Superman (the character) question

[Rajah]

Okay, I'm a Marvel comics girl, so I don't know that much about the background of Superman. Most of what I know comes from the movies. I just saw Superman Returns, which sparked an interest in the original movie again. Which led to a question...

Why create Clark Kent in the first place? Based on the movie (original), Clark goes up to the arctic and creates the Fortress of Solitude (Citadel? Cave? Whatever... LOL!!) (And how did he know what to do with that green shard in the first place?). He spends 12 years studying with essentially the ghost of Jor-El. When he's done, he emerges as Superman complete with cape and costume. (Why the cape? The Kryptonian council didn't wear capes...) But when he next appears in the city, he's the bumbling shy "mild mannered" Clark Kent. If he had to ask Jor-El why he had to hide his identity *after* he appeared as Superman in the first place, why was he appearing as such a bumbling awkward guy?

Now if he'd had that conversation with Jor-El *first* (hide who you really are), it would make sense. But to suddenly have all these talents and on a whim decide to act totally opposite... I'm just confused. LOL!

 

[salmoneous]

Just using the 70's movie as a guide (the comics change from time to time)... remember that the Clark Kent persona didn't just show up after his time at the fortress of solitude. That's the way he had been raised by the Kents. He had the powers as a teen, but hid them behind a bumbling persona. The Kents had an understanding that Clark had a purpose, a mission in life. They weren't fully sure what that purpose was, but they realized it couldn't be accomplished if his powers were made public.

 

[Chicago526]

I'm a Marvel fan too!

What you have to realize is the Clark Kent isn't the secret identity. That's who he really is. Superman is the character he hides behind.

When people daydream, they always see themselves as a confident, strong person that always does the right thing. In real life, they aren't so perfect. Superman is the daydream, Clark is the real life person. He'd be Clark even without the powers.

 

[Rajah]

Just using the 70's movie as a guide (the comics change from time to time)... remember that the Clark Kent persona didn't just show up after his time at the fortress of solitude. That's the way he had been raised by the Kents. He had the powers as a teen, but hid them behind a bumbling persona. The Kents had an understanding that Clark had a purpose, a mission in life. They weren't fully sure what that purpose was, but they realized it couldn't be accomplished if his powers were made public.

Hmm, true. I just didn't get the impression that the Clark in high school was quite *that* bad. LOL!