10 Silliest Superhero Names, Ranked

While comic books have been popular since the dawn of the 20th century, superhero movies have grown increasingly popular over the course of the last decade. Due to the success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the former X-Men franchise, and groundbreaking animated films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, superheroes are now something that fans take very seriously. It’s easy to forget that comic books can be quite silly and that many superhero names are fairly ridiculous.

Although recent films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 have proven that “superhero fatigue” hasn’t quite set in yet, it’s worth remembering that a lot of superhero stories are fairly silly. Many have their origins in more comical narratives and were expressly aimed at appealing to younger audiences. Here are the ten silliest superhero names, ranked.

10 Spider-Ham – ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ (2018)

Voiced by John Mulaney

The joke “Spider-Pig” actually originated in The Simpsons Movie after Homer decides that his new pet pig is worthy of becoming a superhero. This inspired the character of Peter Porker, voiced by comedian John Mulaney, in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Spider-Ham comes from a different side of the “Spider-Verse,” where anthropomorphic animals are in control. Although he does offer up some sage advice to Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), Spider-Ham is mostly in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse for comic relief.

Spider-Ham showed the incredible range of the Spider-Verse franchise, which included more imaginative versions of the Spider-Man mythology than what had been seen in the live-action films. It’s one of the most rewatchable modern science fiction films, and the endearing charisma of Spider-Ham is a big reason why. Mulaney’s vocal charm also helps flesh out the character with humor that is reminiscent of his stand-up routines.

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9 Big Daddy – ‘Kick-Ass’ (2010)

Played by Nicolas Cage

Kick-Ass is an explosive and surprisingly violent reimagining of the superhero universe that explores the teenager David Lezewski’s (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) attempt to become a masked vigilante, despite having no powers or experience. While his initial efforts to curb criminal activity are hilariously terrible, David learns how to be a more responsible hero thanks to the help of the veteran crime fighter Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage). Big Daddy is essentially a parody of overtly serious superheroes like Batman and Daredevil. Cage’s self-serious, gritty performance is only more hilarious thanks to the relative absurdity of the rest of the film.

While listening to Cage rattle off superhero one-liners is inherently funny, Kick-Assdoes a good job at fleshing out Big Daddy’s origin story. Determined to make the city safer so that no innocent people will be preyed upon, Big Daddy trains his daughter Hit-Girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) to be a hero capable of continuing his legacy.

8 The Crimson Bolt – ‘Super’ (2010)

Played by Rainn Wilson

Before developing both the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy in the MCU and The Suicide Squad for the now-dormant DCEU, James Gunn took a satirical slant on the comic book genre with his underrated 2010 film Super. Super examines a normal man’s attempts to become a comic book hero, even though his normal life is relatively depressing and downbeat. Rainn Wilson stars as Frank Darbo, who takes on the moniker “The Crimson Bolt” in order to take down the vicious drug dealer Jacques (Kevin Bacon).

Super is a film that is unafraid to make fun of its protagonist, as Frank’s embarrassing attempts to become more masculine are a running joke throughout the film. The name “The Crimson Bolt” is a ridiculous one, but Frank ironically feels more comfortable in tights than he does during his day job as a cook.

7 Mr. Furious – ‘Mystery Men’ (1999)

Played by Ben Stiller

Mystery Men was a superhero film that was simply ahead of its time; perhaps if the absurdist superhero satire had been released after the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises broke through as mainstream hits, it would have been more successful at appealing to a wide audience. Mystery Men is a parody of superhero team-up movies that gathers a case of idiosyncratic super-powered characters, each of whom has a ridiculous name. Ben Stiller stars as their leader, “Mr. Furious,” whose superpower is his hot-headed temper.

Mr. Furious’ anger issues are a running joke throughout Mystery Men, as the other heroes and villains in the film refuse to take him seriously. Although the film was not an initial success commercially, its references to the history of comic book storytelling have earned it a passionate cult fanbase, some of whom still bemoan that it never got a sequel.

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6 Metro Man – ‘Megamind’ (2010)

Voiced by Brad Pitt

Megamind was a radical reimagining of a typical superhero story that imagined what a villain would look like if he were put in a hero’s position. Will Ferrell voiced the titular blue-skinned mastermind, who is obsessed with tracking down the superhero Metro Man (Brad Pitt). Metro Man is a parody of overtly heroic, strong, masculine superheroes like Captain America and Superman. Although Metro Man is initially thought to be completely honorable, it was revealed over the course of Megamind that he abandoned his duties as a superhero after the city assumed that he had died in a battle.

Megamind takes a family-friendly approach to the superhero genre, which may explain the more comical slant of the story. Pitt does a great job at showing the faults within Metro Man’s persona; it’s obvious that a hero as seemingly perfect could never exist, and the film is actually made more interesting when he takes a backseat and lets Megamind become the hero.

5 Colonel Stars and Stripes – ‘Kick-Ass 2’ (2013)

Played by Jim Carrey

While not as well reviewed as its predecessor, Kick-Ass 2 introduced a ton of new characters to Matthew Vaughn’s satirical comic book franchise. Among the new heroes that join Hit-Girl and Kick-Ass in their mission to stop the supervillains is Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey), an overly patriotic vigilante who uses his trained dogs to attack his enemies. Colonel Stars and Stripes’ silly name makes his brutal techniques more shocking; while the villains tend to treat him as a joke, he ruthlessly dispatches with anyone that stands in his way.

Carrey is a one-of-a-kind comedic actor who turns Colonel Stars and Stripes into the film’s standout. Considering that Big Daddy was killed off at the end of the first film, it was important to have a seasoned comedic actor like Carrey in a central role. While it’s unclear what direction the Kick-Ass franchise will take next, hopefully Carrey will be able to reprise his role.

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4 The Phantom – ‘The Phantom’ (1996)

Played by Billy Zane

The 1990s were a very different era of superhero cinema, in which many films based on classic serials and adventure shows were produced. While films like The Mask of Zorro and The Shadow were treated with some semblance of gravity, The Phantom was a ridiculously over-the-top reinterpretation of the long-running comic strip character that had originated in the 1930s. Billy Zane strapped on a ridiculous costume that included purple tights and a silly facemask for a film that was constantly lampooning its own existence.

The Phantom was reflective of a different generation of superhero artistry, as the 1930s characters were never designed to be realistic. While it’s easy to see why a character like The Phantom may have appealed to comic book readers at the time, the entire notion is entirely ridiculous when put within the context of a live-action adventure.

3 Shazam – ‘Shazam!’ (2019)

Played by Zachary Levi

The name “Shazam” was the result of a bitter feud over the rights to the name “Captain Marvel” between Marvel and DC comics. The moniker “Captain Marvel” belonged to both DC’s Billy Batson and Marvel’s Carol Danvers; however, the DC character would use the word “Shazam” to activate his powers, transforming from a prepubescent boy into a costumed superhero. As a result, “Shazam” became the more widely regarded name for the character for the majority of his comic book history.

Thankfully, the Shazam! movie franchise, starring Zachary Levi, made fun of the character’s name, lampooning how ridiculous it was to use the word. Shazam! succeeded because it was a light-hearted, family-friendly take on superheroes that was aimed at a younger audience; the longer, more action-packed sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods failed to live up to the expectations that the first film had set.

2 The Mask – ‘The Mask’ (1994)

Played by Jim Carrey

The Mask was a unique superhero movie in that it was much more of a slapstick comedy than a typical adventure film. Although it was originally conceived as a more disturbing project, the comic genius Jim Carrey turned The Mask into a complete farce. He gave an over-the-top performance as Stanley Ipkiss, a lowly bank employee who is gifted with the power to turn into an absurd superhero. The film brought the dazzling designs from the original comic to life with its Academy Award-nominated makeup design.

The Mask showed that heroism could come from the most unexpected places; while Carrey’s interpretation of Ipkirss wasn’t as boldly heroic as many of the Marvel and DC characters, he was a kind-hearted character with humble intentions. The film was released amidst Carrey’s renaissance in the 1990s when audiences were enamored with the genre-shifting, peculiar form of physical comedy that he had perfected.

1 Star-Lord – ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014)

Played by Chris Pratt

Guardians of the Galaxy was the game-changing franchise that the MCU needed in order to remain relevant. In addition to taking the MCU into the furthest reaches of space, Guardians of the Galaxy took a more comical look at the self-admitted “losers” that are forced to save the universe from the evil Kree warlord Ronan (Lee Pace). The name “Star-Lord” is made fun of throughout the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Although Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill is desperate to make the name sound “cool,” few people recognize who he really is.

Despite the comical nature of the name, Star-Lord is a character who matures over the course of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. After confronting the wicked nature of his father (Kurt Russell), Quill is forced to deal with the loss and rebirth of his love interest, Gamora (Zoe Saldana), after the events of Avengers: Endgame.

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