Why Does Diana Call Superman 'Kal'?

[Matt Rat]

The versions that do call him Kal, I always saw it as Diana seeing it as Supermans "true" sense of person...if that makes sense. She saw Clark as a false name and Kal as who he really is.

Which shows she has no clear understanding of who Clark is.

[BiteTheBullet]

Which shows she has no clear understanding of who Clark is.

I think it means he is all of his persona's to her. Clark Kent, Superman and Kal-El. Thus, Kal!

[marhawkman]

Which shows she has no clear understanding of who Clark is.

More to say have you? Thought complete was not.

Seeing one side of him as more important than the other doesn't mean she ignores it.

[Jim Kelly]

To annoy him.

I hold that Kal-El is all one name and it shouldn't be shortened as if it's an English name. If Diana wants to pay respect to his Kryptonian heritage, then call him Kal-El. If she wants to be monosyllabic, then call him Supe.

This is just my head canon, given so many writers make it just Kal in hundreds of stories. But I prefer Kryptonians and their names to be culturally distinct.

The "Kal" thing bugs me about as much as "Polly" for Hippolyta. Superman should use "Na" for Diana and see how she likes it.

[Guy_McNichts]

Think it was popularized because that's what she called him in Kingdom Come.

Which would be funny considering she only calls him Kal in Kingdom Come because he insists on it:

01.jpg

[DochaDocha]

"Superman" is impersonal, and calling him "Clark" in public is off-limits.

[marhawkman]

To annoy him.

I hold that Kal-El is all one name and it shouldn't be shortened as if it's an English name. If Diana wants to pay respect to his Kryptonian heritage, then call him Kal-El. If she wants to be monosyllabic, then call him Supe.

This is just my head canon, given so many writers make it just Kal in hundreds of stories. But I prefer Kryptonians and their names to be culturally distinct.

The "Kal" thing bugs me about as much as "Polly" for Hippolyta. Superman should use "Na" for Diana and see how she likes it.

AHAAHAHAAHAHAH.... lol no.

Another... perfectly viable way to write Superman's name is "Kal of the house of El".

[Hoodj]

Becauae its more of a turn on for Clark when she screams his real name out when they serve "Truth and Justice" with each other, and she knows it.

[John Venus]

"Superman" is impersonal, and calling him "Clark" in public is off-limits.

That works too.

[The Frog Bros]

"Superman" is impersonal, and calling him "Clark" in public is off-limits.

I suppose it depends on continuity since Clark being Superman is currently public knowledge in-universe. Tho there's always good old head-cannon if needed

[Triniking1234]

I think out of the common Justice Leaguers. Only Bruce and Diana call Superman "Clark" because they interact with his human identity the most.
I think Timm Universe called him Superman until the Hawk invasion where they all knew each other's identities.
Only New52 and DCAU WW calls him Kal-El regularly. I think Aquaman, Thanagar Hawkman and Martian Manhunter call Superman by Kal-El too.

[greatmetropolitan]

I mean, the real answer is that it depends on who's writing at the time. But how do we think she should refer to him? It's got to be Clark. She's the goddess of truth, and at his heart he is Clark Kent. Yes, his birth parents called him Kal-el, but then they gave him up (whether they wanted to or not, no value judgement on it). If you're adopted at birth and your adopted parents give you a name, birth parents can't come in and say "Man, you called him George? We really thought he'd be a Steve, let's go with Steve."

His name is Clark and a well written WW would call him that. If they're in public and its in a Clark-still-has-a-secret-identity timeline, then I can see her using Kal. I could also see her using it as a pet name/nickname for him in a cutesy kind of way. (HEADCANON: Clark spent 1 month as a moody teenager shortly after finding out about his kryptonian heritage and told his parents he'd only respond to Kal-el when at home. He tried to be all alien and aloof and it lasted about as long as it took someone to need him to make them smile. He told Diana this so she calls him Kal as gentle ribbing.)

[Timothy Hunter]

"Superman" is impersonal, and calling him "Clark" in public is off-limits.

That's the most sound explanation. In private I think Diana should call Superman Clark.

[Alpha]

His name is Clark and a well written WW would call him that. If they're in public and its in a Clark-still-has-a-secret-identity timeline, then I can see her using Kal. I could also see her using it as a pet name/nickname for him in a cutesy kind of way. (HEADCANON: Clark spent 1 month as a moody teenager shortly after finding out about his kryptonian heritage and told his parents he'd only respond to Kal-el when at home. He tried to be all alien and aloof and it lasted about as long as it took someone to need him to make them smile. He told Diana this so she calls him Kal as gentle ribbing.)

Hear ye, hear ye,
I approve thy offering. Let us maketh thy canon

[Restingvoice]

I'm going with the interpretation that Diana uses Kal because they're both immigrants while Bruce calls him Clark because they're both raised Americans.