History Main / StrangerBehindTheMask

* The third volume of ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'' began with the assassination of the Scarlet Witch. It is unknown who did it, and the mystery stays for some issues. Magneto, in vengeance for the betrayal? Some other mutant terrorist of the Brotherhood? The conservative Captain America, horrified by her open incest? Black Panther, who may be a villain? Hawkeye, one of the few who could make such a sure shot? None of them: it was Ultron. A known character of Marvel, but who had never appeared before in the Ultimate universe, except as a series of FacelessGoons.

** Another TNA example that might have been better off this way was Wrestling/AcesAndEights. Or perhaps not going with the unmasking angle at all, but after booking themselves in a corner they had to scramble when fans really stopped taking the invading biker gang seriously after they learned one of them was [[Wrestling/TheDudleyBoys Brother Devon]].

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' plays it for laughs. [[FreakyFridayFlip Lex Luthor ends up switching bodies with the Flash]] and spends most of the episode trying to avoid the rest of the League chasing after him. In the bathroom, still trying to figure things out, he tries to salvage the situation by removing his mask to figure out the SecretIdentity of The Flash is... nobody Lex recognizes.[[note]]A particularly funny tidbit is that The Flash was voiced by Creator/MichaelRosenbaum who also played Lex Luthor on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', basically allowing him to voice Luthor in the show for an episode[[/note]].

* Invoked in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', when the Titan discover someone stole Robin's Red X suit and [[TheRealRemingtonSteele took the identity as his own]]. As soon as they affirm it's not Robin pulling another trick, they [[SecretIdentityApathy write off his real identity as unimportant]], reasoning he's likely no one they knew or heard of before.

* In ''VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'', the members of the [[NebulousCriminalConspiracy Star Cabal]], the ultimate antagonist of the Imperial Agent's storyline [[spoiler:and really, of the entire game]], are revealed in the IA's ultimate mission as a bunch of individuals never hitherto seen by the players (though obviously recognizable by some supporting [=NPCs=]). The only person you can recognize is the Cabal's chief enforcer, [[spoiler:who turns out to be wearing a holographic mask [[SamusIsAGirl herself]]--over another complete stranger's face]]. However, if you've played the other class stories, this trope may no longer apply. [[spoiler:That matronly Twi'lek leading the peaceful villagers on the Jedi starter world? The crime lord from the Smuggler's story? The droid that won the Great Hunt? Yup, all of them are members of the Star Cabal.]]

** Flipped on Spidey himself during the Creator/MarkMillar run on ''FriendlyNeighborhoodSpiderMan'', in which an injured Spider-Man is abducted from his hospital bed by the Vulture, who angrily tears off the bandages covering his face and is completely deflated by the realisation that he and his criminal buddies have been losing to a "nobody" for all this time.

** It's easy to forget this, but {{Comicbook/Venom}} was actually done like this. During Venom's introductory story arc Spidey was being stalked by this maniac in the black symbiote suit he'd discarded who seemed to know his identity and monologued angrily to himself about how Spider-Man had ruined his life. He was seen unmasked early in the story, but the readers were unable to identify him, leaving them puzzled about who this mystery man actually is. Then when he finally captures Spider-Man and unmasks himself before him... he's a completely original character, whose backstory was {{Retcon}}ned into an existing Spider-Man story (the infamous Sin-Eater arc). Even worse, ''Peter'' knows who Brock is (although not to the extent that they knew each other in ''Spider-Man 3''), making this a Stranger Behind The Mask for the readers ''only'', verging on RememberTheNewGuy.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3''. The party quickly realizes the war between Keves and Agnes is masterminded by their mysterious masked Consuls. The first Consul to be unmasked, at the end of Chapter 2, turns out to be someone both the party and the players have never seen before. [[spoiler: The Consul unmasked at the end of Chapter 3, however, ''is'' someone known to both the party and the audience.]]

* Played with in ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3''. The party quickly realizes the war between Keves and Agnes is masterminded by their mysterious masked Consuls. The first Consul to be unmasked, at the end of Chapter 2, turns out to be someone both the party and the players have never seen before. [[spoiler: The Consul unmasked at the end of Chapter 3, however, ''is''' someone known to both the party and the audience.]]

* Parodied in ''WebVideo/YuGiOhTheAbridgedSeries'' when Paradox finally removes his mask. The three protagonists all act like they are stupefied to recognize someone they knew... before admitting they have no idea who this is. Paradox then points out they couldn't know anyway, since he is from the future, prompting Yugi to ask him why he was wearing a mask to begin with if they couldn't have recognized him anyway.

When PlayedWith, this can turn from Bad Writing into a very skillful twisting of the story. See AnticlimacticUnmasking for In-Universe versions. Contrast CharlieBrownFromOuttaTown.

* ''Literature/MaulLockdown'': One of the {{Driving Question}}s of the book is [[spoiler:which prisoner is the mysterious ArmsDealer Iram Radique. He turns out to be a man who is hiding in the tunnels and has never met Maul rather than one of the many prisoners who Maul meets throughout his search.]]

* The driving motivation of ''Anime/KillLaKill'''s main character, Ryuko Matoi, is to find the person who killed her father. The person in question ([[spoiler:Nui Harime]]) appears about midway through the series, and it's no one that has been seen before. [[spoiler:It also would take later to confirm that Ragyo Kiryuin was the person who ordered it, as at the time, she was someone who hadn't made a full appearance yet.]]

* Invoked in ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'', when the Titan discover someone stole Robin's Red X suit and [[TheRealRemingtonSteele took the identity as his own]]. As soon as they affirm it's not Robin pulling another trick, they write off his real identity as unimportant, reasoning he's likely no one they knew or heard of before.

* ''Film/BlackChristmas'': in the end it is revealed that the real killer was almost certainly someone never introduced in the movie.

* ''VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry'': {{Discussed}} and {{invoked}} by Battler, in order to avoid having to accuse one of his family members of murder.

So you've got this mystery, such as the identity of the villain. [[WildMassGuessing There are many theories on this, and audience is kept busy speculating to the very last moment]]. And well, would you look at that!? The heroes have captured the villain and are about to [[DramaticUnmask remove his mask]]. It is finally time for TheReveal!

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' plays it for laughs. [[FreakyFridayFlip Lex Luthor ends up switching bodies with the Flash]] and spends most of the episode trying to avoid the rest of the League chasing after him. In the bathroom, still trying to figure things out, he tries to salvage the situation by removing his mask to figure out the SecretIdentity of The Flash is... nobody Lex recoognizes.[[note]]A particularly funny tidbit is that The Flash was voiced by Creator/MichaelRosenbaum who also played Lex Luthor on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', basically allowing him to voice Luthor in the show for an episode[[/note]].

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'' plays it for laughs. [[FreakyFridayFlip Lex Luthor ends up switching bodies with the Flash]] and spends most of the episode trying to avoid the rest of the League chasing after him. In the bathroom, still trying to figure things out, he tries to salvage the situation by removing his mask to figure out the SecretIdentity of The Flash is... realizing he has no idea who the red-head in the mirror is.[[note]]A particularly funny tidbit is that The Flash was voiced by Creator/MichaelRosenbaum who also played Lex Luthor on ''Series/{{Smallville}}'', basically allowing him to voice Luthor in the show for an episode[[/note]].