Secret identities and superheroes go hand in hand and the heroes of Marvel are no different. While secret identities haven't been as big a deal as they were in the past, many heroes still use them as a way to both separate their private lives from their superhero ones and protect their loved ones. Even the most respected heroes of the Marvel Universe have and still use secret identities and some of them defend them with their lives.
Marvel has been telling amazing stories for decades and many heroes have had to find interesting ways to deal with their identities leaking out over the years.
10 S.H.I.E.L.D. Does It For Them
S.H.I.E.L.D. and the heroes of the Marvel Universe have had an interesting relationship over the years. While some heroes have worked for the spy agency, like Cap, Wolverine, and Black Widow, just as many have been hunted by it. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. has proven useful over the years in a lot of little ways and one of those is keeping heroes' identities secret.
S.H.I.E.L.D. knows just about everything about the heroes and they know that they make their job much easier. S.H.I.E.L.D. has stepped in for many heroes over the years, protecting their identities and allowing them to keep fighting the good fight.
9 They Can Shapeshift
One of the best-known shapeshifters in the Marvel Universe is Mystique but there are others, like Hulkling or Morph. They have one of the easiest ways to stop someone from figuring out their identities - they can just shape change. Even if someone walks in on a shapeshifter in their civilian identity, how would they know?
Someone like Mystique has used multiple identities over the years; Hulkling looks very different in his civilian guise than he does in his heroic one. Shapeshifters have the most options for protecting their identity and can have a lot of fun with it.
8 Professor X Has Mindwiped Secret Identities From Foes' Minds A Lot
There are lots of Marvel characters that can change minds- literally - but no hero has done it as much as Professor X has. Professor X is notorious for using his mental powers on people in ways that most would consider unethical and there have been loads of times over the years that he's erased the secret identities of the X-Men from people's minds before.
He's not the only telepath who has done this sort of thing but he's probably most notorious for it. Professor X has never met a mind he didn't want to change in some way.
7 The X-Men Faked Their Deaths And Walked Through The Siege Perilous
While the X-Men no longer care who knows who they are, for a while it was a big deal for them. One time, they had to figure out a way to get the information out of public circulation, so they went the tried and true method- faked their deaths. Then, they walked through the Arthurean artifact the Siege Perilous and it helped even more.
It transported them to a disused Reaver base in the Australian Outback and made it so they couldn't be recorded by a technological device. This allowed them to operate while the world thought they were dead without being discovered.
6 Iron Man Has Let His Armor Do The Talking
Iron Man used to be very particular about guarding his secret identity and he had several ways he did it. One of those was for Tony Stark and Iron Man to appear in the same place and he was able to pull this off rather simply - by programming his armor to allow it to operate autonomously. This would make the public think they were two different people.
It was a simple fix and one that was no problem for Iron Man as problems like this were perfectly in his wheelhouse. On top of that, this autopilot feature saved his life when he was unconscious or too injured to function since the armor could fly him to safety when it was activated. For a man who built so many armors, this was the perfect fix.
5 Thor Used To Transform Into His Secret Identity
Thor has been through a lot of changes over the years and one thing that changed is the fact that he used to have a secret identity. When he was first sent to Earth, he was bonded with Dr. Donald Blake and when he needed to become Thor, he would bang his walking stick on the ground, transforming it into Mjolinir and him into Thor.
This would be his method of keeping his identity secret for years - no one ever suspected that he was Blake or Jake Olsen when he had a secret identity. It was a perfect way of hiding who he was from his foes.
4 They're Too Nerdy For Anyone To Believe They're Superheroes
This one is actually pretty common but Spider-Man pioneered it. Lots of superheroes' secret identities aren't exactly the most gung ho - simply put, they're nerds. Whether it's because of their bookish disposition, a proclivity for liking superheroes a little too much, or they're just in some way, shape, or form different from the norm, it's been a pretty good way for superheroes to hide who they are for years.
It's often hard for people to believe that someone like Peter Parker could be Spider-Man. He's a shy, awkward, nerdy guy and people just can't see him any other way. This has worked for lots of heroes over the years; it's a surefire way to keep secret identities secret.
3 The Villains Know But Don't Tell Anyone
Green Goblin knows who Spider-Man is. He's known for almost the entire time that Spider-Man has been Spider-Man but he hasn't told a soul. Sabretooth knows who Wolverine is but he doesn't exactly blab it around. In fact, a lot of villains know who their foes are but don't tell.
There are lots of reasons for this - Green Goblin wants to personally hurt Peter Parker, so he isn't going to tell. Ock has a grudging respect for Parker and the people he loves, so he won't tell anyone. Sabretooth just likes to have something he can hold over Wolverine's head. Regardless of the reason, many villains keep the heroes' secrets for them.
2 Tony Stark Had James Rhodes Take Over As Iron Man
Stark was pretty relentless about keeping his secret for a long time and he did this in a lot of ways. Besides the armor's autopilot, he once had his pilot, and future War Machine, James Rhodes pose as Iron Man in public appearances. For a time, Rhodes even was Iron Man instead of Stark, allowing the wealthy industrialist to shed more doubt on who wore the helmet.
Rhodes would prove to be a great Iron Man and eventually, Stark would build him his own armor. Putting someone else in the armor is a simple and ingenious way that Stark protected his identity as Iron Man.
1 Spider-Man Made A Deal With Mephisto To Make The World Forget Who He Was
Spider-Man has always looked for father figures, so when Tony Stark took him under his wing, Spider-Man was ready to do anything for him. This included revealing his identity on national TV, a move that would backfire when Spider-Man realized just how bad Stark was during Civil War. It would lead to Aunt May being shot and Spider-Man needed to not only save her but put the secret identity genie back in the bottle.
He ended up making a deal with Mephisto in the infamous One More Day, trading his marriage to the demon in exchange for the world to forget who he was and for his Aunt to be healed. This was pretty much the greatest extreme anyone went to for the purpose of hiding their secret identity and people still hate it to this day.