Isn't it also that in society we and younger people are more likely to be informal with people, professionals.

In the 70's my father stressed Mr. Mrs. sir etc.  when I was in the Air Force it was again stressed and imbedded in me.

Now working with Teens and younger childen this is not stressed, I do not think many parents stress titles.  For this reason more than any we do not see it in comics.  Its a reflection of Society.

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I was born in the '70s, so my generation's authority figures were Boomers, who -- and I'm going to speak in a generality here -- aren't crazy about being authority figures. I always thought that the Boomers were the first generation to reject the "circle of life" rules -- in other words, you're young, then you're not.

When I first began entering the adult world, I noticed that the Boomers -- then in their late 30s to mid 40s, were the ones who would "correct" me if I called them "ma'am" or "sir." They were also quick to retort "My father/mother's name is Mr/Mrs So-and-So. Call me (First Name)."

After about fifteen years now, I've gotten used to this instant familiarity but it does bug me to call my superiors -- many of whom I've just met -- by their first names.

I rarely use the codenames for the FF: no secret identities makes this very easy, for me. They're Ben, Sue, Reed and Johnny, for me.

With the other superheroes, it depends on the cases. I usually use the codenames when they're in costume, and the civilian names when they're without costume.

Edited to add: nicknames like Spidey are fine, for me, but only with certain characters. Spider-Man is a nice guy, one of us, so I don't see "Spidey" as a lack of respect. "Cap" is acceptable, too. Never liked Supes (it sounds so bad!), Bats or Wolvie.

Consider it in this light: imagine yourself to be a huge fan of, say, Mark Hamill. You know everything about him that you possibly can. You border on being a stalker, your knowledge of himself, his family, his friends, his life, is so complete. Would you, in discussing him with others, call him "Hammy"?

"Hammy"?  That is a very odd name to pull out of a hat.  I don't think it works as an example. No reference has ever been mad to Mark Hamill in suh a way.

Now I am not a comic fan, or a professional.  I am just some guy who read comics growing up and grabs them now and again for some entertainment.  Maybe I wasn't quite as fanatical as you were, but I never saw these comic book characters as gods.  These characters were people that could be me, or my friends.  The writers worked hard to create a closeness between the reader and the character.  We were given intimate knowledge of their lives and made to care in such a way that we would have that connection for a reason. Because of that closeness, comparing Spider-Man to a police officer just isn't an accurate comparison, unless you know everything about that officer's personal life.  Then, in that case, you are probably close enough that you would call officer Jones by Jonsey.

Besides, doesn't Stan Lee love Wing Head and Shell Head and Goldilocks as monickers for these characters?  Too bad Stan got it wrong again, huh?

Never liked Supes (it sounds so bad!), Bats or Wolvie.

Isn't Wolvie the name of that little doll Butch Patrick carried around in The Munsters?

 As familiar as we are with the lives of Spider-Man, or Superman, or Batman, or any of the rest, I don't think any of us truly view the "relationship" we have with these characters as a friendship. We are observers only, requiring our own Virgil to lead us thru the characters' lives, without ever finding ourselves part of the characters' lives.

John--uh-JB--er, um--Mr. Byrne, I think your reverence for the characters and their sense of "pantheon" is one reason you are one of my favorite comic book writers. You respect the origins and the charismatic presence of the character. It shows in your work, believe me.

Brian Joseph: Besides, doesn't Stan Lee love Wing Head and Shell Head and Goldilocks as monickers for these characters?  Too bad Stan got it wrong again, huh?

Again?  When did Stan get it "wrong" the first time?