This feature was first published in WIRED magazine in July 2017.

Back in the 60s, when Spider-Man made his first appearance, the idea that you could adopt, keep and maintain a secret identity was fairly plausible. Today, not so much. But could a modern-day Peter Parker elude CCTV and DNA forensics? Or are films such as Spider-Man: Homecoming, out July 7, merely the stuff of nostalgic fantasy? WIRED spoke to Peter Bleksley, author of crime thriller The Gangbuster, to find out.

“Spider-Man is male, so we can discount half of the population instantly. Secondly, we look at his age range. We then look at his build, height and weight. Using traditional investigative techniques, we can narrow down the suspects fairly quickly.”

Costumes help, but don’t touch anyone

“Disguises can be effective. A recent example is ‘Basil’ from the Hatton Garden raid, who wore a mask and remains at large. But, in the case of a superhero, a transfer of fibres from a costume on to the villain they’re fighting could yield a DNA profile.”

“Cities have extensive CCTV coverage: if CCTV captures a civilian walking down an alley and Superman emerges from the other end, you have your case solved. It’s only when you’re in an area with diminished CCTV, that you could hope to stay untracked.”

Forensic science scuppers supervillains

“Blood, saliva, sweat – anything remaining from a fight can be profiled. Even breath can be used. If you know Batman – whose mouth is exposed – has spent time in a room, you can seal that room and apply a chemical treatment to extract DNA.”

“Every button you press leaves an electronic footprint. And the only way to avoid such a footprint would be to use cybercrime techniques. If Batman is hacking into state-run CCTV and disabling them, that’s an offence. It would also leave a trail – right back to the Batcave.”