I collect fictional character rookie cards and I love it. We should definitely call them rookie cards, because the term has taken a life of its own independent of being a rookie in a sport. Sometimes it's difficult figuring out what card is really the rookie card. Is it enough that they appear on the card, or do they need to be the main subject of the card?
What is Godzilla's rookie card? Is it one of these from the 1965 Donruss King Kong set?
Is it this 1994 Trendmasters that came in an action figure package?
1995 Amada Godzilla was the first pack-pulled set dedicated to Goji. Is card #1 the rookie card?
Or is it #34 because it's the first one that says "Godzilla" on the front?
Is there room for XRCs in non-sports cards? If PSA won't grade it can it count as a rookie card? These are the questions that keep me up at night.