Arrowverse: Everyone Who Knows Superman’s Secret Identity

Clark Kent’s identity as Superman isn’t that big of a secret in the Arrowverse. First introduced in the Supergirl season 2 premiere in 2016, Tyler Hoechlin’s Man of Steel got an expanded role in the Arrowverse as the years went on. Superman was not only featured on Supergirl, but the character went on to appear in the 2018 “Elseworlds” crossover, where he appeared alongside Lois Lane, and 2019’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover. 

In the comics and in several live-action media, Superman’s secret identity is typically kept under wraps. In TV series like Smallville and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, even Lois didn’t know about his alter ego until later seasons of the respective shows. Like his cousin Supergirl, only a small number of people know about his identity as journalist Clark Kent and the Kryptonian superhero known as Superman, although his dual identity has certainly caused some issues to crop up occasionally for the superhero. 

In Superman & Lois, the latest Arrowverse series to premiere on The CW, there are quite a few people who are now in the know with regards to Superman’s identity. It would seem that Clark has an inner circle that just keeps growing. The latest characters to be in the know are in addition to all the others across the Arrowverse who have discovered — either on their own, by accident, or by way of Clark sharing his secret with them — the truth behind the Man of Steel’s secret identity. Here is everyone in the Arrowverse who knows about Superman. 

Lois Lane & The Lane-Kent Family

The Arrowverse avoided the other shows’ secret identity issues by making it so that Lois Lane already knew Clark’s identity. When she was introduced in the 2018 “Elseworlds” crossover,” Lois had long been accustomed to the superhero lifestyle, courtesy of her then-boyfriend. Presumably, she’s been in the know about his secret identity for many years. In Superman & Lois, Clark hid the truth from twin sons Jonathan and Jordan Kent for most of their lives despite Lois’ plea to simply be honest with them. 

However, with one of the boys developing powers and their move to Smallville, Clark decided to reveal his true identity to his sons by easily lifting his truck like it weighed nothing. Martha and Jonathan Kent also knew of their son’s secret identity and helped shape him into the man he becomes. As it turns out, General Sam Lane, Lois’ father, is also in the know about Superman. However, it’s unclear when the general might have found out about Superman’s identity and whether it was Lois or Clark who revealed it to him. 

Supergirl, Alex Danvers & Super Friends

This is probably the most obvious of the many who already know of Superman’s identity. Kara Danvers/Supergirl knows Clark’s secret because she’s his cousin, which means she’s harbored this classified information for several years. Kara was sent to Earth just before Krypton was destroyed to look after her baby cousin Kal-El. However, her pod was knocked off course and, by the time Kara finally made it to Earth, Clark was already Superman. Of course he wasn’t going to keep the secret from his cousin and, besides, she would have figured it out eventually because she’s got the very same powers. By extension, Kara’s adopted family — including sister Alex and parents Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers — also know Superman’s secret identity and have known since Kara arrived on Earth. 

J’onn J’onzz (aka, Martian Manhunter) is also in the know regarding Clark’s identity. What’s unclear is when he might have learned the truth, though the important thing is that he knows both Clark’s and Kara’s identities as they do his. In the Supergirl pilot, James Olsen reveals to Kara that he already knows Clark is Superman, which means he also knows about her secret. James doesn’t explain when he found out, but it was during his time working as a photographer alongside Clark and Lois at the Daily Planet. Winn Schott, Kara and James’ friend and former co-worker at CatCo, finds out about Clark’s identity as Superman by accident. 

In an argument between James and Kara about possibly involving the caped superhero, James lets slip his civilian name and Winn figures out that Clark and Superman are one and the same. In addition, James name-dropped Clark’s name as the Kryptonian hero when speaking with Winn in front of his girlfriend Lyra Strayd, a Valerian thief from season 2. As for the characters introduced in later seasons of Supergirl, only Querl Dox (aka, Brainiac 5/Brainy) is confirmed to know about Superman, though it can be presumed Nia Nal/Dreamer might be aware. Interestingly, while Lex Luthor knows about Kara being Supergirl, he has yet to deduce that Clark is, in fact, the Man of Steel. 

The Flash, Iris West-Allen & S.T.A.R. Labs

The Flash knew Superman was Supergirl’s cousin as far back as the musical crossover, called “Duet,” in The Flash season 3. By that point, of course, Barry Allen had already learned the secret identity of Supergirl after visiting her world in Supergirl season 1. However, it wasn’t confirmed that The Flash knew that Superman was actually Clark Kent until the “Elseworlds” crossover, when he visited the caped superhero on the Kent farm in Smallville. Since then, Barry’s family and friends also came to know Clark’s secret identity, including Iris, Cisco, Caitlin, Ralph, and Harrison “Sherloque” Wells. Not only did they know about Superman’s secret, but Iris even aided him and Lois during the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover, joining them in their search for the multiverse’s Supermen in a bid to prevent their deaths at the hands of Lex Luthor.  

Green Arrow & Others

Of all the characters on Arrow, it’s only been confirmed that Oliver Queen knows about Clark’s identity as Superman. The Green Arrow found out about it during the “Elseworlds” crossover, when he also accompanied Barry and Kara to the Kent farm. Speaking of crossovers, Mar Novu (aka, The Monitor) and the villainous John Deegan, a former psychiatrist who gots his hands on the Book of Destiny, were also aware of Superman’s secret. To make Earth-96’s Superman aware that Clark, Lois, and Iris were telling the truth, Earth-Prime’s Clark revealed his vigilante identity to Brandon Routh’s Superman.

Now that the superhero is more of a prominent character in the Arrowverse thanks to Superman & Lois, it’s likely that more people will come to learn about his secret identity over the course of the seasons. It’s possible the Lex Luthor of another earth, who’s come to Earth-Prime with the sole purpose of destroying Superman, will also learn of the superhero’s true identity. That is, if Lex isn’t already aware of it. Secret identities in the Arrowverse are important to maintain and Superman has done a decent job of keeping the information confidential for the most part.

About The Author

Mae Abdulbaki
(1093 Articles Published)

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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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