Behind the Mask: Why Superhero Secret Identities Are Still Important

An article from Polygon recently popped up on my feed, “Superheroes Are Scrapping Their Secret Identities, and It’s for the Best,” which makes a case for why superhero secret identities should go away. This sentiment is a rising feeling amongst comic book fans – that the mask and identity it conceals are becoming irrelevant. And the more I hear this, the more I thought about how this sentiment bothered me. The mask is important. I say that because beyond the punching, fighting and risking their lives, the secret identity is a crucial factor in telling compelling stories. To have that just go away is wasting so much narrative potential. Keeping a Close Circle Writer Alan Krister’s article is good and goes in-depth into the origins of how secret identities in the comic book began. The piece uses that background to present the idea that the “strict secret identity is fast becoming an anachronism.” That idea that the nature of the superhero has evolved beyond the secret identity and a time where it was the norm. It makes some valid points. Points like the ridiculous lengths heroes go to hide their identity, how the double life aspect can prevent heroes from ever properly maintaining emotional connections or even how sharing that truth can add value to the stories of masked heroes. My problem is that the main argument, the idea of sharing that double life with people close to heroes, is trying to make a case for leaving the whole secret identity behind altogether.

I understand th…