Editing Secret identity (section)

{{Short description|Personal identity less known to a public than another identity}}
A '''secret identity''' is a person's [[code name|cryptonym]], [[disguise|incognito]], [[Cover (intelligence gathering)|cover]] and/or [[alter ego]] which is not known to the general populace, most often used in [[fiction]]. Brought into [[popular culture]] by [[the Scarlet Pimpernel]] in 1903, the concept was widespread in pulp heroes and is particularly prevalent in the [[American comic book]] genre, and is a trope of the [[Masquerade (trope)|masquerade]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Markowitz |first1=Judith A. |title=Robots That Kill: Deadly Machines and Their Precursors in Myth, Folklore, Literature, Popular Culture and Reality |date=2019 |publisher=McFarland |page=105}}</ref>

In American comic books, a character typically has dual identities, one overt and one covert. The false or ''public identity'' being known to the general public as the "[[superhero]] persona" and the other being the secret identity. The private or secret identity is typically the superhero's [[legal name]], true identity, and/or "[[civilian]] persona" when they are not actively assuming the superhero persona. It is kept hidden from their enemies and the general public to protect themselves from legal ramifications, pressure, or public scrutiny, as well as to protect their friends and loved ones from harm secondary to their actions as superheroes.