Tuckerization
| This page is written from the Real World point of view |
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Tuckerization is the act of using a person's name or image in an original story as an in-joke. The term is derived from Wilson Tucker, a science fiction writer of the 1940s-80s, who made a practice of using his friends' names for minor characters in his stories. A tuckerization can also be the use of a person's character or personal attributes with a new name as an in-joke. [1]
In Legion publishing history, the names of creative staff, fans, and friends have been used in story since the early days. Tuckerization seems to have gone in waves of use and non-use. Early appearances were mostly the names of creative staff. Tuckerization saw a rise in the early to mid 1970s when writers Jim Shooter and Cary Bates were members of Legion fandom (such as the fanzine Interlac), and then years later in the late 1980s/early 1990s when Tom and Mary Bierbaum, who had also been active in early Legion fandom, became writers. Later, in the mid to late 1990s when the creative staff became active on various online forums (such as Compuserve and Usenet), their interaction with fans there and at conventions led to similar appearances in the comics.
Some examples:
| Tuckerization | Appearance | Derived from | References |
| The element Sigellian | Adventure #267 | writer Jerry Siegel | |
| Planet Pasnic | fan Nick Pasquale | ||
| Weisinger Plaza | former editor Mort Weisinger | ||
| Character Flynt Brojj | Superboy v1 #209 | fans Mike Flynn and Harry Broertjes | |
| Field Marshall Lorca | Superboy v1 #217 | fan Carol Strickland | [2] |
| The planet Cyrem | Superboy v1 #219 | fan Mercy Van Vlack | [3] |
| The planet Vanvlack | fan Mercy Van Vlack | [4] | |
| Unnamed characters in the wedding scene | All-New Collector's Edition #C-55 | depictions of writer Paul Levitz and artist Mike Grell | |
| Crystal Kid's real name Bobb Kohan | LSH v2 #272 | creator Robert Cohen (originally suggested in Amazing World of DC Comics #14 | |
| Lamprey's real name Tayla Skott | LSH v2 #272 | creator Scott Taylor (originally suggested in Amazing World of DC Comics #14 | |
| Nightwind's real name Berta Harris | LSH v2 #272 | creator Robert Harris (originally suggested in Amazing World of DC Comics #12 | |
| Gigi Cusimano | Paul Levitz's wife, the former Jeanette Cusimano | [5], [6] | |
| The Weisinger Chambers | former editor Mort Weisinger | ||
| A character named Wechsler | LSH v4 #37 | fan Elayne Wechsler-Chaput | |
| Andromeda's home Ricklef II | fan James Ricklef | ||
| Magno's real name Dyrk Magz | writer and radio adapter Dirk Maggs | ||
| Daxamite Obin Der | Legionnaires #23 | former Legion writer and co-creator Otto Binder | |
| Atom'X | LSHv4 #82 | then-LSHv4 co-plotter and colourist Tom McCraw's AOL screen-name (ATOMC) (although McCraw was unaware of the new name for a character changed from Atmos (due to Lee Moder drawing a completely different character) while colouring the issue. | [7] |
| Science Police officer Tro Yesq | Legionnaires #34 | fan Troy McNemar's email address, which included "troyesq" | |
| Saturn Girl's parents Sydne and Bertor, and sister Jancel | Legionnaires #38 | fans Sidne Ward and Robert Dobiesz, and colorist/writer Tom McCraw's sister Jan | [8], [9] |
| various fans in the magnoball stadium | Legionnaires #38 | various fans that artist Jeff Moy met at conventions in 1995 | |
| Athramites | DC staffer and online poster Martha Thomases | ||
| Temple of Al'Kaugh | Legionnaires #40 | fan Lev Kalman, whose email address included "LKOW" | |
| a person raising the flag on the cover | Legionnaires #43 | visual depiction of then-editor K. C. Carlson | |
| Science Police officer Reyep | Legionnaires #51 | writer Tom Peyer | |
| Science Police officer Almo | LSH v4 #69 | fan Greg "Elmo" Morrow | |
| Goldfarb's Asteroid | LSH v4 #78 | fan David Goldfarb (for suggesting to writer Mark Waid that the discs on Cosmic Boy's chest could be removed and thrown, as seen in Legionnaires #70) | |
| Thunder's real name Cecebeck | Power of Shazam! Annual #1 | C. C. Beck, co-creator of Captain Marvel and the Marvel/Shazam! Family | |
| Thunder's home planet Binderaan | Power of Shazam! Annual #1 | Otto Binder, co-creator of Captain Marvel and the Marvel/Shazam! Family as well as the Legion | |
| Name "Sprouse" on Lori Morning's shirt | former artist Chris Sprouse | ||
| Planet Plevitz | LSH v4 Annual #6 | former writer Paul Levitz | |
| Planet J'ff'n | LSH v4 Annual #6 | former writer/artist Keith Giffen | |
| A character named S'tern R'og | LSH Secret Files #2 | writer Roger Stern | |
| Warnabros, home base of the post-Zero Hour Legion Academy | Warner Bros., the parent company of DC Comics | ||
| Binder Alley | Brave and the Bold (v3) #5 | Legion co-creator Otto Binder |
