I Can’t Believe You Didn’t Tell Me. Now Get Out!
Yet another aspect of a secret identity that we should address involves an often-overlooked cost, the kind you can never recover. Consider a common governmental and business conundrum: When a business or government agency ploughs forward with a project that is well over-budget, but “so much time and effort has been put into it, we can’t quit now”, they are asking for problems. When cost overruns occur, the firm should stop and consider: If we keep going, will the future benefits outweigh the additional costs? If their focus is on the blood, sweat, and tears that have already been poured into a project then they are focusing on the sunk costs. This is a natural reaction. The more effort you put into something, the more intensely connected you are to it. When those emotional links override a rational response, you are succumbing to the sunk cost fallacy.
This fallacy applies to relationships as well. People often continue dating someone because they have invested so much time in that person that it would be a shame to break up with them now, despite the fact that they make you miserable. Other times, a bond of trust is broken and it may be irreparable. In either case, an economist would say “don’t think about what has happened in the past, that’s a sunk cost. Rather, consider whether the future holds more promise than the costs of continuing the relationship.”
Those trust bonds are usually strained when a secret identity is not shared with someone close to the hero. Family and friends of superheroes who are not privy to the hero’s secret are often left aghast when an identity is revealed. They are hurt that they weren’t in on the secret. Human relationships are tricky. It is much more difficult to forget than to forgive, and while such resentments can poison relationships, it is more likely that a jilted lover will cling to the hurt of a sharp word than let the harm go. Sometimes it is the person on the delivering side of an argument who can’t forget what they said. Taking back an insult isn’t possible. A lie can’t be undone.
This leads to the breakdown of relationships and introspection on the part of the hero contemplating any number of “what if?” scenarios. While this is a common refrain, economists look at such behavior and shrug. It’s a sunk cost. You can’t retroactively tell someone the truth. Salvaging the relationship will require forward-looking interactions.
The Flash provides a good example of this. In one of the earliest iterations of the Flash’s origin story, The Flash #105, we see Barry Allen being hit by a combination of chemicals and lightning. Leaving the police crime lab late, he is worried about catching a cab before it pulls away and he starts running (Broome and Infantino, 1959). The rest, as they say, is history. In retrospect, he thinks to himself “I vowed that no one—not even Iris—must ever know that Flash and Barry Allen are the same person” (p. 6). This closely guarded secret becomes a sticking point for a future story arc. Flash forward (see what I did there?) to the Flash Rebirth series #25 (Williamson and Di Giandomenico, 2017). One of Barry’s oldest foes, Eobard Thawne (aka the Reverse Flash, or sometimes Zoom),9 reveals to Iris that Barry is the Flash. Thawne then takes Barry and Iris on a tour of what their life might be like, filled with scenes of Barry missing out on their children growing up. The kids turn rogue, a result that Thawne blames on Barry being an absentee father. As Iris processes the fact that Barry is the Flash, and Barry tries to apologize for not telling her, it seems as if their relationship is falling apart before the reader’s eyes. Barry’s response is that they can make a new life together now that everything is out in the open, but Iris isn’t so sure and asks Barry to leave. What both characters need to realize is that these costs have been incurred and cannot be undone. Iris understands that keeping his identity under wraps was to protect her, but she finds Barry’s lack of faith in her disturbing.
Yet, in comics there are some relationships that readers root for. Iris and Barry are a long-running couple. It would be an injustice if these two didn’t end up together, but the sunk costs could prevent it. Similarly, we see rocky roads for other couples due to past indiscretions. Jean Grey and Scott Summers overcome all sorts of skeletons in the closet—not least of which is Jean becoming a cosmic force of destruction. Green Arrow and Black Canary have a love-hate relationship that works because neither lets the other’s past interfere with the present. A similar tale could be told for Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. The relationships that work are the ones in which the actors let the past remain in the past. Bygones are bygones. Sunk costs don’t interfere with what the future holds.
I Can’t Remember Who I Told About My Hero Work
This brings up one final cost concern. Once the initial shock of an identity reveal wears off, a hero and their love interest are more closely bound together. We might think it is because of the bond of trust but there might be another reason. David Friedman (1996) raises an interesting question in his book The Hidden Order. Why do people stay married? The answer, in typical economist fashion, has nothing to do with love but rather is based on a cost benefit calculation. Once you are in a relationship you develop what Friedman calls “firm-specific capital” (p. 318). In other words, the partners establish roles and specializations within the confines of their union that are worthless outside of it. Not only this, but there are shared experiences and secrets that are valuable as long as the couple remains together. If you ditch these and try to start over with someone else, you incur costs as you try to reestablish roles and memories with someone new. These transaction costs raise the costs of separating and lead people to conclude that changing partners isn’t worth it. When you are in a superhero relationship that little secret identity thing raises the transaction costs of separating even more.
In the comics, there are some classic relationships that fans expect to last over time: Clark Kent and Lois Lane, Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) and Steve Trevor, Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Sharon Carter, Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and Carol Ferris, Barry Allen and Iris West. The key here is that there is a hero and a normal, non-powered person and despite many ups and downs, these characters stay together. Even when someone dies they rarely stay dead and the relationship is revived. As a result, the hero remains true to a particular person. This may seem romantic, but by displaying a partiality to monogamy, the sharing of the secret identity is limited to one person and transaction costs of relationship building are kept under control. Unlike Nightwing, Peter Parker, or Starfire, the superhero versions of swingers who would have to keep their alter ego from (or share their alter ego with) a number of different people thereby raising the probability that they will be outed, the classic comic romances allow you to more easily keep your identity secret by minimizing transactions costs.
Like a Good Neighbor …
Secret identities are peculiar. Dressing up in tights and masks might be good for Halloween but doing so on a regular basis gets you some sideways looks. Yet there is one final, very practical reason why an otherwise normal person would don spandex before putting their life in danger. It’s a low-cost insurance policy.
Insurance is a device that exists to protect people against unexpected events. Car insurance pays to repair the damage you incur in an automobile accident. If you are at fault, your insurance pays to fix your car and cover medical bills. If you hit someone else, you pay for the damage done to them as well. Presumably the incident was accidental, and because you don’t expect automobile accidents to occur, you haven’t prepared for that eventuality by setting aside a sum of money. You do, however, pay a monthly premium to your insurer to cover you if such a mishap occurs. Home owner’s insurance is the same. If a fire ravishes your home, it would be catastrophic. The expense of repairing that structure is likely to be more than a family could bear. Thus, you have insurance to compensate you for such a calamity.
Costumes function in a very similar way. By fighting crime you place a target on your own back and on the backs of your loved ones. Since comic book prisons typically don’t do a very good job of holding the criminals once they are captured (more on this
in Chapter 6), it is important that the hero does something to ensure the safety of those in their sphere. Instead of paying a company a premium to protect those they hold dear, a hero dons a mask. Isn’t it remarkable how a piece of black cloth over someone’s eyes prevents a friend, family member, or co-worker from realizing who is behind it? Clark Kent removes his glasses and he might as well have green skin he is so unrecognizable. Oliver Queen’s goatee is identifiable from the moon, unless he has a green hood on. Deadpool and Spider-Man at least cover their entire faces, whereas Batgirl, Captain America, Huntress, and Iron Fist only have limited coverage. Still, these attempts to maintain anonymity do the job for the most part. In the hero world, managing risk is an everyday occurrence, one dealt with by protecting your identity.
Lex and Lois
Keeping a secret isn’t the easiest thing in the world of comics, but the ignorance of some of the characters is astounding. How could you not know that Clark Kent is Superman? Lois Lane once reflects on the coincidence that when Clark Kent leaves town, Superman is nowhere to be seen. When she connects the dots she almost immediately dismisses the idea, chiding herself “Lois Lane, that’s the stupidest idea in the world” (Loeb and Sale, 1999, p. 165).
Lest we treat Lois too harshly, sometimes the smartest man in the room can’t see the evidence even when it is right in front of his nose. In an attempt to determine the secret identity of the Man of Steel, Lex Luthor runs a remarkably complex computer program, filled with data from a variety of sources. He is certain that the computer will be able to solve the mystery that has been plaguing him for years. When the results are spit out, Luthor is apoplectic. He can’t imagine that, despite his great mind and complex algorithm, the computer could provide such an absurd pronouncement: “Clark Kent is Superman!” His incredulity is based on the premise that having such power would enable him to take over the world, but Superman does not pursue those ends. Instead, he uses his power for good. Luthor rants “I know that no man with the power of Superman would ever pretend to be a mere human! Such power is to be constantly exploited. Such power is to be used!” He then proceeds to fire the data analyst who reached the correct conclusion, saying “I have no place in my organization for people who cannot see the obvious!” (Byrne and Austin, 1987). This is, perhaps, the greatest protector of an identity: Acting in a way that is contrary to the expectations of the world.
Don’t Violate the Code
Interestingly, heroes often know the truth. Revealing a secret identity to a fellow hero is a part of the code. As time goes on and the storylines of heroes begin to intertwine, we see an expansion of the characters’ personalities and a deepening of their relationships. When partnerships are formed, they rely on trust, and the ultimate show of trust is revealing one’s identity. Batman and Robin always know each other’s alter ego. Working as closely as they do, it is essential. In stories of the Justice League we see, with some degree of surprise, the characters calling each other by their real names. Flash and Green Lantern are good friends. It would be weird to use those hero names all the time. Green Arrow and Black Canary almost never call each other by anything other than first names. In the Authority, Jenny uses code names despite knowing the names of her partners, simply because she doesn’t want to slip and reveal the actual names of her teammates when they are in action (Ellis and Hitch, 1999). Barry divulges his identity to Wally West, the Kid Flash, after Wally accuses him of looking at their relationship as a one-way street where Wally should let Flash know everything without some reciprocation (Williamson and Merino, 2017).
Heroes are pretty good at keeping these secrets. Wally even keeps this secret from his Aunt Iris who, if you recall, happens to be dating Barry Allen. Exposing this most important of secrets is considered the ultimate betrayal of trust, which makes the actions of Superman in Injustice: Gods Among Us all the more baffling (Taylor and Raapack, 2013). In a battle between forces allied with Superman and those who have taken up with Batman, Superman announces to the world that Batman is Bruce Wayne. More than almost anything the maniacal Man of Steel does, this infuriates Batman the most. His sanctuary has been violated. No longer will he be able to use the Batcave as a respite.
The Answer Is …
Becoming a super-powered person sounds great but maintaining the balance between a public and a private life requires significant sacrifice. Being a superhero involves giving up part of the life you know. This means fewer parties, fewer friends, less sleep, and quite possibly a lonely personal life. Doing good is not free. Being imbued with powers, whether you must directly give up something to get those powers or not, is not costless. To protect the people you care about, you might have to keep a really big secret from them. You might have to stay away from them. Even if you do reveal the truth, there are potentially hurt feelings that you will have to deal with. The costs of being a hero are not typically monetary. They are made up of opportunities lost and things you can never get back. To protect the ones you love, mitigating the risks to them can carry a heavy burden indeed.
Endnotes
1. Nevertheless, good ole Negasonic found her way into the Deadpool movie.
2. SPOILER ALERT: Identities will be revealed in this chapter. If you do not want to know the true identities of Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, or other heroes, you may want to skip this chapter. Of course, if you do not know the true guise of these characters, I am not sure you should be reading this book. But I want you to read this book, so keep reading and ignore the spoiler alert.
3. Crackerjack is from the comic Astro City published by Vertigo, an imprint of DC Comics. Crackerjack’s alias is not mentioned in the comic.
4. Actually, Smith never referred to market forces as an invisible hand, that is an application of the idea to markets in the years since Smith’s death. In his most famous work, The Wealth of Nations (1776/1994), Smith mentions the invisible hand only once, in Chapter 4, Book 2, in the context of someone pursuing his own self-interest. That person “intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand [emphasis added] to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was not part of it. By pursuing his own interest, he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it. I have never known much good done by those who affected to trade for the public good” (p. 485).
5. These are some of the most supremely over-powered heroes in the comics. Dr Manhattan can be found in DC’s Watchmen. He can pretty much do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to, and he knows everything about everything. His cosmic awareness is off the charts, he can teleport, emit radiation as a weapon, grow or shrink to any size, and is invulnerable to any attack. Add to that a touch of apathy towards humans and you’ve got a real force to be reckoned with. Jean Grey is a member of the X-Men. In some stories she is also known as, or is part of, the Phoenix force. This otherworldly power enhanced her already formidable telekinesis abilities to the point where she could destroy the universe with just a thought. Now that’s some serious cosmic juju.
6. Although, there is a really cool store in Brooklyn called the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. where you can buy facsimiles of “Free Range Magnificence”, “100% Pure Chutzpah”, “Immortality”, “Omnipotence”, “Doom” and “Gloom”, and a number of other hero-related elixirs.
7. Other than some alternative universe plot lines where Gwen becomes Spider-Gwen, the character of Gwen Stacy has never returned to the Spider-Man universe. The shock of her death still rankles some old-time comic fans.
8. Curiously, Peter chooses to side with Iron Man in the debate over registration and voluntarily reveals his true identity at a press conference. J. Jonah Jameson passes out from shock.
9. Without getting too far into the weeds on this, Thawne has been called by both names. Thawne has been around a long time in the Flash stories, being most closely affiliated with the Reverse Flash, who first appeared in 1963. He was called Zoom on oc
casion, but a new baddie speedster, Hunter Zoloman, who came on the scene as a foil to Wally West’s Flash in 2001, is a little more closely associated with the name Zoom.
References
Broome, J. and Infantino, C. (1959). The Flash, #105. DC Comics.
Byrne, J. and Austin, T. (1987). Superman: The Secret Revealed #2. DC Comics.
Conway, G. and Kane, G. (1973). The Amazing Spider-Man, #121. Marvel Comics.
Ellis, W. and Hitch, B. (1999). The Authority, #1. DC Comics.
Friedman, D. (1996). The Hidden Order. New York: Harper Business.
Lee, S. and Ditko, S. (1964a). The Amazing Spider-Man, #17. Marvel Comics.
Lee, S. and Ditko, S. (1964b). The Amazing Spider-Man, #18. Marvel Comics.
Lee, S. and Romita, J. (1967). The Amazing Spider-Man, #50. Marvel Comics.
Loeb, J. and Sale, T. (1999). Superman: For All Seasons. Burbank, CA: DC Comics.
Millar, M. and McNiven, S. (2007). Civil War. New York: Marvel Comics.
Smith, A. (1994). An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. New York: Random House (Originally published in 1776).
Taylor, T. and Raapack, J. (2013). Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year 1, #28. DC Comics.
Williamson, J. and Di Giandomenico, C. (2017). The Flash, #25. DC Comics.
Williamson, J. and Merino, J. (2017). The Flash, #19. DC Comics.
3
Keep Your Friends Close, Or Why Do Superheroes Team Up?
Batman and Robin: One of the greatest duos of all time. They are up there with the likes of Gene and Roy,1 Bert and Ernie, Laverne and Shirley, Kirk and Spock, or Ren and Stimpy. You can never think of one without the other. In the cases of these television pairings, it was the interaction between the characters that made them great. In comedy partnerships such as Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, or Cheech and Chong, the two individuals are inseparable. The same can be said for some musical acts, although there are certainly instances when one member breaks away and achieves solo superstardom. Michael Jackson was the King of Pop, but he did have four older brothers, none of whom achieved anything after the Jackson 5 broke up. Beyoncé was a member of the group Destiny’s Child. The other former members have had middling success afterwards, but nothing close to what they achieved as members of the group. Cher was once part of the duo Sonny and Cher—one of the more unlikely pairings in entertainment history. Sonny was so distraught after the pair split (they were also married for a time) that he entered politics.2
Why Superman Doesn't Take Over the World Page 6
