Naming
From Smallville Wiki
The process of naming superheroes on Smallville tends to happen in one of several ways.
In some cases, a journalist will make up a name, and the name will stick due to their press coverage; soon the superhero is referring to themselves by their new name as well. As a journalist for the Smallville Torch and Daily Planet, Chloe Sullivan has been involved in naming several of the superheroes. While covering the Green Arrow for the Metropolis Inquisitor, Lois Lane gave him his name (with a little help from Chloe).
In other cases, members of Oliver Queen's team of superheroes picked their own names (or had names assigned to them). Some of these code names are not known to the public; Clark Kent's code name of "Boy Scout" has not been referenced by anyone outside of his inner circle.
[edit] Known Namings
- Red-Blue Blur/The Good Samaritian - Clark was given this name after Jimmy snapped a picture of him saving Lois which came as a blurred red and blue combo. The name stuck and is now used by the citizens of Metropolis commonly but Clark recently asked Lois to pick a new name as he didn't really like Red-Blue Blur.
- Green Arrow - Lois first named him "Green Arrow Bandit" in her Metropolis Inquisitor coverage. She and Oliver both casually shortened the name to "Green Arrow" in conversation; Chloe explicitly suggested to Clark that the name should "drop the Bandit"; shortly after, Clark mentioned to Oliver that "Green Arrow" was responsible for Lois' kidnapping. Eventually, every newspaper in the country was using the name "Green Arrow"
- Black Canary - Chloe notes that Dinah Lance and her superhero persona have two different hair colors: "Raven black. Canary yellow." She then suggests the name "Yellow Raven", but Clark says that "Black Canary" has a better ring to it.
- Boy Scout and Impulse - Neither Clark or Bart were able to pick their code names, which were assigned to them by Oliver Queen.
- Aquaman - Ac picked his own code name for the newly formed Justice League.
- Cyborg - Victor also picked his own code name.
- Martian Manhunter - Chloe first used the name "Martian Manhunter" somewhat incongruously when talking to Clark (it wasn't clear why the Martian was a "manhunter" until he revealed later that he was an intergalactic bounty hunter). His name has only been used once subsequently on the show, by Kara (who remembers him from Krypton, so may actually know of his history as a bounty hunter). In addition, in a deleted scene Martian Manhunter referred to himself as J'onn J'onzzs (also, in Clark's delusion created by Dr. Hudson, Martian Manhunter referred to himself as "J'onn").
- Angel of Vengeance - Chloe first used the name after noting that Martha had said that Andrea had come down as if from the heavens like an avenging angel and decided to name her as the "Angel of Vengeance.
- Superboy - Chloe picked his super-hero name after watching him use his new super-powers he gained from Clark.
[edit] Quotes
- Chloe: All right, now this is what I need, Clark. A catchy moniker for our new crime fighter. "Miss Death Wish," no that’s lame. "Dirty Harriet," no, that’s too derivative. I got it, I got it Clark, so your mom said she swooped down from the heavens, so how about "The Angel of Vengeance"?
- Season Five, Vengeance
- Oliver: "The Green Arrow Bandit." It doesn't really roll off the tongue. This guys steals your boss's necklace, and then gasses you and your cousin, all within a 24 hour period? I'd say he's got a thing for you.
- Lois: Well, when you're my editor, I'll remember to care what you think.
- Oliver: You know that whole sugar-and-spice thing? It never really took with you, did it?
- Lois: Look. Green Arrow, green eggs and ham -- it doesn't really matter what I call this guy. I'm gonna have his face plastered all over the front page soon enough.
- Season Six, Arrow
- Clark: Who are you?
- Green Arrow: Haven't you read? I'm the Green Arrow.
- Season Six, Arrow
- Clark: This Green Arrow Bandit's got a lot of gadgets.
- Chloe: Gadgets? Against the Man of Steel?
- Clark: He's good, all right?
- Chloe: Fine -- backing off. The Green Arrow Bandit? Is that really the name Lois came up with? If you ask me, I'd lose the "Bandit," but - not my story.
- Season Six, Arrow
- Oliver: (to Lois) You know you have every newspaper in the country calling this guy the Green Arrow. He's got a real following.
- Season Six, Arrow
- Green Arrow: You sure? Green Arrow to Watchtower. Boy Scout's out of the woods.
- Clark: Boy Scout?
- Green Arrow: If you hadn't ran off all half cokced, you could have picked your code name. You don't want to play for the team, that's fine. You can be smart about it.
- Clark: Point taken. Where's Bart?
- Green Arrow: "Impulse." He didn't get to pick his own code name either. Watchtower will guide you to where he's probably being held.
- Season Six, Justice
- Chloe: I did some digging into our favorite Martian Manhunter, but it's just coming up empty.
- Clark: Yeah, but we have another "man hunter" to worry about. Lois.
- Season Six, Crimson
- Chloe: (referring to Kara) It sounds like we got ourselves a true-blue Supergirl.
- Season Seven, Kara
- Kara: He's lying. Who are you gonna believe, Clark - your family... or this Martian Manhunter? Guess this family reunion is over.
- Season Seven, Cure
- Chloe: Dinah Lance was the only woman logged on last night.
- Clark: That doesn't help us much.
- Chloe: Why, because she's not blond? Please, Clark. The new bad girl could be as blond as I really am. There you go. Raven black. Canary yellow. Maybe we should call her the Yellow Raven.
- Clark: Black Canary has a better ring to it.
- Season Seven, Siren
[edit] Notes
- Chloe Sullivan has been involved in the naming of both Green Arrow and Black Canary. She herself named the "Angel of Vengeance" and was the first to refer to the entity known as Martian Manhunter as such. She was also first to call Kara Kent "Supergirl" and the first to refer to Eric Summers as "Superboy" (Leech).
- Lois Lane named Green Arrow through a news article she wrote, in a similar manner to how she named Superman in the first movie, Superman: The Movie.
