Superman: Secret Identity
Encyclopedia
Superman: Secret Identity is a four-issue mini-series
of 48 pages each in prestige format
, written by Kurt Busiek
and illustrated by Stuart Immonen
. The first issue was published in January 2004
, and the limited series ran until April 2004. A re-release of the first two issues will become available on October 19, 2011. The title was not released under the Elseworlds
banner, but is regarded as a non-canonical
story. The story describes the life of Clark Kent, a man in a world in which the superheroes are alive only in the comics, who suddenly gains the powers of Superman and embarks on a super-heroic career, but keeps his existence secret from the world at large.
Superman
, something for which Clark has not been grateful. He receives his always Superman-related gifts with a smile and puts up with being the butt of many jokes, including that of the local bully Mike, a star athlete at the high school. When home, he usually retreats to what his father has dubbed the 'Fortress of Solitude
', a typewriter in an abandoned tractor out in the fields, where Clark sits and writes.
One night, during a weekend camping trip, he wakes from a bad dream to find himself floating in mid-air. Discovering that he now has the powers of Superman allows him to avoid his tormentors at school and fly all over the world in the weekend. He does not reveal his powers to his parents, although he starts to question his origin. Eventually, while out flying, Clark happens onto a flood and saves someone from drowning, flying off before he can be spotted. He decides to continue using his powers for good. After a few more rescues and a blurry far-away photograph, the phenomenon is tracked down to his hometown of Hopefield, with both reporters and government agents asking questions. With the appearance of a true Superboy
, Clark is pestered even more, and the questions about his powers still aren't answered.
He decides to approach Wendy Case, the reporter who wrote the first story on him. Clark keeps his secret identity by interviewing at night, and proves his existence by performing superhuman stunts. Wendy offers Clark a deal, wherein she will exclusively handle his debut, and they can investigate his powers even better. Clark is prepared to accept her offer, but stops when he catches Wendy taping him with a concealed video-camera. Clark uses his heat vision to destroy the camera and angrily leaves. He decides that he will go public with his powers at the town's Halloween carnival.
Dressed in a Superboy outfit, he watches the carnival descend into chaos when an explosion causes the gas lines to burst. Although his actions are partially obscured by explosions and confusion, Clark rescues people caught in the blast, finally coming across his longtime friend and crush Cassie trapped under a massive beam. Clark is lifting the beam so that she can escape, when a group of reporters (including Wendy) come upon the scene. Clark, flustered by the media hysteria, decides it is best to maintain his secret identity, and pretends to drop the beam. His actions are described as an optical illusion. Wendy Case is revealed to have set the explosion, resulting in several deaths, and Superboy becomes regarded as a hoax
. Clark is regretful of the tragedy, and decides to continue operating as Superboy only in secret. Although Mike and Cassie become a couple, Clark is finally content with his life.
, where he is a writer for The New Yorker
. While his colleagues tease him about his name from time to time, he genuinely likes his job. He continues saving lives dressed as Superman, usually under cover of night, using the idea that nobody would believe someone saying he had been rescued by Superman (government agents continue to investigate his exploits).
One day Clark is called in by his boss. Fearing that he is getting fired, he is pleasantly surprised to learn his boss has gotten him an appointment with a publisher. She points out, however, that his work is 'all head, but no heart', and that he is like an alien observer. Reeling from a potential book deal, he accompanies his colleagues to a café for beers and burger, unaware that one of them (a man named "James") has set him up to introduce him to a woman called Lois. She storms out and he follows her, telling her that he's quite familiar with the usual set-ups, being named Clark Kent. She introduces herself as Lois Chaudhari. He decides to ask her out, and at the end of the evening, the two kiss. They start a relationship, though he feels guilt for not telling Lois of his secret.
Later, seeing a civilian in danger, Clark is lured into a trap and is captured by a powerful electric-burst weapon which succeeds in knocking him unconscious. He awakens in a government facility with scientists attempting to extract samples from his invulnerable skin. Clark manages to escape and finds bodies of various others marked with powers, including babies in a dissection lab. Clark evacuates the occupants and destroys the building. Afraid, Clark hides in his apartment for four days before forcing himself to go out into the world. As a precaution, he decides to wear glasses (as in conventional Superman canon) to prevent from being recognized from a distance. Clark publishes his first book, with people commenting on a more 'alive' tone to his writing that still retains his unique perspective. He continues his rescue work, but is more cautious and remains wary of Superman sightings on the Internet. After a row with Lois, Clark angrily leaves, but patches it up with her and reveals his secret in the process. She swears to keep his secret and the two are more in love than ever, and Clark is no longer alone, ready to face whatever lies ahead.
. The government still keeps track of him. When Lois reveals she is pregnant, Clark worries about the effects of his powers on the children and possible attempts by the government to control them as well. As the birth nears (with Clark and Lois now expecting twins), Clark considers quitting his heroic activities, believing they may be endangering Lois and the children. However, Lois points out that Clark would feel guilty if he knew lives had been lost which he might have been able to save with his powers, so she advises him not to quit.
Clark resolves to make a deal with the government. The first meeting is a disaster as Clark hesitates when Agent Malloy asks him why he wants this deal; the government agents around them attack Clark with the electric-burst weapon and he is forced to flee. Clark decides to try again by pulling a series of non-dangerous but highly embarrassing and inconvenient stunts upon the higher levels of the government and military- thus proving that he is not dangerous as he has never caused anyone any harm when it would have been easy for him to do so-, leading to a pre-arranged meeting at the top of the Washington Monument. Clark gives Malloy terms: Clark will accept non-politically motivated lifesaving missions for the government; in return, the government will agree to leave Clark and his family alone. Malloy hedges, but in narration Clark reveals he has accepted the terms.
As the twins are about to be born, Clark is called on a mission to rescue a group of hostages which results in political gain for the current administration. Clark considers this to be somewhat of a breach of the agreement but he grudgingly accepts the arrangement in exchange for an end to government harassment. He rushes back to the hospital, where he joins his wife and his two daughters. Cradling his two daughters, he swears that not only will they not receive the names 'Kara', 'Lana' or 'Lori', he will keep them safe, no matter what it takes.
Clark and Lois have noticed his powers fading (although only marginally), and Clark still has not uncovered the origin of his powers. Believing they may be based on the yellow sun (as Superman's powers are in mainstream comics canon), Clark flies to the edge of the sun to "recharge" with solar energy. Unfortunately, all he gets is "a hell of a winter tan" and no closer to any real understanding of the source of his powers.
Clark continues his government missions, becoming friendly with Malloy despite the government's continued attempts to ferret out his identity (attempts which Malloy basically disavows and blames on 'new blood from the home office').
Clark is called less and less often; he speculates that the government may have other superpowered agents. This spurs him to again continue his research. Over the years he has slowly assembled a book about his origins. Using his x-ray vision, he uncovers records of pre-World War II eugenic programs, nerve gas accidents, chromosomal changes reports, anomaly on the solar changes, and a series of meteor strikes around the world in 1988, including Kansas; Clark was thirteen at the time. Clark believes that the meteor showers released unknown chemical compounds and radiation into the water table and his subconscious may have shaped his powers to the Superman
archetype.
As the girls grow up, Clark and Lois sometimes test them to see if they had gained any powers but eventually stop, thinking it unfair to their children. One day, as Clark attempts to stop a tornado in South Australia, it dissipates and he hears what sounds like the faint sound of two laughing girls. He concludes that they may have developed powers like himself. Rather than confront them, he leaves a manuscript of his book on superhumans on the table. Eventually, he finds two pairs of hands helping him to stop a derailing train, who reveal themselves to be his daughters, dressed in modified super-uniforms, who admit their powers manifested in their teens, as Clark's had. Father and super-daughters fly back to Maine at super-speed, to be greeted by an overjoyed Lois.
The next surprise in store for Clark is the retirement of Agent Malloy at age 65, who reveals that he had uncovered Clark's identity long ago, though he had never told anybody and left no paper trails. When Clark asks Malloy why he never revealed his identity, he replies, "I have children too, Clark. Sons."
With the superhuman situation changed, Malloy tells Clark, "You're retired, too. Nobody will be replacing me as your 'keeper.'" Malloy also expresses regret for the government attacks when Clark was younger, as well as the experimentation on the bodies within the facility where Clark was held. The two leave each other on good terms.
Many years later, Clark lives in a world that openly accepts the superhumans amongst them, resulting in advancements in every area of science. Clark, now with trim white hair and a neat beard, has become the grandfather to Perry, Jimmy and Clark (Jane's children), noting that as ever, the Kent sense of humor breeds true. Clark publishes his book of research on his origins, though he keeps his family out of it. He still flies with his daughters, as well as Perry at times, who has since also discovered his powers. Clark looks at the sunset, retired from the superhero work, and he looks back on his life, content, and flies to the east, to look at another sunrise.
akin to the Clark Kent of this world. Both are brought into a world without other superheroes, and they become the second (although Clark would later be joined by others).
Kurt Busiek, the writer of Superman: Secret Identity, stated in the introduction to the collected volume of this series, that his inspiration for this story was the original appearances of Superboy-Prime
in DC Comics Presents during the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths
.
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
of 48 pages each in prestige format
Prestige format
Prestige format is a term coined by DC Comics and later came into wider use to refer to a square-bound comic book with cardstock covers. A prestige format comic book is usually longer than a normal, stapled 32-page comic...
, written by Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
and illustrated by Stuart Immonen
Stuart Immonen
Stuart Immonen is a Canadian comic book artist. He is best known for his work on Nextwave, Ultimate X-Men, The New Avengers and Ultimate Spider-Man...
. The first issue was published in January 2004
2004 in comics
-February:*February 6: Marvel Enterprises and Electronic Arts announce a multi-year agreement in which EA will develop a new generation of fighting video games pitting Marvel superheroes against a new, original set of EA heroes....
, and the limited series ran until April 2004. A re-release of the first two issues will become available on October 19, 2011. The title was not released under the Elseworlds
Elseworlds
Elseworlds is the publication imprint for a group of comic books produced by DC Comics that take place outside the company's canon. According to its tagline: "In Elseworlds, heroes are taken from their usual settings and put into strange times and places — some that have existed, and others...
banner, but is regarded as a non-canonical
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
story. The story describes the life of Clark Kent, a man in a world in which the superheroes are alive only in the comics, who suddenly gains the powers of Superman and embarks on a super-heroic career, but keeps his existence secret from the world at large.
Superman: Secret Identity #1
A young boy is born to David and Laura Kent, in the small town Picketsville, Kansas. They name him Clark, after the fictional superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, something for which Clark has not been grateful. He receives his always Superman-related gifts with a smile and puts up with being the butt of many jokes, including that of the local bully Mike, a star athlete at the high school. When home, he usually retreats to what his father has dubbed the 'Fortress of Solitude
Fortress of Solitude
The Fortress of Solitude is the occasional headquarters of Superman in DC Comics. Its predecessor, Superman's "Secret Citadel", first appeared in Superman #17, where it was said to be built into a mountain on the outskirts of Metropolis...
', a typewriter in an abandoned tractor out in the fields, where Clark sits and writes.
One night, during a weekend camping trip, he wakes from a bad dream to find himself floating in mid-air. Discovering that he now has the powers of Superman allows him to avoid his tormentors at school and fly all over the world in the weekend. He does not reveal his powers to his parents, although he starts to question his origin. Eventually, while out flying, Clark happens onto a flood and saves someone from drowning, flying off before he can be spotted. He decides to continue using his powers for good. After a few more rescues and a blurry far-away photograph, the phenomenon is tracked down to his hometown of Hopefield, with both reporters and government agents asking questions. With the appearance of a true Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
, Clark is pestered even more, and the questions about his powers still aren't answered.
He decides to approach Wendy Case, the reporter who wrote the first story on him. Clark keeps his secret identity by interviewing at night, and proves his existence by performing superhuman stunts. Wendy offers Clark a deal, wherein she will exclusively handle his debut, and they can investigate his powers even better. Clark is prepared to accept her offer, but stops when he catches Wendy taping him with a concealed video-camera. Clark uses his heat vision to destroy the camera and angrily leaves. He decides that he will go public with his powers at the town's Halloween carnival.
Dressed in a Superboy outfit, he watches the carnival descend into chaos when an explosion causes the gas lines to burst. Although his actions are partially obscured by explosions and confusion, Clark rescues people caught in the blast, finally coming across his longtime friend and crush Cassie trapped under a massive beam. Clark is lifting the beam so that she can escape, when a group of reporters (including Wendy) come upon the scene. Clark, flustered by the media hysteria, decides it is best to maintain his secret identity, and pretends to drop the beam. His actions are described as an optical illusion. Wendy Case is revealed to have set the explosion, resulting in several deaths, and Superboy becomes regarded as a hoax
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
. Clark is regretful of the tragedy, and decides to continue operating as Superboy only in secret. Although Mike and Cassie become a couple, Clark is finally content with his life.
Superman: Secret Identity #2
Years later, Clark has moved to ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, where he is a writer for The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
. While his colleagues tease him about his name from time to time, he genuinely likes his job. He continues saving lives dressed as Superman, usually under cover of night, using the idea that nobody would believe someone saying he had been rescued by Superman (government agents continue to investigate his exploits).
One day Clark is called in by his boss. Fearing that he is getting fired, he is pleasantly surprised to learn his boss has gotten him an appointment with a publisher. She points out, however, that his work is 'all head, but no heart', and that he is like an alien observer. Reeling from a potential book deal, he accompanies his colleagues to a café for beers and burger, unaware that one of them (a man named "James") has set him up to introduce him to a woman called Lois. She storms out and he follows her, telling her that he's quite familiar with the usual set-ups, being named Clark Kent. She introduces herself as Lois Chaudhari. He decides to ask her out, and at the end of the evening, the two kiss. They start a relationship, though he feels guilt for not telling Lois of his secret.
Later, seeing a civilian in danger, Clark is lured into a trap and is captured by a powerful electric-burst weapon which succeeds in knocking him unconscious. He awakens in a government facility with scientists attempting to extract samples from his invulnerable skin. Clark manages to escape and finds bodies of various others marked with powers, including babies in a dissection lab. Clark evacuates the occupants and destroys the building. Afraid, Clark hides in his apartment for four days before forcing himself to go out into the world. As a precaution, he decides to wear glasses (as in conventional Superman canon) to prevent from being recognized from a distance. Clark publishes his first book, with people commenting on a more 'alive' tone to his writing that still retains his unique perspective. He continues his rescue work, but is more cautious and remains wary of Superman sightings on the Internet. After a row with Lois, Clark angrily leaves, but patches it up with her and reveals his secret in the process. She swears to keep his secret and the two are more in love than ever, and Clark is no longer alone, ready to face whatever lies ahead.
Superman: Secret Identity #3
Years later, Clark has become a successful author and lecturer, while continuing his heroic exploits in secret. He and Lois now live on an island home off the coast of MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. The government still keeps track of him. When Lois reveals she is pregnant, Clark worries about the effects of his powers on the children and possible attempts by the government to control them as well. As the birth nears (with Clark and Lois now expecting twins), Clark considers quitting his heroic activities, believing they may be endangering Lois and the children. However, Lois points out that Clark would feel guilty if he knew lives had been lost which he might have been able to save with his powers, so she advises him not to quit.
Clark resolves to make a deal with the government. The first meeting is a disaster as Clark hesitates when Agent Malloy asks him why he wants this deal; the government agents around them attack Clark with the electric-burst weapon and he is forced to flee. Clark decides to try again by pulling a series of non-dangerous but highly embarrassing and inconvenient stunts upon the higher levels of the government and military- thus proving that he is not dangerous as he has never caused anyone any harm when it would have been easy for him to do so-, leading to a pre-arranged meeting at the top of the Washington Monument. Clark gives Malloy terms: Clark will accept non-politically motivated lifesaving missions for the government; in return, the government will agree to leave Clark and his family alone. Malloy hedges, but in narration Clark reveals he has accepted the terms.
As the twins are about to be born, Clark is called on a mission to rescue a group of hostages which results in political gain for the current administration. Clark considers this to be somewhat of a breach of the agreement but he grudgingly accepts the arrangement in exchange for an end to government harassment. He rushes back to the hospital, where he joins his wife and his two daughters. Cradling his two daughters, he swears that not only will they not receive the names 'Kara', 'Lana' or 'Lori', he will keep them safe, no matter what it takes.
Superman: Secret Identity #4
Many years later, the two daughters, Carol and Jane, have come home for the holidays, bearing Superman-related gifts to tease their father, who is now fifty-seven, although still appearing early middle-aged. Clark has become an accomplished writer, and Lois a famous designer. Clark steps out for a moment to fly high above the northern horizon, one of his Christmas traditions, as Lois sits outside waiting with eggnog for him, her Christmas tradition.Clark and Lois have noticed his powers fading (although only marginally), and Clark still has not uncovered the origin of his powers. Believing they may be based on the yellow sun (as Superman's powers are in mainstream comics canon), Clark flies to the edge of the sun to "recharge" with solar energy. Unfortunately, all he gets is "a hell of a winter tan" and no closer to any real understanding of the source of his powers.
Clark continues his government missions, becoming friendly with Malloy despite the government's continued attempts to ferret out his identity (attempts which Malloy basically disavows and blames on 'new blood from the home office').
Clark is called less and less often; he speculates that the government may have other superpowered agents. This spurs him to again continue his research. Over the years he has slowly assembled a book about his origins. Using his x-ray vision, he uncovers records of pre-World War II eugenic programs, nerve gas accidents, chromosomal changes reports, anomaly on the solar changes, and a series of meteor strikes around the world in 1988, including Kansas; Clark was thirteen at the time. Clark believes that the meteor showers released unknown chemical compounds and radiation into the water table and his subconscious may have shaped his powers to the Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
archetype.
As the girls grow up, Clark and Lois sometimes test them to see if they had gained any powers but eventually stop, thinking it unfair to their children. One day, as Clark attempts to stop a tornado in South Australia, it dissipates and he hears what sounds like the faint sound of two laughing girls. He concludes that they may have developed powers like himself. Rather than confront them, he leaves a manuscript of his book on superhumans on the table. Eventually, he finds two pairs of hands helping him to stop a derailing train, who reveal themselves to be his daughters, dressed in modified super-uniforms, who admit their powers manifested in their teens, as Clark's had. Father and super-daughters fly back to Maine at super-speed, to be greeted by an overjoyed Lois.
The next surprise in store for Clark is the retirement of Agent Malloy at age 65, who reveals that he had uncovered Clark's identity long ago, though he had never told anybody and left no paper trails. When Clark asks Malloy why he never revealed his identity, he replies, "I have children too, Clark. Sons."
With the superhuman situation changed, Malloy tells Clark, "You're retired, too. Nobody will be replacing me as your 'keeper.'" Malloy also expresses regret for the government attacks when Clark was younger, as well as the experimentation on the bodies within the facility where Clark was held. The two leave each other on good terms.
Many years later, Clark lives in a world that openly accepts the superhumans amongst them, resulting in advancements in every area of science. Clark, now with trim white hair and a neat beard, has become the grandfather to Perry, Jimmy and Clark (Jane's children), noting that as ever, the Kent sense of humor breeds true. Clark publishes his book of research on his origins, though he keeps his family out of it. He still flies with his daughters, as well as Perry at times, who has since also discovered his powers. Clark looks at the sunset, retired from the superhero work, and he looks back on his life, content, and flies to the east, to look at another sunrise.
Superboy of Earth-Prime
On the world of Earth-Prime, there lives a SuperboySuperboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
akin to the Clark Kent of this world. Both are brought into a world without other superheroes, and they become the second (although Clark would later be joined by others).
Kurt Busiek, the writer of Superman: Secret Identity, stated in the introduction to the collected volume of this series, that his inspiration for this story was the original appearances of Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
in DC Comics Presents during the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
.