What prominent figure am I?

Question

My namesakes are plentiful,
though some antiquated:
A company defunct
and a system outdated.

One unavoidable
an honor shared by few
just give it some time
it will come into view.

Two bearing my name
and both are titanic:
an explosive endeavor
and the second, enigmatic.

My habits inspired
a nightmarish work.
The last one was spared
and well known to perk.

What I bring is a gift,
feared and embraced.
Do you know my name
from these clues I have placed?

Clarifications (if needed):

The accepted answer will explain each stanza.
The things bearing the answer's name are:
+ a company defunct
+ a system outdated
+ a namesake unavoidable
+ an explosive endeavor
+ a namesake enigmatic
This prominent figure is also known for a grisly habit, which inspired a nightmarish work.
Lastly, this prominent figure is known to bring a gift which is feared by some and embraced by others.
One word in the riddle has been italicized. It's importance is two-fold, as it hints at both the "namesake unavoidable" and the prominent figure itself.

Answer 1

Is it...

Saturn?

My namesakes are plentiful,
though some antiquated:
A company defunct

Saturn Corporation

and a system outdated.

Sega Saturn

One unavoidable
an honor shared by few
just give it some time
it will come into view.

Saturday is named after Saturn, and comes unavoidably once a week. (thanks @Going hamateur and @DaveBlackston) "Time" is italicized because Saturn was often identified with Chronus, the god of time.

Two bearing my name
and both are titanic:

"Titanic" is a reference to Saturn being a mythological Titan.

an explosive endeavor

Saturn rockets

and the second, enigmatic.

The planet Saturn, which has some mysterious features such as its hexagon.

My habits inspired
a nightmarish work.
The last one was spared
and well known to perk.

Saturn was known for eating his children, but the last one, Jupiter (Zeus), was spared. This habit inspired a painting by Goya, as well as one of the same name by Rubens. Jupiter is associated with "perk", e.g. "jovial".

What I bring is a gift,
feared and embraced.

In Holst's The Planets, Saturn is the Bringer of Old Age. (Thanks @DaveBlackston)

Do you know my name
from these clues I have placed?

Answer 2

This is intended to be a comment to the correct answer, but I lack the reputation to comment.

For the unavoidable honor...

Saturn is one of seven gods in the union of all pantheons who has a day of the week named after him. The passage of time is unavoidable -- there's always another Saturday coming up. In addition, it can be argued that Saturn got the best of the honors, as I am sure it would receive the most votes in a 'best day of the week poll'.

And for the gift...

In Holst's The Planets, Jupiter is the bringer of jollity, and Saturn the bringer of old age. The former is what is referenced in the poem by 'perk', and the latter the gift that is both embraced and feared.

In an amusing coincidence, I came across the following book, The Gift of Saturn: Creativity and Psychopathology, and it could certainly be argued that creativity is embraced and psychopathology feared.

I think this completes the riddle. Maybe I get some points so that I can comment in the future. ;-)

Edit: Why did the spoiler markup work for the first block but not the second and third?

Edit: Got the name of the book wrong...

Answer 3

I'm going to go ahead and guess

Elizabethan English

My namesakes are plentiful,
though some antiquated:
A company defunct
and a system outdated.

Elizabethan English, or Early Modern English, has many abbreviations (EModE,EMnE or ENE). Elizabethan English is one of the oldest records of early English that exists. Nobody uses/speaks in Elizabethan English nowadays except in poems and prose.

One unavoidable
an honor shared by few
just give it some time
it will come into view.

Elizabethan (root word Elizabeth) is the name of two English queens of England (I and II).

Two bearing my name
and both are titanic:
an explosive endeavor
and the second, enigmatic.

Elizabeth and English.
Upon reading some history, Elizabeth I was known to be a long serving Queen and provided a lot to England such as the church.
English is a very strange language, mostly built upon ideas and words taken from other languages. It has a strange grammar structure as well, with inconsistencies and counterintuition for beginners learning English.

My habits inspired
a nightmarish work.
The last one was spared
and well known to perk.

Shakespearean plays contained Elizabethan English and took several months (possibly years) to write and develop plays. Shakespearean plays are now well known and studied throughout high schools and future studies due to their historical significance.

What I bring is a gift,
feared and embraced.
Do you know my name
from these clues I have placed?

Both feared by high school children and embraced by linguistics for it's artful grace, I believe the answer is Elizabethan English.

Answer 4

After looking at your profile picture, I think you might be:

Heroes of Might and Magic, (The video game series)

My namesakes are plentiful,
though some antiquated:

The Heroes of Might and Magic series has had many game releases with the same name starting in each each title. The original was released in the 1990's which could be considered an antiquity for a video game. (Currently it is at Heroes of Might and Magic VII?, [some of the priors also had multiple expansions])

A company defunct
and a system outdated.

This game has been made by many companies (which could be considered dysfunction and closed/bankrupt now) such as New World Computing [1995-1996], The 3DO Company (1996-2003) and Ubisoft Entertainment (2003-). The most recent versions of the game also still use the same turn-based game play as the original which for the span of almost 20 years could be considered outdated.

One unavoidable
an honor shared by few

The title of the series "Heroes of Might and Magic" has become unavoidable when it come to the title for each game. As well, to be titled as a 'hero of might and magic' would be quite an honor. (Only the few victorious players could be granted such a title)

just give it some time
it will come into view.

There is only one side/team that can win at the end of the game, as the game progresses, certain players will succumb to the strength of their enemies until all are vanquished, and only one civilization remains!

Two bearing my name
and both are titanic:

In reference to the two parts 'Might' and 'Magic' are two different and powerful traits of battle.

an explosive endeavor

a reference to 'Might' which can be defined as - a great and impressive power or strength, especially of a nation, large organization, or natural force.

and the second, enigmatic.

A reference to 'magic' where it is mysterious.

My habits inspired
a nightmarish work.

By playing the game you are forced to fight and defeat your friends if you wish to win; a nightmarish work indeed.

The last one was spared
and well known to perk.

Maybe in the newest game, they added a new perk (Possible race or spells - I've been out of the loop..)

What I bring is a gift,
feared and embraced.

You can bring entertainment which is often embraced by the players, and feared by the outside world. ("Anonymous, stop playing that darn game and go outside and play")

This could also be referencing to the control and domination of your faction. You would be feared by your enemies and embraced by your own army/allies.

Do you know my name
from these clues I have placed?

The Heroes of Might and Magic series

Bonus:

Your profile picture is of [inside the town] Rampart (a town/team) from Heroes of Might and Magic III.

P.S Thanks for all the nostalgia..

Answer 5

As a new user, I am unfortunately unable to comment, but here is my best guess:

Everest (or some other mountain/volcano)

Surely you know this prominent figure!

Prominence is a property of mountains. Everest is the most prominent mountain in the world.

My namesakes are plentiful, though some antiquated: A company defunct and a system outdated.

Everest the mountain has many names, and many things are named after it. I learned, for instance, that Everest Colleges are part of a soon-to-be-closed system of for-profit colleges operated by Corinthian.

One unavoidable an honor shared by few

Few people have climbed Everest. Doing so is typically considered an honorable accomplishment.

Two bearing my name and both are titanic: an explosive endeavor and the second, enigmatic.

Admittedly, I'm not sure how this one relates specifically to Everest.

My habits inspired a nightmarish work. The last one was spared and well known to perk.

Everest has claimed the lives of numerous people (especially in 1996, 2014, and 2015). Some of these so-called "Everest disasters" have been chronicled in novels, documentaries, etc.

What I bring is a gift, feared and embraced.

Everest brings a certain type of thrill—of cold, heights, and wilderness—that is dangerous but nevertheless enticing to generation after generation.

Comments:

I'm not very confident that Everest is the correct answer (my second guess would be Denali/McKinley), but I have a hunch that "prominent figure" has to do with something inanimate.