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So… nominative determinism. The kind of thing that gets us Harleen Quinzel/Harley Quinn, Victor Fries/Mister Freeze, and Roy G Bivalo/Rainbow Raider, not to mention lesser associations like Cliff Steele/Robotman or Sandy Hawkins/Sandman.

Is this an actual thing built into the fabric of our universe or just a lot of weird coincidences?

I mean the second part of that question is WAY above my pay grade if true, and on top of that I would have no way to prove it. The "Outer Beings" as Gwen likes to call them (they dislike the term "Higher" in relation to beings they don't worship) are very opaque in the way they run things and if they ARE bluntly referring to their "intentions" for a person by what they get named that sounds more like an article of faith than something I can defend with the methods I was taught.

That being said nominative determinism is like, a real thing. Or at least it's a real theory that we have a name for beyond needing to assume a turn for the fantastical

(A picture of the Rainbow Raider. Didn't know what else to put here and he is VERY silly)

For those of you unfamiliar, the idea of nominative determinism is based around the theory that people unconsciously seek professions or occupations that match the meaning of their name. Or at least a meaning adjacent to how their name sounds. The original, half joking, letter submitted to the journal New Scientist in 1994 used the example of a book on polar exploration being written by an author named Daniel Snowman. This idea expanded further and further as sort of a proto-meme in the scientific community as more and more examples were discovered.

Though of course when the subject was applied to the world of superheroes, which tends to be more flashy than the world of scientific journals, it took off as a much more MODERN kind of meme. As you said, in the world of supervillains we can name a few dozen examples of costumes criminals whose names seemed to have set them up for a life of costumed robbery or worse. Although I would keep in mind that the principle of nominative determinism probably ALREADY applied to most of these people BEFORE they went into supervillainy. Victor Fries was already a world renowned cryogenics expert before becoming a criminal, Bivalo was a color blind painting prodigy (which means that whoever is handing out these names seems to have a very cruel sense of humor).

What's also worth keeping in mind is that nominative determinism gives a LOT of leeway and is just as much a product of linguistic pareidolia as anything real. Like, there's just as much room for Dr. Quinzel to have become either a motorcycle designer, an opera performer or a birthday clown before she became a costumed criminal with a coincidental clown theme. And by that same token it could just be all in the head of the viewer. If, hypothetically, Batman's last name turns out to be "Bates" and we all point and laugh, is it because that actually means anything or just that "Bates" happens to be a really common name for white American families.

And, like most truisms of this kind, it's got a huge cloud of confirmation bias wafting around it. Gotham City has MILLIONS of residents and a few million more within working distance of the city. There are probably dozens of people with some variation on the names Rob, Robert or Robin Banks, a good chunk of them are probably related to each other. And if you checked I'm sure most if not all of them would be entirely normal people doing entirely normal work.

My last name is Sweeney, a name most often associated with a fictional barber serial killer from a famous British stage musical and, in order:

I have had the same haircut since I have had hair TO cut and the idea of styling or otherwise maintaining my hair sounds like annoyance personified

I don't even REMOVE spiders from my home anymore, let alone kill them, which tells you something about my capacity for violence.

The only person I would ever be a threat to with a straight razor is myself as I tried to figure out how to use the damn thing or which way to hold it.

I can't carry a tune in a bucket and my last stage experience was when I worked the camcorder for my high school theatre class.

Personally, looking into it. I'm willing to chalk this up to being a case of always being able to find a pattern if you go looking for one.

Stupidest Real Name: Quarter Finals Match One of Four

Blackagar Boltagon (Black Bolt)

Roy G. Bivolo (Rainbow Raider)

Voting ended onMay 4

#marvel #dc #marvel comics #dc comics #blackagar boltagon #roy g bivolo #black bolt #rainbow raider #polls #stupidest real name tournament

Happy Pride Month Friends! I hope all is well!

This is inspired by a headcannon between my twin and I that the Rogues don’t know about Boomer being on the Squad. They can tell for a few days Boomer is building up to confess something so they set this up only to be hit with the truth.

These are my pride hc for them:

- Boomer is a closeted bi; he has a crush on Deadshot, Sam, & Melony; obliviously flirts with Sam; Enemies to Lovers with Deadshot

- Sam is pan & polyamorous; he has a crush on Boomer, Dillon, & Lisa; he openly flirts with Boomer but he thinks it’s just Sam being Sam

- Len is pan; he jumps between masc and fem (bc I’m indecisive & like both) and occasionally dresses in drag, though he wouldn’t let anyone but Mick or Lisa catch him in it

- Mark is a trans man; he tries to be a good role model for Axel who I also see as a trans man

- Mick is aroace (like me✨); he has more of a queer platonic relationship with Len; sometimes stays home with Roy who I see as ace while the others go out for a wild night, they watch old black & white films

As for the rest of the Rogues:

- Lisa is bi

- Dillon is bi & bigender; he uses any pronouns but most people use he/him; most people call him Dillon bc he goes by Roscoe and Rosa

- James is demiromanic

- Hartley is gay & a demiboy

- Magenta is lesbian

Bonus: Gay Beer