Favorite Name For People With Super Powers?

Dog Moon · Sep 30, 2015

So recently I've been watching TV and have heard the following names for those with super powers:

Inhumans
Evos
Mutants
Tomorrow People
Alphas

I'm sure there are lots more from lots of different sources, but this is just what I've seen recently.

Personally, I'm fond of Mutants, but that's because I grew up watching X-men The Animated Series, even though it's probably among the more degrading of names.

Just wondering what other people thought and what other names I've missed.

Tonguez · Sep 30, 2015

Metahumans and Metas

Mutants never really worked for me, except in the very specific case of Xaviers Mutants,
I prefer more real world phrases like "Human anomalies" as adopted in Misfits of science

and as an aside I associate The Tomorrow People with the British Kids show from the 70's where they were known as both Homo Superior and Homo Novis, the US series was too different for my liking

talking about British TV did the Misfits have a special designation beyond Misfits?

Hand of Evil · Sep 30, 2015

Some I have used

Demi-gods
Gifted
Empowered
Classified
Enhanced
Lusus Naturae
Selected
Altered

Morrus · Sep 30, 2015

I've never liked the word Metahumans. It just has no character for me. Plus it's a bit specific - not all superpower characters are human. Superman's a a Kryptonian, Wonder Woman is a demigod, etc.

Mutant doesn't work for the same reason.

I guess I just like "superhero".

Scorpio616 · Sep 30, 2015

Morrus said:
I guess I just like "superhero".

Well, not all such characters are going to be protectors with great potency. Plus there's some Trademark issues related to that term. Issues that involve going toe to toe with TimeWarner's and Disney's hordes of lawyers.

Trademark status[edit]
Most dictionary definitions[2][11] and common usages of the term are generic and not limited to the characters of any particular company or companies.
Nevertheless, variations on the term "Super Hero" are jointly claimed by DC Comics and Marvel Comics as trademarks in the United States. Registrations of "Super Hero" marks have been maintained by DC and Marvel since the 1960s,[12] including U.S. Trademark Serial Nos. 72243225 and 73222079. In 2009, the term "Super Heroes" was registered as a typography-independent "descriptive" US trademark co-owned by DC and Marvel.[13]
Critics in the legal community dispute whether the "Super Hero" marks meet the legal standard for trademark protection in the United States-distinctive designation of a single source of a product or service. Controversy exists over each element of that standard: whether "Super Hero" is distinctive rather than generic, whether "Super Hero" designates a source of products or services, and whether DC and Marvel jointly represent a single source.[14] Some critics further characterize the marks as a misuse of trademark law to chill competition.[15]

"Humanoid anomalies" works for me.

Morrus · Sep 30, 2015

Scorpio616 said:
Well, not all such characters are going to be protectors with great potency. Plus there's some Trademark issues related to that term. Issues that involve going toe to toe with TimeWarner's and Disney's hordes

I'm not clear how the trademark status is supposed to impact my choice of my favourite term for these characters?

Ryujin · Oct 1, 2015

"Powers", the expression used occasionally in "Heroes" and "Heroes Reborn", works for me.

Tonguez · Oct 1, 2015

Morrus said:
I've never liked the word Metahumans. It just has no character for me. Plus it's a bit specific - not all superpower characters are human. Superman's a a Kryptonian, Wonder Woman is a demigod, etc.
.

I actually like the idea of different orgins being identified as different so Superman isn't a Metahuman,he is an Alien as are both the Asgardians and the Olympians (and depending on origin story that makes Wonder Women either half-alien or an alien construct - and of course magic complicates things).

It makes sense to me that Wolverine is a Mutant, Hulk is an Enhanced Human and Batman a peak human.

and heres the list from Mutants and Masterminds
aberrants, aces, alphas, angels, avatars, awakened, capes, chosen, deltas, deviants, elites, exarchs, extraordinaries, freaks, gammas, geeks, gene-freaks, gifted, godlings, Homo Superior, hyper-humans, incredibles, inhumans, inspired, marvels, masks, metas, metahumans, mutants, nephilim, novas, omegas, paragons, paranormals, post-humans, powers, psis, psions, psychics, psykes, seraphim, specials, stalwarts, superlatives, supernaturals, superiors, talents, übermenschen, ultras, unnaturals, unusuals.

Janx · Oct 1, 2015

Ryujin said:
"Powers", the expression used occasionally in "Heroes" and "Heroes Reborn", works for me.

which was the title of a really good JMS comic book series

Umbran · Oct 1, 2015

Scorpio616 said:
Well, not all such characters are going to be protectors with great potency.

Well, the OP stipulated that we are talking about people with "super powers". The "super" kind of implies potency.

But, you are right about them not all being heroic. So, I usually use "supers" as the generic.

My favorite terms probably come from the Wild Cards series - "Aces" for people with cool powers. "Jokers" for people who are disfigured by their powers. "Dueces" for people with powers that are, well, lame.