Line #79 Main/TheAdjectivalMan


1	%% Quote selected per General Page Quote Discussion thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1327331003042025100&page=235#comment-5853
2
3	->''The Thistle man, from the gas station a couple months ago. Yellow baseball hat, yellow fingernails, skin that didn’t fit right, that stretched in grotesque ways over a skeleton that didn’t seem human, sharp teeth – not sharp enough to be fangs, but not not fangs – eyes that were yellow and pink right to the dark center of them. Polo shirt, dirty, just the word “Thistle” on the right breast.''
4	-->-- ''Podcast/AliceIsntDead'': Part 1, Chapter 3: Nothing to See
5
6	So, you've got a mysterious and strange character that needs a name... Oh, it's a male? No worries, then. Just slap an adjective in front the word "man", place a "the" in front of it all, and bravo! You have a name!
7
8	For some reason, these characters tend to almost always be villains with a [[HiddenAgendaVillain hidden agenda]], and, as can be inferred by the name of the trope, almost AlwaysMale (though some cases might be better described as "[[HumanoidAbomination male-ish]]"). There's something about the phrase "the _____ man" that just seems to appeal to people. Perhaps it's the right degree of [[UncannyValley familiarity mixed with strangeness]]? Or perhaps it brings up images of strange people we see often but don't know the names of? The implication that it's anything other than a normal man? Or perhaps [[EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory it's all just a great big coincidence]]? No matter the reason, there's just something primal about this wording.
9
10	Different from SomethingPerson in that characters following this particular naming convention aren't superheroes, also there's the "the" in front of the name. Also different from TheAdjectivalSuperhero, where the "the" and adjective are an optional addendum to the name. This trope is surprisingly prominent in SciFi and {{Horror}} stories, which may explain why most examples tend to be supernatural and/or antagonistic.
11
12	Compare EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep, MisterDescriptor, PersonWithTheClothing. Compare NamesToRunAwayFrom/TheAdjectiveOne.
13	----
14	!!Examples:
15
16	[[foldercontrol]]
17
18	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
19	* The Laughing Man from ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex''. He was inspired by The Fox-Eyed Man from the real-life [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glico_Morinaga_case Glico-Morinaga case.]]
20	* The Unknown Man from ''Manga/ElfenLied''.
21	* Parodied in ''Anime/ExcelSaga'', with That Man, who is consequently the main villain. In the last episode, we get several clones of That Man, including That Man Over There.
22	* In ''Manga/JojosBizarreAdventureJojolion'', The Milagro Man (homonym for Miracle Man) which is Zaihei's Stand of the same name.
23	[[/folder]]
24
25	[[folder:Comic Books]]
26	* The Gray Man from ''ComicBook/FallOfCthulhu''.
27	* There was also a recurring ''Comicbook/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica'' villain named The Gray Man, during the Giffen/[=DeMatteis=] run on the book.
28	* Lobo likes to [[ThirdPersonPerson call himself]] the Main Man.
29	* In some stories, Franchise/{{Batman}} is referred to by people as The Batman, mostly to emphasive how scary they find him.
30	* The Purple Man is a villain from Creator/MarvelComics.
31	* ''ComicBook/NthManTheUltimateNinja'': John Doe's code name is The Nth Man.
32	* ''ComicBook/YTheLastMan''
33	* Crusher Creel, aka The Absorbing Man, sometimes enemy of Comicbook/TheIncredibleHulk and Thor.
34	* Parodied in ''Comicbook/ThePro'' with The Grammatical Team of Grimness, a villain team consisting of The Noun, The Adjective, The Adverb and The Verb.
35	* Drom the Backwards Man is a villain with MerlinSickness who once fought Spider-Man and Iron Fist.
36	* From ''Comicbook/AstroCity'':
37	** The Hanged Man is a HorrifyingHero against supernatural threats.
38	** The Point Man is a {{Jerkass}} '90s hero.
39	** The Steel-Jacketed Man, who later shortened his name to Steeljack.
40	** The Broken Man is a FourthWallObserver.
41	** The Green Man is a ComicBook/SwampThing {{Expy}}.
42	* The Infinite Man, occasional ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperheroes'' villain.
43	* ''ComicBook/HackSlash'' has occasional villain the Mosaic Man, so named because of his [[FacialHorror extensive facial self-mutilation]].
44	* After his [[BrainUploading brain was uploaded]] into an indestructible robot body, ''ComicBook/BlueBeetle'' villain Conrad Carapax frequently referred to himself as 'Carapax, The Indestructible Man'.
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Fan Works]]
48	* As a written format lacks visuals, Purple Guy from the ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' series is referred to as the Smiling Man in the AlternateUniverseFic, ''Fanfic/SomethingAlwaysRemains''.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
52	* The Tin Man from ''Film/TheWizardOfOz'', a rare non-villainous example (still transhuman, though).
53	* The Pale Man from ''Film/PansLabyrinth''
54	* ''Film/TheThinMan''. Although the title character wasn't as ominous as this trope usually suggests; he was just a skinny old man who mysteriously disappeared [[spoiler:because he was murdered]].
55	** The sequels kept the name, but did not involve any particularly skinny characters.
56	* ''Film/TheFourthMan''
57	* ''Film/FunnyMan''.
58	* The Tall Man, the BigBad of the ''Film/{{Phantasm}}'' series.
59	* The Creepy Thin Man from the Film/CharliesAngels2000 movies.
60	* ''Film/TheRunningMan''
61	* ''Film/TheOmegaMan'': Second film adaptation of ''Literature/IAmLegend''.
62	* ''Film/TheThirdMan''
63	* ''Film/TheIncredibleShrinkingMan:'' Based on a book by Creator/RichardMatheson.
64	* ''Film/TheIncredibleMeltingMan:'' [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST3K]] stock.
65	* ''Film/TheAmazingColossalMan'', another [=MST3K=] target.
66	* The Fat Man, a moniker applied to heavyset actor Sydney Greenstreet, and particularly to his character in ''Film/{{The Maltese Falcon\|1941}}''.
67	* In ''Film/TheMatrixRevolutions'', program trafficking is coordinated by the Train Man.
68	* Slim, aka "The Thin Man" from ''Film/{{Metropolis}}''
69	* Before any of ''Film/{{Halloween\|1978}}'s'' characters knew Michael Myers' name, they simply referred to him as "The Boogeyman".
70	* ''Film/TheInvisibleMan1933''. As well as the remake: ''Film/HollowMan''.
71	* ''Film/TheTallMan'', not to be confused with any of the other Tall Men. Incidentally, this name was chosen by the town in which the film takes place, and those involved don't seem particularly fond of it.
72	* Creator/DavidLynch seems to like this trope. See below under Live Action TV for examples from ''Series/TwinPeaks''.
73	** His debut, ''Film/{{Eraserhead}}'', included the nightmarish Man in the Planet, the eerie-but-sweet Lady in the Radiator, and the mysterious Beautiful Girl Across the Hall.
74	** ''Film/TheElephantMan'' is the true story of a severely-deformed circus performer who was presented under this title.
75	** In ''Film/BlueVelvet'', Jeffrey comes up with nicknames like this for some of the suspects in his investigation - namely, the Well-Dressed Man (actually [[spoiler:the film's villain, Frank Booth, in a disguise]]) and The Yellow Man (a man in a yellow suit, who turns out to [[spoiler:be a CrookedCop]].)
76	** ''Film/LostHighway'''s antagonist is referred to only as The Mystery Man.
77	** ''Film/MulhollandDrive'' featured the terrifying Man Behind Winkie's, who lived in the alley behind a restaurant called Winkie's. Ironically, under all that makeup, The Man Behind Winkie's was played by a woman.
78	* An extreme case in ''Film/CarnivalOfSouls'', whose mysterious villain is referred to simply as "The Man".
79	* ''Film/TheEmptyMan''
80	* In ''Film/TheHoundOfTheBaskervilles1983'', the mysterious figure tailing Sir Henry Baskerville is referred to as 'The Bearded Man' because his beard is the only distinguishing feature. He is eventually revealed to be Jack Stapleton in disguise, but actor Nicholas Clay gets a credit as both Stapleton and 'The Bearded Man'.
81	[[/folder]]
82
83	[[folder:Literature]]
84	* ''Literature/Afterglow2015'': A common naming convention for unknown or undocumented Anomalies. Josie becomes known as "the glowing girl," and an Anomaly known by "devil girl" is mentioned in the Anomaly crime archives in chapter 5.
85	* In the Franchise/CthulhuMythos, one of Nyarlathotep's avatars is called "the Dark Man," or "the Black Man," the latter borrowed from a figure said to appear at witches' Sabbaths (who may well have been said avatar).
86	* In the Professor Moriarty and Colonel Moran-centered book ''Literature/TheHoundOfTheDurbervilles'', Literature/SherlockHolmes is only referred to by name once. He's more commonly referred to as The Thin Man of Baker Street, with his brother being known as the Fat Man of Whitehall (the latter being the seat of British government).
87	* ''Literature/TheRiftwarCycle'': [[ThievesGuild The Mockers of Krondor]] are ruled by a series of different people under various names, the most popular being "the Upright Man." Others include "the Virtuous Man," "the Sagacious Man" (who later became the second Upright Man), and "the Square Man" (the original leader of the group that would become the Mockers).
88	* ''Literature/TheInvisibleMan''
89	* ''The Illustrated Man'' by Creator/RayBradbury, wherein the eponymous man's tattoos provide the story's FramingDevice.
90	* ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Man The Blue Man]]'', a nefarious possible-alien who kills a man, and the man's nephew goes after him.
91	* The first warning regarding Long John Silver of ''Literature/TreasureIsland'' fame? "Beware the One-Legged Man."
92	* The Cunning Man from ''Literature/IShallWearMidnight''
93	* [[BigBad Randall Flagg]] of ''Literature/TheStand'' is known as the Dark Man. Oh, and the Walkin' Dude. There's also Trashcan Man, but he's a [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds somewhat]] nicer guy. "The Man In Black" shows up once or twice, hinting again at Franchise/TheDarkTower link, and "The Man Without A Face." The Black Man also shows up, mostly from Joe/Leo, the one-time feral boy.
94	* J G Ballard's short stories "The Overloaded Man" and "The Subliminal Man."
95	* ''Literature/TheTerminalMan'' by Creator/MichaelCrichton.
96	* Creator/JDSalinger's ''The Laughing Man,'' the namesake of the ''Anime/GhostInTheShellStandAloneComplex'' character.
97	* In Creator/StephenKing's Franchise/TheDarkTower series, "The Man in Black" and "the Good Man" are mentioned as villains. They may also be the same person.
98	** Stephen King also had the Low Men featured in HeartsInAtlantis and the Dark Tower.
99	** The Raggedy Man from ''Literature/{{Cell}}'', who changes the story from [[spoiler:ZombieApocalypse to absolute MindScrew]].
100	* The Pale Lady and the Faceless Man in ''Literature/MoonOverSoho''
101	* The man in the yellow suit in ''Literature/TuckEverlasting.''
102	* The title of Joanna Russ's feminist SF novel ''TheFemaleMan'' is partly a subversion of this trope.
103	* Rare example that's both non-villainous and human is "The Green Man" in the second Literature/{{Dinotopia}} book, "The World Beneath".
104	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'': Molly Carpenter gets known as "The Ragged Lady" in an effort to become Chicago's new supernatural [[TheDreaded dreaded]].
105	* The main villain of ''Literature/TheBookOfLostThings'' is known primarily as The Crooked Man.
106	* The Gray Man from ''Literature/TheTruthOfRockAndRoll'' is apparently benevolent, but definitely mysterious (and mysteriously powerful).
107	* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
108	** There are two groups of assassins called The Faceless Men and the Sorrowful Men. One of The Faceless Men is only known as The Kindly Man.
109	** There is also a Wildling general called The Weeping Man.
110	* The Dark Flame and the Black Torrent in ''Literature/{{Relativity}}''.
111	* The ''Literature/EightySeventhPrecinct'' novels have recurring villain the Deaf Man, a cold-bloodedly vicious criminal with a ComplexityAddiction who [[VillainExitStageLeft is usually beaten but never caught]]. He's sometimes been seen wearing a hearing aid, has described himself as "hard of hearing", and tends to use aliases alluding to deafness [[ThisIsMyNameOnForeign in different languages]], such as "L. Sordo" and "Taubman". Whether he actually is deaf or if it's an affectation is unknown.
112	* George R.R. Martin won a Stoker award for his story, "The Pear-Shaped Man".
113	* The Man in the Yellow Hat from the ''Literature/CuriousGeorge'' series of kids' books. George himself is some kind of monkey or chimpanzee, and from his perspective, the Man -- a safari enthusiast who takes care of him -- is a [[HumansAreCthulhu godlike force of order]], however benevolent.
114	* In ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'', the children of London are terrorized by "The Bloofer Lady" (a [[FunetikAksent child's way of pronouncing]] "Beautiful Lady"), who turns out to be [[spoiler:Lucy Westenra, after Dracula converts her into a fledgeling vampire]].
115	* ''Literature/TheManWhoLaughs'', which, despite its title and the infamously horrific SlasherSmile that Creator/ConradVeidt sported in the film adaptation, is not a horror novel, but rather a melodramatic romance with swashbuckling adventure elements.
116	* The Grey Man makes several appearances in the ''Literature/{{Spenser}}'' series.
117	[[/folder]]
118
119	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
120	* The Cigarette-Smoking Man and the Well-Manicured Man from ''Series/TheXFiles'' are the two most recognizable examples from that show. There were also the Crew-Cut Man, the Hispanic Man, the Black-Haired Man, the Gray-Haired Man, the (very minor) Red-Haired Man, and the Toothpick Man.
121	* The Old Man from ''Series/Millennium1996''.
122	* The One-Armed Man from ''Series/TheFugitive''.
123	* The Pallid Man from ''Series/TwelveMonkeys''.
124	* A few of the supernatural characters on ''Series/TwinPeaks'' had names like this: the Man From Another Place, the Fireman, and the Woodsman were all Lodge spirits (the show's equivalent to [[OurAngelsAreDifferent angels]] and [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demons]]), and the [[BodyAndHost "inhabiting spirit"]] MIKE and his host, Philip Michael Gerard, are both often referred to as "The One-Armed Man" (a nod to ''Series/TheFugitive'', above). There's also Margaret Lanterman, who as far as we can tell is a flesh-and-blood human being with a few oracular powers, but her [[CassandraTruth seeming eccentricity]] and habit of carrying a log around have earned her the local nickname "The Log Lady".
125	* The Rubber Man from ''Series/AmericanHorrorStoryMurderHouse'' is a rapist and killer who runs around in a full latex BDSM suit.
126	* Thomas Veil was erased and became the ''Series/NowhereMan''.
127	* The Shadow Man from the episode of the same name on ''[[Series/TheTwilightZone1985 The New Twilight Zone]]''.
128	* A rare feminine variation in ''Series/{{Resurrection}}'': Elegant Woman.
129	* ''Series/TheBionicWoman'' was the female counterpart of ''Series/TheSixMillionDollarMan'', who is referred to as the first "bionic man." The Bionic Woman reboot series combined their powers into just her.
130	* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'' has the titular character of the episode ''The Naked Man''.
131	* ''Series/{{The Prisoner\|1967}}'' episode "The Schizoid Man". It's unclear whether the title refers to the Prisoner himself or the doppelganger who is brought in to gaslight him; indeed, this exact uncertainty is the whole point of the episode.
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	[[folder:Music]]
135	* The orange man in ''The Dresden Dolls'' song "Slide."
136	* "The Automatic Man" by Music/BadReligion
137	* "Ballad of a Thin Man" by Music/BobDylan. Includes a couple of others.
138	[[/folder]]
139
140	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
141	* Old lore has the Green Man, a figure depicted as having a face covered in or made out of leaves, generally used as a symbol of summer and fertility. He appears across a variety of European traditions, and has also been linked to the Egyptian fertility god Osiris, who is traditionally depicted with green skin.
142	* Myth/CelticMythology:
143	** The Red Man and the Hunger Man are [[DemonicPossession human-possessing demons]] of anger and hunger, respectively.
144	** In Celtic mythology, there's also a Druid called the Dark Man, or Fear Doirche. Sadhbh, mother of Fianna warrior [[WarriorPoet Óisín]] was turned into a doe for not loving him. A messenger of the Dark Man told Sadhbh that should she set foot in the castle (or dún) of the Fianna, the Dark Man would have no power over her. Cue Fionn -- he found her in animal form, but brought her back to the Fianna castle as his hounds-turned-people Bran and Sceolan sensed she was a human in animal form. Once back, she became human again. They fell in love and Sadhbh got pregnant, but when Fionn was out fighting Vikings, the Dark Man used false images of Fionn, Bran and Sceolan to entice her out of the castle. She left to meet her husand outside, but just as she reached them the image turned into The Dark Man, who promptly turned her back into a deer. Fionn never saw her again, but found their son in the wilderness.
145	** The Gundestrup Cauldron, an ancient Danish artifact, has a decorative figure on it referred to as the [[HornedHumanoid Antlered Man]], often believed to be a representation of the Celtic god Cernunnos.
146	* In paranormal stories of Shadow People (or, alternatively, Shadow Men) a commonly reported apparition is called the Hat Man, because of a fedora-style hat that he is reported to wear.
147	* [[BigfootSasquatchandYeti The Abominable Snowman]] of the Himalayas.
148	* The Black Man was a figure said, during the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bideford_witch_trial Bideford witch trial]] (among others), to appear as an avatar of Satan at witches' masses.
149	* Robin Hood is sometimes referred to as the Hooded Man.
150	* In Italian folklore, the Boogeyman (who itself fits this trope) is referred to as the Black Man. Note that, in Italian, a different form of the word for "black" would be used for this guy than for an African man.
151	* Arthurian legend has The Green Knight. Depending on the version, he may have a real name revealed at some point, although not always the same name. Appropriately, the earliest version of his story appears in a poem authored by someone known only as The Pearl Poet.
152	* The Urban Legend of [[http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/horrors/a/the_hook.htm the Hook Man]] (also simply called "the Hook"). Interestingly, the titular character [[NothingIsScarier never physically appears in the story]], but his defining characteristic does.
153	* In Ufology and Cryptozoology circles, there's the Grinning Man, also known as Indrid Cold, a mysterious AmbiguouslyHuman PerpetualSmiler who cropped up in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, around the same time the town was reporting sightings of TheMothman. He's sometimes seen as being one of TheMenInBlack.
154	* Cryptozoology has also given us the [[BigfootSasquatchAndYeti Ohio Grass Man]], who in spite of his name is actually not a human male but is instead described as a bipedal ape similar in appearance to Sasquatch who is fabled to live in and around Ohio's Salt Fork State Park.
155	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdD40OidRZs The Gurning Man of Glasgow]], who despite his name and location is not, in fact, a ClubKid with an Ecstasy habit but rather a disturbing humanoid roaming the streets of Glasgow at night, terrifying passerby with his aggressive nature and bizarre contortions.
156	[[/folder]]
157
158	[[folder:Podcasts]]
159	* In ''Podcast/AliceIsntDead'', the CharacterNarrator dubs her HumanoidAbomination stalker "The Thistle Man" after the word "Thistle" that appears on the right breast of his uniform polo shirt, in absence of a definite name or company logo.
160	[[/folder]]
161
162	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
163	* Wrestling/TheUndertaker, aka the Deadman.
164	[[/folder]]
165
166	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
167	* The ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' adventure path ''Rise of the Runelords'' featured a villainous {{cult}}ist called The Skinsaw Man.
168	[[/folder]]
169
170	[[folder:Video Games]]
171	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': The Masked Woman, a MysteriousStranger who's aware of what is really going on and drops revelations of exposition at times.
172	* The Purple Man from ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys'' is a killer who, you guessed it, is purple.
173	* The G-Man from the ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' series.
174	* The Illusive Man from ''Franchise/MassEffect''.
175	* The Tall Man from the ''VideoGame/ChzoMythos'' - there are also many other individuals who are given nicknames such as "the arrogant man", but the Tall Man is the main one.
176	** The Tall Man ''is'' The Arrogant Man. Or at least he was, [[spoiler:until Chzo sucked the presumptuous man who would dare try to summon him into ''his'' world, instead, and proceeded to torture him for countless centuries until he became a submissive HumanoidAbomination.]] He's also known as The Prince.
177	* ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas '' includes cryptic references to The Burned Man. He was lit on fire and thrown to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, but is rumored to have survived as a barely-human horror. DLC confirms that he ''did'' survive, [[{{Determinator}} against all odds]]; [[spoiler:and repented of his past life, becoming much nicer as a result]].
178	* A Defiant NPC in ''VideoGame/{{Rift}}'' is named The Faceless Man.
179	* The Grey Man (with no canon name), in ''VideoGame/LSDDreamEmulator''.
180	* [[NebulousCriminalConspiracy The Gray Men]] from ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar''.
181	* The Scissor Man, from the first two ''VideoGame/ClockTower'' games.
182	* The Thin Men and the Fat Men from ''VideoGame/LoneSurvivor''.
183	* ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'' takes an even more minimalistic approach with the villain simply called "That Man".
184	* ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind'''s Bloodmoon expansion has a book called "Aevar Stone-Singer", which involves a character known as "The Adversary", also known as "The Greedy Man".
185	* ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIIILiberation'' has the Company Man, the BigBad of the local Templars. [[spoiler:Minor twist in that the Man is in fact a ''woman.'']]
186	* The titular character from ''Videogame/TheCrookedMan'', who is also your antagonist.
187	* Virtually Everyone in ''VideoGame/FallenLondon'' has this sort of name. It really augments the creepiness.
188	* Every robot master in the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' games. Well, except for Splash Woman because she's a woman.
189	* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': "The Sallow Man" is a HumanoidAbomination and one of the GreaterScopeVillain's chief lieutenants. It's undermined slightly when the narrator nicknames him "Sallow".
190	[[/folder]]
191
192	[[folder:Web Comics]]
193	* ''Webcomic/BronzeSkinInc'': Parodied in chapter 4 when Raymond becomes a supervillain who sprays lemon juice on women to ruin their tans. He alternately calls himself Lemonade Man and Lemon Juice Man; when called out on the inconsistency, he claims he would never call himself the other name because it's lame.
194	* The Thin Man is also a villain in the webcomic ''Webcomic/{{Flipside}}''.
195	* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', prior to Ysengrin's first appearance in-comic, he's referred to by one of his followers as "the very nice man".
196	* One of the superheroes in ''Webcomic/{{Magellan}}'' calls himself "The Man Who Can". '''Don't''' leave off the "The".
197	[[/folder]]
198
199	[[folder:Web Original]]
200	* A running gag in ''Blog/BadTwoSentenceHorror'' is for the villain to have the name "______ Man" (eg. Hallway Man).
201	* The web novel ''Glitch'' has the Stalker Men running around.
202	* ''Literature/TheSmilingMan'', a {{creepypasta}} [[http://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/sp9vo/the_smiling_man/ originally posted to Reddit]] and made into a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u6Tt3PqIfQ short film]] that makes great use of the UncannyValley. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBYGUn6Q7tQ The Smiling Woman]] is the female version.
203	[[/folder]]
204
205	[[folder:Web Videos]]
206	* Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos, featuring... the Slender Man.
207	* Franchise/TheFearMythos includes such fiends as "the Dying Man" and "the Blind Man".
208	[[/folder]]
209
210	[[folder:Western Animation]]
211	* ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain'': Tuba is initially introduced by Hazel and in the Debutante Ball car as "The Mighty Tuba".
212	* For a RareFemaleExample, ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' has Eda Clawthorne, who is known to most of the Boiling Isles only as The Owl Lady.
213	* ''JustForFun/TheUglyBarnacle'' from ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'': The titular character is only referred to by his adjective (ugly) and his species (barnacle).
214	[[/folder]]
215
216	[[folder:Real Life]]
217	* The Red Man and the Black Man were used to describe Native Americans and people of African descent respectively. Similarly, the White Man is often used to denote Caucasians in general.
218	* Music/BlueManGroup.
219	* The famous UsefulNotes/ZapruderFilm features several unidentified bystanders (or suspects, if you are party to the numerous conspiracy theories). Since there are no official names to go along with them, they are identified by visible characteristics, such as "The Umbrella Man". The [adjective] man characters from X-Files are likely intended to be an AffectionateParody of the Zapruder nicknames.
220	* Two well known protestors in mainland China.
221	** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_Man The Tank Man]], a presumably Chinese individual seen in a photo taken by Jeff Widener, of him [[BadassBystander temporarily stopping the advance of a column of tanks]] leaving Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989, by... just standing there. Video footage shows him being pulled into a crowd by two men in blue suits. [[NothingIsScarier His fate and true identity is unknown.]]
222	** Following the Tank Man's footsteps is the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beijing_Sitong_Bridge_protest Banner Man]] (or Bridge Man) who put up a protest banner and burning tires by the Sitong Bridge in October 13, 2022 in response to China's very strict Zero-COVID Policy, demonstrating against the Chinese Communist Party (including now President-For-Life Xi Jingping). He is arrested by the authorities shortly after, but his message have [[YouCannotKillAnIdea spread throughout mainland China]], and dissidents (including overseas Chinese who fled from the mainland) followed suit.
223	* The Green Man of Pittsburgh: long fabled as an urban legend of a faceless ghost restlessly roaming the backroads of western Pennsylvania, it was ultimately revealed that this figure was in fact very real. His name was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Robinson_(Green_Man) Raymond Robinson]] and he had been horribly disfigured in an electrical accident when he was a boy, losing his eyes, nose, and right arm in the process. Robinson was extremely self-conscious of his appearance and so rarely went out during the day, instead preferring to go on long walks in the country at night when he could be sure few people would bother him (as he was blind, the darkness was immaterial), hence the legend of the Green Man arising after passing cars would catch glimpses of Robinson in the night.
224	[[/folder]]

Context Main / TheAdjectivalMan