How do comic book writers come up with good ones? The secret identity name has to both be mundane to not sound to alien or weird but also be unique in there own way. I argue coming up with the name is harder than making the hero. How would you come up with one?
>>150208200>I argue coming up with the name is harder than making the hero.I agree. Its took me two days once to decide on a name for a character in a VN I was playing.
>>150208200How many poor sods happened to be namesakes when the characters became popular?
>>150208678I feel for all the Jesse McCrees. Hell I watched a livestream rage at a guy for naming two people on his fictional baseball team Mason Dixon and Jeff Davis.
>>150208200Very true. I'm making a few stories rn set in the end of this century in the real world and it's hard coming up with unique and memorable names that also sound like they could actually exist irl. But I love coming up with names so it's also very fun.
Well with the examples in OP, Peter Parker is an alliteration, and both Anthony and Stark have meanings that reflect him. But Tony Stark isn't an alliteration and Spider-Man doesn't have rock powers or live among grass. So maybe having just one is ideal.
>>150208200I think low syllable count is quite important for making a name memorable and potentially iconic. Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne have only two syllables in their full names. Peter Parker works not just because it’s alliterative but because both his first and last names have two syllables giving it a rhythmic quality. And a hell of a lot have three syllable full names, either a single syllable first name and two syllable surname or vice versa.
Keep it below 3 syllables, or make it an alliteration like Peter Parker. Also it can't be an ethnic name.
>>150208974Define ethnic name. Are Sean, Pierre, Hans, and Maria ethnic?
>>150208974as far as stan lee is concerned, alliteration is better because its easier to keep track of everyone>peter parker is selling photos to james jonah jameson, gets his check from betty brant, gets advice from robbie robertson>he then partners with matt murdock, the dare devil, to fight otto octavius and kurt connor>norman osbourne, sensing something was missing, quickly names himself the green goblin
>>150208200I've noticed a lot of superheroes have names where both parts of the name would work as a first name.>Bruce Wayne>Clark Kent>Barry Allen>Hal Jordan>Alan Scott>John Stewart>Peter Parker>Charles Xavier
>>150209175Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, although his teammates aren't quite on that level.
>>150208200When in doubt, alliterate.I feel like it's kinda cheating, but it does work.
>>150209236sue storm alliterated until they got marrieddoctor doom couldnt let reed get away with having a better name, so he decided to never use the victor part of his name until reed was dead
>>150208200Manlet Man doesn't have a good name.The only real advantage to his name is that when idiot casual fan girls want to write non-slash Tony and other hero, it's a lot easier to name it Toni Stark or even Antonia Stark than some of the stupid names them come up with like Brucina Wayne or Clara Kent or Penny Parker >>150209321Doom only refers to Doom in the third personDoom never refers to Victor in any person, manner, or way
>>150209236I dunno man, Ben Grimm sounds even more memorable than Reed Rchards but both are very good
>>150208200Just Google top names of the 1930s, 40s, or 50s and randomly pair them together. Older names tend to roll of the tongue better.
>>150209233Wait a minute...
>>150209233>Bruce WayneBill Finger claimed he combined the names of historical figures Robert the Bruce and "Mad Anthony" Wayne.>Alan ScottFinger and Martin Nodell originally wanted to use the name "Alan Ladd", a play on Aladdin, but were overruled by editor Sheldon Mayer. The actor with the same name came along several years later.
>>150208678On a /v/ related note i genuinely wonder whats happening to that kid named Dovakhiin right now, it's actually kind of sad honestly, nerd name and the games Bethesda have been producing directly have only been mediocre at best. Hopefully he gets access to the Arkane shit like Prey and Dishonored.
Alliteration makes it easier to remember. The Stan Lee Method.
>>150208200>Isabelle X>A Spell Proxy who keeps getting hit with all the nasty shit that is fired off at Alex Abel (because he's an asshat), she grew up to become a Theft Wizard in order to protect herself from other asshole Wizards and some stuff involving a magic videotape she couldn't afford to rent but was too bugfucked from all the magic to care anymore>Also a NOI 5%er. Because the history of the belief system really works for UA, the general theology too>Mostly because I needed a good reason to have X as a Surname and fell down a rabbit hole looking into Malcom X
>>150208200i see it as more of a ladder, and college, like xaviers school for gifted youngsters but at a larger scale no secret identities just a job description and career
>>150213440Probably goes by Ken or Kenny.
>>150208200Alliteration is the key.
>>150215486She deserved so much better
>>150216813fr tho
>>150213571>Stan Lee not an alliteration.
>>150208974This is why nobody gives a fuck about She-Hulk.
>>150208200>How would you come up with one?Have fun with it. Give them a name that's a pun on their powers.
>>150208200Write down a lot of names and see what sticks. Doubt Clark Kent or Peter Parker just came out on the fly.
>>150219146Yikes, that's forgettable as hell
I have never been good with names. Not with writing. Not with RPGS. To do this day I still call my dog HEY YOU!
>>150217966Not even her coolest fight, post the one with Mr Negative
>>150219146Jen/Jenny works. But you'd probably call her that even when green.
>>150222604I'd call her Jen-Nay from Forrest Gump just to piss her off. "Did ya sleep with Cain again Jen-Nay?"
>>150219146Huge step down from Bruce Banner
>>150223974Sometimes he'd get called Bob, which as very negative meaning going forward.
>>150224034When people see She-Hulk they think oh that gross thot.
I think it's also hard as fuck to make a iconic look out of the costume.
>>150208999I'm guessing he means "exotic/weird" like Sean and Maria are pretty normalized here. Especially if they sound like stereotype names that you picked. Fredrich can get a pass, Hans absolutely cannot.>>150224317To be fair the secret identity is usually keeping a low profile, it's a bit easier when they don't have an identity to keep.Though the only ones I can really count among Logan are Scott, Matt Murdock, and maybe Reed Richards. The key is to have a reasonably unique feature but not so unique that it's stupid. And the whole realism issue. Like I feel like cartoons have an easier time making recognizable secret identities because the style can carry them. I'll recognize Virgil Hawkins at a glance in the cartoon but in a comic I'll be like "who's this nigga"
>>150224701>When you have a combination of Steve Rogers, Hank Pym, or Clint Barton in a room outside of their costumes
>>150224861I was just thinking about those three, they might as well be triplets by the way some artists draw them
Guy Gardner is the one character I would instantly recognize without costume
>>150225287That is a very distinct haircut.
>>150208200>The secret identity name has to both be mundane to not sound to alien or weird but also be unique in there own wayWhat? Says who? You? You do realize these names were just the first picked out of a hat pretty much? Some guy was like “that fits” and moved on with his life You’re adding way more thought to this than necessary
>>150225919I don't appreciate your tone.
