Spider-Mans or Spider-Men?

[Mushet]

This will be a pretty silly thread, but that hasn't stopped me before.

A few days ago I had an argument with a couple of family members over semantics. We were talking about Spider-Man in different universes and I said the word "Spider-Mans", and either my cousin or my brother said it's "Spider-Men", and I said that Spider-Man is a proper noun so you put an S at the end, so we a lighthearted argument about it, but it makes me wonder.

What is the proper way to say the plural of Spider-Man? What do the official rules of grammar say if anything? Does anybody give a shit what the proper rules of grammar say? How many petty arguments have you had this week?

What say ye NSG?

[New haven america]

Spider-Men.

They've even had comics with titles like that.

[Kowani]

Spider-Men, Batmen, Supermen.
Man is a common noun, so it overrides Spider-Man as a proper one.

There’s precedent for that last one, too: http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Reign_of_the_Supermen

[Valentine Z]

Spider-Mens.

I want to make both sides happy.

[Infected Mushroom]

Spider Persons

[Petrasylvania]

They had a comic book series about that. Even included Japanese Power Ranger Spider Man with his bigass Spiderzord.

[Vellaris]

Who’s Spider-Mans is this!?

[Astoriya]

Spider-Men

[Stormwrath]

Arachnid Primates.

[Bombadil]

Spidey-Pigs.

[Infected Mushroom]

I am offended at the lack of gender awareness on this thread

Peter Parker may be a clear cut male except in parodies... but in at least one multiverse there should be a female Parker. Petra Parker or Patricia Parker etc...

There’s nothing in the job description of a web slinging crime fighter in red and blue tights with massive plot armor that has to be done by a man.

[Valehart]

Spider-folk.
Distant Tumblr screeches

[Bombadil]

I am offended at the lack of gender awareness on this thread

Peter Parker may be a clear cut male except in parodies... but in at least one multiverse there should be a female Parker. Petra Parker or Patricia Parker etc...

There’s nothing in the job description of a web slinging crime fighter in red and blue tights with massive plot armor that has to be done by a man.

You mean Mayday Parker?

[Kannap]

On one hand, I remember the welcome poster made by the upperclassmen that hung in the freshman academy at my high school for weeks read "Welcome freshmans."

On the other foot, I make a point of never referring to more than one Spider-Man at a time, so I specifically only ever refer to Spider-Man in the singular.

[Petrasylvania]

I am offended at the lack of gender awareness on this thread

Peter Parker may be a clear cut male except in parodies... but in at least one multiverse there should be a female Parker. Petra Parker or Patricia Parker etc...

There’s nothing in the job description of a web slinging crime fighter in red and blue tights with massive plot armor that has to be done by a man.

Gwen Stacy.

[Las Palmeras]

SPIDER-MEN because its plural. Everyone is Spider-man.

[Western Vale Confederacy]

Spider-[INSERT PREFERRED CHOICE OF GENDER HERE]

[Kannap]

I am offended at the lack of gender awareness on this thread

Peter Parker may be a clear cut male except in parodies... but in at least one multiverse there should be a female Parker. Petra Parker or Patricia Parker etc...

There’s nothing in the job description of a web slinging crime fighter in red and blue tights with massive plot armor that has to be done by a man.

Sure, nothing in the job description that specifies he has to be a man, but as long as Peter Parker and Miles Morales and Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland and Toby McGuire are all men, then they're all a variation of Spider-Man.

[Kannap]

I am offended at the lack of gender awareness on this thread

Peter Parker may be a clear cut male except in parodies... but in at least one multiverse there should be a female Parker. Petra Parker or Patricia Parker etc...

There’s nothing in the job description of a web slinging crime fighter in red and blue tights with massive plot armor that has to be done by a man.

Gwen Stacy.

If we're going by that example, then we have many different men portraying different versions of Spider-Man, and a kindhearted Spider-Gwen.

[Petrasylvania]

Gwen Stacy.

If we're going by that example, then we have many different men portraying different versions of Spider-Man, and a kindhearted Spider-Gwen.

And a Japanese guy turned into Power Ranger Spider Man by aliens and given his own Spiderzord.

[Vassenor]

They had a comic book series about that. Even included Japanese Power Ranger Spider Man with his bigass Spiderzord.

Which IIRC used "Spiders" as the collective noun given that a fair chunk of them were women and some weren't actually human.

[Alvecia]

Gwen Stacy.

If we're going by that example, then we have many different men portraying different versions of Spider-Man, and a kindhearted Spider-Gwen.

Peni Parker

[Page]

If two or more individuals with distinct identities are acting in the role of Spiderman, then it's Spidermen. Say Peter Parker is Spiderman but he ceases to exist due to the actions of a man who likes China's one child policy and collecting minerals like Hank does in Breaking Bad, and then Tony Stark to cope with the grief of losing him decides to put on Peter's Spiderman suit and go fight crime, then Peter Parker and Tony Stark are Spidermen.

If we're talking about different iterations of the same individual, Peter Parker, then it's Spidermans. There is a Peter Parker in our universe, there is a Peter Parker in the universe where Al Gore became President in 2000, and there is a Peter Parker in a world that is identical to our own except shrimp doesn't exist, every iteration gets bit by a radioactive spider, gains superpowers, and fights crime, they are collectively Spidermans. Men doesn't work here because there is only one man - Peter Parker.

[Grenartia]

Its clearly Spodermens.

[The New California Republic]

Spider-folk.

Ja! Das Spinnenvolk!



*Starts goose stepping around with eight legs*