Watch CBS News

6 Athletes With Awesome Superhero Nicknames

By Daniel Friedman
» More Columns

Noah Syndergaard made his major league debut Tuesday night and, if you don't already know by now, his nickname is "Thor."

He's not the only one in sports (or even on the Mets, for that matter) to be referred to by a superhero moniker.

Here are six, including Syndergaard, who have this distinction:

Noah Syndergaard – "Thor"

He has long, blonde hair, a scorching fastball and yes, he wields that mythological hammer (curve).

Dwight Howard – "Superman"

Wore a cape at the slam-dunk contest, which was all it took. Pretty weak credentials, if you ask me.

Matt Harvey – "The Dark Knight"

Sports Illustrated was the first to assign the moniker to Harvey, and it's resonated ever since.

Tomas Fleischmann – "Flash"

Dwyane Wade has specifically asked not to be referred to as "Flash" anymore, so I'm giving the nod to Fleischmann. I got your back, Fla -- I mean, D-Wade.

Tony Hawk – "Birdman"

Tony-Hawk
Tony Hawk flips in the air as he rides on the half pipe in the Skateboard Competition during the 1998 X Games on June 24, 1998 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Getty Images)

No disrespect to Chris Andersen, but there's only one true Birdman, and it's Tony Hawk. I mean, his last name is a type of bird. Plus, have you seen him on a skateboard? He can absolutely fly.

David Backes – "Captain America"

He's the captain of the St. Louis Blues and is American. Simple enough, right? David Wright has also been dubbed Captain America in the past, but it hasn't quite stuck.

Honorable mentions:


Calvin Johnson – "Megatron"

Megatron is actually a bad guy from Transformers, but it's a machine, so we won't fault it for being programmed to be evil. As for Johnson, the only ones who consider him a villain are the cornerbacks he rips to shreds on Sundays.

Justin "Abdelkader"

Okay, this isn't an actual superhero. But it sounds like one. Don't tell me you've never thought about it.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.