Everyone knows Superman’s civilian name now. But he shares the only secret identity he has left with his closest friend to show him he trusts him.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Superman #26 by Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Alex Sinclair, and Dave Sharpe, on sale now.
For decades, any time Superman shared his secret identity with someone was a significant moment because it spoke to the hero’s trust in that individual. But now that the Last Son of Krypton has revealed his alter ego to the world, everyone knows what the Man of Steel’s name is. So Clark Kent has to look for new ways to show the people he cares about that they mean a lot to him. In Superman #26, he tells Jimmy Olsen his birth name, and the scene demonstrates the incredibly strong bond between these two legendary characters.
As if they were two pals living in New York City, Olsen is crashing at Superman’s place in this latest issue. Only in this case, Olsen is staying at the Fortress of Solitude, the Man of Steel’s private headquarters. This honor alone speaks to the friendship between the duo. While the FBI thoroughly investigates The Daily Planet, the Last Son of Krypton wants to ensure the safety of those closest to him. Ironically, he scares the daylights out of Olsen by standing over him when he’s sleeping. So the hero quickly tries to comfort his friend. He invites his guest to call him by his civilian name, but Olsen says he can’t do it. Hoping to alleviate the awkwardness of Olsen always calling him Superman, Kent asks him to address him by another name.
“How about Kal?” the Man of Steel asks. He tells Olsen that it’s his birth name. Superman could probably count on one hand the number of people outside of the superhero community who know what his Kryptonian parents named him. By sharing this powerful knowledge with Olsen, Kent is recreating the intimacy of those classic moments in which he shared his secret identity with his closest friends. Superman knows he can trust Olsen more than almost anyone on the planet, not including his family. This emotional moment shows that, while the Last Son of Krypton has shared his secret identity with the whole world, he still has a powerful way to connect with the people he cares about the most.