Describers

[Nothere]

Looking over the public domain superheroes it struck me how many use descriptive titles in their names. Espically since folks have pretty much stopped using them. The last big fan was Stan Lee: Fantastic Four, Amazing Spiderman, Invincible Iron man. So I was just thinking about them and thought I'd ask the group some questions. Apparently they break down into three catagories.

 

Color- Black, red, blue, green, and purple being the most popular.

Titles- Mr., Miss., Dr., Baron , Count, Captain, Man, and Woman toping the list

Substances- Steel, Iron, and diamond among the most popular.

 

So is this sort of thing a piece of the past or has anyone used one lately? In this pc world is there no place for the Black or Green ardvark, and if not does the Blue or Green ardvark slip by?

And the thing that makes me wish I knew how to make a poll, which adds more menace to a villian Dr., Captain, Baron, or Count?

[ghost-angel]

Re: Describers

 

Descriptors is a more elegant term, I didn't even know "describers" was a proper word until now. Stunning.

 

And I haven't ever really used any, now that you've pointed it out, and I'm not sure why other than it never seriously occurred to me. it's certainly a kind of fun way to present your character.

 

I might have to change that if I get the chance.

[DJ Blackrock]

Re: Describers

 

One of my epic level villains is a powersuited fellow by the name of Demolition Jackal. The naming convention follows Metal Gear Solid to a certain extent, but thinking on it, I guess that makes Demolition a descriptor. Sort of. Other than that, I don't think I've done it before. Unless using Black Harlequin counts.

[Lucius]

Re: Describers

 

I would never have thought of calling a title a "describer."

 

Lucius Alexander

 

House of the Palindromedary

[Supreme Serpent]

Re: Describers

 

I use the epithet version (Invincible Iron Man, Uncanny X-Men, gray-eyed Athena) when writing sometimes. As for actually being part of the name, sometimes. Plus those times when it comes part and parcel with what you're taking the name from...not many spider-themed characters would be just "Widow" I imagine.

 

Let's see...in past games/things I can recall off the top of my head:

 

Scarlet Shade

Red Centipede

Scarlet Scarab

(Green Beret)

(Black Widow)

Blue Cyclone

 

So colors basically.

 

Plus lots of titles like Dr., Mr., Miss, Captain, Lord and so on.

[HawksmoorSD]

Re: Describers

 

I had a D&D character a few years ago that I used a descriptor for. I tend to play something akin to duelists and to give him more of a punch I set it up so he had his leather armor dyed with the same color of red that he used on his hair. Thus was born Taniso the Red, or Red Taniso as he was occasionally called. Long before that, maybe 10 years gone, I had another fighter who had a pair of gloves that his father had left for him that were silvery in color and he often went by "Silver Hands."

 

So while I can say I've used them I just never thought to apply them to supers, which is my favorite genre. Weird.

[Peregrine]

Re: Describers

 

I think it may be that the naming convention has a distinctively Silver Age feel to it, whereas many (if not most) supers gamers strive for a more Bronze to Iron Age feel.

 

(I know that there are a number of folks who play a more Silver Age supers game. They appear to be the exception rather than the rule. YMMV, etc.)

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Describers

 

You list "Amazing Spiderman" and "Invincible Ironman", but those are the title of their comics, Amazing and Invincible are not part of their names. I think there's two different issues, do people use descriptors in their character's names (Fantastic Four) and do people use descriptors to officially describe their characters (Incredible Hulk).

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Describers

 

I have titles galore: Captain Photon, Captain Glory, Lady Lightning, Professor Cyborg, Professor Entropy, and many others.

 

There are some colors, like the White Guardian, the Emerald Sentinel, Silver Bullet, the Grey Knight, and Shadow Panther.

 

The Shadow Watcher fits the substance category, since his name means that he watches from the shadows (unlike Shadow Panther above, who uses a shadowy black color).

 

(For two heroines, Ms. Steele and Scarlet Bow, it would seem to apply if not for the fact that those are the ladies' real names.)

 

That's not even counting the Interlopers, and group deliberately built from names used by more than one publisher. Among them are Major Victory, Captain Marvel, Wonder Man, Sandman, and the White Witch.

 

It's also not counting villains such as General Bones, Mr. Gigglepuss, Ebonclaw, the Emerald Wizard, and others.

[Rapier]

Re: Describers

 

I tend to favour alliterative combinations. But I would still wager that colours are probably most numerous with substances close behind. I also tend to use verbs a lot (eg Bashing Betty, Jumping Jack).

[BoloOfEarth]

Re: Describers

 

When I was playing Bolo, I tried adding an epithet and went by "the Inimitable Bolo" for a bit, but it just didn't work well.

 

As GM, I've created very few characters with descriptors or titles. (Supreme Serpent, is your Blue Cyclone based on the wrestler from a comedy song by I think it was Ray Stevens? That's where mine came from.) Most of my character names are one-word names.

 

I've made Dr. Farrah Moen, Mistress Medusa, Skye Blue, and Wild Rose from the Femmes Fatale; and Iron Mike from the Windy City Sportsmen, Blue Cyclone from the Brute Squad, and the solo hero Cobalt Kid.

 

I've borrowed a few from other people: Dr. Discus, Lord Tek, Black Oak, Madame Manta, Diamond Kitty, Boss Shadow, and Black Sabbath. (Thanks Bill, Jon, Mike, John, and Tom!)

[Lucius]

Re: Describers

 

Okay, riddle me this - what would be an example of a superhero name that DOESN'T, in some way, describe the character?

 

I still don't get why a title is a descriptor, but if you count the Doctor in Doctor Strange as descriptive, surely you also have to count Strange (yes, I know it was supposed to be the character's actual surname, but you and I and the dog all know the reason for the name is to make you think of a Strange character having Strange adventures.) Same for Doctor Doom, Mister Fantastic, Professor X, etc.

 

In the name of the first superhero of all, Superman, "Super" is modifying, i.e. "describing," "man."

 

How many superheroes can you name whose names aren't descriptive, or at least evocative?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Having been bitten by a radioactive palindromedary, Lucius Alexander becomes - The Amazing Palindromedary Man!

[DJ Blackrock]

Re: Describers

 

Okay, riddle me this - what would be an example of a superhero name that DOESN'T, in some way, describe the character?

 

I still don't get why a title is a descriptor, but if you count the Doctor in Doctor Strange as descriptive, surely you also have to count Strange (yes, I know it was supposed to be the character's actual surname, but you and I and the dog all know the reason for the name is to make you think of a Strange character having Strange adventures.) Same for Doctor Doom, Mister Fantastic, Professor X, etc.

 

In the name of the first superhero of all, Superman, "Super" is modifying, i.e. "describing," "man."

 

How many superheroes can you name whose names aren't descriptive, or at least evocative?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Having been bitten by a radioactive palindromedary, Lucius Alexander becomes - The Amazing Palindromedary Man!

 

The first thing that came to my mind was Lobo... but Lobo is close to Loco, and if any comic book character is Loco... Hmm. Now I need to do some research and find some. To Google! AWAY!!

[BNakagawa]

Re: Describers

 

Okay, riddle me this - what would be an example of a superhero name that DOESN'T, in some way, describe the character?

 

I still don't get why a title is a descriptor, but if you count the Doctor in Doctor Strange as descriptive, surely you also have to count Strange (yes, I know it was supposed to be the character's actual surname, but you and I and the dog all know the reason for the name is to make you think of a Strange character having Strange adventures.) Same for Doctor Doom, Mister Fantastic, Professor X, etc.

 

In the name of the first superhero of all, Superman, "Super" is modifying, i.e. "describing," "man."

 

How many superheroes can you name whose names aren't descriptive, or at least evocative?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Having been bitten by a radioactive palindromedary, Lucius Alexander becomes - The Amazing Palindromedary Man!

 

Not a published character, but I was in a con game with a PC that was an alien with tri-lateral symmetry who shot energy beams from...somewhere.

 

His/its hero name was Grappler.

 

On the subject of published characters with less than descriptive names, there is Kitty Pryde who has been known as Sprite, Ariel and Shadowcat, none of which are particularly descriptive of her powerset.

[Lucius]

Re: Describers

 

The first thing that came to my mind was Lobo... but Lobo is close to Loco' date=' and if any comic book character is Loco... Hmm. Now I need to do some research and find some. To Google! AWAY!![/quote']

 

"lobo" is Spanish and Portuguese for "wolf."

 

 

On the subject of published characters with less than descriptive names, there is Kitty Pryde who has been known as Sprite, Ariel and Shadowcat, none of which are particularly descriptive of her powerset.

 

Her powerset includes becoming as insubstantial as a shadow, in which form I suspect she is quiet as a cat - and you maintain that the name Shadowcat, and other names suggesting Faerie creatures (one of which is actually cognate to the word "spirit") are not descriptive?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The Amazing Palindromedary Man!

[Greywind]

Re: Describers

 

"Shadow" because of her ability. "Cat" is a play off her name.

[DJ Blackrock]

Re: Describers

 

"lobo" is Spanish and Portuguese for "wolf."

 

 

Touché

[BNakagawa]

Re: Describers

 

"Shadow" because of her ability. "Cat" is a play off her name.

 

Yeah, going through solid objects just the way shadows don't...

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Describers

 

"Shadow" because of her ability. "Cat" is a play off her name.

 

Yeah' date=' going through solid objects just the way shadows don't...[/quote']

Snarky comment aside, shadows are considered insubstantial and while they may not pass through objects, solid things can certainly “go through” them. In fact, a shadow can be seen, but can’t really be physically affected by anything other than a change in lighting. Can be seen but not effected? Sounds like a good correlation to intangibility to me.

 

How literal do you want to get with this? Should we point out that Captain Marvel isn’t actually a Captain of anything? (For that matter, does Captain America even actually have the rank of Captain?) Or how about the fact that Rogue is both a hero and works on a team, negating both of the most common uses of the word? Nightcrawler doesn’t crawl. Ironman’s armor is made of alloys, not iron. Nightwing doesn’t have any (wings). Twoface actually only has one face, it’s just messed up and scarred. I mean, we can get really pedantic about this, but what’s the point, other than being argumentative?

 

Also, it should be noted that something can be descriptive without being literal. We do this all the time in regular speech with simile, metaphor, and such. Why would it be any different with Superhero names or descriptors? Not literal ≠ incorrect and/or not descriptive.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Describers

 

The first thing that came to my mind was Lobo... but Lobo is close to Loco' date=' and if any comic book character is Loco... Hmm. Now I need to do some research and find some. To Google! AWAY!![/quote']

"lobo" is Spanish and Portuguese for "wolf."

While I knew this latter fact, I've generally (deliberately) read "Lobo" as short for "lobotomy." As in, he's either had one, or is in need of one.

 

But that doesn't really advance the thread any....

[Greywind]

Re: Describers

 

How literal do you want to get with this? Should we point out that Captain Marvel isn’t actually a Captain of anything? (For that matter' date=' does Captain America even actually have the rank of Captain?) [/quote']Mar-Vell was a Kree Captain. At one point, Captain America did hold the rank of Captain in the Army

Or how about the fact that Rogue is both a hero and works on a team, negating both of the most common uses of the word? Nightcrawler doesn’t crawl.

Actually, Nightcrawler can wallcrawl as well as Spider-Man

Ironman’s armor is made of alloys, not iron.

Originally, it was.

Nightwing doesn’t have any (wings).

He had glider wings under his arms.

Twoface actually only has one face, it’s just messed up and scarred. I mean, we can get really pedantic about this, but what’s the point, other than being argumentative?

Two-face, being a split personality, has two faces. His outward appearance is just a reflection of those faces.

 

Also, it should be noted that something can be descriptive without being literal. We do this all the time in regular speech with simile, metaphor, and such. Why would it be any different with Superhero names or descriptors? Not literal ≠ incorrect and/or not descriptive.

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Describers

 

Mar-Vell was a Kree Captain. At one point' date=' Captain America did hold the rank of Captain in the ArmyActually, Nightcrawler can wallcrawl as well as Spider-ManOriginally, it was.He had glider wings under his arms.Two-face, being a split personality, has two faces. His outward appearance is just a reflection of those faces.[/quote']

My point was that the argument about Kitty Pride's codename Shadowcat was pedantic, but if you really want to go there. I was referring to Captain Marvel, "The Big Red Cheese" of the DC Universe. Is he/has he been, a captain? Split personality doesn’t give a person “two faces” in a literal sense and is just as abstract as “shadow” in “Shadowcat”. Fine, Nightwing has “wings” (if you consider the little flying squirrel type flaps under his arms “wings”), but he’s not made out of “night”. I’m not trying to argue that these characters are misnamed, I’m saying overanalyzing a name and complaining that it is not literal enough is pointless.

[Lucius]

Re: Describers

 

 

But that doesn't really advance the thread any....

 

What would advance the thread would be if we could figure out what we're actually talking about.

 

I got lost from the first post. "Mister" is a "describer?"

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The Amazing Palindromedary Man

[bigbywolfe]

Re: Describers

 

So Mister is a title, but it does imply gender, which could be said to describe the character...

 

 

 

 

(Okay, I'm stretching, I know...)

[Greywind]

Re: Describers

 

My point was that the argument about Kitty Pride's codename Shadowcat was pedantic, but if you really want to go there. I was referring to Captain Marvel, "The Big Red Cheese" of the DC Universe. Is he/has he been, a captain? Split personality doesn’t give a person “two faces” in a literal sense and is just as abstract as “shadow” in “Shadowcat”. Fine, Nightwing has “wings” (if you consider the little flying squirrel type flaps under his arms “wings”), but he’s not made out of “night”. I’m not trying to argue that these characters are misnamed, I’m saying overanalyzing a name and complaining that it is not literal enough is pointless.

But it passes the time...

 

So Mister is a title, but it does imply gender, which could be said to describe the character...

 

 

 

 

(Okay, I'm stretching, I know...)

Not according to Star Trek, Mr. Saavik...