What, you're his buddy now or something?

[thebitterguy]

There are weird things to be seen online among people who talk about comic book characters. Particularly those of us who enjoy the long underwear set.

The strangest thing is the way people refer to the characters. I, personally, refer to them by their codename. That's how the book sells, right? You don't read "Invincible Daniel Rand" or ""James Barnes". You buy Iron Fist and Captain America.

It just strikes me as... strange when I see someone refer to a character by their secret ID instead of as the character. It belies a certain belief of intimacy with the character that is really not possible. Seriously, if John Byrne poops himself when people call Superman "Supes", how do you think he feels when they call him "Clark" or "Kal"?

I really don't care. That was entirely hypothetical.

In any case, yeah, I'm sure I've slipped and referred to a charatcer by non-standard nomenclature on occasion (if I ever refer to Ambusy Bug as "Irwin", shoot me in the face, m'kay?), but as a habit, or an affectation, it just seems weird. And yes, weird compared to reading funnybooks about guys in long johns punching each other.

Comments

[zenten.livejournal.com]

As a bit of an outsider to superhero stuff, I think it would all depend on whether a particular story was trying to make me get inside a character's head. Does Bruce Wayne still think of himself as Bruce even when he's running around being Batman, or is it assumed that there's a more fundamental internal identity shift when someone puts on a costume?


I think you just named one of the few superheros that likely doesn't think of himself by his real name at all :)

[newnumber6.livejournal.com]

I know it's not canon, but there was an episode of Batman Beyond where somebody was trying to make Bruce Wayne (because the villain didn't know his identity) think he was going insane by broadcasting a voice into his brain. Batman isn't having any of it and gets the new Batman to investigate it, who is a little leery because Bruce Wayne's really old and it's _possible_ he's just going insane, but of course eventually does and finds the culprit and yaddayaddayadda. Eventually he asks Bruce if he ever started to doubt his own sanity, and he says no.
The exchange went something like this:

"How could you be sure?"
"The voice in my head called me Bruce."
"Yeah, so?"
"That's not what I call myself."
"What do you call yourself?"
(gives him just _a look_)
"Ah. Well, you're not Batman anymore."
"Tell that to my unconscious."

Really loved that bit.

[indefatigable42.livejournal.com]

Aah, brilliant. ^^;; I should have known better than to go with one that I did know had mental issues.

Then... someone else. Spider-Man or Peter? Mister Fantastic or Reed?

[zenten.livejournal.com]

Peter Parker/Spider man is a tossup to me. Calling Reid Richards Mr. Fantastic just sounds weird to me.