It depends.
DC Movies - To Infinity and Beyond
- Thread starter dahj
- Start date
Being a superhero has threats/risks beyond the understanding of the average person, There's no true way for "civilians" to understand, much less support the superhero. They become emotional baggage for the hero, as they will forever complain/worry that their loved one is constantly in danger, and that is a terrible psychological burden for someone with a job that pretty much demands they will be in life-threatening situations.
Its not a club where you're tossing out memberships to anyone who passes by the door.
Says who? It sure didn't hurt Aunt May and Mary Jane when they knew.
And they're NOT always worrying about them regardless? Get real.
The basis for Brand New Day was that the Kingpin killed Aunt May when Spider-Man revealed his identity to the world during Civil War.
Well, she was lingering on the brink of death, and Spidey made the deal with the devil after all his attempts to save her by other means failed. Also, Peter was the sniper's target, but he spider-sensed it and instinctively dodged, and May was hit instead.
But it happened because Peter revealed his identity.
Not disputing that part, just the inaccurate parts.
And prior instances where she nearly married Doc Ock or let Venom get close to her would've been averted with much less hassle from Peter if she'd known about his secret ID.
That kind of stuff seems to happen all time even when they don't know.
The main reason I prefer when heroes tell their friends and family is just because stories with the hero sneaking around, and constantly lying to everyone about why they missed an event or something drive me crazy.
I've read about some of the old comics, and he pulled some truly fucked up stuff on that poor women over the years.
I think, as with all story telling tools, it's in the application.
Exactly. Its silly to have superheroes reveal their true identities to civilians as if its the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks on a weekend get-together. Its bad enough when villains discover and exploit it: Gwen Stacy was killed by the Green Goblin, Ned Leeds kidnapped by the Jackal and hung next to explosives, Mary Jane almost died when a bomb planted by Harry Osborn detonated in Peter's apartment, and on and on.The hero willingly opening that world to the innocent exposes them to a reality they not only cannot comprehend, but it would be human nature for them to not just stand by (if written realistically) as their loved one tosses himself into one larger-than-life, potentially deadly situation after another.
There's no practical or emotional benefit in the loved ones knowing.
Most of those people end up in danger anyways through plot contrivances. Lois Lane was always put in danger via her connection to Superman even when she DIDN'T know he was Clark.
Tell that to the spouses and friends of Cops, Firefighters, Soldiers, etc.
It means the hero doesn't come off as a jerk who lies right to their loved ones' faces, for one thing.
Heck, just look at all the superhero characters who don't keep secret identities. The Fantastic Four, John Stewart, Wally West (in the 90s and 2000s), Wonder Woman (most versions), Dr. Strange, Hawkeye... Shit, the list is endless.
Surprise, it works out just fine for those characters.
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Sure. I'll also be sure to tell that to the soldiers whose lives get threatened even when off duty and they cannot go back home or to work due to those threats. That was a surreal experience to be told I couldn't acknowledge I even knew an old coworker due to his military assignment.
I'm not saying it always makes sense, but the emotional desire to protect one's loved ones leads to extremely odd and irrational behavior. It is all well and good to sit in judgement of them, but they often don't do it to be a jerk. They do it out of a (sometimes misguided) sense of protecting their loved ones.
Not being able to go home is one thing. Actually going home and lying every day to your family about the potential danger they may be in would be a very different thing. In the situations you describe, I presume the familes know that their loved ones are doing dangerous work and understand why they don't come home. So they aren't being constantly lied to. Similarly, you were in the loop about your coworker even if you couldn't tell others.
The intentions don't matter as much as the effect. If you step on someone's foot without intending to, it still hurts them just as much. So it's the impact on the loved ones that matters here, no matter how benevolent the character's intent. If the way you're trying to protect someone ends up making you the one who's hurting them, then you need to try a different way. It's not about the intent, it's about the method.
Good point on that. I think that is also the potential for drama, which, in this medium, would also be a part of the story.
Yes, I already acknowledged that in comment #2230 yesterday. The point is that a dramatic device can be overused until it becomes something different than it was intended to be.
Sorry, didn't say you didn't say that.
I was more disagreeing with the general sentiment that it is always bad. I agree that it can be overused; I think Batman 69 wonderfully illustrated the absurdity. But, I think Netflix's Daredevil illustrated how the conflict can be detrimental to the hero, yet they feel the need to do so anyway.
I'm sure I'm not explaining it well. I just don't think it is always bad.
*sighs*
Here, have a comic...https://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2015/03/22