D@MM!T, DC Universe...You beat me again

[MuggsMcKinney]

I've been trying to develop a new superheroine for the Stories Forum and my forthcoming blog. I've been poring through websites looking for costume ideas, and finally decided on one earlier today. I had come up with name "Magpie" since almost all the other cool feathered birds were taken (like Raven, Hawkgirl, Black Canary, etc.). Anyway, about an hour ago, I went onto Wikipedia to dig up info on "Beware The Batman" --on account of I haven't been able to stay up and watch it on Toonami [seriously, Cartoon Network should spin both Toonami and Adult Swim off into their own 24-hour networks, like they did with Boomerang, but again, I digress]. I read up on the summary and cast of characters, and find that there ALREADY IS A MAGPIE, and she's been a 3rd tier Batman villainess popping in and out of the comics, cartoons, and movies for almost 30 years now !!!! So much for me being original. Sure, I can misspell Magpie--you know, put in an extra "g" and replace the "i" with a "y"--but it just wouldn't be the same.

[tallyho]

If you want to check out a pretty definitive guide to all things SH related names powers etc you'll do lot worse than going to the excellent
http://www.SuperHeroineLinks.com/

Superheroinebabes who posts here has it as a link at the bottom of their posts.

Its great but just kinda sucks you in, so make sure you go there with plenty of time to spare!

[rayman]

I wonder if the Antman still has his website up that had alot of info on it, I may have to look myself.

[MuggsMcKinney]

If you want to check out a pretty definitive guide to all things SH related names powers etc you'll do lot worse than going to the excellent
http://www.SuperHeroineLinks.com/

Superheroinebabes who posts here has it as a link at the bottom of their posts.

Its great but just kinda sucks you in, so make sure you go there with plenty of time to spare!

Thanks for the tip, but y security settings has it classified as an attack site, and I don't want to re-adjust them. I had a devil of a time getting Savings Bull adware of my computer recently, so I'm trying to be careful where I go.

[theScribbler]

Hard to come up with an original name especially if only using one word (that is in the dictionary and not totally made up).

You can use Magpie name as long as your Magpie character is different from DC's or other's Magpie character. The more unalike they are, the better. (assuming we're not talking about parody.)

Copyright law doesn't protect names. (Trademark law does, but trademarks are for business names and product names, not literary works.)

http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2010/01/ ... pyrighted/

Here's a page with a list (scroll down) with names both DC and Marvel have used (incidentally they've both used Magpie!)...

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.co ... 5th-draft/

[superheroinebabes]

Weird? I wonder what happened to superheroinelinks.com ? I sent him an email.

[DrDominator9]

Consider putting a color in the name before a bird to give it a distinctive feel and uniqueness, i.e. Golden Wren. Or a generic gender specific word before or after the bird name, i.e. Lady Mockingbird, Raven Lass, etc. Good luck.

[TIEnTEEZ]

Yeah, coming up with new superhero names is extremely tough. I used to have this kind of problem on City of Heroes. Absolutely every name you could possibly thing of was already taken. So you have to start getting creative and using multiple words and mixing concepts.

[Heroine Addict]

Lady Swallow

She's a member of a Golden / Silver Age superheroine squad who find themselves transported to the 21st Century. Other members include:
Golden Shower
Purple Helmet
The Fister
Pearl Diver

The innocent girls can't understand why their superheroine names are deemed inappropriate now.

[tallyho]

Lady Swallow

She's a member of a Golden / Silver Age superheroine squad who find themselves transported to the 21st Century. Other members include:
Golden Shower
Purple Helmet
The Fister
Pearl Diver

The innocent girls can't understand why their superheroine names are deemed inappropriate now.

Brilliant HA!
Love 'The Fister'

[Imagineer]

No doubt expelled to the future by their nemesis, the Brown Starfish.

[MuggsMcKinney]

Hard to come up with an original name especially if only using one word (that is in the dictionary and not totally made up).

You can use Magpie name as long as your Magpie character is different from DC's or other's Magpie character. The more unalike they are, the better. (assuming we're not talking about parody.)

Copyright law doesn't protect names. (Trademark law does, but trademarks are for business names and product names, not literary works.)

http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2010/01/ ... pyrighted/

Here's a page with a list (scroll down) with names both DC and Marvel have used (incidentally they've both used Magpie!)...

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.co ... 5th-draft/

Thanks for the tip, G. I won't have to worry at all about my Magpie being any similar to DC's. Their costume, hair, personality, and back-story bear absolutely no relation to mine. This is wonderful news. BOLO for Magpie's first adventure in the Stories Forum late this Summer (between late July and Mid-August)

[tuxjar]

Try the Public Domain Super-Hero wiki.Even if the name exists you can safely use it.

http://pdsh.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Female_Characters