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Bruce Wayne is the most ridiculous of secret identities prove me wrong
- Thread starter Stalker
- Start date
This, forcing his son to grow up so he can be in the Legion (instead of, I don't know, time travel so he can be young and have older him in Legion), the fucking Ric instead of Dick Grayson, Wally West's journey...Bendis is doing what he does.
That last quote should be "it's 1,000 stories that have already been told, just not with Superman, which is why we're doing this."
DC baby what's going on
Wow, and thinking they had the perfect setup for new stories with Jon being a kid.
Actually, this unmasking thing would have been interesting with Jon around...
I don't get it. New 52 Lois exposed him and they undid it. Now they're undoing the undoing
don't mind me, I'm just waiting for Doomsday Clock to conclude
"It's completely obvious" isn't right -- we've got good evidence that it's very easy to pass yourself off as someone else when people aren't looking for a trick. But that's the problem. This kind of disguise only works until someone has some other reason to wonder whether something weird is going on. If someone ever hits on the possibility that Bruce Wayne is Batman or Clark Kent is Superman, they're going to find that pretty plausible from looks alone.
And superheroes tend to raise this possibility constantly. People don't have to put things together based only on seeing them in and out of costume. The big one is that it is in general obvious that they do have secret identities. I mean, Batman wears a mask, which is kind of a giveaway that he doesn't want to be recognized. And likewise people are going to be pretty sure that Superman has a civilian identity, even if not a day job, because really it'd be dumb not to have one so that he could go to restaurants, etc. So there's this constant low-level "Who is Batman/Superman?" question percolating in the heads of people who think about them regularly.
Once you decide to really investigate with the resources of, like, a small newspaper, this is just not going to be very hard, and Lois Lane should have figured it out pretty quickly. Bruce Wayne is a natural person of interest because Batman needs funding. If you spend more than a few minutes pondering their connection you're going to at least be open to the possibility that they're the same person, and you're not going to stop there. You're going to try to track Batman's movements on the one hand and then Bruce's on the other, not because you're almost sure he's Batman but because he's clearly connected to Batman, might be Batman, and you want to understand that connection. Likewise Clark is great friends with Superman and gets lots of exclusive interviews and works closely with the woman Superman keeps saving, so he's clearly going to be on your radar as someone connected enough to Superman that you should be checking up on him. You're going to get really suspicious by the fifth time you hear about how Clark disappears at odd times in the middle of the day and especially right before Superman shows up. And once you're actually at the point where you're following Bruce or Clark around with a camera because they're your best bet to figuring out what's going on, it's over.
And superheroes tend to raise this possibility constantly. People don't have to put things together based only on seeing them in and out of costume. The big one is that it is in general obvious that they do have secret identities. I mean, Batman wears a mask, which is kind of a giveaway that he doesn't want to be recognized. And likewise people are going to be pretty sure that Superman has a civilian identity, even if not a day job, because really it'd be dumb not to have one so that he could go to restaurants, etc. So there's this constant low-level "Who is Batman/Superman?" question percolating in the heads of people who think about them regularly.
Once you decide to really investigate with the resources of, like, a small newspaper, this is just not going to be very hard, and Lois Lane should have figured it out pretty quickly. Bruce Wayne is a natural person of interest because Batman needs funding. If you spend more than a few minutes pondering their connection you're going to at least be open to the possibility that they're the same person, and you're not going to stop there. You're going to try to track Batman's movements on the one hand and then Bruce's on the other, not because you're almost sure he's Batman but because he's clearly connected to Batman, might be Batman, and you want to understand that connection. Likewise Clark is great friends with Superman and gets lots of exclusive interviews and works closely with the woman Superman keeps saving, so he's clearly going to be on your radar as someone connected enough to Superman that you should be checking up on him. You're going to get really suspicious by the fifth time you hear about how Clark disappears at odd times in the middle of the day and especially right before Superman shows up. And once you're actually at the point where you're following Bruce or Clark around with a camera because they're your best bet to figuring out what's going on, it's over.
That's not that hard. You first axe off anybody who is not the correct race, height, and roughly the same age. You then see if anybody was out of the country/city at the same time Batman was doing something in public. You could probably whittle it down to less than 20 people without much effort.
"One of the most dangerous birds"Can't forget Tim Drake's new code name literally being "Drake"
Hmmmm..... *googles drake*
HMMMMMMMMMMMM
If only more people actually drew Clark Kent like Frank Quitely did.
Though Quitely draws him so huge and jacked up that it makes it even more obvious he's got the same build as Superman.
I did kind of like Byrne's take on it (which he later spoofed when he went back to Marvel) where Luthor doesn't believe that Kent is Superman because why the hell would Superman want to be Clark Kent?
I mean if the guy is dragging out body doubles every time he's on a trip then yea. I think Wayne is fine as a secret identity especially as he does go out of his way to distract people. Kent is the problematic one.
I remember when Clark Kent would change into Superman in a random telephone booth in open public, seems like a much worse kept secret identity to me.
You could say Prince Adam is a really stupid disguise (especially when you factor in the green tiger) but then everyone has the exact same physique. Him having the same face AND the same sword is really dumb, though.
Power Rangers are kind of dumb too. You can't see their faces but they always hang out with each other and they ALWAYS wear the color of their ranger outfit. Oh look, this guy who likes to wear green just joined their little club, what a coincidence.
Original X-Factor as mutant hunters was stupid all around but Scott with his red glasses, a redhead, a dude with gigantic hands and feet and a guy wearing a huge backpack wasn't a red flag for anyone?
Does Patch count as a secret identity for Wolverine? Because that was beyond dumb.
Oh, thought of another more recent one, Big Hero Six. At the end of the movie you could maybe assume they're just being heroes out in the open but the series seems to indicate they have secret identities. Besides even the fact that their costumes don't disguise anything and they all have unique features as individuals, I'm pretty sure they call each other by their names or nicknames.
Power Rangers are kind of dumb too. You can't see their faces but they always hang out with each other and they ALWAYS wear the color of their ranger outfit. Oh look, this guy who likes to wear green just joined their little club, what a coincidence.
Original X-Factor as mutant hunters was stupid all around but Scott with his red glasses, a redhead, a dude with gigantic hands and feet and a guy wearing a huge backpack wasn't a red flag for anyone?
Does Patch count as a secret identity for Wolverine? Because that was beyond dumb.
Oh, thought of another more recent one, Big Hero Six. At the end of the movie you could maybe assume they're just being heroes out in the open but the series seems to indicate they have secret identities. Besides even the fact that their costumes don't disguise anything and they all have unique features as individuals, I'm pretty sure they call each other by their names or nicknames.
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In the age of the internet, someone would figure it out, sure.
How often are you cross-examining your friends and coworkers to make sure they aren't "a superhero" though. It wouldn't happen. That's why dumb disguises like glasses work, because there's no way Tom at accounting is Superman. People claiming they'd "find out" are lying to themselves.
How often are you cross-examining your friends and coworkers to make sure they aren't "a superhero" though. It wouldn't happen. That's why dumb disguises like glasses work, because there's no way Tom at accounting is Superman. People claiming they'd "find out" are lying to themselves.
I haven't devoted a full day to an evil "unmask Superman" plan yet, but i will come back at you when i have :).
Why should he sense me? Scenario was that he is my colleague at the Office (d-planet), so while he talks in office i just try my luck with the needle. I would not run at him, with a war cry but try it subtle. He also doesn't have to fake pain, needle just has to brake. I'm basing this on the worlds of the movie Supermans since i don't know all the hundreds of comic stories about him.
OP
OP
Using a super villain who builds a super suit to combat an alien hero isn't proving your point here.
If lex luthor was walking around in a batsuit in metropolis every week the same argument would still work. It would obviously be lex.
The Ubi people are leaking stuff in order to distract us from the fact Yves Guillemot is Batroc the Leaper.
Maxwell Lord then
Or Oliver Queen
Or Ted Kord
Hell, Michael Holt could be batman. Do anyone was awake long enough to prove batman is white? =P
What I am saying is that the DC universe has LOTS of rich people who can kick your ass and fit those descriptions
Now we even have Adrian Veidt =P
Oliver Queen probably legit has the worst secret identity considering his very distinctive facial hair.
Doesn't he do that thing where he uses super speed to change clothes?
Prince Adam is a dumb secret identity for a totally different reason - it doesn't do any good, and may actually be harmful.
His friends and family aren't protected by his secret - every single one of them is already a top tier target for Skeletor. He shows up in his living room at least once a week already.
But now instead of knowing that He-Man, the biggest badass in Eternia, is their prince the people of Eternia think the next in line for the throne is a whiny coward. That if King Randor dies, their civilization has mere hours before being completely wiped out by Skeletor.
Revealing his identity would lead to zero increases in aggression against his loved ones and would bring a massive morale boost to his subjects.
The Prince Adam identity is a stupid idea that makes no sense in universe, and only exists because kids like having secrets.
Someone has probably said it in this thread, but I'll say it anyways:
Everybody with two functioning neurons can work out that Bruce Wayne is Batman. It's conclusively proving that they are one and the same what is nigh impossible for 99.9% of the population.
Everybody with two functioning neurons can work out that Bruce Wayne is Batman. It's conclusively proving that they are one and the same what is nigh impossible for 99.9% of the population.
This is a very famous story about one of the biggest Celebrities of her era and arguably american Pop culture, Marilyn Monroe. She could walk the streets unrecognized , until she put on her Star Persona.
Think of every billionaire today. Do you think any of them would actually risk their lives over street crime for one shitty city? That's why no one think it's Bruce.
I could totally see Musk or Cuban masquerading as a super hero with the right tech
At the very least ,though, you'd suspect one of them was funding Batman (unless you think Batman is on the take or something).
There is a reason. Maybe he likes being Prince Adam and not He-man all the time? Like he needs a break from having to be a hero to everyone, wants Teela to like him for who he is, etc., which is a lot of the reason why Superman has a secret identity. Or maybe he can't physically be He-man all the time.
If he's not He-man all the time and everyone knows he can turn into He-man, he's dead. Same for Cringer/Battlecat.
For like a day maybe, sure.
Possibly. I don't really think you need to be a billionaire to be Batman though. In the Nolanverse all his gadgets was already made. He probably spent a few million tops.
They just need a Fox News equivalent to spread conspiracy theories about Batman and Superman's alter egos that the less reasonable part of the normal population in Gotham and Metropolis would believe and obsess about.
Clark Kent works because nobody would expect Superman to just put on glasses and a suit.
It's one of those hiding in plain sight deals.
It's one of those hiding in plain sight deals.
I can accept that for an explanation. Was just hoping they didn't imply he wore his boots under his shoes.
Yep. If anyone can beat Superman / Clark Kent, it's He-Man. I'm always reminded of this:
People really don't realize how much this glasses shit works
I've gone out with contacts and slightly different outfit and when I run past people they don't recognize me, it's wear for when I want to go out without running into people
Batman also lives in a world with shape shifters, tech that can holographically change bodies, etc.
Like his setting makes it even harder to point him down when it's known Superman is alien and wonder woman is from an island of women, people throw their hands up and just go "ALRIGHT THEN"
Like his setting makes it even harder to point him down when it's known Superman is alien and wonder woman is from an island of women, people throw their hands up and just go "ALRIGHT THEN"
Superman DID do that. He had Supergirl (the one who could morph into different people) morph into Clark Kent and stand right next to him.
I would love to hear reasoning that doesn't involve you knowing he's Batman already.
In his mouth. I'm stumped as to how to properly search for the comic panel, but there's a Silver Age issue where Clark Kent is "injured" and in the hospital and he has compressed his costume with his super-strength into tiny lozenge-size and stores it in his mouth.
Edit: Well, look at that:
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The manga implies that there's no actual transformation when Atem takes over, Yugi just acts more confident. There are a few panels where you see that Yami Yugi isn't actually any taller than regular Yugi.
Childhood ruined