| 1 | [[quoteright:299:[[ComicBook/{{Deathmate}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deathmate.png]]]] |
| 2 | |
| 3 | ->''"It got ridiculous. You'd get these lists with names that we'd never, ever use, and you could tell the other guy just went through a laundry list of stupid-ass names. That's where a thing like Blood Tears would come from."'' |
| 4 | -->-- Creator/ImageComics co-founder and Top Cow president '''Marc Silvestri''' [[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=37906 at the 2012 Emerald City Comic Con.]] |
| 5 | |
| 6 | %%One quote only, please. |
| 7 | |
| 8 | Part of MediaNotes/{{the Dark Age|OfComicBooks}} of {{Superhero}}es involved making not only their [[NinetiesAntiHero appearance, morality, and demeanor]] DarkerAndEdgier, but also their names. Heroes born during TheNineties ditched the SomethingPerson NamingConventions and took a page from NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast, using names both scary and trite. |
| 9 | |
| 10 | Most names became one word, usually gritty, edgy, and trendy. At times, two words were merged into a single name, usually including some combination of Dark, Blood, or a verb for killing. Because [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall substandard literacy is kewl]], they are occasionally [[XtremeKoolLetterz misspelled]] in clever ways like Darkchylde, Stryker, or Blüdwulf -- which, not coincidentally, also makes the names easier to trademark. |
| 11 | |
| 12 | Characters surviving from this time period may have to struggle with sounding dated, but then again, surviving the nineties hopefully means they have [[CharacterDevelopment more]] to them than just boasts of Badassness. |
| 13 | |
| 14 | See also FadSuper. Contrast TheAdjectivalSuperhero. May prove to be an AtrociousAlias - either in their time if they seem overblown or ridiculous, or later as trends change - and as such can end up as an AudienceAlienatingEra for the character who once bore such a name. |
| 15 | |
| 16 | ---- |
| 17 | !!Examples: |
| 18 | |
| 19 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 20 | |
| 21 | [[folder:DC Comics]] |
| 22 | * ''ComicBook/{{Bloodlines|DCComics}}'': The miniseries produced a whole slew of these: Ballistic, Cardinal Sin, Edge, Gunfire, Hook, Jamm, Krag, Loose Cannon, Mongrel ([[UnfortunateImplications an African-American/Vietnamese superhero]]), Nightblade, Razorsharp, Terrorsmith... it goes on and on. There was also ComicBook/{{Hitman|1993}}, who was [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin exactly that]], but his comic ran with it, in a BlackComedy sort of way. In Hitman's own series, there was Nightfist, a tough vigilante who shows no mercy and ''will'' hit you, with his fists, hard. |
| 23 | ** That said, Nightfist was a crooked hero who beat up crooks for their money and wore a costume so people wouldn't ask questions. |
| 24 | ** In the Hitman Annual, it was mentioned that ''all'' of the Bloodlines-created supers except Hitman had been killed in less than two years. (As ComicBook/TheFlash put it, "There's more to this business than putting on a costume and going out to 'be super'.") |
| 25 | ** The whole business was mocked in another ''Hitman'' issue. |
| 26 | --->'''[=McAllister=]:''' Well, anyway, the result was a completely new generation of superpowered human beings... |
| 27 | --->'''Monaghan:''' You mean like whatsizname? An' that other guy? |
| 28 | --->'''[=McAllister=]:''' That's them. |
| 29 | ** Even Creator/RobLiefeld felt DC was ripping off his title ''ComicBook/YoungbloodImageComics'' with ''Bloodlines''. |
| 30 | * [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/wild-dog/4005-43656/ Wild Dog]] was introduced in the late '80s, and might be uncharitably described as "ComicBook/ThePunisher dressed for some hockey." He wore a hockey mask and jersey with a local school's mascot (a "wild dog," natch.) His look did, however, fit the book's central premise of a "realistic" vigilante hero who could buy all of his clothing and gear off the rack from sporting goods stores, hardware stores, etc. |
| 31 | * Even the ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes went through this phase. Traditionally a bastion of SomethingPerson names, the '90s-era reboot turned Lightning Lad into "Live Wire", Triplicate Girl into "Triad," Colossal Boy into "Leviathan," Princess Projectra into "Sensor," and so forth. When the series was rebooted ''again'' in 2004, most of the new names went by the wayside, and the SomethingPerson codenames returned to the fore. |
| 32 | * Many of the new super people created for ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' embody this trope: Nightstar (Starfire and Nightwing's daughter), 666, Bat-Knight, Black Mongul, [=NIL8=] (the name is spelled out, by the way), Swastika, Shiva the Destroyer and Cathedral... This is deliberate, since ''ComicBook/KingdomCome'' is a deconstruction of the Dark Age. Minor character Demon Damsel manages to be both this trope and [[MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age of Supernames]], as she's allegedly a rejected candidate for the Legion of Super-Heroes, which is why her name fits the "Lightning Lad"-"Saturn Girl" format. |
| 33 | * Characters/{{Nightwing|DickGrayson}} celebrated his own ongoing series by moving to a town named [[HeavyMetalUmlaut Blüdhaven]]. It was described as being close to Gotham (the Bat-Family frequently guest-starred in each other's comics), but was also described unambiguously as more crime-ridden and corrupt than Gotham, although 50+ years of comics never saw Batman so much as chase a purse-snatcher there. Eventually the whole city got destroyed during the ''ComicBook/InfiniteCrisis'' crossover event. |
| 34 | * The Creator/GrantMorrison {{parody}} one-shot ''[[ComicBook/DoomPatrol Doom Force]]'' did not have this with the Doom Force. The mock editorial, however listed many other Doom Force characters with such names as Lock And Load. Morrison did, however, deconstruct this trope in ''ComicBook/{{Aztek}}, The Ultimate Man'' with Bloodtype and Death-Doll. It turned out they used to be Mr. America and Liberty Lass: The crime-fighting husband and wife team that doesn't know each other's secret identities. Unluckily for them, they ran afoul of the Dark Age, as embodied by the [[AlienGeometries strange]] [[EldritchLocation qualities]] of the [[WretchedHive city of Vanity]]. |
| 35 | * [[Characters/{{Deathstroke}} Deathstroke the Terminator]]. A good example of a character managing to stay top-tier despite a name that seems hilariously over the top today. It's probably for the best [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003 the cartoon]] stuck with "Slade." Apparently, his name wasn't intended to be quite that bad: in his first battle with the Titans, he was called only Deathstroke to a certain point, and then called only Terminator as if he'd been called that all along. Apparently something went wrong at the editing stage. This was {{handwave}}d by saying his full handle was "Deathstroke the Terminator." You'd think they'd have dropped one name or the other by this point (especially with ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' giving them the opportunity to say that in the [[CosmicRetcon new combined reality]], he'd never been called anything but Deathstroke), but for whatever reason, the over-the-top name stuck. What's even weirder is that DC barely uses Terminator in his full name for [[Franchise/{{Terminator}} obvious reasons]] (despite the character debuting before the movie). But, for some reason, they use it just often enough so people never forget that it was his original name all along. |
| 36 | * A couple years before Marvel used the name, Creator/MilestoneComics also had a villain named [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust Holocaust]], originally from the ''ComicBook/BloodSyndicate''. He even had his own miniseries, ''My Name Is Holocaust'', which indeed it was... until it wasn't. For reasons not entirely clear (InUniverse, he signs on with a new boss that insists on rebranding him; later, ComicBook/{{Static}} surmises "Someone just got around to seeing ''Film/SchindlersList''"), Holocaust changed his name to "Pyre" at the end of his series. (Perhaps, as with the Marvel example that might also be related to the rename, the name was just ''too'' dark?) In 2010, however, Holocaust turned up again in ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'', using his original name. |
| 37 | * Although a mild example, [[ComicBook/GreenArrow Arsenal]] counts. Notably, he started off as "Speedy" when he was a KidSidekick, then became "Arsenal," switched to "Red Arrow" when he joined the ComicBook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica, and then switched back to "Arsenal" when he went DarkerAndEdgier. However, one of the reasons behind Roy's name change was that Arsenal represented that he used other weapons besides a bow, and later, he mastered a form of martial arts that allows him to use anything as a weapon. After the loss of his arm and the death of his daughter Lian in ''ComicBook/JusticeLeagueCryForJustice'', his change back to Arsenal was followed by him completely dropping the bow (his badly designed prosthetic made it unable for him to use a bow like he used to) and switching to knives and some sort of staff on his back. |
| 38 | * In ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'', the members of The Gentry have such colorful monikers as Dame Merciless, Hellmachine, Lord Broken, Demogorgunn and... [[RobotNames Intellectron]]. |
| 39 | [[/folder]] |
| 40 | |
| 41 | [[folder:Image Comics]] |
| 42 | * ComicBook/TheMaxx, whose series, was ironically, phenomenal. In his own book, the Maxx [[{{Crossover}} met]] The Pitt, an Image character who starred in a rather less distinguished (and shorter-lived) comic. |
| 43 | * ComicBook/{{Spawn}}, who practically epitomized this trope in the 90s. |
| 44 | * ''ComicBook/YoungbloodImageComics'' is typically regarded as one of the {{Trope Codifier}}s: |
| 45 | ** Deathshot, Riptide, Badrock, Combat, Psi-Fire, Psylence (sometimes Psilence), Bloodwulf, Diehard, Wylder. |
| 46 | ** Badrock was initially called a more mild name, "Bedrock," whose catchphrase was "Yabba Dabba Doom!" Lawyers from a [[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones certain Stone Age town]] resulted in Liefeld and his studio renaming him Badrock, thus invoking this trope. |
| 47 | ** Of course, some members' names are fairly muted in comparison: Chapel, Shaft, Cougar, Troll, Vogue, and Brahman, for instance. |
| 48 | * Parodied in ''ComicBook/{{Wildguard}}'' with Crimson Phantom Vengeance, a Franchise/{{Batman}}-style vigilante (eliminated in the first round of competition as "not what we're looking for") and Mr. Transmuto, whose fashion sense is stuck in the 90s, as well. Also Red Rover's enemy Heartwyrm. The name "Wildguard" itself kind of smacks of this trope, though. |
| 49 | * An interesting character came up in an old TV special, with Creator/StanLee suggesting a character name, then both Rob Liefeld and Todd [=McFarlane=] designing the character. The suggested name was "[=OverKill=]", with Stan joking at the end that they did a good job, but that the character now belonged to ''him''. When he showed up as a villain in Spawn, his name was changed to the even more ridiculous Over'''T'''Kill. |
| 50 | * ''ComicBook/SavageDragon'' supporting character [=KillCat=] is a parody of this sort of thing -- not that it stopped some writers from having him play the NinetiesAntiHero completely straight, though. |
| 51 | * By the later Nineties, even Image was conscious of this trend. That's probably why a bunch of criminals burst into uproarious laughter when the team Bloodpool told them their name. |
| 52 | * The assassin team ''Bloodstrike'', although its roster was surprisingly light on dark names, with only Deadlock sporting one. |
| 53 | * ''Brigade'' was no slouch either, with names like Battlestone, Coldsnap and Lethal. |
| 54 | [[/folder]] |
| 55 | |
| 56 | [[folder:Marvel Comics]] |
| 57 | * ''ComicBook/TheAvengers'': In the 1990s, the team met a Shi'ar alien named '''Death'''cry, who, judging by her surname (Neramani), was related to the Shi'ar empress Lilandra Neramani and possibly her niece by '''Death'''bird (the latter introduced in the 1970s ''Ms. Marvel'' title). |
| 58 | * ''ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsCarolDanvers Carol Danvers]], after losing her Binary powers, took on the name "Warbird" after the Air Force fighter planes when she returned to earth and rejoined the Avengers. |
| 59 | * ''ComicBook/{{Darkhawk}}'': Darkhawk had an obvious dark age name that sounds rather generic now. |
| 60 | * ''ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}'': The titular character was originally an homage (or ripoff, depending on who you ask) of an 80s [[Franchise/TheDCU DC]] character with a [[MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]] name, Deathstroke the Terminator (already mentioned, by the way), since you do the "Deathstroke" in the "Deadpool." Deadpool (or dead pool) is an actual word that technically fits the character, even if it does sound very 90s-ish. Deadpool himself lampshades how his own name is dark and gritty when he mocks the unfortunately-named Kraven for having a not-so-fearsome name: |
| 61 | --> '''Deadpool:''' Note: ''"Deadpool"'' has the word ''"dead"'' in it. Ooooh... ''scaaary!'' Here are some others... ''Death''lok... ''Death''trap, that jerk... Doctor ''Doom!'' Now you try! |
| 62 | * ''ComicBook/{{Deathlok}}'': Deathlok the Demolisher was a very early example from 1974. |
| 63 | * ''ComicBook/{{Hyperkind}}'': One of the comics in Marvel's "Creator/{{Razorline}}" imprint (a vanity imprint for Creator/CliveBarker), had three of its four heroes with this sort of name (and the last a borderline case): Armatta, Logix, Amokk, and Bliss. To be fair, there was a certain amount of LampshadeHanging for two of the names, as Amokk was a comic geek, and selected his and Logix's names specifically because that's how they did it in comic books at the time. For that matter, the name "Razorline" itself qualifies. |
| 64 | * ''ComicBook/{{Killraven}}'': Jonathan Raven was dubbed Killraven during his time as a slave competing in forced gladitorial combat. |
| 65 | * ''ComicBook/Marvel2099'': ''ComicBook/XMen2099'' had some of the best. Skullfire, Bloodhawk, Metalhead, Meanstreak, Junkpile, and Psyclone. Note that those are all members of the actual X-Men [[note]]though one of them turns traitor almost immediately[[/note]] -- Skullfire in particular is the leader! That said, Skullfire never really used his codename, just going by "Tim" 99% of the time. Apparently even ''he'' knew how 90s that codename it was. A notable exception was Serpentina -- Tina to her friends. Naturally, she dies in the third issue. |
| 66 | * ''ComicBook/MarvelComics2'': Darkdevil from ''ComicBook/SpiderGirl'', who was the son of [[ComicBook/ScarletSpider Ben Reilly]]. |
| 67 | * ''Creator/MarvelUK'': The short-lived sub-universe had the ComicBook/{{Warheads}}, ComicBook/MotormouthAndKillpower, ComicBook/DeathsHeadII, [[ComicBook/DeathThree Death Metal, Death Wreck]] (the last three versions of the same character), [[ComicBook/DarkAngelMarvelComics Hell's Angel]] (later Dark Angel, following a lawsuit by [[AllBikersAreHellsAngels Hell's Angels]]), and ComicBook/CodenameGenetix. Oh, and a number of these appeared in a comic called ''ComicBook/{{Overkill}}''. |
| 68 | * ''ComicBook/NewWarriors'': |
| 69 | ** Night Thrasher, whose name came from his [[FadSuper advanced weaponized]] ''[[FadSuper skateboard]]'', thank you very much. [[Characters/MarvelComicsPeterParker Spider-Man]] once lampshaded this. While fighting alongside Night Thrasher and ComicBook/ThePunisher, he responded to their insults to his name with "Oh please! Insults from someone who sounds like he has naughty nighttime dreams and another who sounds like he wants to spank people?!" |
| 70 | ** Probably as a reference to the Dark Age of Supernames is ComicBook/{{Speedball}}, who changed his name to Penance supposedly to become "deep" and to escape his comedy-character background, because of the [[ComicBook/CivilWar2006 Stamford incident]]. His cat Niels is renamed "P-cat the Penitent Puss" (although while Penance himself was originally intended to be played straight, at least until they realised [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks it wasn't working]], "P-cat" was introduced in a ComicBook/SquirrelGirl story which absolutely ''took the piss'' out of the whole {{Wangst}}y fiasco). He has since gone back to Speedball, and Niels now goes by the moniker "Hairball" in his adventures with the ComicBook/PetAvengers. |
| 71 | ** Rage, who is actually a 13-year-old who was mutated into a full grown adult with superpowers, picked his name no doubt in an attempt to be edgy. |
| 72 | * ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': |
| 73 | ** In ''ComicBook/WebOfSpiderMan'', during the "Name of the Rose" (issues #84-89) and "My Enemy's Enemy" (issues #97-100) arcs, a more gun-toting version of New York crime lord Rose appeared, calling himself '''Blood''' Rose. [[spoiler:The Rose was previously Richard Fisk, and Blood Rose was also Richard Fisk.]] |
| 74 | ** In a series of back-up stories featured in ''Web of Spider-Man'' during the 1990s, recently introduced hero Nightwatch faces one of his first enemies, a man with a "Macedonian death-mask" who calls himself '''Death'''grin. |
| 75 | * ''ComicBook/SonOfSatan'': Daimon Hellstrom, the Son of Satan, also known as "Hellstorm". |
| 76 | * ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'': At least half the Transformers have names that sound like this. Ravage, Prowl, Deadend, Dirge, Snarl, Razorclaw, etc... |
| 77 | ** It got worse later on in the franchise. And then Generation 2 happened, and they must have thought "We're running out of names, so let's take older names and make 'em cooler", so that gave stuff like Staxx (who is a semi-truck with smokestacks...) To be fair, this ''was'' G2, i.e., before the standard practice with new Transformers stuff was to simply set the series in an alternate universe and primarily re-use old names. Of course, even in G1, you had guys like Megastorm... |
| 78 | ** The trade for ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers'' gives us a standout example, even though we never see him in person -- ''Gorelock''. |
| 79 | * ''ComicBook/{{Venom}}'': [[Characters/MarvelComicsVenom Venom]] (who had his own DarkerAndEdgier series in ''ComicBook/VenomLethalProtector'', where he was an AntiHero) and his AxCrazy spawn ComicBook/{{Carnage}}. This tradition is also carried on by his spawn Toxin; fortunately [[DarkIsNotEvil he's actually a good guy]]. |
| 80 | ** Later, after being separated from the Venom symbiote, [[Characters/MarvelComicsEddieBrock Eddie Brock]] would obtain another symbiote known as Anti-Venom in ''ComicBook/BrandNewDay'', born of the remnants of the Venom symbiote in Brock's body and his white blood cells with some help from Mister Negative. After losing Anti-Venom at the end of ''ComicBook/SpiderIsland'', Brock then is bonded to the ComicBook/{{Toxin}} symbiote for a time. |
| 81 | ** There has also been [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbiote_(comics)#Other_symbiote_characters a host of other, lesser symbiotes]] that have appeared in various Spider-Man and Venom-related books, including Dreadface (a symbiote with MindControl powers encountered by the ComicBook/FantasticFour), the five symbiotes spawned from Venom by the Life Foundation (named ComicBook/{{Scream|CurseOfCarnage}}, Phage, Agony, Riot, and Lasher), Hybrid (a merger of the aforementioned Life Foundation symbiotes sans Scream), and Scorn (a piece of the Carnage symbiote recovered after its apparent demise at the hands of Characters/TheSentry). Like Toxin, several of them are heroic in nature, but they have a habit of being used as CListFodder to advance the plotlines of the "main" symbiotes. |
| 82 | * ''ComicBook/XMen'': |
| 83 | ** The villain [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust Holocaust]] is notable for having ''too'' dark a name. When toy company [=ToyBiz=] made an action figure of him, they changed it to the less genocidal Dark Nemesis. This carried over to the comics with a name change to Nemesis. They later switched him back to Holocaust just in time for him to be snorted to death by an evil SupermanSubstitute. Holocaust was originally known as Nemesis prior to the events of ''ComicBook/AgeOfApocalypse''. When [[Characters/MarvelComicsMagneto Magneto]] ripped him apart for killing Characters/ScarletWitch, he got a new name after coming back. |
| 84 | ** In the 1980s, [[Characters/MarvelComicsEmmaFrost Emma Frost]], still the White Queen of the villainous Hellfire Club, had her own group of students, the Hellions, to mirror Xavier's New Mutants. One of the students was James Proudstar, brother to John Proudstar and codenamed Warpath. |
| 85 | ** During ''ComicBook/XForce1991'', a Morlock named Thornn (with ''two'' 'n'), with feral powers, joined the team, then defected. |
| 86 | ** Adam X, the X-Treme, considered to be an incarnation of 1990s excesses, actually debuted in the 1993 annual issue of ''X-Force''. |
| 87 | ** Raza Longknife of the ''ComicBook/{{Starjammers}}'', although he was introduced in the 1970s, during the ''Phoenix Saga''. |
| 88 | ** Warstar, a member of the Shi'ar imperial guard. |
| 89 | [[/folder]] |
| 90 | |
| 91 | [[folder:Top Cow]] |
| 92 | * ''ComicBook/{{Cyberforce}}'': Ripclaw, Cyblade, Heatwave, Stryker. |
| 93 | * The spin-off ''Codename: Strykeforce'' featured Stryker leading a team that included Bloodbow and Killrazor. |
| 94 | * ''ComicBook/TheDarkness''. |
| 95 | * ''ComicBook/{{Witchblade}}''. |
| 96 | * Ravenshadow, Pyre, and Flagg of ''ComicBook/RisingStars''. (Flagg later changes to "Patriot," not because it's a better name but due to a real life request from ''ComicBook/AmericanFlagg'' creator Creator/HowardChaykin, which is lampshaded in the storyline itself.) |
| 97 | * ''ComicBook/CommonGrounds'' features perennial nice guy Captain Gallant's three sons, Bloodstain, Die-Cut, and Deathmarch. |
| 98 | [[/folder]] |
| 99 | |
| 100 | [[folder:Wildstorm]] |
| 101 | * Penance -- not the Marvel character who used to be Speedball, nor the young woman with diamond-sharp skin from the 90s X-kids team ComicBook/GenerationX. |
| 102 | * ''ComicBook/WildCATsWildStorm'': |
| 103 | ** Warblade, Grifter, Maul, Zealot, etc. |
| 104 | ** Also poked fun at when Ladytron asks someone "what's up with this kill-hell-death-blood name thing?" Naturally, the other guy makes fun of the name "Ladytron," and hijinx ensue. |
| 105 | * ''ComicBook/TheAuthority'''s Midnighter (despite him snarking about someone else on the Quotes page) is actually a sort of hidden reference. The Midnighters were a 60s soul band -- of the sort that would perform at The Apollo, which is his partner's name. |
| 106 | * ''ComicBook/{{Gen 13}}'': Grunge. |
| 107 | * ComicBook/{{Deathblow}}. His old teammates from Stormwatch include Hellstrike and Backlash; The original ''Stormwatch'' was surprisingly light on this in general -- unless you count "single normal word" types like Fuji, Winter, and Synergy. |
| 108 | * Lampshaded in ''ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}}: Team Achilles'' with a character named "Ripslashbloodclawmaimblade" who smokes a cigar, appears to be made out of sharp stabbing instruments and spouts off the line [[WolverineWannabe "That's what I do best. And I'm the best there is at what needs to be done!"]] |
| 109 | * In addition to Hellstrike and Cannon, ComicBook/{{Stormwatch}} also had Battalion, who channeled his telekinesis through (what else?) guns to battle his evil father, Despot of [=WarGuard=]. Notably, though, he abandoned the guns and codename after a few years to become an administrator. |
| 110 | * ''ComicBook/{{Darkchylde}}''. For what you could probably consider bonus points, [[StevenUlyssesPerhero her real name is Ariel Chylde]]. Even as a civilian, her name is super kewl! |
| 111 | [[/folder]] |
| 112 | |
| 113 | [[folder:Other Comics]] |
| 114 | * Parodied ruthlessly with the New Zealand comic ''[[http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/b/blodface.htm Bloodface,]]'' and his team the "Bloodgroup," all of whom have Blood in their names, constantly scream and grimace, and are drawn like Rob Liefeld characters. The only female member of the team is called [[PunnyName Wandering]] [[{{Squick}} Menstrual]]. |
| 115 | * Parodied in Penthouse Comics' ''Captain Adventure'', with the villainous Team Supreme. Comprising of Manpower, Red Rogue, Edge, Bloodskull, Death Killer, Blazing Fury, and Hotblood, they speak in meaningless pop culture references and end their every sentence with {{Tradesnark}}. |
| 116 | * Although the regular heroes in ''ComicBook/AstroCity'' avoid this trope, it was invoked (usually briefly) for characters who appeared during the series' aptly-named "Dark Age," such as Stonecold, Broadsword, Hellhound, Pale Horseman, and Hollowpoint. |
| 117 | * ''ComicBook/{{Grimjack}}'' of First Comics. |
| 118 | * Done by ''[[ComicBook/DisneyDucksComicUniverse Disney Italy]], '''twice''''': |
| 119 | ** The first time it happened was in 1969, with the character of Paperinik the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Devilish Avenger]]. Did we mention that this is the superhero/antihero alter ego of ''WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck''? |
| 120 | ** In the nineties ''ComicBook/PaperinikNewAdventures'' gave us a rather subtle example with Xadhoom, meaning "[[EvilDebtCollector Creditor]]" in Xerbian. Doesn't sound much? Well, the Evronians owe her a planet and a race, and she openly admits she plans to [[WouldBeRudeToSayGenocide collect in full]]. |
| 121 | * Parodied in ''ComicBook/SoulsearchersAndCompany'' #6 when the team temporarily become [[NinetiesAntiHero '90s antiheroes]]. Bridget becomes 'Deathstaff', Baraka 'H.O.T.T. Blood', Janocz 'Animal Attraction', Kelly '[[OddNameOut Tink]]', and Peterson 'Kitchen Sink, the Number Cruncher'. |
| 122 | * Lampshaded in ''ComicBook/MrHeroTheNewmaticMan'' when the recurring enemy organization empowered new agents using a method that tended to exaggerate the subjects' personality flaws. The two new superhumans demanded costumes and codenames to go along with their respective heat and electric powers: Bloodboil and Deadbolt. |
| 123 | [[/folder]] |
| 124 | |
| 125 | [[folder:Fan Fiction]] |
| 126 | * ''FanFic/LightAndDarkTheAdventuresOfDarkYagami'': Despite not having anything to do with superheroes, it has this in a big way, with {{Original Character}}s having names like "Blud," "Dusk," "Khaos," and TheUnpronounceable "TIOSEFAJ." |
| 127 | [[/folder]] |
| 128 | |
| 129 | [[folder:Film]] |
| 130 | * ''Film/MysteryMen'': Mr. Furious, who presents himself as a brooding 90s style anti-hero. He claims his "real" name is "[[ShoutOut Dark... Phoenix...]] Phoenix Dark, yeah, that's my name". When pressed, however, he sheepishly admits his real name is actually Roy. |
| 131 | * Syndrome, the BigBad of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'' was almost certainly named to evoke this kind of effect, in contrast to MediaNotes/{{the Silver Age|OfComicBooks}} naming of the heroes and even other villains like Bomb Voyage or The Underminer. |
| 132 | [[/folder]] |
| 133 | |
| 134 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 135 | * In ''Literature/{{Shadowboy}}'', the Heroes who are stated as starting in the 90s have names that reflect this. Of particular note being Razordemon. |
| 136 | * Some capes in ''Literature/{{Worm}}'' have names like this, particularly the Slaughterhouse 9. Burnscar, Crawler, Mannequin, Bonesaw, Siberian, Hookwolf, Screamer, Breed, Miasma, Nyx, Psychosoma, and Skinslip are the stand-outs, but Jack Slash counts as well. Given the setting and the characters, they still manage to come across as threatening rather than {{Narm}}. |
| 137 | * Subverted in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', where veteran policeman Sam Vimes remarks that calling yourself something like Bjorn The Immortal and walking into a heroes' bar means you tend to get carried out of it - usually in a box but, if you're lucky, on a stretcher. |
| 138 | [[/folder]] |
| 139 | |
| 140 | [[folder:Live Action TV]] |
| 141 | * Drifter, the main character of an early [=G4TV=] show called ''Portal'' that took place inside of [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame MMOs]]. |
| 142 | [[/folder]] |
| 143 | |
| 144 | [[folder:Professional Wrestling]] |
| 145 | * ProfessionalWrestling (especially in the 1990s) is chock full of these spanning pretty much the entirety of its colorful history, with varying degrees of success, ranging from the surprisingly successful (and intentionally ironic) Wrestling/{{Chyna}}...to the execrable [[Wrestling/FredOttman Shockmaster]]. Wrestling/DustyRhodes, in his stint as GuestHost of RAW, admits his mistake on that one (complete with humorous Wrestling/SantinoMarella reenactment AND Wrestling/ArnAnderson providing the character's voice, in a ShoutOut to tag-team partner[=/=]{{Kayfabe}} brother Ole Anderson's original role), apologetically saying to Wrestling/DGenerationX (another great example of this trope, by the way) "I thought it would work!" |
| 146 | [[/folder]] |
| 147 | |
| 148 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 149 | * Most of the villains (and more than few of the heroes) in the ''Dark TabletopGame/{{Champions}}''. Of course, the intent of this game was to simulate this genre of comics, so it's entirely fitting. |
| 150 | * The ''TabletopGame/{{Cyberpunk}} 2020'' RPG included quotes from characters with names like Ripperjack and Morgan Blackhand. Appropriate to the CyberPunk genre, though at times they come across more like parodies of self-consciously "edgy" tough guys, which may have been intentional. |
| 151 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': |
| 152 | ** The hellbred, a playable race introduced in the ''Fiendish Codex II'', are nearly-damned mortals allowed to come BackFromTheDead to undertake a RedemptionQuest to save their souls. They tend to keep their original first names, but adopt a new last name to fit their [[DarkIsNotEvil new]] [[TheAtoner circumstances]]: "Covenant," "Devilbrood," "Doomdriven," "Heavenrent," "Hellbound," "Martyr," "Soullost," etc. |
| 153 | ** The spikers, a race of humanoids from the Infernal Battlefield of Acheron whose metallic-hued flesh is covered in spines, go by visceral or comat-related names like "Dirk Gutrender," "Spike Demonbane" or "Thrust Bloodletter." |
| 154 | * In the ''TabletopGame/MutantsAndMasterminds'' setting "Freedom City," the "Iron Age" of the 1980s involved the criminalization of super-heroics in Freedom City. Enter FORCE Ops ('''F'''reelance '''Or'''ganization of '''C'''riminal '''E'''limination '''Op'''eratives), a bad-ass team of heroes fighting a no-holds-barred battle against crime AND the authoritarian government. Members include: Kismet, a mysterious mercenary; Network, an elite hacker turned into pure energy; and Nightrage, a super-heroic vampire. |
| 155 | * So, so many ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' names, for [[DarkerAndEdgier understandable reasons]]. Ragnar Blackmane, Night Haunter (real name Konrad Kurze), Doomrider, Huron Blackheart, etc. Ragnar's case even more so, as he comes from a Viking-Age Norse type culture fond of sobriquets and the name itself is a double reference to both his black hair and beard, and the fact that he killed a black Fenrisian wolf as a Neophyte and wears its pelt. |
| 156 | |
| 157 | [[/folder]] |
| 158 | |
| 159 | [[folder:Toys]] |
| 160 | * As mentioned under Marvel Comics, above, Franchise/TheTransformers toys often end up with this, though in many instances it's not because they're trying to make the character sound DarkerAndEdgier (though that was not an unintended effect). Rather, it was because Hasbro started to run into issues trying to trademark certain names and wound up making changes to get the characters copyrighted names. |
| 161 | ** This trend is mocked by the official Transformers wiki as [[https://tfwiki.net/wiki/Blastification "Blastification"]], which came about almost entirely because toy copyright laws are messy and hard to grasp. |
| 162 | [[/folder]] |
| 163 | |
| 164 | [[folder:Video Games]] |
| 165 | * If you want to see this trope in the extreme, look no further than the ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' playerbase itself. The number of heroes with names like this has spawned much derision from the playerbase, especially from the role-players. Granted, most of the "[[XtremeKoolLetterz creatively misspelled]]" names are simply a way to get a desired name that's long since been taken by another player, but it's a safe bet that there are plenty of people who were fans of the Dark Age of Comics and do this deliberately. |
| 166 | ** Perhaps fortunately, there aren't many examples of this among NPC heroes and villains, with the only real examples being among the more minor "Rogues Gallery" rather than the Signature characters. Notable cases are Mangle, Hollow Point, Comatorium, and Blood Thorn. |
| 167 | * The above also applies to ''VideoGame/ChampionsOnline'' (AKA The Other City of Heroes). |
| 168 | * The same goes for ''Videogame/WorldOfWarcraft'', especially for rogues, especially on {{P|layerVersusPlayer}}vP servers. If you haven't seen it, you will never believe how many variations of names like "[=ShadowKiller=]" there are. |
| 169 | * Some of the random hero names in ''VideoGame/WarcraftIII'' can sound like they're trying way too hard, especially demon hunters and death knights. Painkiller, Bloodwrath, Darkterror and Lord Dethstorm (sic) come to mind. They have even been used as justification for some player names in ''[=WoW=]'', as described above. |
| 170 | * Creator/ArcSystemWorks' games really loves this trope. From ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' we have Ragna the Bloodedge, Rachel Alucard, Iron Tager, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, Azrael and Bullet. From ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', basically almost '''all the cast''' is this, although in this case it's justified since [[MusicalThemeNaming most of them are named after heavy metal bands or songs]]. |
| 171 | ** Taken to the point of self-parody with the anti-hero protagonist of ''Guilty Gear'', Sol Badguy. It's a tribute to [[Music/FreddieMercury Freddie Mercury's]] '''sol'''o album, ''Mr. Bad Guy'' (Creator/DaisukeIshiwatari ''[[AuthorAppeal really]]'' likes Queen), but the in-universe explanation given in ''Xrd'' reveals that Sol didn't choose the alias for himself. "Sol" was [[MeaningfulRename bequeathed upon]] [[spoiler:Frederick]] by [[spoiler:Slayer]] because of the former's passionate nature, whereas "Badguy" comes from reports of an unknown "bad guy" dismantling numerous underground criminal organizations during his journey. [[AppropriatedAppellation It stuck.]] |
| 172 | * ''VideoGame/{{DeathSpank}}'' is a parody of this trope. |
| 173 | * Darkdeath Evilman, from ''VideoGame/ZettaiHeroProject''. |
| 174 | * Stryker, veteran [[Franchise/MortalKombat Mortal Kombatant]]. |
| 175 | * Look through the list of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' main character names and spot when the series went DarkerAndEdgier and [[NinetiesAntiHero super 90s]] {{Cyberpunk}}: [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV Cecil Harvey]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV Bartz Klauser]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Terra Branford]], '''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud Strife]]'''. |
| 176 | * Reaper from ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'': He picked that name to echo the upcoming death he's going to bring to his enemies, but combined with his design, it had the side-effect of encouraging fans to call him an "edgelord" and claim that he's trying too hard. Fellow Talon operatives Widowmaker, Sombra, and Doomfist also qualify. Being an agent of the NebulousEvilOrganisation requires an edgy codename, it seems. |
| 177 | ** Reaper players themselves also have a predilection for these kinds of usernames, if the Twitter account [[https://twitter.com/reapernames @ReaperNames]] is any indication. |
| 178 | * The cast of the ''VideoGame/FZero'' series includes various superheroes and supervillains, with masks, exaggerated body builds, capes, and all. The most evil characters all have names straight from the Dark Age of Supernames. There's Captain Falcon's EvilKnockoff, Blood Falcon; Blood Falcon's evil master and the apparent BigBad, Black Shadow; and then ''his'' boss, TheManBehindTheMan, Deathborn. Even their racing machines get the name treatment -- Blood Hawk, Black Bull, and Dark Schneider respectively. |
| 179 | [[/folder]] |
| 180 | |
| 181 | [[folder:WebComics]] |
| 182 | * Just about everyone in ''Webcomic/AntiheroForHire'' does this intentionally. Early on, one of the recurring villains was constantly changing his name into ice-related puns ''during'' the fight with the main character. |
| 183 | -->'''Dechs:''' When we're done I'm going to ducktape a name to your forehead. |
| 184 | * Parodied in ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'', with the characters Raven Darktalon Blood and Grimm Shado. |
| 185 | * In ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja'', Dr. [=McNinja=]'s brother Sean gives himself the codename "Dark Smoke Puncher," an arguably ludicrous moniker. This fact isn't lost on Doc himself, who says that it sounds like something he got from a friend playing ''VideoGame/CounterStrike''. |
| 186 | * El Sabueso from ''Webcomic/TheDreadful'' is intended as a parody of 90s comics and the works of Rob Liefeld, so it's only fitting that his name is Spanish for "The Bloodhound" and that he has a horse named Bludkolt. |
| 187 | * In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', the dinosaur that [[spoiler:Belkar rescues]] is later named "Bloodfeast the Extreme-inator" by Belkar. While the others in the Order are skeptical about the name, [[spoiler:he points out it's not really a good time, because they're currently being attacked by Tarquin and his party]], and it's not really brought up again. Somewhat subverted in that the dinosaur isn't actually given that name until after he's been polymorphed into a small, largely harmless lizard. |
| 188 | * In ''Webcomic/LoveAndCapes'', Mark Spencer, as the Superman {{Expy}}, is "The Crusader", but many of the other super characters have names like these, although they're pretty reasonable. Darkblade, Amazonia, Windstar (and his niece Starlet), Blurstreak, Mermantis, Arachnerd, Microdot and so on. But a handful of characters have handles more like those of the Golden Age; Major Might, Golden Torch, Dr. Karma, Steel Worker, the Evil Brain. |
| 189 | * ''WebComic/OnePunchMan'' has a few of these, such as the sisters named Blizzard of Hell and Tornado of Terror, as well as Death Gatling, Demon Cyborg, Zombieman, Darkness Blade, Funeral Suspenders, etc. |
| 190 | [[/folder]] |
| 191 | |
| 192 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 193 | * As seen on the quotes page, [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]] pokes fun at this trope with his [[MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]] fanboy character, [[Characters/AtopTheFourthWall 90's Kid]] and his character, Bloodgun. Though in the later review of ''Darker Creator/{{Image}}'' #1 [[EveryoneHasStandards even 90's Kid concedes that Deathblow is a stupid name]][[note]]Though as Linkara would later admit, it's one of the few names that makes sense as an actual ''word'', "deathblow" meaning "FinishingMove" going back much further than the comic[[/note]]. |
| 194 | -->'''90's Kid:''' "Bloodgun doesn't even have a FACE, man! I mean, who needs a face when you're shooting stuff all the time!? Bloodgun just has his ripped bod and his gun: The Bloodgun of Bloodgun!" |
| 195 | * Take a look at the userlist of any large fan forum, and just ''try'' and count the amount of names that start with "dark". Especially if it's a fan forum where usernames tend to be the same as the poster's fan character. |
| 196 | * Literature/WhateleyUniverse: fairly common at SuperheroSchool Whateley Academy, especially since [[AtrociousAlias finding a good codename can be difficult]] when most of the better ones are already in use. Give a set of empowered teenagers the chance to name themselves and it's pretty much inevitable that some of them would choose names like these. It is surprising that more don't, really. These include: |
| 197 | ** A lot of the Bad Seeds (children of supervillains): Render, Thrasher, She-Beast, Techno-Devil, Damien Faust... |
| 198 | ** Also The Goths: Bloodworm, Remis, Romulus, Screech, Wraith, Residue, Wyrd, Pestilence, Skinwalker... |
| 199 | ** And several Ultraviolents: Bloodwolf, Systemic, Killstench, Maggot, Gore... |
| 200 | ** One of the Good Ol' Boys is [[SpellMyNameWithAThe very insistent]] on people using his full codename, "The Man Called Vengeance". [[TheNicknamer Fantastico]] generally calls him 'Vengie' or just 'Larry', much to Larry's consternation. |
| 201 | ** Harvey Calloway, a one of the [[MadScientist devisor]] students, is ''usually'' a mild-mannered sort, but he suffers from [[ScienceRelatedMemeticDisorder Diedrick's Syndrome]]. He chose the codename 'Mega-Death' during a manic bout, and generally regrets this since then - those times he doesn't, he's too busy ranting and scheming to care... |
| 202 | ** The minor character Soothe, a projective [[TheEmpath Empath]] and FormerTeenRebel, used the codename 'Riot Act' during her Whateley years. Her girlfriend pokes fun at her about it now. |
| 203 | [[/folder]] |
| 204 | |
| 205 | [[folder:Western Animation]] |
| 206 | * An animated version: ''WesternAnimation/TheRippingFriends'' (by Creator/JohnKricfalusi) featured Crag, Rip, Slab, and Chunk. As with a lot of Kricfalusi's material, the viewer may be excused for not being 100% clear whether this was intended as a parody or a devoted, loving tribute. |
| 207 | [[/folder]] |
| 208 | |
| 209 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 210 | * Website/{{Cracked}} compiled a list of [[http://www.cracked.com/article_14982_9-manliest-names-in-world.html the 9 manliest names in the world.]] It includes Creator/PowersBoothe, Stirling Mortlock and Staff Sgt. Max Fightmaster (whom has since been promoted to Sgt. First Class Max Fightmaster). |
| 211 | * "Blood and Guts" Patton. |
| 212 | * The Norse were not averse to nicknames like this, "Eric Bloodaxe" and "Björn Ironside" being two famous examples. They also cheerfully inverted it at times -- legendary kings such as Ragnar Hairy-Breeches and Ivar the Boneless are remembered alongside men such as Sigurd Snake-In-The-Eye. [[note]]This stems from Norse culture valuing cleverness and other non-standard virtues in their heroes -- in this case, surviving a night in a den of poisonous snakes by wearing thick, hairy pants, or being so [[FragileSpeedster nimble]] in combat as to appear fluid and untouchable.[[/note]] |
| 213 | * Some [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-life_superhero Real Life Superheroes]] have names like Razorhawk, Insignis, Ghost, Ha!, Oni, and Silver Dragon (making up a team called the Black Monday Society); there's also Dark Guardian, Mr. Xtreme, Phantom Zero, Crimson Fist, Geist, Shadow Hare, Mr Ravenblade, Lucid, Catastrophe, and Death's Head Moth.[[note]]That being said, there is a real creature known as the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death%27s-head_hawkmoth death's head moth]]. It still suits this trope as not only is it an edgy-sounding name, the bug has a pattern on its thorax resembling a human skull.[[/note]] |
| 214 | * A lot of BlackMetal stage names; Necrobutcher is a standout. A great deal of metal subgenres tend to fall into it. Black Metal is one of the more subdued. Older ones include death metal, doom metal, and thrash metal. Others include grindcore and its spinoff pornogrind. |
| 215 | * Creator/ManlyWadeWellman. Seriously, that's his real name. He was a well-known writer of pulp science fiction, fantasy, and crime stories for magazines like Astounding Stories, Weird Tales, and Unknown from the 1930s up until TheEighties, even winning the World Fantasy Award in 1975 and being awarded the World Fantasy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1980. He's best known for the Literature/SilverJohn stories. More info [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_Wade_Wellman here.]] |
| 216 | [[/folder]] |
| 217 |
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