Superhero Disguises

**Barb Gordon** · 05-09-2002, 08:59 PM

Which Hero do you think has the most basic, or the most intricate disguise? Like the only difference between Clark Kent and Superman is a pair of glasses.

~Barb

**BLACKHEART** · 05-09-2002, 11:03 PM

Oracle doesn't wear a costume

**Blue121** · 05-09-2002, 11:07 PM

Robin has his hair and most of his face uncovered. Dunno

**Barb Gordon** · 05-10-2002, 12:39 AM

Dick Grayson's lets say non attempt at disguising his identity always amuses me, and bugs my friends. One moment we have Dick Grayson, dressed nicely, with hair all combed and neat. The next moment we have Robin...difference? Well besides the costume, just a mask, and his hair being mussed up is about it. Now Batman has a great disguise compared to Robin, or Superman. Bruce Wayne is a carefree play boy who is none too bright, and doesn't care much for business, certainly not as much as he cares for pretty girls. Batman on the other hand is dark, brooding and menacing, plus you can only see the lower half of his face. And with the cartoons, and how I think he does it in the comics, his voice is a lot different when he's Bruce, than when he's Batman.

~Barb

**Jade_GL** · 05-10-2002, 02:01 AM

Ha, all I could think of for "most intricate" was the Martian Manhunter. I am always impressed by his numerous identities, like in JLA when he went to meet Bruce and Clark as a japanese woman named "Rei Hino", meaning "spirit of fire". I thought that was clever. He can also change into animals and other stuff that you wouldn't expect, so I suppose that's just about as intricate as you can get.

Hmmm, Superman always kind of bugged me, since he only wore glasses. But my boyfriend, who's been an avid reader for years, says that Superman actually changes his voice when he is Clark to a different octave (I also read this in a Secret Files I believe) and that he also carries himself differently. But would that really work? I dunno.

I got bothered by Wonder Girl as well. They just said recently in WW that no one knew her secret identity until her school was attacked six or seven issues ago. Wha? She didn't even wear a mask or anything. Not only that, but way before that she stopped wearing the wig and goggles as well. WHAAAAAAAAA? That's one I never got, and I probably never will.

**Ed Liu** · 05-10-2002, 09:04 AM

Howdy,

Christopher Reeve pulled some pretty good tricks separating Clark Kent from Superman. There's that scene in Lois' apartment when he looks into a mirror, takes off his glasses, and straightens up where you really SEE it. He did some tricks with his voice, too.

Black Canary had a pretty minimalist disguise, mostly consisting of a wig before she started dyeing her hair. Maybe she figured (correctly) that everybody would be staring at her fishnets =8^).

Thorn from DC Comics had a strange disguise. If I remember right, she had a split personality, complete with two different hair colors! You could look at the Hulk the same way, I suppose.

It's playing with technicalities, but I guess you could say Zatanna has fairly complex disguise, in that she hides in plain sight. Her disguise is that of a stage magician, despite being one of the most powerful magicians in the DCU.

-- Ed/Ace

**Jade_GL** · 05-10-2002, 11:50 AM

Yeah, Thorn has two different hair colors, short blonde hair when she is Rose and long brown hair (a wig) when she is Thorn.

But can you call a split personality a disguise? That's a tough one.

**Barb Gordon** · 05-11-2002, 02:53 AM

Black Canary seems like one of the few superheroes who was like "screw dual identities!". Sure she used to wear a blond wig, but now she just dyes her hair blond. Martain Manhunter is probably one of the best examples of a very intricate disguise, he's so cool.

~Barb

**Nightflower** · 05-11-2002, 10:02 AM

The new Batgirl has a pretty good disguise, considering that her costume covers all, and awareness of Cassandra Cain even existing as a person is fairly minimal (I think... sorry if that sounded a little confusing).

**Stardust** · 05-11-2002, 01:59 PM

Originally posted by Jade_GL
Ha, all I could think of for "most intricate" was the Martian Manhunter. I am always impressed by his numerous identities, like in JLA when he went to meet Bruce and Clark as a japanese woman named "Rei Hino", meaning "spirit of fire". I thought that was clever. He can also change into animals and other stuff that you wouldn't expect, so I suppose that's just about as intricate as you can get.

When was that? I haven't been keeping up with the comics lately, being away at school and all =(

**Lucky Bob** · 05-11-2002, 02:28 PM

**DR. BELCH** · 05-11-2002, 04:46 PM

There is Flash, who has to pull on a whole skintight body suit at some point, either by removing every stitch of clothes and popping into it or wearing the red number under civvies--fastest man alive or not, that has to be a bother. Little wonder at least one Flash didn't even bother with a duel identity.

What about when Batman was in the desert fighting Ras-al Ghul? Wouldn't the lower half of his face have gotten all burnt, but the part under the cowl not gotten any sun at all? Wouldn't that look funny on Bruce Wayne at the office come Monday morning? "Uh....I nodded off, and my face towel slipped while I was sunbathing."

**Red Scare** · 05-11-2002, 05:09 PM

What do you mean? Superheroes don't get SUNBURNS! Talk sense Doctor.

**Jade_GL** · 05-11-2002, 10:50 PM

When was that? I haven't been keeping up with the comics lately, being away at school and all =(

For the life of me, I can't remember exactly, but it was a couple of years ago in the JLA title. I'll have to borrow my bf's JLA TPBs to find an exact issue, but I'll get back to you as soon as I find the specific ish.

**Barb Gordon** · 05-11-2002, 11:34 PM

That comic strip is so awesome! And yeah..I've always wondered, with Batman wearing his cowl so often, if the upper half of his face was slightly a different color than the lower half. Than again he probably puts on some type of makeup just in case. When you think about it, he has to, in case he gets bruises on his face. How would you explain Bruce Wayne having bruises on his face? Saying he fell off the bed, ran into a wall, or slipped in the shower....or got smacked by a girl, aren't going to be good enough excuses for long!

~Barb

**Anthonynotes** · 05-12-2002, 02:14 AM

>>There is Flash, who has to pull on a whole skintight body suit at some point, either by removing every stitch of clothes and popping into it or wearing the red number under civvies--fastest man alive or not, that has to be a bother. Little wonder at least one Flash didn't even bother with a duel identity.<<

No clue how he slipped into his skintight body suit-costume... imagine Barry Allen (and Wally before his vibratory power resulted in an explosive aftermath) probably vibrated his molecules and donned his costume that way (he kept his costume inside a special ring on his finger via some sort of compression, as did Wally pre-Barry's death at least). IIRC, Wally revealed his secret ID sometime after Barry's death/his assuming the role of the Flash (before that, he was "Kid Flash", complete with secret ID) As for Jay Garrick, I think he just kept his costume on under his street clothes (though wonder what he did with that tin-hat helmet)...and the reason they supposedly gave for covering his secret ID (despite not wearing a mask) was that he vibrated his facial features ever-so-slightly when in costume and with civiliains about...or somesuch.

-B.

**2Divine** · 05-12-2002, 09:04 AM

So what category would Blue Devil, aka Dan Cassidy, fall under - seeing as how he IS his costume?

You know...Blue Devil?

Ah, don't worry. Nobody else remembers him either...

**Stardust** · 05-12-2002, 05:57 PM

Originally posted by Jade_GL

For the life of me, I can't remember exactly, but it was a couple of years ago in the JLA title. I'll have to borrow my bf's JLA TPBs to find an exact issue, but I'll get back to you as soon as I find the specific ish.

Thanks

What about when Batman was in the desert fighting Ras-al Ghul? Wouldn't the lower half of his face have gotten all burnt, but the part under the cowl not gotten any sun at all? Wouldn't that look funny on Bruce Wayne at the office come Monday morning? "Uh....I nodded off, and my face towel slipped while I was sunbathing."

Maybe Bruce Wayne developed some kind of super sunblock that doesn't allow you to burn at all? =)

**alex** · 05-13-2002, 12:36 AM

Originally posted by Jade_GL
Ha, all I could think of for "most intricate" was the Martian Manhunter. I am always impressed by his numerous identities, like in JLA when he went to meet Bruce and Clark as a japanese woman named "Rei Hino", meaning "spirit of fire". I thought that was clever. He can also change into animals and other stuff that you wouldn't expect, so I suppose that's just about as intricate as you can get.

Hmmm, Superman always kind of bugged me, since he only wore glasses. But my boyfriend, who's been an avid reader for years, says that Superman actually changes his voice when he is Clark to a different octave (I also read this in a Secret Files I believe) and that he also carries himself differently. But would that really work? I dunno.

I got bothered by Wonder Girl as well. They just said recently in WW that no one knew her secret identity until her school was attacked six or seven issues ago. Wha? She didn't even wear a mask or anything. Not only that, but way before that she stopped wearing the wig and goggles as well. WHAAAAAAAAA? That's one I never got, and I probably never will.

Rei Hino? Was that an intentional Sailor Moon reference on the part of DC? (Sailor Mars's birth name is Rei Hino)

Speaking of which, the Sailor Senshi have cool disguises. Masks are unnessissary with them, because thier transformation phrase acts as a glamour spell. Basically, the way glamour works in faerie tales is that people can plainly see your face and not recognise you, or they do recognise you, but afterwords they can't remember your face.

Catwoman is cool too, since she doesn't legally exist. She also has countless real names and I.D.'s (all of which lead to the mourge) and is a mistress of disguise.

**Jade_GL** · 05-13-2002, 01:12 AM

Rei Hino? Was that an intentional Sailor Moon reference on the part of DC? (Sailor Mars's birth name is Rei Hino)

Personally, I wouldn't know that until I see a direct quote from the writer of that issue, Morrison I believe.

But, I don't think it was. I think it was just a coincidence. And besides, they wanted to make a name that fit Martian Manhunter, and "Spirit of Fire" fits him very well. Or, I should say, it fits him because of the irony that fire is his only weakness.

Anyway I have to chalk that one up to sheer coincidence.

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