Topic: Super-Heroes with Secret Identities Unknown to the Reader...
Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
So, in The Curse of Capistrano, the first Zorro novel, the fact that Zorro is, in reality, Don Diego Vega is kept secret both from other characters and the readers until the very end of the story.
The first appearance of Batman copies this, with the fact that Batman is Bruce Wayne is not revealed to the end of the story.
I was wondering if there are any comics that have done this kind of thing for an extended period of time. Obviously, there have been storylines where villains or new heroes have shown up, and their true identities are kept mysterious for awhile, until they are suddenly revealed as one of the hero's supporting cast, but that's not exactly what I have in mind. I was trying to think of something where the title character's true identity is unknown, but they turn out to be one of the "supporting characters" in the book, but we don't know this from the beginning of the title. Is there anything like that?
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I remember they did that in Image's original Shadowhawk mini with the character's identity not revealed until the final issue.
Same situation with Wild Dog, a miniseries published by DC in the late '80s with Max Allen Collins and Terry Beatty (both of indie hit Ms. Tree) as the creative team. Wild Dog was a Punisher-style lethal vigilante, albeit one with a terrible costume!
These two come immediately to mind.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Black Orchid. In her original run, a character in the story was found out to just be Black Orchid in disguise, but her real identity was still unknown to the reader.
-------------------- Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!
From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
Set
There's not a word yet, for old friends who've just met.
posted
"Who is Sensor Girl?" lasted a little while.
The Thunderbolts were outed as the Masters of Evil at the end of their intro issue, so they don't really count.
Registered: Aug 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Not to nitpick, but while the T-Bolts reveal came at the end of their first issue, they had been introduced months earlier,(in "The Hulk" I believe) which helped with the surprise.
From: New York, NY | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
T-Bolts and the pure shock value of the reveal definitely has to rank very highly. Plus, as Drake points out, they had at least one appearance prior to the story that ended with the reveal.
quote:Originally posted by Set: "Who is Sensor Girl?" lasted a little while.
The Thunderbolts were outed as the Masters of Evil at the end of their intro issue, so they don't really count.
No, they definitely count, Set. Edie cites 2 examples in which the character's identity is revealed at the end of the first story story/issue featuring the character. It's a much better example than Sensor Girl because Edie's looking for "title character(s)". While the title of the storyline may be considered "Who is Sensor Girl?", the title it appeared in was LSH.
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Not really superheroes, but I read the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The bulk of the story consists of Dr. Jekyll's friends trying to figure out who the mysterious Mr. Hyde is. They and the reader don't know until the end of the story that they are one and the same.
-------------------- Five billion years from now the Sun will go nova and obliterate the Earth. Don't sweat the small stuff!
From: Boston | Registered: Aug 2003
| IP: Logged |
Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Ah... I've never read that! I bet that's where McCulley got the idea for doing it with Zorro.
Re: The Thunderbolts, as I understand it they still aren't quite what I'm looking for, as what I have in mind is something where the character appears in both identities for awhile without the reader being aware that they are one and the same.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
One of the Astro City arcs featured a character like that if I remember correctly (it's been quite a while since I've read it so I'm not sure) - The Confessor
From: Fort McMurray | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think that one of the Grendels - Eppy Thatcher from "God and the Devil" storyline, was a mystery for awhile - Orion Assante, the future Grendel Khan being a suspect and red herring. The reveal wasn't a big deal - Eppy was a nutjob - but they kept you guessing for awhile. (If I remember the story correctly, but I may be wrong)
From: New York, NY | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
Hyperpath: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic | Subscribe To Topic
