Who is Superman? Tireless protector of a world that's not really his own, Supreme champion of virtue and justice, an alien from another planet trying to fit into a society that's more fragile and vulnerable? Superman has meant these things to people of earth for many years. Is it odd to them that though he's undisputedly their greatest hero, he's not really from Earth? Born on Krypton, a planet that no longer exists, Kal-El, the infant who would one day become Superman was sent away from his doomed planet, orphaned with very few clues to the lives and culture of his lost planet. When the ship carrying the infant crashed in Smallville, Kansas, it was the love and guidance of a childless couple who saw him as a miracle from god that would shape this alien infant into the superhero he would one day become. But, until the day came that a super man was needed, the young Kryptonian would live another life.

Who is Clark Kent? Adopted son of Jon and Martha Kent, Clark lived a normal life of a Kansas farmboy. With parents who loved him and instilled in him great values and morals, Clark could be considered the greatest boy scout. With him, it was always about doing right and protecting the weak from those who sought to prey on them. Without the manners and morals that the Kents instilled in Clark, it's anyone's guess what kind of person the alien Kal-El would turn out to be. Would he still be the superhero Superman, or would he have turned out to be someone darker and less compassionate who could have considered it his right as a powerful being to be worshipped and have absolute power over a weaker species.

For, when speaking of the dual identities of Superman and Clark Kent, it really goes beyond the mask and hiding behind that persona. It goes to which identity suits Kal-El more, or does it even matter. Better yet, is there even a possibility that there's nothing different between Clark Kent and Superman. In fact, that's what I've come to believe. In order to understand Superman, I've come to realize that both Clark Kent and Superman are equally the same person that the alien Kryptonian Kal-El has become. But, each identity serves its own purpose.

Superman, the man of steel who's saved the world many times and inspires millions by his good deeds, is integral for Kal-El because it gives him purpose and allows him to do good, thus fulfilling to his best ability both the good values that his adopted parents gave him and the higher calling that his powers as an alien from another planet calls for. While Clark Kent allows Kal-El to stay rooted in his adopted planet. As a mild-mannered Kansas farmboy, Clark Kent stays grounded and in contact with the humans that he loves and has sworn to protect. If there was no Clark Kent, and only Superman, where would Superman turn to when he didn't understand certain ideals and emotions that are foreign to his alien mind and planet's way of thinking. It's through context and spending time as the human that allows the alien to remember there are things that he may not understand but will respect all the same because he knows the minds and hearts behind those alien concepts.

But, this is only my opinion, so I welcome any thoughts that anyone might have on the subject. Is Superman the mask that hides Clark Kent, or is Clark Kent the refuge for Superman when he needs to recharge his batteries, or is there no distinction between the two?