If you were a hero, would you wear a mask?
There are many arguments for this. Many Superheroes wear masks to protect their loved ones from any harm. Some don’t wear masks because they believe this would inspire more people to stand up for what is right, and others don’t wear them simply because they aren’t concerned about their identities. Hell, some don’t even have another life that needs to be protected.
Whatever the reason, not having a secret identity is rather bold. If someone knows your name, they can easily find more details about you. They could even show up at your front door when you’re relaxing and give you trouble. We’re just saying that those who decide to show their real face are pretty brave.
We’ve put together a list of these fearless heroes for you.
Let’s take a look at all the superheroes without a secret identity!
#17 Scarlet Witch
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Scarlett Witch Would Say If Given A Mask: “I’ve hidden all my life, no more.”
We kick this list off with the Scarlett Witch. The Marvel universe generally does not seem to care about secret identities. Most of the mutants in the universe, even more so. As a species, they are shunned and looked down upon. This is even more reason why they should not be afraid of who they are.
As the daughter of magneto, Wanda was taught to be proud of herself and her ancestry that she never really felt the need to hide her face. She did go by the name of Scarlett Witch but never really put an effort into hiding herself from the public. Plus, with the kind of power that Wanda possesses, people are scared of her anyway. Imagine how pissed she would be if someone showed up at her house.
#16 Zatanna
Publisher: DC Comics
What Zatanna Would Say If Given A Mask: “I don’t need to hide from the people who don’t even believe in magic. I already don’t exist to them.“
Most people don’t believe in magic. That entails that no one believes in witches and wizards either. Imagine someone you know comes up and tells you that they can do actual magic. You would laugh. So, why would they bother?
The same is the case for Zatanna. Sure, she probably has a ton of spells that could make people forget who she is, but even that is rarely used. Zatanna fights supernatural, dark creatures that want to take over the world. In the battle against them, her identity means nothing. Plus, she has no family left, so why waste time?
#15 Punisher
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Punisher Would Say If Given A Mask: “I killed Frank Castle a long time ago.“
Frank Castle took on the role of the Punisher after an enemy massacred his entire family. That night, he lost everything he held dear to him, and something broke inside. He was no longer human, and his sole purpose was to punish those who deserved it.
According to him, he killed Frank Castle a very long time ago. The Punisher wants his enemies to stay afraid. That is why he doesn’t wear a mask so that the bad guys know who is coming for them. With nothing left to lose, his identity means nothing to him.
#14 Elektra
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Elektra Would Say If Given A Mask: “A good assassin must learn to hide in the light.“
Elektra does not need a mask because most people don’t even know she exists. She goes by her name and is so good at covering her tracks that only a few people on the planet know of her.
You don’t need a mask when you are a master ninja who can hide in plain sight and blend in during the day. Another reason that she doesn’t hide her identity is because she likes money. The more people know of her, the more she gets hired to kill people. No publicity is bad publicity.
#13 Wolverine
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Wolverine Would Say If Given A Mask: “I don’t care.“
Logan is the most badass X-man, and when he has a target in mind, he stops at nothing to get there. Modeled after a wild animal, this mutant is hard to kill and a nightmare to fight. In a fight, mind games are just as important as the physical aspect. When Wolverine is going after someone, he wants to make sure they know who is coming for them and use that fear against them.
Even otherwise, mutant-kind has been hiding in the shadows for a long time. While Wolverine claims he just wants to be left alone, he does care deep down and is proud of who he is. He wants the world to see that Mutants can be trusted. However, if you ask him, he would just tell you to go to hell.
#12 Nick Fury
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Nick Fury Would Say If Given A Mask: “I don’t need a mask to hide in plain sight.“
Nick Fury is a master spy and probably the best there is. With the power and resources he holds, he is aware of every little that goes around in the world and knows the enemy’s move before they even think it.
As head of SHIELD, Fury has access to the world’s best security, and getting close to him is near impossible. Even then, chances are that Fury lets people know who he is so that he can act as bait and flush enemies out. Fury knows he is protected, and even if an attack is incoming, he can easily handle himself. Knowing this, Fury puts his face and names out there as bait so that enemies would try to attack him and save him the trouble of going out and finding them.
#11 She-Hulk
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What She-Hulk Would Say If Given A Mask: “There isn’t much that scares me.“
She-Hulk is the Hulk’s cousin, who has similar powers as him. The difference is that Jennifer Walters is in complete control of her alter-ego. Jennifer is first a lawyer and loves her job. She even does her job while in her transformed state.
When you’re as strong as the Hulk, not much can scare you; therefore, it would not bother you that people know who you are. Despite her powers, Jennifer would much rather continue living her normal life, regardless of her appearance.
#10 Reed Richards
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Reed Richards Would Say If Given A Mask: “I’m the smartest man on the planet. A mask will not hide that.“
Reed Richards was one of the most famous individuals on the planet even before he gained his powers. Growing up, Reed was a science prodigy, and everyone already knew that he was destined for something great. After the accident in space, He and the rest of his crew were brought back to Earth and kept under observation for a long time since anomalies were noticed. During this period, people were already aware of the space mission and its effect on the to-be Fantastic 4.
Once they decided to use their powers for good, the team also concluded that they did not need to hide their face since the world already knew of their abilities.
#9 Aquaman
Publisher: DC Comics
What Aquaman Would Say If Given A Mask: “That wouldn’t work for a King.“
Before he discovered he was of Atlantean Origin, Aquaman went by Arthur Curry and had a close relationship with the sea. After Mera approached him to help save Atlantis from Orm, Aquaman was made aware of his duties and responsibilities.
He eventually assumes the role of King of Atlantis and rules as one of the greatest of all time. At the beginning of his superhero career, Arthur did try to maintain his human name and use it to hide from the surface world whenever he visited. However, that was short-lived. He soon spent most of his time as the ruler of Atlantis and eventually had to make the world know of its existence. At this avenue, Aquaman visited the UN Council and made everyone aware of who he was and how he could be the bridge between two worlds.
As the ruler of a nation, it just does not make sense to keep your identity a secret. It would be politically counterproductive and also would make your citizens distrust you.
#8 Donna Troy
Publisher: DC Comics
What Donna Troy Would Say If Given A Mask: “I want the people to trust me.“
Donna Troy has as many origin stories as there are Batman reboots. One depicts her as the magical twin of Wonder Woman, while another as a piece of Diana’s soul that is brought to life through magic.
One thing that has remained constant is that she never really had a secret identity. Donna Troy was publicly known as Wonder Girl, but everyone also knew her real name. Donna felt like she had nothing to hide, but one of the main reasons that she did not have an alter-ego was to gain the trust of the people around her. Donna has a checkered past, and in some of her origin stories, she is created to kill Diana. Donna understands that this makes people nervous, but showing them that you have nothing to hide helps them trust you more.
#7 John Stewart
Publisher: DC Comics
What John Stewart Would Say If Given A Mask: “I’m an intergalactic cop. There is no threat on Earth for me, and therefore I do not need to hide.“
John Stewart is one of the brightest shining stars of the Green Lantern Corps. He takes his role as a Green Lantern more seriously than anyone else before him and carries out his duties to perfection. Most of John’s work is off-world, and he is given space sectors that John needs to protect. There are no threats back at home that could harm his family, and out in space, no one cares who he is.
John spends most of his time on OA, and they are not trying to hide from anyone. Unlike the other Green Lanterns, John does not wear a mask. The Green Lanterns generally don’t try to hide from anyone else because they want to show everyone that they are a beacon of goodness. Besides, imagine this scenario – A bunch of Green Lanterns go into battle and need to communicate with others. How will they call out to each other? They could use code names, but that could go unheard in the heat of battle. Why not just save them all the trouble and use their real names?
#6 John Constantine
Publisher: DC Comics
What John Constantine Would Say If Given A Mask: “No one cares, love.”
Not many people know John Constantine’s existence, and it’s not like he does anything to hide. He simply works in shadows, and those who know him, know him for who he is. John constantly deals with threats to the Earth and supernatural creatures, and it would be irrelevant to worry about his identity in such a scenario.
John does not even have anyone close to him that he needs to protect. He eventually falls in love with Zatanna, but she is so powerful that no one would dare mess with her. In these supernatural battles that he fights, a mask would do him very little good, as he is famous both in Heaven and Hell for the work he has done here on Earth. It is not possible to hide your identity from divine entities.
#5 Iron Man
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Iron Man Would Say If Given A Mask: “Tony Stark and Iron Man are one.“
Iron was created by Stan Lee as a hero who you shouldn’t love but end up doing just that. Iron Man has always been portrayed as a narcissistic billionaire who loves being in the spotlight. This demeanor has sizzled down over the years, but Tony Stark still harbors many of those traits at his very core. At the start of his career, Tony Stark hid his identity but not for long. Before long, he clarified to the public that he was Iron Man.
Tony Stark is one of the wealthiest men on the planet and has the best security money can buy. He is safe even if he does not have his suit with him. Tony also has enough money to buy the same kind of protection for his family.
Regardless of his persona, tony has been Iron Man for so long that he believes they are both the same and not separate alter-egos. There can’t be one without the other. Hence, he does not believe in hiding any part of himself.
#4 Dr. Strange
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Dr. Strange Would Say If Given A Mask: “Every threat I fight comes from outside the Earth. What is the point?“
Dr. Strange was once Stephen Strange, the world-renowned doctor and arguably the best surgeon in the world. Everyone already knew who he was before his accident. After the car crash that cost him his hands, Stephen searched for a cure and eventually found magic.
Once he entered the mystical arts, Strange’s world expanded, and he became one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Very few threats were big enough to scare him back on Earth, and he would be fighting off interdimensional beings daily. Dr. Strange also does not have any close family and devotes most of his time to being the magical protector that he is. All of these things combined make it irrelevant to have a secret identity. When you can change reality and manipulate time with the flick of the wrist, there is very little that you would be afraid of.
He even keeps his real name when fighting enemies. He just does not care.
#3 Luke Cage
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Luke Cage Would Say If Given A Mask: “The people in my community need to see representation.“
Luke Cage, or Power Man, is a New York superhero with indestructible skin and super strength. A frequent member of the Avengers and the Heroes for Hire, Luke Cage is a celebrated superhero. At the beginning of his superhero career, he goes by the name of Power Man but eventually sheds that identity and goes by Luke Cage.
Luke Cage protects his home and city from all kinds of threats. Coming from a predominantly black community, Cage has grown up watching many injustices in his neighborhood. When he obtains his powers, he decides to use them for the good of his community.
This is also one of the main reasons that Luke Cage does not have a secret identity. He wants to show his community that he is one of them and hopes to inspire youngsters to lead better lives by helping people.
#2 Thor Odinson
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Thor Would Say If Given A Mask: “Why would a God need a mask?“
The Asgardian God of Thunder is a man of myth. Since ancient times, people have spoken about the existence of Thor, and everyone already knew of the space Viking. The Norse Mythology gave almost accurate accounts of Thor’s adventures, and when he finally did appear on Earth, everyone already knew who he was.
In the comics, Thor does have an alter-ego of Donald Blake, but he soon sheds it, and since becoming Thor full-time, he feels there is no need to hide his identity. It’s hard to hide when people are able to see this being come down from the sky with a hammer that can call down lightning. That’s more than enough clues. Moreover, as the prince of Asgard, everyone is bound to know. Pretty much everywhere that Thor goes, people already know who he is, and Thor makes no effort to hide it.
The fact that he keeps yelling “Odinsbeard” does him no help.
#1 Captain America
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What Captain America Would Say If Given A Mask: “I’ve been alive for a century. I have no reason to hide.“
Captain America is the first Avenger and the man that anyone would be happy to follow into battle. Initially, Captain America wore a mask for simple dramatic effect, but it never served him any purpose. After he went into a coma, his identity was revealed, and everyone already knew who he was. Upon returning to the present day, everyone knew Captain America, and Steve only wore his helmet to protect himself in battle.
At almost a hundred years old, Steve Rogers has no surviving family and no one he needs to protect. So, he joins the SHIELD ranks and becomes a full-time soldier. He does try to live a normal life, but he does not try to hide his identity from the public since he thinks there is no point anymore.
Honorable Mentions
- Magneto
- Beast Boy
- Mystique
- Cable
- Sue Storm
- Human Torch
- Black Widow
FAQs
Do All Superheroes Have a Secret Identity?
No, not all superheroes have secret identities. For example, Steve Rogers does not try to hide his identity from the public eye.
What Superhero Doesn’t Have a Secret Identity?
Luke Cage does not have a secret identity. He fights crime as himself to inspire the people of his community.
Why Do Marvel Superheroes Not Have Secret Identities?
Many do not have secret identities. They have established scientists who are constantly observed by the public eye. For example, Reed Richards and Dr. Strange.
Does Aquaman Hide His Identity?
Aquaman initially hid his identity as Arthur Curry, but once he took over as the King of Atlantis, he had to stop hiding his human identity.
With this, we have reached the end of our list of fearless heroes. We got to give it up for them to lay it all on the line and fight crime.
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Later, Nerds.
