What if...

Clark lived in a world rich in superhero lore, many movies, many comics,

While traveling the world he once used a black bodysuit complete with a full hood and mask with no holes. Someone believed him to be the comic character Black Panther .

So as Clark travels he still wants to be able to help. Since he doesn't want anyone connecting Clark with the hero Black Panther he adopts different costumed Superhero roles in different places. Because he can fly he keeps up several different roles in different parts of the world well after Clark Kent has moved on.

To protect his identity even more he begins assuming new hero roles in new areas before Clark arrives in town. Anyone connected Clark with the various heroes would think he was following them!

So over the last half dozen years hundreds of masked Superheroes have been spotted and written about.

Clark avoids the press and thus when he arrives in Metropolis his hero alter ego avoids Lois Lane, Clark of course meets her and falls hard.

You know, this sort of screams for a crossover with Dial H for Hero

But for a non-X-over, there is a lot potential also - especially if we borrow a few ideas of the Hero-story. What if Clark had developed several different superhero personas? Would he always use all of his powers? Or maybe vary them in degree: you can be of little more than average human strenght, or you can be pretty strong or superstrong. The same goes for speed, invulnerability, etc.

This way, he'd need several different costumes which includes color schemes, cuts and parts (like a cape or the briefs on the outside), masks and wigs (he might even wear a cowl on occasion...)

He'd also need to have a background for just about every one of his superhero personas, a reason why he has these powers:
- because of a freak accident (hit by lightning, bitten by a spider, etc)
- because he's an alien (from Mars/Pluto/Krypton/Thanagar...)
- because he's a mutant
- because he's a Russian/German/Japanese/governmet experiment gone rogue
- because he was granted these powers by a mythical entity (like Captain Marvel (the DC character)
- because of his unique parentage (like Zatanna, Raven or Aquaman)
- because of good training (should he choose to appear as a mere vigilante)

Oh, and I'd love to see Lois follow Clark's numerous alter egos all over the world. She might become the leading expert on all these superheroes, after all. (And, of course, have no idea it's always the same person beneath the respective suit.)

This is why I said a world rich in superhero lore. I was thinking Clark could just borrow the costumes of various fictional heroes, aways wearing a mask, and not really talk to the press.

He would model what powers he showed on the character he is borrowing.

So Black Panther,
Cyclops , Batman , Ironman , and so forth...

I like this idea.

There is one someone did on Fanfiction net that has some of the elements. " The Body For It. " by OpportuneMoment

Thanks for the recommendation! This story had me laughing out loud so many times I lost count.

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