Superman's Secret Identity: Why Clark Kent's Disguise Is Utterly Ridiculous!
Superman's Disguise: A Hilariously Implausible Secret
Let's be honest, one of the silliest things about Superman is how easily Clark Kent hides in plain sight. Seriously, a pair of glasses and a slightly different hairstyle? That's it? This has always been a problem for fans and others concerned about realism in their storytelling; not helped by how this incredibly weak disguise is something used to completely hide one of the most easily recognizable figures imaginable. But now, in a new DC Comics storyline in Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - The Kryptonian Age #5 (Andy Diggle, Leandro Fernández, and Matt Hollingsworth), Clark Kent's new identity makes this even more hilarious! Get ready for some serious laughs!
This awesome Elseworlds series is a sequel to the original Batman: Gotham by Gaslight and places many DC characters in the 19th century! This re-imagining alone completely creates an alternate timeline that generates both laughter and immense opportunities to redesign the world around some core concepts already established in classic storylines. This new twist, redesigning those basic core concepts to create a much more absurd context.
Gotham by Gaslight's Sheriff Clark Kent: A Farcical Disguise!
This new version? Clark is the sheriff. And oh boy, is this amazing! This ridiculous situation, showing an absolutely overpowered and incredibly strong Superman trying to hide from an unsuspecting public through extremely obvious disguises only makes his character appear way, way more unbelievable, even for such an overpowered individual. The sheer scale of contrast is really the driving narrative and comedic power which generates massive amounts of laughter and truly highlights the absurdity behind the very concept and idea of attempting to conceal his powers, when his powers far outpace his own extremely ridiculous means of trying to hide. He basically announces he’s Superman throughout this confrontation, folks!
- Arriving at super-speed causing a “stampede”; something which stopped as soon as Clark showed up.
- Tripping to avoid being hit by a bullet, blaming it on being clumsy. "So clumsy... Tripped over my own boots!”
- A bullet miraculously ricocheting off his badge, disabling one bandit. This is made far more funnier by the incredible fact that Clark is basically indestructible. A ricochet for a demigod should never even appear credible to any other onlooker, not for even a moment! His extremely cheesy excuse is something fans would both instantly recognize, and immediately find amusing, given the incredible contrast from what would actually occur!
- Using heat vision (again!) and acting entirely clueless. “My gosh, would you look at that. A double misfire!”
This ludicrous portrayal only intensifies the comedic moment and strengthens its messaging around this extremely unbelievable situation. It completely highlights this impossible to swallow concept and why those incredibly weak attempts at disguising a figure, instantly recognizable to most fans worldwide would never appear as realistic.
Batman's Intrigued Reaction: The Game Is Afoot!
Even the ever-observant Batman (or rather, Bruce Wayne) isn't fooled! That small “Hrn”—after all those totally implausible events, is everything anyone needs, as he instantly notices the absurdity in that specific storyline element! This conveys volumes! This adds depth and is an exciting prospect which generates massive amounts of suspense and excitement; Batman senses that Superman’s bumbling act isn’t quite what it seems!
Conclusion: The "Secret Identity" Trope Needs a Serious Upgrade!
The absurdity in this particular scenario from Gotham by Gaslight completely hammers the point home! Those simple attempts to hide an utterly overpowered individual such as Superman, under the thinly veiled and laughable disguise known only as Clark Kent is hilarious but, critically more importantly shows that those unrealistic plot decisions regarding keeping a low profile only make future interactions with him completely farcical, leaving more laughs than believability. Perhaps a superhero should think of something other than a simple change in hairstyle.
