VS 2008 Turn String Into Name?

i'm working on a game where when your character (in a picture box) collides with anthother charachter (also in a picturebox), the character disappears. i want the computer to generate characters as you play. I'm trying to figure out how the computer will know if the player character has collided with a computer generated character. as the computer generates characters it puts their names in a list box. what i'm not sure how to do is pull the names out of the list box and have the computer check the location property of the picture box with the name that corresponds.