Archives May 2009

SDNN
It is a typical Sunday; launching a public awareness campaign to bring a home-invasion rapist to justice.
Well, maybe not a typical Sunday – at least, not for the average citizen. San Diego’s resident superhero Mr. Xtreme – as the missing vowel suggests – is far from average.
Think Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, or Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – just less … super. No high-flying, no web-slinging, no expensive gadgetry, no dino-morphing; essentially, none of the frills that make a superhero super.
That isn’t to say Mr. Xtreme isn’t super – or a hero. Quite the opposite, in fact. It takes an out-of-the-ordinary person to sacrifice his Sunday to hand out flyers warning women about a sexual assault suspect who has been on the loose since June 2008. And it takes an extraordinary person to offer an out-of-pocket $1,500 reward for information leading to the “evildoer’s” capture.
He must be brought to justice, Mr. Xtreme says, and he’s just doing his part to help.
The 30-something superhero has read news releases about a drop in crime in the county. He has no reason to believe crime is on the rise, but, he says, “Try to tell a victim’s family there’s been a drop in crime – they’ll tell you to get lost.”
“Victims of violent crimes shouldn’t be treated as a statistic,” says Mr. Xtreme, who asked we keep his identity a secret.
Sure, he talks a big game, but Mr. Xtreme has no illusions of grandeur; he isn’t secretly developing an Xtreme-mobile, or jumping from building to building in the East Village after dark.
It’s a pretty simple operation, to tell you the truth. He patrols neighborhoods in his costume – black cargo pants, a green “Xtreme Justice League” shirt, black boots and a camouflage lucha libre mask – and he wears a utility belt, equipped with a stun gun, 2.5 ounces of pepper spray, and a flashlight.
The Xtreme Justice League, the organization his shirt refers to, is a small, loose network of superheroes Mr. Xtreme works with to coordinate patrols and fight crime. Locally, he doesn’t have much help. He’s the most active, visible member of the local Real Life Superhero (RLS) community, which stays connected through sites like WorldSuperheroRegistry.com.
Mr. Xtreme’s primary goal is to be a visual deterrent to crime; a would-be evildoer, for example, might see the masked man patrolling, and rethink his malevolent misdeeds.
But, Mr. Xtreme said, if push comes to shove, he isn’t afraid to intervene in gang violence, a carjacking or a sexual assault.
“If someone’s safety is at stake, if a victim’s life is at stake, I’ll step in no matter how dangerous the situation and risk getting injured, or even risk losing my life to save the day,” he deadpans.
OK. Hmmm. That may be a little beyond the call of duty. But, it’s all in a day’s work, the superhero says.
Every now and then, Mr. Xtreme delivers a line or uses a phrase that borders on melodramatics. And, in part, that’s the purpose. He enjoys the theatrics.
He’s a building security manager by day. So, I ask him: Why not work with a community patrol group that collaborates with the police department? Instead, he operates independently, a pariah at public forums (he’s often asked to leave) and a nuisance to the cops. Sure, with an organized community patrol, he’d have more status in neighborhoods. But, he’d be missing the theatrics – missing the fun.
“I grew up in a household of abuse, I was bullied in school, and I see all the apathy and indifference in society,” he says. “It really strikes a nerve with me. I looked up to superheroes when I was a child; they were role models. And they’re still role models today.”
“I have so much respect for what community patrols do, but I want to be out and interact with the community,” he says. “I couldn’t do that from a car. And being a real-life superhero is really a symbol to illustrate my commitment to an ideal, and it can inspire people … I want to send a message to youth. You can live an ‘extreme’ lifestyle and you don’t have to be a killer or a gang member or a thug or a waste of human life or a parasite.”
So, for the time being, Mr. Xtreme doesn’t mind being an outsider – just don’t call him a vigilante.
“I don’t condone vigilante behavior; I condemn it,” he says. “It’s an insult when someone calls me a vigilante. A vigilante wouldn’t try to go to community meetings to interact with the public. A vigilante wouldn’t try to work with police.”
The superhero hopes to build a working rapport with the police. It doesn’t seem likely, but he’s hopeful. He seems eternally optimistic; that he can build bridges in communities; that he can prevent crime; that he can make a difference in the world. He may not have a super-utility belt, or a super-power, but this superhero’s heart is in the right place.
The Sunday I tag along with Mr. Xtreme, we canvass shopping centers in Kearny Mesa, handing out “WANTED” flyers, with information about the sexual assault suspect. This case really irks him.

The home-made flyers are more eye-catching than your run of the mill posters. They say “WANTED” in bold, Sharpie’d letters. A sketch of the sexual assault suspect has the word evildoer written on it. The Xtreme Justice League logo is pasted at the top and a “no evil” logo is pasted near the bottom.
He approaches people in shopping centers to give them flyers. Surprisingly, very few dodge him. It may help he’s being followed by a reporter and a film crew, who is interested in making a documentary film about real-life superheroes.
By and large, the response to Mr. Xtreme’s effort is enthusiastic.
He greets one woman sweeping a sidewalk outside a big-box business.
“Hi ma’am, I’m with the Xtreme Justice League, and we’re looking for a rapist,” he says, handing her a flyer.
“For real? Him? Still?” the woman says. The suspect has been at large for a year.
“Yes ma’am,” he says.
“That son of a bitch. Well, I hope to God you find him. I warn my kids every day. If you have any other flyers, I’ll help put them up.”
Later, he meets another grateful citizen.
“You guys are doing good work,” the man says, taking a flyer from Mr. Xtreme. Mr. Xtreme thanks him and walks away. The man’s young daughter runs out of a nearby store to see what her dad is up to.
“Daddy, who are you talking … OH MY GOSH WHY IS THAT MAN …?” The little girl isn’t quite sure what to make of her father cavorting with Mr. Xtreme.
At a market down the road, our superhero greets a woman he’s met before in the restaurant she owns. She has his flyers posted there – but she has a question.
“Why do you have to have a mask on?” she asks.
“Well, it’s a part of my uniform,” he says. “I’m a superhero.”
“Oh …”
“Oh” seems to be the standard response, when Mr. Xtreme explains himself; it’s as if no one quite knows what to make of him, but aren’t comfortable prying, so they say, “Oh.”
For every passerby who seems a bit confused by the getup, there’s the driver who honks his horn, or waves. They might recognize him from television news spots, or the Union-Tribune story about him, or the cover of The San Diego Reader. He welcomes the media attention. After all, it makes his job crime fighting a little easier.
“Some superheroes think I do this for popularity,” he says. “That’s not the case. We’re trying to build community support to make our jobs easier.”
Despite the name recognition, it’s a lonely life, he says. “My social life is basically non-existent. That’s the sacrifice I choose to make so I can be able to do this. It can be difficult to get people to understand. I usually only speak in depth to folks who want to listen. If they’re going to come at me with a barrage of nonsense, I usually just walk away or ignore them. I just take things as they come and do my thing, and not care what people think if it’s negative. No time for negativity.”
Nope. No time for negativity for Mr. Xtreme. Saving the world, after all, is daunting task. Even for a superhero.
Joseph Peña is a contributing editor for San Diego News Network.
Tags: SDNN
Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-05-29/lifestyle/local-superhero-fights-crime-his-own-way#ixzz0Vm4t6HOd

BY VANESSA TYLER | wpix.com Staff reporter
NEW YORK (WPIX) –
“I’m the “Dark Guardian,” Chris Pollak tells PIX News as he stands in his black and red leather costume. Pollak is a real life super hero, part of a growing movement of adults who dress up, fight crime and attempt to make society a better place.
PIX went along one night as Pollak, and his co-horts, “Life” and “Phantom Zero,” went out on their rounds. It was a dark and very stormy night and the trio chose to bring comfort to the homeless.
“Life,” whose costume is reminiscent of the Green Hornet, says, “The homeless, when you are going up to them and you’re giving food, vitamins, socks, and tooth brushes and razors, if you’re stark naked or wearing a clown suit. They are happy to get the stuff. They’re happy someone cares.” The gang also use their own money to buy those supplies.
The real life super hero movement has been growing since 9-11 and there is even a worldwide registry.
The “Dark Guardian” has made it his mission to rid Washington Square Park of drug dealers and some have even confronted him. He says, “We’ve had people flash a gun at us. But I’m not backing down.”
The group says police are aware of their presence and worry for their safety since these real life super heroes say they are not armed, though “Life” does wear a bullet proof vest.
“Dark Phantom” who stands more than six feet tall and wears all black with a cape, a hood, and a white skull mask tells PIX News, “A lot of times I haven’t had trouble from the authorities with the sole exception of going into the subway wearing a mask.”
http://www.wpix.com/news/local/wpix-super-heroes-help-poor,0,7128849.story

By Big Simon
I know what’s going through your head. That’s crazy talk. Silly talk. Foolish talk. Superheroes are the stuff of comic books, not reality. People can’t move faster than a speeding bullet, leap tall buildings in a single bound, teleport from place to place, or lift city buses over their heads. Capes, tights, boots, and gadgets can never make a human being what we see on the big screen or find flipping through graphic novels. Not only is it impossible, it takes a certain degree of childlike naivete to imagine it.
You’re right, of course. It does take a degree of certain childlike qualities. Maybe it’s naivete, but I’d rather like to imagine it’s something else entirely. Hope. Trust. Faith. The empowerment which comes not from outside, but from within. You see, despite the fact that super powers and enhanced abilities may not be available to those entrenched within the real world, there are those who believe being a superhero means more.
The dictionary claims a superhero is “a figure, especially in a comic book or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime”, and this is a fair description for those who want to learn more about the comic book subculture. It’s a definition we can start with, because it’s familiar, it feels right. After all, who of us has not seen a larger than life character on the big screen, bullets bouncing off his chest, and wished we could be a hero, too? Real superheroes, the ones who walk the streets of our cities now, in this very real world, lack the powers and abilities, however, with which those in comics and movies are endowed. How, then, can we really call them “superheroes”?
The dictionary has more to say about the subject. A hero, for instance, is “a person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for brave deeds and noble qualities”. So we can see now, a more normal individual might be a hero, might be possessed of a certain degree of bravery uncommon in our world. Anyone might summon such courage, given the right circumstances, as courage is little more than standing up to act despite one’s fear.
Anyone might become a hero.
Can anyone be super? When discussiong the superheroes who have become our modern myths, super can be defined as “to an extreme or excessive degree”. Certainly the ability to rip trees from the ground to use as weapons, the power to fly around the Earth and even into space – and beyond! – or being able to shrink to the size of a molecule, these are all extreme and excessive. But super can mean more; it can mean “of the highest degree”, a definition that seems apt. The highest degree is what we should all expect of ourselves, after all.
‘Super’ and ‘hero’ are both suddenly accessible, and together mean something like, “a person of the highest degree of courage or ability admired for the highest degree of brave deeds and noble qualities”. Both words, and even the two words combined, fit, and we become not the classic tights-wearing two-fisted superheroes of the comics, but something else, something more real; paragons of nobility and dignity who represent a degree of goodness and rightness which might inspire the public. Masked and costumed, the real life superhero becomes a symbol, a beacon of promise offering something to those who experience the hero’s positive effect on the community: the knowledge that a single person can make a difference.
Never let anyone convince you otherwise: Superheroes are REAL. And if you’re part of this movement, working toward making the world a better place, you’re one of them.

SamaritanCitizen
PostSubject: Isn”t Good ”Ol Fashioned Beat ”em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 7:15 pm
This topic is a little heavy because while I’ve read a decent amount on you guys in the past solid hours of surfing the general philosophy is non-violence. (Which is good. I don’t what a whole bunch of vigilantes running around.) I don’t want to trap anybody in a what if scenario, but for people who do frequent ‘patrols’ some of you are bound to come across scenarios like the ones that I’m about to present…
At any rate, I’ve some questions about you fellas and gals. First off, wouldn’t there be a darker side to ya’lls work? Like, if you were patrolling the streets of Albequerque on a nightly round and noticed a rapist violating someone in an alleyway? Or a daily round of your suburban neighborhood caused you to be witness to a gang mugging in someones house? That is, through the window you see someone who’s life is seriously in danger from being severly assaulted.
Thanks guys, I look forward to your answers.
Dark Guardian
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 7:40 pm
I do what is necessary to defend myself and others
Moonlight Cicada
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 7:52 pm
If I seeing a violent crime being occured, I will do what would be expected of me, and that would be to help at all costs.
Big Simon
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 8:50 pm
There’s no doubt in my mind many of the people here would do something in any of those cases. While non-violence is the general tenor of what most of us believe, we also understand that there are certain situations which require immediate action, as opposed to waiting for the police to arrive after a call. Many of us are martially trained – though not all of us. I, myself, have no martial arts experience other than a bit of wrestling. But there are others here who have a tremendous amount of training. Some of us carry devices and weapons to help do what we do.
Me, personally, I’m not on the street, patrolling. But if I ran into a violent crime being committed? Yeah, I’d do what I could to stop it and protect the victims.
Clockodile
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 9:35 pm
I have been involved in a crime where I was attacked.
Just use your head and keep your fists in front.
Moonlight Cicada
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 9:37 pm
Most people are predictable and clumsy when fighting. Very easy to call moves and catch off guard.
Clockodile
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 9:39 pm
I think out of all the people I know, there is only one that knows how to fight properly and could probably kick my ass.
Moonlight Cicada
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 9:42 pm
Exactly. Even if one overpowers you in strength, you could predict their movements, and strike first.
TheChaplain
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 10:11 pm
Only in dire situations.
winter knight
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Tue May 12, 2009 11:00 pm

Dark Guardian wrote:
I do what is necessary to defend myself and others

I second that… priority one: preserve life, render aid to victims, and serve and protect others.
Statesman
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 5:10 am
I believe it would be short sighted of me to go out of my front door with my mind set on violence.
I believe that most conflicts can be resolved with confidence, sense and a feel for what is fair.
I will never allow harm to come to myself or any innocent, and will fight until I fall in defence of the good.
But in my experience, prevention trumps punishment every time.
Big Simon
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 9:16 am

Statesman wrote:
I believe it would be short sighted of me to go out of my front door with my mind set on violence.
I belive that most conflicts can be resolved with confidence, sense and a feel for what is fair.
I will never allow harm to come to myself or any innocent, and will fight until I fall in defence of the good.
But in my experience, prevention trumps punishment every time.

Exactly. If we can put the problem to a stop before it happens, we’ve done everyone a service. And we do a disservice to the people we claim to serve if we go out spoiling for a fight. The mindset is that of the defender, not the vanquisher. Like Hunter Outlaw, however, I agree that violence is sometimes necessary. It’s best if you have some experience, and some skill in fighting, even if you haven’t taken a single martial arts course. There’s value in knowing what you’re body is capable of, and what you are going to be able to accomplish, and the confidence imparted is priceless.
As the old adage goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. A little effort expended to avoid a fight will serve you and the community better than going in, fists flying, but if there’s no other option, it’s best to know what the hell you’re doing.
Statesman
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 9:25 am
I’d go a little further, even- our duty to the world is to make it a better, safer place for people to live in.
With excessive aggression, we become another thing to fear on the streets rather than a source of confidence, and inspiration.
Hunter
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 11:08 am
Big Simon, I think you meant Outlaw, not Hunter.
Big Simon
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 11:41 am

Hunter wrote:
Big Simon, I think you meant Outlaw, not Hunter.

Well, of course I did. I’m just sometimes not quick enough to catch these things, myself. *chuckles*
nemo2000
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 12:41 pm
Hey Chaps & Chappettes,
I am with Zen on this one, prevention is always better than the cure, in tactical terms it is known as “The Combat of the Collective Conscience”.
The best way to fight crime is to work to re~unite fractured communities, by opening new channels of communications and aiding in building bridges amongst them.
Active R.L.S.H. do this by being a visable figure head that is prepared to do lots of minor good deeds to show it can be done and inspire other members of there communities to get out there and do the same.
This techqnique of promoting the “The Collective Conscience” within broken communities has been scientifically proven time and time again to be the single most effective way of combating crime ridden communities quickly and effectively.
Sure most of us will come to the assistance of any Citizen being abused or attacked, but then again so would mostl civic minded citizens we are only doing the same as they would.
It is in repairing these fractured communities that we as R.L.S.H. can really make a big difference to them.
Basically quod erat demonstrandum, de oppresso liber et fortis est veritas.
Kind Regards, Everyone ~ Nemo.
nemo2000
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 1:56 pm
Hey Outlaw,
It’s very simple, R.L.S.H. is about the point I made above, not neccesarily about, how well you can fight, Repairing broken communities and reastablishing there internal cohesion is scientifically proven to be the most effective way of reducing crime in a given area.
I have been practicing martial arts since I was 7 years old, and have black belt in Aikido and currently hold an E5 Expert Level Military/Special Forces Instructor rating in Krav-Maga, so I think that qualifys me to know what I am talking about.
Also I am a former Diving and Clearance Officer – (1st Lt), in the British Royal Navy and saw active service in Iraq, Leading my unit alongside the S.B.S. on the initial push, so I truly know what it is like to be in combat and under fire, but I do not totally agree with your points of view.
R.L.S.H. is about public spirited individuals choosing to try and make a difference and doing the best they can, to help repair the community that they have come to care about, we should encourage support them not put them down, as long as what they are doing is legal and does not bring the Name of the R.L.S.H. community into disrepute.
Best Wishes ~ Nemo
Big Simon
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 2:50 pm

Outlaw wrote:
I’d also like to point out that everyone proposing violence as an absolute last resort do not enjoy their Batman movies because of how he gently talks criminals into peaceful resolutions.

Watching a scripted and choreographed fight on the big screen is a bit different than what happens in the real world. You’ve been in numerous fights, so you should know that. That said, you’re not too far off the mark: Once violence is in play, there’s little that will bring it to and end but equal force. I think what everyone else is talking about is peaceful resolution before violence comes into play.
Hunter
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 3:05 pm
Outlaw, I gave you a positive vote on your first post in this thread. Because while I also believe violence to be a last resort, I would totally be down for an RLSH fight club Smile
the visitor
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 8:36 pm
I agree with outlaw on this subject. I know we are trying to make the world a better place and the best way to do that is with peacfull actions. However, I would like to bring up an observtion. People who opose violence say that “we live in reality and violence wont solve anything”. Well they are right about living in reality, but if you take a look at both sides of that coin, ours is a violent reality. Their are two sides to everything and I believe strongly that violence will be a part of any RLSHs career at one time or another if they are doing crime prvention/patrolling and that you must be prepaired to meet that violence with your own less you risk your life or that of an innocent. You want to handle things peacfully, great, do it, just be prepaired to use violence if necacerry.
The Outcast
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Wed May 13, 2009 11:13 pm
I’m good to go when the time comes (if it has to). Only as much force as necessary though. I fought in MMA once and had a hard time hurting a guy that I didn’t dislike. But it also taught me that given a chance, a knuckle head will try to beat your brains in, so you better be ready to pound him first.
Sentinel
PostSubject: Re: Isn’t Good ‘Ol Fashioned Beat ’em Up Neccessary For You Guys? (In Dire Situations.) Sat May 16, 2009 6:52 am
I am a firm believer in using the only amount of force necessary to protect a victim, or myself. I did have a run in a while back with a man selling drugs, a very large man. I have been training in Ninjutsu for many years and as their rep preceeds them, we use whatever means necessary to complete the job.
I was new at being a crimefighter, but always very aware of my surroundings. I did confront the man who proceeded to walk away as I made enough of a scene to make him leave. Stupid me, I did turn my back, not completely, but he was VERY fast and put me in a chokehold that I could not break out of because of his sheer strenght, nor would my own help. I did struggle for air, and the only option I had to make him leg me go was to take out a throwing spike (spike shuriken) and impale it firmly into his forearm. He DID leg go, and swept his legs, and flexi cuffed him, and retrived my shuriken, called 911, and left the scene. Sometimes we have to use the weapons and gadgets we carry. Mine are for specific needs and situations, I never carry anything that is just for “looks” or to be “cool” as that is not my goal.

In times of peril we at Asylum respond in the only way that real men can — we run and hide under our beds, put a Spider-Man DVD on really loud and hope everything turns out okay.
Luckily the world is not only made up of cowards who wish superheroes were real. There are also those prepared to do something about it. They are the champions who, by dressing up in fancy dress and making a MySpace page, transform their lives from the mundane to the marvellous — the Real Life Superheroes.


True, the extent to which these characters actually help people varies. Some, such as the UK’s Angle Grinder Man, take to the streets to save stricken cars from clamps. Others, like the USA’s Civitron, do charity work. Still more, like Hong Kong’s Red Arrow Man, just try to “become the salt and light of the world”… Er, cool?
Anyway, regardless of whether these heroes actually have superpowers or not, we salute them. We want to live in a world with heroes in Spandex tights, and if they’re the best we’ve got then so be it.
http://www.asylum.co.uk/2009/05/12/worlds-greatest-real-life-superheroes/

By Scott Wilson
Who knew Kansas City, Kansas, was a Triple-A farm club for superheroes? According to the World Superhero Registry, a woman crime fighter named Nyx guards the streets of KCK. But she’s about to go to the show: New York. (Staff writer Justin Kendall posted a video of Nyx along with his May 7 Plog entry about her.)
As though Gotham needs more costumed avengers.
It figures that our metro isn’t big enough for Nyx — she already has been three other people. She first called herself Hellcat, then Felinity and then Sphynx. Now she’s Nyx, named for the Greek goddess of the night, a beautiful and powerful but shadowy figure who gave birth to the gods of sleep and death.
Nyx’s MySpace profile is a little less classical and a little more Andrew Lloyd Webber:
“I am Nyx, masked protector of the night.
“Like the night, I cannot be proven or disproven to certain degrees; and also much like the night, when morning comes there will be no trace of me.
“It’s impossible to define but I feel a certain degree of loyalty to every being that inhabits this earth, a compulsion to watch — to help — to protect.
“I respect all RLSH [Real Life Super Heroes] of every sort, it’s not an easy life we’ve chosen but we’ve chosen it nonetheless.”
Nyx is a member of a superhero group called Vixens of Valour. (That’s the Queen’s English version of valor, not chicks in velour costumes. How disappointing.) Apparently, she’s also vice president of the Heroes Network and a member of the Signal of Light Foundation. No word on whether she’s a superfriend or a Rotarian.
Nothing in her bio suggests that she has found an archenemy, something every hero needs. If she can’t find one in New York, she’ll have to hang up her cowl. No, creditors who chase you out of the Big Apple and into your parents’ basement don’t count.
http://www.pitch.com/2009-05-14/news/low-rise

Damn, Gotham always steals the best heroes.
Nyx has had a bit of an identity crisis. She was formerly known as Hellcat, Felinity and Sphynx. In Greek mythology, Nyx was the goddess of the night, a beautiful and powerful but shadowy figure who mothered the gods of sleep and death.
Here’s a brief bio from Nyx’ MySpace profile:
 

“I am Nyx, masked protector of the night…
Like the night, I cannot be proven or disproven to certain degrees; and also much like the night, when morning comes there will be no trace of me.
It’s impossible to define but I feel a certain degree of loyalty to every being that inhabits this earth, a compulsion to watch — to help — to protect.
I respect all RLSH [Real Life Super Heroes] of every sort, it’s not an easy life we’ve chosen but we’ve chosen it nonetheless.”

After the jump, more about KCK’s mysterious hero — and she speaks!
Nyx is a member of the superhero group Vixens of Valour. She’s apparently vice president of the Heroes Network and a member of the Signal of Light Foundation. Ooh, superhero politics. 
Alas, what’s a hero without an arch nemesis? Sadly, Nyx’ profile says she has none.
Nyx has also posted videos on YouTube, but none record her heroics. This one is from October 2008.
I sent Nyx a message on MySpace, but she has yet to respond. I understand. A hero’s journey leaves little time for self-promotion.
http://blogs.pitch.com/plog/2009/05/kck_has_a_superhero_named_nyx.php

ARJUN RAMACHANDRAN
It’s certainly not a bird, or a speeding bullet, or a plane. It looks more like a guy in a silly lycra outfit.
Wearing masks and the full superhero get-up, a band of “real life superheroes” are patrolling the world’s cities trying to clean up the streets.
So claim the comic book-like crime-fighters, a loose association of costumed do-gooders who say they are taking up the fight for justice for ordinary people.
Boasting names like Dark Guardian, Citizen Prime, and Green Scorpion, the mainly US-based characters say they need to wear outfits to protect their identities from the evil-doers they attack.
Most have MySpace pages where they reveal the philosophy of their superheroism.
Florida superhero Amazonia wrote why she was prompted to strap on the black Zorro-like mask and defend her city, Ocala:
“I finally had enough of seeing the gangs terrorizing the downtown section of my city. They would mug, beat and otherwise harass senior citizens and women.
“So I took up the mantle of Firebird and set out to do what I could to help others.”
Many of the superheroes say they are armed with weapons such as stun guns, which can be legally carried in the US.
“Shadow Hare”, a 1.7 metre, slight-of-stature 21-year-old Cincinnati resident who carries handcuffs, a stun-gun and pepper spray, boasts: “I’ve stopped many evil doers … such as drug dealers, muggers, rapists, and crazy hobos with pipes.”
Many of the superheroes’ good deeds are of a civic nature – such as volunteering with charities or feeding the homeless.
But some make more bolder claims of actual crime-fighting.
Shadow Hare said he dislocated his shoulder two years ago while helping a woman who was being attacked.
He also said he was working with a San Diego-based superhero called Mr Extreme to “track down a rapist”.
On his MySpace page, Dark Guardian writes of the moment he saw two men with baseball bats waiting to beat someone up outside their house late at night.
“I park across the street from them. I wait and watch them. I make sure they see me so they know someone is watching, soon after they leave.
“I didn’t have to go and fight two guys with bats to stop a crime. I just made my presence known and they decided to stop what they were trying to do.”
On another occasion he writes of confronting a deranged man trashing a store.
“I stood in front of him and made sure everyone got out of the store. I tried talking him down. The store had already called the cops.
“Once the police came he cooperated and was hauled away. If he came at me or anyone else this story would end differently and I would have been in court myself because I had my knife at the ready.
“Glad it ended the way it did.”
Some superheroes also formed together under different banners to tackle crimes in unison, such as the Allegiance of Heroes.
One such group, titled the Justice Society Of Justice, claims to offer “twice the JUSTICE as the leading competitors!”.
An online “Superhero Registry” lists members of the “the Real-Life Superhero community”, outlining their speciality (for example public service or crime-fighting), where they patrol, whether their identity is secret and if their status as a superhero has been confirmed.
The website states the superheroes are not just role-playing, but that this is “a movement among ordinary people to make the world a better place in an extraordinary way”.
“There are always those who will take something less seriously, but the Real-Life Superhero community is generally composed of sincere, well meaning people who have finally decided to go out and make a difference.”
The heroes wear costumes to inspire others, protect their privacy, and “conceal vulnerabilities in one’s protective gear”, the site says.
People can also make their own submissions to be added to the registry but acceptance usually requires evidence of heroic activities through “media documentation of such activities, or testimonials from established Real-Life Superheroes”.
On his MySpace page, superhero Dark Guardian also writes of the weight of expectation on real superheroes.
“What I got most out of being a Real Life Superhero is living up to the name. I have to be the living embodiment of a superhero. With that comes great responsibility.
“I have walked away from being a Real Life Superhero before , but I couldn’t give it up. It is who I am. It is what I believe in.
“And it will help change the world.”
But police appear not to have warmed to the idea.
“We expect people to report crime to the police and not put themselves in jeopardy,” New York Police Department spokesman Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne said in an article about the “superheroes” last year.

By Jake Clapp

by Big Simon
Throughout history, there have been various codes of honor. Some of the more famous include Chivalry, the Bushido Code, and the Code of the West. While my code of personal conduct is a bit of a mish-mash of, well, most of what I’ve learned in my life, I particularly like how the Code of the West is so nuts-n-bolts, just says what it means and leaves it at that.

• Live each day with courage.
• Take pride in your work.
• Always finish what you start.
• Do what has to be done.
• Be tough but fair.
• When you make a promise, keep it.
• Ride for the brand.
• Talk less and say more.
• Remember that some things aren’t for sale.
• Know where to draw the line.

I guess it just resonates really well for me. Straight-forward, not walking around any the ideas in circles, hoping your audience gets what you’re saying. I think of all of those, the only one that might make someone scratch his head and go “Huh?” is “Ride of the brand”, so I suppose it could be summed up in a more modern phrase: “Be loyal to those who provide for you” (which I suppose is great, right up until they turn out to be the villain and start monologuing while you’re being dangled over an open pool full of man-eating snails…).
My basic code of conduct is this: Do right because it’s right, and don’t expect anything in return.
It’s worked for me so far.
What kind of code of conduct do you live by?