Real-Life Superhero Gets Nose Broken

Originally posted: http://abcnews.go.com/US/real-life-seattle-superhero-phoenix-jones-suffers-broken/story?id=12589895
Phoenix Jones, Caped Crusader Patrolling Seattle, Attacked at Gunpoint
By JESSICA HOPPER and NEAL KARLINSKY
Jan. 11, 2010
Phoenix Jones, the real-life superhero who has gotten fame for patrolling the streets of Seattle, found his kryptonite in the guise of two attackers who left him with a broken nose over the weekend.
Armed with a skintight black-and-gold, belted costume, a cape and a fedora, Phoenix Jones suits up at night to fight crime on the streets of Seattle. He’s the leader of a real-life superhero movement called the Rain City Superheroes.
On Saturday, things turned violent when a man held Jones at gunpoint and another broke his nose.
“They were all swearing at each other and like about to fight,” Jones told ABC affiliate KOMO.
Jones stepped in to try and stop the men. The caped crusader claimed that he called 911 and had one of the men in a headlock when another man pulled out a gun.
“He starts swinging on me and starts an altercation with me,” Jones told KOMO.
The incident over the weekend is exactly what worries police about everyday citizens who take justice into their own hands.
“Our concern is if it goes badly, then we end up getting called anyway, and we may have additional victims,” Detective Mark Jamieson told ABC News last week.
Seattle police said that it is not illegal to dress up as a superhero, but they worry about excess calls to 911 when residents confuse Jones and the other real-life superheroes with the criminals they’re trying to capture.
Jones said that he calls police ahead of time to tell them where he’ll be patrolling. He said he developed his costume, along with his alter ego’s name, when his crime-fighting ways made him too recognizable.
“When I started breaking apart fights, I had no outfit or moniker or symbol, and people started recognizing me in my everyday life. It got kind of dangerous and very uncomfortable,” he said. “This suit is what people recognize, and when I take the suit off, I’m able to live as close to a normal life as possible until I put it back on and am ready to defend the people of Seattle.”
While Jones might not have Batman’s Alfred Pennyworth to help him build cool new gadgets, he has adapted his car and costume to protect him.
He wears a bulletproof vest and carries not just a Taser but a net gun and a grappling hook.
His car has a computer in it that prints any e-mails sent to his superhero e-mail address.
On the night ABC News went on patrol with Jones, the caped crusader zapped a warning shot with his Taser during a very tense run in with a man he said was about to drive drunk.
“Just back up! Stay back, stay away. I don’t want to have to Tase you,” Jones yelled.
Jones’ sidekicks, Red Dragon and Buster Joe, called the police.
Jones’ quest to help his fellow residents is a weirdly close imitation of the movie “Kick Ass,” whose characters dress up as superheroes and take on crime fighting.
Jones said he has a real nine-to-five job, a wife and two kids.
He told ABC affiliate KOMO that an incident with his son inspired him to put on his cape.
One night someone broke into Jones’ car, and the broken glass injured his son and resulted in a trip to the emergency room. When people told Jones that several people witnessed the break-in but did nothing, he was dumbfounded.
“Teenagers are running down the street, breaking into cars, and no one does anything? Where’s the personal accountability?” Jones told KOMO.
Jones emphasizes that his real mission is to help people — he also hands out food to the homeless. On the night ABC News followed the men, they distributed food from Taco Bell to homeless people sitting on the sidewalks.
While police might be skeptical, Jones and his gang of wannabe heroes don’t plan to give up.
“I have two kids,” he said. “I always tell them the same thing every time before I go on patrol: ‘This is the only thing daddy could think of to make the world better for you guys, and I’ll see you when I get home.'”
ABC Affiliate KOMO contributed to this story.

'Real Life Superhero' Gets His Nose Broken In Street Fight

Originally posted: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/real_life_superhero_gets_his_nose_broken_in_street.php
Phoenix Jones, a.k.a Phoenix Jones the Guardian of Seattle, a.k.a. the “Real Life Superhero” who dresses up and tries to thwart crime in Washington State, had his nose broken and a gun pointed at him in an altercation in Seattle last weekend.
KOMO reports that the incident occurred Saturday night, when Jones saw two men “swearing at each other and like about to fight.” The mask-and-body-armor-wearing Jones stepped in to intervene, but one of the men started “swinging” at him. So Jones put him in a headlock, and called 911. That’s when the other man pulled out a gun. Jones let go, and was kicked in the face by the man he had just been holding. Both men got away.
Police told KOMO that they fear someone could end up getting killed if Jones and his Rain City Superhero Movement keep up their “patrols.”
“They insert themselves into a potentially volatile situation and then they end up being victimized as well,” Seattle Police Detective Mark Jamieson said. “If you see something, call 911.”
But Jones, who said that he turned down reality show offers from the Discovery Channel, MTV and A&E, sounded undaunted.
“I train for these situations,” he said. “I don’t just come out willy nilly and run out on the streets.”
(h/t New York Post)

Vigilante Justice: Real Life Superheroes Fight Crime

Originally posted: http://abcnews.go.com/US/real-life-superhero-phoenix-jones-tackles-streets-seattle/story?id=12562715

Phoenix Jones Suits Up in Black Costume, Cape to Patrol Seattle
By NEAL KARLINSKY and JESSICA HOPPER
Jan. 7, 2010

Armed with a skintight black-and-gold, belted costume, a cape and a fedora, Phoenix Jones suits up at night to fight crime on the streets of Seattle. He’s the leader of a real-life superhero movement.
“I’m definitely not going to let my fellow citizens be assaulted and not do anything,” Jones said.
Jones leads the Rain City Superheroes, a group of 10 fighters who perform their own form of vigilante justice on the streets of Seattle.
“It’s a pretty simple message. Citizens need to be more accountable. Calling 911 is a great start, but it’s not the end all to end all,” Jones said. “Criminals feel free to just run wild in my city, and I’m not going to stand for it.”
Superman can fly, Batman has his gadgets and Spiderman has his webs and supersharp senses. But Phoenix Jones, Red Dragon and Buster Doe have just their snazzy costumes and endless enthusiasm as they patrol Seattle’s Capitol Hill.
Red Dragon sports a red robe and a wooden sword. Buster Doe covers his face with a white scarf.
Jones said he developed his costume, along with his alter ego’s name, when his crime-fighting ways made him too recognizable.
“When I started breaking apart fights, I had no outfit or moniker or symbol, and people started recognizing me in my everyday life. It got kind of dangerous and very uncomfortable,” he said. “This suit is what people recognize, and when I take the suit off, I’m able to live as close to a normal life as possible until I put it back on and am ready to defend the people of Seattle.”
While Jones might not have Batman’s Alfred Pennyworth to help him build cool new gadgets, he has adapted his car and costume to protect him.
He wears a bulletproof vest and carries not just a Taser but a net gun and a grappling hook.
His car has a computer in it that prints any e-mails sent to his superhero e-mail address.
On the night ABC News went on patrol with Jones, the caped crusader zapped a warning shot with his Taser during a very tense run in with a man he said was about to drive drunk.
“Just back up! Stay back, stay away. I don’t want to have to Tase you,” Jones yelled.
Red Dragon and Buster Joe called the police.
“I know what you guys are doing … fine … but if somebody’s drunk, all of a sudden having somebody in their face with masks on …” a Seattle police officer warned Jones.
Police are perplexed, worried the group will turn into vigilantes and doubt that the superhero posse has ever stopped any crime.
“Our concern is if it goes badly, then we end up getting called anyway, and we may have additional victims,” Detective Mark Jamieson said.
Jones said that he calls police ahead of time to tell them where he’ll be patrolling. He said that his costume is crucial in helping police recognize him, and it makes an impact on would-be criminals.
“If you fight crime without the outfit, the police don’t know who to look for. They don’t know who’s bad and who’s good. …This is a very noticeable outfit. … It tells people and drug dealers and criminals … that when you see this outfit and this group of people, we stand for a message. … We’re against the crimes that you’re trying to do,” Jones said.
Seattle police said that it is not illegal to dress up as a superhero, but they worry about excess calls to 911 when residents confuse Jones and the other real-life superheroes with criminals. Police said that acting as a superhero can be dangerous, but Red Dragon said that the people they confront rarely turn against them.
“If you approach somebody with the right attitude, they’re not going to really escalate things. For the most part, they’ll just leave you alone,” he said.
Jones’ quest to help his fellow residents is a weirdly close imitation of the movie “Kick Ass,” whose characters dress up as superheroes and take on crime fighting.
Jones said he has a real nine-to-five job, a wife and two kids.
He told ABC affiliate KOMO that an incident with his son inspired him to put on his cape.
One night someone broke into Jones’ car, and the broken glass injured his son and resulted in a trip to the emergency room. When people told Jones that several people witnessed the break-in but did nothing, he was dumbfounded.
“Teenagers are running down the street, breaking into cars, and no one does anything? Where’s the personal accountability?” Jones told KOMO.
Jones emphasizes that his real mission is to help people — he also hands out food to the homeless. On the night ABC News followed the men, they distributed food from Taco Bell to homeless people sitting on the sidewalks.
While police might be skeptical, Jones and his gang of wannabe heroes don’t plan to give up.
“I have two kids,” he said. “I always tell them the same thing every time before I go on patrol: ‘This is the only thing daddy could think of to make the world better for you guys, and I’ll see you when I get home.'”
ABC Affiliate KOMO contributed to this story.

Phoenix Jones, 'Real Life Superhero,' Foils Would-Be Carjacking

Originally posted: http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/05/phoenix-jones-real-life-superhero-foils-would-be-carjacking/
By Steven Hoffer
Evil villains on the streets of Lynwood, Wash., beware: Phoenix Jones has your number.
Jones, a heroic “real life superhero,” spends most nights patrolling the streets of the city just north of Seattle, and, in all seriousness, helps take a bite out of crime. In a recent tale straight out of a comic book, Jones arrived just in the nick of time to foil a would-be carjacking.
“From the right, this guy comes dashing in, wearing this skin-tight rubber, black and gold suit, and starts chasing him away,” said the car owner, who identified himself only as Dan.
All in a day’s work, Jones, armed with a Taser-nightstick and mace, chased away the villain and restored Dan to safety.
“So when I walk into a neighborhood, criminals leave because they see the suit,” Phoenix said. “I symbolize that the average person doesn’t have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing.”

Real-Life Superhero Fights Crime In Seattle Area

Originally posted: http://www.kptv.com/news/26375683/detail.html

POSTED: 8:02 am PST January 5, 2011
UPDATED: 8:41 am PST January 5, 2011

SEATTLE, Wash. — Criminals beware — there’s a real-life superhero fighting crime in Seattle.
So far, the man underneath the mask and rubber suit has remained anonymous, but he goes by the superhero name of Phoenix Jones.
Jones started his crime-fighting crusade nine months ago. Since then, eight other people have joined him in his search for injustice.
They walk the streets at night and try to stop criminals from doing harm whenever they have the chance.
One man, who only wanted to be identified as Dan, said Jones recently helped him out when he caught someone breaking into his car in Lynnwood, Wash.
“From the right, this guy comes dashing in, wearing this skin-tight rubber, black and golden suit and starts chasing him away,” he said.
Since starting his night time gig, Jones said he has been stabbed and even had a gun pulled on him a few times. Now, he carries mace, tear gas and a nightstick equipped with a Taser. He also wears a bulletproof vest and “stab plates” that offer protection from knives.
Of course, law enforcement officials frown on people taking the law into their own hands.
So far, Jones hasn’t been seriously hurt.

‘Real Life Superhero’ Breaks Up Carjacking In Washington State

Originally posted: http://southcapitolstreet.com/2011/01/05/real-life-superhero-breaks-up-carjacking-in-washington-state/
Evil villains looking to prey on the citizens of Lynnwood, Washington, beware: Phoenix Jones is watching.
KIRO Eyewitness News reports that a Lynnwood man, identified only as “Dan,” came “within seconds of having his car broken into” on Sunday when the alleged crook was chased off by a masked crusader. In an incident that local police couldn’t confirm to TPM, Dan told KIRO a man with a metal strip was trying to unlock his car in a parking lot when help showed up out of nowhere.
“From the right, this guy comes dashing in, wearing this skin-tight rubber, black and gold suit, and starts chasing him away,” Dan said.
Dan’s rescuer was Phoenix Jones, a.k.a. Phoenix Jones the Guardian of Seattle, a “Real Life Superhero” and leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement. Almost every night, the 22-year-old Jones, who keeps his real identity a secret, enters a secret compartment in the back of a Lynnwood comic book store and emerges, in uniform, to patrol the streets. (Watch video of Jones in action here.) His suit includes a bullet-proof vest and “stab plates,” and he carries a taser nightstick, mace and tear gas. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports that Jones also sports a “ballistic cup.”
“I symbolize that the average person doesn’t have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing,” Jones said. He told KIRO that since he began his patrols nine months ago, he has been stabbed and had guns drawn on him.
Jones isn’t alone in his crime-fighting enthusiasm. There’s an entire movement of Real Life Superheroes out there, across the country. Activities appear to range from handing homeless people water bottles to actually stepping in and trying to stop violent crime. The website rlsh-manual.com defines a Real Life Superhero as “whoever chooses to embody the values presented in superheroic comic books, not only by donning a mask/costume, but also performing good deeds for the communitarian place whom he inhabits.” Reallifesuperheroes.org urges visitors to “Let out your inner superhero and join or support our cause.”
But not everyone is ready to credit Jones with thwarting a Real Life Evildoer. When TPM contacted the Lynnwood Police Department, Public Information Officer Shannon Sessions said the department was aware of the “superheroes,” but could not confirm the incident this week.
“I know there was a story on it–but I can’t confirm that it’s true and that it actually happened,” Sessions said in an email. She even suggested that KIRO may have been “punked.”
A commenter on The Real Life Superhero Forum suggested the Lynnwood incident was staged.
“Staged… bunk,” wrote a member named Artisteroi in response to the Forum founder’s posting of the KIRO story. “[A]nd does anyone notice that his suit keeps getting more and more elaborate? Someone is funding this guy. That suit was made in Hollywood basement.”
Back in November, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that the Seattle police had made contact with the Rain City Superhero Movement. A source gave the Post-Intelligencer the names of the eight other members of the Movement: Thorn, Buster Doe, Green Reaper, Gemini, No Name, Catastrophe, Thunder 88 and Penelope.

Police say the “costume-wearing complainants” are lucky they haven’t been hurt.
In one instance, police say a caped crusader dressed in black was nearly shot when he came running out of a dark park. In another case, a witness on Capitol Hill saw the crusaders wearing ski masks in a car parked at a Shell station and thought they were going to rob the place.

Seattle Police spokesman Jeff Kappel told the paper “[t]here’s nothing wrong with citizens getting involved with the criminal justice process — as long as they follow it all the way through.” But the article describes an incident on November 4 where police responded to a scene where Jones and other apparent Movement members were in a stand-off with a man making threatening statements and swinging a golf club. The “costume-wearing complainants” declined to press charges, to prevent revealing their secret identities. As a result, The Club Swinger walked.
TPM also found an interview Jones did in November with a blogger named Tea Krulos. In it, Jones describes his background in martial arts, and says the other members of the Rain City Superhero Movement “all have either military backgrounds or MMA training.”
“Phoenix Jones…people believe Phoenix Jones may help them,” Phoenix Jones told Krulos. “I mean they know they can’t count on it 100 percent, because it’s so random, but they know it is possible.”

Real-life superhero saves driver in Seattle

Originally posted: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/real_life_superhero_saves_driver_Rq7nRXmcVLDp8hfXkWUx0L
A self-styled superhero was protecting the streets of Seattle on Tuesday night — launched from his secret base at the back of a comic book store.
The masked man, who calls himself Phoenix Jones, came to light after he stopped thieves from stealing a man’s car in Lynnwood, a suburb of Seattle, on Sunday night, local media reported.
Jones, who wears a bulletproof and stab-proof black-and-gold bodysuit, rescued a driver who only wanted to be known as Dan.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
Dan went to call 911 when he saw thieves putting a metal strip down the window of his car — but before he had the chance to dial the number, Jones sprang into action.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/real_life_superhero_saves_driver_Rq7nRXmcVLDp8hfXkWUx0L#ixzz1ADn3S7Xa
“From the right, this guy comes dashing in, wearing this skintight, rubber, black-and-gold suit, and starts chasing him away,” Dan told local TV news station KIRO.
Jones told KIRO that he began his crime-fighting crusade nine months ago from his secret base at the back of a local comic store.
“When I walk into a neighborhood, criminals leave because they see the suit,” said Jones. “I symbolize that the average person doesn’t have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing.”
Jones, who carries Mace and a Taser, said he was stabbed once and had a gun pulled on him several times during his regular patrols but so far sustained no serious injuries.
His story mirrors the plot of the 2010 film “Kick-Ass,” which follows a high school student who turns himself into a superhero even though he has no powers or training.

Real-Life Superhero Fights Crime on Seattle Streets

Originally posted: http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpps/news/offbeat/real-life-superhero-phoenix-jones-fights-crime-on-seattle-streets-dpgonc-20110105-fc_11309322
Updated: Wednesday, 05 Jan 2011, 8:33 AM CST
Published : Wednesday, 05 Jan 2011, 8:33 AM CST
(NewsCore) – A self-styled superhero was protecting the streets of Seattle on Tuesday night — launched from his secret base at the back of a comic book store.
The masked man, who calls himself Phoenix Jones, came to light after he stopped thieves from stealing a man’s car in Lynnwood, a suburb of Seattle, on Sunday night, local media reported.
Jones, who wears a bulletproof and stab-proof black-and-gold bodysuit, rescued a driver who only wanted to be known as Dan.
Dan went to call 911 when he saw thieves putting a metal strip down the window of his car — but before he had the chance to dial the number, Jones sprang into action.
“From the right, this guy comes dashing in, wearing this skintight, rubber, black-and-gold suit, and starts chasing him away,” Dan told local TV news station KIRO.
Jones told KIRO that he began his crime-fighting crusade nine months ago from his secret base at the back of a local comic store.
“When I walk into a neighborhood, criminals leave because they see the suit,” said Jones. “I symbolize that the average person doesn’t have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing.”
Jones, who carries Mace and a Taser, said he was stabbed once and had a gun pulled on him several times during his regular patrols but so far sustained no serious injuries.
His story mirrors the plot of the 2010 film “Kick-Ass,” which follows a high school student who turns himself into a superhero even though he has no powers or training.
Source: KIRO-TV

Real-Life Superhero Walks Streets, Fighting Crime

Originally posted: http://www.kirotv.com/news/26363364/detail.html
Posted: 8:07 am PST January 4, 2011Updated: 12:08 pm PST January 4, 2011

LYNNWOOD, Wash. — Posted: 8:07 am PST January 4, 2011Updated: 12:08 pm PST January 4, 2011
LYNNWOOD, Wash. — A local man said he came within seconds of having his car broken into, and perhaps stolen, until a real-life “superhero” came to his aid, wearing tights, a mask and a skin-tight super suit.The encounter started in Lynnwood Sunday evening when a man, who asked to be identified only as Dan, was walking back to his car in a parking lot when he saw a man with a metal strip trying to pry open his car.“He started sticking it down between the window and the rubber strip,” said Dan.Dan began to call 911, but said help arrived before he even finished dialing.
“From the right, this guy comes dashing in, wearing this skin-tight rubber, black and gold suit, and starts chasing him away,” said Dan.
What Dan didn’t know is that just about every night, an anonymous Seattle man strolls into a comic store, enters a hidden back room and emerges transformed.
SLIDESHOW: Superhero On The Streets
KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Monique Ming Laven met him.
“My name is Phoenix Jones,” said the man.
The man is the hero Dan’s been trying to tell his friends about.
“People are saying, ‘No way, dude, you were probably drunk,’” said Dan.
But the superhero sounded familiar to Ming Laven. She had heard about how he and the other eight members of his Rain City Superhero crime fighting movement walk the street, eyes out for crime and prepared to fight it.
On Monday night, the fully-clad superhero and Dan met.
“That’s crazy. Nice to meet you, brother. Nice to meet you. That’s insane,” said Dan, who finally got a close-up look at his savior.
“Phoenix” explained his whole super suit, including bullet-proof vest and stab plates, to Dan.
“That’s a Taser night stick. And I have Mace slash tear gas over here,” said Phoenix.
Then it was time for Phoenix to get back out on the streets, maybe not quite a super man, but an extraordinary one.
“So when I walk into a neighborhood, criminals leave because they see the suit,” said Phoenix. “I symbolize that the average person doesn’t have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing.”
Phoenix said since he started his crime-fighting crusade nine months ago, he’s been stabbed, and had a gun pulled on him a few times, but received no serious injuries.
Unfortunately, he didn’t catch up with the man who was breaking into Dan’s car.

More on Phoenix Jones and the Rain City Superhero Movement:

Man dons costume to fight crime

Originally posted: http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2010/07/04/top_stories/0viper.txt
By SKYLER SWISHER
By day, he’s a mild-mannered college student studying chemistry. But at night, he becomes the Viper, a superhero looking to stamp out crime in Columbia.
Christian Tyler Hardee, 20, caught the attention of Columbia police officers when they spotted him wearing a mask and green-and-black tights about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday near the Bicycle Shop on the Square.
But the aspiring superhero assured police he was working for good not evil. He told officers he was on the prowl in search of crime to report.
Hardee, a self-professed comic book nerd, said he knows he’s just a regular college student without super-human powers, and his behavior might be viewed as strange by some. But for Hardee, dressing as a superhero is a way to inspire the community to stand against wrongdoing and perform acts of charity.
“I am just a guy trying to do what is right, in tights,” he said.
During his patrol of Columbia, he donned under armor, carried two plastic sticks and wore a utility belt. On the belt, he stowed a screw driver, wrenches and a cell phone to quickly call police if he stumbled across crime. Officers also found ninja throwing stars inside his car parked near the Bicycle Shop, according to a police report.
Columbia Police Lt. Michelle Jones said the department does not need the assistance of a superhero to keep the city’s streets safe. She discouraged the public from patrolling the streets while dressed in costumes.
“We always encourage the public to be good witnesses but not actively get out and look for crime,” she said.
Police determined Hardee was not breaking any laws, other than a city ordinance that prohibits wearing a mask that obscures the face in public. He was advised of the ordinance and was not cited.
Jones said detectives interviewed Hardee and encouraged him to stop his patrols. Investigators are worried he could frighten the public or hurt himself or others.
Hardee said he will continue to look for crime but without the full costume. To date, he has not stumbled upon criminal activity.
The 20-year-old studies chemistry and art at Union University in Jackson. He hopes to land a job with his chemistry degree, make some money and then embark upon a career as a comic-book artist once he is financially secure.
“I am not out of touch with reality. … I am just a normal guy,” he said. “I know what happens in the movies doesn’t happen in real life.”
He also wants everyone to know he is not trying to inspire children to follow in his footsteps, and he did not don the costume in search of publicity.
“If I wanted attention, I would go streaking or something,” Hardee said.