Tag indiana

Originally posted: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/64194
Real World Superheroes of the Midwest
by Miss Cellania – August 19, 2010 – 10:33 AM
There are everyday folks who spend their free time anonymously helping their communities -anonymous because they are costumed superheroes! We already met some of these superheroes in the southern US; here are some who protect the cities of the Midwest.

Shadow Hare

Cincinnati. Ohio

Shadow Hare patrols the streets of Cincinnati and attends large public events to watch for crime in progress, sometimes even making citizen’s arrests. He is trained in martial arts and has occasionally been injured in the line of duty. The local police force doesn’t officially encourage Shadow Hare’s activities, as they don’t want a civilian to be hurt, but they don’t condemn his behavior, either. The masked man has inspired other Cincinnati costumed heroes who form the group Allegiance of Heroes. Shadow Hare says he was an abused child and grew up in foster homes and therefore wants to make his community a better place for others. He is often seen lending aid to the homeless in addition to fighting crime and injustice. See Shadow Hare in a news report at YouTube.

Geist

Rochester, Minnesota

Geist patrols the streets of Rochester and Minneapolis to deter crime and works with many charities. In 2007, he stepped in to help flood victims in St. Charles, Lewiston, Rushford and Stockton, Minnesota. Hisfavorite causes are Paws and Claws animal shelter and the Ronald McDonald House. Geist is a leader in the Great Lakes Heroes Guild.

Foxfire

Royal Oak, Michigan

Foxfire is a female superhero who promotes the use of the supernatural to fight crime and injustice. From her MySpace page:

I am dedicated to helping those in need, preserving our natural resources, and, most importantly, teaching anyone who will listen about the hidden world, the more interesting stuff that goes on beneath the surface of their humdrum little lives. My goal is to itegrate magic, mystery, wonder and awe back into the modern American’s psyche–which is, at most, a slim chance. Still, it must be done!

Doctor DiscorD

Indianapolis, Indiana

Doctor DiscorD is a member of the Justice Society of Justice, which began as a joke, “a sort of street theater”. The Doctor and his compatriots found there were real problems in the city that they could help alleviate, and the mission became serious. He works to protect the city of Indianapolis from crime, but wonders if the publicity that comes with being a superhero might inhibit a hero’s effectiveness.

Mr. Silent

Indianapolis, Indiana

Mr. Silent is Doctor DiscorD’s crimefighting partner and works to protect Indianapolis. He is an Asian superhero who wears a bowler hat and carries a cane. His name was born of his inherent shyness, but the mask enables him to take action when needed. When not fighting crime, Mr. Silent does what he can to help the homeless. See an interview with Mr. Silent at YouTube.

Razorhawk

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Razorhawk refers to himself as a masked adventurer rather than a superhero because he has no supernatural powers. He does safety patrols in Minneapolis and his hometown of St. Anthony Village, Minnesota. Razorhawk is one of the leaders of the Great Lakes Heroes Guild. He spends a lot of his time working with various local charities.

Captain Jackson

Jackson, Michigan

Captain Jackson has been in the superhero business since 1999 as the leader of the Crimefighter Corps in Jackson, Michigan. He works with local authorities to instill civic pride and good citizenship. Keep up with Captain Jackson’s activities on his blog.

Queen of Hearts

Jackson, Michigan

The Queen of Hearts is a superhero compatriot of Captain Jackson. She works to fight domestic violence by teaching young people how to recognize and prevent it. Her favorite side projects are the Pleasant Lake Playground project and the Michigan Theatre.

The Watchman

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Watchman does safety patrols and charity work in Milwaukee, and is a member of the Great Lakes Heroes Guild. His sidekicks are the Watchdog and Wonder Boy, who sometimes appear at charity events. See a video of the Watchman in this post.
Coming soon: more real world superheroes of the US and around the world.

Article no longer available on source site
This crime fighter may be silent, but he’s far from being deadly.
By Kimiko Martinez
A young man stands on the south side of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument. The ominous stone memorial looms above him as he waits on the top steps dressed in black pinstriped pants and vest, a pressed black button-down shirt, a black felt hat and silver gloves.
This man, who refuses to reveal his real name when in costume, carries a silver-topped cane. A silver mask hides any expression, revealing little more than soft brown eyes.
While his costume does plenty to conceal his identity, it belies a fit physique. His stealth movements, inspiration for his superhero name Mr. Silent, evidence years of martial arts.
Above him, “To Indiana’s Silent Victors” is etched in the limestone and sculptures representing men who’ve fought for justice adorn the 284-foot tall shrine.
It’s an interesting parallel.
“Hey, what are you?” a passerby asks. “A mime?”
“No,” he responds, handing him a card that reads simply: “Mr. Silent,” along with the Japanese characters for “quiet repose” and an e-mail address.
“Hey, you’re supposed to be Mr. Silent; you just talked,” the man says, looking up from the card. “So what do you do?”
“I fight crime.”
The man in black
Mr. Silent gets this a lot.
“People are always asking: ‘Are you a mime?’ or ‘What are you guys doing?’ ” the 27-year-old tells me. Usually he has his partner Doktor DiscorD along. Not surprisingly, two men in costumes walking around Downtown incite odd reactions.
Mr. Silent just brushes it off. People aren’t accustomed to seeing superheroes patrolling the city . . . yet. But since the duo began this “experiment,” as Mr. Silent calls it, the superhero trend has started to catch on. Others have e-mailed the duo asking how they can join and superheroes have popped up in other cities worldwide, he said.
“A lot of people have told us that they’ve been waiting for something like this to happen,” he said. “Like there was a hole in them; they always wished that something like this was real.”
Certainly people are familiar with the likes of Superman and Batman. Comic book characters are practically ingrained in American culture, as evidenced by the slew of movies released each year. X-Men, Superman and “My Super Ex-Girlfriend” are all on the summer movie circuit. But in real life?
“People have tried to invent time machines because of H.G. Wells or teleporters because of Star Trek,” Mr. Silent said. “It almost makes you wonder why no one has done this before.”
After discussing the idea for quite some time, he and Doktor DiscorD decided to hit Indianapolis streets about a year ago.
“It was just a big experiment to see how people would react,” he said. “We’ve gotten some good responses.”
Unlike Bruce Wayne, Mr. Silent’s alter ego isn’t a billionaire. He has a full-time job to tend to, so he only makes it out about once per week, cruising the alleys of Downtown after dark, looking to help where needed.
Although he isn’t afraid to throw a punch, Mr. Silent is quick to point out that he prefers to avoid confrontations. “We’re really more towards the hero aspect than the vigilante thing,” he said.
Helping people is the focus, even if it means handing out heat packs to the homeless in the winter when hard-pressed to find something to do.
“You don’t have to have superpowers to be a superhero,” Mr. Silent said. “We see heroes every day. We’re just the ones with the costumes on.”
Mr. Silent speaks up to answer our burning questions

So what does it take to become a superhero?

I think the prerequisites are a good imagination and not going overboard. I had this friend who wanted to join, but I think he was using it as an excuse to hurt people.

What’s your superpower?

We’re more along the Batman line. We don’t have any real powers. Although I do have this uncanny ability to spin for a long time without getting dizzy. If there ever comes a time where I can fight crime by spinning, I’ll be set.

Tell me about your name.

Doktor DiscorD is more outgoing than I am, so at first it was an excuse to not have to say anything. But now it’s more because of the way I move. I’m very quiet when I walk, pretty stealthy.

What’s your kryptonite?

Bullets, I’d imagine. Or knives. Anything that can do damage to a human can do damage to me. I don’t wear a Kevlar vest or anything.

Batman or Superman?

I’d say Superman, just because of his ideologies — freedom and all that stuff. Plus, he was the first superhero I was introduced to. I used to hum his theme song when I was running around as a kid.

Lois Lane or Mary Jane?

Lois Lane seems more the powerful type, so I’m going to say Lois Lane. Mary Jane is always getting herself in trouble and needing to be rescued.

What super-toy/tool would you most want?

Maybe grappling hooks, the kind that Batman had.

Marvel or DC Comics?

DC. I’m a big Grant Morrison fan. And they tend to be more superhero-oriented.

What do you get out of superhero life?

Wearing the mask has actually kind of changed me. It’s kind of like the mask took over. I developed a responsibility to do good things because I had the mask on. I’ve started to want to help out at soup kitchens and do things that never crossed my mind before. I feel like I can do more.
In real life, I’m pretty shy, kind of introverted. But when I have the costume on, it’s like I’m a completely different person. The mask kind of becomes like a shield. And now, (the two sides of my personality) have kind of meshed into each other.