Is the word MAN needed for a successful superhero?

Scribbly · 11-19-2006, 10:06 AM

From the former threads about superheros, I got this, the most succesfull superheros amongst the mass media has the word "man "as part of their brand-names.
Super-man, Spider-man, Bat-man.
For womens of course the word is woman. Cat-woman, Wonder-woman etc.
Yes, there are some guys without the man thing in their names as Hulk, but who can remember names like Green Lantern or Green Arrow, in a first mention of superheros?
Those have the word Green as characteristic.
Cyclops, Rogue , Wolverine etc, they don't have the word man in their names, but they are part of the X-men.
So, is the word MAN needed to have a successful superhero?

kdmelrose · 11-19-2006, 10:07 AM

No.

Scribbly · 11-19-2006, 10:08 AM

fast.Cool.

The Adventure · 11-19-2006, 10:35 AM

Yeah. No.

In fact in this day and age I'd say a new super-hero win "man/woman/girl/boy" in their name comes off a little cheesy and trying to be "retro".

JAQ · 11-19-2006, 11:24 AM

The association between "___man" and public recognition is a historical coincidence. That was fashionable half a century ago, and it's a handful of those early characters that caught the public's attention and survived to the present. They were good names at the time, because they were still fairly original. The "superman" was a concept being discussed by philosophers and sociologists, and applying it to a fictional character was a stroke of genius. Most of the others simply painted a picture of the character concept: half spider, half man; a man disguised as a bat; etc. Plus there are a bunch of long-lived next-best-known characters whose names don't follow the pattern: those you mentioned, plus the Flash, Robin, Captain Marvel, Captain America, etc.

But by now that whole naming scheme has been done to death. All of the clever ones have been taken, and enough of the not-very-clever ones as well... to the point that any new character with that kind of name is going to sound derivative and silly.

Scribbly · 11-19-2006, 01:38 PM

Thanks God! I was sort of scared to become a Scribbleman!

Raven · 11-19-2006, 11:35 PM

I don't have a single "man" with any character in my comic.

There is a Plasti-Girl, but I mean she stretches and has a sense of humor, so it fit her.

It's especially cheesy for villains.

Raven · 11-19-2006, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAQ

But by now that whole naming scheme has been done to death. All of the clever ones have been taken, and enough of the not-very-clever ones as well... to the point that any new character with that kind of name is going to sound derivative and silly.

I disagree. I am very proud of the names I've came up with, considering you are right that a LOT of names have been taken.

11-19-2006, 10:06 AM	#1
Scribbly Easy Reader Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Amerika Posts: 3,728	Is the word MAN needed for a successful superhero? From the former threads about superheros, I got this, the most succesfull superheros amongst the mass media has the word "man "as part of their brand-names. Super-man, Spider-man, Bat-man. For womens of course the word is woman. Cat-woman, Wonder-woman etc. Yes, there are some guys without the man thing in their names as Hulk, but who can remember names like Green Lantern or Green Arrow, in a first mention of superheros? Those have the word Green as characteristic. Cyclops, Rogue , Wolverine etc, they don't have the word man in their names, but they are part of the X-men. So, is the word MAN needed to have a successful superhero?

11-19-2006, 10:07 AM	#2
kdmelrose Pope of Appalachia Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: In the conservatory, with a candlestick Posts: 7,567	No. __________________ Robot 6 at Comic Book Resources

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11-19-2006, 10:08 AM	#3
Scribbly Easy Reader Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Amerika Posts: 3,728	fast.Cool.

11-19-2006, 10:35 AM	#4
The Adventure Learning how to Draw Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Connecticut Posts: 70	Yeah. No. In fact in this day and age I'd say a new super-hero win "man/woman/girl/boy" in their name comes off a little cheesy and trying to be "retro".

11-19-2006, 11:24 AM	#5
JAQ Jason A. Quest Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Purgatory, Michigan Posts: 1,785	The association between "___man" and public recognition is a historical coincidence. That was fashionable half a century ago, and it's a handful of those early characters that caught the public's attention and survived to the present. They were good names at the time, because they were still fairly original. The "superman" was a concept being discussed by philosophers and sociologists, and applying it to a fictional character was a stroke of genius. Most of the others simply painted a picture of the character concept: half spider, half man; a man disguised as a bat; etc. Plus there are a bunch of long-lived next-best-known characters whose names don't follow the pattern: those you mentioned, plus the Flash, Robin, Captain Marvel, Captain America, etc. But by now that whole naming scheme has been done to death. All of the clever ones have been taken, and enough of the not-very-clever ones as well... to the point that any new character with that kind of name is going to sound derivative and silly.

11-19-2006, 01:38 PM	#6
Scribbly Easy Reader Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Amerika Posts: 3,728	Thanks God! I was sort of scared to become a Scribbleman!

11-19-2006, 11:35 PM	#7
Raven Writer Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 1,999	I don't have a single "man" with any character in my comic. There is a Plasti-Girl, but I mean she stretches and has a sense of humor, so it fit her. It's especially cheesy for villains.