come clean with Lois:

Like Busiek's ASTRO CITY, SECRET IDENTITY is a very introspective story, less interested in action (of which there's relatively little) than in emotion and small observations of life with superhuman abilities. If you're expecting bigger dramatic stakes, you may find the series underwhelming — there are no supervillains or alien invasions, just Clark's reflections on his life and family, from childhood to old age — and the fact that the story never reveals why Clark has powers may frustrate. However, its autumnal wistfulness is appealing if you're in the right frame of mind for it. Immonen's art is gorgeous, and I can't think of a better artist for this story, which straddles the line between a real-world environment and the "heroic realism" of the modern superhero genre.

Fourteen years later, Busiek tried to do a similar story with Batman, BATMAN: CREATURE OF THE NIGHT, with John Paul Leon, which doesn't work nearly as well, wallowing in some uncomfortable attitudes about mental illness and an inappropriate though deliberately ambiguous supernatural element. Leon's art is interesting, but the story leaves a sour taste, and it does not succeed (at all) in doing for Batman what SECRET IDENTITY does for Superman, which is disappointing.

[giantsizenerd]

31 days of DC

Day 7: What’s your favorite graphic novel?

Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek and Stuart Immonen.

[frownyalfred]

Peak Bruce Wayne behavior is making the front page of 5-10 different tabloids the night before for something insanely graphic and/or embarrassing and then immediately having to drop into a Watchtower shift with, you guessed it, a man whose literal job revolves around being aware of the news, a man who’s half computer and therefore half internet, a man he’s known since boarding school (and who was probably there last night), a mind reader, several people with enhanced senses who can tell how hungover he is, and his friend’s wife who’s a mental healthcare provider (and is silently judging his coping mechanisms during this meeting)

[superbat-love]

Imagine people saying “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Superman?” and Clark nearly has a heart attack. He thinks his days as Clark Kent are numbered because Lex Luthor is standing right there and he wouldn’t put it past the guy to get him fired from his job and make his civilian life miserable. Then Bruce Wayne answers that he gets that all the time and Clark almost spits out his drink.

Luthor is rolling his eyes and wonders why this Daily Planet reporter standing beside them is so excited about the possibility of Bruce being Superman. As if this himbo Brucie is capable of tying his shoelaces together, much less save the people of Metropolis. The man would probably fold faster than a napkin if Luthor did as much as flick him with a plastic spoon.

Clark quickly recovers from his blunder and remarks that it must be annoying to get mistaken for the superhero so often. Bruce tells him that he usually gets called that in the bedroom and asks if Clark wants to confirm it later, Luthor is daydreaming about kryptonite spoons and Clark is rethinking his choice of drink for the night.

[avasem]

Secret identity shenanigans

[odinsblog]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[bbbbbbbbatman]

Clark has had a bad week--a stopped alien invasion, a plot by Luthor involving some kryptonite, being chewed out by Perry, being chewed out by Batman, and now he was at some stupid charity gala that was just an excuse for rich people to show off how rich they are, when his gaze lands on Bruce Wayne.

Wayne has made passes at him before but Clark's ignored them, having very little interest in the rich fop, but right now, he could really use some stress relief and if he can't eat the rich maybe he can fuck them. And despite his reputation for being good in bed, Wayne seems like the kind of guy who probably does the bare minimum in bed but his partners still rave about him bc he's rich and famous, so maybe he and Lois can giggle about his poor skills in bed at work the next day.

So Clark approaches him and he seems quite happy to entertain Clark and later Clark is lying in bed, panting, after several rounds and he's so upset bc goddamn it, Wayne is actually better in bed than the rumors say and it's not fair that's he's rich and handsome and good in bed. He and Lois can't even make fun of this tomorrow, rich people suck

[cyanbeetle]

Wally stumbles into middle of nowhere, Kansas

[megamindsupremacy]

Okay this one might be niche but. Y’all know how sometimes your friend will have a family member they only refer to by their title? Like, “Pop” or “Auntie” No Name? And if you spend a lot of time with this friend then you end up also calling this family member Nona or whatever even though you’re not related?

I headcanon that Clark exclusively refers to his parents as Ma and Pa and literally never tells anyone their names. And Ma and Pa only ever introduce themselves as Ma and Pa. Then by the time someone thinks to ask what Clark’s Ma and Pa’s names are it’s been like half a year and it’s WAY too late to ask for something like that. Like they respond to “Mrs./Mr. Kent”, sure, but also they have the entire league calling them Ma and Pa and they LOVE it. They’ve adopted the entire league via Clark and are delighted by this. It never registers for Clark that all of his coworkers call his parents Ma and Pa too because to him that’s just their names like of course that’s what people call them. Meanwhile every single leaguer with dead parents (most if not all) has a mini breakdown when they realize they’re calling these random midwesterners Ma and Pa. They’re not mad about it! Just confused as to how this happened without anyone noticing

[finemealprompt]

DP x DC Prompt #28

Danny has been struggling with Vlad Masters for far too long. He's tired. The man's corrupt but everyone's blinded by that fact. Him being a ghost doesn't help.

So, Danny does the only thing he can think of. He goes to a reporter.

Not any reporter, but Clark Kent. Danny's read his article's. Clark's done numerous exposé's on corrupt people. Specifically on one Lex Luthor. According to Clark, he's as big a fruit loop as Masters is.

He just hopes the man will help him. And that he won't get possessed, either.

[violent138]

I think Clark’s just goofy enough and grounded enough that he just goes with the craziest stuff sometimes. So when Bruce, him and a new, slightly obsequious JL member go out on a stakeout and Bruce orders Clark to be ditzy and stupid, Clark agrees without a second thought, even if the new recruit thinks Superman deserves a more distinguished disguise. Clark engages in the most batshit crazy stuff and the new member is aghast like we have statues of these people?! while Bruce is remembering all the reasons he loves his lying asshole alien who just squirted hot sauce into the eyes of the man trying to grope Brucie Wayne.

[hidden-under-lock-and-key]

Speedster Danny?

I am here to gift another idea.

The portal incident did more than make Danny a halfa. It made him a speedster. Only Stipulation? He can only use the speed force as a human. Causing him to have two secret hero identities. Phantom and Green Spector (the name is a work in progress ideas are appreciated) Somehow someway the Flash and by extension the Justice league find out there is a new speedster.

Now when the Justice League go to Amity and start asking about Green Spector the whole town seems to think he is a ghost, like their other local hero Phantom. Despite never been seen together they have hinted at working with one another.

Anyway through some good old Detective work the figure out one of Danny’s identities.

Sorry this popped in my head:

—-

When they go to confront Danny about it,

Clark “We know your secret Identity. ”

Danny: “Which one?”

Clark: “What?”

Danny: “…What?”

Clark: …”how many Secret identities do you have?”

Danny: “Wouldn’t you like to know weather boy.”

——

ANYWAY! It would be a lot of fun to play with his human side being a hero too. He can go places and do things that he can’t always do as a ghost. The people of amity may think he’s a ghost but that’s only because he doesn’t stay long enough to show he is human. (Also his lighting color being that neon green color)

So much you can do with Vlad, The GIW, Dani, and Val. Like imagine Val knows Danny is Green Spector and wants his help to take down Phantom. Vlad not know Danny is GS. Dani unlocking the speed force. The GIW Collectively losing their minds trying to figure out WHAT GS is. He sets off ghost sensors and is hurt by ghost weapons but he is NOT a ghost.

[geminijade]

Look at Him. Just Look. And Thank Me Later 🥵🔥

[superbat-love]

Kidnappers — Burst into the room during an interview between the billionaire Bruce Wayne and reporter Clark Kent. One of them shoots Clark Kent in the chest

Clark Kent — Stares in confusion at the kidnappers for a few seconds, then does the most dramatic twirl and falls onto Bruce with a final croak, pretending to be dead

Bruce Wayne — Pretending to be a traumatized hostage in hysterics while stealthily trying to move the man off him so that he can take control of the situation. Fails because this reporter seems to be the literal definition of dead weight and cannot be moved no matter how much force he uses

[avasem]

Someone said Superman flirting with Mr. Wayne, and Batman crushing on Clark Kent.

Did I mention neither of them knows each other secret identity?

Part 2

I have seen a lot of people commenting stuff like "not miraculous again". And I have to say that I had never seen that series. Happy accident I guess haha.