Is Superman Clark Kent or is Clark Kent Superman? That's been a question among readers. Superman has always strived to embrace his human upbringing. This helps him relate to those that he is trying to protect. He may be a Kryptonian by birth but he definitely considers Earth his home.

To maintain his human guise, Clark Kent has established himself as a top newsreporter. This is something he developed a passion for and it allowed himself the opportunity to run out to cover any big events while also saving the day as Superman.

Lately we haven't seen much of Clark Kent. Superman spent a year living on New Krypton and as soon he returned, he went on his walk across America. During all this, how has Clark Kent kept his job? Has he taken a leave of absence or is he still phoning in article submissions while on the road? More importantly, does Clark Kent even need a job?

Because he's Superman, he can easily do things at super speed. That means 'Clark Kent' could easily cover the breaking news and type it up at lightning speed in order to appease Perry White. Is this really the best use of his time? While it might only take him a few minutes total to get the story, talk to witnesses, type it up and send it out, those few minutes could be used to save someone from a burning building or a deadly car crash.

Superman needs his time as Clark to maintain his connection to his human side. Being Superman all the time could make him forget about the people he's trying to protect. If he became cold and sterile to the needs that humans have, it could affect his judgement when performing as Superman. But to maintain that human connection, does he really need to have a job as a reporter? It's not like he's soaking in all this time hanging out at the Daily Planet because he's hardly even there these days.

Because Clark has the advantage of essentially covering any story he wanted anywhere on the planet, combined with his speedy typing and filing, he could be the best reporter around. Due to his noble nature, Clark would never take advantage of his super-abilities to that extent. Clark is more than willing to let Lois take the big stories.

Lois Lane is the better reporter and Clark could let Lois be the breadwinner in the family. Clark could spend his human time being a regular writer if he wanted to have a job in order to fit in with the human race. He has written (at least) one novel before and writing from home gives him a way not to have to worry about disappearing whenever trouble pops up.

The question is how good of a reporter is Clark Kent? How good does he allow himself to be? Perry's been very forgiving allowing Clark to maintain his job when he's never around. I'm surprised he hasn't actually been fired (and not part of some secret scheme between Perry, Clark and...Superman).

Superman has the ability to fly anywhere in the world in seconds but he has plenty of other responsibilities with the Justice League and to his wife. The idea of having a job as a reporter in order to maintain a connection to humanity is silly if he's doing his reporting at lighting speed in between Superman's missions. He's never around the Daily Planet anymore so it's time Perry White gave the job to someone willing to commit to being a journalist, someone that actually needs the job. There's the chance that Perry White suspects Clark really is Superman, otherwise it doesn't make sense that he would allow him to keep his job...unless Clark earns a really low salary.

The real question, why hasn't he been laid off. After all, newspapers are dying

he's been fired several times, the question is, how does he keep getting his job back??

Cause he's the goddamn Superman!
(still doesn't sound better as "The goddamn Batman!")

He kisses Perry and the old man forgets all of Clark's transgressions.

The real question, why hasn't he been laid off. After all, newspapers are dying

He's friends with Batman.

The real question, why hasn't he been laid off. After all, newspapers are dying

Last I remember, Bruce Wayne was the new owner of the Daily Planet, so at least that newspaper's still in business. Plus, after reading the "Grounded" storyline (since a lot of people hate it), it turns out that Clark is still doing his job covering the Superman walk-a-thon. In Superman #706, they dealt with the whole "newspapers vs. internet blog" argument. Yes, newspapers are dying out, but that doesn't mean that such organizations can't find another means of presenting the story.

it has been suggested that Perry knows that Clark is Superman but he refuses to acknowledge it.  Thats probably why he is kept around.  Either that or they know that Clark is the one who gets the best Superman stories even if he doesn't get them consistently.  In the future maybe Clark will be a blogger or something because like everyone says newspapers are dying 

He writes super fast :D
 
He's been fired so many times over the years.. and just counting the post-crisis modern DCU :P

I like that idea of Clark being an author instead of working at the Daily Planet. Like Omni Man.

He has good PR contacts and the body of a greek god. Perfect marketing material for the paper.

I would say since Bruce owns the Daily Planet he tells PErry to give Clark whatever he needs.

Wait... Bruce owns the DP?

@perry_411 said:

The real question, why hasn't he been laid off. After all, newspapers are dying

Eh, not so much. That's what everyone tells you that they're doing, but really, newspapers are doing fine. Sure, there's still more people who could read, but we manage to come out on top year after year. Besides, many people still prefer paper over screen. And even if they prefer the screens, someone has to write the article. There might be a shift in how journalism is presented in the future, but newspapers will exist in one form or another.  As for him keeping his job, I can certainly explain the absence-part. As a journalist, nobody really cares where you're currently hanging out as long as the paper's finished when the deadline comes around. A boss of mine used to go skiing for a day or two in the middle of the week because he had his articles done. So he went and did whatever he pleased. Granted, this rarely ever happens because we've been dowsized a bit too much - to the point where they have to give us new people or they'll work us all to death - but if we're enough people, then you have certain freedoms. And so I could totally see Clark taking the afternoon off to fight the Cyborg Superman or skipping the morning meeting because Doomsday is attacking. After all, he'll get a cool story out of it, too.

Now there are many great explanations here but my quack theory is this. (hold onto your pants, you may want to rage), after he gets laid off, or vanishes from the Daily planet for so long he takes a little trip to that dimansional wall that Prime punched and gives it a little flick. The effect is that nobody remebers that Clark Kent went missing for so long and he always stays in his job. 
 
Well either that or Perrys' to conncerend with why Jimmy still has a bow tie and also contributes every trip and fall that happens in the office to Clark.

Superman is lame, sh*t, and his stories are very boring 
 
Why does the vine always have a Superman tribute of the month, he has no toon, his movie flopped and there are far more interesting comics out there 
Looking forward to the day the vine dumps these silly superman vids

I remember once Batman stated that Perry knows that Clark Kent is Superman (or vice-versa: Superman is Clark). But he doesn't say anything.  I think it was in the Hush story arc.

SUPER HYPNOTISM!

He is fast Clark is the good reporter that is why he can keep the job =)

I kinda figure maybe Perry knows deep down myself.  I mean it just makes no sense otherwise to have somebody away from work so long and yet still have the ability to retain their job.  It is comics I know but Im sure even hardcore comic fans will agree on this inconsistency.  Perhaps that is something that will be done in the revamp...the revelation that Perry White knows Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same?

I don't think the "people are dying elsewhere" argument sticks at all.  You could easily extend that into getting rid of Clark entirely, but we know he needs that side of himself.
 
I think it would be surprising what one could do with little to no sleep.  And I bet he is just that good of a reporter: ethical, comprehensive, able to see from other points of view, and a commitment to truth.  Perry probably gives him a ton of latitude.  I suspect he keeps the job precisely because it does keep his senses of truth and justice finely honed.

Low pay job, it's amazing that he doesn't let Lois work there by herself.

He's not being laid off because he's already a freelancer?
 
Hm, maybe.

Forget having to balance being a superhero with a job, he works for a newspaper, how has he not already been fired?

A better question might be, WHY does Clark Kent keep his job? It wouldn't take much imagination to turn his powers into any number of other lucrative possibilities. Poker, for starters. Better still, get a job as Superman. A single endorsement would surely make more money than years of his middling newspaper career.

Clark can get a better job, why he doesn't troubles me.

If Perry never suspected anything after all this time, he's a terrible reporter.

A better question might be, WHY does Clark Kent keep his job? It wouldn't take much imagination to turn his powers into any number of other lucrative possibilities. Poker, for starters. Better still, get a job as Superman. A single endorsement would surely make more money than years of his middling newspaper career.

                Superman is lame, sh*t, and his stories are very boring  Why does the vine always have a Superman tribute of the month, he has no toon, his movie flopped and there are far more interesting comics out there Looking forward to the day the vine dumps these silly superman vids
           

Check Superman: Birthright. Clark is an honestly good reporter. He chose that profession because its one where he can't use his natural powers and intelligence as a crutch. He has to interact with people. It's one of the few things that challenges him.

Just imagine what if J. Jonah Jameson is Clark's Boss.

1: I'm more than willing to believe Perry White knows Clark Kent is Superman
 
2: Superman has access to every story in the word.  Every country, every city, every town, everywhere...  He can listen in on virtually any conversation, and can follow any lead or hunch...  There's no story he can't get.
 
3: Next to The Flash, he's probably the fastest typist in the world.  He can literally write a story in less than a second... 
 
4:  With the internet he doesn't really need to be in the office....
 
It seems to me that being a journalist is the perfect job for Clark Kent.

I'm sure that nobody can go without making that connection for that long. I thing Superman does mess with the universe somehow to make sure nobody put's together two and two.

cool 

I kinda figure maybe Perry knows deep down myself.  I mean it just makes no sense otherwise to have somebody away from work so long and yet still have the ability to retain their job.  It is comics I know but Im sure even hardcore comic fans will agree on this inconsistency.  Perhaps that is something that will be done in the revamp...the revelation that Perry White knows Clark Kent and Superman are one and the same?

That was funny, but journalism is hard to get into to, even harder to find a good journalist in the field. So Clark Kent may be just that good or they have a low budget and firing someone just to hire someone else may cost too much.