Fresh Question #10: Bruce vs. Superman

[Nightwing]

Hey folks. Have I got a weird, yet new FQ for you. Set your mind into The three part Superman episode, which lends it's name to this site, "The World's Finest," and consider this what-if. If Clark didn't have reason to purposely discover who Batman really was, and neither Bruce or Clark new about each other's secret lives:

Do you think Bruce would have made the connections and figured out that Clark is Superman??

[Web Head]

I think Bruce would have figured out Superman's identity before he figured out Clark's. By that I mean since Bruce was in Metropolis for his dealings with Lex, he'd probably make it a point to check out who this Superman guy really was, and whether he was using his power for any evil purposes.

Basically, since Superman is the most powerful man in the world, Bats is gonna want to know what makes him tick and how to take him down, and I'm sure in the course of that investigation he would come across the Supes=Clark connection.

[Apache Chief]

Well, Bruce is the world's greatest detective, so yeah, he would figure it out. But Clark is no dummy either. Batman shows up just when Bruce Wayne shows up...I think Superman could put two and two together as well.

[jimi5150]

Bruce would have needed Dick's help for that one.
:eek: "Holy Corrective Lenses!" :eek:

[Borg4of3]

Batman is unbelievablely observant. I remember from No Man's Land, when Clark stopped by, disguised in raggy clothes, he asked Batman "How'd I do?" Batman replied with a seemingly unending description ranging from his smell to how Clark forgot to scuff the heels of his shoes. In an instant of seeing Superman's face, I'm pretty certain that would be enough for him to plug into the Bat computer and find Clark Kent's face.

[DCDave12]

It's a safe bet Batman would have figured the whole thing out, eventually. After all he has a secret identy to.

[Barb Gordon]

Well, as everyone else has already stated, I also agree that Bruce would have figured out Superman's other identity, it's just too easy. He's just about the best detective there is, not that I'm partial or anything.....and he knows how to figure things out. It'd be easy to put two and two together....a certain reporter is always never around when Superman is around, but then the moment Superman leaves, the reporter shows up. Not to mention he could probably look at Superman right in the face, and then later Clark, and realize in an instant that that they were the same. If he didn't....then he really needs to brush up on his skills!

Barb^-^

[The Green Hornet]

im rather suspect that superman would tell that bruce is batman before batman could tell clark is superman

any number of things would give it away to superman, including the voice (super hearing anyone?)

[FLIPMODE]

Clake has the ability to decifer those types of things like voice, but he is most likely the type to not do that sort of thing for no reason. Batman is. Infsct Batman, and Bruce, have different tones, Clarke would never suspect that.

According to Batman's trained eye and expertise, after having Superman in his files on the Bat PC, witihn just one meeting of Kent, Batman should know who Clark really is.

[The Green Hornet]

but he DIDNT

he cheated

[metaphysician]

Originally posted by The Green Hornet
but he DIDNT

he cheated

Not cheating, "winning" ;)

[The Game]

"I suppose the world's greatest detective would figure it out eventually," -Andrea Beaumont, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

Of course Bruce would figure it out. :)

-The Game

[jimi5150]

Batman didn't cheat. He used a tracking device. Perfectly acceptable. Superman however, PEEKED! That's cheating!

[Harvey Dent]

Batman does have some incredible detective skills, but it would take him awhile to piece things together if they never had a face-to-face meeting. After all, in the comics it took Batman 3 days to put Clark and Superman together, and that was after Superman provided Batman with a scrapbook detailing the exploits of the Man of Steel.

[The Game]

It might take him a little longer than noticing Clark and Supes look alike, but he would figure it out, and he'd do so way faster than Clark would figure out Batman.

Assuming that they don't meet, Batman all the way.

-The Game

[Joe Tully]

I'm going against the grain and saying no. If Bruce wanted to figure it out bad enough, he most certainly could have. But if Supes and Bats never met each other in World's Finest, I don't think that Bruce would have the initiative. He might feel like it would be a good thing if he did know who Superman was in case he went rogue, but I can't see him taking the time to go to Metropolis and try to track down Superman, and gather the clues when he could be spending time in Gotham protecting it from the Joker. Gotham takes precedence over everything else, including figuring out whoever Superman is.

[Carmen Sandiego]

I agree with Joe.

[Toddman]

So do I. I think that in "World's Finest" Batman would have been perfectly happy to have not attracted the attention of Superman at all.

Of course he was certainly prepared when it happened though, wasn't he? First a judo flip, then a little kryptonite to test his limits and then pow! sticks a tracking device on him as a final shot.

However, I must disagree w/the thought that Batman would look up Superman on his own just to make sure that Supes was behaving with his powers. My impression was that Batman was certainly curious about Superman and didn't shy away from the chance to go to Metroplois, but he only did so when the circumstances were right.

I also don't think that Batman would have figured out Superman's secret identity just by looking at him and later Clark Kent.

For one thing that makes Lois Lane look incredibly stupid. I mean the whole disguise is ridiculous anyway, but it's one thing for everybody to be fooled by it and another thing for it to fool everybody but one guy.

And second, Batman had already met Clark Kent when he first encountered Superman. If he all he needed to do was look at him, he would have said so at the club and not even bothered with the tracker.

Just my thoughts.

Toddman

[adoptedBatpuppy]

Both of them could easily find out each other's identity. If Superman didn't have x-ray vision. He would have harder time figuring out who Batman was. I think Lois and Jimmy know who Superman is. They act like they don't, because they probably afraid of him.

[BatChick]

See what always got me was how Bruce couldn't have figured it out all Clark wears as a disguise is a pair of glasses. How could Batman not take one look at Superman then meet Clark and lnow. There shouldn't have been any need for the tracking device.

[Lucky Bob]

You know, Dave Barry once accurately pointed out that the one thing that stands between Clark's identity and Superman's is a pair of glasses. So, what happens if Clark loses his glasses someday? Well, he could tell everyone that he is wearing contact lenses!

[G. Wen]

If Bruce never went to Metropolis and if Bruce never encountered Superman, he would have no reason to find out who Superman is, and therefore would not have bothered to make the connection that Clark is Superman. If Bruce really wanted to know who Superman is, he would have found out before he went to Metropolis in WF.