Sin I AM
Basically another scenario based thread any who
How could a superhero maintain a secret identity these days, if at all?
It's 2016. A great evil threatens the world (lets call him Galan), and a great good--you--arises to stop it. Twitter, Instagram and FB are set ablaze with stories of this heroic battle before the news media even has a chance to get on the scene. Collateral damage and casualties are high, but would have been much worse if not for your history-changing intervention.
Later on, some tinfoil-hat schmuck on 4chan (think xyz) with too much time on his hands connects the dots, enlists the help of /b/, and then somehow doxxes you for laughs (and they would do it). Turns out the masked hero is really some black guy in Cali who has a fetish for big asses (😉nods to delph). Oops.
Now your parents are being held hostage (the ransom: your death), you're being sued by half the city for property damage, and there are two mobs outside your home; one with cameras and microphones, one with pitchforks and torches. Oh, and the police and the military are on their way to ask you a lot of questions (possibly at gunpoint).
And, of course, TMZ is having a field day. With all the news networks and conspiracy theorists linking u to everything from Hillary to the Kremlin.
Given today's world, how could a superhero--subject to the following constraints--maintain a secret identity in this day and age, if at all? Would s/he even want to?
You do not have powers, skills, or gadgetry that make concealing your identity effortless. This includes, but is not limited to:
No psychic powers that erase or modify people's memories of you.
No shapeshifting powers to look like someone else.
No technomancy that can be used to destroy video or photo evidence of your activity en masse. You'll have to do this the old-fashioned way.
No omniscience that magically tells you if the coast is clear to change or not.
Costumes are okay, but must be practical (e.g. you have to be able to see through a mask, and ensure it doesn't fall off if you can fly).
You are more or less human. Maybe the alien/cyborg/mutant/uncannily-deformed parts of you can be concealed with clothing and makeup typical of a warm spring day.
You are not a recluse; you have a civilian life, a day job, and maybe even a Facebook profile you use to stay in touch with friends and family.
You might not even have super powers at all, but instead super skills like those of Batman or Hawkeye.
Supervillains are also subject to these limitations, with the possible exception of the desire to maintain another identity.
Also, assume the following about the world:
Superheroes are a part of our culture; the Marvel movies still make a buttload of money, and the Big Bang Theory still does the same product placement.
The battle I hinted at is the first confirmed instance of super-powered humans. It will not likely be the last, however. How they come about is not relevant.
It's possible that other people do have superpowers already, but don't use or know of them (or are a lot better at concealing them than you were)
What would YOU do?
How could a superhero maintain a secret identity these days, if at all?
It's 2016. A great evil threatens the world (lets call him Galan), and a great good--you--arises to stop it. Twitter, Instagram and FB are set ablaze with stories of this heroic battle before the news media even has a chance to get on the scene. Collateral damage and casualties are high, but would have been much worse if not for your history-changing intervention.
Later on, some tinfoil-hat schmuck on 4chan (think xyz) with too much time on his hands connects the dots, enlists the help of /b/, and then somehow doxxes you for laughs (and they would do it). Turns out the masked hero is really some black guy in Cali who has a fetish for big asses (😉nods to delph). Oops.
Now your parents are being held hostage (the ransom: your death), you're being sued by half the city for property damage, and there are two mobs outside your home; one with cameras and microphones, one with pitchforks and torches. Oh, and the police and the military are on their way to ask you a lot of questions (possibly at gunpoint).
And, of course, TMZ is having a field day. With all the news networks and conspiracy theorists linking u to everything from Hillary to the Kremlin.
Given today's world, how could a superhero--subject to the following constraints--maintain a secret identity in this day and age, if at all? Would s/he even want to?
You do not have powers, skills, or gadgetry that make concealing your identity effortless. This includes, but is not limited to:
No psychic powers that erase or modify people's memories of you.
No shapeshifting powers to look like someone else.
No technomancy that can be used to destroy video or photo evidence of your activity en masse. You'll have to do this the old-fashioned way.
No omniscience that magically tells you if the coast is clear to change or not.
Costumes are okay, but must be practical (e.g. you have to be able to see through a mask, and ensure it doesn't fall off if you can fly).
You are more or less human. Maybe the alien/cyborg/mutant/uncannily-deformed parts of you can be concealed with clothing and makeup typical of a warm spring day.
You are not a recluse; you have a civilian life, a day job, and maybe even a Facebook profile you use to stay in touch with friends and family.
You might not even have super powers at all, but instead super skills like those of Batman or Hawkeye.
Supervillains are also subject to these limitations, with the possible exception of the desire to maintain another identity.
Also, assume the following about the world:
Superheroes are a part of our culture; the Marvel movies still make a buttload of money, and the Big Bang Theory still does the same product placement.
The battle I hinted at is the first confirmed instance of super-powered humans. It will not likely be the last, however. How they come about is not relevant.
It's possible that other people do have superpowers already, but don't use or know of them (or are a lot better at concealing them than you were)
What would YOU do?