Secret Public Identity: Difference between revisions

{{quote|''"Miss 'I'm too sexy for a codename, too sexy for a codename'."''|'''Jubilee''' to '''Jean Grey''', ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]''}}

 

 

A [[Superhero]] who does not actually have a hero name, despite maintaining a generally low-profile [[Secret Identity]]. These heroes are simply called by their "real" names in the heat of battle.

 

Compare [[Overt Operative]], a secret agent who never bothers keeping low.

 

== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==

* Barnaby Brooks Jr from ''[[Tiger and Bunny]]''

 

* ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'':

*** Ironically, given the opening quote, the teenager legally known as Jubilation Lee used the codename "Jubilee" for many years; this could be argued to be about as much a codename as Peter Wisdom calling himself Mr. Wisdom. These days, though, she goes by "Wondra".

** Similarly, it turns out Zaladane's name is Zala Dane. ([[Retcon|We think. At one point. Maybe.]])

*** It was intended that Zaladane have powers because she is related to Lorna Dane. Claremont forgot, however, that Lorna is adopted. (Source:X-Men danglers list)

** Lorna Dane wasn't called Polaris until [[Chris Claremont]] took over. She operated as just Lorna for some time.

** Emma Frost, since joining the X-Men, dropped her codename "White Queen". Justified in that "White Queen" isn't just a name, it's a rank in the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club. Which she left to join the X-Men.

** Cecilia Reyes never chose a codename because she didn't want to be a superhero. But she had the X-Men Bumblebee Suit and she was considered one of them after she was outed as a mutant.

** Dani Moonstar, formerly Mirage, eventually dropped her codename and just went by "Moonstar". Admittedly, people who don't know her secret identity might well assume that Moonstar ''is'' her codename. {{spoiler|Also, her "civilian" identity is an agent of SHIELD, rendering the "secret identity" somewhat moot.}}

** This sort of thing happened a lot during [[The Golden Age of Comic Books]]. This includes sidekicks Roy the Super-Boy [who worked with The Wizard], Mickey Mathews [The Deacon], Tommy the Amazing Kid [Amazing Man], Rusty [Flagman], Sandy the Golden Boy [Sandman] and Mickey [American Crusader].

*** Speaking of Roy the Super-Boy, his Secret Public Identity was lampshaded in one story, where, when calling his friend's mother, he identified himself as Roy. When she asked him if he was her son's friend, he insisted that no, he's Roy the Super-Boy. For some reason, she buys it without question.

*** Subverted with the revelation that there have been more than one "Ernie"

* ''[[The New Titans]]'' (formerly the ''[[Teen Titans (Comic Book)|Teen Titans]]'') had Danny Chase, a character [[The Scrappy|loathed by all fans]]. Earlier, they had Mal Duncan, who later went through an everchanging series of codenames: Guardian, Hornblower, Herald, and now Vox.

* Supervillain example: Moses Magnum. A [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Name to Run Away From Really Fast]], but not a terribly [[Meaningful Name]] relative to his powers.

** Though Luke Cage ''isn't his real name''. He adopted it after breaking out of prison.

* During the [[Darker and Edgier|Mike Grell]] run, [[Green Arrow]] and Black Canary largely dropped the costumes and codenames.

* Another [[The Golden Age of Comic Books|Golden Age]] example, Doctor Hugo Strange [the heroic Nedor Comics version] was known as Doc Strange while adventuring. His costume was basically the 1940s version of [[Civvie Spandex]] and he had no secret identity. This was preserved when [[Alan Moore]] revived him in his America's Best Comics universe as ''Tom Strange''.

* In the first-published issue of the ''[[X Wing Series]]'' comics, the pilot Tycho Celchu goes to an Imperial-held planet, puts on a captain's uniform, and reports for duty at pilot barracks in one of the cities, all in order to get intel and be in place to [[The Mole|betray them]]. He does this, however, under his real name and homeplanet. Tycho Celchu, of Alderaan, who defected to the Rebellion after his planet was destroyed, helped keep TIEs off Wedge during the run on the second Death Star, and became part of the core of Rogue Squadron. What's worse is that it worked completely. To be fair, Stackpole was reportedly angry about the many changes to his ideas that his ghostwriter came up with, so just as a human character was supposed to be a Quarren and there were no Wookiees, perhaps Tycho was supposed to use a bit more subterfuge.

* [[The Punisher]] is often recognized by friend and foe alike as Frank Castle, which he does nothing to dispel...well, except [[More Dakka|with bullets]] on occasion.

* ''[[Doom Patrol]]'' has Scott Fischer. Apparently, they gave him the codename ''Blaze'' but he never got around to actually using it.

** [[Doctor Doom|RICHARDS!!!]]

* After the various [[Crisis Crossover]]-induced [[Continuity Snarl|ContinuitySnarls]] in her back-story, the first Wonder Girl called herself Troia for a time, but eventually settled on just using her civilian name of Donna Troy.

* Dragon is the real legal name of the eponymous character in ''[[The Savage Dragon]]''.

* ''[[Madman (Comic Book)|Madman]]'' goes by his real name, Frank Einstein. He was called "a madman" during his first appearance but [[I Am Not Shazam|no one actually calls him that as a codename or otherwise]].

'''Steve:''' No, ma'am. }}

 

== Western Animation ==

* Launchpad McQuack is often seen with [[Darkwing Duck]] as his sidekick ... yet none of the myriad villains, criminals, police officers or autograph hounds seem to care enough to look him up in the Saint Canard phone book. Except one time, when Launchpad was mistakenly reported to be Darkwing himself. Similarly, no one seems to pay attention to Gosalyn or Honker; neither of them uses a code name often.

** Played with in the new comic series. {{spoiler|Negaduck}} finally figured it out, but only after he saw Launchpad leaving the dry cleaners with Darkwing's costume ''and'' Drake Mallard's [[Limited Wardrobe|usual outfit]].

* The eponymous crime fighter of ''[[The Dragon Queen]]'' doesn't bother with a secret identity. Rather, the Dragon Queen acquired a private investigator license and turns over all criminals to the police for the arrest.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Naming Conventions]]

[[Category:Superhero Tropes]]

[[Category:Secret Public Identity]]