One of Spider-Man’s most defining character traits is the need for his secret identity. While his closest friends, family, and enemies know his true identity, Peter Parker has taken great lengths to ensure that nobody can truly figure out who he is. However, one unlikely Spider-man villain was able to easily deduce who he was with nothing but a quick and educated guess.
The “Flowers for Rhino” story arc introduced in Spider-Man’s Tangled Web #5-6 – by Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo – follows the tragic life of one of Spider-Man’s most comedic villains, the Rhino. Rhino doesn’t choose to dress like a rhino, he’s a man trapped inside many hundred pounds of rhino hide.
While he knows he will never be free of his skin, he can be free of his mind. Returning to the same lab that “gifted” him his incredible strength, Rhino underwent a procedure to vastly increase his intelligence. In doing so, Rhino finds love and Peter Parker’s secret identity.
The Rhino’s Daily Life Is an Absolute Hell
“Flowers for Rhino” – Written by Peter Milligan; Art by Duncan Fegredo; Color by Steve Buccellato; Lettering by Jimmy Betancourt
Aleksei Sytsevich’s operation to expand his mind was an overwhelming success. As his intelligence grew, so did his ability to convey his emotions. More articulate than ever, Aleksei found fast love with a woman he was charged with protecting. However, as they grew closer, Rhino’s intelligence continued to expand. Eventually, intelligence outweighed sympathy, ultimately driving a wedge between the two lovers. Torn apart by the emotional weight of his folly, Rhino turned to Spider-Man to clean up the last of his messes and impart the web-crawler with a program that could have turned the entire superhero community on its head.
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When Spider-Man arrives, he is shocked when Rhino casually calls him “Peter.” Rhino admits that, with his heightened intelligence, he had created an “algebraic equation” that can deduce the true names of every superhero. The saddened Rhino woefully hands over the floppy discs containing his discoveries, alongside every detail of his criminal empire, before sauntering off to consider the value of his life. Meanwhile, Peter is left behind, shocked that Rhino of all villains has successfully unlocked Spidey’s greatest secret. By this point in the comics, Rhino wasn’t the first of Peter’s villains to have done so, but he was the most surprising.
It Really Doesn’t Take Much to Unmask Spider-Man
Rhino Is Only One of Many Villains to Discover Spidey’s Identity
Most times Spider-Man’s villains have uncovered his true identity, it has either been by choice, unmasking, or mental manipulation. Of his nemeses at the time, Rhino was the first to have simply deduced it on his own. While Aleksei didn’t retain his hyper-intelligence or his memories of Peter’s real name, it’s still mind-blowing enough to think that, with enough smarts and drive, any hero’s personal life could be uncovered. Fortunately for Spider-Man, his alter ego would remain a coveted secret until the next terrible Marvel monster discovered it themselves.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is the name given to several individuals who have employed a spider-moniker throughout Marvel Comics. Typically gaining their powers through a bite from a radioactive spider, the different Spider-Man heroes employ super-strength, agility, and intellect while utilizing webbing to swing and tangle up their foes. The most notable of these Spider-Men is Peter Parker, who remains one of the most popular superheroes throughout the world.