Superhero Zombie

In a fractured world where superpowers ignite at the edge of death, Elias Varn is no caped crusader—he’s a janitor crippled by fear, accidentally turning ordinary people into temporary heroes with a pulse he can’t control. Dubbed "The Beacon" after a hospital collapse sparks a movement, Elias wants nothing more than to fade into obscurity. But his power, tied to his terror, draws desperate survivors, ruthless Ascended, and a shadowy scientist hunting the secret in his blood. As a cryptic voice whispers of a cosmic reckoning, Elias must unravel what it means to be a hero—not by fighting the darkness, but by lighting the way for others, even if it burns him out. Blending gritty superhero action with psychological depth, this epic saga of courage and chaos promises a thousand chapters of twists, tears, and triumphs.

Humanity's search for extraterrestrial is an never ending phenomenon. In the year 2050, Theo a brilliant scientist was on a space mission when his spaceship crashed! Not long he found himself alone without his crew in a world that was oddly familiar to him. What will happen to him? Will he be able to escape his strange fate? Will he try to return home or wander around finding the semblance of civilization that he left behind? Witness him wandering this unknown world looking for answers.

"I, an Immortal Cultivator in this world of superheroes, alone understand the Dao." Elius Northrim had a peaceful life—until he blacked out and awakened with tragic memories of his past life. Along with those memories was a realization that in his eighteen years, he was living in a brutal superhero universe, and his ruthless alien father—whom he had never met—was coming for his life because one of his brothers, the main character of the comic awakened his Solarion bloodline. Surviving while being mistaken for an awakened Solarion offspring of his father too, Elius must keep the truth hidden—he’s not one of them, but an immortal cultivator. If his father discovers the deception, both he and his mother will die. But the worst part is that he has become his father's favorite among the two. To avoid being constantly under his father's watch, Elius enrolls in a superhero academy, blending in while secretly growing stronger. However, with rival students, watchful instructors, and his father’s looming presence, one mistake could mean death. Now, he must master his powers, play his role, and survive—before his secret is exposed as a lone immortal cultivator in this world of Superheroes.

In one fateful day, the world has suddenly turned into chaos as zombies appeared from every major city on the planet. Millions were killed each day and the world government collapsed in just a month. Just as the world was about to lose hope, one person, Thomas Estaris, awakened a system that allows him to summon weapons like pistols, assault rifles, even heavy weaponry such as tanks and helicopters. Will he be able to save the world from its destruction caused by the zombies or die trying?

Gavreel Aivos lived by one truth— strength is everything. But strength couldn’t save him from fate. His body was failing, his time was running out. Death was certain. Until one day—he woke up, to a world engulfed in flames. Society had crumbled. Humanity forced to the brink of extinction. Only creatures straight out from hell remained. But Gavreel was no longer just a man. He was stronger. Faster. Better. What had he become? A monster? A God? Or something beyond human comprehension? It doesn't matter, In a world where luck decides who survives, he won't be passive. He will rise and reign above! Join Gavreel with his new identity, as he embarks on his life to find and preserve peace and happiness in this godforsaken world.

A long-planned conspiracy led to the apocalypse, causing a global outbreak of the zombie virus. 85% of humanity turned into zombies. As soon as the apocalypse began, Huang Ming was unfortunately scratched and infected by his girlfriend, Gao Weiwei. However, he was reborn 15 days before the outbreak and awakened an extremely rare spatial ability—allowing him to hoard billions worth of resources...

The flu virus broke out in the city. At first, people thought it was just a common flu, until a large number of dead people suddenly resurrected and ate the flesh and blood of the living. However, as a series of zombie bites continued to emerge, things gradually got out of control.

One fateful day, the world was thrown into chaos as zombies swarmed every major city. Millions perished daily, and governments crumbled under the relentless onslaught. Just when all hope seemed lost, Arjun Mehta a novelist in Bangalore India, awakened a universe within himself—a power that allowed him to create planets and build entire civilizations. While others starved, he had an endless supply of food. While others ran out of weapons, his factories were just getting started. While others struggled to survive, his armies of drones wiped out hordes of the undead. With civilization as his greatest weapon, Arjun will use this to reclaim the world. But will he succeed before humanity is completely devoured?

I see dead people. But hey, it’s the zombie apocalypse, everyone is seeing dead people, including a blind girl. It’s not like I am that special. For a while, I thought I was going to be Cinderella, complete with the cruel stepfamily and the little mice for helpers. But instead of mice, I got demons from hell with a taste for chaos. Then again, there is nothing wrong with a little chaos in the middle of the apocalypse. It’s what makes life worth living. Unfortunately for others, they don’t quite see it that way. You see, I have a gift. One that isn’t exactly mine, but I can use it however I see fit. My gift is granting wishes. I'm a genie without a bottle, but it would be nice if people appreciated me more. All the humans ask for is the same thing… more food here, shelter there, kill these people, torture those. And I do it all, for a small price. I don’t ask for money or food, I can get that on my own. No, I want favors, souls, something that means everything for the other person. And they give it to me. Their momentary desire worth their long term happiness. But by the time they discover that, I’m long gone, already moved on to my next… client. I know I look young, starvation and abuse will do that to a girl. Humans tell me that I shouldn’t be wandering out there alone. Some try to help me… most don’t. But whoever said I was by myself? Just because others couldn’t see them didn’t mean my demons ever left. I still hear their voices in my head, whispering words of encouragement and love. For them, I’d do anything. Kill anyone. Destroy anything. After all, life is just a game, right? Those still alive at the end of the day were the lucky ones. Those who died were not. Everything is just a game of chance, all a human has to do is roll the dice. My only word of advice is to be careful what you wish for… you just might get it. My name is Hattie, welcome to my world. Would you like a cup of tea?

A man named Garret wakes up to find himself in the back of your basic general goods store. He gets out after dealing with vertigo and a hangover from his drinking party. He had just come back from the front lines of a skirmish with the Terrorist group known as La Muerte de Diablo. His mind was hazy as he couldn't remember why he was there in the store or how he got there. A quick look to his phone revealed it has been 3 days since his last clear memory of the party and he was wondering where everyone was. Signal was gone and no sounds came from the store front despite it being a saturday afternoon. One step outside revealed, "Shit, it's the zombie apocalypse. And why can I see a virtual screen store from games in front of me?" Join Garret as he navigates this new world and what the heck it means to have basic stats and an infinite online store to help him survive. This is a story where it has, No level ups, no skill system, what you know is what you can do, and the store only has so many things you can grab with your points per day. Talk about a stressful survival game come to life. Now this is R18 for blood, violence, gore, sex, a slight harem (gotta repopulate that earth), and all kinds of cool fight scenes from mutant zombies to other skilled survivors who are out for blood. Come take a look!

Torn apart and eaten alive by zombies, Jiao Lizhi died filled with regret and hatred. As darkness engulfed her, she opened her eyes—only to find herself back at the beginning of the apocalypse. Crawling back from hell, she sought revenge and fought to live a better life. Watching his loved one torn to pieces before his eyes, he lost his sanity. To avenge her, he destroyed humanity’s last hope with his own hands. On the day the world was swallowed by darkness, he took his own life as the last man standing on Earth. When he opened his eyes again, he vowed never to lose her again! As the world turns into a living hell, will they be able to undo the regrets of their past lives? TRIGGER WARNING! Gore, Violence, Graphic scenes, Abuse.

Max Sterling, once an ordinary teenager, was always adorned with dreams of becoming a superhero. He spent his days fighting criminals, dedicating himself to being the light that illuminates the night. However, after losing balance between love and life, he dies in an explosion, and fate offers him an unexpected opportunity. A divine being grants him a second chance, sending him to another world—a fantastical isekai universe. In this world, which he is familiar with from anime, he disrupts a canon event, causing the balance of the universe to unravel. In this new world, Max will be forced to go beyond his dreams of becoming a superhero. Here, not only superpowers await him, but also friendships, rivals, and the search for a true purpose. Max's knowledge and strategies from his old world will give him a great advantage in this new reality. However, being powerful requires more than just defeating enemies. It demands much more.

Amid the collapse of Israel and Palestine's victory that shook the world, Arya, an Indonesian journalist, became both a witness and a recorder of history. However, the euphoria of victory turned into a nightmare when terrifying creatures suddenly emerged without warning. They were not just ordinary humans—they were ravenous undead, spreading a deadly plague that transformed people into bloodthirsty monsters. As chaos engulfed the world, various theories surfaced. Some called them zombies, while others believed they were Ya’juj and Ma’juj, the foretold harbingers of the end times. Along with his team, Arya must fight through increasingly dangerous terrain, facing hordes of ferocious creatures while searching for a way to survive in a world that is no longer the same. Yet, amid the destruction and unending terror, a crucial question arises: Where did this plague originate? And more importantly, is there any hope left for humanity, or is this the final chapter of life on Earth? ZOMBI: The Final Round of Life in The World is a gripping tale of resilience, fear, and the ultimate battle between life and death.

Jiho, a flimsy and unremarkable 17-year-old, is betrayed by his closest friends, Eunhee and Daniel, who had been in a secret relationship. He only discovers the truth after confessing his feelings to Eunhee. Heartbroken and humiliated when Daniel mocks him in front of the entire class, Jiho runs away from the school. But before he can process the betrayal, a zombie outbreak erupts. In the chaos, Jiho is bitten. Just as he thinks death is inevitable, something unexpected happens...

On December 11th, the apocalypse began. A new, mutated coronavirus—the Zeta variant—spread worldwide, and it was far more deadly than any version before it. Those infected without strong immune systems turned into zombies, and within two days, chaos reigned, wiping out 80% of humanity. Zack, an ordinary guy, found himself in the middle of this nightmare, struggling to survive. Lacking the skills to fight off the zombies, he was soon overwhelmed and met a tragic end… or so he thought. When Zack suddenly finds himself alive again, he’s back at the start of the apocalypse but with one huge difference—an advanced AI has armed him with powerful technology. Equipped with a zero-point reactor, power armor, a super serum, and much more, he now has the tools to turn the tide. Follow Zack as he builds a new civilization from the ruins and fights to reclaim the world in this thrilling journey of survival and innovation. _________ If you want to Support me (Many ch in Advance) https://ko-fi.com/sealauror https://www.patreon.com/beryledgard

If mercy and kindness can't save the world, then this time, I choose violence. I was reborn in death, like sin under the blazing sun.——Ethan Cole Huff... What’s going on? There’s a flight attendant with a D-cup sleeping next to me!? Did I really get reborn!? Back to fifteen days before the zombie apocalypse game starts!? [Ding! Congratulations, lucky one! You’ve been granted a one-time chance to be reborn, along with a spatial storage ring!] [Ding! Please choose: Join the humans or the zombies?] A cheat ability, and a storage ring!? If I choose to be human, I can stockpile supplies, hang out with different women in a safehouse... Isn’t this the perfect start for a post-apocalyptic hero? “So this time, I choose... zombies!” God: “Idiot!!! If I’d known, I would’ve given this rebirth chance to someone else!”

The Greatest Superhero? Is there even such a thing? Is it the hero who protects the people, saves the day or is it the hero who makes sure the monster dies A world where an age old life force called Archaic Energy powers every living thing. A world where Humanity battles against extinction from what lies on the other side of the Archaic spectrum. The Fiends ( monstrous beautiful creatures bent on man's demise ) A story of a person that seeks love but finds despair, time and time again. A man deranged withing his own senses perfectly sane in his soul. An adventure owhere one will find death, joy, despair but we hope for what was in the middle. They all do. But indeed He was only human for a short time. A cross between Fiends. There are people who don't know war, who only know comfort and safety. Then there are people whose comfort lies only in war and violence. The world is deranged like Him and He knows it. It's why he fits in. The story pushes people to edge--testing their title of Superheros who claim to be self sacrificing.Theo does not know what He is or what He will become. What is He supposed to be? Will He emerge from these mad times of chaos to become. THE GREATEST SUPERHERO. Or Will it emerge from the bedlam and bring about ruination as THE FINAL FIEND. A man is not a man if he has let go of his humanity and Theo, He lost his long ago. What to expect. ( Be warned ) Core reality's of Life. War Love Hate Existential Horror Intense Romance Rage Humour Symbolism Fighting ( Violent and brutal battles ) Death ( lots of it. I mean no one's safe in this book ). Genocide. Morality Anthropocidal desires Severe mental illness A whole lot of Gore Maladaptive cognitions Thantos. To put it simply. Before you is a highly action packed story filled with dread,intense romance with an unpredictable poetic plot. Its a novel not afraid to address the parts of life that people ignore. The parts of reality we try not to think about, the parts we run away from. It's the Journey of the Theo and what he decideds to become. A hero or a Fiend.

I was nothing but a mindless, rotting corpse, shuffling through the darkness—until a party of adventurers cut me down. That should have been the end. But instead of eternal rest, I woke up in the body of a noble. Fancy clothes, a sprawling estate, and servants calling me "Young Master." Sounds like a dream, right? There’s just one problem… I still have zombie instincts. Table manners? A nightmare. Holding a conversation? Harder than dodging a fireball. And apparently, calling the meat "too fresh" makes people really uncomfortable. Just as I start adjusting to this bizarre second life, my battle-hardened siblings return with unsettling news—monsters acting strangely, whispers of an ancient hunger awakening. And when I take my first bite of monster meat, I realize something terrifying: My hunger isn’t fading. It’s only growing. But the deeper I dig, the clearer it becomes—this hunger isn’t just mine. The Tower is waiting. The heavens are watching. And hell is ready to welcome me. Here is the Updated. https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/106105/i-died-as-a-zombie-then-woke-up-a-noble-and-became https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1440061/i-died-as-a-zombie-woke-up-a-noble-and-became-an-adventurer/

Adam Vaelor was once Nuclear Sentinel, Earth’s strongest superhero, a living nuclear core with godlike strength. But when he sacrificed himself to defeat the galactic warlord Zyrakk, he thought his story had ended. Instead, he wakes up in a fantasy world of swords and magic, reincarnated into a weaker body with only fragments of his former power. In a world where mana and aura reign supreme, his nuclear-based abilities are a complete anomaly, feared, misunderstood, and sought after by those who wish to exploit them. With bandits, monsters, corrupt nobles, and a rising demonic threat, Adam must adapt, grow stronger, and reclaim his lost power. But as he fights to uphold his old ideals, he soon learns that heroism in this world is not so simple. Will he rise once more as a protector of the weak? Or will the world’s darkness consume him first?

In 2025, the mysterious “Virus Z” appeared in the Russian city of Sevastopol, transforming citizens into ravenous zombies. What was first thought to be a simple epidemic quickly revealed itself to be the most threatening pandemic in human history. Confident at first that they could stop this new pandemic, the world's governments failed to grasp the scale of the threat. As a result, China and Korea were among the first to fall. Then India, then Russia, until the whole Asian continent had collapsed. With no army able to stop the zombie tide, all of Afro-Eurasia succumbed and became a massive uninhabitable zone. In the end, only nature's impassable borders—the oceans—halted the spread of Virus Z. Ten years later, the world is divided into two zones: the forbidden Black Zone, where the infection is still present, and the White Zone, home to the world's survivors and refugees. The White Zone survives only due to Dr. Goldberg's “Genesis Project”—the creation of living biological weapons immune to Virus Z. These people, whose DNA has been modified to make them super-powerful, are known to the world as “Hunters." Follow the story of Alexandre, a young American of modest origins and appearance, who becomes a novice Hunter and joins the most brutal and mysterious training ground imaginable—Hunter Academy! ------------------------------------------- Tag : Action, Adventure, System, Cultivation,SuperPower, School, Gore, WeakToStrong, Apocalypse. ///Zombie Survival System stakes inspiration from movies and video games like "World War Z" and the Fallout series. The system is inspired by "My Vampire System."/// ///Co-authored by Hamapo and EldritchBlade/// My Other Novel : https://www.webnovel.com/book/mmorpg-rise-of-the-interstellar-god_22293904705399805 =====>https://discord.gg/6WRpyJmvgC

Damien Morales, a somewhat ordinary boy with the typical rich parents, good grades and romance life ( ..... not yet). Everything was normal about him except that he had an abnormal strength disorder. Causing him to have twice the strength of people his age. His whole life changed when he met his best friend's grandfather, who took a liking to him. He taught him different things, especially blacksmithing and martial arts. One day, as he was arguing with his dad. Not knowing that it will be the last day he would argue with him. The apocalypse came in the form of an entity called the Divine Order. After ignorantly leading his parents to their death's in thirst of strength, he sacrificed himself to protect his sister. After turning into a mindless zombie, by some intervention, his consciousness was preserved in his mind scape. He kept training his skills in blacksmithing and martial arts, while his zombie self was rampaging on the outside. As he grew stronger, he could take control of his body gradually. Until he finally took complete control. What next will Damien do in his journey ahead?... This is my first book so please be nice and enjoy.

Azel woke up in a crypt with no memory of who or even what he is. When he encounters a rather unfriendly duo he discovers that his true nature is that of a ticking time bomb. Desperate to maintain his humanity, Azel agrees to accompany the two to a civilisation that actively despises his nature. And it certainly doesn't help when he finds himself in the middle of a power struggle between individuals he can't even fathom.

Chen Xiaoyun, an orphan from Guangzhou, China, once met a girl who looked remarkably like him. Before he could learn more about her, a deadly virus was unleashed around the globe. Humans turned into creatures straight out of video games and movies, and zombies and mutants roamed the streets with no one to stop them. From tanks to jockeys to even invisible zombies and mutated dogs. The mutations are just endless. "Why is there a zombie apocalypse just as I find my family? And why can I suddenly create things from thin air?" Will Xiaoyun survive the chaos with the new people he meets along the way? Will he use his newfound abilities to bring peace to a devastated world? Or perhaps he will just take another nap in the bed like a lazy pig—— "Shut up. How am I supposed to do anything when you keep throwing women at me?" ____________ Author's note: The main character grows as the story develops. Although he's very naive from the beginning, he matures a lot as the story progresses. There is no NTR or Yuri unless you consider the main character's woman sharing his 'stuff' in a threesome as Yuri, in which case I have nothing for you. Some of the love interests are related to the main character. Discord server if you want to talk or have questions: https://discord.gg/hnXMFwfVR3

In a world where warriors and mages wield incredible power to battle monsters and conquer dungeons, Leon was just another hopeful teenager awaiting his awakening. At eighteen, he stepped forward to touch the Awakening Orb, dreaming of a legendary class—perhaps a powerful Mage or a fearsome Warrior. But fate had other plans. [You have awakened the F-Rank Class: Necromancer] [Your subclass is: Zombie Lord] The world sneered. Necromancy was a taboo, a weak class fit for those who couldn't survive real combat. Zombies? Nothing more than mindless, slow-moving corpses. With no future in sight, Leon was cast aside as a failure. Until he actually used his ability. [Select Your Zombie Type] — Warrior Zombie — Mage Zombie — Healer Zombie Unlike traditional necromancers, Leon’s system let him create and customize zombies—giving them skills, equipping them with weapons, and even allowing them to evolve. With the right combination of magic, strategy, and firepower, his undead army could be unstoppable. Armed with a mana-powered magic gun, Leon fights alongside his growing legion of enhanced zombies, proving that an F-Rank class can become the most terrifying existence in the world. The dungeons will fall. The strong will kneel. And soon… the world will know the name Leon, The Zombie Lord

A lawyer accused of rape commits suicide and is transported to another world.

Vist my SubscribeStar page to read more chapters, up to Chapter 840!!! : https://subscribestar.adult/dreamwalker Feel free to support me there :) *All characters are 18+, all scenes are fictional!* *All content and extra stuff do not represent real people or places* With the Marvel X DC universe as the theme, this is a tale of conquering the beauty FCs in this Marvel and DC mixed universe. A daughter's daughter is still my daughter - what better than being a superhero is to be a superhero's father! This is the shameless journey of a scoundrel seducing other men's wives and mothers to struggle upwards. It contains all kinds of risque elements - the more shameless the better! The Penguin's mother, Bucky's mother, Captain America's mother, Iron Man's mother, Wonder Woman and her Amazon sisters, Wanda... No beautiful Marvel and Dc mothers escapes his clutches. He leaves behind him a trail of defiled virtue, morally compromised women, and superhero daddy issues. This lecherous Casanova MC stops at nothing to satiate his endless deviant appetites! Timeline - start from WWII - The MC NTR others - The MC is the little brother of Captain America, named Chris Rogers - No frustration - The MC would has a well known special title - Chris the Conquer of Your Mother PS: It is my first time to write, hope you can enjoy my stories, just feel free to leave any comments as they would be the valuable encourage to me :)

Sometimes. You face a choice in your life “Choose. Between the two of them. Whom will you save, Michael Aroa?” . . You look back into your life and wonder how you ended up here “Michael please!! Save your mother!! Not me. Michael you don’t need to make a choice here!! Michael! I love you! I won’t hate you for your choices!! Please save your mother!!” . . You question the path that you took that brought you to this point “Son. She is your wife! She has your child. It’s not one life over another but two over one. I am already old but she has a long life. You are smart enough to make the right decision, Son, aren’t you?” . . Since it hurts, you wish you could stop time and have some time to think [Activating Ability: Temporal Pause!!] [Activation failed!! Not enough Energy!!] . . You wish to go back into the past and change everything that led you to here [Activating Ability: Time Reverse!!] [Activation Failed!! You don’t have the Requirements to use this ability!!] . . And then when nothing works as it shouldn’t. [Are you sure you want to use this ability?] . . You make a decision that you had never thought you would [Activating ability!] . . And then... Chaos ensues . . [Ability Activated] [God Power: Time Collapse] ………………… This story is based on three basic themes: 1. Zombie Apocalypse: Zombified Humans, Humanized Zombies and normal Zombies and humans. 2. Harem: Zombie Girls, Normal Girls and Zombified Girls.(Any more variation wouldn’t make sense unless you guys really vote for it.) 3. System: A powerful God like system, which is not too broken but still very powerful. Level up and Evolution. ……………….. #NO Rape #No NTR Everything else is….. #Surviving #Kingdom building #Sex # Milf #Level up #Only MC has a System #Evolution #Zombies #Superhumans #Zombiewithintelligence #Weaktostrong #BadassMC #Harem #Sidecharachters ………………… The plot will change by Volume each and basically each volume will have at least one of them: Survival, Action, Fights, Kingdom Building, Training, Craft learning, Adventure missions, etc. The Side-Characters will have their own specific goal, personality, background history, etc. That includes girls, friends, family and of course, Villains. Face slapping will be there from time to time. Even though I would focus on a light comedy setting with a lot of jokes of all types, I won’t hesitate to throw in dark moments from time to time. So be prepared for that as well. I like putting twists where people would least expect it, so there is that too. The basic information about MC and his objective is in the review I pinned so look it up. ……………… Daily Publish Rate: 1-2chaps/day Extra chaps on Powerstone will be: 1000PS+ : 3 chaps/day for that week Extra chaps on Golden Ticket: 250 GT: +2 Chaps. 1000 GT: +2 Chaps. .................. For personal queries/ Requests, my instagram ID is: alt_simplistic Thank you for coming here, hope you have a blast reading this. [Mature content warning R-18]

When Alex was hoping to get an awesome superpower like his mom or inherit her superpowers he instead get a system and not a normal system which he has read in any fantasy novel but a system called 'Cuckold System' things gets messy as the bully of his previous school found him again but what about Alex ? will he submit to his desires or resist them ?lets find out Warning tags : ntr, cuckold

What happens when a bored and hungry zombie woman who reads to fulfill her basic needs transmigrates into a dungeon apocalypse novel, the book that caused her accidental death? If she was a cannon fodder, it would have been better. Instead, she was the passerby who died after handing the female lead, the special ring- a great golden finger that ended the apocalypse. And she wasn't even mentioned by the female lead, who claimed all the credit for being the world's savior, forgetting her sacrifice. After understanding the situation and losing the ring, her first thought was to look for food and sleep. She doesn't want to be the hero of the world, she is kind to leave it for the female lead to hug all the glory. But the two men she saved randomly always hung around, unwilling to leave her alone, and a reborn female lead who kept staring at her with hatred. Update Time: Tuesdays and Fridays with two chapters each. (⁠〃ﾟ⁠3ﾟ⁠〃⁠)

NEW CHAPTER EVERY FRIDAY! --- The Earth was hit by a meteor, and it caused a mysterious virus to spread. The virus caused people to turn into zombies, and Luca Weisman lost his parents when he was sixteen to zombies as well. His other relatives also died because of zombies, that was the reason why he despised zombies very much, and he only had himself in the chaotic world that was about to end because of the catastrophe. He sealed himself off without letting anyone enter his territory, but one day, a strange delivery guy suddenly tried to knock on his door and wanted to come in. It turned out that the person was the annoying player he knew in the game, but one thing he didn't know was the person's true identity. Other feelings developed from the initial annoyance and hatred, but would those feelings still be the same after he found out the person's true identity?