by Joshua H. Stulman

After 14 months under Covid19 Restrictions, we are finally emerging healthier and ready to resume normal life.

To celebrate, we’re taking a look at 10 of the Greatest Unmasking Comic Covers!

10) Daredevil

Daredevil unmasked by the mob! It’s one of the greatest fears a super-hero can have. Daredevil was able to keep his identity a secret for years (despite Netflix’s constantly having Matt Murdock walking around suspiciously beaten up all the time).

Daredevil’s unmasking by the Kingpin proved a major turning point and nearly destroyed his life and the people around him.

9) Superman: Super-Crook

What a fantastic cover by Neal Adams! This late-silver age cover really jumps out with a strong horror theme and a play on the old Superman is a Super-Crook storyline. There are plenty of great unmasking “imaginary” stories about Superman, but this perhaps is the most compelling cover.

8) Captain America is Superman…Kinda

Captain America #450 saw Steve Rogers abandon his Captain “America” identity in favor of simply, “The Captain.” Hunted by the US Government/ SHIELD in a scheme orchestrated by the Red Skull, Steve Rogers was a man without a country. This storyline had two “Superman” homage covers, the first showing the famous transformation scene, and the second references the “Death of Superman” cover.

8) Batman Unmasked Again…and Again…and Again

These are my three favorite “Batman Unmasked” covers from the past 80 years of Bat-history. This storyline usually cycles every 8-10 years by various writers. Originally the story was “Imaginary” or clever disguise plots. Lately, the “Batman Unmasked” stories are keyed to comic events affecting the new comic continuity.

7) Jim Rhodes Becomes Iron Man

While not technically an “unamsking,” Iron Man # 170 marks Jim Rhodes taking up the Iron Man armor after Tony Stark’s alcoholism relapse. The cover is meant to shock readers with the tag line “An Iron Man You’ve Never Seen Before” and revelation that Iron Man is now Black. But if you were a regular Iron Man reader during the 80’s, the story wouldn’t have come as much of a surprise, since Jim Rhodes had been Tony Stark’s right hand man since his introduction in Iron Man # 118. Even Reed Richards isn’t really phased when Jim Rhodes needs to repair his armor during the first Secret Wars and asks Mr. Fantastic if he’s shocked to see a black man in the armor. Reed just nonchalantly replies that he really hadn’t given it any thought. Iron Man # 170 was written by Denny O’Neil, who had success at DC co-creating the company’s first black super-hero, Green Lantern Jon Stewart, over a decade earlier.

6) Green Lantern Unmasked

Some superheroes are always unmasked. Although this is pretty rare, The Fantastic Four are certainly the best known, but at least they still get codenames. Unfortunately, Green Lanterns Jon Stewart and Guy Gardner weren’t really afforded even that. They’ve always been known by their names and have lived their super-hero lives in the public.

5) Spider-Man Unmasked By The Green Goblin

While Spider-Man’s identity was known to the viewer since day 1, a long standing secret was the Green Goblin’s identity. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko kept the mystery for over 2 years until Amazing Spider-Man # 39. But the two creators couldn’t agree on the villain’s identity. Comic industry myths attribute the disagreement to Steve Ditko quitting Spider-Man forever and leaving Marvel Comics. Amazing Spider-Man # 39 was the debut of Ditko’s replacement, John Romita, who created one of the most iconic Spider-Man covers of all time for this issue. Why is this issue so important? Because the Green Goblin becomes the first person to learn Spider-Man’s identity… for real!

4) Lex Luthor Discovers Superman’s Identity

Not a trick or imaginary story, Lex Luther discovers Superman’s secret identity thanks to artist/writer John Byrne. John Byrne’s run on Superman is no doubt the greatest series of Superman comics ever told and Superman # 2 does not disappoint! Are we going to ruin this fantastic ending… nope! You’ll just have to get a copy to find out.

3) The New “Ultimate” Spider-Man

Taking a page from Denny O’Neil’s writing decades before, Marvel decided to replace Spider-Man with a young black/hispanic teenager, Miles Morales. While they didn’t have enough guts to do this in the main Marvel continuity, they were successful in replacing Spider-Man in the “Ultimate” universe. The character became so popular that they brought him into the regular continuity and later was featured in Sony’s “Into the Spider-Verse” film.

2) Snake Eyes Unmasked

G.I. Joe was a huge success right when it started. You probably think its because of the cartoon series, right? Well the Marvel comic and Hasbro toyline were first! While the cartoon series would center on Duke as the main character in the first season, the comic series went in a different direction focussing on the mysterious Snake Eyes. The silent ninja commando’s identity and backstory was teased several times over 6 years before readers got a clear look at the face behind the visor in GI Joe # 93.

1 Lois Lane Learns Superman’s Identity

While it may be an obvious choice for the #1 slot on this list, its also the most important reveal in comic history. Superman is after all the original Super-Hero. So much of his story has revolved around hiding his secret identity from his romantic love interest, Lois Lane. Unlike the countless stories before, Lois Lane learns that Clark Kent is Superman in Action Comics # 662, over 50 years after their first meeting in Action Comics # 1. This reveal allowed Superman comics to mature and see Lois and Clark married and eventually have a child. It’s this story that helped bring a sense of realism that was missing from the character.

Joshua H. Stulman

Owner, Brooklyn Comic Shop