voice

[mostlyprofessional]

Back at FanPort, a writer asked me if I had a code name or alias I wanted in the book she was going to write about my story. I told her she could make something up, but it got me thinking: How, exactly, do you come up with your 'superhero' [ah, audible quote marks] code names?

[She often used aliases back home, sure, but that was for fake paperwork and people she's pissed off, and based mostly on the kinds of names she can get away with as a biracial Indian-Australian woman.]

From a look 'round Artist Alley and the exhibition hall, some of your code names were pretty obvious physical descriptions, though in some cases I do have to wonder whether the name or the costume came first. And I'm guessing some of you based them on your powers. But some code names, I really couldn't guess from the merchandise.

Oh, and in case it's a worry for anyone answering, I don't care what your real name is and don't actually want to know. I'm not looking for anyone's secret identity here, just where the hell your public one came from.

Comments

[vanto]

Mine is my old, uh, military rank. It's nothing special.

Though now that you mention it, maybe I ought to have come up with something more flashy.

[mostlyprofessional]

You really should; sounds boring and easily confused around this world's military. And what happens if you go home and get promoted?

[vanto]

Promotion is a tricky thing back home. I spent years as an ensign because I pissed off some people.

Have you decided on yours?

[mostlyprofessional]

Ugh, politics in the workplace.

Me? I'm not making one up. I don't play the hero here, and I'm curious to see what that writer will come up with.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Wait, we could have chosen cool monikers to go by?!

Why did no one tell me this?!

[mostlyprofessional]

Surprise!

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Damn...I feel like I really missed a good opportunity to reinvent myself here.

Did you choose a new name?

[mostlyprofessional]

It's probably not too late.

I'm not picking one myself, I'm no hero. I just wanted to figure out how everyone else did it.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Nah, I'm kinda in the same basket as you; I wanna stay as far away from making a name for myself as a hero as I possibly can.

[quickfingers]

I mean, I don't know if it counts as a moniker if I made it up when I was 10 and nobody's ever officially called me by it but

"mutation + mutation resultant appearance trait = name" is my formula.

so you can do the math on how i came 2 call myself quicksilver & why :P

[mostlyprofessional]

Ah, "thought it was cool when I was ten" hadn't occurred to me.

You're fast and silver?

[quickfingers]

Bada bing, bada boom.

[He flips to video, shooting fingerguns @ the camera.]

Some may say it's not creative. But I say screw those guys.

[mostlyprofessional]

It's a combination, which is more than I can say for some code names out there.

voice

[ghoulking]

I've too many names to go by.

"One Eyed King" is the most recent since I'm a King [ back home ] and I have only one ghoul eye.

[mostlyprofessional]

Oh, I like those combo names... [Teasing:] Your Majesty.

[ghoulking]

You are joking, but some do address me as such.

text from across the living room probably

[imaphantomthief]

Easy. PIck something that sounds cool.

[mostlyprofessional]

[why do you do this, kid]

I'm not picking one, but what cool thing would you suggest?

[imaphantomthief]

Hmm. You could be Historia, since you like history. You know, something that says history but not little old lady. No one's gonna buy merch if your name sounds too stuffy, right?

[storyseeker]

I haven't, since I'm not a superhero, but now you've got me wondering if I should. You know, just in case.

[...in case she unexpectedly becomes a superhero? Okay, sure.]

[mostlyprofessional]

Of all people to not be a superhero, you and your 'maybe saving the world' surprise me.

You have my blessing to use Sunshine. [Because it would make her laugh to see her personal nickname for someone used as a code name.]

[storyseeker]

Oh come on, that's way too cute to be intimidating...even if it is accurate.

[Since 'sunshine' is literally one of her powers. Not badass at all.]

[topmeup]

Codenames are one of the best perks. We got to pick our wire names--the codenames we use over the communication frequencies--and I picked Voltage. No one but my teammates called me that until I got here. It's been cool hearing it from other people.

[Because he legit didn't think anyone else would call him that.]

[mostlyprofessional]

Is Voltage a power based name, or something you thought sounded cool?

[topmeup]

Both. Who wouldn't want a bad ass name like that? But yeah, it's connected to my powers. I was trying to get around all the cliches that you see with energy-based powers. Lightning this, Electro-that. You see the pattern?

[heliophilic]

I woke up with no memories and a mad scientist told me my name was Midnighter. I shrugged and have rolled with it ever since.

[mostlyprofessional]

Unconventional, but it works. Is it suspiciously apropos, or was the scientist just mad?

[heliophilic]

Are there any sane scientists that experiment on teenagers?

Text

[drivesadesk]

My codename's Snake Man, but if you saw any of my fan art, you probably already guessed why.

[mostlyprofessional]

Ah, yes, I think I did see some of yours.

[shesalittle]

Mister Stark picked his based on a song. [She assumes. She doesn't actually know Tony Stark, a fact that may be apparent in the fact that she can call him mister with a straight face.] He was the first major public superhero in modern history, so people just kind of followed his example and picked what they thought sounded cool.

[She sounds a little like she's giving a book report, just rote reciting information.] And, not too many people have an actually secret identity. I think there's more now than there were before they outlawed it, honestly.

Back home.