Claim: Clark Kent is Superman.

Clark Joseph Kent is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster , he debuted in Action Comics # 1 -LRB- June 1938 -RRB- and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman .   Over the decades there has been considerable debate as to which personality the character identifies with most . From his first introduction in 1938 to the mid-1980s , `` Clark Kent '' was seen mostly as a disguise for Superman , enabling him to mix with ordinary people . This was the view in most comics and other media such as movie serials and TV -LRB- e.g. , in Atom Man vs. Superman starring Kirk Alyn and The Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves -RRB- and radio . In 1986 , during John Byrne 's revamping of the character , Clark Kent became more emphasized . Different takes persist in the present , with the character typically depicted as being clumsy and mild-mannered .