Masked Heroes and Super Heroes

Heroes Hiding Their Real Identies

ome characters with dual identities and anonymity chooses to duck in and out of their invincible roles rather than adopt it permanently. Some would say that their masked identity intrigues us because we want uncommon heroes with virtues and powers we only dream of; that like the Greeks and Romans, we must have our minor gods too, even if belief in them sprouts only in the entertainment of our imagination.

However, it is possible the real appeal of these dual-identity heroes is something else. Like Harrison Ford or Jennifer Garner, we all have several roles to play and each of these roles may have a name, like Han Solo or Indiana Jones, or Elektra or Sydney Bristow. As we watch The Lone Ranger or Wonder Woman mete out justice we have an opportunity to imagine ourselves in yet another role. And since nobody is supposed to know who the masked one is, it is easy to believe for the moment it could be us. (Exerpted from “You Are Not Your Name”)

The following list includes only super heroes with normal human alter egos. This means that characters like Captain Comet, who is a mutant meta-human and does not hide behind a civilian persona, are not shown here.

Hero Name	Image	Civilian Name — Occupation	First Year — Creator
Aquaman		Arthur Curry Orin — king of Atlantis	1941 — DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger
Batman		Bruce Wayne — billionaire industrialist	1939 — DC Comics. Created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger)
Black Canary		Dinah Drake — florist	1947 — DC Comics. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino)
The Black Hood		Kip Burland — policeman	1940 — MLJ comics
Captain America		Steve Rogers — freelance artist	1941 — Marvel Comics. Created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby
Captain Marvel		Billy Batson — radio broadcaster	1939 — Originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker
Catwoman		Selena Kyle — varingly wife of an abusive man, amnesiac flight attendant, prostitute	1940, 1970s, 1986 — DC Comics. Originally created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane Batman
The Comet (1)		John Dickering — scientist, adventurer	1940 — MLJ comics. Created by Jack Cole
The Comet (1)		Rob Connors — baseball player want-to-be	1940 — DC Comics' Impact Comics series. Created by Tom Lyle and Mark Waid
Daredevil (old)		Bart Hill — boomerang marksman	1940 — Lev Gleason Publications. Created by Jack Binder
Daredevil (new)		Matt Murdock — lawyer	1964 — Marvel Comics Universe. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett
Doctor Fate		Kent Nelson — archaeologist	1940 — All-American Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman
Doll Man		Darrell Dane — research chemist	1940 — Quality Comics--now DC Comics. Created by writer Will Eisner
Durango Kid		Steve (last name varied) — cowboy	1940 — Columbia Pictures movies; played by Charles Starrett
Flash (old)		Jay Garrick — college student	1940 — All-American Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert
Flash (new)		Barry Allen (police scientist), (1956-1986); Wally West, nephew of Barry Allen, (1986-2006); Bart Allen, grandson of Barry Allen, (2006-	1956 — DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert
Green Arrow		Oliver Queen — billionaire	1941 — DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp
Green Hornet		Britt Reid (2) — newspaper publisher	1936 — Radio station WXYZ in Detroit. Created by Fran Striker
Green Lantern (old)		Alan Scott — engineer	1940 — All-AMerican Comics. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell
Green Lantern (new)		Hal Jordan — test pilot	1959 — DC Comics. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane
Hawkman		Carter Hall — archeologist	1940 — DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville
Hourman		Rex Tyler — chemist	1940 — DC Comics. Created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Bailey
The Hulk		Bruce Banner — nuclear physicist	1962 — Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Invisible Woman		Susan (Storm) Richards — actress, mother	1961 — Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby
Ironman		Anthony Stark — inventor	1963 — Marvel Comics universe. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby
Lone Ranger		John Reid (3) — former Texas Ranger	1933 — Radio station WXYZ in Detroit. Created by George W. Trendle and developed by writer Fran Striker
Metamorpho		Rex Mason — adventurer	1964 DC Comics. Created by Bob Haney
Miss America (original)		Joan Dale — reporter	1941 — Quality Comics, DC Comics. Created by Elmer Wexler
Miss America		Madeline Joyce — heiress, beauty queen	1943 — Timely/Marvel Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Gabriele
The Phantom		Kit Walker — crime fighter	1936 — King Features comicstrip. Created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician
Plastic Man		Patrick “Eel” O’Brian — former crook turned crime fighter	1941 — Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole
The Punisher		Frank Castle — war veteran	1974 — Marvel Comics Universe. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr. and Ross Andru
Sandman (4)		Wesley Dodds — financier	1940 — DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Bert Christman
The Shadow		Born Kent Allard, a famed aviator during World War I, faked his death and became Lamont, wealthy man-about-town	1930 — Dectective Stories Magazine. Created by Walter B. Gibson
The Shield		Joe Higgins — FBI agent	1940 — MLJ, now known as Archie Comics. Created by writer Harry Shorten and artist Irv Novick
Spider-Man		Peter Parker — photographer	1962 — Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
The Spirit		Denny Colt — crime fighter	1940 — In newspapers. Created by Will Eisner
Supergirl (original)		Linda Lee Danvers, alias Kara Zor-El — college graduate, student counseling, news reporting, and TV acting	1958 — DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino
Supergirl		Linda Danvers — daughter of a policeman	1996 — DC Comics. Created by Peter David and Gary Frank
Superman		Clark Kent, alias Kal-El — newspaper reporter	1938 — Detective Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster
The Wasp		Janet Van Dyne — flighty heiress	1963 — Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Wonder Man (old)		Fred Carson — unknown	1939 — Wonder Comics. Created by Will Eisner. One issue only because DC Comics claimed copy infringement with its Superman character and sued.
Wonder Man (new)		Simon Williams — industrialist	1964 — Wonder Comics. Created by Stan Lee, and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby
Wonder Woman		Diana Prince (Trevor) — secretary, nurse	1941 — All Star Comics. Created by William Moulton Marston
Yellowjacket (5)		Henry Pym — biochemist	1962 — Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby
Yellowjacket (5)		Vince Harley — unkown	1944 — Charlton Comics. Creators unknown
Zorro		Don Diego de la Vega — wealthy ranchero	1920 — All-Story Weekly magazine. Created by Johnston McCulley
—— (1) Not to be confused with Captain Comet or Comet the superhorse. (2) grand-uncle of The Lone Ranger (3) Britt Reid, the Green Hornet, was the son (or grandson) of the nephew of John Reid, the Lone Ranger. John and his brother Dan, who was killed in an ambush that led to John becoming the Lone Ranger, had a silver mine that produced the Reid fortune inherited by Britt. (4) This is not the Sandman who was Garrett Sanford, or who was William Baker. (5) Also known as Ant-Man, Giant-Man, and Goliath.