Spiderman Unmasked!

As part of the current Civil War story arc in the Marvel Universe, Spiderman has doffed his mask to reveal that he is photographer Peter Parker.

Following a showdown between a group of superheroes and supervillains in which hundreds of innocent civilians are killed, the government passes the Super-Hero Registration Act, requiring all superheroes to reveal their identities and register as "living weapons of mass destruction."

Marvel's roster of invincible crime fighters is split into two bitterly opposed factions, with one camp -- championed by the likes of Spiderman -- in favour of the new law and the other, including Captain America and his ilk, refusing to relinquish anonymity.

What a shoddy story arc

Captain America has already given up his anonymity during his Marvel Knights title a few years ago. He even has conversations with a german girl on an airliner (while out of a costume) about the iconography of his shield and about breaking her grandfathers jaw during the War.

Also while Peter Parker has family and friends that revealing his identity would endanger, Cap has none of that thanks to his status as a man out of time. Granted most of Parker's friends know who he is. He even revealed his secret to Aunt May in an issue JMS wrote a while back. But they're still alive. Most of Cap's friends are either other superheroes who can take care of themselves or are dead.

It all sounds very hackneyed. Which explains why I don't pick up many comics these days.

Via Thinklings.