Comic/Sci-Fi Glossary

Man. Remember all those retcons that happened Post-Crisis? Or how about how so many characters in the 1990's wielded psionic weapons? And while we're talking, have you ever been Tuckerized?

What's that? Not sure what some of those terms mean? Well check out the glossary below (arranged in alphabetical order, natch) and you'll be hip to our geek jive in no time.

If you wish to learn more specific information about certain aliens races, teams, planets and dimensions, check out the Guide buttons in the Table of Contents to the left (that's your left, not my left).

Adamantium - A fictional metal that exists in the Marvel Comics Universe. Adamantium is a man-made metal that is incredibly difficult and expensive to create and is virtually invulnerable to damage (nor does it rust). Adamantium was accidentally created by Dr. Myron MacLain when he tried to re-create the unique alloy vibranium/titanium alloy that makes up Captain America's shield.

The mutant adventurer called Wolverine has his entire skeleton (including his claws) laced with adamantium and many other heroes and villains have used it for their own purposes. There also exists "secondary adamantium", which is easier to make but not quite as indestructible. It's been shown that Antarctic vibranium is capable of destroying adamantium (see Vibranium further below).

Antarctic Vibranium - See Vibranium further below.

Anime - A Japanese style/genre of animation. Movies and shows such as Akira, Princess Mononoke, Ghost in the Shell, Fullmetal Alchemist and Dragon Ball Z are all examples of anime. This style of animation used to be called "Japanimation" for a few years. The comic book equivalent is called manga.

Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics - When Isaac Asimov, often called the "grandfather of science fiction", began writing stories, he wanted to ensure that he never fell into the cliche of having a robot turn violent and run amok. So in his stories, all robots lived by three laws of behavior that were hard-wired into their positronic brains (see Positronic Brain entry blow), making it impossible to disobey the laws unless the brain was seriously damaged.

The Three Laws were so popular that many other writers adopted them in their own stories (always giving Asimov credit, of course) and they have been mentioned many times in pop culture. Spider-Man comics, the TV sitcom Big Bang Theory, the cartoon series The Simpsons, and the show Star Trek: The Next Generation have all made reference to Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. Interestingly, when Isaac Asimov introduced his laws, it was the first time the word "robotics" had ever been published in the English language and it's possible that Asimov actually invented the term. Asimov himself said he did not realize he was creating a new word and simply believed that it was a natural designation for the study of robots.

The Three Laws of Robotics are:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence, as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

In Asimov's later writings, he posited that if a robot were highly intelligent and allowed to absorb enough information from different sources for a long time, it would develop the "xeroth law of robotics" which was close enough to the first law that it could, in a way, supercede it. The xeroth law was "A robot may not injure humanity or, through inaction, allow humanity to come to harm."

Batcave - In DC Comics, this is the name of the Batman's personal lair and base of operations and it is sometimes more home to him than the mansion he actually lives in. In pop culture and other sci-fi stories, characters will occasionally refer to their own base of operations or place of retreat as their personal "Batcave." This is similar to when people in different stories sometimes refer to their home or base of operations as their personal "Fortress of Solitude."

The Cave has various trophies in it, the most famous of which are a robot T-Rex, a giant penny and a giant Joker playing card. These three items are often referenced whenever the Batcave is parodied in other stories and media.

Bizarro - Originally, this was the name of villain who was an imperfect duplicate of Superman. Bizarro often speaks childishly and/or in reverse (saying "good-bye" when he means "hello" or saying "Superman am worst friend" when he means "Superman is my greatest enemy"). He always wears either a warped or backwards version of Superman's S-shield and even some of his powers work in reverse (he has fire-breath and ice-vision instead of arctic breath and heat-vision).

In pop culture, people have referred to an imperfect double or a complete opposite as the "bizarro version" of something else. In an episode of Seinfeld, the character Elaine met three people who had similar physical appearances to her regular circle of friends but whose behavior and humor were completely opposite and who gathered in a mirrored version of Jerry Seinfeld's apartment. She referred to them as Bizarros.

The Bleed - In DC Comics (including Wildstorm, the smaller comic imprint owned by DC), the Bleed is a term used to refer to the membrane that exists between parallel universe. If one travels through the Bleed, they can use it to teleport directly from one place in their universe to another or they can enter an completely alternate version of reality. Warren Ellis, who created the Bleed, has likened it to a series of channels between different universes which one can navigate and sail through. The Bleed got its name because of its dark red coloring.

When the barriers between the different fictional universes of DC Comics have weakened in the past, such as what happened during The Crisis On Infinite Earths, the skies have often turned red because Bleed energy was escaping.

Clarke's Laws - Arthur C. Clarke was considered one of the Big Three of the science fiction genre (along with Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein). Clarke once stated three personal laws of his. They are:

1. "When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong."
2. "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible."
3. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

These laws are occasionally quoted or referenced in articles, editorial pieces, reviews or fictional stories. Clarke's third law has been used in Superman comics, Thor comics and an episode of Doctor Who to explain seemingly-magical forces and entities.

Con - A convention, usually one celebrating sci-fi, comics, animation, fantasy works or a mixture of any of those. There are numerous cons each year that focus on specific genres or areas of interest.

The biggest annual con in the world is Comic-Con International in San Diego (commonly referred to as the "San Diego Comic-Con" or just plain "Comic-Con"). This convention showcases comics, video games, movies, animation, anime, manga and role playing games and it is not uncommon for as many as 120-125,000 people to attend. In the past few years, a secondary Comic-Con has been held in New York City and is often referred to simply as "New York Comic-Con" or "NYCC."

Cosplay - Costume play. This refers to fans who dress up as fictional characters at conventions and sometimes act out the roles in skits.

DCU - Referring to the fictional universe and continuity of mainstream titles from DC Comics. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman all live and co-exist within the DCU. The comic series Preacher was published by DC Comics but takes place solely within its own continuity and the characters within do not acknowledge the presence of other DC characters nor do they operate within the same fictional universe. Hence, Preacher exist "outside the DCU." The same can be said of the DC maxi-series Watchmen and V for Vendetta.

Elseworlds - A DC comic in which familiar characters are placed into experimental situations for stories that take place outside of canon. For instance, the Elseworlds comic Justice Riders imagined a world where the Justice League of America existed in the American wild west. In the Elseworlds comic BATMAN: Gotham By Gaslight, Batman is alive during the late 19th century and has an encounter with Jack the Ripper. Before Elseworlds stories, DC reffered to such tales as "Imaginary Stories." Gotham by Gaslight is often referred to as the first Elseworlds story, but the first comic to actually have the Elseworlds label on it was BATMAN: Holy Terror.

Marvel Comics have employed similar devices in their What If...? stories. Unlike DC's Elseworlds, Marvel's What If...? stories usually involve the writer trying to imagine how the Marvel Universe would have logically unfolded if a specific event in the character's established continuity were changed. So rather than randomly re-imagining Spider-Man as a cowboy or a vampire, a What If ...? story would ask "what if the radioactive spider had bitten someone else?" or "What if Gwen Stacy hadn't died?"

Esper - A person possessing abilities often associated with ESP (extra-sensory perception). In Marvel Comics, the security force known as S.H.I.E.L.D. has an "Esper unit" composed of agents who are telepathic and/or prone to clairvoyant visions.

Earth-Prime -  In general, this phrase refers to the real world, the true non-fictional Earth where you and I exist, as opposed to the many fictional Earths that appear in comics, movies and literature.

This term originated in a Superman comic when he wound up on a parallel Earth that was similar to his own except that cities such as Metropolis and Gotham did not exist. What's more, on this world,  he and his contemporaries were all fictional characters whose adventures were chronicled in cartoons and monthly comics. He called this world "Earth-Prime." This inspired the creators of the TV series Sliders, who had the heroes of the show refer to the version of Earth they called home as Earth-Prime.

In the continuity of DC Comics, the particular planet that Superman called Earth-Prime did indeed gain super-humans in later years (such as Superboy-Prime) and was eventually destroyed. Outside of DC Comics though, this term is still used by some people to reference the real world.

Einstein-Rosen Bridge - In 1935, Albert Einstein and Nathan Rosen theorized that by combining the forces of a black hole and a white hole, one could create a tunnel that would act as a short-cut through space and time, a wormhole (see Wormhole entry below). It was later said in 1962 that such a wormhole would be unstable, but many writers still refer to wormholes as an Einstein-Rosen Bridge. The main character Quinn Mallory of the TV series Sliders used this term to refer to a portal he created that allowed him to travel to a parallel universe.

Empath - In many super-hero comics, a person described as an empath is someone with the super-human ability to sense the emotions of others. This is different from a telepath, who can read specific thoughts and information from the target's mind.

Fortress of Solitude - In DC Comics, this is the name of Superman's personal lair (usually depicted as located in the Arctic Circle) where he can retreat from the world and reflect. In pop culture and other sci-fi stories, characters will occasionally refer to their own home or a place of retreat as their "personal Fortress of Solitude." This is similar to when people in different stories sometimes refer to their home or base of operations as "my own Batcave." In pop culture, the Fortress has also been jokingly associated with Santa Claus on occasion, since he too is believed to live at the North Pole.

FTL - Used casually in conversation in various sci-fi stories, it stands for "faster than light." Thus, an FTL drive would be some form of hyperdrive or warp drive that allows a vehicle to travel through space at faster than light speeds.

Furry - This can refer to members of Furry fandom or a Furry life-styler. Furry fandom refers to folks who deeply enjoy anthropomorphic mamalian characters and sometimes make puppets ("plushies") or dress up in similarly themed-costumes for conventions, just for fun. Different from Furry fans are the Furry life-stylers, who are not nearly as numerous and are sometimes called "furverts" by Furry fans. Furry life-stylers deeply associate their identity with an anthropomorphic mamalian character they've created (a "fursona") and also focus on adult relations being expressed through that alter ego. Some Furry life-stylers do not consider themselves truly human, believing that the animal alter ego is their true nature.

In media such as the TV series CSI, the term "Furry" has been used to describe only Furry life-stylers. Although Furries tend to express a very open attitude towards relationships, the majority seem to feel that Furry life-stylers and portayals such as what occurred on CSI give the fandom a bad name.

The Golden Age - The early days of comics before the Comics Code Authority was created to act as a censorship group. Roughly 1938-1951. When there have been multiple characters using the same name, this term is sometimes used to specify the version that was in operation during this time period. For instance, Alan Scott is the Golden Age Green Lantern whereas the Silver Age version of the character was named Hal Jordan.

Hentai - Pornographic anime or manga (Japanese cartoons or comics). A lot of hentai seems to involve forced encounters or encounters between humans and demonic creatures.

Homo Superior - In Marvel Comics, this is another term for mutants (see the entry mutant further below). This term was also used to describe the advanced race of beings who starred in the TV show The Tomorrow People.

Hyperdrive - Different from warp drive (see entry below). Hyperdrive is an engine that allows a ship to travel through hyperspace (see entry below) so that it may reach a destination at faster than light speeds without suffering from time dilation (meaning, in a nutshell, that the faster your ship moves, the more slowly you age). In some sci-fi stories, hyperdrives bring a ship into hyperspace by directly teleporting there. In other stories, hyperdrives create wormholes into and out of hyperspace. In some sci-fi stories, a hyperdrive may be called a "sub-space drive" or a "slip drive." In the Star Trek universe, a device known as a "transwarp drive" is very similar in function to a hyperdrive.

Hyperspace - In many science fiction stories, it is said that since faster than light travel cannot be reached, one must instead travel through hyperspace, a sub-dimension where distances may be shorter than in normal space or where the laws of reality simply operate differently (allowing one to travel faster than light). If a someone has a ship with a "hyperdrive", then they are able to shifts their ship into hyperspace, travel to the equivalent destination, then re-enter normal space having now reached their goal at faster-than-light speed. In some sci-fi stories, this form of travel is nearly instantaneous and is akin to direct teleportation.

Hyperspace travel can be dangerous if one re-enters normal space and winds up too close to a star or other gravity body. Worse, the ship could re-enter normal space at a location where matter is already occupying the same space, causing destruction. Thus, hyperspace routes must be carefully mapped out.

Other names for hyperspace include "sub-space" and "slip-space." While in hyperspace, a ship cannot be perceived by people and things existing in normal space nor can they directly interact with each other. This is different from travel involving warp drive (see entry below).

Interlac - Originally, this was introduced in the comic adventures of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The idea was that since so many planets interacted with each other in the future, particularly those who were members of the United Planets, they needed a common language and so they made up interlac, which was taught as a second language in all the major schools on the various worlds. In later years, it was shown that this language also exists in the modern-day as a trade language between various worlds in the DC Universe. On occasion, DC Comics will feature characters speaking in interlac or signs written in interlac. If you want to translate them, check out this translation key on Wikipedia.

In the show Babylon 5, the characters used a trading language they called interlac which was essentially a mathematical code, thus making it easy for various races to translate.

Inerton - In the future of the DCU, believed to be the densest ore in the universe. The Legion of Super-Heroes use inerton to store dangerous items and the walls of their headquarters are lined with an inerton-manganium alloy, which can withstand Superman's strength.

Kirby Dots - An artistic device used in comic book drawings. Jack Kirby (one of the biggest comic book artists in history) did a lot of things that were innovative in how super-hero adventures were drawn. One thing he did was a new way of depicting the discharge of energy. Most artists drew lightning bolts or beams of light when they wanted to show a release or a building up of energy. Kirby instead would sometimes employ a nimbus of color that was filled with black dots.

This technique became known as using "Kirby dots" and many artists today still use it, particularly for instances when they wish to convey unearthly forces or energy fields that are not related to electricity.

Kryptonite -  In DC Comics, Kryptonite is a radioactive ore that was created by the destruction of the planet Krypton. This ore is immediately harmful to native Kryptonians and can kill them in several minutes if it's a large enough chunk. It's radiation signature is only harmful to humans and other organisms if the exposure is of a vast quantity or occurs over a prolonged period of time. Some humans and life forms, however, have been mutated by extreme exposure to Kryptonite. Natural Kryptonite is green, but there are other types that were created later by outside forces. You can read about those in my essay on Superman's Weaknesses.

Kryptonite is so widely known in pop culture that the word has also become a synonym for "weakness." For instance, a person who thrives on adventure might say "boredom is my Kryptonite."

LARPer - A LARPer is a Live-Action Role-Player, one who engages in a LARP. There are role-players who game while sitting around a table, each dictating and imagining what their character is doing during the course of the story. LARPers actually act it out, sometimes with props, sometimes in places that have been set-up to act as fictional locations. For instance, LARPers playing Vampire: The Masquerade may wear fangs and gothic make-up as they act out their adventures at night and LARPers playing Dungeons and Dragons may dress up as elves, rangers and warriors as they wander through an actual forest, imagining that it is filled with orcs, goblins, etc.

MagLev - Magnetic levitation, commonly used in stories that take place in the future. Hover cars that use maglev are able to hover and/or fly so long as they are above magnetic tracks or similarly treated roads. The seeming anti-gravity nature of the car is achieved by magnetic repulsion and not by actual flight. If a maglev car left the tracks and went out into an open field of grass, it would succumb to gravity and crash.

Manga - A Japanese style/genre of comic book very similar to anime.

Mecha - Originally a Japanese term, a "mecha" is a walking vehicle or a giant robot that cannot act on its own and has a human pilot inside it. Mecha are very popular in Japanese manga and anime, as well as Japanese influenced stories. Examples of mecha can be found in Robotech, Gundam, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Voltron and Power Rangers. The Imperial walkers seen in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi can be classified as mecha.

The heroes Iron Man and Steel are not mechas. They are humans wearing high-tech armor/exoskeleton. A mecha is something large enough to basically have a cockpit and may even have multiple operators within.

Meta-human - In the DC Comics Universe, this term refers to someone who received superhuman abilities due to outside factors (radiation, freak accident, genetic experimentation, etc.). In DC Comics, it is established that the outside factors are only catalysts which activate the previously dormant "meta-gine" that these particular humans were born with. If a normal human underwent the same process, they would not develop super-human traits. Meta-humans are different from human mutants, who are born with their powers and don't need an outside catalyst. For more details, see the Meta-human entry in DC Comics Teams, Races and Organizations.

Metamorph - Another term for a shape-shifter (see Shape-shifter entry below).

Mind-meld - Originally used in Star Trek. The alien race known as Vulcans could use telepathic traits and physical contact as a means of sharing experiences and memories with another person. Since then, the term has been used loosely in many sci-fi and comic stories to refer to a mental connection.

Mirror Universe - This usually refers to when characters find a universe where things are reversed or where good characters are evil and vice versa. It was popularized in the Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror" when Kirk and other member of his crew were transported to a parallel world where their counterparts were vicious killers.

One of the most memorable parts of the episode was that the Mirror Universe version of Spock had a beard that the normal version did not. Thus, it has become a staple of many science fiction stories to associate beards or goatees with evil twins. In an episode of South Park, the kids met counterparts from a parallel universe, most of whom were evil and all of whom had facial hair despite being pre-adolescents.

MMORPG - A regular RPG (see entry below) may involve a handful of players or so either gathered with each other in the same room or communicating directly via the internet. An MMORPG is a Massively Multi-player Online Role-Playing Game. Instead of just a few friends playing, the MMORPG is a computer game where dozens, hundreds, even thousands of players co-exist and can interact with each other. What's more, the fictional world can change and evolve while any one player is absent from the game. A famous MMORPG is World of Warcraft (WoW).

Multiverse - This refers to the whole of reality, composed not only of one universe but of many parallel universes existing side by side.

According to DC Comics, the multiverse consists of 52 parallel universes, all of which can be journeyed to through the Bleed (see the entry the Bleed above). In Marvel Comics, there are thousands of realities co-existing alongside each other and the mainstream Marvel Universe is designated Universe #616 by certain cosmic beings. In the universe of Doctor Who, there used to be several gaps and doorways that allowed some ships to travel (either intentionally or accidentally) from one parallel universe to another but all of these were apparently sealed off during the events of the Last Great Time War (see the Doctor Who Guide for further details).

Mutant - In general conversation, "mutant" can refer to anything that has been mutated, such as people who gain super-human abilities or turtles who are genetically altered to have human traits and intelligence. In comics, the word "mutant" almost always refers more specifically to a person who is born with superhuman abilities, as opposed to "meta-humans" and "post-humans" who required an outside stimulus to develop their powers. In DC Comics and Wildstorm comics, mutants usually acquire powers because a parent had super-human qualities or was an alien or was affected by some outside force.

In Marvel comics, "mutant" refers specifically to humans who are born with the "X-gene" (sometimes called the "X-factor"), a specific trait that causes them to manifest inhuman abilities or characteristics. Usually, these traits don't emerge until puberty. It is from this gene that the group the X-Men take their name. Aside from the X-gene, the only common factor mutants have in the Marvel Universe is that their brain-wave patterns are different from the rest of the human race. In Marvel, mutants are often referred to as homo sapiens superior (or simply "homo superior") as opposed to homo sapiens.

Para-human - What people in Marvel comics used to sometimes called "post-humans" and "super-humans." It was a shortened way of saying "paranomal human."

Positronic Brain - In Isaac Asimov's stories, his robots were brought to life by "positronic brains." He made up this idea of using positrons instead of electrons as a way to distringuish them from the common idea of electronic brains. Since then, many stories have referenced a positronic brain when discussing a robot with artificial intelligence.

The android character Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation was described as having a "positronic nueral net." What's more, in the episode "Datalore", it was said that his creator was directly inspired by Isaac Asimov's works.

Post-human - In the Marvel Comics Universe, this term refers to someone who received superhuman abilities from outside factors (radiation, freak accident, genetic experimentation, etc.). This is different from a mutant, who is born with the x-gene that naturally gives them powers. For more details on post-humans, see the entry on Marvel Comics Teams, Races and Organizations.

Post-Crisis - As a result of the story The Crisis On Infinite Earths, DC Comics altered and revised the histories and continuities of many characters. Post-Crisis refers to these alterations. For instance, pre-Crisis, Wonder Woman could only glide on air currents. Post-Crisis, Wonder Woman can fly under her own power.

Pre-Crisis - This usually refers to something in continuity for DC Comics that was altered following the events of The Crisis On Infinite Earths, when many histories were revised and rebooted. For instance: Pre-Crisis, both of Superman's adopted parents died before he moved to Metropolis. Post-Crisis continuity says that both of his adopted parents survived and are still alive to this day.

Promethium metal - Not to be confused with the real-world chemical promethium. In DC Comics, promethium metal was created by Steve Dayton AKA Mento. An alloy of vanadium and titanium, it is a nearly-indestructible substance. The Justice League Watchtower is lined with promethium walls and certain characters (such as Red Arrow and Deathstroke) use thin promethium lining or plates in their body armor. "Pure promethium" can be used as an energy source and "volatile promethium" is a substance that can trigger mutations in others.

In Marvel Comics, promethium is a magical ore found in other dimensions, such as the realm of the demon Belasco.

Psionic - Something that is created by and/or composed of mental energy. The mutant Psylocke (a former member of the X-Men) used her telepathy to create "psionic daggers" or "psi-blades" from her hands. These blades inflicted mental/psychosomatic pain but left no actual physical injury. Likewise, the Wildstorm hero Backlash could create "psi-whips" which could ensnare people or objects, as well as lengthen and move through the air according to his thoughts. By the same token, Backlash received intense mental pain ("psionic feedback") if the whip were cut.

Psionic energy is often portrayed by comic artist as glowing golden or pink energy. Psionic weapons are visible to the human eye. Likewise, some characters manifest visible energy when they use psionic powers. The mutant Cable has light form around his left eye when he uses telepathy and the character Jean Grey sometimes exhibted a glowing raptor aura around her body when she used intense amount of power. But when a character is using telekinesis or telepathy, it is usually understood that the representation of psionic energy is for the benefit of the reader only and that it is invisible to other characters in the same scene.

In the picture above and to the left, Jean Grey is lifting herselt into the air with telekinesis while also firing a telekinetic blast, using her hand to help focus the attack. But only we the readers can see the energies around her. Her enemies cannot.

Psychokinesis - The same as telekinesis, though this term is not used that often these days. See the entry Telekinesis below.

Pyrokinesis - The ability to control and direct fire through force of will. Some pyrokinetics can create fire by mentally igniting oxygen in front of them whereas others require an outside source of fire to previously exist. For instance, the Marvel Comics villain Pyro carried flame-throwers since he could control flame but not create it.

Retcon - Referring to "retroactive continuity." Soap opera fans are no doubt familiar with this concept. For instance, a story might be published that shows a character's death but then, years later, another writer shows you via flashback that they never actually died and invents a reason how/why you were fooled into thinking they were dead ("we thought they were dead but we never actually saw the body" or "it was actually a clone who died" or "they faked their death because of a conspiracy we didn't know about until now", etc.). This later writer has retroactively changed the continuity and consequences of the earlier story. He retconned the death away.

Along with explaining how certain dead characters are able to come back from the grave, retcons are also used to explain general continuity screw-ups between writers, such as when someone is portrayed very out-of-character in a story ("we didn't know it at the time, but he was under mind control" or "It wasn't really him, it was someone else who was pretending to be him").

In the TV series Torchwood, retcon is the name of a drug which is used to subtly alter the memories of whomever it is used on.

RPG - If you're in the military or reading a military-based comic such as G.I. JOE, this means "Rocket-Propelled Grenade." If you're talking to sci-fi and fantasy fans, this usually means "Role-Playing Game", in which the player (or players) takes on a fictional identity and tries to perform a quest (or multiple quests) within a fictional world. Unlike more straight-forwar games such as Super Mario Bros., these games often involve wandering and puzzle-solving skills, rather than a straight course from point A to objective B.

There are computer RPGs of course, but there are also personal RPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons where the game is played primarily in the imagination of the gathered players. Paper may be used to detail maps of an area or to keep track of character stats and inventory. Part of the game involves that players speak in character during game play (though out-of-character side comments can certainly happen).

In personal RPGs that don't involve a computer game, one person is designated as the Gamemaster or Dungeonmaster. The GM or DM then dictates what characters and obstacles the other players encounter and also regulates how they fare in combat, usually by rolling a variety of dice to determine the effectiveness of attacks, etc.

A related thing is the MMORPG (see entry above).

Shape-shifter - A person with the ability to alter their physical appearance. Some, like the character Mystique, can only assume the appearance of another humanoid form. Other characters, such as the alien Skrulls featured in Marvel Comics, are more versatile and can also assume the shape of a lamp, an animal, a chair, etc. Some shape-shifters are limited by mass and size.

The Silver Age - The era when super-heroes and costumed villains returned to comics in full-swing, following the appearance of Barry Allen as the second Flash in DC Comics. Roughly 1956 - 1970. When there have been multiple characters using the same name, this term is sometimes used to specify the version that was in operation during this time period. For instance, Alan Scott is the Golden Age Green Lantern whereas the Silver Age version of the character was named Hal Jordan.

The Source - In DC Comics, this refers to the underlying life energy of the universe itself. The New Gods often refer to the Source and claim that it is the unifying factor of all energy fields in the cosmos (see the New Gods entry in the DC Comics Races and Organizations).

Space Bridge - Seen in various series and stories, a space bridge is a man-made gateway or wormhole that allows one to travel from one point to another at faster than light speed (probably by means of shunting one through hyperspace). Another word can be "star gate."

Speedster - Referring to anyone who is gifted with the ability to run and/or move at super-human speeds. The Flash is sometimes referred to as the Scarlet Speedster.

Stargate - Seen in various series and stories, a stargate technically means any man-made gateway or wormhole that allows one to travel from one point to another at faster than light speed (probably by means of shunting one through hyperspace). Another word can be "space bridge."

Super-human - Any human being who has powers and abilities beyond normal limitations. Captain America's body is enhanced to the peak of human perfection, so he is human. Spider-Man can bench press a Honda, so he is super-human. The term is vague enough that it can include any power that a normal human doesn't possess. The Silver Surfer has been described as wielding "super-human abilities" even though he is not biologically a human being himself, having been born on another planet.

TARDIS - "Time and Relative Dimension In Space." This is the common name for the time travel capsules (or "TT capsules") used by the Time Lords in the universe of Doctor Who. Though there are many types and models of TARDISes, they all seem to be able to travel to any point in time and any planet in the universe and are all "dimensionally transcendental" (meaning the dimensions inside are larger than those outside).

TARDISes are usually also equipped with perception filters, which make people subconsciously not want to take notice of them, and Chameleon Circuits, which allow their exteriors to disguise and blend in with their surroundings (so if you land in a forest, it'll look like a tree and if you land in the Roman empire, it'll look like a column or a statue).

Teke or TK - Something based on or created by telekinesis (see entry below). A telekinetic force field can be called a "teke-shield" or a "TK-shield" and someone hit with telekinetic force can be described as having been struck by a "teke-blast" or a "TK-blast."

Telekinesis - In general, the ability to move and lift objects through force of will. A person who possesses telekinesis is called a telekinetic. In various comic books, there are heroes and villains who can use telekinesis to lift themselves off the ground, achieving flight, and/or who can create telekinetic force-fields to protec themselves from attack. Because this force-field is being created by mental energy, attacks directed against it are felt by the telekinetic as pain in his or her mind.

Some characters such as Jean Grey of the X-Men are subtle and skilled enough with their ability that they can telekinetically shift a person's stomach, causing them to vomit, without causing permanent injury to the person. Other characters cannot control the force of their telekinesis and so can only use it for destructive purposes such as knocking down the side of a building or blasting apart objects they focus on. In Superman comics, the character Matrix (known for a while as Supergirl) was able to become invisible by creating a telekinetic bubble around herself which bent light.

Telepath - A person with the gift of telepathy. This person can read the thoughts of another human being and can transmit their own to other human beings as well. Some characters are skilled or powerful enough in telepathy that they can read not only a person's surface thoughts but can scan their memories for specific information. Some telepaths are shown to be powerful enough as to hypnotize multiple targets, warping their perceptions, altering their memories or forcing them to act as slaves.

Teleportation - The act of being able to instantly travel from one place to another. There are several heroes and villains in comics who can teleport, either through a super-power of technology. Some do this by breaking their atoms down into energy and then transmitting that energy to another location at the speed of light, at which point the energy is converted back into solid matter. Some characters, such as Nightcrawler, teleport by shifting their bodies into a separate dimension, traveling through that other realm, and then returning to the normal Earthly plane almost instantaneously, now at a different location.

Trade - When a mini-series, collection of stories or a specific story arc from a comic book series is collected and republished as one large bound volume, it is referred to as a trade paperback. Catalogs often call it a TPB for short, whereas comic store employees and customers will often refer to these bound editions as a "trade" or "trade collection."

Transmat - A device that transports matter by converting the matter and information of the object or person into energy, transmitting it to another location and then reassembling it. In many science fiction stories, some transmat machines are akin to the transporter pads in Star Trek. In other stories, transmat machines can be hand-held devices which send you to programmed coordinates. In Doctor Who, some transmat beams leave a pile of ionized dust behind where the target had once stood.

Tuckerize - When a person's name is used for a fictional character, he or she has been "tuckerized." My friend David Mack tuckerized me by naming a character after me in his trilogy of novels Star Trek: Destiny. Read those books and you will find a character called Security Agent Alan Kistler.

Ultimate Marvel - The group of comics that operate under the Ultimate Marvel title all take place in a universe and continuity separate from the mainstream Marvel Comics. Because they are not mainstream books, writers of Ultimate Marvel maintain that they are allowed to take more risks with their versions of the characters and are able to do more adult-themed stories.

There are several differences between the two universes. For instance, in the mainstream Marvel Universe, mutants have been around since the dawn of humanity and are the result of alien interference with the human race. In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, mutants began appearing in the last days of World War II and are the results of human genetic experimentation. Mainstream Marvel's version of Captain America is a pacifist at heart and has a body enhanced to the peak of human perfection. Ultimate Marvel's Captain America has a harsh moral code and enough super-human strength to smash a car with his fist. Mainstream Marvel's Nick Fury is a Caucasian man with graying temples who has never attained a rank higher than colonel. Ultimate Nick Fury is a general with a shaved head and has an appearance based on actor Samuel L. Jackson (done so with the actor's permission). And so on ...

Vibranium - A fictional metal ore existing in the Marvel Comics universe. Vibranium is mined in Wakanda (a fictional African nation) and has the unique property of being able to absorb kinetic energy and vibration. It has been shown that while a fingernail can tear through a paper-thin sheet of vibranium, this same sheet could stop a bullet by absorbing its momentum at the moment of impact. "Antarctic vibranium" is a variation which destroys all other metals it comes into contact with (including adamantium) and which can often spread itself across certain distances.

As king of Wakanda, the hero T'Challa AKA The Black Panther often uses vibranium weapons.

Warp Drive - Most often used in the Star Trek universe, warp drive refers to the engines of a ship that are capable of faster-than-light travel. The big difference between warp drive and a hyperdrive is that warp drive does not involve sending the ship into hyper-space. Instead, it warps gravity around the ship in order to propel it at faster than light speeds. The warp drive engines are also referred to as "anit-matter engines", since they work by processing the enormous power released when anti-matter and matter collide.

Since it is a scientific fact that gravity affects one's experience of time, the gravity warp bubble around the ship is also stabilized in such a way as to prevent time dilation, which is the phenomenon of living things aging more slowly the faster they approach the speed of light. Also, since warp drive ships do not travel through hyperspace and still exist within normal space, they can interact with other objects and parties during travel.

Warp 1 is the speed of light, Warp 2 is a little over 10 times the speed of light, Warp 3 is a little over 50 times, and so on, though Star Trek writers aren't always consistent with how fast their ships are supposed to be (for the scientific scale used, I suggest looking at wikipedia). In the TV series, it was later revealed that some races possessed "transwarp drive", which is similar to a hyperdrive in that it creates a worm-hole to travel across vast distances of space almost instantaneously.

Watchers - A term used in various sci-fi and fantasy stories. In angelic mythology, the term "Watchers" describes the choir of angels known as Grigori, who are tasked to record the acts of humans in preparation for their final judgment. In the universe of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Watchers are an organization of men and women who investigate and record the nature and activities of demons and other supernatural threats. They also seek out Slayers (women literally born to fight supernatural evil) and train them both physically and mentally.

In the universe of the Highlander TV series, the Watchers were an organization of men and women who recorded the activities of immortals living on Earth and their battles but were sworn never to reveal their presence.

In the Marvel Comics Universe, the Watchers are a race of humanoid giants (often with disproportionately large heads) who are nearly immortal and possess great cosmic power. Long ago, they made a vow to watch and record the inhabitants and events of the universe, never directly interfering. Earth's Watcher is named Uatu, who lives in a lair on the Blue Area of Earth's Moon. In the past, Uatu has occasionally broken his vow to help protect humanity, giving warnings to the people of Earth or allowing its heroes access to information they would not otherwise have. He also occasionally makes his presence known when he wishes people to know that events of great importance and dire consequences are about to happen.

Wormhole - There is a scientific idea that there may exist "wormholes" which act as short-cuts through space and time, essentially allowing someone to travel from one point in the universe to the next faster than the speed of light takes to travel their by conventional means. This is also called an Einstein-Rosen Bridge (see entry above). Alternatively, a wormhole may provide access to a different universe all together. Depending on the math you use to explain it, a wormhole that connects two points in space in the same universe can be called Lorentzian or Euclidean. A wormhole that allows access between parallel universes is classified as a Schwarzchild wormhole.

In science fiction stories, wormholes are often used to transport characters to different parts of the universe and are sometimes artificually created by starships. They are sometimes also used to connect two different points in time, allowing for time travel, or to allow characters to journey into parallel realities where they can encounter alternate versions of familiar people. In the TV series Doctor Who, wormholes used specifically for time travel are called "time corridors" or "time tunnels."

Yaoi - Pronounced "yow-ee." This refers to manga or anime focusing on male/male relationship stories, often times focusing more on love scenes rather than characterization or complex plots. Sometimes it parodies characters from previously existing works. It is seen as guilty pleasure entertainment and is largely written by and for females.