Is Superman The Secret Identity or is Clark Kent? (Spoilers)

Action Comics #1052 is revealed by DC Comics tomorrow. And this query comes up once more. Is Superman the key id of Clark Kent? Or is Clark Kent the key id of Superman? Here are some quotes on the matter…

“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.”- Bill in Kill Bill Vol 2, written by Quentin Tarantino, and believed to be indicative of Tarantino’s opinion.

Marv Wolfman: “I think they’re the same. Superman, or rather Kal-El, came to Earth as an infant. All of his morality, all of his viewpoints, come from the Kents. Therefore he’s the right person, he’s the real person. Superman doesn’t talk about it, but he goes out and implements what the Kents taught him, to be right, to be good, to try your best. I don’t see much of a difference. Clark is just the character who isn’t flashy, but they’re both always trying to do their best.”

Brian Bendis: “I think about that Kill Bill bit often. It gets brought up to us quite a lot. My feelings about it are so different, even using the word ‘disguise,’ I wouldn’t…  Superman was kind of thrust on him. His father said, ‘You are going to do this and we are going to send you to do this.’ The choice Clark made in his life was to be a reporter. Everything else was kind of thrust upon him, or he was sent to a place, but he chose to be a reporter. He said, ‘There’s truth out there, and there’s justice to be had that Superman can’t get to just punching it … and being a writer to reveal that truth is something I’m going to do.’ He chooses to spend his time doing that, and I find that enormously admirable, and it makes me love him more.”

Marv Wolfman: “It’s something all of his powers cannot alter in any way. He’s a writer, he loves being a writer, he loves telling the story he’s going to tell, and all of his powers mean nothing to him. It’s all about getting those words down, those thoughts down. And that’s pure Clark.”

Dan Jurgens:” I think there’s a difference to be drawn between a character that puts on a mask and does what he does, or she does, because they’re making a conscious decision at that point to have this other identity.With Superman, I always looked at it as being sort of like someone whose a a police officer, or a firefighter, or whatever, someone in the military, this is what they put on to go do what they do, but they come home and they’re still that person. They’re not making an effort to disguise themselves so much, so I’ve always separated Superman from many other characters that way.”

John Byrne: “He was very much, in the ’70s, played as the stranger in a strange land, which really didn’t make any sense because he was raised on Earth. That’s the key point, he was raised as a human. All his values and understanding of the world, he got from us – from Ma and Pa Kent, that Midwestern, Bible Belt upbringing.”

Jeph Loeb: “Clark Kent is the man. He changes clothes and becomes Superman. It’s a fundamental difference on how you approach the character,” Loeb says. “He is a Kansas farm boy who loves his parents. His identity to Krypton, if anything, is minimal.”

But what does Superman suppose? Action Comics #1052 provides us some perception into the person – and the Siperman – not that his secret id has been restored.

ACTION COMICS #1052 CVR A STEVE BEACH
(W) Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Dan Jurgens, Leah Williams (A) Rafa Sandoval, Lee Weeks, Marguerite Sauvage (CA) Steve Beach
METALLO ATTACKS! The crown jewel of Superman’s new Metropolis is in ruins, and the more and more violent Blue Earth motion is maintaining the complete Super-Family on their toes. Meanwhile, Metallo’s highly effective new physique is evolving in unexpected, horrific methods. As Metallo’s life and sanity proceed to unravel, he units out to seize the one one that may help him: John Henry Irons. It’s Steel versus Metallo as the brand new period of Action Comics continues!
Retail: $4.99 In-Store Date: 02/28/2023