Who Is DC Rebirth's Impostor Clark Kent?

There can be only one Clark Kent.

By Jesse Schedeen

The latest chapter of "Superman Reborn" revealed the identity of DC Rebirth's impostor Clark Kent today.

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Action Comics #975!

For those who haven't been following Action Comics since the start of DC Rebirth last year, one of the book's ongoing mysteries has involved the presence of a mysterious man who claims to be "the real" Clark Kent. He looks like Clark and shares all of his memories, but not Superman's powers. That mystery has deepened as the new Clark seemed to lose his grip on sanity and even kidnapped Superman's son, Jon, in Superman #18 last week.

This issue revealed that "Clark" is none other than fifth dimensional imp Mr. Mxyzptlk, making his first appearance in the DCU since the end of Grant Morrison's Action Comics run four years ago.

Art by Doug Mahnke. (DC Comics)

Mxy explained his latest scheme to the captive Jon in this issue. It turns out that the reason he's been absent from the DCU for so long is that he was captured by the enigmatic Mr. Oz several years earlier. As we've seen in various DC Rebirth books, Oz has been busy kidnapping and imprisoning anyone he believes might threaten his plans. With his vast powers and unpredictable nature, Mr. Mxyzptlk was definitely on Oz's list.

Art by Ian Churchill. (DC Comics)

Mxy managed to escape Oz's prison, but in order to hide from the villain, he chose to disguise himself as Clark Kent. The disguise was so complete that he altered reality and even his own memories to make the illusion stick. But now that his mind has been restored, Mxy is in the mood to punish Superman for failing to notice that he's been missing all this time. His next act? Making Lois Lane forget the existence of her own son.

Art by Doug Mahnke. (DC Comics)

We'll see what other surprises "Superman Reborn" holds in store as the crossover continues in Superman #19 this week. One thing we do know is that this story will culminate with Superman donning a new costume.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

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