Caped Crusader Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 True Story: In New York a bunch of years ago, a couple of cops set up a bit where they weakened the frame of a steel door, and one of them took the next opportunity to chase a crook into the hallway where they'd done this. His partner was on the other side of the door in a Superman outfit. When the crook got close, ol' Supes knocked the door out of the frame, stepped into the hallway and demanded that the crook surrender. The crook did so immediately. When it went to trial, the crook claimed that Superman had stopped him. When the cops told their side of the story in court, the crook claimed they were lying. According to him, the cop in question didn't look a thing like the Superman that stopped him. He was so focused on the outfit that he couldn't recognize the cop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Maybe now we've finally found a rationale for those plunging necklines and skin tight bodices on superheroines' costumes: "That was Powergirl? Gosh, what did she look like? I never got around to looking at her face." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 I want to know the source of your story, CC... pretty please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caped Crusader Posted January 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 It's from an article I read a few years back that went into detail about how the design of most Superhero costumes tended to amplify physical characteristics. It used Superman as a prime example. Loud, primary colors. The insignia on the chest (both size and shape) making the shoulders appear wider. The cape to make the silhouette appear larger. Like when they say "If you run into a cougar in the wild, try to make yourself appear as large as possible". All designed to make the person wearing it look as big as possible, and draw the eye away from the person's face. I actually don't recall the source of the article, it's been a while since I read it. I got to thinking about it as I was reading "The Power Of Cosutmes" thread. Anyone else read that one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 We all know he doesn't need a mask because in his normal ID he wears those really deceptive and concealing glasses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 IIRC, Dwight Schultz ("Murdock" from the A-Team, Ensign Barclay from ST: TNG) once mentioned in an interview that he could walk through a Star Trek convention wearing his glasses and never be spotted. If even a supporting member of the Star Trek cast can walk through a crowd of Trekkies and avoid recognition simply by wearing glasses, then color me a believer in the power of The Glasses. Hell, I'm a figure skating fan -- and Nicole Bobek, (correction) 1997 US Nationals Bronze Medalist and member of the 1998 US Olympic team (where she bombed), and one of my favorite skaters at the team, once walked two feet in front of my nose when I was in an autograph line... and I never recognized her. Reason why? Sunglasses and a jacket. Given that Nicole Bobek had platinum-blonde hair of a shade nobody else in the entire ice show's cast equaled, /and/ a very striking height and figure(1), and that I'm not exactly the world's most oblivious man, that's saying something. (1) That is to say, she actually /had/ a figure. In the Champions On Ice cast, that makes you something different... except for the ice dancers. Ice dancers don't need to be twigs, as they don't do triple jumps or pairs lifts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caped Crusader Posted January 27, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 I was at a Star Trek convention in '82 (before ST:TNG) and my friend and I were walking through the Dealer's Room. There was a dark-haired lady sitting behind a table with nothing on it to sell. We got three steps past the table when my friend stopped and said "Hey, isn't that Majel Barrett?" (For the uninitiated, that'd be Mrs. Gene Roddenberry, Luwaxana Troy, Nurse Chapel, the voice of the ST:TNG computer, Number One from The Menagerie/The Cage...) Turned out she was there to sign autographs, and because she wasn't wearing the platinum beehive wig she wore as Nurse Chapel, no one recognized her. We sat and talked with her for a good 45 minutes, and no one else even looked at her twice. So sometimes, all it takes is a change of hair... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Another story I heard -- this one I can't vouch for -- concerned the filming of one of the "Batman" movies... Despite the fact that their faces did not look alike, the stage crew often had trouble telling Chris O'Donnell and his stunt double apart if they were both wearing their Robin masks and costumes. And as we remember from the theater(*), the movie Robin wore that little domino mask. (*) For those of us whom God did not have enough mercy on to grant sweet merciful oblivion to, at any rate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Serpent Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Heck, sometimes if *I* take my glasses off it takes a double-take for coworkers to recognize me... (Normal Smiley) (Secret ID Smiley) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farik Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 It was either last year or the year before the JLA revealed their identities to each other. The JLA members who didn't know Superman's secret identity didn't think he had one. Everybody knows Superman is Kal El the kryptonian; he doesn't wear a mask; he lives in his fortress of solitude; and he's always around. Why would anyone think he has a secret ID when he's such a public figure. Plastic Man was the only one to recognize the name Clark Kent since he had read his column for years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Hmm ... I'm remembering one issue of Superman I read (possibly Pre-Crisis, so it may not count) where it was revealed that Clark's glasses (which were made out of fragments of his original rocket) amplified his very weak 'super-hypnosis' power ... so without really ever trying to, he made himself look smaller, thinner, weaker than Superman. Add that to the way the costume seems to amplify the ripped bod o' steel, that's supposedly another aspect of keeping his secret. (I think this was also after the same writer claimed Superman had 'super-telepathy', since he had Superman and someone else (Supergirl?) talking in space, sans radios or life support gear, for two issues straight, and he had to make something up to explain it. Comic readers can be so picky sometimes. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
levi Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 I seem to remember a comic where Lex Luthor built this Deep Thought-esque super computer to deduce Superman's identity. After a while of computation, the computer returned a slip of papaer with the name Clark Kent on it. Luthor threw the paper away and deactivated the computer. His rationalle was something like...no one with that kind of power would pose as such a fop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klytus Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by Trebuchet Maybe now we've finally found a rationale for those plunging necklines and skin tight bodices on superheroines' costumes: "That was Powergirl? Gosh, what did she look like? I never got around to looking at her face." They've been using that "excuse" for years. Only this implies there is some actual factual basis for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klytus Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by levi I seem to remember a comic where Lex Luthor built this Deep Thought-esque super computer to deduce Superman's identity. After a while of computation, the computer returned a slip of papaer with the name Clark Kent on it. Luthor threw the paper away and deactivated the computer. His rationalle was something like...no one with that kind of power would pose as such a fop. Post-Crisis, in Superman #1, Luthor had a computer scientist and a super-computer working on discovering the link between Clark Kent and Superman. It was well-known that the two were friends, and Luthor was desperate to get a hold of some kind on the Man of Steel. But when the results came out "Clark Kent is Superman" Luthor refused to believe it. "Only a soulless machine could come up with that, but Luthor knows better. Power like that is not concealed - it is constantly exploited. No one with Superman's powers would ever pretend to be a mere mortal!" Ain't Psych Lims grand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by Klytus They've been using that "excuse" for years. Only this implies there is some actual factual basis for it. Hey, at least neither of the two female characters I've run as a player showed any cleavage or used overtight bodices. (One was a ninja, one wears a shirt over her spandex bodysuit.) So I can safely poke fun at those who do because my heart is pure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korvar Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by CrosshairCollie Hmm ... I'm remembering one issue of Superman I read (possibly Pre-Crisis, so it may not count) where it was revealed that Clark's glasses (which were made out of fragments of his original rocket) amplified his very weak 'super-hypnosis' power ... so without really ever trying to, he made himself look smaller, thinner, weaker than Superman. Add that to the way the costume seems to amplify the ripped bod o' steel, that's supposedly another aspect of keeping his secret. Yes, pre-crisis. And yes, silly Especially as Kurt Swan had spent quite a lot of time establishing that Superman and Clark Kent actually did look different enough for it all to work, even though we (the readers) could see they were the same person... I remember Chrisopher Reeve doing it well, too - in Superman II here's a fantastic sequence where Clark Kent basically becomes Superman, basically just by Reeve's physical acting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyendasky80 Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 I started to say "Does anyone remember that guy in New York dressing up like Batman?" Then I remembered the internet, silly me for forgetting. Here: REAL-LIFE BATMAN FIGHTING BAD GUYS IN NEW YORK Holy nutcase! Man patrols streets in bodysuit, mask -- and a cape! An obsessed crimefighter is roaming the streets of New York City at night beating up burglars, muggers and drug dealers -- while wearing a costume just like the movie superhero Batman! "This fellow is a one-man vigilante team," a police insider said. "Last week he broke into a crack house and beat the hell out of a couple of well-known drug dealers. "We have a dozen witnesses who have seen the fellow in the last two weeks and they all say the same thing: The guy's a bodybuilder, he's dressed up in a black outfit with a cape and wears a mask just like Batman wore in the movies." The mysterious figure's most highly publicized act of heroism came last week when he broke up an armed robbery at a fast-food restaurant, knocking out two would-be robbers in the process. "When our officers arrived on the scene one of the thieves was unconscious and the other was so groggy that he didn't know where he was," the police source said. "This Batman fellow had worked them over pretty good." Officials are unsure how to deal with the crimefighter, who has gained a devoted cult following in some New York neighborhoods. "Our problem is that this guy is breaking the law, but if we throw him in jail we'll look like the bad guys," the anonymous policeman said. "But we can't allow him to go around making his own laws. And the fact that he wears a superhero costume shows that he is probably mentally unstable." Police psychologists say the real-life Batman fits the profile of an angry crime victim who is fighting back. "You see this a lot when someone has been victimized. But this guy is obviously obsessed in a twisted, almost frightening kind of way. It appears he truly believes he is Batman." Witnesses say the Batman is highly skilled in the martial arts and has no trouble overpowering the criminals he attacks. "One couple said they were being mugged when the Batman jumped out from behind a tree, kicked the gun from the mugger's hand, put him into a headlock and rammed him into a tree." "But in that case, as always, by the time the police got there the Batman was gone." By GEORGE PIKE Weekly World News Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlestaff Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 In an issue of Superman, I don't remember which one, it was shown that Superman vibrates his face in a very subtle way so that while he looks normal when people look at him, his features are softened a bit, and he's ever-so-slightly out of focus when people take pictures of him. As to other characters, there are reasons they make the costumes the way they do. Batman revealed that the reason he has a bright yellow spot in the middle of his black uniform is that that then becomes the spot that bad guys aim for when they try to shoot him, and he's reinforced that area to resist bullets. Ditto on that idea with the Punisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by levi I seem to remember a comic where Lex Luthor built this Deep Thought-esque super computer to deduce Superman's identity. After a while of computation, the computer returned a slip of papaer with the name Clark Kent on it. Luthor threw the paper away and deactivated the computer. His rationalle was something like...no one with that kind of power would pose as such a fop. Although this quote is from fanfic, it was a really good fanfic by a really good author, /and/ it's relevant and aligns with continuity... Wonder Woman shook her head at this. "Don't you think that you're overreacting, slightly? I can tell the difference between Batman and Bruce Wayne." Superman lowered his voice. "The death of Bruce Wayne's parents is public knowledge, the twelve years he spent training are completely unaccountable, and Batman's equipment budget outstrips the GCPD by several million every year. The main reason nobody has successfully put the two together is the fact everybody thinks Bruce Wayne can't even walk and talk at the same time, let alone launch such a campaign. Does that tell you how good an actor he is?" -- 'An Unusual Mission', chapter 3, by Adrian Tullberg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenrisUlf Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by Trebuchet Maybe now we've finally found a rationale for those plunging necklines and skin tight bodices on superheroines' costumes: "That was Powergirl? Gosh, what did she look like? I never got around to looking at her face." Actually, I thought she had a Public ID. One thing I'd like to know is, why is it that PG wears that outfit of hers, obviously designed to display her charms to best effect -- and then goes berserk whenever some guy points as much out? Just seems kind of dumb to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solomon Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by FenrisUlf Actually, I thought she had a Public ID. One thing I'd like to know is, why is it that PG wears that outfit of hers, obviously designed to display her charms to best effect -- and then goes berserk whenever some guy points as much out? Just seems kind of dumb to me. I know quite a few real-life women who act just like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by Chuckg Although this quote is from fanfic, it was a really good fanfic by a really good author, /and/ it's relevant and aligns with continuity... Looks interesting, Chuck. Could you post the URL for this fanfic story? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Trebuchet -- "An Unusual Mission", chapters 1-3, is here http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=30117 Chapter 4 is here http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=216028 Note -- it's a 'shippy romance fanfic, PG-rated romantic comedy, between Batman and Wonder Woman. You don't want to read that kinda thing, don't go there. However, Adrian Tullberg is a /fantastic/ fanfic author, so I'd suggest going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allensh Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by CrosshairCollie Hmm ... I'm remembering one issue of Superman I read (possibly Pre-Crisis, so it may not count) where it was revealed that Clark's glasses (which were made out of fragments of his original rocket) amplified his very weak 'super-hypnosis' power ... so without really ever trying to, he made himself look smaller, thinner, weaker than Superman. Add that to the way the costume seems to amplify the ripped bod o' steel, that's supposedly another aspect of keeping his secret. (I think this was also after the same writer claimed Superman had 'super-telepathy', since he had Superman and someone else (Supergirl?) talking in space, sans radios or life support gear, for two issues straight, and he had to make something up to explain it. Comic readers can be so picky sometimes. ) THE dumbest Superman story ever written, came out in 1979. "The Secret of Clark Kent's Glasses". I wish I could find a back issue of this, just to show people how bad it was Rumor has it the story was so bad they were forced to retract it... Allen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted January 27, 2004 Report Share Posted January 27, 2004 Originally posted by Chuckg Note -- it's a 'shippy romance fanfic, PG-rated romantic comedy, between Batman and Wonder Woman. You don't want to read that kinda thing, don't go there. However, Adrian Tullberg is a /fantastic/ fanfic author, so I'd suggest going. It's OK, I'm really a romantic at heart. "Out of Africa" is one of my favorite movies, and I loved "Sleepless in Seattle." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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