Could Spider-Man be done sans secret identity?

[daBronzeBomma]

Yeah I read it and I don't see what your argument is. Not only do Steve, Tony and Thor not need secret identities but they are also alpha heroes within the Big Two. You claimed those with secret identities aren't alpha heroes which makes no sense. I would also add Wonder Woman to that list given she hasn't had a secret i.d since the 80s.

Yeah, you are definitely not comprehending what I said, so let me word it differently for you:

All the other Alpha heroes (Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, etc) in the Big Two have proven that they can go long - term without the use of a secret identity ... EXCEPT for Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman. Those three are the only Alphas who cannot survive long - term without a secret identity.

Anyone else in the Big Two who needs a secret identity to function isn't a true Alpha (anchors their own franchise successfully).

The secret identity trope has lost a tremendous amount of power, influence, and general appeal in the medium.

[Frontier]

Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Thor don't have secret identities and have anchored successful franchises.

Peter Parker is also a very different character and lives a very different lives then Tony, Steve, and Thor do.

(Although even they had secret identities once-upon-a-time).

[MASTER-OF-SUPRISE]

It could work with the right creative team but it would be very difficult to pull off.

[cc008]

Peter Parker is also a very different character and lives a very different lives then Tony, Steve, and Thor do.

(Although even they had secret identities once-upon-a-time).

This is the biggest reason why he needs to keep his identity secret.

[Comic Book Addict]

A huge part of the appeal and themes of Spider-man is the contrast between being the normal everyday guy that gets no respect and being a crime fighter who goes out there and puts his life at risk on a regular basis, as well as the problems one aspect of his life causes for the other.

Take that away, and he's pretty much a completely different character.

Agreed. Parker's Spiderman needs to have a mask, to have that dichotomy and interplay between the man and the hero. It's a huge part of the character.

[Joker Venom]

Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Thor don't have secret identities and have anchored successful franchises.

That's a relatively recent development, though. For most of their published histories, all three of them had secret identities. Thor's had more than one.

[Digifiend]

I guess we'll see won't we? Gwen's going public.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Here’s an added question:

What if he’s not the one to out himself? There are (ideally) a number of enemies of his that know his secret. What’s making them keep the secret instead of giving it away to make Peter/Spidey’s life harder?

Heck, Venom did just that in the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon.

[Frontier]

Here’s an added question:

What if he’s not the one to out himself? There are (ideally) a number of enemies of his that know his secret. What’s making them keep the secret instead of giving it away to make Peter/Spidey’s life harder?

Heck, Venom did just that in the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon.

Few things:

1 - That was undone by the end of the next episode .

2 - I miss this show.

3 - I miss Bugle scenes like this.

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Few things:

1 - That was undone by the end of the next episode .

2 - I miss this show.

3 - I miss Bugle scenes like this.

1 - Still, what’s to keep it from happening again? Or for the first time in another continuity and not getting undone?

2 - Same here.

3 - Ditto.

[bob.schoonover]

Here’s an added question:

What if he’s not the one to out himself? There are (ideally) a number of enemies of his that know his secret. What’s making them keep the secret instead of giving it away to make Peter/Spidey’s life harder?

Heck, Venom did just that in the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon.

Nothing stops those that know. None of them do it, though, because they want to be the one that defeats Spider-Man. Doc Ock would never want, say, Mr Negative killing/defeating Spider-man instead of him. Are there any villains that know Peter = SM that aren't raging egomaniacs?

Out of universe, how Peter gets outed doesn't change most of the facts on the ground - his personality and personal life (including work friends) become casualties of being outed. He can't work at the Daily Bugle, Horizon Labs, etc. SHIELD, Stark Industries, Future Foundation (if they bring it back), etc. are the only viable career paths. Aunt May will get shot again in short order unless she goes into protective custody (essentially writing her out of the book until he gets un-outed). The Parker Luck, such as it is, disappears - when he misses a meeting or a date, he'd just say, "I was out being Spider-man" and there is no dramatic tension.

Side note: Scarlet Spider could pull this off. He's basically unattached and if he keeps his hair different enough, his identity doesn't track back to Peter (because heroes somehow can make mild changes and become unrecognizable).

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Nothing stops those that know. None of them do it, though, because they want to be the one that defeats Spider-Man. Doc Ock would never want, say, Mr Negative killing/defeating Spider-man instead of him. Are there any villains that know Peter = SM that aren't raging egomaniacs?

Is there such a thing as a villain that isn’t an egomaniac in some dimension?

As I said, Venom did it, so not everyone holds that possessiveness dear.

Out of universe, how Peter gets outed doesn't change most of the facts on the ground - his personality and personal life (including work friends) become casualties of being outed. He can't work at the Daily Bugle, Horizon Labs, etc. SHIELD, Stark Industries, Future Foundation (if they bring it back), etc. are the only viable career paths. Aunt May will get shot again in short order unless she goes into protective custody (essentially writing her out of the book until he gets un-outed).

Wouldn’t that be a reason for a villain to out him? It would in essence rob Peter of any chance of a normal life, making it an easy revenge.

The Parker Luck, such as it is, disappears - when he misses a meeting or a date, he'd just say, "I was out being Spider-man" and there is no dramatic tension.

Frankly, that aspect of the Parker luck has been done to death. IMO, it wouldn’t be missed.

Side note: Scarlet Spider could pull this off. He's basically unattached and if he keeps his hair different enough, his identity doesn't track back to Peter (because heroes somehow can make mild changes and become unrecognizable).

True. Are you talking Ben or Kaine, by the way?

[Lukmendes]

Is there such a thing as a villain that isn’t an egomaniac in some dimension?

As I said, Venom did it, so not everyone holds that possessiveness dear.

Spectacular Venom is different from the classic one, Spectacular just wants to make Peter suffer, no matter what, classic Venom when he was a villain didn't do it just to make sure he was the one to kill Spider-Man.

Wouldn’t that be a reason for a villain to out him? It would in essence rob Peter of any chance of a normal life, making it an easy revenge.

Depends on the villain, Otto is actualy fitting to not tell anyone (Though he did try to reveal Peter's secret identity early on, but he was less prideful back then), someone like Kingpin would spread it, Shocker I can see him selling the info, as a few examples. It never made sense that Norman or Gargan didn't spread it back when they knew it though...

[SilverWarriorWolf]

Spectacular Venom is different from the classic one, Spectacular just wants to make Peter suffer, no matter what, classic Venom when he was a villain didn't do it just to make sure he was the one to kill Spider-Man.

Touché.

Depends on the villain, Otto is actualy fitting to not tell anyone (Though he did try to reveal Peter's secret identity early on, but he was less prideful back then), someone like Kingpin would spread it, Shocker I can see him selling the info, as a few examples. It never made sense that Norman or Gargan didn't spread it back when they knew it though...

Exactly.

[Huntsman Spider]

Spectacular Venom is different from the classic one, Spectacular just wants to make Peter suffer, no matter what, classic Venom when he was a villain didn't do it just to make sure he was the one to kill Spider-Man.



Depends on the villain, Otto is actualy fitting to not tell anyone (Though he did try to reveal Peter's secret identity early on, but he was less prideful back then), someone like Kingpin would spread it, Shocker I can see him selling the info, as a few examples. It never made sense that Norman or Gargan didn't spread it back when they knew it though...

In Norman's case, it made sense because he wanted Peter all to himself, and when Peter semi-voluntarily unmasked to the general public in Civil War, there was a panel in one of the multiple Spider-Man series ongoing at the time of Norman screaming in his cell about how Peter "broke the rules" or something like that.