The Mild Mannered Man of Steel: A Transmedia Dismantling of
the Clark Kent/Superman Binary (DRAFT)
James Taylor
Abstract
This paper challenges the popular view that the Clark Kent/Superman duality is
expressed as an inflexible binary opposition. It does this through applying to
Clark/Superman Will Brooker‟s (2012) model of a spectrum, which Brooker uses
to challenge another commonly perceived binary in the superhero genre: superhero
and supervillain. The paper analyses incarnations of Kent/Superman in a range of
media – comics, radio, television, film, etc. – in the period 1938-1978, tracing the
character from his comic book debut to first appearance in a Hollywood
blockbuster. This allows exploration of how specific properties of each medium
enable the relation between the identities to be articulated in new ways. For
instance, differences in Clark and Superman‟s dialogue, and their visual
representation, in comic books, are compared to ways they are distinguished by an
actor‟s intonation and mannerisms in screen adaptations. Other factors, such as
budgetary constraints, format and socio-political contexts, are also considered.
New versions of the identities form with each new incarnation, combining aspects
of previous incarnations with unique elements. Placing these together on a
spectrum of possibility allows us to appreciate the range of ways in which Clark
and Superman, far from being fixed contrasts, can be repositioned in relation to
each other.
Key Words: Adaptation, Christopher Reeve, Clark Kent, comic book, film,
George Reeves, radio, Superman, television, transmedia.
*****
Duel identities are traditionally central to superhero narratives. Matt Yockey
expresses the popular view that the Clark Kent/Superman duality is an inflexible
binary opposition, stating that „both Superman and Clark Kent can never change
because they are fixed contrasts to one another. Superman is defined by what he is
not, Clark Kent, and vice versa.‟1 The traits attributed to each identity in this binary
are outlined by Vanessa Russell:
The figure of the reporter is a dialectical construct, a dry, dull,
mild persona who exists in opposition to Superman, the
supercharged champion of the underdog and vigilante seeker of
justice. There is no Hegelian synthesis in Superman: Kent does
2
The Mild Mannered Man of Steel (DRAFT)
not take on heroic characteristics without first changing into a
cape and tights, and Superman does not take on Kent‟s “fearstruck” or “meek” characteristics without first donning the
clothes of the working journalist. 2
Clark is therefore defined as a meek journalist, Superman a heroic vigilante.
Yockey and Russell assert that there is no overlap between these traits, which are
separated by different outfits that constitute discrete identities. However, as will
become apparent in the incarnations of Superman analysed below, a permeability
can exist between the two identities, with traits of one appearing in the other.
Meanwhile, the traits of the individual identities are far from fixed, and can change
from incarnation to incarnation.
The ways in which these shifting traits reposition the identities in relation to each
other can be understood through Will Brooker‟s model of a spectrum. Brooker
extracts this model from Duncan Falconer‟s conceptualisation of the „Prismatic
Age‟ of comics.3 The prism analogy offers a potent image of light being refracted
into all of the colours on the spectrum. As outlined by Brooker:
Falconer‟s image evokes the lighter approach that characterised
many superhero narratives of the later 1990s and 2000s, as a
reaction against the „darkness‟ [of the eighties]; but it also
captures the sense of alternates, analogues and parallel iterations
of characters that frequently recurred in these stories. 4
It is this latter function that is of pertinence. As a superhero is refracted through a
prism, the full range of their possible roles is projected outward on a spectrum.
Positioning the different roles a superhero can adopt on a spectrum therefore
provides a way for us to appreciate how these relate to one another. Brooker uses
this model to dismantle another commonly perceived binary in the superhero
genre: superhero and supervillain. Appling the model to a reading of Batman and
Joker, Brooker demonstrates that „the relationship between Batman and Joker is
not so much an opposition as a spectrum; they do not occupy opposite sides, but
different points on the rainbow of light thrown by a prism‟. 5 In different texts they
can possess similar traits to each other and occupy different points on this
spectrum, which outlines the range of possible roles for each character, and
relationship between the two.
This paper will use Brooker‟s model of a spectrum to outline ways that Superman
texts in various media resituate Clark and Superman in relation to each other, and
illuminate the array of possible roles on their shared spectrum, so that the
multiplicities of both identities become evident. Elements unique to each medium,
such as sound and performance, will be considered, alongside factors like format,
James Taylor
3
economics and socio-political contexts. This will outline the range of factors that
influence the characterisation of superheroes, who have been transmedial figures
since the early 1940s, when Superman, shortly after its 1938 comic book debut in
Action Comics #1, made the transition to radio and animated film. 6 Incarnations of
Superman released over four decades, from Action Comics #1 to Superman: The
Movie (1978), will be analysed in a primarily chronological order that focuses on
different factors for each incarnation.
The Clark/Superman binary can be traced back to Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster‟s
Superman story in Action Comics #1, and continued to be enforced in subsequent
Golden Age Superman comic book stories. In this first story Clark plays the
weakling, and is presented as possessing a pitiful lack of masculinity, with Lois
venomously branding him “a spineless, unbearable coward”. As such, “meek”
became the key adjective used to describe Clark in Golden Age comic books. 7
Conversely, Superman‟s immense physical strength is foregrounded, evident from
the iconic front cover, on which he is depicted holding a car above his head and
smashing it against a rock. Superman‟s temperament in Golden Age comic books
has been interlinked with external contexts by Bradford W. Wright, who states that
„Siegel and Shuster‟s original character was actually a tough and cynical wise guy,
similar to the hard-boiled detectives like Sam Spade who also became popular
during the Depression years‟. 8 Superman‟s attitude therefore parallels archetypes
from hard-boiled fiction of tough, emotionally-cold men neglected by the
establishment and left to seek justice through personal means. This aligns with his
role in Golden Age comic books as “champion of the oppressed”, with stories
frequently concerning the hero liberating blue-collar workers from corporate and
government corruption. 9 Superman‟s hard-boiled nature in Action Comics #1
carries over into his interactions with Lois Lane. They meet properly for the first
time in a panel where they stand opposite each other. His statement “you needn‟t
be afraid of me. I won‟t harm you” is undermined by him leaning forward, looming
over her, forcing her downward into the corner of the panel, causing a
compositional imbalance that stresses his dominance. The effect of this is that, two
panels later, his statement “I‟d advise you not to print this little episode” comes
across as a threat. Through their characterisation and interactions with Lois, the
Clark/Superman binary in Action Comics #1 is therefore expressed as
weakness/masculinity.
One of the ways Clark and Superman are differentiated in Golden Age Superman
comic book stories is by distinct verbal registers. Clark is polite but timid, while
Superman is self-assured and aggressive. This is not just conveyed in differences
between what Clark and Superman actually say, but also in the presentation of their
dialogue. Clark‟s dialogue is peppered with grammatical ellipses and nervous tics
The Mild Mannered Man of Steel (DRAFT)
4
such as „er‟ to convey stuttering. Conversely, Superman‟s confidence is conveyed
by key words he utters being presented in bold font, with exclamation marks
commonly ending his sentences. This strategy uses the iconic properties of written
words to hold the two identities apart.
The two media into which Superman was first adapted, radio and animated film,
both allow for words to be spoken, which enabled Clark and Superman‟s dialogue
to articulate their relationship differently. In the radio serial The Adventures of
Superman (1940-1951) and the Superman cartoons produced by Fleischer, and
later Famous, Studios (1941-1943), the key feature that distinguishes the identities‟
dialogue is intonation.10 Bud Collyer voices Clark/Superman in both incarnations,
and distinguishes between them through deepening his voice as he transforms from
Clark into Superman.11 As described by Larry Tye:
Collyer drew on his training as a crooner to underscore the
difference between Clark and Superman, playing the former in a
tenor that oozed milquetoast, then dropping several pitches
midsentence to a gravelly baritone that was just right for the
world‟s strongest man, yet making clear that both voices came
from the same man.12
This tonal shift is exemplified in the catchphrase “this looks like a job for
Superman”. The first five words are spoken in Clark‟s gentler tone, and on “for
Superman” Collyer‟s voice dramatically drops into the deep, heroic pitch of
Superman. Aurally signalling the shift between identities in a single sentence
creates a closer connection between the identities than the more stark vocal
segregation in Golden Age comic books, „making clear that both voices came from
the same man‟. Their closer proximity is also signified in the fact that the primary
adjective used to describe Clark is no longer “meek”. Instead, he is introduced in
the opening of both incarnations as “mild mannered”.
The difference in intonation featured in the next screen incarnation, with Kirk Alyn
portraying Superman with a much deeper voice than Clark in the film serials
Superman (1948) and Atom Man vs. Superman (1950). Despite the seeming
establishment of this as a trope, the next actor to play Clark/Superman, George
Reeves, in the television series The Adventures of Superman (1952-1958), used the
same gentle but authoritative tone for both identities, thus drawing them into closer
alignment.13 However, as the first actors to play Clark/Superman in live-action
adaptations, Alyn and Reeves have an expanded range of performative aspects they
can use to reposition the identities in relation to each other.
James Taylor
5
Alyn‟s Clark is far from a coward, staying composed in episode seven of the first
serial while being held at gunpoint. He is also very action-orientated, for instance
tackling and restraining an assassin in episode three of Atom Man vs. Superman.
This aligns Alyn‟s Clark closely to his energetic Superman. Reeves‟ mannerisms
and posture positions both identities at different points on their spectrum than
Alyn‟s Clark/Superman. Reeves‟ Clark is assertive and brave, yet also very gentle
around members of the public and his co-workers. This is evident right from the
opening of every episode, in which an image of Superman standing with his chest
puffed out, fists on hips, dissolves into one of Clark, who stands less imposingly,
arms hanging by his sides. These postures resonate throughout the episodes, with
Clark often leaning casually on desks. Conversely, Superman enters scenes by
smashing through walls with this barrel chest before either assuming the assured
stance with fists on hips, or standing poised for action with feet apart and arms
raised. Reeves‟ postures affirm Clark‟s mild nature while conveying Superman‟s
heroic vitality. In this sense, despite Reeves‟ lack of differentiation in intonation,
his Clark and Superman and more clearly distinguished than Alyn‟s. In the
transition from comics to screen, as with the shift from written to spoken dialogue,
the differences between drawn characters and those embodied by actors can
therefore be instrumental to the repositioning of Clark and Superman on their
spectrum.
The situation of Alyn and Reeves‟ Clark/Superman on their spectrum is also
influenced by the format, genre and economics of the texts in which they appear.
Alyn‟s energetic heroics as both Clark and Superman are in keeping with
contemporaneous film serials, in which the action-adventure genre thrived, despite
miniscule budgets. Budgetary constraints had a converse effect on the Reeves
television series. Tye states that there was „a mere $175 budgeted for each
episode‟s flying sequences‟, making it economically viable to only feature
Superman in the climactic last few minutes of each episode.14 The effect of this is
that, due to having much more screen time than Superman, Reeves‟ Clark becomes
the dominant identity. Elsewhere, Gary Grossman proposes that format is a key
factor in this:
With less than half an hour to work with, exposition and ultimate
resolution of conflict were only a commercial away from one
another. There had to be a new reason each week for Lois,
Jimmy or Perry White to be terrorised. It was Clark Kent who
6
The Mild Mannered Man of Steel (DRAFT)
engineered their salvation, making the exciting switch to
Superman only for the actual heroics.15
Grossman therefore attributes Clark‟s greater screen time to the conventions of
narrative structure in television. 16 Episodes of the Reeves series generally revolve
around a criminal investigation, the stakes heightening when one of Clark‟s friends
is placed in danger, and it is Clark who, as an investigative reporter, solves the case
before apprehending the villain as Superman. Different elements, such as budget
and structure, can therefore be attributed to Clark having a greater presence than
Superman. This reorders the identities in terms of dominance, while making Clark
instrumental in solving crimes positions as a skilled investigative reporter, the
brains to Superman‟s brawn.
The above analysis suggests that, like Golden Age Superman comic book stories,
the Alyn serials and Reeves television series both draw on hard-boiled archetypes.
However, while in Golden Age comic books these traits were attributed to
Superman, in the Alyn serials Clark can also be a tough guy, while Reeves‟ Clark
is granted the investigative prowess of the noir detective. Meanwhile, while Wright
interlocks Golden Age comic books‟ Superman‟s hard-boiled qualities with his
status as champion of the underdog, shifting socio-political contexts in the 1940s
and 50s led to further repositioning on the spectrum. During World War 2
Superman texts became deeply patriotic, and the radio serial, previously
announcing in its opening that Superman fought for “Truth and Justice”, added to
this “the American way”. Subsequently, in the first film serial Alyn‟s hardpunching Superman is summoned by the Secretary of National Security, who asks
him to guard a deadly weapon. Superman agrees to perform this role, and is
therefore happy to be deployed by the United States‟ government to protect the
nation‟s military superiority. Social pressures against comics in the 1950s, fuelled
by Frederic Wertham‟s indictment of the medium, Seduction of the Innocent,
forced superheroes to operate even more rigidly within the law. 17 This is evident in
the Reeves series, which situates Superman on the side of the law, although due to
its format generally only pits him against lowly thieves and gangsters, his main
contact within the law being Inspector Henderson, rather than a high-ranking
government official.
We can therefore see a range of roles emerging for Clark, from meek coward to
hard-boiled detective, and Superman, from champion of the underdog to protector
of the U.S. government. Furthermore, factors such as voice, physical performance
James Taylor
7
and format can act as different colours on the Clark/Superman spectrum, pulling
the identities toward different, sometimes competing, points. For example, with
Reeves‟ Clark/Superman, elements such intonation draw the identities closer
together, while their distinct postures act as a competing factor, and their
brains/brawn distinction gives both distinct heroic qualities. Any representation of
Clark and Superman is therefore a composite, formed through combining shades of
each colour.
Christopher Reeve‟s Clark/Superman in Superman: The Movie had forty years of
Superman texts in various media, and therefore a wide spectrum of possible roles,
on which to draw. Reeve‟s Clark is a nervy, awkward country boy who sends half
his weekly paycheque to his mother. Yet rather than portraying these traits as
deplorably lacking in masculinity, he is presented as comical and endearing. Tye
states that Reeve based his performance on a young Cary Grant: „shy, vulnerable,
and charmingly klutzy‟.18 The fact that Reeve‟s Clark is like the physically
animated but psychologically fumbling Grant of Bringing Up Baby (1938), rather
than Grant‟s verbally animated and self-assured newspaperman in His Girl Friday
(1940), is evident in the scene in which he joins the Daily Planet newspaper. Lois
and Perry White engage in quick-fire discussion, their rapid vocal tempos recalling
those of Grant and Rosalind Russell‟s sharp-witted journalists in His Girl Friday.
This side-lines Clark, his stuttering acting as an aural reflection of the grammatical
ellipsis in Golden Age Superman comic book stories. Clark‟s vocal register does
not only draw from comic books, as his nasal intonation links him with
incarnations of Clark whose voices are pitched higher than Superman‟s. When
combined with his stuttering, Reeve‟s Clark‟s intonation is far more boyish than
those of previous screen incarnations, wavering around unsteadily as if his voice is
breaking. This boyishness is enhanced by his vocabulary being peppered with
antiquated words like “swell” and “golly”, while his full suit, tie and trilby
recreates a look for the identity that goes back to Golden Age comic books.
Superman: The Movie’s Clark therefore pointedly harks back to the 1930/40s
through combining traits from previous incarnations with the specifics of Reeve‟s
performance, itself rooted outside of comics, in a screen icon from classical
Hollywood. These attributes are presented in such a way as to connote warmth and
innocence, thus situating Reeve‟s Clark on a new position on the Clark/Superman
spectrum where his dominant quality is not meekness, but wholesomeness.
Reeve‟s Clark‟s mild nature is reflected in his Superman‟s gentility. This is
exemplified in his first encounter with Lois. When Superman catches Lois as she
The Mild Mannered Man of Steel (DRAFT)
8
falls from a helicopter the composition is much more balanced than the imposing
stance he assumed upon meeting her in Action Comics #1. Although Superman is
still inches taller than Lois he does not impinge on her side of the frame. Instead of
threats and grimaces, he offers comforting words and smiles, stating “easy Miss,
I‟ve got you”. When they land Superman is shot from a low angle, Lois a high one,
encapsulating his power, but rather than feel threatened and retreat, Lois gazes
wide-eyed in wonder as Superman jokes about flying being the safest from of
travel, before enigmatically introducing himself as “a friend” and flying away.
Rather than asserting his power, Reeve‟s Superman acts with warmth and humility,
drawing him into close proximity with his mild mannered Clark.
Reeve‟s Clark and Superman therefore both embody values aligned with an
idealised past. The fact that this is at odds with the contemporary post-Vietnam and
post-Watergate U.S. is only acknowledged once. Superman tells Lois that he is
“here to fight for truth, justice and the American way”, to which she laughs in
disbelief and retorts “you‟re gonna end up fighting every elected official in this
country!” Superman chuckles slightly and says “surely you don‟t really mean that
Lois?”, before sincerely assuring her that he never lies. Although the film evades
the concerns of the contemporary underdog, Superman‟s unerring faith in
humanity suggests that through compassion a fractured U.S. can be unified, evident
at the end of the film when Superman tells a prison guard “we‟re all in this
together”. Superman: The Movie therefore promotes warmth, gentility and
empathy as the heroic qualities for which the “American way” should stand. This is
a significant shift from the hyper-masculinised Superman of Action Comics #1, yet
is not its binary opposite, evident in the way both figures are situated on a shared
spectrum through which they intersect with various incarnations released in the
forty years by which they are separated. This spectrum exhibits a cumulative
expansion, with each new incarnation selecting elements from those by which it is
preceded and combining these with its unique textual features. Reeve‟s Clark harks
backs to mild mannered incarnations, but resituates these qualities as wholesome.
His Superman, rather than being positioned as the diametrical opposite of this,
takes on Clark‟s traits, upon which they come to epitomise heroism. This gentility
combined with Superman‟s power forges a new point on the spectrum, that of the
mild mannered man of steel.
Notes
1
Matt Yockey, „Somewhere in Time: Utopia and the Return of Superman,‟ The
Velvet Light Trap 61 (2008): 27.
James Taylor
2
9
Vanessa Russell, „The Mild-Mannered Reporter: How Clark Kent Surpassed
Superman,‟ The Contemporary Comic Book Superhero, ed. Angela Ndalianis (New
York: Routledge, 2009), 216.
3
Duncan Falconer, „A Hall of Mirrors II: The Prismatic Age,‟ Mindless Ones,
August
3,
2008,
viewed
on
10
August
2015,
http://mindlessones.com/2008/08/03/a-hall-of-mirrors-ii-prismatic-age/. Blog.
4
Will Brooker, Hunting the Dark Knight: Twenty-First Century Batman (London:
IB Tauris, 201), 165.
5
Ibid, 176.
6
Jerry Siegel (w) and Joe Shuster (a). „Superman, Champion of the Oppressed!‟,
Action Comics #1, June 1938. In Superman: The Golden Age Omnibus Volume 1,
ed. Rowena Yow (New York: DC Comics, 2013), 14-26.
7
The first usage of this is in Jerry Siegel (w) and Joe Shuster (a). „Superman‟s
Phoney Manager‟, Action Comics #6, November 1938. In Superman: The Golden
Age Omnibus Volume 1, ed. Rowena Yow (New York: DC Comics, 2013), 80-92.
8
Bradford W. Wright, Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture
in America, (Baltimore: The John Hopkins University Press, 2001), 9.
9
For a survey of Golden Age Superman stories in which Superman fought acted as
a “champion of the oppressed” see Wright, Comic Book Nation, 11-13.
10
Seventeen cartoons were produced in total, the first nine by Fleischer Studios
(1941-1942). After Max and Dave Fleischer were fired by Paramount, who
distributed the films, increasingly funded production and eventually purchased all
of Fleischer‟s assets, the company was reformed as Famous Studios, who produced
the subsequent eight cartoons (1942-1943). The collapse of Fleischer Studios,
fuelled by animosity between Max and Dave and box office flops that failed to
recoup money borrowed from Paramount, and subsequent reconstruction as
Famous Studios, is detailed by Michael Barrier in Hollywood Cartoons: American
Animation in its Golden Age (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), 301-306.
11
Collyer voiced the character for the majority of the radio serial‟s run, but was
replaced by Michael Fitzmaurice for its final year of production.
12
Tye, Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero
(New York: Random House, 2012), 86-87.
13
It should be noted that, when demanded, Reeves can provide vocal distinction.
For instance, in an episode titled „Superman Week‟, Clark/Superman fakes a
television interview between his two identities by delivering Clark‟s voice, in an
off-screen recording, nasally in comparison to Superman‟s more measured and
sincere tone.
14
Tye, Superman, p. 137.
15
Gary Grossman, Superman: Serial to Cereal (New York: Popular Library,
1976), p. 55.
16
In 1970s Superman comic books, under the editorship of Julius Schwartz, when
Clark‟s job was changed to a television news anchor, if Superman was needed he
would change into the superhero during commercial breaks, and then have to
10
The Mild Mannered Man of Steel (DRAFT)
change back before the broadcast resumed. This therefore provides an interesting
parallel in which televisual structure again inhibits the amount of in which time
Superman can be operative.
17
Wertham, Seduction of the Innocent (London: Museum Press Limited, 1955).
For more on this see David Hadju, The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book
Scare and How it Changed America (New York: Picador, 2008); and Amy Kiste
Nyberg, Seal of Approval: History of the Comics Code (Mississippi: University
Press, 1998).
18
Tye, Superman, 198.
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August
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11
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