Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Long Live the Legion! Worst 90s name update?

Seems posting's been a little slow the past few days. So, my next poll...

The 90s name changes for the SW6 Legion and later the reboot. Divisive. An effort to give the Legion names in a 90s style rather than a 60s style.

I didn't include Mon-El's name changes, as those weren't just about changing the style.

I actually had two on that list that I considered worst.

About half of them are just plain bad. I like Alchemist but only if you give it to Condo Arlik, I actually dislike Gossamer and Leviathan is such a cliche I can barely stand it. Inferno was good but the underage mall rat version really owned the name so Dirk gets to be called Sunboy again.

It's interesting to note that Ayla Ranzz has had no less than four (4!) names as a Legionnaire.

Most of the names I could live with (even Gossamer), but Alchemist sounds more like an archaic job description than a hero code name. To me, it's the most generic-sounding name on the list.

If Trips had included Mon-El's names, I would definitely have voted for Valor for the same reason: It's not a name, it's a self-aggrandizing attribute.

Five [Pulse, Legion on the Run]

heh

..wait, does that count? They were "in disguise"

The entire book was in disguise, to be frank. Was it even a Legion book?

If we had been allowed two votes I would've voted "Leviathan" for #2

I don't mind Valor, personally. "Valor" was the last name of a supporting character in another book I used to read-- He was a nice guy, too. So the association didn't bother me.

Leviathan just makes me grin because it reminds me of the sea-king in those Hebrew folk tales I'd hear a lot as a kid.

Bearing in mind that I wasn't around for most of the name changes, so this is all the ultimate in Monday-morning quarterbacking for me.

Leviathan being a giant AQUATIC monster is the reason I voted for that as the worst name change. There must be giant names that could have been used that are more appropriate.

I picked Gossamer. Ugh. Levitation Lass would have been better...

I loved Umbra. Best reboot name ever, IMO.

I chose Leviathan--SO doesn't say "guy grows to giant size" to me. Nothing particularly monstrous about Gim, really.

I'm surprised Gossamer's winning/losing by a landslide! My guess woulda been Alchemist.

So he didn't have scales and a tail for that run then ? Or at least a flight ring that dispensed bottles of water ?

Tsk.

Actually, more than that: she went by both 'Lightning Lad' and 'Live Wire' at times. She was in disguise as Lightning Lad, but not as Live Wire.

2nd to vote for Dreamer. Why, cuz

I don't like it.



I'd been happy with "Dream."

Whoa. Seven
That's gotta be some kind of record.

Ayla Ranzz: The Hank Pym of Legiondom!

This is another reason, besides his growth powers, that I thought the name was fitting: In the preboot, it was established that Gim was Jewish. (I don't recall if he was in the reboot.)

As for Gim not resembling a sea monster, as some have said, people sometimes forget that codenames don't have to be taken literally. Medusa, in mythology, is an ugly woman with snakes for hair and who turns men to stone with a gaze. Medusa of the Inhumans has nothing in common with this character other than that her power originates from her hair. But it's hard to think of the second Medusa with any other name.

Well, this one's getting responses quickly. Guess there are strong feelings. I'm surprised at the early leader, too.

I should've mentioned I didn't include the Legion on the Run names. Again, different reason. None of them were meant to last, and they were supposed make a break from past names to hide their identities (they didn't really).

my number 2 choice would have been Alchemist

You left out Shrinking Violet -> Leviathan.


I voted for Leviathan too, but I was torn between that, Alchemist, and Apparition.

I too am surprised at Gossamer being the most hated name on the list.

It would have been better to have the poll vote for the 3 or 4 code names that I like.

Honestly, I didn't like any of these. Too many visual connotations are conjured up:

Live Wire-Can't touch this!
Spark-Bzzt. Like a bug zapper
Gossamer-Pretty, but, weak, weak, weak.
Apparition-She'll always be Phantom Girl
Inferno-I think of a towering, burning building where people die.
Leviathan-Same as above. He'll always be Colossal boy. Micro Lad is just as bad.
Andromeda-She's a super powerful person, not a friggin' galaxy!
Valor-This one actually grew on me, but once Mon-el, always Mon-el. Didn't like M'onel either.

Just a crappy bunch of names, but I voted Gossamer the worst.

I think it was said or shown at his funeral, although I don't have the issue to hand to check.

I think that the secondary meanings for these two (after, of course, the electricity link) were intended to be

[I do agree with you about "Gossamer", however, which is why I voted for it. In a sense, it's exactly the opposite of "Spark" as a name.]

And they are visual connotations, how?

Again, on purpose. That went with a power change. I only put in names that could be applied to the same character. Asking about Violet would've brought with it the issue of whether or not you liked that story development.