Some superheroes keep their identities hidden for their entire lives with no one the wiser, even their loved ones. Most of these readers scratch their heads at this because of how obvious the heroes duel-identity is. But who have the worst kept secrets that everyone in a comic could figure out if they were given a brain cell or weren't blinded by convenience? Our 'lucky' winners below.
5) Batman
Bruce Wayne is an extremely intelligent and suave lady-killer, who many would least-suspect to be a crime-fighting superhero. Until he came out to the public as having supplied Batman with his utilities. Is it really that hard for a reporter to dig a little deeper and figure out that this playboy plays superhero at night? And even if they fail to uncover that relatively no-brainer mystery, Wayne is publically allying himself with Batman, meaning he will have a huge bull's-eyes on his back telling his 'heroes'' respective baddies to come and get him as blackmail material for Batman. They could hurt Wayne's loved one's to get at Batman – and isn't that the whole point of having a secret identity? Protecting your loved ones?
4) Lex Luthor
He may have a superior intellect and not your standard 'secret identity' with a cape, but after everything Lex has put Superman through, thousands of Metropolins still believe he's nice enough to be elected for president (politics are funny that way). Superman knows who he is, and Lex is an ego-maniac who lets his money do his talking, and rarely hides his evil intentions from Superman who can attempt to turn him in. For those who voted for Luthor in the primary, enjoy that knife in your back when Lex begins his next scheme in the oval office thanks to the blind voters of the DC Universe.
Pamela Isley. Poison Ivy. How close are those names, and the coincidence that they have a shared, obsessive love for nature? People could easily connect the two botanical goddesses and they have. Her identity is known to everyone now, but Batman had to be the one to bring her in while everyone else was under her little green thumb.
Harley Quinn is the only person who has always been identifiable. It's arguable that she ever even had a 'secret identity'. She doesn't even have a villain name, but insists on wearing a costume! Girl really does love to accessorize...
1) Superman
Superman has been the butt of many jokes, but none more repetitious than his laughable 'secret' identity. All he had between himself and his Superman persona was his spectacles. Even more recently in the New 52, he still keeps his jeans on! And we thought it couldn't easier to pick him out of a line-up...
Sometimes heroes and villains alike are discovered for who they are, but even when they are it can be so laughable that no one saw it all along...
An all-around nerdette, I’m a comic book connoisseur, horror aficionado, video game addict, anime enthusiast and an aspiring novelist/comic book writer. I am the head of the comic book department and the editor-in-chief of Entertainment Fuse. I also write and edit articles for Comic Frontline. I am also an intern at Action Lab Entertainment, a comic book publisher at which I edit comic book scripts, help work on images in solicitations and help with other comic book related project. My own personal website is comicmaven.com.
