BoneDaddy Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 So I suck at naming superheroes. My first champions character, back in '91, was named "Flaming Justice," and he wasn't even gay. Seriously - I suck at it. Concepts I'm pretty good at, if a little derivative. I'll give you all the concept, please give me a decent name. The Joker is based on a character named Gwynplaine from a Victor Hugo story called "The Man Who Laughs." So is my new hero. He is what I like to call Mentalist Light in the powers department. He has an Ego attack, but it has no range. His ranged mental attacks include a BOECV entangle (helpless maniacal laughter, which probably isn't so funny after the first few minutes), a Suppress PRE, a Suppress INT, and a Mental Transform I'm still playing with. Outside the powers department, he used to be a police detective before the accident that gave him the powers (damned the city and it's dozens of unguarded chemical factories!), so he has your basic detective package and two .45's he could neuter flies on the wing with. The campaign is reality light - Earth minus Detroit plus tights, set in Colorado. What's he look like? About like this, in hero ID Like the "Have a Nice Day" face gone bad dressed like something a bit noirish, somewhere on the continuum between The Shadow and Batman, and hopefully without even a passing reference to Wal-Mart. That enough help? He's a scary clown of justice. I'd call him The Comedian, but his sense of humor stinks and the name's sort of been done to death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeropoint Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! The Joker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theron Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Dr. Jest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCUBA Hero Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Mr. Giggles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tribe Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Punchline Prank Delerium Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psybolt Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Tomfoolery? The Banter? Officer Fool? The Mockery? The Lampoon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! The Good Humor Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! I keep suggesting "Hellequin" (which is the original name of Harlequin) but nobody ever goes for it. Alternately, "Killjoy" or "Madcap". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tribe Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! I overlooked the fact he was a policeman. What about Keystone? Or got the whole hog and called him Keystone Cop. Mr Plod has a British/Noddy feel about it. Okay, bypass that one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketchpad Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! I like Keystone, Tribe How about Punch-Drunk, Grin or Gumshoe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Madcap? Slapstick? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Certified Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Sargent Smile Slaughter (Pronounced like laughter) Detective Smile (Officer, Senior, Sir, etc) Sardonicus (From Risus sardonicus is a highly characteristic, abnormal, sustained spasm of the facial muscles that is most often observed as a symptom of tetanus. The name of the condition derives from the appearance of raised eyebrows and an evil, open grin that it gives to its victim.) And the easiest of them all just to draw on the source material: The Abandoned Boy The Laughing Man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamamura Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! How about Flaming Justice... What?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterBaldy Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Hyena, perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balabanto Posted September 9, 2007 Report Share Posted September 9, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Laughing Man is from a different short story by J.D. Salinger, it could still be a good fit, but it would be MUCH darker. Justice Clown is actually not too bad. Mr. Hilarious The Chortle Subverso! (I really like Subverso, it comes from Subvert or Subversive, meaning to present an image while secretly undermining it, because let's face it. He LOOKS clowny. But he's NOT) Jack-A-Napes. This one would be even funnier if the character's name was Jacqueline Napier and it was a girl. You would get your cheesy original Batman movie tribute. (And it was NOT a bad movie) You would get to be clowny, and EVERYONE loves a hot girl in a clown suit. Harley Quinn is probably the most popular new DC comics character of the past 20 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobGreenwade Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Punchline and The Chortle are good to my eye. In the old Bugs Bunny cartoons, if he met someone who was particularly bereft of humor he'd sometimes call them "Laughing Boy." I once created a clown-themed gadgeteer by that name, but I think the name works even better for your guy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psylint Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Da Fool Jester Sangunity (taking off from the Hippocratic humors) Spastic Gelastic (if he's as bouncy as Joker/Batman and educated like Raz) The Gag Man (slightly different motif, take off on the Bag Man of Mob conventions) Something like an introduction... That droll detective,that gelastic gag man, that farcical fool, the one, the only..jovial jester of doom.... Lewd-uh-Chris? Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Hysterious, or Hysterio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Captain Entuo N2O being the chemical formula of Laughing gas Of course, Detective, Lt or Officer are all options... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Kuru (after the laughing sickness). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzMike Posted September 10, 2007 Report Share Posted September 10, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! You can steal one I like to use: Happy Jack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDaddy Posted September 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! How 'bout Marshall Manic? I'm leaning strongly towards Punchline. Thanks everybody. I'm repping as fast as I can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OzMike Posted September 11, 2007 Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Punchline is punchier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDaddy Posted September 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Hmmm... His no range Ego Attack would go well as the follow up to a punch. He could CON stun a good sized brick with it, actually, which would make a great punchline.... Punchline it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cancer Posted September 11, 2007 Report Share Posted September 11, 2007 Re: Help me name this hero! Hmmm... His no range Ego Attack would go well as the follow up to a punch. He could CON stun a good sized brick with it' date=' actually, which would make a great punchline.... Punchline it is.[/quote'] I hope that power is named "Hit 'em in the Funny Bone". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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