Why glasses

[imans314]

Hi,
Can anyone tell me WHY Clark started to ware his glasses?

Paula

[TELLE]

I started to wear mine because of bad eyesight --maybe Clark was trying to pretend he had bad eyesight.  If everyone thought he had perfect eyesight, it might have been easier to figure out he was really Superboy.

I've noticed that people who have known me a long time can't even tell what color my eyes are through my thick, coke-bottle lenses.

[Genis Vell]

It can seem incredible, but sometimes really made seem a face different.
Besides, who could suspect for a secret identity... When the superhero doesn't wear a mask?

[Coldsam]

I think the answer can be found in Superman 330 (first series) cover dated Dec 1978. In the cover story "The Master Mesmerizer of Methropolis" based on a story concept by Al Schroeder III and scripted by Martin Pasko. The story addresses the question about the value of glaases as a disguise. In on panel on page three, Superman looks at himself in the mirror with his glasses on and he thinks: Hmm - - - Now that I think about it... that's the dumbest disguise I've ever seen! What am I supposed to look like a totally different person? Uh- Uhh! Superman wearing glasses is what I look like!."  Lana Lang, later in the story, catchs Superman changing into his Clark disguise. Superman thinks his secret identity is finished. But to his surprised, Lana assumes for some reason Superman is dressing up like Clark. Lana tells a surpised Superman : "That's supposed to be Clark? Oh, come on, luv! I admit there is a superficicial resemblance--But you're too heavily bulit and you're much too handsome! No -- forgetit! You don't really look like Clark at all!" At the end of the story, Superman has the answer. As Clark Kent he asks the police sketch artist draw pictures Clark Kent and Superman using photo he has given him. The drawing of Superman is 100% accurate matching the photograph exactly. But, the sketch of Clark is different from the photo, Clark looks thinner, frailer, and not terribly handsome. Superman power of super-hypnotism is always working at low power even when Superman is aware of it. His super-hypnotism automatically projects his subconcencious desire to be seen (as Clark) as a weaker and frailer man than he really is. The glasses according to this story are the key because of "some unknown property of the Kryptonian flexiglass must intensify the low level hypnotic effect of my eyes. The story closes with this note to the readers: Did you realize that the most successful practitioner of mass hypnosis in the world is Superman?.

[MatterEaterLad]

The Master Mesmerizer hypothesis does work for some...

For me, a far simpler and more effective explanation is that eyeglasses have often indicated physical weakness in the 19th and 20th century (maybe stemming from financial affluence?)...Clark avoided detection because he deflected people's belief...and its easy to not find a right answer when you aren't forming a question...

But that's just me, the Master Mesmerizer stuff is just more unnecessary made up mythos of the time...

[Super Monkey]

 :hey:

[MatterEaterLad]

Blech...

LOL... :wink:

40 cents for a comic too!

[Coldsam]

Well that story was certainly an attempt to add Superman mythos. I don't think it was unnecessary. Superman's mythos is fixed not in stone and writers through the years try to add to it.
As I was growing up, I didn't think the Clark Kent disguise was all that weak, at least compared to other DC heroes. I always thought the two DC heroes with the weakness disguises were Green Arrow, come on that little mask, and the disguise gets even weaker, when GA grows that goatee and mustache and Oliver Queen suddenly sports the same facial hair. It would have been smarter for Green Arrow to wear fake facial hair while either GA or OQ. The other hero I thought had a lame disguise was Robin, same weak mask.
Difference between Superman and most other DC heroes is that his civil identity Clark Kent is the fictional identity. If Superman's secret identity was revealed , Superman would go, but Clark Kent would be history. I think the opposite would happen to Dick Grayson/Robin or Oliver Queen/Green Arrow.