Heroes would often create nicknames for themselves, establishing multiple monikers that stuck for years.
This habit seems to have been picked up by later Marvel comic book creators, who have continued to give their versions of superheroes catchy nicknames. A truly great nickname is able to withstand the test of time, perfectly capturing the essence of its heroic subject.
Human Torch
Matchstick
One of the key aspects of the Fantastic Four by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee when they first appeared was that they were more “realistic.” Unlike typical superheroes, they were not portrayed as idealized figures. They argued with each other, harbored resentments, and in the first few issues, it seemed like the team was always on the verge of breaking up.
If the Fantastic Four is considered a “family”, then Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman would be the parents, and the Thing and Human Torch would be like their kids. As a result, the Human Torch and the Thing would constantly argue with each other. The Thing even gave the Human Torch a teasing nickname, “Matchstick,” which stuck with him for many years.
Shadowcat
Kitty
This was a bit of a challenge to create, because when Shadowcat first appeared in the late 1970s, she already HAD the nickname “Kitty” Pryde, matching her last name’s cat theme. John Byrne had previously known a girl by that name, which stuck with him. Chris Claremont and Byrne tried various superhero identities for the X-Men’s new member, but none stuck better than just “Kitty.”
Even today, when Shadowcat has become well-known as a superhero moniker, she is still most widely recognized as Kitty Pryde. This is even the case in the comic books, which refer to her as Kate Pryde during the Krakoan Age of X-Men era, but she has returned to her original name, Kitty.
Vision
Vizh
When Roy Thomas introduced the Vision to the Avengers, he was initially a robot created by Ultron to eliminate the Avengers, but the Vision eventually turned against his programming, became a force unto himself, and joined the Avengers after proving his loyalty. In a memorable moment of self-discovery, the Vision burst into tears from overwhelming joy.
Well, with Thomas being so human-like, it was only natural that his teammates started giving him a nickname to make him more relatable as he didn’t have a secret identity name, just “The Vision.” So, Clint Barton dubbed him “Vizh,” and the name stuck even when Scarlet Witch fell in love with him and married him, calling him “Vizh” like the rest of the team even after they were married.
Mister Fantastic
Stretch
One of the more entertaining aspects of the Fantastic Four was that Johnny Storm had the power of manipulating flames, earning him the nickname the Human Torch, Sue Storm had the ability to turn invisible, which earned her the name the Invisible Girl, Ben Grimm was transformed into a creature with a monstrous appearance, which he proudly referred to as himself, the Thing, and Reed Richards possessed the power to stretch and contort his body, leading him to call himself Mister Fantastic, the team’s leader.
The creature would often refer to Reed with derogatory nicknames such as “Rubber Man,” “Big Brain,” or most notably, “Stretch,” which eventually stuck. The creature even sometimes shortened it to “Stretcho.”
Cyclops
Slim
#1. He wasn’t introduced as Scott “Slim” Summers, but simply as Slim Summers, while his teammates had full names like Hank McCoy, Bobby Drake, and Warren Worthington III was given using his full name.
Over time, Cyclops matured and developed a more substantial physique, which meant the “Slim” nickname no longer fit, even as late as the early 1980s, with Paul Smith specifically drawing him in a more slender manner.
Doctor Strange
Master of the Mystical Arts
There, readers were introduced to the Sorcerer Supreme for the first time, as well as the magical branch of the Marvel Universe.
by the same title.
Wolfsbane
Firetop
Rahne Sinclair, also known as Wolfsbane, was one of the original founding members of the next generation of X-Men, the New Mutants. As a girl with the rare ability stemming from lycanthropy, she proved to be another prominent member of the X-Men. Additionally, she played a significant role in both X-Factor and X-Force throughout her career.
Rahne has several nicknames, but most of Chris Claremont’s early ones are related to her bright-red hair. “Firetop” is the one that has stuck around the most, but she’s also been called “Carrot Top” and simply “Red,” although she’s never been fond of any name other than her own.
Captain Britain
Betsy
She has been known by that name her whole life: “Betsy”.
Although some members of the X-Men occasionally refer to Elizabeth Braddock as “Betts,” she has been known to her friends and family as “Betsy” since the start. Given her superhero code name has changed several times, it’s little wonder that fans and characters alike have stuck with the nickname.
Gambit
Cajun
Prior to joining the X-Men, Gambit was part of the Thieves Guild. It took some time for him to get used to his new teammates, but he quickly earned a nickname. Wolverine started calling him the “Cajun” due to Gambit’s roots in New Orleans.
They would also come to call him the Swamp Rat, a nickname that didn’t last long. Over time, other writers outside of Chris Claremont also started using it. Gambit is often called both by fans and creators, as “the Ragin’ Cajun”.
Ant-Man
High-Pockets
One of the founding members of the Avengers, Hank Pym was a pivotal scientist who played a crucial role in advancing super-science in the Marvel Universe. Implicated in the discovery of “Pym Particles,” Hank became a master of not only shrinking but also growing using his particles. However, despite his accomplishments, Hank was playfully teased by his at-the-time girlfriend Janet Van Dyne with the endearing nickname “High Pockets.”
Something of an insult in the 1960s, the term referred to an older group of men known for wearing high-waisted pants. In Janet’s case, it was used to tease her boyfriend for being overly serious about his job as a scientist and as a superhero.
Hulk
The Green Goliath
According to what’s been passed down, the Incredible Hulk was initially illustrated as gray in the comics, but a printing mishap resulted in inconsistent coloring from one panel to another. As a result, the Hulk’s color was changed to green in his next issue, which has since become his signature color.
Stan Lee liked the amendment, as it left room for a number of funny nicknames for the Hulk, including “Jade Jaws,” “Ol’ Greenskin,” and “The Jolly Green Goliath,” and his most famous name, “The Green Goliath.” Later, when the Grey Hulk reappeared, some writers came up with the nickname “Grey Goliath” but it never seemed as memorable.
Spider-Man
Spidey
Both fans and comic book characters frequently refer to Spider-Man as “Spidey.” Many others have referred to him as “Wall Crawler,” “Web Spinner,” “Webslinger,” “Web Head,” and of course, “Your Friendly Neighbor Spider-Man.”
Many of these popular ideas and trends have come and gone, but none of them have stood the test of time. Perhaps it just goes to show that there is still something to be said for the traditional or tried-and-true ways of doing things.
Thor
Goldilocks
The character of Thor was already a god in Norse mythology before being adopted by Stan Lee as one of the new heroes in Marvel. The Marvel version of Thor has since become a well-known figure in popular culture in his own right. Thor often refers to himself as “Odinson” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.
Writer Roy Thomas referred to Thor as “Goldilocks” because of his long blond hair, which resembled the hairstyles popular in the 1960s, a reference that stuck in the comics.
Wolverine
Canucklehead
“James Howlett.”
Wolverine has been given several affectionate nicknames by both his fans and the writers who created him. Many of the X-Men refer to him as “Wolvie,” a name that Logan himself also uses to address himself. The term “Canucklehead” is Canadian slang for someone considered dim-witted or unsophisticated; interestingly, Wolverine appears to humorously refer to himself with this name, a form of self-deprecation that might surprise some readers.
The Thing
The Idol O’ Millions
Stan Lee enjoyed giving his characters elaborate titles, but he topped himself when he gave the Fantastic Four’s strongman The Thing his most memorable nicknames. Ben Grimm has called himself everything from “The Idol o’ Millions” to “The Ever-Lovin’ Blue-Eyed Thing.”
Although The Things uses these titles playfully, they also reveal Grimm’s tragic side, given that his blue eyes were his only unchanged human feature after he transformed into a rock monster. Similarly, Ben remains known as “The Idol of Millions” as a way to help him deal with the reality that many people continue to be frightened by his monstrous appearance.
Captain America
Cap
Captain America has been nicknamed the “Sentinel of Liberty” and the “Star Spangled Avenger” after he woke up in the present day and became a part of the Avengers team. Interestingly, Steve Rogers himself does not typically use these nickname, but he does prefer being called “Cap.”
This friendly and informal nickname even translated naturally into the MCU. Steve Rogers even asked the Avengers’ guests to just call him “Cap,” proving that the First Avenger isn’t a stuffed shirt but a genuine class act.
Iron Man
Shell Head
The movie showed how the press had nicknamed Stark “The Da Vinci of Our Time” and “The Merchant of Death” before he became known as Iron Man.
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Storm
Goddess
Among the X-Men’s most powerful mutants, Storm earned the nickname that stuck with her even before she met Professor X. Ororo Munroe has been called everything from “Beautiful Windrider” to just “Ro,” but the name that best suits her is still “Goddess.”
The fact that Storm was revered as a goddess in Africa before a European approached her and explained her powers to her is still a troubling element. Nevertheless, this is somewhat mitigated by the fact that Storm seems to possess an otherworldly essence. Storm personifies a sense of dignity and power that surpasses even that of Thor.
Daredevil
Hornhead
This character is shown as a tough and violent crusader with the well-known titles “The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Man Without Fear.” But in the beginning, Stan Lee portrayed Daredevil more as a young thrill-seeker who performed death-defying acrobatic feats rather than a hardened fighter.
As a result, the character Daredevil got affectionately called “Hornhead” due to the devil’s horns on his mask. This nickname ended up being quite popular and stuck with him, even when his character later became more serious.
Deadpool
Wade Wilson
It’s most commonly known as the “Merc With A Mouth.” The antihero frequently engages in pointless chatter when he’s fighting, killing, or just relaxing.
When Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson, initially portrayed as a loquacious character, ends the movie with his mouth sewn shut, it left many fans feeling cheated, as they felt the filmmakers had taken away one of Deadpool’s key assets by doing so. Deadpool has since gone on to maintain his outspoken persona in subsequent films and the comics.
