For other uses of this term, please see Secret identity (disambiguation). Secret identity may mean: Secret identity, an alternate persona used to conceal a persons true identity, often associated with fictional characters such as superheroes Secret Identity, a 2006 novel based on the television series Lost My Secret Identity, a 1980s television series about a teenage superhero Superman: Secret Identity...

A secret identity is the practice of hiding a person's identity so the actual identity of the person is not known or suspected.

Legal uses of secret identity include people placed under witness protection programs to protect witnesses in criminal trials from retaliation from the criminal organizations they inform against. Law enforcement and intelligence agents often use secret identities in undercover operations in order to infiltrate criminal or foreign organizations for the purposes of investigations. Entertainers like professional wrestlers sometimes hide their identities beyond simple ring names in order create an appealing mystique for the audience. In the United States, the Witness Protection Program (also known as WITSEC) is established by the Witness Protection Act, which in turn sets out the manner in which the U.S. Attorney General may provide for the relocation and protection of a witness or potential witness of the federal government... Look up Undercover in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Professional wrestling is generally any form of wrestling in which the wrestlers receive payment for participating. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Writers also often use pseudonyms in order to hide their identity. In some cases, such as with James Tiptree, Jr, the writer will use a pseudonym because the image required by the genre does not match the writer's actual identity. In the case of Richard Bachman, Stephen King wanted to know whether his writing as an "unknown" writer would get as much interest as his non-pseudonym work. Finally, a writer who produces several independent series of works featuring different recurring characters (such as John Creasey) or who writes in different genres or styles (such as Nora Roberts) may use different names for each one. A pseudonym (Greek: false name) is a fictitious name used by an individual as an alternative to his or her legal name. ... James Tiptree, Jr. ... // Richard Bachman Richard Bachmans author photo. ... For other people named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... John Creasey (September 17, 1908 – June 9, 1973) was born in Southfields, Surrey, England and died in Tucson Arizona, USA. He was the seventh of nine children in a working class home. ... Nora Roberts (b. ...

In politics, the assumption of a secret identity is sometimes used to avoid adverse political consequences of an identity being publicized. Famous secret identities in politics include Deep Throat, the initially unnamed source for Watergate information and X, who wrote a famous essay outlining the United States policy of containment. W. Mark Felt, on the set of CBSs Face the Nation in 1976. ... The Watergate building. ... The X Article, formally titled The Sources of Soviet Conduct, was published in Foreign Affairs in July 1947. ...

On the Internet, an alias or nickname is often used for privacy and abbreviation. (See also Internet friendship and Sherry Turkle's academic work.) A pseudonym (Greek: false name) is a fictitious name used by an individual as an alternative to his or her legal name. ... // A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or things real name (for example, Bob, Rob, Robby, Robbie, Robi, Bobby, Rab, Bert, Bertie, Butch, Bobbers, Bobert, Bobadito, Robban, (in Sweden), is short for Robert). ... Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to stop information about themselves from becoming known to people other than those whom they choose to give the information. ... It has been suggested that Apocopation be merged into this article or section. ... Internet friendships are friendships between people who have met online, and in some cases know each other only via the Internet. ... Sherry Turkle (born 1948) is a clinical psychologist and a professor of Science, Technology and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ...

Secret identities of real people include:

• James Tiptree, Jr (Alice Sheldon)
• Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
• X (George F. Kennan)
• "Anonymous" (Joe Klein), the author of Primary Colors
• Deep Throat (W. Mark Felt), the Watergate informant
• Publius (Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay), the authors of the Federalist Papers
• The Residents
• The Guerilla Girls
• Slipknot
• Dietrich Knickerbocker (Washington Irving)
• The Aquabats!

James Tiptree, Jr. ... James Tiptree, Jr (August 24, 1915 – May 19, 1987) was the pen name of science fiction author Alice Sheldon. ... // Richard Bachman Richard Bachmans author photo. ... For other people named Stephen King, see Stephen King (disambiguation). ... George Frost Kennan (February 16, 1904 – March 17, 2005) was an American advisor, diplomat, political scientist, and historian, best known as the father of containment and as a key figure in the emergence of the Cold War. ... Joe Klein (b. ... Primary Colors, a 1996 novel by Anonymous (later revealed by Donald Foster to be journalist Joe Klein), is a roman à clef about U.S. President Bill Clintons first presidential campaign in 1992. ... W. Mark Felt, on the set of CBSs Face the Nation in 1976. ... W. Mark Felt on the set of CBSs Face the Nation in 1976. ... The Watergate building. ... Title page of an early Federalist compilation. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... James Madison (March 16, 1751 – June 28, 1836) was the fourth (1809–1817) President of the United States. ... John Jay (December 12, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American politician, statesman, revolutionary, diplomat and jurist. ... An advertisement for The Federalist The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles arguing for the ratification of the United States Constitution. ... The Residents The Residents are an avant garde music and visual arts group. ... The Guerrilla Girls are a group of feminist artists. ... Slipknot is a Nu Metal band located in Des Moines, Iowa, formed in 1992 and currently signed to Roadrunner Records. ... Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American author of the early 19th century. ... The Aquabats are a musical ensemble from Southern California known for their humorous lyrics and outrageous live shows, during which the band is often attacked by supervillains onstage. ...

Secret identities in fiction

In fiction, secret identities are typical elements of crimefighters, vigilantes and superheroes who hide their identities both to preserve a private life and protect their loved ones from retaliation from their enemies. A vigilante is someone who takes enforcement of law or moral code into his or her own hands. ... Superman and Batman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ...

Early examples of the secret identity include The Scarlet Pimpernel and Zorro. The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the French Revolution. ... El Zorro (Guy Williams) Zorro, Spanish for fox, is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega (originally Don Diego Vega), a fictional nobleman and master swordsman living in Spanish-era California. ...

The genre with which secret identities are most associated is the American comic book. Superman is generally considered to be the first modern day superhero (while not quite the first costumed crimefighter) and his alter-ego, mild mannered reporter Clark Kent, helped popularize the secret identity throughout the medium, while sparking several trademark superhero clichés. These included the adoption of a timid persona for an everyday identity, wearing of the heroic costume beneath the character's everyday clothes, and the phrase "this looks like a job for..." when switching between identities. A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Superman, also known as The Man of Steel, is a fictional character regarded as the most influential and popular superhero of DC Comics. ... Superman and Batman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ... Superman and his secret identity Clark Kent being portrayed as distinct individuals. ...

As costumed crimefighters fell out of fashion in the years following World War II, comic book and pulp fiction writers increasingly relied on 'shock value' stories (most of which would be resolved as being mere daydreams or other such 'imaginary stories') to prop up flagging sales. One gimmick frequently employed was a cover or opening splash panel which promised the final exposing of a hero or heroine's secret identity. But by the time the comic book entered its renaissance in the 1960's the secret identity was either used more intelligently (as with Spider-Man) or not used at all (as with the Fantastic Four). Recent times have continued this trend, with the secret identity no longer having the same level of prominence nor function as in the early days of the superhero genre. Combatants Allies: Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France/Free France, United States, China, Canada, India, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Burma, Slovakia Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... The Fantastic Four is Marvel Comics flagship superhero team, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuting in The Fantastic Four #1 (Nov. ... Superman and Batman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ...

The artistic purpose of the secret identity on the part of the writers is that it allows the characters to have ordinary lives which can allow for human drama as well as create tension with the effort needed to preserve the secret. This can include challenges such as throwing off the suspicions of associates who suspect and the need to quickly improvise means to get out of sight to change identities. It has also been argued that some superhuman characters benefit from an 'everyman' aspect to their makeup, giving them a link to their audience. A prime example being early comic book superhero Captain Marvel, whose secret identity was a mere schoolboy named Billy Batson - a deliberate attempt to play on the daydreams of a young readership. The same can be said for Peter Parker, Spider-Man's luckless teenage alter-ego. A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Superman and Batman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ... Captain Marvel is a comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ...

A costumed crimefighter might refer to their alternate identity as a "nom de guerre" (a literal usage of a French term for a pen name), and more than one supervillain has been punnishly referred to as having a "nom du crime". A pen name or nom de plume is a pseudonym adopted by an author. ... Doctor Doom, one of the most archetypal supervillains and his arch-enemies The Fantastic Four (in background). ... It has been suggested that dajare be merged into this article or section. ...

The secret identities can be multi-layered; for example, Superman, The Shadow and Moon Knight all have real names, adopted identities and crimefighting codenames. Sometimes the distinction as to which identity is the "real" one is blurred; it has been said that Clark Kent pretends to be Superman, while Batman pretends to be Bruce Wayne rather than vice versa. Superman, also known as The Man of Steel, is a fictional character regarded as the most influential and popular superhero of DC Comics. ... Who knows what evil lurks?—The Shadow, as seen on the cover of the July 15, 1939 issue of The Shadow Magazine. ... Moon Knight is an Egyptian-themed comic book superhero from Marvel Comics. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-man, and still sometimes as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ...

Famous fictional characters with secret identities include:

• Prince Adam - Secret Identity of He-Man
• Princess Adora - Secret Identity of She-Ra
• Kent Allard, Lamont Cranston - Secret identities of The Shadow
• Billy Batson - Secret identity of Captain Marvel
• Kimberly, Trini, Jason, Zack, Billy, and Tommy - Secret identities of the original Power Rangers
• Sir Percy Blakeney - Secret identity of The Scarlet Pimpernel
• Diana Prince - Obsolete secret identity of Wonder Woman
• Don Diego De La Vega - Secret identity of Zorro
• Jay Garrick, Barry Allen, Wally West - Secret identities of different incarnations of The Flash, although all eventually became public
• Betty Kane, Barbara Gordon, Cassandra Cain - Secret identities of different incarnations of Batgirl
• Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Timothy Drake, Stephanie Brown, Carrie Kelly - Secret identities of different incarnations of Robin
• Conan Edogawa- secret identity of Jimmy Kudo/Shin'ichi Kudo
• Selina Kyle - Secret identity of Catwoman
• Peter Parker - Secret identity of Spider-Man
• Britt Reid - Secret identity of The Green Hornet
• Clark Kent - Secret identities of Superman and Superboy
• Linda Lee, Linda Danvers, Kara Kent - Secret identity of Supergirl
• John Reid - Secret identity of The Lone Ranger
• Steve Rogers, John Walker - Secret identities of Captain America
• Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner - Secret identities of Green Lantern
• Shoeshine Boy - Secret identity of Underdog
• Bertram Wraydon - Secret identity of Spring Heeled Jack
• Eric Twinge - Secret identity of Bananaman
• Kit Walker - Secret identity of The Phantom
• Bruce Wayne - Secret identity of Batman
• David Webb - Secret identity of Jason Bourne
• Rock Light - Original name/Secret identity of Mega Man
• Blues Light - Original name/Secret identity of Proto Man. See also Breakman.
• Usagi Tsukino - Secret identity of Sailor Moon
• Wario - (Not-so-)Secret identity of Wario-Man
• Sheik - Secret identity of Princess Zelda from The Legend of Zelda
• Stella Anne Johnson-Secret identity of Eyren Wind "Mutant Angels"

Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... She-Ra She-Ra was the heroic female lead in a series of toys produced by Mattel called She-Ra: Princess of Power. ... Who knows what evil lurks?—The Shadow, as seen on the cover of the July 15, 1939 issue of The Shadow Magazine. ... Captain Marvel is a comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. ... Kimberly as the Pink Ranger Kimberly Ann Hart is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe. ... Trini Kwan portrayed by Thuy Trang Trini Kwan is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe. ... Austin St. ... Zachary Zack Taylor is a fictional character in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television series, played by Walter Jones. ... Billy Cranston is a fictional character in the Power Rangers universe. ... The teenaged Tommy Oliver in his unmorphed state For the musician, see Tommy Oliver (Musician). ... Power Rangers is an ongoing, American franchise of superhero childrens television programs. ... The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic adventure novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, set during the French Revolution. ... Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine. ... El Zorro (Guy Williams) Zorro, Spanish for fox, is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega (originally Don Diego Vega), a fictional nobleman and master swordsman living in Spanish-era California. ... Barry Allen as the Flash. ... Cassandra Cain, is a fictional character in the DC Universe, and was the most recent Batgirl. ... Batgirl is a DC Comics superhero, a female crime-fighter modeled after and associated with Batman. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Nightwing. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Timothy Tim Drake is a DC Comics fictional superhero who, as Robin, is Batmans sidekick but also a young hero in his own right. ... A classic image of Batman and Robin reinterpreted by painter Alex Ross. ... A classic image of Batman and Robin reinterpreted by painter Alex Ross. ... Jimmy Kudo, known as Shinichi Kudo (工藤 新一 Kudō Shinichi) in the original Japanese anime and manga, is the main character of the anime and manga Case Closed, known in Japan as Detective Conan. ... Catwoman is a DC Comics character, associated with the Batman franchise and created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... The Green Hornet (above) and Kato (below). ... Superman, also known as The Man of Steel, is a fictional character regarded as the most influential and popular superhero of DC Comics. ... Superboy is the name of several DC Comics superheroes, all of them youthful incarnations of Superman. ... Various incarnations of Supergirl (from left to right): Original Kara Zor-El, Matrix, Kara in the 70s, Modern Kara, Linda Danvers, Power Girl, and Kara from Crisis on Infinite Earths. ... The Lone Ranger. ... Captain America, the alter ego of Steve Rogers (in some accounts Steven Grant Rogers), is a fictional superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... Cover to Green Lantern: Rebirth #6, art by Ethan Van Sciver. ... Underdog was an animated superhero TV show that debuted on October 3, 1964, on the NBC network and continued until 1973 for a run of approximately 120 episodes. ... Spring Heeled Jack (Illustration circa 1890). ... Bananaman is a British comic fictional character. ... The Phantom is a comic strip created by Lee Falk (also creator of Mandrake the Magician), recounting the adventures of a costumed crime-fighter called the Phantom. ... Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-man, and still sometimes as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional character and superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ... David Webb can refer to: David Webb (footballer), an English football (soccer) player and manager. ... Mega Man (alternatively spelled Megaman) is a video game character and the star of the main Mega Man series created by Capcom. ... Usagi Tsukino ), also known as Sailor Moon, is the main and title character of the anime and manga Sailor Moon, and the de jure leader of the group known as the Sailor Senshi. ... This article or section needs a complete rewrite for the reasons listed on the talk page. ... Wario ) is a fictional Nintendo video-game character with a Sicilian accent/dialect who was created as an antagonist to Mario and has since become the protagonist of his own games. ... Princess Zelda ) is a fictional character in the Legend of Zelda series of video games. ...

See also

• Super Hero Identities
• pen names
• 12. Secret Identities http://vlib.iue.it/carrie/texts/carrie_books/paksoy-7/ from IDENTITIES: How Governed, Who Pays? (Carrie, 2001)