If superman isn't vigilante,then what is the purpose of the secret identity?

[manwhohaseverything]

Like tell me something that Clark would do isif he had a secret identity that would be disrespectful to his friends and co workers (imagining that Jimmy and Lois know who he is)

Sorry i didn't quite understand what you wrote.I made do with what i could understand.Well for one, he used to snuff out articles about "the daring adventures of superman" using his position as a reporter.When the superman id became more than urban legend.Clark used to write articles about himself,even fooled lois,perry..etc many a times.He is essentially breaking the trust with the people he has known for years with his continous lieing for a petty reason.note-These don't require clark to put on an elaborate act.Superman does these things in byrne,dcau,dcanimated movies..etc as well.

[Jon Clark]

I have already addressed this point.But,i am going to again.Clark knew the minute he stepped into confront the corrupt or help people or whatever itself that he can't be normal.That he was superman.He was either gonna be killed,get in trouble/locked up,infamous(goldenage) or famous .he might not have asked for recognition.But,he is got it.Like the rest of people that deal with this situation,he needs to deal with it as well.So superman gets to lie and do whatever mockery just because he can't handle fame or responsibilty due to his work title/position?why is superman a special case,when a doctor or anyone in high position of influence or position to help not?It's not good enough reasoning for me

Sorry it isn't good enough for you.

Why does he get to lie? Because his private life is no one else's business. He isn't required to tell anyone about Krypton, who raised him, or what he does in his "off" hours.

The fact he got this recognition is why he keeps his private life, just that ... private. That was his response to the situation when he decided to use his powers publicly and didn't want to be "on" 24 hours a day. He saves people and then steps back out of the spotlight.

Part of why Superman is different is because of how exceptional he is, Odds are the doctor you see is just one of dozens if not hundreds with roughly equal skill. If he isn't available, one of the others will do the job. You won't be inclined to track down your specific doctor on his day off and insist he treat you. But Superman is in a class where people will do just that. Like in the example from "Who Took the Super Out of Superman", guys like Jimmy Olsen don't think about someone else dealing with a crime, they expect Superman to stop what he is doing and deal with it immediately.

The secret id is just there to fill a position that was part of the character in 1938 in name only.Superman's secret id was a way to keep his ears to the ground and to keep his civilian friends from harms way in case the state took action.It can't be any sort of protective measure against his supernatural villains.You said it yourself ,who is good enough to body guard superman(maybe have a bunch of superrobots).The answer,nobody can except superman.If braniac or mongol or mxy or darkseid wanted lois would be dead in seconds.glasses or no glasses.As if the likes of darkseid doesn't know superman has a thing for lois. Heck! even doomsday can sniff out clark to daily planet and smash the whole thing.The only reason i could think of it not happening is because a)plot b) they don't care enough(i can see especially brainiac not caring for some cockroaches).As for not getting paid,he doesn't do it for money remember.he doesn't need anyone to protect him from a mob either.Superman can maintain and manage a crowd no problem.Besides,wally west went public if i remember correctly.Tony stark does his thing no problem as well.I just fail to see reason.I always viewed the id as phase of his life.Not the permanant setup.I always thought clark would come out one day and say."I am superman" and that has happened.

I wasn't implying Superman did anything for pay. I was saying he doesn't have the resources to have a staff to keep crowds away. And Superman does need people to protect him from a mob. Just look at Byrne's version of his public debut. He is mobbed by people and only gets away because he can fly ... and because no one knows who he is. Imagine that scene if he'd been publicly outed. He'd have gotten no peace. There would be crowds outside his apartment building (if not his actual apartment building) day and night. They couldn't do him any physical harm, but they'd keep him from having any kind of life.

As for the physical threats. Sure, Brainiac, Darkseid and Satanus knew Clark was Superman, buy Metallo, Luthor, and 99.9% of criminals didn't. There is a difference between most of the cosmic foes who usually didn't attack him directly and whose threats were maybe two times a month versus having everyone from Bea Carroll to Toyman to Joker to Luthor being able to show up on your doorstep on a whim. Even if Superman can shrug these guys off, it still is a nuisance to have to be on guard for attacks every waking or sleeping moment.

The secret ID isn't to stop every problem, but it is a way to avoid a majority of them. It's an option he has and something that worked for him so far. I mioght have some problems with his romancing Lois in both identiites, but most of the so callied "lies" he tells otherwise are ones where his intent isn't malicious. He can lie to the public (and even his friends) all day long about what he is doing as Clark or Superman and I don't see it as wrong.

I don't see it as a phase. I see it as part of who he is. He actually is a different person dealing with the general public in costume and out. It's a whole mindset he developed from the first moment he discovered he had powers.

[Alpha]

Sorry i didn't quite understand what you wrote.I made do with what i could understand.Well for one, he used to snuff out articles about "the daring adventures of superman" using his position as a reporter.When the superman id became more than urban legend.Clark used to write articles about himself,even fooled lois,perry..etc many a times.He is essentially breaking the trust with the people he has known for years with his continous lieing for a petty reason.note-These don't require clark to put on an elaborate act.Superman does these things in byrne,dcau,dcanimated movies..etc as well.

Wanting to have human connections that aren't conditioned by his efforts as Superman isn't petty. It's the basis for comfort in the world, something all of us need. You say he can still have intimate connections as Superman, but I don't think he wants to. And I agree that Clark should refuse to write articles about Superman. It's not interesting anyway.

[llozymandias]

@if that's the case,why not be clark kent all the time?why be superman at all?if that were really the case there would be no point to superman at all.Also people forget that superman was the trueself for majority of the character's existence.It was the outlet to show what he is.Beneath the thin veneer of white shirt is a circus strongman/gladiator defending the weak.

@Underlined And yet,superman even at his scariest hanging molesters by the belt on some tower or shooting and catching bullets to scare a corrupt war profiteer.He Is able to hold convo with normal folks no problem.Yet,superman at his strongest is able to calm down regan.In that picture as well,he is superman.I mean,condescion would be trying to play their dad/savior and giving speeches/platitudes not backed up by actions and understanding that just feels fake.Champion would always be one of the people,therefore by definition cannot be condescending.

Wow, you really love to put words in other people's mouths. My point was that (in his universe) everyone knows that Superman has the power of a god & his level of intelligence makes them feel dumber than Forrest Gump. How can he counter that? By convincing everyone that he is really a naive dumber than Forrest Gump farm boy? That would make people terrified about being around. All that power in the hands of a moron. Or he could say; yes i have the power of a god & my level of intelligence makes you look way dumber than Forrest Gump. But, i see you as an equal. I believe most people would see that as very condescending

[Restingvoice]

Hi, I'm late, but wait, Superman isn't a vigilante? I guess he doesn't just enter Lexcorp and steal evidence...
Secret ID is for Lois and the Kents protection, even though Lois is targeted anyway because she's Lois-ing. So it's mainly for the Kents.

[manwhohaseverything]

Wow, you really love to put words in other people's mouths. My point was that (in his universe) everyone knows that Superman has the power of a god & his level of intelligence makes them feel dumber than Forrest Gump. How can he counter that? By convincing everyone that he is really a naive dumber than Forrest Gump farm boy? That would make people terrified about being around. All that power in the hands of a moron. Or he could say; yes i have the power of a god & my level of intelligence makes you look way dumber than Forrest Gump. But, i see you as an equal. I believe most people would see that as very condescending

No,i didn't put any words in your mouth.I was merely asking, what is the point of being superman if he can't even make human connection when he is being his trueself?
Are smartest people on the planet going around judging people based on their intellectual capacity?No,i think not.They don't make friends based intellectual capacity or skillset.Most probably they wouldn't care.Would only care if you were working together to get a job done.Even then they are merely just subscribing to requirements of a situation or a job.To get a job at a law firm,you most probably need to have practice. Superman wouldn't care how smart you are unless he is actively selecting people with experties for something.He doesn't need to.I mean,People actively talk and be friends with people less smart or doesn't have the same skill set, you know.For example,I suck at math(a flaw i hate).But,i have a friend who is a damn genius.By your logic we shouldn't be friends.I should think it's condesending that someone that good at math is my friend.But,i don't.He acts himself no problem.If people are envious of greatness then they need to learn to get over it.Coddling people from truth is not a solution. An episode from recess with perfect man/kid(a stand-in for superman).

i believe people have the capacity to get over it and grow.Clark would just have to endure the hate till then,and be not afraid or ashamed of being great.Only lex luthor sees status or intellect or whatever as requirement to make connections.People don't do that.

[manwhohaseverything]

Sorry it isn't good enough for you.

Why does he get to lie? Because his private life is no one else's business. He isn't required to tell anyone about Krypton, who raised him, or what he does in his "off" hours.

The fact he got this recognition is why he keeps his private life, just that ... private. That was his response to the situation when he decided to use his powers publicly and didn't want to be "on" 24 hours a day. He saves people and then steps back out of the spotlight.

Part of why Superman is different is because of how exceptional he is, Odds are the doctor you see is just one of dozens if not hundreds with roughly equal skill. If he isn't available, one of the others will do the job. You won't be inclined to track down your specific doctor on his day off and insist he treat you. But Superman is in a class where people will do just that. Like in the example from "Who Took the Super Out of Superman", guys like Jimmy Olsen don't think about someone else dealing with a crime, they expect Superman to stop what he is doing and deal with it immediately.



I wasn't implying Superman did anything for pay. I was saying he doesn't have the resources to have a staff to keep crowds away. And Superman does need people to protect him from a mob. Just look at Byrne's version of his public debut. He is mobbed by people and only gets away because he can fly ... and because no one knows who he is. Imagine that scene if he'd been publicly outed. He'd have gotten no peace. There would be crowds outside his apartment building (if not his actual apartment building) day and night. They couldn't do him any physical harm, but they'd keep him from having any kind of life.

As for the physical threats. Sure, Brainiac, Darkseid and Satanus knew Clark was Superman, buy Metallo, Luthor, and 99.9% of criminals didn't. There is a difference between most of the cosmic foes who usually didn't attack him directly and whose threats were maybe two times a month versus having everyone from Bea Carroll to Toyman to Joker to Luthor being able to show up on your doorstep on a whim. Even if Superman can shrug these guys off, it still is a nuisance to have to be on guard for attacks every waking or sleeping moment.

The secret ID isn't to stop every problem, but it is a way to avoid a majority of them. It's an option he has and something that worked for him so far. I mioght have some problems with his romancing Lois in both identiites, but most of the so callied "lies" he tells otherwise are ones where his intent isn't malicious. He can lie to the public (and even his friends) all day long about what he is doing as Clark or Superman and I don't see it as wrong.

I don't see it as a phase. I see it as part of who he is. He actually is a different person dealing with the general public in costume and out. It's a whole mindset he developed from the first moment he discovered he had powers.

Who said he need to tell about his private life?Nobody is asking superman needs to make it public that he likes atticus finch or he decided to be a vegetarian one time. There is a difference between private life and double life.A double life implies fraud,deceit and treachery.Clark having a double life was only pardonable because of his delicate situation.Otherwise,it's not.He can step out as himself without having an ID.Doctors do say no.You know that.right?They ask someone else to take a job that doesn't absolutely need them.If it's not an emergency,they let others handle it.Superman would just have to be transparent "I can't be saving people all the time.This is my off hours.So,sorry.If it's emergency i will be there"Is superman that alone now with exceptional skills?No, he isn't.He is one of the many flying paragons dc has including cap. marvel .As said,trivial things can be handled by anyone else.If it's that much of an emergancy that requires him specifically,he would jump in.

He can build robots.He has a futuristic fortress.He can create force fields and junk.He has more than enough resources for crowd control if need be.He doesn't really need people to guard him.He even has a dog and a monkey with laser vision.That's a non-issue.

Now you are selling superman short.These guys aren't powerful enough to harm superman's friends if they wanted to.Lex is the only one who can,from the list you mentioned.For lex,killing lois or jimmy or whatever would lead to anything.If killing someone close to superman was enough,lois would be dead already.Lex wants to beat superman,to humiliate him.He wants everyone to realise that he is superman.Not the chump that plays the hero.It's pure envy.Joker is a joke.prankster,toyman,metallo..etc have never seriously beaten superman.So how can they threaten superman?These guys would have to kidnap lois or jimmy or perry use her as bargaining chip.Because her being dead means these guys being crippled.It's as simple as that.Also,do police people have the luxury of hidden identity to safeguard loved ones?No they do not.If some criminal decided to kill a loved one of a police officer who brought him in.The criminal would just need to get the address.

whether malicious or not is besides the point,lieing is not sustainable course of action.It is not ethical.It can only be tolerated,not accepted.Truth will always come out.

Are you talking about byrne superman?He was the only superman who discovered he has powers later on.Superman was born with his abilities in most incarnations.It's not a mindset,pa asked him to hide his great strength so that people can warm up to him.People have.So,secret id not needed anymore is my argument.

[Alpha]

@Manwhohaseverything

At this point we disagree on two things.

1 You think him having a secret identity means he has to have a fake personality and abuse others, which I don't.

2 I think the connections he can make as Clark Kent allow him go feel more comfortable than as Superman, and you don't think so.

We've been going around and around with this and I'm kind've tired of talking about this, but I'l leave it at this. I think there are interesting stories to be told with Superman not having a secret identity and I'm not in a rush for the status quo to be changed, but I think the dafault status for Superman should be him having a secret identity.

I would remind you that Alan Moore's bookend to the Silver Age ended with Superman retiring and having a new sexret identity that he gets to use 24/7. If his Secret Identity was Clark Kent than he doesn't have to even lie about his parents ansd hometown.

[manwhohaseverything]

@Manwhohaseverything

At this point we disagree on two things.

1 You think him having a secret identity means he has to have a fake personality and abuse others, which I don't.

2 I think the connections he can make as Clark Kent allow him go feel more comfortable than as Superman, and you don't think so.

We've been going around and around with this and I'm kind've tired of talking about this, but I'l leave it at this. I think there are interesting stories to be told with Superman not having a secret identity and I'm not in a rush for the status quo to be changed, but I think the dafault status for Superman should be him having a secret identity.

I would remind you that Alan Moore's bookend to the Silver Age ended with Superman retiring and having a new sexret identity that he gets to use 24/7. If his Secret Identity was Clark Kent than he doesn't have to even lie about his parents ansd hometown.

Suit yourself,We will have to agree to disagree.I was not trying to be difficult.Pardon any frustrations caused
1)i don't actually believe i made argument with glasses fake persona.Did i?I have been making arguments with byrne superman accomodated.Even byrne superman is lieing,living a double life and that's that.He might not be doing the whole clumsy clark kent act.But,that doesn't mean anything.
2)My argument is that such are not deep or strong enough cause they don't get to know what clark kent truly is.Those connections clark made are based on a lie.Therefore,cannot last long.
I would like to say that Superman ceases to exist the moment he killed in that story.Clark kent identity goes public and dies in that story as well.What was left is kal el living his life as the new jordan elliot(jor el) who fathered a new superman-Jon kent.Why do think it shows jon creating diamond from coal?Jor-el might think superman is overrated.But,there will always be one who fights for those who can't fight for themselves.

considering,this was the third act of that superman's story.And current books have passed this third act in a way.I think my arguments are strengthened.

[Alpha]

Suit yourself,We will have to agree to disagree.I was not trying to be difficult.Pardon any frustrations caused
1)i don't actually believe i made argument with glasses fake persona.Did i?I have been making arguments with byrne superman accomodated.Even byrne superman is lieing,living a double life and that's that.He might not be doing the whole clumsy clark kent act.But,that doesn't mean anything.
2)My argument is that such are not deep or strong enough cause they don't get to know what clark kent truly is.Those connections clark made are based on a lie.Therefore,cannot last long.
I would like to say that Superman ceases to exist the moment he killed in that story.Clark kent identity goes public and dies in that story as well.What was left is kal el living his life as the new jordan elliot(jor el) who fathered a new superman-Jon kent.Why do think it shows jon creating diamond from coal?Jor-el might think superman is overrated.But,there will always be one who fights for those who can't fight for themselves.

considering,this was the third act of that superman's story.And current books have passed this third act in a way.I think my arguments are strengthened.

At first I thought you were stand off-ish but now I'm chill. You really believe what you believe I don't see any disrespect. All good.

I guess the thing is that I don't see living a double life as a bad thing. I mean, of course you want your wife or long term partner to understand as much of you as possible, and your best friend (jimmy olsen) should know too. But why does your friend from work gave the "right" to know that you come from another planet (even tho you only really know what it's like to live on earth) and have these powers? I have friends that know nothing about my professional life but we talk about all sorts of stuff and enjoy each other's company. I don't think our friendships requires them to know about what I do everyday at my job, or even to know what is my job. And as to the people that don't know Clark is Superman, they can still talk about his family and his career as a journalist, and this is important stuff for Clark. Yes he has to save the world everyweek, but it doesn't mean that his personal life doesn't affect him, ans if he talks to friends about this stuff, then he is being honest with them and he doesn't have the responsibility of telling them he is Superman

[Jon Clark]

Who said he need to tell about his private life?Nobody is asking superman needs to make it public that he likes atticus finch or he decided to be a vegetarian one time. There is a difference between private life and double life.A double life implies fraud,deceit and treachery.Clark having a double life was only pardonable because of his delicate situation.Otherwise,it's not.He can step out as himself without having an ID.Doctors do say no.You know that.right?They ask someone else to take a job
that doesn't absolutely need them.If it's not an emergency,they let others handle it.Superman would just have to be transparent "I can't be saving people all the time.This is my off hours.So,sorry.If it's emergency i will be there"Is superman that alone now with exceptional skills?No, he isn't.He is one of the many flying paragons dc has including cap. marvel .As said,trivial things can be handled by anyone else.If it's that much of an emergancy that requires him specifically,he would jump in.

The difference here is that you think Superman is required to be publicly accessible and i don't. He could simply say to people "Sorry, go ask Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel, I'm off duty", but he also has the right to just avoid the situation by not advertising he is Superman. And the easiest way to not advertise is not making his private life as Clark public information.

He can build robots.He has a futuristic fortress.He can create force fields and junk.He has more than enough resources for crowd control if need be.He doesn't really need people to guard him.He even has a dog and a monkey with laser vision.That's a non-issue.

Why go to all that trouble when you can just avoid the crowds? Superman just maintaining his already separate identity as Clark avoids that need.

Now you are selling superman short.These guys aren't powerful enough to harm superman's friends if they wanted to.Lex is the only one who can,from the list you mentioned.For lex,killing lois or jimmy or whatever would lead to anything.If killing someone close to superman was enough,lois would be dead already.Lex wants to beat superman,to humiliate him.He wants everyone to realise that he is superman.Not the chump that plays the hero.It's pure envy.Joker is a joke.prankster,toyman,metallo..etc have never seriously beaten superman.So how can they threaten superman?These guys would have to kidnap lois or jimmy or perry use her as bargaining chip.Because her being dead means these guys being crippled.It's as simple as that.Also,do police people have the luxury of hidden identity to safeguard loved ones?No they do not.If some criminal decided to kill a loved one of a police officer who brought him in.The criminal would just need to get the address.

It's not a question of them being able to threaten Superman.

1)While being near Superman is always a risk, even if his ID isn't public, a public Superman will attract more attacks than one who isn't public. Plain ol' Clark Kent can eat at the corner deli without worrying someone is going to start a fight. And if someone is looking to attack plain ol' Clark they aren't using attacks meant to level entire blocks. He can just sit back and eat his lunch at that deli and not worry about any collateral damage.

2)Collateral damage. Even if I'm not able to muss Clark's hair any attack I make can hurt people around him.

3) And while it might not be in my best interests to target Superman's freinds, criminals aren't necessarily going to think that far ahead. Unlike a police officer there are going to be lots of articles covering Superman's life- where he grew up, where he lives, etc. Plus you are going to remember that Superman arrested you more than if Officer Muldoon, Sgt. Friday, or Lt Columbo arrested you.

whether malicious or not is besides the point,lieing is not sustainable course of action.It is not ethical.It can only be tolerated,not accepted.Truth will always come out.

I don't see a lie about something that has no effect on me as unethical. If my friend wants to tell me about some wild adventure that never happened- it does me no harm. If my barber tells me his name is Joseph, but he is actually Johosaphat or even Bob, makes no difference to me. And if my neighbor chooses not to tell anyone that he is a retired CIA operative claiming instead that he was a librarian, what does it matter. I only care if someone gives me false information that I have a right to know.

Are you talking about byrne superman?He was the only superman who discovered he has powers later on.Superman was born with his abilities in most incarnations.It's not a mindset,pa asked him to hide his great strength so that people can warm up to him.People have.So,secret id not needed anymore is my argument.

No, I mean the first time Clark realizes that there is some things he has to hide. Whether that is baby Clark not flying when other people can see him, Golden Age Clark hiding his strength from classmates so as not to attract attention, Chris Reeve not being able to join the football team or Henry Cavill being told that he shouldn't have saved those kids on the bus. Every version had a long period between learning that they had to hide their powers and adopting an identity where they could publicly show everything they could do. And that creates a mindset of being one person (Clark) in public and another (Superman) in private or in costume.

[llozymandias]

No,i didn't put any words in your mouth.I was merely asking, what is the point of being superman if he can't even make human connection when he is being his trueself?
Are smartest people on the planet going around judging people based on their intellectual capacity?No,i think not.They don't make friends based intellectual capacity or skillset.Most probably they wouldn't care.Would only care if you were working together to get a job done.Even then they are merely just subscribing to requirements of a situation or a job.To get a job at a law firm,you most probably need to have practice. Superman wouldn't care how smart you are unless he is actively selecting people with experties for something.He doesn't need to.I mean,People actively talk and be friends with people less smart or doesn't have the same skill set, you know.For example,I suck at math(a flaw i hate).But,i have a friend who is a damn genius.By your logic we shouldn't be friends.I should think it's condesending that someone that good at math is my friend.But,i don't.He acts himself no problem.If people are envious of greatness then they need to learn to get over it.Coddling people from truth is not a solution. An episode from recess with perfect man/kid(a stand-in for superman).

i believe people have the capacity to get over it and grow.Clark would just have to endure the hate till then,and be not afraid or ashamed of being great.Only lex luthor sees status or intellect or whatever as requirement to make connections.People don't do that.

You are obviously bullet proof when it comes to your opinions. Do you ever respond to what someone actually says? Or do you always respond to the opposite of what they actually say?

[Powerboy]

Superman was concieved as a vigilante akin to zorro.He was also an alien in hiding as well.If he isn't a vigilante running from the state.If his alien background doesn't frighten people.What is the need for the secret identity in the first place?wanting a private life as celebrity hero is one thing.Would anyone jump through this much hoops for that purpose other than hannah montana.The secret id was a way to cope with that and to make people ease into superman figure.

This has probably been answered over and over by now but so that Lois, Jimmy and Perry don't get killed or kidnapped. The George Reeves show explained it. Everyone just assumed Superman had another identity, so he could go out to a restaurant, go on a date, hang out with friends or go home without being swamped with fans.

[Robanker]

You are obviously bullet proof when it comes to your opinions. Do you ever respond to what someone actually says? Or do you always respond to the opposite of what they actually say?

English doesn't seem to be his first language so sometimes he comes across harsher than I think he intends, so give him some slack there. That said, he has a very rigid, particular take on the IP and where it should go that doesn't really match the norm of the forum, so take that with a grain of salt as well. The secret identity specifically he is adamant should be a disguise and that Clark Kent as a character has poisoned the Superman IP, or that's what I've gleaned from his posts. He's very adamant in his beliefs so my take has been to just agree to disagree and part ways on discussion when we come to an impasse.

I agree with you that Clark gets put on this massive pedestal and is the type of person to be very mindful of what he does because he doesn't want people to fear him unduly. manwhohaseverything (again, based on my understanding, I don't presume to speak for him) prefers a social crusading strongman Superman who is 100% himself no matter the consequences, which is a Superman we've seen before, but most see Superman as the ultimate example of power used responsibly and masculinity without toxicity, so those incarnations of Superman conflict with one another. He wants a Superman who forces change, the popular take is someone who inspires it, and most long-time Superman fans on this board prefer a Superman somewhere in the middle. A lot of us like the compromise that he was a lot more brash in his youth and matured to take a more measured approach as he got older, but again, I don't think he cares for that take either. For good or ill, a lot of us (as you can see in this thread) don't agree with his take on the secret identity.

[llozymandias]

English doesn't seem to be his first language so sometimes he comes across harsher than I think he intends, so give him some slack there. That said, he has a very rigid, particular take on the IP and where it should go that doesn't really match the norm of the forum, so take that with a grain of salt as well. The secret identity specifically he is adamant should be a disguise and that Clark Kent as a character has poisoned the Superman IP, or that's what I've gleaned from his posts. He's very adamant in his beliefs so my take has been to just agree to disagree and part ways on discussion when we come to an impasse.

I agree with you that Clark gets put on this massive pedestal and is the type of person to be very mindful of what he does because he doesn't want people to fear him unduly. manwhohaseverything (again, based on my understanding, I don't presume to speak for him) prefers a social crusading strongman Superman who is 100% himself no matter the consequences, which is a Superman we've seen before, but most see Superman as the ultimate example of power used responsibly and masculinity without toxicity, so those incarnations of Superman conflict with one another. He wants a Superman who forces change, the popular take is someone who inspires it, and most long-time Superman fans on this board prefer a Superman somewhere in the middle. A lot of us like the compromise that he was a lot more brash in his youth and matured to take a more measured approach as he got older, but again, I don't think he cares for that take either. For good or ill, a lot of us (as you can see in this thread) don't agree with his take on the secret identity.

Yeah, i think you are right. Though it would be really funny for someone to hate the Clark Kent id, while claining to respect Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster. Seeing that they based Clark Kent on themselves. Anyway back to having fun on these boards. Cut him some slack you say? Ok will do. Sometimes i take things way too seriously.