Title says it all.
Lots of superheroes’ secret indentities were known to their sidekicks (Batman), the general public (Fantastic Four), and sometimes their enemy (Spider-man). Was there ever a superhero (or villian) whose identity was never revealed to anyone other than the readers?
While I don’t know if it’s still true (I no longer have the time, money, or inclination to read comics), I know that the X-Men’s Wolverine had a three(?) part series that showed his true origin; A story that Wolvie himself didn’t remember at the time it was published.
Peace - DESK
Origin (the Wolverine origin series) ran six issues, but I believe there were people at Weapon X, and possibly others, who knew his identity even if he didn’t.
I can’t think of any superheroes but I’m pretty sure no-one knows who the Joker actually is.
The Phantom Stranger for the win!
I don’t think an old life that you’ve completely abandoned counts as a secret identity.
True. The Joker is always the Joker.
Most other superheroes have “day jobs.”
Spiderbabe.
What?
Last I heard, Rogue’s real name has never been revealed.
The Phantom Stranger’s origins seem to be known, though unspoken and undisclosed, among the mystics in the DCU. I cite: The Spectre, Etrigan the Demon and the Trenchcoat Brigade, maybe even Zatanna.
Until fairly recently I would have said, “Plastic Man” – but Morrison’s Batman seemed to twig that out, and Eel O’ Brian spilled the beans himself to the JLA during Waid’s run.
I’m pretty sure all of The Martain Manhunter’s IDs have not been found out.
No one knows the Savage Dragon’s secrets: his amnesia is a starting off point.
Concrete’s secrets are a matter of national security.
Did Comissioner ever learn The Spirit was Denny Colt?
Good spot. He’s never not the Joker.
In fact most of the villians I can think of (with my very limited D.C. knowledge) are always the villian and never anyone else.
Unless I’m completely misremembering the origin story, he knew from the start.
Ugh. Not only did others know his identity, but they wouldn’t shut up about it. Right around the time the Origin series came out, virtually every Marvel writer that used Wolvie decided that having their villians or cryptic characters call Wolverine “James” would be their way of showing how cool and mysterious and in the know they were. Fantomex was a particularly egregious example, though at least there there was some backstory as to why he knew it. But I remember the trope happening a few more times and feeling like it was getting old real fast.
He’d have to be blind and deaf not to realize it (the mask didn’t hide all that much, and Colt was his daughter’s fiance).
I don’t ever remember Ellen or Comm. Dolan referring to him as anything other than “Spirit,” though. I own the first eight volumes of The Spirit Archives, too.
I won’t be able to read them until after the first of the year, though.
It’s a convention of the genre that donning a domino mask or taking off your glasses suffices to conceal your identity. :dubious:
It’s Anna Marie D’Ancanto.
Right. Which brings me to The Lone Ranger. I don’t think his identity was even given to the viewer.
In the Wildcards novels, this is a lot more common because a lot of people show up, exhibit some superpowers, and die…
There was one hero who was featured in one of the later novels who had a bunch of different powers–darkness, energy-draining cold, wallwalking, really tough and strong–and he had three separate hero IDs. They never used the same powers–Wallwalker only walked on walls, another ID only ever used the darkness and cold, etc. Nobody ever knew who he was. He lost track of who he was, actually, maintaining four separate identities drove him kind of nuts…
John Reid. Granduncle of Britt Reid (The Green Hornet). Tonto knew who he was, since he discovered him and nursed him back to health after the Cavendish gang ambushed him and his brother and was there when he took on the LR identity.