OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Pulp Hero Name Generator
1930s Pulp Aliases, Gadgets, Sidekicks and Villains for Adventure Heroes
OneTask is free, with no sign-up, and built by one person.
If this tool saved you time, a coffee helps keep new ones coming.
How the Pulp Hero Name Generator works
A pulp hero name generator for 1930s adventure heroes. Pick a detail and generate a pulp hero with a nickname, a hero's secret alias, their gadget and sidekick, or their arch-villain. Every hero is original, for pulp fiction, tabletop adventure games, radio drama and comics.
How the pulp hero name generator works
Pulp heroes appeared in cheap magazines printed on rough wood-pulp paper. They had short, punchy names like Rex Steele and often a secret alias. Gadgets were bold and slightly silly, sidekicks were loyal and chatty, and villains ran robot armies and secret cities. For the gangsters they fought, try the gangster name generator.
Before superheroes
Masked avengers, flying aces, globe-trotting doctors and jungle adventurers filled the pulps every month before comic book superheroes existed. Many superhero ideas, from secret identities and hidden bases to arch-villains and gadgets, started in these cheap, colourful magazines.
FAQ
What is a pulp hero?
A pulp hero is an adventure hero from the pulp magazines of the 1920s to 1950s. They were detectives, masked avengers, explorers and pilots who fought crime and villains in fast, exciting stories printed on cheap paper.
What makes a good pulp hero name?
A good pulp hero name is short and strong, often one syllable, like Rex, Dash or Steele. Add a nickname in quotes and a dramatic alias, and you have a name that would look great on a magazine cover.
Are these heroes from real pulp magazines?
No. Every hero, alias, gadget, sidekick and villain is original. They follow the style of classic pulp fiction but avoid famous characters, so they are free to use in your own stories and games.
Can I use these in a tabletop game?
Yes. The pulp heroes and villains are free to use in tabletop adventure games, fiction and radio drama. Pairing a gadget, sidekick and arch-villain gives you a full adventure setup in a few clicks.
See also: all People tools, Fantasy & RPG, Sci-fi, Culture & Language, Online & Social, Business & Brand, Places & Things.
Related tools
Alias / Pseudonym Generator
Plausible aliases, initial-style pen names and fictional identity blocks.
Alien Superhero Name Generator
Alien heroes, home worlds, Earth disguises and powers.
Arch-nemesis Name Generator
Arch-enemies, their link to the hero, grudges and showdowns.
Archaeologist Name Generator
Adventure archaeologists, digs, relics and rivals.
Baby Name Generator
Baby names by origin, letter and meaning, singly or as matched twins.