|
Post by Cei-U! on Aug 20, 2018 13:52:26 GMT -5
According to DC Comics Presents #1, the waste products left behind by the living starships used by an ancient starfaring race evolved into the indigenous life of Earth, Krypton, and countless other worlds. This was why so many planets in the pre-Crisis DCU were inhabited by genotypes similar to Earth's.
Cei-U! So sayeth Marty Pasko!
|
|
|
Post by Duragizer on Aug 20, 2018 14:23:57 GMT -5
Q: Is Clark Kent or Superman the true identity? A: Yes. Errrr...no, Kal-El/Superman is his true identity. That's what he was born as. Clark Kent is just his cover story, which allows him to better function in our society. It's the polar opposite of many other superheroes, in that Peter Parker or Bruce Wayne are the character's real identities, but Spider-Man or Batman is their cover for fighting crime. That's unambiguously true for the Earth-One Superman; that's blatantly false for the post- Crisis, pre- Birthright Superman; the Golden Age/Earth-Two Superman has a more nuanced persona than either, as does the post- Birthright, pre- Flashpoint Supermen (as for the nu52 Superman, I don't know and couldn't care less). Fact is, there is no one right answer. There's only individual opinion, shaped by which Superm(e)n we were first exposed to & our own sensibilities. My opinion is that Clark Kent & Superman are two different but equally genuine facets of the Kal-El character. Clark is Kal-El's humanity — mild-mannered, down to Earth, the farm boy from Kansas who was raised by Jonathan & Martha Kent to believe in truth, justice, and the American way; Superman is his heroic sensibility — proud, larger than life, an inspirational figure who actively fights for truth, justice, and the American way. For the sake of his loved ones and private life, he can't be both Clark & Superman at the same time, so he compartmentalizes.
|
|
|
Post by String on Aug 20, 2018 14:35:38 GMT -5
Point of Information: Are Kryptonians not humans? I ask this only as an interested bystander, not as someone trying to build an argument. Good question, but the fact that Ktyptonians go through physiological changes, such as increased strength and invulnerability, the closer they get to a sun like ours, would mean that they are clearly different to Humans. Despite outward appearances, they were a species that evolved on a world light-years away from Earth, so I don't see how they can be human. I've always assumed that it's like Corellians in Star Wars (such as Han Solo): they might look Human, but they aren't. So Thanagarians and Rannians aren't human either despite the lack of any significant physiological differences between our species?
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Aug 20, 2018 14:39:51 GMT -5
According to DC Comics Presents #1, the waste products left behind by the living starships used by an ancient starfaring race evolved into the indigenous life of Earth, Krypton, and countless other worlds. This was why so many planets in the pre-Crisis DCU were inhabited by genotypes similar to Earth's. Cei-U! So sayeth Marty Pasko! That is just a pile of intergalactic horse droppings! I poo-poo this idea! This must have come from a fertile mind! What a waste of conceptualization! Darwin must be turning over in his septic tank!
|
|
|
Post by Duragizer on Aug 20, 2018 14:53:44 GMT -5
Reminds me of the TNG episode "The Chase". I hated that episode.
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,069
|
Post by Confessor on Aug 20, 2018 16:14:23 GMT -5
Good question, but the fact that Ktyptonians go through physiological changes, such as increased strength and invulnerability, the closer they get to a sun like ours, would mean that they are clearly different to Humans. Despite outward appearances, they were a species that evolved on a world light-years away from Earth, so I don't see how they can be human. I've always assumed that it's like Corellians in Star Wars (such as Han Solo): they might look Human, but they aren't. So Thanagarians and Rannians aren't human either despite the lack of any significant physiological differences between our species? I have no idea what they are.
|
|
|
Post by rberman on Aug 20, 2018 17:00:18 GMT -5
Good question, but the fact that Kryptonians go through physiological changes, such as increased strength and invulnerability, the closer they get to a sun like ours, would mean that they are clearly different to Humans. Despite outward appearances, they were a species that evolved on a world light-years away from Earth, so I don't see how they can be human. I've always assumed that it's like Corellians in Star Wars (such as Han Solo): they might look Human, but they aren't. So Thanagarians and Rannians aren't human either despite the lack of any significant physiological differences between our species? In Star Wars, I just assumed that all the human-looking folks were the same species which had spread out to different planets during colonization long ago. Fun fact: Marvel got the United States government to declare that mutants are not human. www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/01/30/x-men-arent-human-us-govt-says-but-hulk-is.html
|
|
|
Post by Duragizer on Aug 20, 2018 18:24:16 GMT -5
In Star Wars, I just assumed that all the human-looking folks were the same species which had spread out to different planets during colonization long ago. The old EU indeed went that route. I doubt Lucas himself ever gave it much thought.
|
|
|
Post by kirby101 on Aug 20, 2018 19:48:26 GMT -5
I think it's about how he sees himself. And I would say he sees himself as Clark Kent.
|
|
|
Post by Roquefort Raider on Aug 20, 2018 20:43:34 GMT -5
So Thanagarians and Rannians aren't human either despite the lack of any significant physiological differences between our species? In Star Wars, I just assumed that all the human-looking folks were the same species which had spread out to different planets during colonization long ago. Fun fact: Marvel got the United States government to declare that mutants are not human. www.foxnews.com/tech/2012/01/30/x-men-arent-human-us-govt-says-but-hulk-is.htmlMutants are obviously humans. They’re human mutants, from a common gene pool, with a few different bits of DNA sequence. All the aliens who are so close to us that we can all breed together are also human. As you surmise, they must have come from some common ancestors and spread out throughout the stars while retaining their basic genetic conformation. The Marvel concept of mutants being a “species”, and the next step in human evolution at that, is so ridiciculous it’s not even wrong (to paraphrase Wolfgnag Pauli). While a new species could eventually evolve from a few human mutants, they would have to share distinct genetic characteristics that would separate them, reproductively speaking, from the rest of the human species. That’s just not happening in the Marvel universe!
|
|
|
Post by sunofdarkchild on Aug 21, 2018 3:09:36 GMT -5
With Superman it's pretty much the same as Goku from Dragonball. He has a birth-name (Kal El, Kakarot) but primarily identifies with and goes by his adopted Earth-name.
The Clark Kent persona only makes sense if it's at some level an expression of his real identity. The explanations given, like his being able to find out about disasters as they happen, don't line up with his super-senses already giving him that ability in a much more effective manner. He's not a reporter because it helps his as Superman. He's a reporter because that's what he wants to be and what he'd do if he was the same person who had no powers.
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Aug 21, 2018 9:47:15 GMT -5
Comic books are not made to be read in the rain. Soggy comic books just smell funny and fall apart. There. I said it!
|
|
|
Post by codystarbuck on Aug 21, 2018 23:09:25 GMT -5
Comic books are not made to be read in the rain. Soggy comic books just smell funny and fall apart. There. I said it! Not if they have Continuity's Tyvek covers! assuming you keep the spine towards the sky and never open the book..............
|
|
|
Post by comicsandwho on Aug 22, 2018 1:41:26 GMT -5
According to DC Comics Presents #1, the waste products left behind by the living starships used by an ancient starfaring race evolved into the indigenous life of Earth, Krypton, and countless other worlds. This was why so many planets in the pre-Crisis DCU were inhabited by genotypes similar to Earth's. Cei-U! So sayeth Marty Pasko! That is just a pile of intergalactic horse droppings! I poo-poo this idea! This must have come from a fertile mind! What a waste of conceptualization! Darwin must be turning over in his septic tank! I doo-doo agree!
|
|
|
Post by String on Aug 22, 2018 11:22:40 GMT -5
I want to thank rberman for reminding me just how much I hate the New Mutant character Warlock.
I hate him. I despise him. I hate him worse than I do Aquaman. His dialogue was irritating, his behaviour was annoying. I roll my eyes every time I see him, knowing that I'm in for some frustration ahead in this comic. His only saving grace, maybe, MAYBE is Douglock in later Excalibur issues.
Yer darn tooting I said that.
|
|