Warning: Luke Cage: Gang War #2!
It’s official: no one in the Marvel Universe has a worst secret identity than Luke Cage. There was once a time when Spider-Man took the cake for having the worst secret identity just because so many people across the universe would inevitably discover who he is under the mask. However, just two issues into gaining a new masked identity, Luke Cage proves to be even worse at keeping his secret a secret.
The Mayor of New York solidifies his poor secret identity in Luke Cage: Gang War #2 by Rodney Barnes, Ramon F. Bachs, Andrew Dalhouse, and VC’s Travis Lanham. Luke has donned a new costume as a massive war breaks out among the city’s criminal gangs.
Although wearing a mask drastically changes the fundamentals of Luke Cage’s character, he does so as a last resort. It allows him to navigate around New York’s anti-vigilante laws while also saving face as a local political figure.
However, Luke Cage is not too focused on protecting that new secret identity. Just one issue after first debuting the costume, his secret identity has already been exposed.
Luke Cage’s Secret Identity is Already Exposed
In his second issue, Luke Cage continues his attempts to protect the citizens of New York at the ground level, this time with a new team of heroes he’s personally recruited. Among his teammates are his wife, Jessica Jones, and his best friend, the former Iron Fist, Danny Rand. One may argue that a nameless vigilante roaming the streets with the mayor’s wife and best friend may read as suspicious to some. Still, it wouldn’t be as suspicious as Cage’s own mask highlighting his recognizable bald head. But somehow, it doesn’t immediately raise suspicions from anyone who sees the vigilante.
During their conflict with Alistair Smythe, the villain refers to Cage as “the hero,” completely unaware as to who could possibly be under the mask, despite immediately pegging Rand as the former Iron Fist and current CEO of the Rand Corporation. However, Smythe’s obliviousness only lasts until the final pages of the issue, when Smythe’s robots infiltrate the mayor’s premises. Smythe personally tells Cage that he learned he was the mysterious-masked vigilante because of “one whose respect you’ve lost.” Smythe doesn’t elaborate on who that could be for now, but the fact remains that Luke’s secret identity is no longer a secret.
Who Exposed Luke Cage’s Secret Identity?
It’s almost impressive to think that it’s taken this long for people to find out Luke Cage has been under the mask this whole time when all the signs pointed to him. Whether it be thanks to his costume or who he’s working with, Luke Cage’s secret identity always should have been a dead giveaway to anyone paying attention. Yet, even now as the series’ antagonist knows his secret, he only knows because someone told him. Who that someone is remains to be revealed, but there are few candidates as the only ones who knew Cage was an active hero again are those on his superhero team and his neighbor Miss Estelle, who made his costume. Then again, as bad as Luke Cage was at keeping that identity, anyone outside those names could have discovered who he is pretty easily.
