On Wednesday evening three self-proclaimed superheroes (read: three guys in ridiculous costumes) gathered outside Cafe Hon in Hampden to protest the restaurant owner's trademark on the word "hon."  

Matt Fouse, 26, Mike Weaver, 28, and John Buckley, 31, gathered at the corner of Falls Road and 36th Street dressed as what they called "superheroes" to register their distaste for Denise Whiting's legal ownership of the word.  

"The people of Baltimore had their protest on Sunday now its time to see what superheroes can do," Fouse said.

With Fouse dressed as a rat in a mask and cape (Rat Man?), Weaver as a lobster with a whip (Lobster Dominatrix Boy?) and Buckley wearing a giant insect costume wielding a plastic club (Super Pest?), it was hard to tell if they were honestly upset with the situation or just goofing off.

The men admitted to having some fun with the situation, but insisted they were genuinely offended by the idea of "hon" being owned by an individual.

"I just think it's ridiculous the word 'hon' is trademarked. It's like someone in Boston trademarking 'wicked,'" Buckley said.

So as the sun set the three began chanting "take back 'hon,'" and marched east along 36th Street.  

Occasionally people on the street would join the chants. Most looked confused, laughed and took pictures with their cell phones.

Others angrily shouted at the men. One woman yelled that they were "uninformed and uneducated."

For about a half hour the men marched around the intersection of 36th Street and Roland Avenue, hamming it up for television cameras. At one point they even helped an older woman cross the street.

Eventually Fouse walked into the restaurant and asked to speak to Whiting. An employee told him that Whiting would be more than willing, but was in a meeting and would be right out.

Rather than waiting to face the "villain" in their ridiculous sideshow, the three superheroes slinked off toward Falls Road.  

"We hear there's a greater need for our services in West Baltimore," Fouse said.