I’m not generally fond of [What writings are accepted on Everything2?|reply] write-ups here on [e2]. That’s what chat rooms and social networking sites are for. But to every rule, there is an [For there is no rule without its exceptions; and hardly an age without its monsters|exception].

This one’s mine.

That’s because, contrary to the title of this node, I believe that Clark Kent is really Superman, not the other way around. He was [For a few more precious seconds, the body I was born with was still in one piece|born] Superman, or more accurately, Kal-el. His super-[I feel guilty every time I wear the Superman shirt|costume] was not made especially for him as a superhero, it was fashioned by him from the remnants of his “super baby blanket.” And when he wakes up in the morning, he wakes up as Superman, sans glasses and nerdy exterior, and not as Clark Kent.

This is what sets Superman apart, and is the subject of one of my favorite pieces of movie dialogue, Bill's famous “Superman” speech from [Kill Bill].

Now, a staple of the superhero mythology is, there’s the superhero and there’s the alter ego. Batman is actually Bruce Wayne, Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When that character wakes up in the morning, he’s Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic Superman stands alone.

Superman didn’t become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he’s Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red “S” - that’s the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears - the glasses, the business suit - that’s the costume. That’s the costume Superman wears to blend in with us.

Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He’s weak… He’s unsure of himself… He’s a coward.

Clark Kent is Superman’s critique on the whole human race.

This is [Comics theory|classic]. In every other superhero/[Secret identity|alter ego] situation, the superhero creates an identity to embody his or her superpowers. [Too many songs about Superman. Not enough songs about Batman.|Batman] was born Bruce Wayne, lives his life as Bruce Wayne, and wakes up every morning as Bruce Wayne. To become Batman, he had to create a super-persona to wear over his Bruce Wayne identity. This is especially true in Batman’s case, since he lacks any real superpowers, and relies on his macabre costume and dark reputation to instill fear in his prey.

The same goes for most other [My childhood imaginary Super-hero persona|superheroes], even those do not actually choose their role. For example, Bruce Banner became the Incredible Hulk after his nasty little run-in with gamma rays. Although he didn’t consciously fashion the Hulk persona, it is still the mantle he [I have to fight the urge to become a superhero|assumes] when he switches over from Bruce Banner, mild-mannered physicist, into the Hulk.

In Superman’s case, however, he had to create an alter ego to embody his lesser, non-super self. He didn’t create a noble, tight-clad hero charging off to save the day. To the contrary, he created a nerdy, shy geek behind whose [in propria persona|persona] he could hide. As Bill notes in his [Outer rim soliloquy|soliloquy], this geek -– Clark Kent -– is Superman’s homage to the human race, his “best guess” at how to hide amongst his flock.

As such, Clark Kent is Superman’s take on what it means to be [The first time you realize your father is as human as you are|human].

Superman is really Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne is really Batman (idea)