The Private Hero

The private hero is one to shy away from the spotlight.  This is due to their desire to remain anonymous, leave any bad guys with little/no information about themselves, and perhaps is a reflection of their personalities.  The most famous comic book hero who is known for this is Batman.  Batman is a favorite amongst the RLSH for a variety of reasons, so this aspect is often aimed for.

Traits of a Private Hero:

• Typically more quiet than public heroes

• May keep identity secret from any partners or team members

• May have issues making small talk

• Probably has more analyzing and independent traits

• Probably specializes in something very specific

• Probably has a real life that would be negatively affected if their identity was revealed

We could look at this clip from 'Batman' (1989) of Batman and Vicky Vale going to the batcave. He can't even stand to have her look too closely at him while in the car.

There is strategy to being a public hero.  Is there strategy to being a private hero?   Sure.  Here are some strategy points:

• Air of mystery.  Who are you?  What do you look like under that mask/suit? This can drive people nuts and increase anxiety levels in people.

• Expect the unexpected.  Depending on the type of private hero you are, you may get a reputation for the unexpected - tech, knowledge, abilities, etc.  Things may only come to light “as needed”.

• Plan B. A lot of private heroes focus on a plan B for situations. They like options and to be two steps ahead of people.

Misconceptions About Private Heroes

• You may think that all private heroes wear black and/or dark colors.  Not so.  Private heroes are just secretive about their identities and tend to avoid big public gatherings.  You can be brightly colored and still do this.

• Grumpy and Mean.  Not every private hero is grumpy and mean.  Of course, the examples I provided in The Public Hero post were all of grumpy and mean heroes.  Batgirl isn't grumpy and mean, but she does remain a private hero.

Catch-22 for Private Heroes

If you end up being good at what you do, you may attract unwanted attention. This means people may try to follow you home or attempt to stalk you to learn your identity. If this bothers you, then have a plan on how to end your patrols with a clothing change and a stop somewhere (like a grocery store) to make sure no one is following you.