[@jumpadraw]If he was active a year ago, his identity would be out there.  If he had a different persona then, it might not be connected to this New one (like Arsenal), but all "Supers" had their identities revealed.  That wasn't a big deal for most villains, but for the heroes is was a major problem.

There's even a page on Pheonix's website where you can view the list. Haven't mentioned it yet, though it's public.