Super Prêt-à-Porter: What's in Clark Kent's closet?

[Jim Kelly]

On another thread, I wrote: "Of course, Superman has always worn other outfits during his storied career (as the Man of Steel and as Clark Kent—and in other guises). This would be a worthwhile thread, looking back on all the fashion choices over the 80 years."

As no one else took up my suggestion, I decided to start the topic myself. I think there's no end to the fashion choices we've seen from the Man of Tomorrow.

Everyone knows this is what Superman and his mild mannered alter ego were wearing in their first appearance--



--for ACTION COMICS No. 1 (June 1938).

And here is "Superman's New Uniform," twenty years later--



--from ACTION COMICS No. 236 (January 1958).

Then there was the time when Clark was Jim White and dressed like so--



--in SUPERMAN No. 165 (November 1963), "The Sweetheart Superman Forgot."

[Restingvoice]

Ooh. I like this. Here's his outfit when he went to Gotham the first time in New 52 BatSuper #1
85ff82c0aa136d7bf2c9678ba87925a1._SX1280_QL80_TTD_.jpg

[Jim Kelly]

Then there was that time when Clark was Gangbuster--




--in THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN No. 449 (February 1989) and other issues.

[Last Son of Krypton]

From the recent MoS #2...

mos.jpg

[Kuwagaton]

Jurgens and Ordway, when they drew their own writing, gave Clark a more eccentric taste.



I brought suits up in a thread some time ago but I excludedthe Superman side. Since then we've had Action Comics confirm several times that the stealth suit, classic costume, new 52 costume, and Reborn costume as well as others were all in the same closet. I like the Krypton Man outfit.

[Jim Kelly]

In the early 1970s, one of the many changes was to give Clark a more with-it look. He wore a lot of in fashion suits, thanks to the Swan and Anderson tailors, but I always remember this turtle-neck and suit combo from the Neal Adams shop, for the Private Life of Clark Kent story in SUPERMAN No. 254 (July 1972). You didn't often see CK in a turtle-neck.

[Jim Kelly]

WORLD'S FINEST COMICS No. 89 (July-August 1957) featured the famous "Club of Heroes"--a sequel to "The Batmen of All Nations" in DETECTIVE COMICS No. 215 (January 1955). Among all the other heroes that showed up for the WF story was the mysterious Lightning-Man, who--and this is a spoiler--turned out to be Superman on account of some Kryptonite affecting his personality.



Funnily enough this story was reprinted a decade later in the 80 page Giant WORLD'S FINEST COMICS No. 179 (October-November 1968), coming in between issues 178 (September 1968) and 180 (November 1968). Those two regular issues told the two halves of the two-part imaginary story where Superman permanently loses his super-powers and becomes the crimefighter Nova. Also, as a side note, issue 180 for its Editor's Round Table back-up feature reprinted "The Batmen of All Nations."

[Kuwagaton]

Nova actually came back as Courageous Man later and got his own movie. Meanwhile a powerless Clark would have to cook up a different spin on Superman.



and be his own hero on the fly on another occasion

[Last Son of Krypton]

[Jim Kelly]

And let us not forget Superman's other non-powered crimefighter identity, the original Nightwing, with Jimmy Olsen as Flamebird. They took their codenames from birds native to Krypton.

[Jim Kelly]

The early days of the Man of Steel had Superman-Clark assume a lot of other identities, to the point where he seemed like a man of many faces. Just in his second appearance, in ACTION COMICS No.2, he posed as a soldier in the San Monte war. Then in issue 3, he spends the bulk of the time appearing as a miner (not as Clark or Superman). Issue 4 has the reporter disguising himself as Tommy Burke. In issue 10, Clark poses as Tom Daly and gets himself sent to prison. Then in issue 11, he poses as Homer Ramsay when he runs a con on two grifters.

Meanwhile, in the comic strips, Superman convinces a suicidal Larry Trent to let him assume his identity and spends a lot of that continuity as the washed-up boxer (February 20th to March 18th, 1939). This story is reprinted, in colour, in SUPERMAN No. 2 (Fall 1939).

Also in the strips, to get a story for the Daily Planet, Clark poses as "Shiftless Sam," a tramp (July 8th to August 31st, 1940). And Superman prevails on priggish Eustace Watson to allow the Man of Tomorrow to assume his stuffed-shirt identity (pince-nez and all) in another delightful daily continuity (December 2nd, 1940, to March 8th, 1941).

[Kuwagaton]

I miss that. When Bibbo first showed up, Superman used his identity as a disguise.

[Jim Kelly]

Kal-El’s baby clothes, part 1

SUPERMAN No. 1 (1939)
Joe Shuster



SUPERMAN daily strip (1939)
Joe Shuster



SUPERMAN Sunday strip (1944)
Wayne Boring

[Jim Kelly]

Kal-El’s baby clothes, part 2

SUPERBOY No. 8 (May-June 1950)
Curt Swan & John Fischetti



SUPERBOY No. 76 (October 1959)
Curt Swan & Stan Kaye



SUPERMAN’S GIRL FRIEND, LOIS LANE No. 26 (July 1961)
Kurt Schaffenberger

[Jim Kelly]

Kal-El’s baby clothes, part 3

ACTION COMICS No. 325 (June 1965)
Curt Swan & George Klein




SUPERBOY No. 133 (October 1966)
George Papp




SUPERBOY No. 183 (March 1972)
Nick Cardy