In Action Comics #100 (July 1946), Superman is beset by a Scotland Yard detective who is convinced that Clark Kent is Superman. In one attempt, Clark is completely doused in perfume so he seeks out an acid bath at Star Chemical Works. Is this a precursor to S.T.A.R Labs? 🙂
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In “The Death of Clark Kent” from Superman #42 (July 1946), after returning two months earlier than expected from an arctic expedition, Clark Kent gets caught in a sewer gas explosion in front of Lois Lane. To protect his secret identity, Superman is forced to make it appear as if Clark Kent has died. This […]
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Throughout the eighty-plus years that Superman has been around, Lois Lane has discovered Clark’s secret identity probably dozens of times. But in Superman #34 (March 1945), Lois discovers his secret for the very first time. In what can maybe be considered the first “imaginary” story, Clark sees his future in a crystal ball and learns […]
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Steve Trevor suspects that Diana is Wonder Woman for the first time in Sensation Comics #20 (June 1943). He aggressively tries to take her glasses off in anger, but she gets out of by using super-ventriloquism and hopping out a window to meet Steve at the door as Wonder Woman.
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Lois Lane is proposed to by an obnoxious millionaire in Action Comics #61, (April 1943)… and she accepts. This forces Superman into the realization that he cares for Lois. He decides on a drastic step, to reveal his identity: … but she doesn’t believe him. In the end, it turns out Lois was only accepting […]
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A neat story in which Billy Batson is transported 1000 years into the future results in a mixup when he tries to change into Captain Marvel by saying Shazam! I thought it was interesting is the clarification that Captain Marvel seems to be a completely different persona than Billy, and is just “answering” Billy’s call. […]
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In Superman #19 (September 1942), we find what I can only assume is an intentionally-whimsical story in which Clark Kent takes Lois Lane to the movies and Clark has to prevent Lois from seeing key parts of the Superman cartoon to protect his actual secret identity from being discovered. Of course this makes no sense […]
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In Marvel Mystery Comics #32 (April 1942), the Red Skull unmasks Captain America and discovers his secret identity as Steve Rogers. I believe this is the first time a villain learns the secret identity of a costumed hero and survives.
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In All-American Comics #35 (December 1941), for the first time, a superhero’s secret identity is revealed to one of the supporting cast. Doiby Dickles learns that Green Lantern is actually his friend Alan Scott.
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In Sensation Comics #1 (November 1941), Wonder Woman arrives in America with Steve Trevor and proceeds to foil a bank robbery, come up with a secret identity as a military nurse named Diana Prince, save Steve from falling to his death in aerial combat, foil Nazis parachutists, and destroy an entire poison gas facility. Pretty […]
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