The DC Comics History of SUPERMAN’S Identity Concealing Hypno-Glasses

While doing the press rounds for Superman, director James Gunn explained how DC Comics writer Tom King reminded him that Superman’s “Hypno-glasses,” which Clark Kent uses in the film, actually amplify his super hypnosis and hide his true identity. And they came straight from the comics. Via IGN, here’s what he had to say:

That’s canon in the comics. It’s kind of been forgotten but that’s from the comics. I was sitting with Tom King, the (Supergirl and Mister Miracle) comic book writer, and I was like, ‘You know the thing that I just don’t really know how to reconcile in myself is the glasses because the glasses always bothered me as a kid.’ They bothered me because I just don’t have that much suspension of disbelief to believe that.

In the 1930s, the idea of Clark Kent hiding his identity of Superman behind a pair of glasses and a fedora wasn’t really that far-fetched. Superman was a mystery man who flew in, beat the bad guys, and left, back when cameras were hard to come by. Clark Kent was a reporter for a newspaper, and only his friends and family knew what he looked like. Of course, it was ridiculous that Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, who spent a lot of time with both Superman and Clark, couldn’t figure it out. But it wasn’t so wild to imagine the public at large wouldn’t ever make the connection.

In the early ‘70s, the notion of the glasses disguise became even more absurd. This was because TV Network WGBS bought the Daily Planet, and its staff all became television news anchors. So now, millions who watched the nightly news knew exactly what mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent looked like, as well as Superman. How could literally no one realize they were the same person? It was one thing to suspend your disbelief that Clark’s friends didn’t know, but all of America was fooled too?

So, in 1978, one Superman superfan came up with a solution. A devoted comic book reader named Al Schroeder III wrote to the Superman letter column with a solution. He suggested an amplified version of Superman’s powers of super hypnosis. (This factoid was discovered by YouTube channel Casually Comics.) Superman first displayed this power in 1940’s Action Comics #32 and 33, a mere two years after his debut. We’re not exactly sure how it works, but Superman can use his vision to hypnotize those he wants to convince them of anything. Hey, we’re not sure how his vision creates heat or has X-rays, but we all accept that, right? In Schroeder’s mind, Superman’s glasses were special, and amplified his super hypnosis to everyone who made eye contact with him.

The story in question, based on the fan suggestion, was written by Martin Pasko and illustrated by legendary Superman artist Curt Swan. “The Master Mesmerizer of Metropolis!” ran in Superman #330, hitting stands the same month as Superman: The Movie arrived in theaters. In the story, Kal-El fought the C-list Batman villain Spellbinder, who wore a terrible costume and used the powers of hypnosis. A better version of Spellbinder eventually appeared on Batman Beyond. We’re not sure why this guy, whom Batman once defeated, thought he could take on Superman. Of course, the Metropolis Marvel beat him handily. But throughout this story, Superman realized his glasses were more than just glasses.

He explained (to himself, via thought balloon) that because he had crafted the lens of his glasses using Kryptonian plexiglass from the rocket that brought him to Earth, it amplified his super hypnosis powers by a lot. A Superboy story had already revealed that Clark had made these glasses as a teenager years before. So with that, DC hoped readers would stop bringing up the glasses once and for all. But that’s not exactly what happened. Superman’s hypno-glasses were barely ever mentioned again throughout the rest of the Bronze Age of comics.

In the Post-Crisis of Infinite Earths reboot of Superman, the hypno-glasses became a thing of the past. John Byrne’s explanation was simpler. In his mind, whenever he was out and about as Superman, Clark was vibrating at a hyper-fast speed. So no one could ever take a clear picture of him. Everyone knew he was a tall man with dark hair in a colorful costume. But no one could ever make out exactly what his facial features were. He was a blur. So no one could make the Clark Kent connection. This more or less worked in the ‘80s, but in the digital age? Anyone could use computer technology to create a reasonable facsimile of what he really looks like from a blurry image.

So the hypno-glasses from the ’70s work as well as anything to explain away the glasses problem. It’s better than believing everyone around him is either blind or stupid. Now that it’s going to be in the cinematic DCU, we’ll see if the writers at DC Comics will dig this nugget of Superman lore out of the basement and make it canon again. As often happens with comics and outside media adaptations, the comics themselves reflect what the more widely-seen movies and TV series use for the characters. We expect the same for the Man of Steel.