Thursday, December 14, 2006
So I Was Wondering . . . .
Why does Superman need a secret identity? I mean, he's Superman. So what if people know where he lives? And where does he live? I haven't read the comic book in decades, but do we ever see Clark Kent in his lonely little bachelor apartment, listening to Morrissey on his CD player and mooning over Lois? Or does Clark just pop into the janitor's closet after work, change in to his Superman uniform, and fly off to his Fortress of Solitude, where he sits listening to Morrissey and mooning over Lois? Maybe he's too busy fighting crime in the evenings to moon Lois. I mean moon over Lois. But if that's the case, when does he find time to sleep? For that matter, does he need sleep? He's Superman, after all. What about food? Does he get enough fiber? Would he be afraid to eat at Taco Bell? Clearly I'm out of the comics mainstream, but I'm sure those who are in it can answer those questions. But don't bother.
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13 comments:
I'm not currently at the comics stores every week getting my pulls either, but in all honesty, the Superman story back a few years ago was pretty good. He did get married, for one. But here's one point you might appreciate. As Clark Kent, he has to compete as a regular human. He was just born with the powers. He has to work as a journalist. And as Clark Kent, he wrote a best seller mystery novel.
Damn. Even Clark Kent is selling better than I am.
C'mon Bill,
Everyone knows Superman lives in Metropolis, IL. And we even have his phone booth here, and a Planet newspaper.
As to him writing a best selling mystery, sigh, wonder if he'd share his secrets.
One of the guys who plays Superman, Scott Cranston (I *think* it was Scott) got married at the statue and he and his family come here every year for the Superman Festival. Care to join us? It's the second weekend in June.
Gotta run, my cape is in the dryer.
Would Superman listen to Morrisey? What kind of music would a superhero listen to anyway? Would he like uplifting and exciting stuff? He deals with death and destruction all day so maybe he needs a musical pep talk. Maybe he needs relaxation and watches Lawrence Welk re-runs on PBS.
Well, he grew up as Clark Kent, having been taken in as a baby by humans Jonathan and Martha Kent. And he always was portrayed as maintaining that identity so villains who wanted to hurt him wouldn't strike at him through his family, like hold someone hostage so he would let them escape. Of course, his friends got known anyway, and Lois and Jimmy always got in trouble.
Now he's married to Lois and if she had married Superman instead of Clark, her life would be more hectic than it is now. The original Superman, from the Golden Age, married his Lois, too. They're dead now. Long story, called Infinite Crisis, written by Brad Meltzer. ;)
I haven't read many of the comics, and there are enough Superman retellings to suit everyone, but I've always preferred the idea that Kal-El was raised as Clark Kent, hard-working son of salt-of-the-earth folk, so he aspires to the same things humans do: a fulfilling job, friends, relationships, family. To attain any of these, he needs to assimilate as well as possible. In other words, Clark Kent is his major identity, who he wants to be, and Superman is who he feels a duty to be. He puts on the tights and cape as a police officer puts on a uniform.
Another reason he needs to work at the Daily Planet is to keep abreast of what's going on in the world and, as Brando's Jor-El put it, discover where his strength and power are needed.
Bill, if there was ever any doubt that you have too much time on your hands, this clinches it.
You mean you don't ever wonder about that stuff?
I must admit, I always liked Batman better, not least because unlike Clark Kent and Peter Parker he didn't really hide his light under a bushel, wanting to be Loved For the Real Me which really wasn't the real him. Of course, Billy Batson was a much more ingenious response to the whole multiple identity perplex...I did wonder as a kid if Batson would age and Marvel not, and if Batson would be tempted to remain Marvel indefinitely...or not...now I'm just throwing a scenario out there...
Captain Marvel was my favorite, and I read all the comics about him, Captain Marvel, Jr., and Mary Marvel. Even Captain Marvel Bunny.
He'd listen to stadium rock, such as Aerosmith, Rush, Toto, etc. Queen, perhaps, too.
(So his taste in music basically would suck.)
Or, conversely, he might dig DC-based punk band Trusty, or the Kinks, among others who've recorded songs about comics heroes...but, Juri, you probably would be correct.
Those are the typical kinds of bands listened to by a lot of midwestern, rural teenage dudes.
But, Superman aspires to more "cultural" stuff doesn't he? Moving to Metropolis, becoming a writer, world traveler...
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