You’d think the son of Reed Richards and Sue Storm would have a flashy codename by now. I mean, his dad is Mr. Fantastic. His uncle is the Human Torch. Even the family’s rock-skinned best friend goes by The Thing. But if you’re looking for the definitive Franklin Richards superhero name, you’ll find that the kid has spent most of his fifty-year comic book history just being... Franklin.
It’s kinda weird, right? We’re talking about a character who has literally created pocket universes under his bedsheets. He’s a reality-warper so potent that even the Celestials—the space gods of the Marvel Universe—keep a nervous eye on him. Yet, while Peter Parker is Spider-Man and Steve Rogers is Captain America, Franklin Benjamin Richards usually just sticks to his birth name.
There have been attempts to give him a title. Some were cool, some were honestly a bit embarrassing, and one was basically a placeholder while he hung out with a team of pre-teen powerhouses.
The Name He Actually Uses: Powerhouse
If you had to pick one "official" superhero name for him today, it would be Powerhouse.
This wasn't a name he chose because it sounded "extreme" in a 90s way. It actually started as a nickname during his time with the Power Pack. While he was hanging out with the Power siblings, he needed a way to fit in. Since his powers were—and I’m understating this—absolutely absurd, "Powerhouse" stuck.
In the more recent Dan Slott run of Fantastic Four, Franklin officially adopted Powerhouse as his codename. He even got a sleek new suit to match. It fits him. It’s simple, it’s punchy, and it acknowledges that he is, quite literally, a cosmic battery. But here’s the kicker: even when he’s wearing the costume, most of the Marvel Universe still just calls him Franklin. When you’re that powerful, you don’t really need a brand.
That Time He Was Called Tattletale
Yeah. This happened.
Back in the mid-80s, when Franklin was a core member of the Power Pack, he went by the name Tattletale.
I know. It’s not exactly "The Silver Surfer."
The logic was actually tied to his powers at the time. He wasn't yet the multiverse-shaping deity we know today; he was mostly experiencing precognitive dreams. He would "tattle" on the future, giving the team a heads-up on whatever disaster was coming their way. It was a cute, kid-friendly name for a team of children, but it didn't exactly scream "Omega Level Threat." Thankfully, Marvel let that one slide into the history books once he grew a bit older.
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The "Psi-Lord" Era and the 90s Grittiness
If you were reading comics in the 90s, you know everything had to be "extreme."
During a wild storyline where Franklin was kidnapped by his grandfather (Nathaniel Richards) and taken to the future to be trained as a warrior, he returned as a teenager named Psi-Lord.
He had the classic 90s aesthetic:
- Long hair.
- Heavy armor.
- A much more aggressive attitude.
- A focus on psionic blasts rather than pure reality warping.
Psi-Lord was Marvel's attempt to make Franklin a traditional action hero. It didn't last. Eventually, reality was reset (as it often is in comics), and Franklin was reverted to a child. While some fans still have a soft spot for the Psi-Lord look, it’s generally treated as a "What If" style diversion rather than the core identity of the character.
Other Aliases You Might See in the Long Boxes
Because Franklin has lived through dozens of writers and several universe-ending events, he’s picked up a few other labels along the way.
- Avatar: This wasn't so much a superhero name as a state of being. When Franklin first started aging himself up to handle his massive power, he was often referred to as the Avatar of his own potential.
- The Maker (Briefly): Not to be confused with the evil Reed Richards from the Ultimate Universe. There was a period where Franklin was referred to as a "Universal Shaper" or "The Maker of Worlds" after he and Molecule Man started rebuilding the Multiverse following the 2015 Secret Wars.
- Ego-Spawn: We don't talk about Ego-Spawn much. It was a manifestation of his subconscious during a particularly dark period where his powers were spiraling out of control. It’s more of a monster-of-the-week name than a hero title.
Why He Doesn’t Really Need a Name
The real reason the Franklin Richards superhero name is so elusive is that his identity is tied to his family, not his "job."
The Fantastic Four aren't like the Avengers. They aren't a military unit or a sanctioned strike force; they’re a family of explorers. Franklin’s journey has always been about a kid trying to grow up normally while possessing the power of a god. Giving him a codename like "Galaxy Boy" or "Reality King" would almost make him feel like a tool or a weapon.
Keeping him as "Franklin" keeps him human. It reminds the reader that despite being able to summon Galactus as his personal bodyguard (which he has done), he’s still just a boy who wants his parents' approval and a place to belong.
What’s Next for Franklin in the MCU?
With Fantastic Four: First Steps on the horizon in 2025/2026, everyone is wondering if we’ll see Franklin on the big screen. If he does show up, expect the movies to keep it simple. They'll likely focus on him as the "son of the Fantastic Four" rather than slapping a codename on him right away.
If they do go with a name, Powerhouse is the safest bet. It’s modern, it’s easy for audiences to grasp, and it avoids the "Tattletale" silliness of the past.
Your Next Steps in the Fantastic Four Lore
If you want to see Franklin at his most "superheroic," track down the Power Pack issues from the 80s for the Tattletale era, or dive into the Jonathan Hickman run of Fantastic Four. Hickman’s work is where you’ll see the older, future version of Franklin Richards—the one who doesn't need a name because his mere presence is enough to make the strongest beings in the universe bow down.
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Check your local comic shop for Fantastic Four #604 to see the ultimate payoff of Franklin's journey. It’s a masterclass in how to write a character who is too big for a codename.