8 Ridiculous Origins To The Names Of Iconic Movie Characters

6. Every Marvel Character Has Alliterative Names Because It's Easier To Remember

Peter Parker, Stephen Strange, Reed Richards, Matt Murdock, Bruce Banner (and those are just the masthead characters); Marvel loves its alliterated names, doesn't it? Although the Distinguished Competition had several similar cases - Superman found himself surrounded by Lois Lane, Lana Lang and Lex Luthor - it's a definitive Marvel trope. So, surely it was some attempt at distinct branding started with the inaugural alliterative sixties breakthrough, Fantastic Four, right?

No, turns out Stan Lee was juggling so many characters that alliteration was the only way he could remember all of the names (a similar reasoning for frankly ridiculous names like Pepper Potts). Not that this method always worked; in early Hulk comics, Bruce Banner was sometimes recognised as Bob. Maybe he should have just kept a list?

Regardless of purpose, this remains such a prominent trope that it's been repeated in light homage all over the place; Heroes' lead character was Peter Petrelli and one of the key Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. is Melinda May.