More Stupid Questions

So tomorrow morning, I begin my internship leading to a very brief temporary attempt at diurnality (Is that a word? Oh well, it is now) which I'm very displeased about.

It does look like it'll be interesting. I'm working in Elder Law and it actually sounds like I'll be able to actually help people. Which is kind of a cool and scary thought.

Anyway, it got me thinking some more silly age-related thoughts in comics.

How do age related membership groups and legal things work in the DCU? I mean, between the speed force, starheart, careless mentor experiments and Ian Karkull it does seem like there are a lot of folks considerably younger than their chronological ages running around.

I suppose that's not a big deal for Jay, who appears in his fifties, or even Alan, who's age seems to fluctuate with artist's whim and presumably his own mood. But is Sanderson Hawkins eligable for the AARP?

Does it effect social security benefits or insurance premiums (which I'd imagine are high anyway for the superhero types...)

(tangentially: can a superhero with a secret identity be denied coverage after a hero related accident for misrepresentation?)

I wonder if they card for senior discounts.

I wonder how they measure age at all in the DCU. A chronological basis only doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, especially with characters from the future or hyperaged characters. (For that matter, would a time traveler's age be measured from birth or from how long they lived?) Do they use a physical test of some sort? That'd seem more practical, but also, thanks to Karkull and others, prone to some odd sudden status changes. (And it'd suck for the immortal type characters. Imagine being eternally two years shy of being able to legally buy alcohol.) Also, it'd kind of suck for some of the immortal type characters. Do they have a telepath scan for mental/emotional maturity?

Carbon dating?