Archives March 2011

Originally posted: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/14/134532773/Real-Life-Superheroes-Fight-City-Crime-In-Costume
Copy of show
From Spiderman to Wonder Woman, comic book superheroes have been symbols of cool for generations of Americans. Many have fantasized about being a superhero, or at least dressed the part in a Halloween costume. But members of a movement known as Real Life Superheroes actually take on personas and hit the streets – in costume – to fight real crime. Host Michel Martin speaks with two anonymous characters, who go by the names Phoenix Jones and DC’s Guardian, about their efforts to help the police protect communities.
Transcript
Copyright © 2011 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.
MICHEL MARTIN, host:
I’m Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News.
Coming up, my weekly Can I Just Tell You commentary. But first, we just heard about the revival of the Black Panther comic book hero. Now we talk about an effort to bring superheroes to your neighborhood. They call themselves Real Life Superheroes. They are a group of people, adults, who aren’t just fantasizing about being superheroes, they’re actually taking on the personas. And you can see where this might sound a bit strange. So we wanted to know more about this. We’ve invited two so-called superheroes to talk about what they do and why they do it.
Phoenix Jones is from Seattle, Washington. He joins us from KUOW. And DC’s Guardian is based in our nation’s capital, as you might expect from the name. But he happens to be on the West Coast today, where we caught up with him. And he joined us from NPR West.
Welcome to you both. Thank you so much for joining us.
Mr. PHOENIX JONES (Superhero): Well, thank you, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to be with you today.
DC’S GUARDIAN (Superhero): Yes, I agree.
MARTIN: Now, I understand that each of you doesn’t like to talk about your other lives very much. You don’t like to put the focus on your individual identities. But I do think people would like to know how this got started.
So, Phoenix, why don’t you start? How did you get started on this?
Mr. JONES: I used to do a – like, a little bar patrol where I drop people off at the bar, and then since I was already going to have to wait for them, I decided to break up bar fights. After I’d been breaking up bar fights for a little bit, I stopped because people started recognizing me. My face was pretty out there, and I didn’t feel very comfortable.
You know, a little time went by, and I had a son. And we were at Wild Waves, and we were playing in the water. And we leave and we were running back to my car, and he falls in this glass right by my car because someone had broken in my car and broke the window. And his knee is cut open, and he’s bleeding really badly. And I’m trying to stop the bleeding, and I see a guy run across the street with a camera phone. And I’m, like, perfect. He’ll call, you know, call the cops.
So I said, call 9-1-1. I need help. And he said, I can’t. And I said why? He said, it’ll ruin my YouTube clip. And it wasn’t till I was able to get help another way that we were able to get help, and it really disturbed me.
MARTIN: But, wait, how did you go from that story, which a lot of people, I think, can relate to – which is a terrible story, by the way, and I’m sorry that happened to you – to wearing a costume and deciding you were going to actually do patrols?
Mr. JONES: You know, I know that sounds like a large leap, but what happened is I’m cleaning my car up from the glass, and I found a rock inside a mask that they had used to smash my window. And I left the mask in my glove box. And a couple weeks later, I’m at a bar doing what I normally do, driving people to the bar, dropping them off and waiting for them. And a friend of mine gets assaulted outside the bar.
And there’s about 70 people watching, and the guy who did it had a whole lot of friends there. And I didn’t want to just walk up and be, like, hey, you shouldn’t do that, because I knew people would see my face. So I opened up my glove box to call 9-1-1 to get my phone out and saw the mask, put on the mask and kind of made a commotion and chased the person a little bit. And the police showed up, and they were able to arrest him. And that’s kind of how Phoenix Jones was born right there, but it was originally from the break-in, is where I got the mask.
MARTIN: Hmm. Interesting. How about DC, what about you? How did this get started for you?
DC’s GUARDIAN: There was a show several years ago called “Who Wants to be a Superhero?” And I was asked to try out for it, because I was a comic book geek, if you couldn’t tell. And that led to the creation of Skiffytown League of Heroes. But my role with the RLSH, or the Real Life Super Heroes, began when my name started to get out. I was associated with the RLSH, and I decided that if I’m going to be associated, I was going to take an active role in it. So…
MARTIN: And so what do you do? Do you patrol? What do you do?
DC’s GUARDIAN: Well, actually, in Washington, D.C., I would patrol around the National Mall, behind the Capitol area. There’s a lot of very bad crime areas in Washington, D.C. And what I noticed was everybody wanted somebody else to do it. They were waiting for the police to do it. They were waiting for somebody else to come in. And like Phoenix Jones, I saw apathy.
And so I teamed up with a gentleman who was already there, called Captain Prospect, and we would do patrols. We would hand out flyers for missing persons. We would look at the drug scene. We got involved. We didn’t do anything more than 30 years ago what a normal citizen would’ve done, but it took to dress up in costume to get people’s attention to the problems at hand.
MARTIN: Yeah. Well, tell me about the costume in your case. I mean, Phoenix was telling his story, but why do you wear a costume?
DC’s GUARDIAN: Well…
MARTIN: And I can hear that, by the way, that for people who are wondering what that sound is, you’re both in costume now right?
DC’s GUARDIAN: Yes ma’am.
(Soundbite of laughter)
MARTIN: So that’s kind of what we’re hearing, just for people who are wondering what that sound is that we’re hearing. Their costumes is probably a little bulky. I think one of you, at least, perhaps wears a bulletproof vest. Do I have that right.
(Soundbite of laughter)
DC’s GUARDIAN: Yes ma’am.
MARTIN: Okay.
DC’s GUARDIAN: And. Yeah…
MARTIN: Makes sense. So DC, tell me, tell me your story.
DC’s GUARDIAN: Well, my I collared a uniform, my military background. But my uniform is designed so that nobody can see my skin, because as an American, it shouldn’t matter what color I am. I am simply an American. And when I help people, they don’t know if it’s two days later and somebody else needs help. It could be me that they’re helping. What I’m trying to do is create somebody who doesn’t want the recognition, but can be anybody if they walk across – or going down the street.
MARTIN: Well, to that point though, we understand that the police in your respective jurisdictions are not always enamored of this idea…
(Soundbite of laughter)
MARTIN: …of – they think do I have that right? I mean am I being kind of…
DC’s GUARDIAN: Oh, yes ma’am. And…
Mr. JONES: It’s like more than (unintelligible).
MARTIN: DC…
DC’s GUARDIAN: Phoenix has a lot more confrontations. I don’t want to say that in a bad light, but he runs across them a lot more than I do. But we both work with the police as best we can. And I put my best foot forward, because if I’m doing things that are illegal, I’m almost self-defeating.
MARTIN: Well, Phoenix, tell me you story about this. You laughed when I said the police aren’t actually in love with this idea. In fact, there’s a clip of you patrolling in one area where you are trying to restrain a person who you believe has been drinking to excess to keep him from getting into his car – not physically restrain him, but keep him from getting into his car. And when the police arrive on the scene, they are not pleased. And so I’ve seen this on, sort of, YouTube. So talk to me about that, your relationship with law enforcement.
Mr. JONES: Originally, you know, I did a lot of patrols at night, and I was pretty much undiscovered. And I broke up a night fight underneath a bridge here in Seattle and ended up getting hurt in the process. So when the police came and I had one person subdued and I had called the police, they immediately needed to know, you know, who I am, what I’m doing. And when I told them, I pulled out the newspaper the next day, and it said, you know, masked crime fighter attacks Seattle in costume nerdery(ph). And from there it was pretty much, you know, everywhere. It traveled pretty quickly at that point.
MARTIN: But do you have any martial arts training or have any self-defense training, Phoenix?
Mr. JONES: Yeah. I have two different black belts. In my regular life I’m a professional fighter with a lot of wins.
MARTIN: What, like mixed martial arts?
Mr. JONES: Yes ma’am. Uh-huh.
Mr. JONES: So…
MARTIN: And DC, what about you? You’re a veteran and presumably, self-defense training. Do you also have martial arts training?
DC’s GUARDIAN: Yes ma’am. I’ve actually have about 20 to 25 years-plus of martial arts and a lot of military training. And I think for Phoenix and I, it’s not necessarily the ability to beat somebody up, anybody can do that, but it’s to defuse the situation so that nobody’s getting hurt.
MARTIN: If you’re just joining us, this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I’m Michel Martin. We’re talking with two gentlemen who have actually taken on the persona of superheroes. They actually patrol in their communities, try to intervene in situations and fight crime. And they’re not alone. We just happen to be talking to two of them. They go by the names of Phoenix Jones and DC’s Guardian. And Phoenix is in Seattle and DC’s Guardian happens to be on the West Coast today, but he mainly works in the Washington, D.C. area.
But to that point, I mentioned as earlier that you’re not the only people who are doing the right now. But there are some who would argue – and you kind of all know each other and you seem to have a loose confederation called the Real Live Superheroes – but some people would say why not just going into law enforcement where you can get paid to do this and get insurance…
DC’s GUARDIAN: If I could address this.
MARTIN: Yeah.
DC’s GUARDIAN: If I could address this first, Phoenix. People go into the first responders, the police, the fire, the EMT and that’s a wonderful career to do, but not everybody has to do that to step in and make a difference. And what we do is try to show people it’s okay to protect your neighborhood.
MARTIN: Okay, Phoenix, what about you? Why not just go in to law enforcement?
Mr. JONES: You know, I 100 percent agree with what DC said to start with. The other part I would elaborate, and this is more of a personal note, is that I’m an African-American man, and being that, a lot of other African-American people have I would say a strange relationship with how they view police. And I think if I became one I would be less effective. And a good story of that is a man found my Facebook and texted me and said, I have warrants and I wanted to be turned in. I assaulted the cop and I ran away. And knowing cops, I’m very nervous about turning myself in because I don’t want to be assaulted. Is there any way that you would turn me in? And I thought it was a setup, but I met him and I actually turned him in. And he wanted me to do it because he knew that I was like him. That’s what he said. He said you’re one of us. It gives a different angle for people.
MARTIN: Can I just ask you though, and I hope I can ask this without being perceived as being disrespectful because I don’t intend to be. But the thing for a lot of people thing for a lot of people it is the costume. A lot of people just think why are grownups dressing up in costumes?
Mr. JONES: I actually started off with no costumes and that’s why I love this question. Originally, I just had like I said, the ski mask from the robbery that happened in to car and I would just be wearing jeans and I would take whatever shirt I was wearing and just, you know, if I saw a crime walk around the building, take the shirt off, throw the ski mask on, stop crime. And the cops would roll up and pull guns on me and force me on the floor every time.
MARTIN: And you’re shocked by this because?
Mr. JONES: Well, I’m not. I look like a robber. But now I’m Phoenix Jones and I’m a symbol. When cops pull up to a situation I’m in, they may not like me but they start off every conversation with: okay Phoenix, what’s happening now.
(Soundbite of laughter)
MARTIN: Okay.
Mr. JONES: There’s not a gun pulled. It is nothing like that. They know who I am.
MARTIN: DC, what about you? People will say what’s up with the costume? You’re too grown for that.
DC’s GUARDIAN: Well, you know, and we’re not saying everybody needs to wear a costume. But take your own life, for example. Down your street can you really tell what the street looks like day-to-day? You pass things every day and after a certain point you tend to disregard it. And so the costume, when I walk down the street, the whole street is looking at me. It brings a spotlight to a situation. When I help homeless, doing it without a costume is absolutely wonderful but other people never seem to notice that anymore. It becomes just another image on the side of the road. When you see me walking down the street helping a homeless, you’re looking to see what I am and what I’m doing, but then the bigger picture is the homeless on the street.
And the same thing for crime. Walking down the street and just behind the Capitol, two drug dealers – they’re doing it in broad daylight. But I come walking down the street, everybody stops. And when I’m talking to them the whole neighborhood is watching what’s going on. You know, evil doesn’t like light and that’s what the costume helped bring. It brings a light into the situation.
MARTIN: What would you like us to learn from your experience. And DC, you want to start and then Phoenix, you can pick up?
DC’s GUARDIAN: Well, we all bring something different to the table, but every table is different. My fight in Washington, D.C. is different than Phoenix’s. And so people think that we’re polar opposites, but we’re not really. We’re fighting the same war. We just have different battles to win the war.
MARTIN: Well, why do you say that people think you’re polar opposites?
DC’s GUARDIAN: Well, because I am a little more noticeable and a little more above board because, in Washington, D.C. we have what, Secret Service, FBI, local law enforcement. My fights have to be a little more recognizable. Phoenix, who has a lot different drug situations, gang situations, he’s a little more in the shadows, but we’re still fighting the same war. It’s just different battlegrounds.
MARTIN: And, but can I forgive me, I just feel like I have to ask, there are people who just think you’re crazy. That you’re just going to subject yourself…
DC’s GUARDIAN: And that’s fine. No, and that’s fine.
MARTIN: You’re going to subject yourself to being hurt.
DC’s GUARDIAN: But…
MARTIN: I’m guessing law enforcement, that’s one of the reasons they sometimes encourage people not to get involved because…
DC’s GUARDIAN: Well, but…
MARTIN: …they’re afraid you’re going to get hurt and it’s going to add another situation. They just think you’re crazy.
DC’s GUARDIAN: If we don’t do it, who is going to?
Mr. JONES: DC?
DC’s GUARDIAN: You know, at what point do you stand up, draw the line in the sand and say not this time?
Mr. JONES: Yes.
DC’s GUARDIAN: And if we don’t step up, what are our kids learning? If we cannot stand up and protect our community, who will?
Mr. JONES: I agree.
MARTIN: Phoenix, what about you? Your final thought?
Mr. JONES: On patrol now, I’ve been stabbed once, I’ve had my nose broken. I recently got punched with a key. I’ve been hit with a baseball bat. I’ve been held at gunpoint. And you know what happened during all those incidences? The citizen who didn’t come out there wearing a bulletproof vest and wearing armor didn’t get hurt. So if I have to take a little bit of punishment to make sure that my citizens don’t get hurt, I guess I have to.
DC’s GUARDIAN: Well, and having said that, there are a lot of RSH’s who do a lot of charity work and they don’t do anything but charity work. Everybody brings something to the table and it’s time that people started bringing their gifts to the table and stand up and do their part.
MARTIN: Phoenix Jones and DC’s Guardian are the names that these two men use who are a part of the Real Life Superheroes movement.
Phoenix Jones joined us from Seattle’s KUOW. DC’s Guardian joined us from NPR West. If you’d like to see pictures of them in uniform, log on to Npr.org, click on the Programs page and then on TELL ME MORE.
Gentlemen, thank you both so much for joining us.
DC GUARDIAN: Thanks you very much and I hope to be back in D.C. as soon as I can.
(Soundbite of laughter)
Mr. JONES: Thank you again for having me on. Phoenix out.
(Soundbite of music)
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Jill Smolowe and Howard Breuer with reporting by Kathy Ehrich Dowd

Slower than an speeding Bullet, they patrol city streets, hoping to lend a hand, inspire compassion and even thwart crime
She finds her work as an accountant “a boring 9-to-5 job.” But many an evening after Irene Thomas, 21, returns to her cramped 400-sq.-ft attic apartment in a town in Bergen County, N.J., she slips into a black catsuit, accessories with a red belt, red gloves and boots, and sometimes also dons a mask. When she emerges in her Honda Accord on the Manhattan side of the Lincoln Tunnel, she is Nyx, her namesake a Greek goddess of the night. While she might patrol the streets looking for anything out of the ordinary, her immediate mission is distributing food and clothes to the homeless. And she has another goal: to call attention to her actions so that “other people notice and are maybe motivated to help too.”
She is not alone. From New York City to Seattle, scores of costumed crusaders have joined the superhero movement. While their aims aren’t always unified- some cater to the needy while others are bent on thwarting crime- most of them share a desire to stomp out citizen apathy by modeling “superhero” virtues. “I just feel like I’m walking no air after I’ve helped 30 people,” says Chaim “Life” Lazaros, 26, a production manager by day, who wears a mask and fedora (a la Green Hornet) when he takes to New York’s streets at night. The superheroes, who range from dishwashers to Fortune 500 execs, cut across political, religious and age lines and are often comic book geeks, says Tea Krulos, who blogs about the phenomenon. “They don’t want to admit it, [but] it’s fun to dress up.”
Not everyone is impressed by their derring-do. On a recent night in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, a teenage homeless girl only smirked when Motor Mouth, a ninja like fixture of the San Francisco Bay Area’s streets, handed her a bag of food. Unfazed, Motor Mouth (who refuses to give his real name) says he doesn’t mind “a million people snickering behind my back as long as there is the possibility to help.”
The costumed do-gooders, who pack nothing more lethal than first-aid kits and benign intentions, get high marks from the police. “Any time a citizen gets involved- great,” says Det. Renee Witt of the Seattle police department. Others, like Seattle superhero Phoenix Jones, 22, have crated a stir by being brazen crime fighters. In recent months Phoenix Jones claims he has interrupted knife fights, helps catch drug dealers and has been stabbed. Certainly he’s sparked discussion among his peers about boundaries. “If we see the police are already there, our philosophy is the matter has been addressed,” says Seattle’s White Baron. Most self-styled superheroes are well aware they can’t fly or outrun speeding bullets. “If you life this kind of life,” says Motor Mouth, 30, “you can’t take yourself entirely seriously.”

Dark Guardian By Day: Martial-arts instructor, 26 Superhero Duty: Chases drug dealers City: New York His efforts to clean Manhattan’s Washing Square Park of drug deales do not always impress local police	Nyx By Day: Accountant, 21 Superhero Target: The homeless City: New York She’s given up on chasing drug dealers “Its just really fun to jump into a costume and help people,” she says.
DC Guardian By Day: Government worker, mid-40s Superhero Virtue: Patriotism City: Washington, D.C. Active in charity work, this Air Force vet also hands out American flags and talks tourist about the U.S. Constitution.	Motor Mouth By Day: Special-education teacher, 30 Superhero Goal: Thwarting crime City: San Francisco Bay Area He says his attempts to “be at the right place at the right time” have included stopping a man from beating his wife.
Life By Day: Production manager, 26 Superhero Inspiration: His parents City: New York “Even something little like a razor blade” for a clean shave before a job interview, he says, “is a big deal” to the homeless	Phantom Zero By Day: Computer technician, 34 Superhero Style: Teamwork City: New York Nyx’s street partner (and live-in boyfriend), he delivers clothes to women’s shelters and feeds feeds people.

Smolowe, Jill, Howard Breuer, and Kathy E. Dowd. “Superheroes Among Us.” People Magazine 75.11 (2011): 92-94. Print.

Originally posted: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/real-life-superheroes-patrol-our-city-streets

By Mark Berman Opposing Views

The next time you need help, you may get it from a real life superhero. A group of people calling themselves, oddly enough, the Real Life Superhero Project takes to the streets of U.S. cities, helping out the needy.
People magazine reports that members want to reduce citizen apathy by exhibiting “superhero” virtues and encourage others to do the same.
The group’s Web site writes:
So who are these modern day heroes? They are our neighbors, our friends, our family members. They are artists, musicians, athletes, and yes, politicians. Their actions serve as reminders that as most giving today has become reactive—digital and removed, temporarily soothing our guilt and feelings of helplessness—we have blinded ourselves to simple principles and practice of compassion and goodwill.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, 21-year-old Irene Thomas is one of them. By day she is a self-described “boring accountant” in New Jersey. At night she is “Nyx,” patrolling the streets of New York City wearing a black catsuit and mask with a red belt, gloves and boots.
She gives food and clothes to the homeless, and hopes “other people notice and are maybe motivated to help too.”
New York production manager Chaim Lazaros’s alter-ego is “Life,” wearing a black hat, mask and waistcoat.
‘I just feel like I’m walking on air after I’ve helped 30 people,’ he told People.
The ninja-like “Motor Mouth” calls San Francisco home. He generally gets a positive response, but one teenage homeless girl smirked when he handed her a bag of food.
“(I don’t mind) if a million people snickering behind my back as long as there is the possibility to help,” he said. He added, “if you live this kind of life, you can’t take yourself entirely seriously.”

Originally posted: http://honoluluweekly.com/film/current-film/2011/03/no-capes/
By Ryan Senaga

Superheroes looks at ordinary “crime fighters.”
Superheroes / Just in time to reality-check us before the gluttonous orgy of comic-book-inspired summer blockbusters is Superheroes, an examination of real-life superheroes that walk among us.
These are people who dress in costume to fight crime. An Albert Einstein quote opens the documentary: “The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil but because of those who look on and do nothing.” On the flip side of that is Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee, who deadpans, “I figure that person could get hurt.” Some of the people who patrol the streets in costumes could very well get into serious trouble.
Mr. Xtreme is a slightly overweight shut-in who eventually moves into his van to keep up his lifestyle. At one point he admits, “I don’t really have a social life.” And it’s heartbreaking when he attributes this to his dedication to his “job.”
There’s more. Zimmer, an openly gay superhero, dresses in a red fishnet shirt and swishes femininely down a street after midnight to “bait” someone into mugging him. (His crew tails him in hiding to assist with any potential attack.)
Master Legend takes frequent breaks to refresh himself with an ice-cold can of beer.
While telling an anecdote about the life of a superhero, the Vigilante Spider mentions that superheroes kiss their girlfriends goodbye before heading out, just like any normal person would. The interviewer asks, “So you have a girlfriend?” Vigilante Spider answers, “Oh, just metaphorically speaking.”
Still, there is a sense of humanity that paints these folks as genuine Good Samaritans. While they seem like nutballs–and some definitely are–director Michael Barnett makes us feel for these people and what they are trying to do.
Zetaman and his girlfriend, Apocalypse Meow, hand out care packages that contain essentials, such as toilet paper, to the homeless in Oregon. And the money for these supplies come from their own pockets.
At one point, a map of the US is shown with pins marking the states that have real-life superheroes. Hawaii isn’t marked.
While it’s nice to know there aren’t fat people in spandex walking the Honolulu sidewalks, perhaps more people with purposeful intentions to do good wouldn’t be such a bad thing for the Islands.

Originally posted: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1364664/The-superheroes-patrol-streets-help-needy.html
By Mark Duell
Irene Thomas is part of the Real Life Superhero Project organisation
They aim to bring help, compassion and crime prevention to the streets
By day Irene Thomas says she is a ‘boring’ accountant who lives in a cramped New Jersey flat.
By night she puts on a black catsuit and mask with a red belt, gloves and boots, gets into her Honda Accord car and comes out the other side of the Lincoln Tunnel in Manhattan as ‘Nyx’.
The 21-year-old is just one member of the Real Life Superhero Project, a group of humans who aim to bring a helping hand to people everywhere and thwart crime on city streets.

‘Nyx’: Irene Thomas, 21, of New Jersey, is far from a ‘boring’ accountant when she puts on a black catsuit and mask with a red belt, gloves and boots to become a New York superhero

Mission: The Real Life Superhero Project aims to bring a helping hand to people everywhere and thwart crime

Most superheroes in the project want to cut down citizen apathy by modelling ‘superhero’ virtues and encourage others to do the same, reported People magazine.
Nyx, who shares her name with the Greek goddess of night, gives food and clothes to the homeless of New York. She hopes ‘other people notice and are maybe motivated to help too’.
She said on the Real Life Superheroes website: ‘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.’
Production manager Chaim Lazaros, 26, dons a black hat, mask and waistcoat to become ‘Life’ when he patrols the New York streets by night.
‘I just feel like I’m walking on air after I’ve helped 30 people,’ he told People magazine.

‘Motor Mouth’: The ninja-like San Francisco superhero, who is known only as a 30-year-old teacher and will not reveal his identity, told People magazine: ‘If you live this kind of life, you can’t take yourself entirely seriously’

Many homeless and vulnerable people are pleased to receive the superheroes’ help, but the reaction is not always positive.
One teenage homeless girl in San Francisco smirked when ninja-like ‘Motor Mouth’ handed her a bag of food, but this did not worry him.
‘(I don’t mind) a million people snickering behind my back as long as there is the possibility to help,’ he said.

Other stars: Samaritan joins New York superheroes Dark Guardian and Phantom Zero on the streets

‘If you live this kind of life, you can’t take yourself entirely seriously,’ he added.
Motor Mouth won’t reveal his true identity but said he is a 30-year-old teacher.
Many of those involved in the project are believed to be comic-book geeks.
Other New York superheroes include martial arts instructor Dark Guardian, 22, 34-year-old computer technician Phantom Zero, and Samaritan, who lives and works in the city.

Phoenix Jones: The 22-year-old from Seattle is one of America’s most famous ‘superheroes’ and claims to have broken up knife fights, caught drug dealers and been stabbed in the line of duty

One of America’s most famous ‘superheroes’ is Seattle-based Phoenix Jones, 22, who claims to have broken up knife fights, caught drug dealers and been stabbed.
He is part of a group called the Rain City Superhero Movement, which tries to keep the streets safe and has received the backing of the Seattle police department.

A few months back I was honored to have an interview with some amazing people from a charity called HEART HEROES.   (You can listen to the interview at the link below.)
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/superhero_academy/2010/12/12/superhero-academy
These folks are doing something simple, yet powerful.   They provide custom superhero capes for children with congential heart disease. These capes help the kids to find their inner hero and gain the courage they need to face the surgeries and other issues that plague them in their day-to-day lives.
At the beginning of 2011, they had given out over 200 capes.  However, they still had a waiting list of over 200 more kids who needed capes but could not afford to send them yet.
So I had an idea.
We have decided to take the path of being a real life superhero…why dont we take this side path and help these little ones who need help finding their own inner heroes.

What I am proposing is a pledge drive. Each hero…or villain…or citizen…or Wal-Martian being…or whatever…that reads this, please search your soul and see if you can help out by donating to this cause. The cost to purchase and ship one cape is $25. Thats not much to give the gift of hope and courage to a child in need. How many capes do you think you could provide to HEART HEROES in the year of 2011?
I would like to see us step up and provide enough capes to overcome their backlog, and possibly even provide enough to see that they dont get behind again. If we use their numbers from 2010, we can estimate a need of 400 capes plus the 200 they need already…thats 600 capes heroes…I believe we can do it?
I have  personally pledged to provide at least 6 capes to HEART HEROES in 2011…I will do more as I am able. Who will join me in this mission? Add your name to the list and lets see how fast we can reach 600 capes for 600 little heroes!
Another friend has pledged a portion of the income from her online business toward this cause.
Donations can be made at your discretion – be it weekly, monthly, or one lump sum – and should be sent to HEART HEROES directly…just follow the link below.
http://powercapes.com/heart

Originally posted: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3449966/Superheroes-teenage-nicks.html
By Vince Soodin

Masked crusaders Night Warrior and The Man In Black, both 18, teamed up like Batman and Robin.
They have already hunted down a suspected drugs gang and tipped off cops about their den in North London.
Hat-wearing The Man In Black said he has been in a few scrapes tackling crime – and was cut on the hand by one thug. But he only uses an UMBRELLA for protection.
He revealed his identity as unemployed Joseph Falica, of Harrow, who started patrols two years ago. He said: “I’m willing to risk my life.”
Spandex-clad Night Warrior, who has joined him on patrol in London, is from Salford, Gtr Manchester. He said: “I’m saving up for a bullet-proof vest.”
Last week The Sun told of at least 16 other real-life superheroes on Britain’s streets.

Superheroes Anonymous Costume Workshop

Time	Thursday, March 10 · 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Location	SpaceCraft Brooklyn 355 Bedford Ave Brooklyn, NY

 
Superheroes Anonymous will be holding a COSTUME WORKSHOP on Thursday, March 3rd, at the wonderful venue, Spacecraft Brooklyn! This event will help aspiring and active Real Life Superheroes develop and design superhero identities and realize their inner superhero. With the materials and skills of the SPACECRAFT team – we can create nearly anything to accompany your superhero uniform! It’s the perfect time to become acquainted with the work of SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS and to create a unique superhero costume that can never be bought in a store!
The price of admission is $20 and will include all materials needed to turn a normal wardrobe into a fully functional SUPERHERO COSTUME! We will also be providing FREE BEER for those 21 and older.
Though we will be providing materials, participants must bring a BASE WARDROBE that they want to be modified. That means a basic shirt and pants (or spandex!) to be turned into a super-heroic uniform. For example: we can help you make a mask, design a cape or breastplate or sew cool designs and accessories onto your jeans or a shirt, but we won’t be able to provide the spandex shirts or motorcycle jackets.
PRICE: $20/person INCLUDES: Costume Materials & Unlimited Beer
DIRECTIONS: L train to Bedford Ave, walk South to S. 4th St.
PLEASE RSVP TO [email protected]
 

Originally posted:  http://www.news.com.auhttp://www.couriermail.com.au/news/captain-australia-is-queenslands-first-superhero-and-has-vowed-to-clean-up-the-streets-of-brisbane/story-e6freon6-1226015976662#ixzz1MCgVzVWD
By Anthony Templeton of mX
HE spends his days changing nappies, but come nightfall the domesticated dad of two transforms into Brisbane’s guardian.

mX reports that Captain Australia is Brisbane’s dinky-di superhero, a real-life replica of the cult US film Kick-Ass.

Most weekends, the middle-aged father of two regularly patrols Fortitude Valley’s seedier streets.
Dressed in green and gold, Captain Australia says “being a hero isn’t as glamorous as you might think”.
“There’s no brooding on the edge of a skyscraper overlooking the city.”
His only defences against crime? A utility belt holding a torch, mobile phone and video camera.
Captain Australia, who refuses to reveal his true identity, says he has saved a young woman from experiencing unspeakable darkness after a night out in the Valley.
“During one patrol, I stopped two sexual predators from taking advantage of a very drunk woman at a taxi rank,” he said.
“Unfortunately, I was unsure of my ability to conduct a citizen’s arrest and the two predators ran away before the police arrived. But I was able to prevent a near-certain sexual assault.”
Captain Australia won’t reveal his identity, but is adamant he is just a regular Queenslander fighting evil in his beloved Brisbane.
“Evil triumphs when good men do nothing,” he said. “I want to inspire a new generation to stop using apathy as a shield.
“People don’t know how to react to my costume  it shocks and amuses them.”
A police spokeswoman said the public should leave crime fighting to the professionals.
‘We would prefer that Captain Australia didn’t intervene in incidents as we are unsure of the extent of his superpowers,” she said.
Have you been saved by Captain Australia? Tell us your story at: [email protected]

Originally posted: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3445844/Britains-first-real-life-female-superhero-on-mission-to-rescue-abused-pets.html
By Ryan Sabey and Dan Sales
BRITAIN’S first real-life female superhero emerged last night – and she saves abused PETS.
The mysterious BLACK ARROW claims to have used her secret identity for six years.
She wears a cape and mask and is a carer for disabled adults by day.
The Londoner said: “I make sure people aren’t abusing their animals. I serve justice to those who deserve it. We stand for those who cannot, because we can.”
The Sun has revealed at least 16 superheroes in Britain.
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Another to emerge yesterday was Londoner CAPTAIN CHAMPION who patrols with a Union Flag shield.
His pal VAGUE, 24, is also a crime-buster.
ZEITGEIST, who dons a black mask, claims to have helped “clean up” a bar serving underage drinkers.
Blue-costumed hero ANGLE GRINDER spends days as a Kent odd-job man and nights removing wheel clamps from cars.
KNOW a real superhero? Call us on 0207 782 4104 or email [email protected]
[email protected]