Workshop: Writing Clark Kent (Superman) by Saavikam77
Writing Clark Kent
Tackling the subject of Clark Kent is a monumental task, broader in scope and more finely detailed than would be feasible here, and in reality, it has taken more than a few published books and TV documentaries to even begin to try to cover it all. Instead of taking on every single facet of every incarnation of Clark Kent and his varied identities, I'll be focusing on the general history and format of the character, his identities, his values and ideals, and his canonical and fanonical romantic relationships.
The Basics
History
Hopefully, there isn't a person involved in DCU fandom that doesn't know Clark Kent's general history and abilities, but just in case (or if anyone needs a refresher), here are the basics.
Clark Kent was born Kal-El, to scientist parents Lara and Jor-El, on the planet Krypton. Jor-El discovered the horrifying truth that Krypton was a doomed planet, to either explode or be destroyed by the dying red sun, Rao (depending on the canon), and he confronted the Science Council (the ruling body of Krypton) with his findings. They refuted his claims, and made him swear to keep the information to himself, or face charges for inciting unrest with the people of the planet. He kept quiet, but secretly made plans to send his infant son, Kal-El to a far away planet called Earth. Some canon has Lara disagreeing with his choice to send him to Earth, calling it primitive, but Jor-El knew Kal-El would be safe there, that he would develop abilities under the yellow sun. It was also his hope (again, depending on the canon) that Kal-El would serve as an enlightened voice on Earth, bringing the best of an advanced civilization to help improve the world, without interfering with human history or letting them rely upon him too much.
Just before Krypton exploded, Lara and Jor-El sent little Kal-El away in a tiny ship. As with other points, Kal-El's age when he was sent away differs depending on the canon, so that when his ship crash landed in a corn field in Smallville, Kansas, USA, he was anywhere from a newborn to nearly three years old.
On that fateful day, it was local farming couple Jonathan and Martha Kent that came upon the remains of the ship, finding little Kal-El safely inside, peering up at them with bright blue eyes. Childless, they took him home and raised him as their own, naming him Clark Joseph Kent in honor of Martha's maiden name (Clark). In “Lois and Clark” continuity, however, he has brown eyes and is named Clark Jerome Kent. A few versions of his story give his middle name as Jonathan, in honor of Jonathan Kent.
In any case, as he grew and developed, his various dramatic abilities emerged through his young teenage years, and his parents helped hide his abilities from the world, with the prospect of some government agency taking Clark away to experiment on keeping them on constant guard. They kept a tight lid on Clark's identity as an alien and his special talents, going so far as to forbid him from playing sports with his friends.
In time, however, he grew fully into his powers, and in an attempt to find himself, he traveled to the Arctic, where a crystal that Jor-El sent with him grew into the magnificent Fortress of Solitude. There, he learned all about his past, his parents, Krypton's history and downfall, and all manner of Kryptonian science, math, and technology. He also trained in order to hone his powers.
Some canon has Clark going to college, as well as traveling the world for a year or so and experiencing different cultures, learning a multitude of languages, either before or after his time spent at the Fortress. Also, the time spent at the Fortress varies from none at all (in “Lois and Clark”, where he didn't have a Fortress at all) to twelve full years (in “Superman: The Movie”).
This scan, from Superman #118 (the issue before Clark and Lois got married in the comics), briefly illustrates Clark's upbringing and his world travels. (Not included here due to size.)
Finally ready to take on the mantel of hero and protector of Earth, Clark traveled again, this time to Metropolis, where he managed to snag a job as a reporter for the Daily Planet. Immediately, he was partnered with Lois Lane, and worked with photographer/cub reporter Jimmy Olsen, all beneath the watchful eye of Editor-in-Chief Perry White. He became “Superman” when Lois bestowed the name upon him after his first daring rescue, and fell head over heels in love with her. Along the way, he's also been friends with Jimmy, both as Clark and as Superman.
Here is where most versions of the story diverge. In comics continuity, Lois finally discovered Clark's secret identity, but before they could truly come together, he was killed at the hands of the monster called “Doomsday”. Later, he returned from the dead, and he and Lois got married. They've been together more than ten years now in that continuity, and have recently taken in a small Kryptonian boy, who happens to be the son of General Zod, and whom they named Chris Kent. Comicverse Clark also went a year without his powers due to the events of Infinite Crisis, in which he and another Superman from another universe were forced to travel through a red sun in order to save the day.
In the movieverse, Lois discovered Clark's secret, and the two made love at the Fortress of Solitude, where Clark gave up his powers (at his long-dead parents' insistence) in order to be with her. Meanwhile, General Zod, a Kryptonian criminal newly escaped from the Phantom Zone, took over the Earth, destroying everything in his path. Clark was forced to take his powers back in order to save the world, and afterward, not wanting to burden Lois with the knowledge of his other life, he removed her memories of the entire thing with a single kiss. Throwing out the third and fourth movie, the story picks up with “Superman Returns”, after Clark had been missing for more than five years. After a nasty confrontation with Lex Luthor and his usual compliment of henchmen, it is revealed that Lois's little boy is Clark's son, conceived on that fateful night in the Fortress. However, details of how they came to this point are sketchy, as “Superman Returns” director Bryan Singer has removed the “amnesia kiss” from continuity and put “Superman: The Movie” and “Superman II” in a 'vague history' of his film.
Finally, in “Lois and Clark” continuity, Lois discovered Clark's secret, and the pair were married at the end of the series.
“Smallville” has yet to reach this point.
Abilities
The usual laundry list of Clark's abilities reads as follows:
Flight - This ability is pretty much the same throughout different canons. He has a high maneuverability and speed in the air. In “Superman: The Movie” he flew so fast that he went back in time.
Super strength - This ability has varied throughout time, especially within comics canon. At times, he has been able to juggle planets, while at other times, he's had trouble with small islands. In recent comics, when his powers returned after he lost them in Infinite Crisis, his strength (along with his enhanced senses and intelligence) came back much more powerful than it was before. In the movieverse, he had trouble lifting New Krypton into space, but that was due to exposure to vast amounts of kryptonite. Without that exposure, New Krypton would not have been a problem at all.
Super speed - His speed varies depending on the canon, but he's fast. Let's just say the jury is still out on whether or not he's faster than the Flash.
Enhance vision; telescopic and microscopic - Clark can see into space, he can see cells and their components. In some canon, he can see - and analyze - DNA.
X-Ray vision - He can see through everything but lead. Exactly what he sees depends on the canon. Most canon has him seeing normal images, while “Smallville” canon has him seeing images that resemble an actual x-ray.
Heat vision - This includes everything from a warm wave to a pinpoint laser to a welding torch. He could cut through buildings or tanks with his eyes if he needed to.
Super breath - Clark can blow cold, he can blow gale force winds, and he can freeze things, including mid-sized bodies of water, with his breath.
Enhanced hearing - Generally, he can hear everything close by, and most things farther away. He can pick out a single heartbeat on the other side of the world if he concentrates. Also, he's able to filter it all out so that he doesn't notice everything. Otherwise, he'd go insane from hearing so much.
Other enhanced senses - Touch, taste, and smell. He has all these to a lesser extent, and they're not dealt with often in any canon.
Invulnerability - Clark is invulnerable to all kinetic damage. He does not get sick from human diseases (or any others, as long as he's under a yellow sun), and he is immune to poisons, unless such poisons include kryptonite in some form. Thus, the exception to his invulnerability is his sensitivity to kryptonite, radioactive pieces of Krypton's remains. The effects of the many types of kryptonite would fill an entire essay on their own. Generally, green kryptonite makes him weak, robs him of his powers, and makes him sick, nauseous, feverish, and in pain. Red K has varying effects on him, from sickness, to drunkenness, to madness, and pink K... well... it's practically canonical that pink K makes him interested in men. ^_~
Intelligence - From the earliest canons, Clark has been shown to possess a sort of super-intellect. He knows many sciences and maths in detail, is well acquainted with the arts, and speaks nearly every language on Earth. Fluently. His brain processes information at an exceptionally high rate.
Other abilities have been introduced in various continuities, but have almost always been thrown out. Some of these include super-hypnosis (to keep people from discovering his secret identity), seeing auras (introduced in Mark Waid's “Superman: Birthright”, which is now being retconned out of canon), and super-weaving. Yeah, that last one makes no sense to me, either.
Now that all that is out of the way, we can move on to the nitty gritty!
Who is Clark Kent? - A Crisis of Identity
Finding Clark's voice when writing him often depends on who he is and what he's doing at the moment. Is he in the middle of a rescue? Having a quiet evening at home with Lois? Tossing around verbal banter with Bruce in the Fortress? In each of these settings, and others, Clark's inner monologue and outward actions will be quite different.
Since the division between the facets of Clark's personae was discussed in great detail several months ago, right here, in an Oracle Hotline, I'd like to present
jen_in_japan 's thoughts on Clark's identities, as a jumping off point:
“Part of the reason the character is a challenge to write (and it's similar to but a little different from why Batman is such a challenge), is that Superman has, IMHO, four personae. They split along the alien/human and public/private lines. Part of the weirdness is that two of the personae have the same name...
"Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter" is the public human face of the character. He's the bumbling cowardly act of the Golden Age, and persists a bit even up to today, to shield the private sides.
"Clark Kent, Kansan farmboy" is the private human face, the kid from a small town who's smart and generous and loving. We see glimpses of this face even in the movies, at the beginning of Returns, and it's the face that comic-book canon lately has embraced as the truest.
"Superman" is the public alien side, the awe-inspiring public figure, the near-divinity, the guy everyone says "What would Superman do?" about. This used to be the core persona but now has become more and more subsumed by the Kansan farmboy.
"Kal-El" is the private alien side, the misfit from another world who never quite fits in, who's inhuman--sometimes in a scary way, sometimes just in a spooky, (pulls out her favorite word) eldritch way. I'd argue (but I think it's an extremely debatable point) that Kal is to some extent a fanon creation, because we love to play with that side of him. He shows up more rarely than you might think in the comic books, although of course there are plenty of examples. The movies seem to have a lot of "Kal" in them.
Most fan writers I've seen end up deciding that either "Kansan Farmboy" or "Kal-El" is their idea of the core personae, and the writing choices go a lot from there, with a lot of playing around with how real/unreal the others are. The Golden Age feel would run almost entirely counter-intuitive from fanon and modern canon, with Superman the core and Kansan Farmboy almost nonexistent. It would be fascinating to read and a challenge to write!
It's interesting that as time has passed the "public" sides of the character, both human and alien, have given way to the more "private" sides, making him a lot less.. schismed? Despite having all these facets, in modern canon he usually comes off as a lot more integrated than Bruce.”
Now I'd like to take this a step further.
“Farm Clark”
I admit that I prefer “Farm Clark” as Clark's base identity, and here's why: When little baby Kal-El landed in that field in Kansas, he had, as yet, no true self-identity. He had a name and a barely emerging personality. That's all. He had, as all infants do, no active memory of self-awareness. Then, as the Kents raised him, he became aware of himself as “Clark Kent, Kansan farmboy with some cool powers, possibly an alien”. That, to me, rings truest as his base identity, and works for nearly every canon.
“Farm Clark” is down to Earth, a pretty easy going guy that sees the good in everyone and can't help but be the innocent, slightly naïve Kansan farm boy. He tends to be trusting, an eternal optimist, and open with those he loves. He goes out of his way to be friendly to everyone and help where he is needed, even if it means sacrificing his time, energy, and - on the rare occasion - his general health and ultimately his life. Much of this is part of his innate personality, but a good portion came about from his upbringing. The Kents taught their boy to do right, and he always will.
This version of Clark is also quite humble. He doesn't boast about his gifts or his heritage, his job, or anything else that could set him apart from the average person. He holds himself accountable for all of his actions, as he was raised to, and often feels responsible for the actions of others. He plays by the rules, deferring to authority, especially his parents, never daring to go against their wishes. Even as an adult, he tends to regress to a little boy beneath a scolding from his Ma.
“Kal-El”
As Clark grows up, he becomes more aware of his alien nature, of his innate uniqueness. The time line for this burgeoning awareness depends on the canon, from movieverse Clark having powers as soon as he climbed out of his little ship, and thusly always knowing he was different, to toonverse Clark, who didn't know about his own origin until he was an older teenager. “Lois and Clark” goes even further with this, as Clark does not have his ship at all, and thusly, no Fortress of Solitude in which to learn more about himself. This version of Clark is probably the most human in thinking of himself, out of all possible canons.
Otherwise, Clark develops “Kal-El” more and more as he grows and learns about his history, about Krypton, and that persona becomes a manifestation of all that is alien about him.
starsandsea puts it this way (in the same Oracle Hotline thread):
“In my head, Clark is always Kal when he's in the fortress or with any other Kryptonian stuff. However, when he's in Superman's suit, but he isn't Superman at that moment, he's Kal. He only becomes Clark again when he takes off the suit. Essentially, Clark is human. Kal isn't.”
“Kal-El” tends to view himself as separate from humanity, as an outsider that will never quite fit in. He wants to fit in more than anything, and in this respect is a little sad, but he can't help feeling separate. He also feels, at times, overwhelmed with the task of carrying on the traditions and culture of an entire race, being the sole survivor of Krypton. The Fortress of Solitude helps him in this capacity, becoming, in most canons, a living tribute to Krypton, preserving many aspects of his birthplace. Unfortunately, as the sole survivor, “Kal-El” is weighed down with a hefty amount of survivor's guilt. He can't understand why it was him that was chosen to carry on for all of Krypton.
In several canons, Clark eventually discovers that he is not alone in surviving Krypton's destruction. Through his once older, now younger - thanks to years spent in stasis - biological cousin, Kara (comics, “Smallville”, toonverse, and “Supergirl” in the movieverse), and the inhabitants of the New Krypton colony, including Zara and Ching (“Lois and Clark”), he is finally able to shed some of the burden of being the last Kryptonian. He no longer carries such immense guilt. In essence, it is like a weight is removed from his shoulders, and he becomes able to enjoy his heritage, embracing it more fully and openly, at least, to those that know him well.
It should be noted that the existence of Zod and his cronies (movieverse, comics, toonverse, and “Smallville”) does not make Clark feel any better. In fact, their presence only tends to make things worse, leading Clark to feel even more guilt and even shame, wondering if many Kryptonians were as egomaniacal and bent on domination of other worlds. It makes him question himself in disturbing ways.
Clark's long dead Kryptonian parents, Lara and Jor-El, often tend to be more of a source of confusion for “Kal-El”, comforting him and making him feel more guilt at the same time. Though I cannot attest to comics continuity here, in the movieverse, it seems as if Jor-El sent Kal-El to Earth to be a sort of savior to humanity. The Jor-El of “Smallville” takes this one step further and intends for Kal-El to become a ruler, as some sort of god-king, lording over humanity to save it from itself. This attitude, where Jor-El was supposed to have been an enlightened scientist among the people of Krypton, creates a major conflict within Clark. He has a hard time figuring out his place among humanity, with his biological father's wishes in direct opposition to the values his Earth parents instilled in him.
In some canons, “Kal-El” tends to overshadow “Farm Clark”, and he begins to feel more and more isolated from humanity, especially in light of his internal conflict over Jor-El's views and his often quite obvious alien nature. It is in the movieverse that this is most prevalent. He feels so separated from the world after his encounter with Zod, after feeling forced by Jor-El's commands to give up Lois to be the hero the rest of the world needs him to be, that when scientists discover what might be an intact Krypton, he wishes to return there, thinking it might be the home he needs. (Note that that connection between “Superman II” and “Superman Returns” is more speculation than fact, based on events and dialogue from both movies.) When he discovers that Krypton is truly gone, he is forced to return to Earth, finding that the home he had been seeking was there all the time. It is only through discovering he has a son with Lois that “Kal-El” fades somewhat from the foreground, and he begins to feel connected to humanity again. He is then able to reconcile his alien side with his human side, and as with the discovery of Kara's existence in other continuities, having a son allows him to more fully accept his Kryptonian heritage.
Overall, “Kal-El” is Clark's way to embrace his alien heritage, without compromising his “Farm Clark” self, and in that vein, it strikes me that his absolute truest self, in his heart and mind, will always lie somewhere slightly left of “Farm Clark” and a bit farther to the right of “Kal-El”. In many respects he's just a guy who grew up on a farm, had a crush on a girl in high school, went to college, and traveled some before coming back to land a great job at a major newspaper and fall in love with the woman of his dreams, but at the same time, he recognizes and is constantly aware of the differences that set him apart from the rest of humanity. It is this combination that I believe influences his character the most.
Clark is truly a melding of the two identities at his core, the innocent optimism influenced by his Kryptonian origin and special abilities. Sometimes, the influence of his origin tends to make him a bit shy, as is seen more often as he is growing up and as a young man. Like any kid, he grew up wanting to be just like everyone else, able to play sports and have a girlfriend, to share his gifts without fear of reproach, but was forced to keep to himself somewhat, to be more reserved and observe life from the sidelines.
“Superman”
It is when he is older that this melding of his core identities translates into a recipe for greatness. With the values his parents instilled in him, his innate goodness and purity of heart, his desire to honor his heritage, and his physical abilities, he sees the opportunity to do good for humanity. The seed for heroism is sewn, and eventually, it is from this that “Superman” is born.
The following scans from Mark Waid's “Superman: Birthright” illustrate the birth of the idea of “Superman”.
A few pages later, Clark and his Ma are working on the costume. Note the adorable sketch Clark has drawn. ^_^
And later, Clark decides to illustrate further, turning on the tablet computer that was sent with him in his spacecraft from Krypton.
As they look through the pictures on Clark's tablet, he goes on to explain to his Ma, “Look at them. Explorers. Scientists. Men and Women conquering the harshest frontiers and planting their banner in resolute defiance. This is the race that sent me here. Why, we have no clue... but clearly they put this in my spacecraft because they wanted me to know my home. They wanted me to carry on for them here... like it's my calling. My birthright. And if I follow it, everything else falls into place.”
On this level, “Superman” exists as a way to let “Kal-El” be known to the world, for Clark to use his amazing gifts in a positive way, to be more fully himself. This persona allows him to connect with humanity in a more meaningful way, to truly be the hero he is at his innermost core, and as a matter of course, lets the more gregarious part of his core personality come to the surface in a way that it only ever does when he is at home in Smallville, or alone with Lois.
In the graphic novel “Up, Up and Away”, set one year after the events of the “Infinite Crisis” story line in which Clark lost his powers, it is shown how lost he is without his abilities. He wants to help when the call comes, but without powers, and without accepting the Green Lantern ring offered to him by Hal Jordan, he can't. Despite the great work he's been doing as a journalist, he still feels unfulfilled. Eventually, his powers begin to reemerge, and when Lois finds out, she shows him just how much he needs to be “Superman”, how that persona will always be a part of him.
“Office Clark”
Unfortunately, the development of “Superman” comes with a side effect: how can he hide his identity as Clark Kent?
His “Mild-Mannered Reporter”, or “Office Clark” persona arises, usually with his mother's help, primarily to divert attention away from his “Superman” persona, in order to protect his civilian identity, as well as to safeguard the lives of his friends, coworkers, lovers, and parents. After all, no one would suspect a goofy misfit with horn-rimmed glasses and a poor fashion sense of being the Man of Steel. The following scans, also from “Birthright”, illustrate Clark's motives and the creation of “Office Clark” in excellent detail. Of particular note here is the purpose Clark's glasses serve.
Unfortunately, “Office Clark” tends to be such a misfit, blending into the background, that he often goes completely unnoticed, especially by Lois Lane. This further isolates him from the world, allowing “Kal-El” to become more dominant as he withdraws. Sometimes his skills as a reporter are called into question due to his seeming lack of personality, and he's even ostracized for his “Office Clark” persona, treated horribly by his coworkers, as seen in these scans from “Birthright”.
The “Office Clark” persona is played up the most in the early movies, with Christopher Reeve's interpretation of the character, but otherwise has weakened somewhat through the comics and in “Superman Returns”. In “Lois and Clark”, this persona is almost non-existent, letting “Farm Clark” shine through and leading to the idea that if Clark had no powers, and no other persona to protect, his “work face” might be very close to this.
It is important to note, though, that Clark's private thoughts will often lie closest to his true core, even when he is in the middle of a rescue or writing an article on the latest government corruption.
Values and Ideals - “Truth, Justice, all that stuff”
Clark's values and ideals have largely been influenced by his upbringing. The Kents, hard working, honest Mid-Western farmers, instilled a sense of responsibility in him to be honest, fair, kind, patriotic, and loyal. They taught him to work hard, be accountable for his actions, show modesty for his abilities and accomplishments, and to have an open mind. Above all, they ingrained in him the ideal that within all people, there is good, that no matter how much of a lost cause a person seems, there is still a sense of decency lurking somewhere beneath the surface.
This particular ideal has, unfortunately, had the effect of landing Clark in dangerous situations on many occasions. He tends to be a little naïve - though that may also be due to his generally open nature - and wants so badly to help uncover the good in everyone that he sometimes fails to see the truly bad seeds. He sometimes doesn't see the capacity for evil some people possess until it is too late. Often, it is Lex Luthor that he underestimates in this capacity, as seen in both “Superman: The Movie” and “Superman Returns”, the villain taking advantage of Superman's innate desire to help people to lure him into traps.
The Kents also instilled their son with a strong sense of justice, the faith that justice will be served by the proper authorities when the system is allowed to function unimpeded. In this regard, Clark upholds and follows the rule of law to the letter, never daring to circumvent it unless he absolutely cannot avoid doing so. Again, this value is taken advantage of by villains on a regular basis.
Finally, up until recently, Superman was always associated with “The American Way.” For many, this has become a touchy subject, as America has been gradually losing favor in the world community due to its current administration's policies, and thus, the term has fallen out of use in most continuities. Also, with Superman becoming more and more a world-wide icon, both in and out of the fictional world, it is becoming more popular to think of him as embodying ideals that encompass the globe. Recent emphasis on Clark's world-wide travels before donning the cape and tights attest to this. (Please note that this is in no way an attack against America - I'm an American and I love my country. I just happen to see a gradual move toward Superman as belonging to the world.)
Relationships
Here, I'm just going to focus on some of the romantic pairings that have been seen, both in continuity and in fandom. Obviously, I can't attest to all aspects of all relationships, but I will provide the basics.
Clark/Lana - Lana Lang was Clark's first love. The proverbial girl-next-door, with flowing red hair (discounting “Smallville”), Lana was, in most canons, a good friend to him, though never more. He pined after her for many years, until striking it out on his own and falling head over heels for Lois. Now, Clark and Lana remain friends in both the comics and the movieverse. Most continuities have her unaware of Clark's identity as Superman and his alien origin.
Out of respect for the sanity of the majority of the members of Superhero Muses, I won't discuss the “Smallville” Clark/Lana pairing except to say that they are completely obsessed with one another, to the point where it has become quite unhealthy for everyone surrounding them.
Clark/Lois - In all continuities (again, discounting “Smallville”) Lois Lane, senior reporter for the Daily Planet, is Clark's true love. He falls for her the moment he lays eyes on her in the bullpen of the Daily Planet, and when he is partnered with her, he acts like a big, goofy puppy dog around her, intensely loyal, protective, admiring of her, and willing to do anything for her. It is as Superman that he is able to act on his feelings for her, and in the comics, movieverse, toonverse, and “Lois and Clark”, the two enter a romantic relationship. Eventually, the act of having to keep his identities separate with her wears on him, and he is forced to come clean with her. He is delighted to discover that she doesn't care who he is; she loves him, all of him. It is only in the comics and “Lois and Clark” that the two eventually wed. Though they have not had children in either of those continuities, it is, surprisingly, in the movieverse - where Clark has either taken her memories of his identity or never revealed himself to her - that the pair have a son, Jason.
Clark and Lois's relationship is marked by a strong mutual respect, fierce protectiveness over each other, and a witty banter, including comments that often go way past teasing, but are always taken lightly and responded to with more affectionate, witty banter.
In the movieverse, their relationship dynamic is slightly different, due to the massive obstacles in their way.
htbthomas's Superhero Muses essay on Writing Movieverse Clark/Lois covers this version of the relationship in detail.
Clark/Diana - Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman, has often been seen, both in canon and out, as being on the same level as Clark, with superior abilities and, possibly, an extended longevity. The novel “Kingdom Come” pairs the two many years after Lois has passed on. Fanon does not often embrace this pairing, as their personalities do not seem to mesh as well as Clark does with Lois or others.
Clark/Bruce - This fanon slash pairing puts Clark with Bruce Wayne, The Batman. Over the years the two have worked side by side, often as good friends, sometimes as reluctant allies, and it is the bond they have forged in canon that displays their compatibility. In many ways, the two are total opposites, Bruce the darkness, Clark the light, Bruce closed off and broody, and Clark open and gregarious, but in this way they complement each other, giving and taking what they need from each other. Their relationship is often portrayed as difficult, full of tension and angst, though others have shown the pair to be truly happy together, falling into their relationship easily. Like Clark and Lois, Clark and Bruce are often portrayed as sharing a witty or snarky banter, often with Bruce as the 'straight man'.
This panel from Superman/Batman Annual #1 shows the canonical banter between the two that can easily lead to the conclusion of a relationship between them:
Clark/Dick - This fanon slash pairing puts Clark with Dick Grayson (Robin, Nightwing). In this case, it is their similar personalities which brings them together. I'll defer to the expert on this one, so for more information, please read
pervyficgirl's Superhero Muses essay on Writing Clark Kent/Dick Grayson.
Clark/Lex - This fanon pairing sometimes centers around the comics continuity, but more often than not, focuses on “Smallville”, in both of which Lex Luthor is only a few years older than Clark, and at one time lived in Smallville. Clark and Lex were good friends during that time, and although Lex 'goes bad' at some point later in his life, Clark continues to see the good in him and tries on many occasions to draw that out. The fanon relationship often revolves around a shared feeling of being an outsider, and the pair sometimes become co-dependent upon one another. The relationship is often portrayed as poisonous for Clark.
Clark/Richard - This fanon relationship arose only last year, with the release of “Superman Returns”. In the film, Richard White, the nephew of Daily Planet editor Perry White, is engaged to Lois and helping raise Clark and Lois's son, Jason. Stories pairing the two often have them starting out as friends and colleagues, bonding over their shared problems with Lois, and eventually coming together over mutual heartache.
Clark/Jimmy - This fanon pairing, while not entirely popular, has Clark paired with Jimmy Olsen, cub reporter/junior photographer. In canon the two are friends, and often joke around with each other, and this dynamic often translates into slash fic. Their relationship is shown as open, fun, and generally sweet. There isn't usually much angst here.
Conclusion
Clark Kent is more complex than many fans give him credit for, especially in light of his multi-layered 'Venn diagram' of identities. He's one of the few heroes left that displays a sense of innocence and purity of heart, an innate goodness that can't be tarnished. He is Superman, in every sense of the word.
I hope I haven't rambled too much, or not given enough information, since there is simply so much territory to cover here. In either case, thanks for reading. Now go forth, and read and write some Clark-centric fic! ^_^
Recs!!
Clark-related Communities (most communities borrowed from
jen_in_japan 's community list here at Superhero Muses)
12days_of_clois,
cloisfic - Great communities for fics centering around the Clark/Lois relationship.
old_school_clex - Clark/Lex fics, centering around the first three seasons of “Smallville”.
so_very_super- Superman fics of all sorts.
sr_slash - Clark/Richard fics, from Sueprman Returns.
superman_fics - Any fics about Clark Kent.
superman_return - All sorts of fics centered around “Superman Returns”.
sv_fanfic- Slash community with Smallville fanfic, vids, and art. Not just Clex, but a lot of different SV pairings.
sv_slash - Another Smallville slash community. Any SV slash pairing is acceptable.
worlds_finest - Clark/Bruce fics are here. Lots of them. Lots and lots.
supes_mv_awards - This awards community showcased the best of fanfiction centering around the Superman movieverse. A full list of all the nominations is here.
Individual Journals
houseofel- This journal centers around Clark Kent. There are lots of good comic scans and screen caps here as well as character news pertaining to the comics continuity and other media. Currently,
houseofel is running The Clark Kent Challenge, an open challenge for fan fic and fan art, that's open until Nov. 17th, 2007.
trascendenza - Sheera's personal journal holds a wealth of Clark/Richard and Clark/Jimmy fics. Possibly the best source of Clark/Jimmy fics.
Fics
Music of the Spheres - by
jen_in_japan - Crossover between Superman Returns and Batman Begins, Clark/Bruce, focuses on “Kal-El” being closer to Clark's core persona. Chapter 5: Disorientations paints a startlingly brilliant picture of alien Kal, and I suspect most here have probably read it.
Plane Storm - by SHADOLibrarian - Clark/Lois, dumps Clark and Lois from “Superman Returns” into the “Lois and Clark” universe. Through the story begins a little rough, it becomes a fantastic side-by-side comparison of the two versions of the couple. The two Clarks really are like night and day.
Biopsychology - by
ljs_lj- Post Superman Returns; Another fantastic treatment of “Kal-El”, where Clark is much more different than we've ever dreamed.
Rainbow's Freedom Series - by
bradygirl_12 - An multi-arc AU series featuring Clark/Bruce, where Clark has amnesia, has been stripped of his powers, and is Bruce's pleasure slave. This is a great look at Clark's core personality, completely uninfluenced by his Kryptonian origin.
One Night at the Planet - by
saavikam77 - Post Superman returns, Clark and Lois come together while working late one night, without the “Superman” persona present. A look at the Clark/Lois dynamic/romance without the shadow of the hero. Rated NC-17, and f-locked on my journal for the rating - please friend me if you haven't already, and I will friend you back so you can read it!
(I would like to have included more recs, but I ran out of reading time! Sorry! O_O)
Tackling the subject of Clark Kent is a monumental task, broader in scope and more finely detailed than would be feasible here, and in reality, it has taken more than a few published books and TV documentaries to even begin to try to cover it all. Instead of taking on every single facet of every incarnation of Clark Kent and his varied identities, I'll be focusing on the general history and format of the character, his identities, his values and ideals, and his canonical and fanonical romantic relationships.
The Basics
History
Hopefully, there isn't a person involved in DCU fandom that doesn't know Clark Kent's general history and abilities, but just in case (or if anyone needs a refresher), here are the basics.
Clark Kent was born Kal-El, to scientist parents Lara and Jor-El, on the planet Krypton. Jor-El discovered the horrifying truth that Krypton was a doomed planet, to either explode or be destroyed by the dying red sun, Rao (depending on the canon), and he confronted the Science Council (the ruling body of Krypton) with his findings. They refuted his claims, and made him swear to keep the information to himself, or face charges for inciting unrest with the people of the planet. He kept quiet, but secretly made plans to send his infant son, Kal-El to a far away planet called Earth. Some canon has Lara disagreeing with his choice to send him to Earth, calling it primitive, but Jor-El knew Kal-El would be safe there, that he would develop abilities under the yellow sun. It was also his hope (again, depending on the canon) that Kal-El would serve as an enlightened voice on Earth, bringing the best of an advanced civilization to help improve the world, without interfering with human history or letting them rely upon him too much.
Just before Krypton exploded, Lara and Jor-El sent little Kal-El away in a tiny ship. As with other points, Kal-El's age when he was sent away differs depending on the canon, so that when his ship crash landed in a corn field in Smallville, Kansas, USA, he was anywhere from a newborn to nearly three years old.
On that fateful day, it was local farming couple Jonathan and Martha Kent that came upon the remains of the ship, finding little Kal-El safely inside, peering up at them with bright blue eyes. Childless, they took him home and raised him as their own, naming him Clark Joseph Kent in honor of Martha's maiden name (Clark). In “Lois and Clark” continuity, however, he has brown eyes and is named Clark Jerome Kent. A few versions of his story give his middle name as Jonathan, in honor of Jonathan Kent.
In any case, as he grew and developed, his various dramatic abilities emerged through his young teenage years, and his parents helped hide his abilities from the world, with the prospect of some government agency taking Clark away to experiment on keeping them on constant guard. They kept a tight lid on Clark's identity as an alien and his special talents, going so far as to forbid him from playing sports with his friends.
In time, however, he grew fully into his powers, and in an attempt to find himself, he traveled to the Arctic, where a crystal that Jor-El sent with him grew into the magnificent Fortress of Solitude. There, he learned all about his past, his parents, Krypton's history and downfall, and all manner of Kryptonian science, math, and technology. He also trained in order to hone his powers.
Some canon has Clark going to college, as well as traveling the world for a year or so and experiencing different cultures, learning a multitude of languages, either before or after his time spent at the Fortress. Also, the time spent at the Fortress varies from none at all (in “Lois and Clark”, where he didn't have a Fortress at all) to twelve full years (in “Superman: The Movie”).
This scan, from Superman #118 (the issue before Clark and Lois got married in the comics), briefly illustrates Clark's upbringing and his world travels. (Not included here due to size.)
Finally ready to take on the mantel of hero and protector of Earth, Clark traveled again, this time to Metropolis, where he managed to snag a job as a reporter for the Daily Planet. Immediately, he was partnered with Lois Lane, and worked with photographer/cub reporter Jimmy Olsen, all beneath the watchful eye of Editor-in-Chief Perry White. He became “Superman” when Lois bestowed the name upon him after his first daring rescue, and fell head over heels in love with her. Along the way, he's also been friends with Jimmy, both as Clark and as Superman.
Here is where most versions of the story diverge. In comics continuity, Lois finally discovered Clark's secret identity, but before they could truly come together, he was killed at the hands of the monster called “Doomsday”. Later, he returned from the dead, and he and Lois got married. They've been together more than ten years now in that continuity, and have recently taken in a small Kryptonian boy, who happens to be the son of General Zod, and whom they named Chris Kent. Comicverse Clark also went a year without his powers due to the events of Infinite Crisis, in which he and another Superman from another universe were forced to travel through a red sun in order to save the day.
In the movieverse, Lois discovered Clark's secret, and the two made love at the Fortress of Solitude, where Clark gave up his powers (at his long-dead parents' insistence) in order to be with her. Meanwhile, General Zod, a Kryptonian criminal newly escaped from the Phantom Zone, took over the Earth, destroying everything in his path. Clark was forced to take his powers back in order to save the world, and afterward, not wanting to burden Lois with the knowledge of his other life, he removed her memories of the entire thing with a single kiss. Throwing out the third and fourth movie, the story picks up with “Superman Returns”, after Clark had been missing for more than five years. After a nasty confrontation with Lex Luthor and his usual compliment of henchmen, it is revealed that Lois's little boy is Clark's son, conceived on that fateful night in the Fortress. However, details of how they came to this point are sketchy, as “Superman Returns” director Bryan Singer has removed the “amnesia kiss” from continuity and put “Superman: The Movie” and “Superman II” in a 'vague history' of his film.
Finally, in “Lois and Clark” continuity, Lois discovered Clark's secret, and the pair were married at the end of the series.
“Smallville” has yet to reach this point.
Abilities
The usual laundry list of Clark's abilities reads as follows:
Flight - This ability is pretty much the same throughout different canons. He has a high maneuverability and speed in the air. In “Superman: The Movie” he flew so fast that he went back in time.
Super strength - This ability has varied throughout time, especially within comics canon. At times, he has been able to juggle planets, while at other times, he's had trouble with small islands. In recent comics, when his powers returned after he lost them in Infinite Crisis, his strength (along with his enhanced senses and intelligence) came back much more powerful than it was before. In the movieverse, he had trouble lifting New Krypton into space, but that was due to exposure to vast amounts of kryptonite. Without that exposure, New Krypton would not have been a problem at all.
Super speed - His speed varies depending on the canon, but he's fast. Let's just say the jury is still out on whether or not he's faster than the Flash.
Enhance vision; telescopic and microscopic - Clark can see into space, he can see cells and their components. In some canon, he can see - and analyze - DNA.
X-Ray vision - He can see through everything but lead. Exactly what he sees depends on the canon. Most canon has him seeing normal images, while “Smallville” canon has him seeing images that resemble an actual x-ray.
Heat vision - This includes everything from a warm wave to a pinpoint laser to a welding torch. He could cut through buildings or tanks with his eyes if he needed to.
Super breath - Clark can blow cold, he can blow gale force winds, and he can freeze things, including mid-sized bodies of water, with his breath.
Enhanced hearing - Generally, he can hear everything close by, and most things farther away. He can pick out a single heartbeat on the other side of the world if he concentrates. Also, he's able to filter it all out so that he doesn't notice everything. Otherwise, he'd go insane from hearing so much.
Other enhanced senses - Touch, taste, and smell. He has all these to a lesser extent, and they're not dealt with often in any canon.
Invulnerability - Clark is invulnerable to all kinetic damage. He does not get sick from human diseases (or any others, as long as he's under a yellow sun), and he is immune to poisons, unless such poisons include kryptonite in some form. Thus, the exception to his invulnerability is his sensitivity to kryptonite, radioactive pieces of Krypton's remains. The effects of the many types of kryptonite would fill an entire essay on their own. Generally, green kryptonite makes him weak, robs him of his powers, and makes him sick, nauseous, feverish, and in pain. Red K has varying effects on him, from sickness, to drunkenness, to madness, and pink K... well... it's practically canonical that pink K makes him interested in men. ^_~
Intelligence - From the earliest canons, Clark has been shown to possess a sort of super-intellect. He knows many sciences and maths in detail, is well acquainted with the arts, and speaks nearly every language on Earth. Fluently. His brain processes information at an exceptionally high rate.
Other abilities have been introduced in various continuities, but have almost always been thrown out. Some of these include super-hypnosis (to keep people from discovering his secret identity), seeing auras (introduced in Mark Waid's “Superman: Birthright”, which is now being retconned out of canon), and super-weaving. Yeah, that last one makes no sense to me, either.
Now that all that is out of the way, we can move on to the nitty gritty!
Who is Clark Kent? - A Crisis of Identity
Finding Clark's voice when writing him often depends on who he is and what he's doing at the moment. Is he in the middle of a rescue? Having a quiet evening at home with Lois? Tossing around verbal banter with Bruce in the Fortress? In each of these settings, and others, Clark's inner monologue and outward actions will be quite different.
Since the division between the facets of Clark's personae was discussed in great detail several months ago, right here, in an Oracle Hotline, I'd like to present
jen_in_japan 's thoughts on Clark's identities, as a jumping off point:
“Part of the reason the character is a challenge to write (and it's similar to but a little different from why Batman is such a challenge), is that Superman has, IMHO, four personae. They split along the alien/human and public/private lines. Part of the weirdness is that two of the personae have the same name...
"Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter" is the public human face of the character. He's the bumbling cowardly act of the Golden Age, and persists a bit even up to today, to shield the private sides.
"Clark Kent, Kansan farmboy" is the private human face, the kid from a small town who's smart and generous and loving. We see glimpses of this face even in the movies, at the beginning of Returns, and it's the face that comic-book canon lately has embraced as the truest.
"Superman" is the public alien side, the awe-inspiring public figure, the near-divinity, the guy everyone says "What would Superman do?" about. This used to be the core persona but now has become more and more subsumed by the Kansan farmboy.
"Kal-El" is the private alien side, the misfit from another world who never quite fits in, who's inhuman--sometimes in a scary way, sometimes just in a spooky, (pulls out her favorite word) eldritch way. I'd argue (but I think it's an extremely debatable point) that Kal is to some extent a fanon creation, because we love to play with that side of him. He shows up more rarely than you might think in the comic books, although of course there are plenty of examples. The movies seem to have a lot of "Kal" in them.
Most fan writers I've seen end up deciding that either "Kansan Farmboy" or "Kal-El" is their idea of the core personae, and the writing choices go a lot from there, with a lot of playing around with how real/unreal the others are. The Golden Age feel would run almost entirely counter-intuitive from fanon and modern canon, with Superman the core and Kansan Farmboy almost nonexistent. It would be fascinating to read and a challenge to write!
It's interesting that as time has passed the "public" sides of the character, both human and alien, have given way to the more "private" sides, making him a lot less.. schismed? Despite having all these facets, in modern canon he usually comes off as a lot more integrated than Bruce.”
Now I'd like to take this a step further.
“Farm Clark”
I admit that I prefer “Farm Clark” as Clark's base identity, and here's why: When little baby Kal-El landed in that field in Kansas, he had, as yet, no true self-identity. He had a name and a barely emerging personality. That's all. He had, as all infants do, no active memory of self-awareness. Then, as the Kents raised him, he became aware of himself as “Clark Kent, Kansan farmboy with some cool powers, possibly an alien”. That, to me, rings truest as his base identity, and works for nearly every canon.
“Farm Clark” is down to Earth, a pretty easy going guy that sees the good in everyone and can't help but be the innocent, slightly naïve Kansan farm boy. He tends to be trusting, an eternal optimist, and open with those he loves. He goes out of his way to be friendly to everyone and help where he is needed, even if it means sacrificing his time, energy, and - on the rare occasion - his general health and ultimately his life. Much of this is part of his innate personality, but a good portion came about from his upbringing. The Kents taught their boy to do right, and he always will.
This version of Clark is also quite humble. He doesn't boast about his gifts or his heritage, his job, or anything else that could set him apart from the average person. He holds himself accountable for all of his actions, as he was raised to, and often feels responsible for the actions of others. He plays by the rules, deferring to authority, especially his parents, never daring to go against their wishes. Even as an adult, he tends to regress to a little boy beneath a scolding from his Ma.
“Kal-El”
As Clark grows up, he becomes more aware of his alien nature, of his innate uniqueness. The time line for this burgeoning awareness depends on the canon, from movieverse Clark having powers as soon as he climbed out of his little ship, and thusly always knowing he was different, to toonverse Clark, who didn't know about his own origin until he was an older teenager. “Lois and Clark” goes even further with this, as Clark does not have his ship at all, and thusly, no Fortress of Solitude in which to learn more about himself. This version of Clark is probably the most human in thinking of himself, out of all possible canons.
Otherwise, Clark develops “Kal-El” more and more as he grows and learns about his history, about Krypton, and that persona becomes a manifestation of all that is alien about him.
starsandsea puts it this way (in the same Oracle Hotline thread):
“In my head, Clark is always Kal when he's in the fortress or with any other Kryptonian stuff. However, when he's in Superman's suit, but he isn't Superman at that moment, he's Kal. He only becomes Clark again when he takes off the suit. Essentially, Clark is human. Kal isn't.”
“Kal-El” tends to view himself as separate from humanity, as an outsider that will never quite fit in. He wants to fit in more than anything, and in this respect is a little sad, but he can't help feeling separate. He also feels, at times, overwhelmed with the task of carrying on the traditions and culture of an entire race, being the sole survivor of Krypton. The Fortress of Solitude helps him in this capacity, becoming, in most canons, a living tribute to Krypton, preserving many aspects of his birthplace. Unfortunately, as the sole survivor, “Kal-El” is weighed down with a hefty amount of survivor's guilt. He can't understand why it was him that was chosen to carry on for all of Krypton.
In several canons, Clark eventually discovers that he is not alone in surviving Krypton's destruction. Through his once older, now younger - thanks to years spent in stasis - biological cousin, Kara (comics, “Smallville”, toonverse, and “Supergirl” in the movieverse), and the inhabitants of the New Krypton colony, including Zara and Ching (“Lois and Clark”), he is finally able to shed some of the burden of being the last Kryptonian. He no longer carries such immense guilt. In essence, it is like a weight is removed from his shoulders, and he becomes able to enjoy his heritage, embracing it more fully and openly, at least, to those that know him well.
It should be noted that the existence of Zod and his cronies (movieverse, comics, toonverse, and “Smallville”) does not make Clark feel any better. In fact, their presence only tends to make things worse, leading Clark to feel even more guilt and even shame, wondering if many Kryptonians were as egomaniacal and bent on domination of other worlds. It makes him question himself in disturbing ways.
Clark's long dead Kryptonian parents, Lara and Jor-El, often tend to be more of a source of confusion for “Kal-El”, comforting him and making him feel more guilt at the same time. Though I cannot attest to comics continuity here, in the movieverse, it seems as if Jor-El sent Kal-El to Earth to be a sort of savior to humanity. The Jor-El of “Smallville” takes this one step further and intends for Kal-El to become a ruler, as some sort of god-king, lording over humanity to save it from itself. This attitude, where Jor-El was supposed to have been an enlightened scientist among the people of Krypton, creates a major conflict within Clark. He has a hard time figuring out his place among humanity, with his biological father's wishes in direct opposition to the values his Earth parents instilled in him.
In some canons, “Kal-El” tends to overshadow “Farm Clark”, and he begins to feel more and more isolated from humanity, especially in light of his internal conflict over Jor-El's views and his often quite obvious alien nature. It is in the movieverse that this is most prevalent. He feels so separated from the world after his encounter with Zod, after feeling forced by Jor-El's commands to give up Lois to be the hero the rest of the world needs him to be, that when scientists discover what might be an intact Krypton, he wishes to return there, thinking it might be the home he needs. (Note that that connection between “Superman II” and “Superman Returns” is more speculation than fact, based on events and dialogue from both movies.) When he discovers that Krypton is truly gone, he is forced to return to Earth, finding that the home he had been seeking was there all the time. It is only through discovering he has a son with Lois that “Kal-El” fades somewhat from the foreground, and he begins to feel connected to humanity again. He is then able to reconcile his alien side with his human side, and as with the discovery of Kara's existence in other continuities, having a son allows him to more fully accept his Kryptonian heritage.
Overall, “Kal-El” is Clark's way to embrace his alien heritage, without compromising his “Farm Clark” self, and in that vein, it strikes me that his absolute truest self, in his heart and mind, will always lie somewhere slightly left of “Farm Clark” and a bit farther to the right of “Kal-El”. In many respects he's just a guy who grew up on a farm, had a crush on a girl in high school, went to college, and traveled some before coming back to land a great job at a major newspaper and fall in love with the woman of his dreams, but at the same time, he recognizes and is constantly aware of the differences that set him apart from the rest of humanity. It is this combination that I believe influences his character the most.
Clark is truly a melding of the two identities at his core, the innocent optimism influenced by his Kryptonian origin and special abilities. Sometimes, the influence of his origin tends to make him a bit shy, as is seen more often as he is growing up and as a young man. Like any kid, he grew up wanting to be just like everyone else, able to play sports and have a girlfriend, to share his gifts without fear of reproach, but was forced to keep to himself somewhat, to be more reserved and observe life from the sidelines.
“Superman”
It is when he is older that this melding of his core identities translates into a recipe for greatness. With the values his parents instilled in him, his innate goodness and purity of heart, his desire to honor his heritage, and his physical abilities, he sees the opportunity to do good for humanity. The seed for heroism is sewn, and eventually, it is from this that “Superman” is born.
The following scans from Mark Waid's “Superman: Birthright” illustrate the birth of the idea of “Superman”.
A few pages later, Clark and his Ma are working on the costume. Note the adorable sketch Clark has drawn. ^_^
And later, Clark decides to illustrate further, turning on the tablet computer that was sent with him in his spacecraft from Krypton.
As they look through the pictures on Clark's tablet, he goes on to explain to his Ma, “Look at them. Explorers. Scientists. Men and Women conquering the harshest frontiers and planting their banner in resolute defiance. This is the race that sent me here. Why, we have no clue... but clearly they put this in my spacecraft because they wanted me to know my home. They wanted me to carry on for them here... like it's my calling. My birthright. And if I follow it, everything else falls into place.”
On this level, “Superman” exists as a way to let “Kal-El” be known to the world, for Clark to use his amazing gifts in a positive way, to be more fully himself. This persona allows him to connect with humanity in a more meaningful way, to truly be the hero he is at his innermost core, and as a matter of course, lets the more gregarious part of his core personality come to the surface in a way that it only ever does when he is at home in Smallville, or alone with Lois.
In the graphic novel “Up, Up and Away”, set one year after the events of the “Infinite Crisis” story line in which Clark lost his powers, it is shown how lost he is without his abilities. He wants to help when the call comes, but without powers, and without accepting the Green Lantern ring offered to him by Hal Jordan, he can't. Despite the great work he's been doing as a journalist, he still feels unfulfilled. Eventually, his powers begin to reemerge, and when Lois finds out, she shows him just how much he needs to be “Superman”, how that persona will always be a part of him.
“Office Clark”
Unfortunately, the development of “Superman” comes with a side effect: how can he hide his identity as Clark Kent?
His “Mild-Mannered Reporter”, or “Office Clark” persona arises, usually with his mother's help, primarily to divert attention away from his “Superman” persona, in order to protect his civilian identity, as well as to safeguard the lives of his friends, coworkers, lovers, and parents. After all, no one would suspect a goofy misfit with horn-rimmed glasses and a poor fashion sense of being the Man of Steel. The following scans, also from “Birthright”, illustrate Clark's motives and the creation of “Office Clark” in excellent detail. Of particular note here is the purpose Clark's glasses serve.
Unfortunately, “Office Clark” tends to be such a misfit, blending into the background, that he often goes completely unnoticed, especially by Lois Lane. This further isolates him from the world, allowing “Kal-El” to become more dominant as he withdraws. Sometimes his skills as a reporter are called into question due to his seeming lack of personality, and he's even ostracized for his “Office Clark” persona, treated horribly by his coworkers, as seen in these scans from “Birthright”.
The “Office Clark” persona is played up the most in the early movies, with Christopher Reeve's interpretation of the character, but otherwise has weakened somewhat through the comics and in “Superman Returns”. In “Lois and Clark”, this persona is almost non-existent, letting “Farm Clark” shine through and leading to the idea that if Clark had no powers, and no other persona to protect, his “work face” might be very close to this.
It is important to note, though, that Clark's private thoughts will often lie closest to his true core, even when he is in the middle of a rescue or writing an article on the latest government corruption.
Values and Ideals - “Truth, Justice, all that stuff”
Clark's values and ideals have largely been influenced by his upbringing. The Kents, hard working, honest Mid-Western farmers, instilled a sense of responsibility in him to be honest, fair, kind, patriotic, and loyal. They taught him to work hard, be accountable for his actions, show modesty for his abilities and accomplishments, and to have an open mind. Above all, they ingrained in him the ideal that within all people, there is good, that no matter how much of a lost cause a person seems, there is still a sense of decency lurking somewhere beneath the surface.
This particular ideal has, unfortunately, had the effect of landing Clark in dangerous situations on many occasions. He tends to be a little naïve - though that may also be due to his generally open nature - and wants so badly to help uncover the good in everyone that he sometimes fails to see the truly bad seeds. He sometimes doesn't see the capacity for evil some people possess until it is too late. Often, it is Lex Luthor that he underestimates in this capacity, as seen in both “Superman: The Movie” and “Superman Returns”, the villain taking advantage of Superman's innate desire to help people to lure him into traps.
The Kents also instilled their son with a strong sense of justice, the faith that justice will be served by the proper authorities when the system is allowed to function unimpeded. In this regard, Clark upholds and follows the rule of law to the letter, never daring to circumvent it unless he absolutely cannot avoid doing so. Again, this value is taken advantage of by villains on a regular basis.
Finally, up until recently, Superman was always associated with “The American Way.” For many, this has become a touchy subject, as America has been gradually losing favor in the world community due to its current administration's policies, and thus, the term has fallen out of use in most continuities. Also, with Superman becoming more and more a world-wide icon, both in and out of the fictional world, it is becoming more popular to think of him as embodying ideals that encompass the globe. Recent emphasis on Clark's world-wide travels before donning the cape and tights attest to this. (Please note that this is in no way an attack against America - I'm an American and I love my country. I just happen to see a gradual move toward Superman as belonging to the world.)
Relationships
Here, I'm just going to focus on some of the romantic pairings that have been seen, both in continuity and in fandom. Obviously, I can't attest to all aspects of all relationships, but I will provide the basics.
Clark/Lana - Lana Lang was Clark's first love. The proverbial girl-next-door, with flowing red hair (discounting “Smallville”), Lana was, in most canons, a good friend to him, though never more. He pined after her for many years, until striking it out on his own and falling head over heels for Lois. Now, Clark and Lana remain friends in both the comics and the movieverse. Most continuities have her unaware of Clark's identity as Superman and his alien origin.
Out of respect for the sanity of the majority of the members of Superhero Muses, I won't discuss the “Smallville” Clark/Lana pairing except to say that they are completely obsessed with one another, to the point where it has become quite unhealthy for everyone surrounding them.
Clark/Lois - In all continuities (again, discounting “Smallville”) Lois Lane, senior reporter for the Daily Planet, is Clark's true love. He falls for her the moment he lays eyes on her in the bullpen of the Daily Planet, and when he is partnered with her, he acts like a big, goofy puppy dog around her, intensely loyal, protective, admiring of her, and willing to do anything for her. It is as Superman that he is able to act on his feelings for her, and in the comics, movieverse, toonverse, and “Lois and Clark”, the two enter a romantic relationship. Eventually, the act of having to keep his identities separate with her wears on him, and he is forced to come clean with her. He is delighted to discover that she doesn't care who he is; she loves him, all of him. It is only in the comics and “Lois and Clark” that the two eventually wed. Though they have not had children in either of those continuities, it is, surprisingly, in the movieverse - where Clark has either taken her memories of his identity or never revealed himself to her - that the pair have a son, Jason.
Clark and Lois's relationship is marked by a strong mutual respect, fierce protectiveness over each other, and a witty banter, including comments that often go way past teasing, but are always taken lightly and responded to with more affectionate, witty banter.
In the movieverse, their relationship dynamic is slightly different, due to the massive obstacles in their way.
htbthomas's Superhero Muses essay on Writing Movieverse Clark/Lois covers this version of the relationship in detail.
Clark/Diana - Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman, has often been seen, both in canon and out, as being on the same level as Clark, with superior abilities and, possibly, an extended longevity. The novel “Kingdom Come” pairs the two many years after Lois has passed on. Fanon does not often embrace this pairing, as their personalities do not seem to mesh as well as Clark does with Lois or others.
Clark/Bruce - This fanon slash pairing puts Clark with Bruce Wayne, The Batman. Over the years the two have worked side by side, often as good friends, sometimes as reluctant allies, and it is the bond they have forged in canon that displays their compatibility. In many ways, the two are total opposites, Bruce the darkness, Clark the light, Bruce closed off and broody, and Clark open and gregarious, but in this way they complement each other, giving and taking what they need from each other. Their relationship is often portrayed as difficult, full of tension and angst, though others have shown the pair to be truly happy together, falling into their relationship easily. Like Clark and Lois, Clark and Bruce are often portrayed as sharing a witty or snarky banter, often with Bruce as the 'straight man'.
This panel from Superman/Batman Annual #1 shows the canonical banter between the two that can easily lead to the conclusion of a relationship between them:
Clark/Dick - This fanon slash pairing puts Clark with Dick Grayson (Robin, Nightwing). In this case, it is their similar personalities which brings them together. I'll defer to the expert on this one, so for more information, please read
pervyficgirl's Superhero Muses essay on Writing Clark Kent/Dick Grayson.
Clark/Lex - This fanon pairing sometimes centers around the comics continuity, but more often than not, focuses on “Smallville”, in both of which Lex Luthor is only a few years older than Clark, and at one time lived in Smallville. Clark and Lex were good friends during that time, and although Lex 'goes bad' at some point later in his life, Clark continues to see the good in him and tries on many occasions to draw that out. The fanon relationship often revolves around a shared feeling of being an outsider, and the pair sometimes become co-dependent upon one another. The relationship is often portrayed as poisonous for Clark.
Clark/Richard - This fanon relationship arose only last year, with the release of “Superman Returns”. In the film, Richard White, the nephew of Daily Planet editor Perry White, is engaged to Lois and helping raise Clark and Lois's son, Jason. Stories pairing the two often have them starting out as friends and colleagues, bonding over their shared problems with Lois, and eventually coming together over mutual heartache.
Clark/Jimmy - This fanon pairing, while not entirely popular, has Clark paired with Jimmy Olsen, cub reporter/junior photographer. In canon the two are friends, and often joke around with each other, and this dynamic often translates into slash fic. Their relationship is shown as open, fun, and generally sweet. There isn't usually much angst here.
Conclusion
Clark Kent is more complex than many fans give him credit for, especially in light of his multi-layered 'Venn diagram' of identities. He's one of the few heroes left that displays a sense of innocence and purity of heart, an innate goodness that can't be tarnished. He is Superman, in every sense of the word.
I hope I haven't rambled too much, or not given enough information, since there is simply so much territory to cover here. In either case, thanks for reading. Now go forth, and read and write some Clark-centric fic! ^_^
Recs!!
Clark-related Communities (most communities borrowed from
jen_in_japan 's community list here at Superhero Muses)
12days_of_clois,
cloisfic - Great communities for fics centering around the Clark/Lois relationship.
old_school_clex - Clark/Lex fics, centering around the first three seasons of “Smallville”.
so_very_super- Superman fics of all sorts.
sr_slash - Clark/Richard fics, from Sueprman Returns.
superman_fics - Any fics about Clark Kent.
superman_return - All sorts of fics centered around “Superman Returns”.
sv_fanfic- Slash community with Smallville fanfic, vids, and art. Not just Clex, but a lot of different SV pairings.
sv_slash - Another Smallville slash community. Any SV slash pairing is acceptable.
worlds_finest - Clark/Bruce fics are here. Lots of them. Lots and lots.
supes_mv_awards - This awards community showcased the best of fanfiction centering around the Superman movieverse. A full list of all the nominations is here.
Individual Journals
houseofel- This journal centers around Clark Kent. There are lots of good comic scans and screen caps here as well as character news pertaining to the comics continuity and other media. Currently,
houseofel is running The Clark Kent Challenge, an open challenge for fan fic and fan art, that's open until Nov. 17th, 2007.
trascendenza - Sheera's personal journal holds a wealth of Clark/Richard and Clark/Jimmy fics. Possibly the best source of Clark/Jimmy fics.
Fics
Music of the Spheres - by
jen_in_japan - Crossover between Superman Returns and Batman Begins, Clark/Bruce, focuses on “Kal-El” being closer to Clark's core persona. Chapter 5: Disorientations paints a startlingly brilliant picture of alien Kal, and I suspect most here have probably read it.
Plane Storm - by SHADOLibrarian - Clark/Lois, dumps Clark and Lois from “Superman Returns” into the “Lois and Clark” universe. Through the story begins a little rough, it becomes a fantastic side-by-side comparison of the two versions of the couple. The two Clarks really are like night and day.
Biopsychology - by
ljs_lj- Post Superman Returns; Another fantastic treatment of “Kal-El”, where Clark is much more different than we've ever dreamed.
Rainbow's Freedom Series - by
bradygirl_12 - An multi-arc AU series featuring Clark/Bruce, where Clark has amnesia, has been stripped of his powers, and is Bruce's pleasure slave. This is a great look at Clark's core personality, completely uninfluenced by his Kryptonian origin.
One Night at the Planet - by
saavikam77 - Post Superman returns, Clark and Lois come together while working late one night, without the “Superman” persona present. A look at the Clark/Lois dynamic/romance without the shadow of the hero. Rated NC-17, and f-locked on my journal for the rating - please friend me if you haven't already, and I will friend you back so you can read it!
(I would like to have included more recs, but I ran out of reading time! Sorry! O_O)