The NYPD Has Officially Unmasked Spider-Man

Warning: contains spoilers for Devil’s Reign #3!

After years of attempting to keep his identity a secret, Marvel’s Spider-Man has finally been unmasked by the NYPD. The webslinger’s true face is only known to a select few superheroes and loved ones, and he does his best to prevent his enemies from learning his true identity. But in Devil’s Reign #3, the mask comes off.

In the Devil’s Reign event, the Kingpin Wilson Fisk uses his power as Mayor of New York City to announce sweeping legislation that effectively outlaws any superhero activity. Suddenly, the Thunderbolts – General Ross’ supervillain squad – arrive and begin rounding up superheroes like Mr. Fantastic, Susan Storm and others. A group of Avengers led by Captain America evade the Thunderbolts and rescue Moon Knight, Miles Morales and several others, and subsequently go underground in a direct parallel to Civil War (one of many for this event). In the chaos, however, Spider-Man is arrested by the New York Police Department – but this isn’t Peter Parker.

The issue opens with Spider-Man unmasked inside an NYPD holding room, interrogated by two detectives. Unbeknownst to the police, this is Ben Reilly, Peter’s identical clone (save for his hair, which Ben dyed blonde to differentiate himself from Peter). His face is badly beaten (either from an encounter with the Thunderbolts or a rather overzealous NYPD interrogation), and as the public at large doesn’t know Peter Parker has a clone, Ben gives his name as “Johnny Spiderman.” The police are unable to fingerprint him, however, since “…some of the bleeding hearts here think this guy’s a hero and won’t process him.”

In subsequent panels, the Human Torch and the Thing burst into the police station to take Spider-Man back, leaving the police with a face, no fingerprints and many questions. Since Ben Reilly and Peter Parker are identical, this essentially means the police – at least the two in the interrogation room – can recognize Parker on the street from this point on. Then again, Ben Reilly’s face is so badly beaten that putting two and two together without any fingerprints or DNA evidence will be quite difficult.

This is not the first time that Peter has unmasked publicly. Civil War memorably ended with Peter Parker deliberately taking off his mask in front of the cameras in support of the Pro-Registration Act. While that was eventually undone through magic, there’s no way Spider-Man’s face isn’t recognized now.