History RefugeInAudacity / ComicBooks

!!DC

* A ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' story has Superboy outraged that Kryptonian delinquent Dev-Em is being offered membership. He relates how Dev-Em had escaped Krypton's destruction, then, just for fun, posed as Superboy to commit various acts of destruction that turned the people of Smallville against him. Knowing that the claim of this being some superpowered imposter would be too much, Superboy and his police chief ally put out the "simpler" explanation that Superboy had been influenced by Red Kryptonite to excuse "his" behavior.

!!Marvel

* That time when ComicBook/{{Daredevil}} (who has a secret identity) showed up in a Christmas party in his civilian identity, with devil horns and a red sweater which said "I AM NOT DAREDEVIL".

!!Other
* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': During the "Secret Freedom" arc in ''Sonic Universe'', Prince Elias goes by the codename "King" while working with the Secret Freedom Fighters. Geoffrey St. John even lampshades it when he discovers his true identity.
-->'''Geoffrey''': Agent "King", huh? Going for "so obvious it's overlooked?"

* An extremely dark play on this is in ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', serving as the BigBad's [[WellIntentionedExtremist well-intentioned, but dastardly]] plan: as the world teeters on [[UsefulNotes/ColdWar the brink of nuclear annihilation]], Ozymandias drops [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever a giant, genetically-engineered squid]] with [[MindRape psychic bombardment powers]] onto New York, then have it explode, decimating the city. From such a horrifying, inexplicable disaster of its scope, the powers that be will think they're in the midst of an AlienInvasion and will unite in preparation for their mutual, extraterrestrial threat. When several character realize Ozy's plan, some actually burst out laughing at its sheer absurdity... [[MyGodYouAreSerious which transitions harshly into horror]] since ''that's exactly why it's going to work''. Once [[TheBadGuyWins the plan ends up playing through with nary a hitch]] (leaving half of New York dead in the process), and [[YouAreTooLate the supers who failed to stop it]] ultimately [[InternalRetcon have to play along with it lest they end up making it even worse]].

-->'''Guard:''' She's crazy! [[WhatAnIdiot I coulda shot her! I coulda, you know.]]

* A villain who snorts cocaine isn't anything special. A villain who ''gets his superpowers'' from cocaine, on top of being a top-grade ham, is CrazyAwesome, which is how Snowflame achieved EnsembleDarkhorse status in ''ComicBook/TheNewGuardians''.

** Why people think the Red Bat (alias [[TheKlutz Fethry]]) is competent and CrazyAwesome? Easy: no matter what, [[IMeantToDoThat he acts as if everything was part of the plan]], ever since his first story saw him accidentally foil the Beagle Boys with the help of Donald disguised as a headless gorilla (they were at a masked party as journalists, with Fethry wearing what would become Red Bat's costume and Donald a gorilla costume that was too tall for him), and when the journalists asked him if he had terrified and arrested the criminals alone he just quipped "No, this headless gorilla helped me" and left.

** One of the reasons nobody can tell that Paperinik is actually DonaldDuck [[ClarkKenting in spite of the only camouflage being a]] DominoMask is that Paperinik is a well-known MasterOfDisguise who has disguised himself as ''Donald Duck'' on multiple occasions.

* ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'': Prince Elias during the ''Sonic Universe'' arc "Secret Freedom" goes by the codename "King" while working with the Secret Freedom Fighters. Geoffrey St. John even lampshades it when he discovers his true identity.

* The ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse uses this liberally with its superheroes:

* ''SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}'' ''is'' this. Like when he made 372,844 pancakes just so he could pull a joke on Domino and teach her a lesson. Or when he kicked ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in the balls just so he could save the world instead of Cap. Or how he shrank the Rhino down with Pym Particles and kept him as a pet/key chain. He doesn't hide in audacity--he eats, sleeps, and breathes it.

* In both the Post-Crisis and ComicBook/{{New 52}} continuities, ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' keeps his [[SecretIdentity civilian identity]] secret by pretending he doesn't have one. He reasons (correctly) that while a mask lampshades that you're hiding something, people will assume that a demigod who clearly doesn't need money or other material things does not have a day job and would not bother with the trivial nonsense of mortal life.

* A villain who snorts cocaine isn't anything special. A villain who ''gets his superpowers'' from cocaine, on top of being a top-grade ham, is CrazyAwesome, which is how Snowflame achieved EnsembleDarkhorse status in ''ComicBook/TheNewGuardians''.

* Tommy Monaghan from ''Comicbook/{{Hitman}}'' tells his first girl, Wendy, that he kills (bad) people for money. Wendy doesn't believe him until he shows up, shot. Ironically, his next girl doesn't believe Tommy refuses to say 'bitch' -because- he kills (bad) people.

* Once in a while ''ComicBook/TexWiller'' and his pards have pulled this. Such as the time they needed to go in a town controlled by a gang of criminals who were preparing an ambush just for them... So they went there with a ''stagecoach'', disguised as a Mexican who didn't understand English (Tex), a preacher (Carson, who ''does'' look the part with the right clothes), a businessman (Tiger Jack. A Navajo Indian), and a ''woman'' (Kit Willer, Tex's son), and when the criminals stopped the coach the only reason they were discovered was that one of them tried to kiss Kit (the sheer surreality of the situation still left the criminals too stunned to stop them).

* Tommy Monaghan from ''Comicbook/{{Hitman}}'' tells his first girl, Wendy, that he kills (bad) people for money. Wendy doesn't believe him until he shows up, shot. Ironically, his next girl doesn't believe Tommy refuses to say 'bitch' -because- he kills (bad) people.

* SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}} ''is'' this. Like when he made 372,844 pancakes just so he could pull a joke on Domino and teach her a lesson. Or when he kicked ComicBook/CaptainAmerica in the balls just so he could save the world instead of Cap. Or how he shrank the Rhino down with Pym Particles and kept him as a pet/key chain. He doesn't hide in audacity--he eats, sleeps, and breathes it.
* In Kyle Baker’s ''You Are Here'' the main villain manages to serve only a year for murdering his wife due to "A good lawyer, bad evidence, worse cops and prison overpopulation" and then goes on to publish a book called "Yes I Did It and I'll Kill Again." After attending a press junket he says "I plan to kill the bastard who was screwing my wife" ''on air''.
* In "Axiom of Implausibility", (a story from an issue of the magazine ''Heavy Metal'') a firm is contracted to kill a witness who's holed up in the middle of suburbia. The first 3 attempts on his life fail after the hitmen, attempting to be inconspicuous and avoid witnesses, keep getting their covers blown by observant neighbors. So on the 4th try, they send in a {{Stripperific}}, DualWielding, bizarre OneLiner[=-spouting=] ActionGirl to kick down the front door and make a total spectacle. The hit succeeds, and the eyewitness reports are so outlandish that the cops don't believe them.
* In ''ComicBook/{{Wanted}}'', there is a back story in which the supposed first supervillains of the world were a bunch of ass-naked bank thieves who get away with it for the longest time since the cops don't want to get into shoot-outs with a gang of naked men and superheroes don't want to be seen getting into a brawl with a bunch of big, burly men with their peckers hanging out in the open.

* In both the Post-Crisis and ComicBook/{{New 52}} continuities, ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' keeps his civilian identity secret by pretending he doesn't have one. He reasons (correctly) that while a mask lampshades that you're hiding something, people will assume that a demigod who clearly doesn't need money or other material things does not have a day job and would not bother with the trivial nonsense of mortal life.
* A villain who snorts cocaine isn't anything special. A villain who ''gets his superpowers'' from cocaine, on top of being a top-grade ham, is CrazyAwesome, which is how Snowflame achieved EnsembleDarkhorse status in ComicBook/TheNewGuardians.

-->'''Barracuda''': Yo, Fifty! It's time to show this motherfucker your dick!
* ''Comicbook/{{Fables}}'': Prince Charming kills Bluebeard, walks out of the house carrying the body in a carpet--and cheerily admitting as much when people ask what he's got--and calls in the mayor to watch him dispose of the body. He correctly judges that he can get away with this, because a) nobody especially liked Bluebeard and b) all his money will now go to the Fabletown coffers.
* Over the years, ComicBook/{{Diabolik}} has pulled out quite the shit. We'll now report something he did early on:

* ''[[ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard Loki: Agent of Asgard]]'': In issue 1, surrounded by the Avengers and looking decidedly guilty of ''something'', Loki takes their only remaining option. They tell them the absolute truth as to why they're there, namely that they're working for the All-Mother as part of a secret plan to protect Asgard.
* Exploiting this trope is one way you can get into {{ComicBook/Doctor Doom}}'s good books. Examples:
** Doom once gave Luke Cage a false commission as part of a bigger gambit, then skipped town before Cage got his fee. So Cage convinces the Thing to loan him one of the FF's vehicles, flies to Latveria, teams up with a group of insurgents, ''storms Castle Doom'', beats up a bunch of guards... and politely requests his $200 fee. Doom bursts into laughter, pays, and asks Cage if he'd consider working for him again.
** Doom treats villain Arcade like a court jester; he's apparently decided that Arcade is amusing enough not to be punished for addressing him as "Doc" or "Vic".

* Once in a while ComicBook/TexWiller and his pards have pulled this. Such as the time they needed to go in a town controlled by a gang of criminals who was preparing an ambush just for them... So they went there with a ''stagecoach'', disguised as a Mexican who didn't understand English (Tex), a preacher (Carson, who ''does'' look the part with the right clothes), a businessman (Tiger Jack. A Navajo Indian), and a ''woman'' (Kit Willer, Tex' son), and when the criminals stopped the coach the only reason they were discovered was that one of them tried to kiss Kit (the sheer surrealness of the situation still left the criminals too stunned to stop them).
** Once in a while it's them who fall victim to this. Such as the time Tex' archenemy Mefisto needed help with his overturned coach... And when Tex passed by, ''he asked him for help'' (Tex did not expect Mefisto to do such a thing and failed to check his disguise. It helped Mefisto was disguised as a leper, so Tex wasn't all that willing to come too close anyway).

* Prince Elias during the [[ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog Sonic Universe]] arc "Secret Freedom" goes by the codename "King" while working with the Secret Freedom Fighters. Geoffrey St. John even lampshades it when he discovers his true identity.
-->'''Geoffrey''': Agent "King", huh? Going for "so obvious it's overlooked?"

** Once in a while it's them who fall victim to this. Such as the time Tex' archenemy Mefisto needed help with his overturned coach... And when Tex passed by, ''he asked him for help'' (Tex did not expect Mefisto to do such a thing and failed to check his disguise).

* One of the reasons nobody can tell that Paperinik is actually DonaldDuck [[ClarkKenting in spite of the only camouflage being a]] DominoMask is that Paperinik is a well-known MasterOfDisguise who has disguised himself as ''Donald Duck'' on multiple occasions.
** A variant of the above is the second story where he faced a villain called ''the'' [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Master of Disguise]]. In revenge for being unmasked at the end of the first story, the Master of Disguise captured Paperinik, unmasked him on live television... And then, ''two other Paperiniks entered the room and took off the masks, revealing themselves as Gladstone and Fethry, as Donald asked them before before being captured''. End result: the villain got distracted long enough for Donald to free himself and lead his cousins into delivering a righteous beat-up, and everyone was convinced it was a bait from the actual Paperinik who enjoyed the show on TV from his lair.
** Sometimes Donald is caught in possession of Paperinik's gadgets. How does he get away with it? Easy: as early as the fifth story, the entire city knows that Paperinik and Donald are friends (Paperinik declared such publicily, at least in written form), so it's not strange that the superhero forgot something at Donald's house, or the latter borrowed it. Even the cars, that, after all, are practically identical...

* In ''ComicBook/{{Sandman}}'', Hob Gadling amazes his friends by insisting that mortality is for chumps and he intends to live forever by simply refusing to die. The ballsiness of the InsaneTrollLogic amuses Morpheus enough that he convinces his older sister, [[TheGrimReaper Death]], to make Hob TheAgeless, and arranges to [[PalsWithJesus meet Hob for drinks]] once a century.

** Neither Diabolik was the one pulling the most outrageous plan, that was Ginko. In "Mocking Diabolik" Ginko needed to escort ten ancient golden statues to the police station for safekeeping while the museum prepared a Diabolik-proof room to expose them, without Diabolik getting them. And Diabolik was spying on him, and he had no idea where the bug was (and, in another example of this trope, Diabolik had bugged ''the last round of Ginko's gun'') So, what did he do? First, he and his men [[spoiler: planted fake hints to indicate a certain mob boss was interested to those statues, then they stole ''those Diabolik's gadgets that had been confiscated after past heists, and '''used them to steal the statues'''.'' After which Ginko 'discovered' the fake hints and started putting pressure on the mob boss, getting Diabolik to surveil him while the Diabolik-proof room was completed and the statues exposed]]. As you can see, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the title of that story was quite justified]].

* ''[[ComicBook/LokiAgentOfAsgard Loki: Agent of Asgard]]'': In issue 1, surrounded by the Avengers and looking decidedly guilty of ''something'', Loki takes his only remaining option. He tells them the absolute truth as to why he's there, namely that he's working for the All-Mother as part of a secret plan to protect Asgard.

** Eva had been arrested, and between the prison being in a swamp with a train as the only way in or out and [[SympatheticInspectorAntagonist Ginko]]'s surveillance, he had no idea how to break her out before she was sentenced to death and executed. So, what did he do? First, he ''kidnapped a top model'' leaving a wounded witness to make everyone think he had dumped Eva with the goal of getting Ginko to drop the surveillance or, at least, pity judge and jury into giving her a lesser sentence. As Ginko [[ProperlyParanoid still kept up the surveillance]] but Eva had been sentenced to thirty years of jail, Diabolik went for his plan B: distract away Ginko while he caused a ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoid_fever typhoid fever]] outbreak'' in the prison (Eva had recently been inoculated so she was immune) to force the evacuation, knowing that they would put the healthy prisoners in the back and reserved the forward side (that jerked less), and thus Eva would be safe when he ''derailed the train''.