Captain Jack Harkness

[kerravonsen]

What is his real name? I'm fairly sure that canon doesn't actually tell us. When we first meet him, he introduces himself as "Captain Jack Harkness", but it's no surprise when we find out later (in Torchwood) that it is an assumed name. Thing is, he's never used any other name.

But for fic, I need to know (or make up) his "real" name. Any ideas? Something plausible, not silly.

Comments

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Amos Shirrick.

Okay, I have no idea.

[the-magician.livejournal.com]

Arnold Rimmer ... :-) a.k.a. Arnold "Ace" Judas Rimmer

He's from the future, Earth's future I'm assuming, so I'm going to guess his parent's named him after some famous historical figure which is what got him into the Time Police (whatever they are called) originally ...

... so pick the name of a famous person and add a slightly incongruous last name, possibly from a different culture ...

e.g. Jules Verne Cohen, Anthony Blair Wu, Winston C. Smith, Isambard K. Bonham etc.

Very random fly by greetings

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

Sorry I can be of absolutely no help to you on subject of Jack's name except to suggest you use something with the same initials for his 'real name' like he does himself when he uses James Harper at the dance.

Actually I was browsing through the archives dw_stillness when I recognised your icon from tardis_icons days (Oddly I was just thinking about the blaster image you used in it the other day and bemoaning the general lack of high quality Torchwood gadget stills) so I dropped in to say Hi.

Hope that doesn't freak you out too much...

Re: Very random fly by greetings

[kerravonsen]

(waves back)

[kerravonsen]

Hmmm, that sounds like a very good idea! (ponders)

Re: Very random fly by greetings

[kerravonsen]

use something with the same initials for his 'real name' like he does himself when he uses James Harper at the dance.

That is also a good point. Hmmmm. If I combine the two ideas, that means a historical figure whose name starts with J, and a non-matching surname that starts with H. (ponders)

Re: Very random fly by greetings

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

John Hall would be a good choice. :)

Re: Very random fly by greetings

[kerravonsen]

(grin)

You plan on becoming a famous historical figure, do you?

Re: Very random fly by greetings

[jhall1.livejournal.com]

:)

You said thst the first name should belong to a historical figure, and I can offer King John for starters (though admittedly he wasn't a very admirable one).

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

I tend when making up 'future' names to start with obsolete versions of current surnames (e g Pretteiohan, Raike, Strangweys) and adapt them a little. I find them more 'solid' as plausible derivatives from present ones...

And there's no reason why his first name couldn't be a variant of Jack/John - the latter's survived a couple of millenia including Dark Ages already :)