Even Marvel Knows Black Bolt Has One Of The Worst Secret Identities

Marvel Comics knows that Black Bolt has one of the silliest superhero names, which was made hilariously clear when Crusher Creel couldn’t help but laugh at the Inhuman for his choice of moniker. In Black Bolt #2, the hero reveals to Absorbing Man that his not-so-secret identity is Blackagar Boltagon, which gets quite the response from the villain, who bursts out in laughter after learning how similar his superhero name is to it.

The world of superhero comics is a magical place filled with some of the most iconic secret identities in comics. For example, Clark Kent is Superman, Bruce Wayne is Batman, and Peter Parker is Spider-Man. However, not all superhero names are the most creative and can give away a hero’s identity right away. In Gwen Stacy’s case, Marvel changed her name from Spider-Gwen to Ghost-Spider, as her secret identity was immediately given up in her superhero name. One of the funniest cases of a hero’s name being too close to their superhero moniker comes from Black Bolt – who didn’t even try to hide who he was.

In the excellent 12-issue Black Bolt (2017) Marvel Comics series from Saladin Ahmed, Christian Ward, and VC’s Clayton Cowles, the leader of the Inhumans is trapped in an alien prison by his brother Maximus. To break free, Black Bolt (whose powers are dampened in the jail) teams up with Crusher Creel (and other inmates) to take down the jailer who keeps them imprisoned. In Black Bolt #2, the Inhuman tells the Absorbing Man he will join him and help defeat the jailer, revealing, “Blackagar Boltagon stands with you.” However, the heartfelt moment is met with Crusher Creel questioning his superhero name and secret identity while laughing in his face.

To be fair to Black Bolt, he doesn’t really try to hide his secret identity, as he’s one of the most prominent Inhumans and leads its royal family. Still, the fact his real name is Blackagar Boltagon, and he chose the superhero name Black Bolt is quite funny and somewhat lame – hence the reaction from Crusher.

Blackagar Boltagon didn’t put too much thought into going by the name Black Bolt, as it’s about the most straightforward name he could have chosen as a superhero. But, considering the Inhumans don’t exactly have the most creative names (Medusalith Amaquelin goes by Medusa), it’s not entirely out of left field. However, Black Bolt’s not-so-secret identity should still elicit some laughter from those who weren’t aware of his real Marvel Comics name.

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Liam McGuire
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Lead writer for Screen Rant’s comic team. [email protected]. Find me on Twitter @LiamRMcGuire for comic news and reporting.

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