The lengths we go to to protect our secret identities

One of the staples that I love about reading Silver and Bronze Age comic books are the overcomplicated solutions or convoluted ruses that our heroes have to go through in order to not let anyone catch on to their secret identities. As soon as I think I've read it all, I find one even more ludicrous than that last.

Which leads me to today's post. Now, normally I like to keep things to just one panel per day, but occasionally exceptions must be made and today is one of those exceptions.

To set the stage, Clark Kent is filming a commercial for a watch company who has somehow managed to get Superman to take part as well. How are Clark and Superman both going to appear in the commercial with the secret identity still in effect?

Watch, and be amazed.


After throwing the watch in the air, Clark does a relatively standard move by doing the quick change at super speed. But that still leaves a Clark-less presence in front of the camera.

Now worries, as Superman has a plan...


He peels off a life size promotional cardboard cutout from the side of the news van, and turns it around to expose the 3-D picture he previously planted on the back side!


Before anyone is the wiser, he plants the 3-D cutout in Clark's place. So how is this going to fool anyone?

Well the 3-D side of the cutout has two offsetting images that will appear three dimensional to anyone wearing 3-D glasses.


Now all we have to hope for is that everyone on site remembered to wear their 3-D glasses today.

Or...you could take the initiative and outfit everyone's glasses with 3-D lenses ahead of time!


After that, it's just a simple matter of catching the watch you previously tossed into the air as Superman while your fancy cardboard cutout fools all of the people filming the commercial!


God I love these books.

Script by Cary Bates
Pencils by Curt Swan
Inks by Bob Oksner

Superman #291
The Time-Powered Peril!
September 1975
Copyright (c) DC Comics