Nomenclature

From Encyclopedia Superheroica -the Encyclopedia of Superheroes

Revision as of 21:56, 29 March 2009

They say that you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. This is not restricted simply to one's appearance or one's formal introduction. A superhero's name can precede them. People will begin to form opinions based on a name alone. Too often though, people are either misinformed or underwhelmed by superhero nomenclature. A superhero needs to seriously consider Shakespeare's warning "What's in a name?" before they make their final decision. Their reputations and careers may depend upon it.

Examples

Most superheroes' names are obvious and at least relatively complimentary. Names of this sort are to be preferred.

• "Superman" is a man of superior abilities.
  
• "Batman" is a man inspired by (and dressed like) bats.
  
• "Murcielaga" is a Hispanic woman inspired by (and dressed like) bats.
  
• "Wolverine" is vicious like a wolverine.
  
• "Badger" is vicious like a badger.
  
• "Storm" has meteorological powers.
  
• "Green Arrow" is a monochromatic archer.
  

-Nuff said.

Bad Ideas

There are those who insist upon being "mysterious". Most of those heroes end up sounding silly. This can result in morale problems for both the hero and the citizens under their oversight. One might get lucky picking a name at random, but wasting time on such longshots is not advisable. An unfortunate few have already come to inspire ridicule rather than respect. Perhaps name changes are in order for these heroes...

• Wired's nominations
• ComicMix' nominations