Superman (and Friends) Examples
Pa Kent: "Now listen to me, Clark! This great strength of yours — You've got to hide it from people or they'll be scared of you!"
Ma Kent: "But when the time comes, you must use it to assist humanity."
Ma Kent: "But when the time comes, you must use it to assist humanity."
— Superman, Action Comics #1
Kara: This is how they see you.
Clark: I guess... It's very flattering, but I don't really think about it.
Kara: You're their champion. Bigger than life. No wonder the eyeglasses work — Nobody would look for you dressed like them!
Clark: I guess... It's very flattering, but I don't really think about it.
Kara: You're their champion. Bigger than life. No wonder the eyeglasses work — Nobody would look for you dressed like them!
— Superman/Batman #9, second part of The Supergirl from Krypton story arc
"I gotta admit, your disguise is nearly perfect; you had me fooled."
— Lois Lane, Superman II
"Lois takes two movies to figure out the most obvious fact in all of comic book obviousness."
— CinemaSins for Superman II
Lana Lang: Clark, it was you! All these years, it was you the whole time!
The Prankster: That’s right, Miss Lang. It was him all the time! He just combed his hair and stuck on a pair of glasses! Ha ha ha! What a great gag!
"The fact that you can't recognize the secret identity of a superhero just because he takes glasses on and off can only work if every character in the comics looks exactly the same - and you can't hear their voices. It helps if no one ever opens their mouths to talk and also never opens their eyes."
"Kara Danvers" is a tool for you to walk amongst the people you protect.
— Director Chase to Supergirl, Supergirl (Rebirth) #1
You are all fools! All he does is put on and remove his glasses! That's his whole disguise! And yet somehow nobody figures out that they are the same guy? Come on!
— Carteeg_Struve, a commentor on Merry Zodmas: Christmas Specials, though they were talking about Zod and the Nostalgia Critic.
The Flash: I still don't get why you don't do more to protect your identity. This new Lantern? Kyle? His mask covers most of his face. Smart kid.
Green Lantern: Clark hides behind a pair of glasses and you're worried about me?
The Flash: Clark slouches, wears clothes two sizes too big and raises his voice an octave.
Green Lantern: Clark hides behind a pair of glasses and you're worried about me?
The Flash: Clark slouches, wears clothes two sizes too big and raises his voice an octave.
But as much as everybody loves you, there is one question that keeps coming up: "How dumb was she?!" Here, I'll show you what I mean. Look, <<puts on glasses>> "I'm Clark Kent." <<takes off glasses, puffs chest out, deepens voice>> "No, I'm Superman." <<puts on glasses>> "Mild-mannered reporter." <<takes off glasses, puffs chest out, deepens voice>> "Superhero." Hello?! Duh! Clark Kent IS Superman! Well, that was worth the whole trip—to meet the most galactically stupid woman who ever lived.
— Tempus to Lois Lane, Lois & Clark
Clark: I don't need X-Ray Vision to tell me when someone's hiding behind a disguise.
Lois: Me either.
Clark: Only if it's not right in front of your face.
Lois: I would've figured it out. Eventually.
Clark: You keep believing that.
Lois: Me either.
Clark: Only if it's not right in front of your face.
Lois: I would've figured it out. Eventually.
Clark: You keep believing that.
Lois Lane: I'm confused, Kent. See, I've lived in Metropolis most of my life and I can't figure out how some yokel from Smallville is suddenly getting every hot story in town.
Clark Kent: [lowers his glasses] Well, Lois, the truth is I'm actually Superman in disguise, and I only pretend to be a journalist in order to hear about disasters as they happen and then squeeze you out of the byline.
[Beat]
Lois Lane: You're a sick man, Kent. [leaves]
Clark Kent: [with a sly smile] You asked...
Clark Kent: [lowers his glasses] Well, Lois, the truth is I'm actually Superman in disguise, and I only pretend to be a journalist in order to hear about disasters as they happen and then squeeze you out of the byline.
[Beat]
Lois Lane: You're a sick man, Kent. [leaves]
Clark Kent: [with a sly smile] You asked...
Cat: You know, I was thinking, about how you overheard Dirk after the board meeting. I was standing right next to you and there is no way that he was within earshot.
Kara: Um...
Cat: And then I was thinking about the earthquake and how you got sick for the first time since I've known you. And you had a broken arm, and Supergirl mysteriously went MIA. And then she came back, and your cold was gone.
Kara: That's just a coincidence.
Cat: I was also thinking about Livewire. About how when she attacked us, you fled into the stairwell.
Kara: Because you asked me to.
Cat: Yes. But not two seconds later, Supergirl shows up. Another coincidence? And let's not forget that you took it personally when I named her "Supergirl."
Kara: Sure, for... For political reasons.
Kara: My glass... I... I'd... I'd be Blind Without 'Em.
Cat: I doubt that.
Cat: So you're Supergirl. La-dee-da.
Kara: You...you knew?
Cat: Please, those spectacles disguised you about as much as a pair of Groucho Marx glasses, and you should have added the bushy eyebrows and the mustache.
Kara: You...you knew?
Cat: Please, those spectacles disguised you about as much as a pair of Groucho Marx glasses, and you should have added the bushy eyebrows and the mustache.
the-swift-tricker: It's easy to mock the concept of Batman's secret identity and think it's ridiculous that nobody would realize that he's Bruce Wayne but if some lady suddenly showed up late at night dressed in full military grade kevlar and started fighting crime in Los Angeles I wouldn't look at that and think "ah it's Kylie Jenner"
you-got-it-capstar: Same logic applies to Clark Kent tbh. I wouldn't see Superman, the crazy powerful alien, zooming past me and go "I think he's secretly an award winning journalist"
the-swift-tricker: "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... Anderson Cooper?"
appendingfic: *sees masked man fighting both crime and corruption* I have no idea who that is, but it is NOT a billionaire.
spifalling: People don't even recognize Tony Hawk without the skateboard what do you expect
you-got-it-capstar: Same logic applies to Clark Kent tbh. I wouldn't see Superman, the crazy powerful alien, zooming past me and go "I think he's secretly an award winning journalist"
the-swift-tricker: "It's a bird, it's a plane, it's... Anderson Cooper?"
appendingfic: *sees masked man fighting both crime and corruption* I have no idea who that is, but it is NOT a billionaire.
spifalling: People don't even recognize Tony Hawk without the skateboard what do you expect
Other Examples
Fisto: Hey, Mekaneck, what's Prince Adam doing fighting Modulok, all shirtless and glorious?
Mekaneck: That can't be Prince Adam, Fisto. Prince Adam's giant green cat doesn't wear a mask.
Mekaneck: That can't be Prince Adam, Fisto. Prince Adam's giant green cat doesn't wear a mask.
Carol: "Hal? HAL?"
Hal: "How did you know it was me?"
Carol: "I've known you my whole life! I've seen you naked! You think I wouldn't recognize you because I can't see your cheekbones?!?"
Hal: "How did you know it was me?"
Carol: "I've known you my whole life! I've seen you naked! You think I wouldn't recognize you because I can't see your cheekbones?!?"
Peter Parker: I used to be so much better at this whole secrets thing...
Betty Brant: Don't kid yourself, Peter. You always sucked at it. We were all just too blind to put it together.
Betty Brant: Don't kid yourself, Peter. You always sucked at it. We were all just too blind to put it together.
"Fiore's real superpower may be being the only one in the entire anime who has the ability to see that Sailor Moon and Usagi Tsukino look exactly the same. He only met her once, too, and he doesn't even know her name. Putting everyone else to shame."
— Tumblr
"By becoming a dark possessed MG, Tessa has increased her Sailor Moon genre affinity levels and thus gained the ability to be inexplicably unrecognizable while transformed. This is all very scientific."
"They're them, I have it all figured out, see. You know how Clark Kent puts his glasses on and suddenly nobody can tell he's Superman? The same thing. You can stare at the video all day, I know because I have, but your brain just refuses to make the connection unless you force it to. The magic even extends to MPEG. How else could someone in that outlandish costume go incognito?"
Lori: Let's review: you always disappear when the wolf shows up, and you reappear when the wolf is gone, but you're never together at the same time. You do the math.
Tommy: That doesn't mean a thing! Take Clark Kent and Superman. They're never together in the same place at the same time.
Tommy: That doesn't mean a thing! Take Clark Kent and Superman. They're never together in the same place at the same time.
Samantha Wilkins: How did you—?
Professor Hiles: Are you kidding me? You're not even wearing a mask.
Professor Hiles: Are you kidding me? You're not even wearing a mask.
— Invincible #4
"Hel-lo? Danny Fenton? Danny Phantom? Ever notice the similarities?"
— Dark Danny, lampshading this trope for his younger self.
Danny: God, this is the most cliched thing, but - do I know you from somewhere? You look awfully familiar.
Amber: (panicked look) Y-you've never met me before. Look, I wear glasses. GLASSES.
Amber: (panicked look) Y-you've never met me before. Look, I wear glasses. GLASSES.
Beast Boy: "But what about my secret identity!?"
Raven: "What secret identity? You're green."
Raven: "What secret identity? You're green."
"That's right ... Peter Parker took photos. Of himself. And sold them to this man who never, ever wondered why this one guy could get nearly all the photos of Spider-Man ... all the time."
Ernst Stavro Blofeld: It takes more than a few props to turn 007 into a Herald. [breaks Bond's glasses]
James Bond: It'll take more than cutting off your earlobes, Blofeld, to turn you into a Count.
James Bond: It'll take more than cutting off your earlobes, Blofeld, to turn you into a Count.
"Anyway, she realizes that since some superheroes have secret identities, she'll have one too!"
("All I need is a needle and thread!")
"And what does she make with 'a needle and thread'? It's an all-leather ensemble with a huge cleavage-exposing v-line down her front that's laced together, as well as huge shoulderpads, a black head-band, tassels coming down from the shoulderpads, black electrical tape around her arms — or is that supposed to be cloth? — and what I presume to be a black wig. Oh, and no mask. Yeah, your secret identity is safe! Unless of course, somebody, y'know — looks at you."
("All I need is a needle and thread!")
"And what does she make with 'a needle and thread'? It's an all-leather ensemble with a huge cleavage-exposing v-line down her front that's laced together, as well as huge shoulderpads, a black head-band, tassels coming down from the shoulderpads, black electrical tape around her arms — or is that supposed to be cloth? — and what I presume to be a black wig. Oh, and no mask. Yeah, your secret identity is safe! Unless of course, somebody, y'know — looks at you."
Jerrica: "I'm Jerrica, Pizzazz. I've always been Jerrica. I... I've been using holograms for the past few years to fake another identity. At first it was to compete against Eric, but eventually I found that I depended on the Jem identity to even perform... but it's always been me deep down, Pizzazz."
Pizzazz: (thinking) But... that... ...How could I have missed that? All these years... Similar voices, same height. Similar taste in fashion, similar personalities, that same cute butt... Are we all blind?
Pizzazz: "This is some Clark Kent shit."
Harry Wells: On my Earth, Hunter Zolomon was a convicted Serial Killer.
[Pulls up a photo of Zolomon with long hair and a beard]
Caitlin Snow: That's [him]?!
[Pulls up a photo of Zolomon with long hair and a beard]
Caitlin Snow: That's [him]?!
Twelfth Doctor: Take a look at that picture.
[The Doctor shows Grant a comic book page of Clark Kent talking to Mrs Olsen.]
Grant: Okay.
Twelfth Doctor: Now this one.
[The Doctor flips the comic book pages to a picture of Superman.]
Twelfth Doctor: Take a good, long look. It takes a moment to see it.
Grant: See what?
Twelfth Doctor: Superman and Clark Kent are one and the same person.
Grant: Are you serious?
Twelfth Doctor: Yeah. Look, I drew specs on Superman.
Grant: Everyone knows they're the same person.
Twelfth Doctor: Well, Lois Lane doesn't, and she's a reporter.
[The Doctor shows Grant a comic book page of Clark Kent talking to Mrs Olsen.]
Grant: Okay.
Twelfth Doctor: Now this one.
[The Doctor flips the comic book pages to a picture of Superman.]
Twelfth Doctor: Take a good, long look. It takes a moment to see it.
Grant: See what?
Twelfth Doctor: Superman and Clark Kent are one and the same person.
Grant: Are you serious?
Twelfth Doctor: Yeah. Look, I drew specs on Superman.
Grant: Everyone knows they're the same person.
Twelfth Doctor: Well, Lois Lane doesn't, and she's a reporter.
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: What kind of a plumber are you?
[Perry takes off his plumber's hat]
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: A platypus plumber?
[Perry puts on his secret agent hat]
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: Perry the Platypus Plumber?
[Perry takes off his tool belt]
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: PERRY THE PLATYPUS?!
[Perry takes off his plumber's hat]
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: A platypus plumber?
[Perry puts on his secret agent hat]
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: Perry the Platypus Plumber?
[Perry takes off his tool belt]
Dr. Doofenshmirtz: PERRY THE PLATYPUS?!
"Maybe it's like Clark Kent. I mean, he just wears glasses and suddenly bam, no one knows who he is. Is it that? Are we just really, really unobservant? Or is it magic? God, I hope it's magic. I'd feel really stupid if it was just us being clueless."
— Caline Bustier, The Miraculous World of Caline Bustier
The Shoveller: If we had a billionaire like Lance Hunt as our benefactor...
Mr. Furious: That's because Lance Hunt IS Captain Amazing!
The Shoveller: Don't start that again. Lance Hunt wears glasses. Captain Amazing doesn't wear glasses.
Mr. Furious: He takes them off when he transforms.
The Shoveller: That doesn't make any sense, he wouldn't be able to see.
Mr. Furious: That's because Lance Hunt IS Captain Amazing!
The Shoveller: Don't start that again. Lance Hunt wears glasses. Captain Amazing doesn't wear glasses.
Mr. Furious: He takes them off when he transforms.
The Shoveller: That doesn't make any sense, he wouldn't be able to see.
