Top 20 Superhero Unmasking Moments In Movies And TV

“Ant-Man” (2015)

It’s fair to say that many kids grow up believing their parents are their very own superheroes, but things can get entirely too real when your dad arrives back from the quantum realm in a super-shrinking suit. Ex-convict Scott Lang may be anything but a model citizen. However, the love and admiration he has for his daughter is evident through every one of his actions. In this scene, Scott finally becomes the hero he has always wanted to be for her. It’s not only a significant moment for Scott as a father, but as a superhero.

“Green Lantern” (2011)
No amount of revisionist history is going to make us think this movie was good. But, one of its few highlights is the scene when Hal Jordan pays his sweetheart Carol Ferris a visit some time after rescuing her. Though he’s decked out in hideous CGI garb, he eventually unmasks when Carol deduces his identity. It’s a pretty funny sequence that pokes fun at how useless domino masks actually are at keeping someone’s identity a secret. With a ring that can make practically anything, you’d think Hal could use it to make a costume that better hides who he is. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (2016)
The Bat is dead. Bury it. Perhaps the Dark Knight’s most fearsome adversary is his own mind, as this apocalyptic nightmare sequence was fueled by his deadly premonition of what a future with Superman held. Captured and detained, Batman stared face to face with an evil construct of the Kryptonian. Before Superman delivers a fatal blow to Batman’s chest, he first unmasks him, bringing the once defender of justice to a mere mortal in the face of a god. Even if the film itself has a ton of problems, this unmasking scene is an undeniable highlight.

“Daredevil” (2003)
A true testament to a villain’s wickedness is not just how they end their arch-nemesis, but also what they strip from them before they do it. Literally pinned against the wall, Daredevil lies defenseless as Kingpin makes his way to reveal his opponent’s true identity. Upon being outed as Matthew Murdock, the notorious blind attorney from Hell’s Kitchen, Daredevil is now forced to tear away from his vigilante persona, and approach his final bout with Kingpin as nothing more than a man who’s been driven to his brink. Daredevil proves victorious, but decides to spare his enemy.

“Justice League” (2001-04)
Nothing quite sets the mood like this memorable scene. Following a deadly encounter with a bomb set up by the Joker, John Stewart becomes gravely injured. While resting in the Watchtower’s infirmary, Hawkgirl checks up on him.The near death experience pushes him to finally talk about their will they won’t they relationship. And wishing to see what she really looks like underneath the winged helmet, he delicately unmasks her. It’s the first time John and the fans see Shayera unmasked, and also the moment that finally propels them into a relationship after it being teased in multiple episodes. Many unmaskings are emotionally-charged, but few are as passionate as this one is.

“The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012)
Everyone’s got a little superhero in them. All it takes is a little motivation. Responding to a desperate father’s distress call, Spider-Man leaps into action to save a young boy still trapped in one of the vehicles suspended by his webbing. Mask on or mask off, Spider-Man is a man of the people. So in order to quell the child’s unrest, Peter Parker hands his mask to him, exposing not only his identity, but also the fact that he’s a human being, and perhaps just as terrified as everyone else.

“Justice League Unlimited” (2004-06)
Wacky hijinks ensue when the Justice League accidentally swap the minds of Wally West and Lex Luthor. With Lex inside the Scarlet Speedster’s body you can bet it spells trouble for everyone. When he hides himself from the League in a bathroom, he uses the most of the few moments of time he has by unmasking himself. But what should be a suspenseful moment quickly turns comedic when he reveals he’s got no clue who the person underneath the mask is. The humorous moment also poses an interesting conundrum: what good is unmasking a superhero if you can’t connect their face to a name?

“The Dark Knight Rises” (2012)
The Caped Crusader really felt the wrath of Bane during this movie. When the two battle against each other, the villain is able to overcome Batman and brutally beat him. The cruel cherry on top is when he takes off part of Batman’s mask and leaves him to be dragged off by his guards. It’s a sickening moment considering Bane hardly cared about Batman’s secret identity. He didn’t want to solve the mystery of who Batman is, he just wanted to further humiliate Bruce. Was breaking his back not enough? Way to kick him while he’s already down!

“The Flash” (2014-23)
Be prepared to shed some tears for this one! When Barry Allen runs back in time to the night of his mom’s death, he tries stopping it. But since doing that would damage the timeline, he makes the difficult choice to let history play out. The moment when Barry peels his mask off in front of his dying mom is the entire crux of this emotional scene. It gives Nora the reassurance that Barry will be ok, and allows Barry a chance to properly say goodbye. He’s not just revealing his identity, he’s revealing his most vulnerable self to the viewers. This unmasking isn’t just a standout in the superhero genre, but a moment that’s one of the best in the entirety of this show.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)
After Miles discovers that the Prowler is actually his uncle Aaron, the young Spider-Man finds himself unable to face the villain. When running away fails, the kid does the only thing he can think of and reveals his identity during a tense moment. The good news is that it definitely stops Aaron in his tracks. Unfortunately, this moment of hesitation gets him shot by his boss Kingpin. Although Miles never meant for his uncle to get hurt, the unmasking tragically kicked off a series of events that led to Aaron’s death. The sad event led the kid to finally realize the responsibilities – and burdens – associated with being Spider-Man.

“Captain America: Civil War” (2016)
Take a knee, Avengers, as you all now stand within the presence of royalty. The young prince of Wakanda’s pursuit of Bucky Barnes ends prematurely when the team is apprehended by German armed forces. However, in an attempt to ease tensions and preserve what is left of his nation’s integrity, the Black Panther opts to relieve himself of his helmet, revealing his true identity. Unapologetic in his actions, T’Challa and Captain America share a lasting stare, signifying that this whole ordeal has become much more problematic than what was once perceived.

“Daredevil” (2015-18)

During season 2, Matt Murdock constantly lies and disappoints Karen Page to maintain the secret of his double life. But after he rescues her from evil members of the Hand organization, he decides to stop lying. Matt convinces Karen to meet at their office so he can finally reveal the truth. Though we don’t technically see Daredevil take the mask off his head, this scene still contains a major reveal. The striking visual of him holding the helmet in his hands still stays with us. While the reveal isn’t elaborate, it’s still tremendously effective. From this moment on, we knew that nothing would be the same between the two of them ever again.

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014)

After Steve Rogers realizes that the brainwashed deadly winter soldier enemy is his old friend Bucky Barnes, the two are forced to clash for the fate of the world. When the pair collides in the climax, it’s clear that Steve’s attempts at snapping Bucky out of his murderous trance are useless. That is, until Cap finally gives up fighting him and unmasks. It doesn’t quite flip a switch for Bucky immediately, but the sight of his old friend’s face and his refusal to turn away are enough to stop the assassin.. Though Bucky long forgot who he was, Steve’s unmasking is pivotal in jogging his memory. And maybe just as importantly, it shows that Bucky still has some friends left.

“Harley Quinn” (2019-)

You might think that it’s one of the main goals for a supervillain to finally unmask their archnemesis. But that’s not the case for all villains in the “Harley Quinn” show. When the Joker successfully seizes control of Gotham City, he captures Batman. But his enjoyment is halted when Scarecrow unmasks the dark knight. In fact, Joker gets so pissed off knowing who Batman is that he proceeds to hilariously rant about WayneTech’s empty promises. Yeah, Bruce, where are those special vehicles that paying customers like the Joker were promised?! He might’ve acted a tad bit overdramatic, but the subversive reaction to the unmasking provided some comedic gold.

“Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019)

This moment had us all in shock. During the movie’s mid-credits scene, a video broadcast goes out showing Mysterio framing Spider-Man for his murder. But that’s not all. Mysterio soon publicly reveals to the world Spider-Man’s secret identity. Not only was it a jaw-dropping cliffhanger, but it completely upped the ante for Peter in this universe. The forced reveal is so huge that the next movie takes time to show us the immediate consequences of this decision. In short, Peter having his secret revealed and exposed to the world really messes things up. Although some people appreciate him, the unmasking still unravels his life and leaves him with a target on his back.

“Deadpool” (2016)
If there’s anything this fourth-wall breaking superhuman has taught us it’s that beauty is only skin-deep. Underneath Deadpool’s cool and charismatic exterior is a face only a mother could love, and after hiding what his cancer-curing experimentation has brought him from the world, he is finally confronted with his long-lost lover who requests to see the face of her savior. A couple of quips and a bad Hugh Jackman joke later, Wade takes off his mask to reveal his disfigured face, only to realize that his girlfriend has never been more in love.

“Iron Man” (2008)
Being a superhero is exhausting enough. However, being a superhero and a celebrity has got to be damn near impossible. Initially opting to not become a national public symbol and to just be a really smart guy with a mechanized suit, Tony Stark uses a live press conference to address the speculation of the man behind the iron mask. Although he starts by trying to stick to the script, Tony has a sudden change of heart, deciding to embrace his alter ego publicly. Meh, having a secret identity is overrated anyway.

“Watchmen” (2009)
Is it possible for one to wear the mask so long that you forget who you truly are? This hard-boiled vigilante tests this idea after he discards his identity of Walter Kovacs for Rorschach. Just moments after Rorschach breaks into an apartment to interrogate a lead in his investigation, he’s ambushed by police, leaving him nearly no chance of escape. A few minutes and a couple broken spines later, Rorschach gets pinned down by the remaining officers who forcibly remove his mask. Pleading for them to give him back his “face,” Walter must come face to face with the insanity he sought so long to escape.

“Batman Returns” (1992)
We’re not so different, you and I. While there are some that regard Batman as a pillar of justice, there are just as many that see him as a common criminal, and that line never gets so blurred as when he’s paired with Catwoman. In attempting to bring down crime boss Max Shreck, Batman must also prevent Catwoman from enacting her own form of justice. By discarding his crime-fighting façade, Bruce doesn’t only reveal his identity to one of his most complex adversaries, but also professes his true feelings to the one woman he may forever be uncertain about. Of course, it takes Max Shreck a moment to put two and two together.

“Spider-Man 2” (2004)
Underneath all the web slinging, spidey-senses, and superhuman strength, people tend to forget he’s still just a kid from Queens. Even though he’s been forced to ditch his mask during a fight with Doc Ock, Peter doesn’t think twice when he has to save a train full of people from crashing to their doom. Using nothing but his own strength and webs to stop the runaway train, the superhero saves the day in the nick of time, but exposes his true identity to a whole host of witnesses. When he comes to, those grateful citizens make it clear to the young hero that his secret is safe with them.