Category Articles 2010

Originally posted: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5947490/finally_a_real_life_superhero.html?cat=49
By Chris Ware
This is one of the most amazing stories you will eve hear. You probably will not believe it. I can’t blame you for questioning it but it is all true. The world now has its very own real life flesh and blood superhero. This new superhero has arrived in Monrovia the capital of Liberia in Africa.
Lion Heart has been protecting the people in Monrovia and the surrounding villages for the last few weeks now. Lion Heart is involved in a number of different things. Most of what Lion Heart does is educate the local people. He does not teach them to read or write but he teaches them things they do not know that can save their life.
In many rural African villages people do not know they should boil their water before drinking the water they get from local streams. This is one of the largest causes of death in the world. He lets them know about this and they are now less likely to get sick and die. The children are the most likely to die from problems caused by drinking bad water.
Other things that seem simple the local villagers do not know. The sanitation conditions are terrible. Many families have sick members living with them and they do not know to cover their mouth when they cough. They will even eat and drink using the same cup and utensils as a sick person.
Some of the information he gives has been able to literally save the life of a person who was dying. Health related information is not the only information that he gives though. He also teaches about human trafficking so people will not be fooled and sent into slavery.
Over the last few weeks he has learned many things and found more problems and more solutions. He continues to improve what he has already been doing.
Lion Heart also has a small following. All the people he visits are told to teach others. Many teach family, friends, and some even teach the entire village they live in. A few people have even been taught by Lion Heart how they can help others too and are now doing the same things he is.
While it might be odd for an adult to run around in a cape and mask what he is doing is a great thing. There is no telling how many lives he will affect by what he is doing. It is likely we will be hearing more about this superhero soon.

By Garth Olson
The Valley Wire

Apparently, real life super heroes are popping up everywhere. It’s a concept that started nearly two years ago and has been growing quickly, thanks in part to Hollywood photographer Peter Tangen.
Tangen started the Real Life Super Hero Project after reading about a real life super hero in a magazine.
“Having done the photography for the Spider-Man, Batman Begins and Hellboy movie posters, I was immediately inspired by the idea that superheroes really exist,” Tangen said.
Real Life Super Heroes
Across the country, men and women are reinventing themselves as real life super heroes. And yes, they’re dressing up in super hero costumes, which can include capes, masks, and you know – super hero garb. But beneath the outlandishness of the costumes, seriousness quickly takes over. Real Life Super Heroes are fighting the good fight against all sorts of serious problems from the homeless, child abuse and poverty as well as crime and drugs.

RazorHawk
One example is RazorHawk, who wears a yellow beak graphic on his costume of blue and black. He lives and operates in the Twin Cities area, and a few folks know his true identity. Along with safety patrols in the Minneapolis, RazorHawk is coordinating HOPE2011, which is a homeless outreach event that will be held during Comic-Con in San Diego in July. His team, The Great Lakes Heroes Guild, works with homeless, and during the event in San Diego, his team plans on passing out over 100 backpacks of clean clothes and personal care products to people who have no place to live.
“We are out there of our own volition, we are not being paid,” RazorHawk said. “We are trying to make the world a better place. It’s not all about jumping from rooftop to rooftop but affecting change and getting people to recognize how bad some of the problems our individual cities face.” His motto is, “family first, saving the world begins at home.”
The Watchman
In Milwaukee, The Watchman wears a red mask and a trench coat; sometimes he’ll wear a cape. Not long ago he stated that only his wife and kids knew his true identity, but out of necessity a few co-workers and a few cops learned of his identity. Along with patrolling areas of Milwaukee and by getting more residents involved with community watch groups, The Watchman also works to raise donations and toys for his Christmas Mission.
“Being a Real Life Superhero isn’t glamorous, he said. “It’s hard work and takes a lot of patience and motivation. It’s not Batman. We don’t have super powers…it’s really about being a good neighbor, watching out for people and lending a hand when
it’s needed.”
Peter Tangen
As real life super heroes started popping up across the country, Hollywood photographer, Peter Tangen developed the concept, The Real Life Super Hero Project. He stated that the various local media outlets, like local news stations, seemed more focused on the costumes than the bigger picture of community service. In the beginning the media, like local tv news stations, “seemed to be mocking” the super heroes and casting them in a “negative light,” Tangen said. Tangen’s photography project quickly helped shift the focus towards the individual service work of the super heroes and away from just the middle-age guys in costumes” angle.
“The Real Life Super Hero Project inspired a deeper story that the media missed,” Tangen said. Tangen, whose work can be seen online at RealLifeSuperHeroes.com, created movie-like posters of the real life super heroes and helped transform their image from campy to super cool.
“I researched the super heroes and discovered that the media was missing the real story, one of truly inspiring people who selflessly give their communities,” Tangen added. “They are in fact marketing good deeds and since we live in a world of symbols, they understand their value and use symbols to make their work visible to the public.”
The art directors for the project include Bryan Allen, Paul Hoegh-Guldberg, Kevin Bachman, Martin Gueulette, Rick Lynch and Robert Russell.
Tangen’s Work
Tangen recently visited Milwaukee and Minneapolis while working on the project. Currently, he’s back in Los Angeles, where he’s self-employed as a Hollywood photographer. He’s done the photography for many movie posters including Wedding Crashers, Elf and many comic book and horror films like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street.
Tangen grew up in Minneapolis and stated that he specializes in photographing movie stars for movie posters. Those photo sessions can last an hour or for a full day in the case for the Spider-Man posters. As for the Real Life Super Hero
Project, Tangen added that more and more creative people have donated their time as the project keeps evolving.
“Writers, editors, 3D graphic artists, motion graphic artists, web designer and camera operators… about 100 people have volunteered their time and resources in support of this project.” Currently, there are over 150 Real Life Super Heroes across the globe and thanks to Tangen, and his team’s creative work, that number is growing steadily.
Real Life Super Hero Project photographer Peter Tangen also did the photography for the movie posters for Batman Begins and Wedding Crashers.
Tangen grew up in Minneapolis and currently lives in Los Angeles.

Originally posted: http://pmsoden.com/2010/10/26/super-heroes-in-real-life/
When you think about Superheroes what do you picture? Do you picture guys running around in tights with their capes flapping in the wind inside comic books ? Men and Women with Supernatural powers either from a radioactive insect bite, born with some mutated gene , or came from a dying planet? Or do you picture ordinary men and women out there doing good deeds for citizens? I bet you chose the first couple and not the later.
I have actually been reading comic books since I was 12. They started out being just Archie comic books or teenage mutant ninja turtles at the time. I never really got into Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman until an incident sparked at my house and I sat on a bathroom floor crying wanting to die. I didn’t really have the good life growing up. I was accused one time of always getting whatever I wanted. They had no idea the kinds of things I went through growing up and seemed to not even care. Sometimes people can hide things so well that people are often led to believe that they are something else. I guess in a way I had my own secret identity. The one I showed on the outside when smiling and hanging out with friends and the one that was at home where I would spend hours locked in my room to avoid certain situations such as being yelled at just for spilling a soda on the floor. The was a suicide prevention seminar that they gave out free comics of Superman who was helping a little girl out with her problems. Something sparked in me, almost like a light bulb went on.
That day I came home from school straight off the school bus my step-father was sitting at his desk smoking his cigarettes and spitting crud into his ashtray. He was sitting there with no shirt on , hair a mess and writing on his yellow pads that he always wrote on. I later found out what he was writing and regret to this day to find out what kind of sickness that was inside his head. I don’t remember the events the events in detail that happened that day besides showing him the comic book. Mom was in the kitchen cooking something and didn’t know what was going on. I remember being yelled at because I wasn’t doing something right. I remember running into my room and locking my door behind me. I remember him beating on it , yelling at me to open up my door, my mother yelling at him to stop yelling at me and my baby brother crying somewhere in the background. After it all died down I went into the bathroom and locked myself in there. I sat against the toilet holding the comic . I started to read it and was instantly inspired to do more with my life. It was like someone was telling me that it would be okay and that is where my Superman obsession came from.
I always wondered what it would be like if someone were to be a superhero in real life? What would this world do with someone like that?
I never really wanted to run around in a cape and tights myself except for the one year for Halloween I was Wonder Woman. Years later I am doing a project for a college class on the psychological effects of superheros on children and I discover some very interesting things. I just happen to fall on top of various random links to REAL LIFE SUPERHEROES! I was instantly interested and I had to find out more.
Wikipedia says that ,” Real-life superhero is a term applied to real-world people who dress and/or act like comic book superheroes. Sometimes, this label is bestowed upon them by those whom they have helped or the media, while at other times, the aspiring superheroes apply the label to themselves. Sometimes, the term is applied to firefighters, police officers, and other good Samaritans. The actions of New York City police and firefighters during the September 11, 2001 attacks led to frequent use of the term.”

I started talking to RazorHawk on twitter. I instantly added him as a friend.
Razorhawk does a lot of work involving children such as Toys For Tots. He told me in an interview that they don’t go out looking for trouble but a lot of them do train to deal with this when it does comes up. He really wants people to be inspired and do good things for others. Kids especially accept superheroes in their lives and makes them go forward with doing good deeds later in their lives as well. It is almost like a Pay it Forward type of deal. He is working with the 2011 Homeless Organization to raise awareness on Homelessness. They are accepting all kinds of donations not just monetary! RazorHawk is a part of the Great Lakes Heroes Guild which includes other really great heroes such as Geist, Watchman,Doc Spectral, and Celtic Viking. He also runs Hero Gear so if you are looking for a super costume contact Razor Hawk! He is very passionate about what he does and he has already inspired me to do more for where I live.
Another Superhero I interviewed recently is Metatron Arc Angel. He does his best to help anyone he can. He actually started wearing a mask in second grade to beat up bullies. Like Razor Hawk and other Real Life Super Heroes he had training in street fighting , defending yourself, how to protect yourself, etc. He is with a group of other Real Life Super Heroes called Team Justice. It is a legally registered non-profit organization. Like all other Super Heroes they have to coöperate with the law and even though Metatron Arc Angel went to jail once he was recognized by the Sheriff’s Department with an Award. Look out for a book by him sometime in the future giving you all sorts of information and advice on RLSH’s!

Shadow Panther is another hero who since younger always wanted to do some good in the world . He didn’t just want to do good but wanted to be remembered as well. He wanted people to remember there are people out there that do help. His costume was designed after his favorite superhero of all time Black Panther. He is a member of the CFA (Fire Brigade) outside of his costume. This is another example how in or out of costume these heroes still manage to do some good! He also taught himself some martial arts and received training to work on the streets. All of these heroes know how to take care of themselves and the bad guys as well. He wears a bullet proof vest and carries pepper spray with him to protect himself. One of the questions I asked was if there is a moment you ever feared for your life and he said ” All the time ….,” because he loves his family very much and is constantly worried about them. His group is the “Stealth” group . All of these heroes have their own uniqueness about them and the groups they are in are one of those things.
I focused on the recent movie Kick-Ass and how it shows an ordinary person dressing up as a comic book hero. Most of these heroes did read comics growing up like Spider-Man was one of Shade Panther’s inspirations. There is not , however, the violence you see in this movie. This movie over exaggerates the vigilante to get people’s attention. I think in a way they got their attention the wrong way. Yes, it is inspiring to see people doing what this guy did but it is another thing to see the blood shed and the lives lost during watching this movie. In some way I really don’t like the vigilante justice thought of being a superhero. To me being a superhero is not about revenge and taking lives it is about making lives better and helping people who have no way to help themselves.
I really liked Shade Panther’s answers about advice on becoming a RLSH ,” Yes definitely, here are some options of what hero you could be..
Crime Fighter: Expect to die, just because it seems easy in the movies doesn’t make it easy in real life, you have to be committed, have training, and know what the hell you are doing and have a goal..
Green: Be consistent, take care of the earth in whole and encourage recycling and stopping logging. This is a very important role, add Treesong on facebook if you want to ask some more questions about this role..
Lifer: Walk around with a bag full of food (Bread, rolls, canned food, etc..), clothes (Shirts, pants, shoes, jumpers, jackets, etc..) and sheltering items (Umbrellas, tents, and pretty much anything that could help them in staying warm and dry).. This is a very kind and selfless thing to do, even I do this.
Patrol: Safer than crime fighting and very helpful, you patrol the streets or watch from buildings and report suspicious looking characters to the police. You could also call ambulances, fire brigades, and report crimes being committed, the possibilities are exemplary for this group.
Extremist: Nobody is in this group and I do not suggest it in any way, I am only putting this here because it is a category. The extremist will push there limits and generally go after high-end criminals (Mass Murderers, Serial killers, rapists, etc..) and also stop massive drug rings and prevent mafia hits. This I could only suggest to an extremely qualified Navy SEAL or members of the SAS or SWAT.”
These guys are not just doing it to show off their flashy capes and hide behind masks to make money. Some of these guys and gals are out there doing what they do and having to struggle to pay their bills when they get home. They sacrifice themselves everyday for the common good. They are out there doing what some only dare to dream to do . If you see someone needing water on the street do you walk over them and keep going or do you stop and give them some water or some change? Sometimes you might think ” well, they will only use it on alcohol or drugs” and in some cases that might be true . Most cases I can tell you for a fact it isn’t.
I do what I can when I can for people. My own daughter has taken the gloves off her hands for another child who needed them. If a 8-year-old little girl can do it , why can’t you?
Sometimes all it takes is a bit of caring to make the world a better place and this is what these guys and gals are all about . I really admire what they are doing and why they are doing it. I would be honored to one day meet one of the RLSH’s in person and shake their hand. They are not just standing by and letting the world revolve around them, they are making the world revolve.

Originally posted: http://www.martialartsclothing.org/real-life-super-heroes.php
And you thought superheroes existed only in fiction? Inspired by fiction superheroes such as Batman and Superman, these people wear masks and capes in order to fight real crime on the strets. Here’s a list with 10 of the most famous real-life superheroes.
Superbarrio (Mexico)
He’s faster than a speeding turtle, able to leap small speed bumps in a single bound. Look, up in the sky … Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Superbarrio — a flabby caped crusader in cherry red tights who traverses the streets of Mexico City, defending the lower class. A high school dropout with a humble upbringing, Superbarrio has become one of Mexico City’s greatest folk heroes. For the past 10 years, he has stood as the champion of the working class, the poor and the homeless.

“I opened my eyes and found myself as you see me with a voice telling me, ‘You are Superbarrio,’” he said, explaining that his name means super-neighborhood. “I can’t stop a plane or a train single-handed, but I can keep a family from being evicted.” His role is primarily symbolic as the protector of low-income neighborhoods. But on behalf of squatters and labor unions, Superbarrio leads protest rallies, files petitions and challenges court decisions. Rumors also have circulated that he attempted to run for the president of the United States to better protect Mexican workers. His followers find him inspirational and recently erected a statue in his honor — a giant lifelike replica that looks like an oversized Cabbage Patch doll at 40. The awed crowd chanted, “You see him. You feel him. Superbarrio is here!”
Terrifica (NY City)
Terrifica patrols New York City’s bars, clubs, and streets by night, in an effort to protect inebriated women in danger of being taken advantage of by men. Since the mid-1990s Terrifica has donned a golden mask, Valkyrie bra, blond wig, red boots and cape, to distract the men she tries to dissuade from seducing drunk young women. She carries a utility belt containing a pepper spray, cell phone, lipstick, a camera to photograph alleged predators, a journal, Terrifica fortune cards, and Smarties for energy. Terrifica has an arch-nemesis, a self-proclaimed philanderer who calls himself Fantastico. “I protect the single girl living in the big city,” says Terrifica. By day, she is Sarah, a 30-year-old single woman who works for a computer consulting company. “I do this because women are weak. They are easily manipulated, and they need to be protected from themselves and most certainly from men and their ill intentions toward them.”
The Eye (Mountain View California)
The Eye is a 48 year-old superhero who patrols the streets of Mountain View, California. He is a street-level, practical crime fighter, who uses various electronic and other means to prevent crime. He has even got a myspace page!
Citizen Prime (Phoenix)
Citizen Prime, a 40-year-old married man whose first name is Jim, has been protecting the streets of Phoenix for a year. He became a superhero to spread the message that people don’t have to be fearful of crime. “Are you going to sit inside scared that a terrorist might attack your city, or are you going to go out and live your life?” he asked. But Prime, who patrols once or twice a week in a black, blue and yellow costume, found one chink in his armor. He couldn’t find any crime. “The only crime I’ve ever stopped is when I was actually walking out of a sporting goods store with my wife,” he said. “A shoplifter came running past me, and I managed to throw him to the ground.”
Tothian (NJ and NY city)
Tothian, 22, is a superhero who protects New Jersey and New York, is one of the more active heroes. He uses his skills as a Marine reservist and martial arts expert when patrolling the streets, and has escorted women home at night and broken up fights. His uniform–he prefers that term to costume–is black combat boots, green cargo pants and a T-shirt. His logo, which is stitched into the middle of the T-shirt with cut-up bandanas, is made from the letters used to spell Tothian. Tothian doesn’t wear a mask because it blocks his peripheral vision, and says he doesn’t wear a cape “because capes get in the way of actually doing real superhero stuff.” Tothian says he doesn’t want to become a police officer because he doesn’t agree with every law on the book. “I’m not out to punish every single criminal,” he said. For example, he would counsel marijuana smokers, but wouldn’t apprehend them as bad guys. Tothian said he gets some strange looks when people find out he’s a superhero. But after people realize he’s out to protect them, he says their trepidation eases somewhat.
Angle Grinder Man (London, and Kent)
Angle-grinder Man patrols by night looking for unhappy drivers who have been clamped and then sets the
IS IT ME OR THESE NUTJOBS CRAZY AND WHAT UR SIGN

By Spooky on October 8th, 2010
Armed with a flashlight, a can of pepper spray and a cell phone, the Watchman patrols the streets of Riverwest, hunting for criminals and evil doers. But he’s got a job, so he only plays superhero on weekends.
Although he doesn’t have any real superpowers (or even weapons), The Watchman likes to refer to himself as a real life superhero. Instead of gadgets and weapons, he opted for a simple Motorola phone, which he uses to report the crimes he happens to witness while patrolling. Contacting the police or calling an ambulance is sometimes more important than intervening in person, so he prefers to let authorities handle emergencies.
The 6-foot, 200-pound superhero wears a red mask over half his face, to conceal his identity, so that his family doesn’t have to suffer from his crime-fighting activities. He has always felt that anyone can do something to make our world better, and after contemplating about becoming a police officer, he decided to become the Watchman. While he understands some people may think his superhero outfit is somewhat funny, he’s out there to show people everyone can do their part.
But the Watchman is not the only superhero patrolling the streets at night. He actually belongs to the Great Lakes Heroes Guild, a group of real life superheroes who exchange resources and information in order to make the world a better place.
Most of the Riverwest locals who know about the Watchman think it’s actually pretty cool that they have their own superhero who actually cares about their safety and well-being, but he does get into trouble every once in a while. For example, he once saw four boys leaving an underaged party with a 15-year-old drunk girl. It seemed like they were going to take advantage of her, so he stepped in, but then her big brother came out, who seeing his masked face, thought he was the bad guy and pulled out a knife. All the Watchman could do was jump in his car and get the hell out of there. Not very superhero-like, but even a scared superhero is better than no superhero, right? Wait, that doesn’t sound right…

Originally posted:http://thirdcoastdigest.com/2010/10/podcast-mad-as-hell/
By Mark Metcalf
The children (and now, adults) of Generations X and Y spent their formative years deeply immersed in a culture of fantasy. Between comic books and Saturday morning cartoons, the cultural fascination with super heroes — specifically those who, underneath the masks and capes, are just average people — grows with each new generation.
But America’s love, and in some ways, yen for a hero is nothing new. In fact, those well-known characters of fantasy were all borne out of a collective desire to have control when the world seems to be going down the toilet. When senseless crime is on the rise and the people and institutions put in place to protect us can barely keep an adequate staff on the payroll.

In pop culture, people have found hope in fictional Everyday-Joe-cum-caped-crusader stories since the early days of Spider-Man. But in real life– and right here in Milwaukee — there are a few among us who have taken the concept and run with it.
Several years ago, Tea Krulos caught wind of a real-life superhero movement happening right here in the Midwest and, as he learned, beyond. Though apprehensive, Krulos immersed himself in their world, interviewing as many people as possible and traveling as far as Vancouver and as near as his own backyard of Riverwest to learn more.
Local author Tea Krulos.
What he found was a diverse group of people, fed up with the state of their own neighborhoods and cities who decided to do something about it… mask, cape and all.
You can learn more about Tea’s book Heroes in the Night here, and more about his research here. Be my hero and subscribe to Backstage with Mark Metcalf through iTunes.

Originally posted: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2010/10/04/Costumed-crime-fighter-watches-Milwaukee/UPI-51441286227453/
MILWAUKEE, Oct. 4 (UPI) — Somebody in Milwaukee is on a personal anti-crime crusade — and he’s got the costume to prove it, observers say.
Armed with a flashlight and pepper spray, the Watchman — he won’t give his real name — patrols the streets of Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood dressed all in black except for a bright red face mask and a large yellow W on his shirt, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
“I’m what people refer to as a real-life superhero,” the 6-foot, 200-pound, 30-something crime fighter says.
“Somebody needs to do something,” explains the Watchman, who says he thought about becoming a police officer before donning his mask.
“While most reactions to what I do are positive, there are a few negative responses,” he says, adding that the disguise protects his family — a wife and two young sons — from any of that.
“I’m the one who decided to do this, not them,” he says. “They should not have to suffer for it.”
Despite the pepper spray, he says his cellphone is his weapon of choice, the newspaper said.
“It’s about reporting it,” he says. “Contacting police, or getting an ambulance out here if it’s a medical situation.”
Super powers? None, he says. “I’m just a guy. I may look a little funny, but I’m just a guy. And I’m out here to let everybody know that they can do their part.”

Originally posted: http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/104252724.html

He’s hitting the streets to root out injustice – without superpowers

By Mike De Sisti ?•

Originally posted: http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folhateen/805203-herois-sem-superpoderes-saem-as-ruas-nas-horas-vagas-para-fazer-o-bem.shtml
DIOGO BERCITO
SAO PAULO
À noite, Thanatos, 62, faz ronda nas ruas de Vancouver, no Canadá, vestindo sobretudo preto, chapéu e máscara verde cadavérica.
“Procuro mendigos à espera da morte e lhes dou mais um dia de vida”, diz à Folha por telefone, cheio de mistérios e sem revelar a verdadeira identidade.
Ele escolheu o codinome Thanatos há três anos, inspirado no deus grego da morte. Assim, entrou para a turma dos super-heróis da vida real, um grupo que se organizou nos EUA há dez anos.
Esses mascarados não têm poderes excepcionais, mas vão às ruas para ajudar quem precisa. Thanatos, por exemplo, distribui itens como garrafas de água e comida a moradores de rua.
A tarefa dele não envolve lutar com vilões maquiavélicos, o que não quer dizer que seja moleza. Ou seguro.
“Um traficante colocou uma arma no meu estômago”, conta Thanatos. “Eu estava com colete à prova de balas, então o desarmei.”
O nova-iorquino Dark Guardian, 26, passou por situações parecidas. Professor de artes marciais, ele patrulha a cidade, eventualmente lutando com gangues. “Sim, pode ficar bem perigoso.”
Como todo super-herói que se preze, Dark Guardian tem uma história decorada sobre sua origem. “Nunca tive modelos positivos, meu pai abusou de mim”, conta. “Quis ser um exemplo para os outros, como os personagens dos quadrinhos.”

Vigilantes como Thanatos e Dark Guardian ganharam destaque no ano passado, quando o fotógrafo norte-americano Peter Tangen leu sobre eles em uma revista.
Acostumado a fotografar para pôsteres de filmes como “Homem-Aranha” e “Batman Begins”, Peter ficou surpreso ao saber que havia, fora do cinema, quem se vestisse para ajudar os outros.
“A necessidade do mundo por super-heróis motivou tanto os filmes quanto essas pessoas”, sugere Peter, que montou o Real Life Super Hero Project (bit.ly/rlshero), com fotos desses vigilantes.
O nova-iorquino Life, 25, pensa de maneira afim. “São tempos difíceis, e as pessoas precisam de modelos.”
A explicação para a necessidade de fazer isso vestindo máscaras varia de um herói para o outro. “Se eu não me fantasiasse, não me sentiria tão poderoso”, afirma Life.
Já Nyx, 20, não se vê como uma personagem. A garota é heroica desde os 16 anos e diz que o uniforme é “uma extensão” de si mesma.
No Brasil, com exceção do Ciclista Prateado, o movimento não vingou.
“O super-herói é um empreendedor, um indivíduo. Essa é a história dos EUA, nosso sonho”, teoriza Life.
DENUNCIAR CRIMES E COBRAR O GOVERNO É MAIS PRODUTIVO
Enquanto os super-heróis da vida real agem como voluntários de boas ações, tudo bem. Mas combate ao crime ou ao tráfico é complicado.
“Há o risco de que se torne um “vigilantismo”, um instrumento de vingança”, afirma Renato Lima, secretário-geral do Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública.
A segurança pública, aliás, é uma responsabilidade do Estado, alerta Lima. Assim como o uso da força.
“Quem é que vai definir o que é certo e o que é errado? Os heróis?”, pergunta-se.
Segundo Lima, a população pode ajudar de outras maneiras -por exemplo, cobrar seus governantes.
PERFIS HEROICOS

Nyx
20 anos
“Tenho compulsão por moradores de rua.
Perdi meus pais quando pequena, então
quis melhorar a vida dos outros”

Thanatos
62 anos
“A razão pela qual me fantasio é que
o que estou fazendo é mais importante
do que quem eu sou na vida real”

Dark Guardian
26 anos
“A melhor parte de NY é que você pode
andar fantasiado na rua e isso não vai
ter nada de excepcional”

Life
25 anos
“Super-heróis começaram nos quadrinhos,
viraram filmes e então videogames. Tornarem-se
reais é sua evolução natural”
English Translation
At night, Thanatos, 62, is round the streets of Vancouver, Canada, wearing black coat, hat and green mask mortis.
“Looking beggars waiting to die and give them one more day of life,” the Folha by phone, full of mysteries and without revealing their true identity.
He chose the codename Thanatos three years ago, inspired by the Greek god of death. So, he joined the gang of superheroes in real life, a group that was organized in the U.S. ten years ago.
These exceptional powers are not masked, but will hit the streets to help those in need. Thanatos, for example, distributes items such as bottled water and food to homeless people.
His task does not involve Machiavellian villains to fight, which does not mean it’s easy. Or safe.
“A dealer put a gun in my stomach,” said Thanatos. “I was bulletproof vest, then disarmed.”
The New Yorker Dark Guardian, 26, went through similar situations. Martial arts teacher, he patrols the city, where fighting with gangs. “Yes, it can be really dangerous.”
Like any superhero worth its salt, Dark Guardian has a decorated history of its origin. “I never had positive role models, my father abused me,” he says. “I wanted to be an example to others, like the characters in comics.”
Peter Tangen
The real-life superpowered, photographed by Peter Tangen
Vigilantes as Thanatos Dark Guardian and gained prominence last year when the American photographer Peter Tangen read about them in a magazine.
Accustomed to shooting the movie posters like “Spider-Man” and “Batman Begins,” Peter was surprised to learn that there was, outside the cinema, who were dressed to help others.
“The world’s need for superhero movies as much motivated these people,” suggests Peter, who rode Real Life Super Hero Project (bit.ly / rlshero) with pictures of these vigilantes.
The New York Life, 25, thinks so order. “These are difficult times, and people need role models.”
The explanation for the need to do this wearing masks varies from one hero to another. “If I do not fantasize, I do not feel so powerful,” says Life.
Already Nyx, 20, is not seen as a character. The girl is 16 years since the heroic and says the uniform is “an extension” of itself.
In Brazil, except for Silver Rider, the movement lost steam.
“The superhero is an entrepreneur, an individual. This is the story of the U.S., our dream,” theorizes Life.
Editorial / Art Folhapress
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REPORTING CRIMES AND CHARGE THE GOVERNMENT IS MORE PRODUCTIVE
While the super-heroes in real life act as voluntary good deeds, fine. But fighting crime or the traffic is complicated.
“There is a risk that it becomes a” vigilantism, “an instrument of revenge,” said Renato Lima, general secretary of the Brazilian Forum of Public Security.
Public safety, incidentally, is a state responsibility, warns Lee. As the use of force.
“Who will define what is right and what is wrong?” Heroes? “He asks himself.
According to Lima, the public can help in other ways-for example, charge their rulers.
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Heroic profiles

NYX
20 years
“I’m craving homeless.
I lost my parents when small, then
wanted to improve the lives of others ”

THANATOS
62 years
“The reason is that I fantasize
what I’m doing is more important
that’s who I am in real life ”

DARK GUARDIAN
26 years
“The best part about NY is that you can
floor dressed in the street and it will not
having nothing exceptional ”

LIFE
25 years
“Superheroes began in comics,
then turned into movies and video games. Become
its natural evolution is real

Originally posted: http://www.komonews.com/younews/103489809.html
Posted on: Sep 21, 2010 at 5:37 PM PDT
Channel: Off the Wall
Location: Portland, OR
Tags: superhero Race for the Cure real-life superheroes Zetaman Civitron charity award
A.J. Roberts of Edmonds, WA received the Civic Hero Award from the Committee for Real Life Superheroes. He was awarded it at Superheroes Anonymous 4, an annual meeting of real-life superheroes, for his “Exceptional contribution for the Susan G. Komen ‘Race for the Cure’ 2010.” The award is signed by Zetaman of Portland and Civitron of New Bedford, Massachusetts.