By Amy Molloy for Grazia, Issue 314, April 4th
PDF File- A wonder woman among us
With the police facing cuts of 20 per cent, crime rates are expected to soar. Yet when this happened in New York, ordinary people decided to take Neighbourhood Watch to the next level. Here, Irene Thomas, 22 – accountant by day, crimefighter by night – explains why ‘Wonder Woman’ could be coming to a street near you soon…
‘It’s the dead of night, in the roughest part of town and while most of the city sleeps, I’m out looking for trouble. As I pass by an alleyway I hear a woman crying. That’s my cue – I’ve got work to do.
‘If you happen to look out of your window and catch sight of me – dressed all in black, a mask covering my face – you’d never guess by day I’m actually an accountant who likes shopping, movies and sushi. To my colleagues
I’m just Irene from accounts who dyes her hair red, gossips about TV shows and dreams about getting a bigger apartment.
‘Yet for one night a week, after dinner, I transform into NYX, Greek goddess of night – a real-life superhero, fighting crime and helping those in need. To date, I’ve called the police to countless bar fights, provided evidence that helped convict drug dealers and fed hundreds of homeless people on the street of New York – all in costume.
‘I expect you’ve already written me off as someone mad on comics, who’s more likely to be found in Forbidden Planet than American Apparel, but that’s not the case. The “superhero movement” is a growing trend that I’ve been part of for five years. We’re not vigilantes and never endorse violence. Instead, we simply patrol the streets to help vulnerable people and if there’s real danger, we call the emergency services.
‘There are hundreds of us around the world – everyone from bankers to shop assistants – including a dozen in the UK. And with crime rates predicted to rise if funding for police forces is cut, it’s only a matter of time before more people get involved. Indeed, new figures released this month revealed a third more people have already joined Neighbourhood Watch in the UK in the past two years.
‘It’s not the first time civilians have taken it upon themselves to tackle crime. In the early 1980s, a volunteer group called the Guardian Angels patrolled New York in matching crimson uniforms. Their founder Curtis Sliwa was inspired by the film The Magnificent Seven. We’ve been working like this, undisturbed for years, but earlier this month two superheroes were “unmasked” and made headline news.
‘“Phoenix Jones”, a superhero from Washington who dresses in a skintight black and yellow bodystocking, was spotted apprehending a car thief as he tried to break into a vehicle. Meanwhile, a British “superhero” called The Statesman was revealed to be a banker from Birmingham, after giving an interview to a local paper claiming he had foiled a drug dealer.
Originally Posted: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Real-Life-Superheroes-Patrol-the-Streets-of-San-Francisco-118882514.html?rr=td
By Mathew Luschek
Justin Juul over at the Bold Italic spent a night hanging out on the streets of San Francisco, with some Real Life Super Heroes.
Originally posted: http://thebolditalic.com/JustinJuul/stories/777-san-francisco-bay-guardians
By Justin Juul
I usually get a thrill out of treacherous street scenes, but this was freaking me out. It was so late on a Saturday night that it was actually Sunday and I was walking through a dark alley in the Tenderloin. I could see lighters flashing on crack pipes in the shadows up ahead and I could hear rough voices mumbling. I wanted to run the other way. But it wasn’t because I have a problem with junkies; I was scared because I was dressed like a comic book character and I was about to start a fight.
Luckily, I wasn’t alone.
For the past three hours, I’d been marching through the city behind a stocky man wearing an armored vest, a faceplate, combat boots, and a hat with a skull. To my right was a man wearing reflective goggles over a neoprene face mask, and to my left was a dude in a homemade ninja suit.
Motor Mouth, Nightbug, and Justified were their names and they are identified as Real Life Superheroes, brave men dedicated to protecting the public while indulging their childhood fantasies at the same time. They’re a lot like the kids from the movie Kick-Ass, which is no coincidence.
In fact, my leader for the night – Motor Mouth, the dude with the skull hat – told me the official Real Life Superhero Movement began gathering steam in 2008, right after the comic book version of Kick-Ass, the saga of a comics-obsessed teenager fighting real crime, came out. Since then, it’s grown from a handful of brave souls to over 250 RLSHs – they say it quick, like Are-El-Ess-Aitch – worldwide. There’s Axle Grinder Man in London, who wears a gold bodysuit and carries a giant saw to cut through clamps police put on illegally parked cars. Then there’s Nyx, a female RLSH who patrols New York sporting a goth-meets-slutty-schoolgirl ensemble and a bright pink Taser. There’s even a man named Supergay in Mexico City battling homophobia in a rainbow-emblazoned wrestler suit.
It sounds fairly ridiculous – grown men and women in shiny leotards and capes jumping from the shadows to stop crime, but you gotta hand it to anyone risking their life for the greater good. Which is to say, being a superhero ain’t all costumes and make-believe. I mean, sure, dressing up is fun. And who doesn’t fantasize about punishing bad guys? But the thing is, when you’re out there with real criminals, stuff can get messy quick. Phoenix Jones, a well-known RLSH from Seattle, for example, made headlines recently when a gang of thugs broke his nose and threatened his life. Motor Mouth has also seen his share of danger. He’s been beaten by criminals and apprehended by the police more than once. Most recently, he was nearly stabbed while stopping a mugger in the Castro.
But Motor Mouth’s dedication to justice has never wavered and he will defend the RLSH Movement until his last breath.
“We’re just a bunch of people trying to take back our communities,” he said. “We want to take back the streets and make the world that much better of a place.”
Motor Mouth has a very official way of speaking and he made the whole RLSH thing sound pretty legit, but there’s something that happens when you wear a costume outside of a party. People notice you. And let’s just say they’re not always nice about it.
Our patrol started near the 16th Street BART station at 10:30 p.m., right as all the drunks began to swarm the Mission. “Happy Halloween!” somebody screamed as we walked by Casanova Lounge. Girls yelled from cars, guys laughed, and some dude on a bicycle even chased us down 21st Street to hurl insults as we marched forward looking for crime. Which proved to be harder than expected. To tell the truth, I was worried we might never see a criminal and that this was all some weird exercise in humiliation. But Motor Mouth was happy. RLSHs, he explained, operate according to a system of steps, and the costumes are the most important part.
Step One is acting as a visual deterrent. “Say what you want about our gear, but the fact is, when people see us, they’re much less likely to commit a crime,” he said. In other words, who’s gonna mug somebody in front of a bunch of crazy guys in face masks? Step Two is threatening to call the cops. If, however, a criminal doesn’t respond well to these actions – if, for example, a criminal were to attack – then the Super Heroes would move on to Step Three: weapons, of which they have plenty.
Motor Mouth carries a pocketknife, mace, and a pair of Blast Knuckles, which are like brass knuckles with 950,000-volt Tasers at the end. It’s all (pretty much) legal, he assured me, but the cops have been known to get upset. “Our relationship with the police department is tenuous at best,” Motor Mouth said. Which proved to be true. Although no one was arrested, our fellow soldier, Kingsnake, who’d been patrolling another part of the Mission, was stopped and threatened with a citation. He went home afterward, but the rest of us were just getting started. The Mission, it turned out, was just practice, a “soft patrol,” Motor Mouth called it. Now it was time to get serious.
We left the Mission at 1:00 a.m. and headed to SoMa, where, Motor Mouth told me, things tend to be more dangerous. It was exactly what I needed to hear. It’d been fun just watching until now, but I yearned to feel the power, the thrill, of being super. So I ducked into the shadows and came out as Nightman, wearing a ski mask, goggles, black gloves, and a scarf from California Surplus in the Haight. I marched behind Motor Mouth under the freeway overpass at Harrison and 14th and out into the harsh streets of SoMa. The burden of the RLSH was now on my shoulders and it felt great.
I mean, sure, people were pointing and laughing, but I didn’t care because nobody could tell who I was. And that, I realized, is part of the draw. It doesn’t matter what people think or say because no one knows who RLSHs really are. And who they are might surprise you. “We have people from all walks of life,” Motor Mouth told me. “Paramedics, cops, you name it.” The one thing most RLSHs have in common is a tremendous concern for the safety of others. They’re good people doing good work and, in my opinion, they should be applauded.
Which is why, by the time we reached SoMa’s designated clubland near Harrison and 11th Street where people started lashing out, I no longer felt even a tinge of embarrassment. The sense of pride Motor Mouth takes in his work is just that infectious.
“What’s up with you guys?” a girl in a miniskirt laughed as we pushed through the crowd at Crepes A Go Go where clubbers from DNA Lounge, Slim’s, and Butter congregate to stuff themselves sober before heading home. “We’re Real Life Superheroes, ma’am,” he replied. “Check us out online.”
When a group of guys asked what we were doing, Motor Mouth puffed up and said, “Just out bustin’ heads, sir.”
The night went on like this for hours as we weaved through SoMa en route to Sixth Street and the Tenderloin area. We never actually got a chance to stop crime, but I could tell from the heckling that we were fulfilling our role as a visual deterrent to the max. Everyone noticed us.
It was now nearly dawn. The bars had been shut for hours and a hush had fallen over the city. Everyone was tired. Everyone except Motor Mouth, that is.
“Let’s hit this alleyway,” he said, “and then call it a night.” It wasn’t the best idea I’d ever heard, but whatever. I mean, sure, this is a dangerous neighborhood, I thought, but Motor Mouth knows what he’s doing. Then I saw the derelicts at the end of the alley and all at once realized how serious this was. Here I was dressed like a thrift-store superhero at the most dangerous time of night in one of the skeeziest neighborhoods in town and I was about to walk up to a bunch of street people to see if anything was wrong. I know Motor Mouth thought we looked tough, but we didn’t. We weren’t. And we were totally about to get our asses kicked!
Silence consumed the alley as we got closer and Motor Mouth whispered something like, “Get ready guys, there’s something going on.” I steeled myself for a showdown and considered fleeing, but instead followed my leader as he veered into darkness.
“How you doing tonight, folks?” Motor Mouth said.
There was some unintelligible muttering followed by silence. Finally a girl giggled. Then a man said, “Uh, great?” And we were off. As we rounded the corner I stuffed my mask and goggles into my backpack and said, “Shit, that was scary!” Motor Mouth, Nightbug, and Justified just laughed. I was wrong. These dudes are tough.
HEROES OF THE NIGHT from Justin Juul on Vimeo.
Check out the Real Life Superhero website for details on how to join Motor Mouth’s crew. You can also try to catch the heroes distributing food to the homeless on random Saturday nights near the entrance to Golden Gate Park at Haight and Stanyan.
Originally posted: http://www.comicbooked.com/the-real-life-super-heroes-stand-up-for-what-you-believe-in/
By Trey Buffington
Originally posted: http://akzia.ru/subtext/616.html
English Translation
The Real Life Superhero Project – a project of the American photographer Peter Tangen about ordinary people, donning a superhero costume to correct deficiencies in our society. Peter Tangen did photography for such films as “Spider-Man” and “Batman” with Christian Bale, so the phenomenon of “real superheroes” it is very inspired. The photographer wants to create a full series of posters of conventional superheroes in North America, to draw public attention to the fact that these people do. Perhaps it is because of these pictures people will discover the heroes within themselves. From the works of Peter Tangen can be found at reallifesuperheroes.com .
Photo: Peter Tangen
Name: Zimmer (Zimmer)
City: Austin, Texas, then New York
Occupation: patrol the streets without a mask and does not hide his real name, worked in the ambulance. After a serious accident, was left with partial paralysis of his hands, but did not leave his job.
Zimmer supports MagicCamp ( magiccamp.reachlocal.com ).
Name: Knight owl (Knight Owl)
City: Vancouver, Washington
Occupation: daytime running paramedics, night patrolling the streets, distributing medicine, began writing a guide for the superhero.
Knight Owl supports the organization Heifer ( heifer.org ).
Photo: Peter Tangen
Name: Guyst (Geist)
City: Rochester, Minnesota
Occupation: calling himself a “green space cowboy” patrolling the streets, punishing illegal graffiti and helps the hungry and homeless, armed with slingshots, and baton.
Guyst supports Ronald McDonald Charitable Foundation in Rochester ( mhmn.org ).
Photo: Peter Tangen
Name: Super Hero (Superhero)
City: Clearwater, Florida
Occupation: former wrestler, now owner of online store gym equipment, founded the “Team Justice” – the first non-profit organization for the “real superheroes” in the U.S..
Superhero support charities metromin.org and christopherreeve.org .
Photo: Peter Tangen
Name: Nyx (Nyx)
City: New York, NY
Occupation: helping homeless and drug addicts, in his first patrol went to 16 years.
Nix supports the National Association of the Deaf ( nad.org ).
Jill Smolowe and Howard Breuer with reporting by Kathy Ehrich Dowd
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://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.
Originally posted: http://www.insideedition.com/news/5801/nationwide-phenomenon-real-life-superheroes-fighting-crime.aspx
They are part of a bizarre new nationwide phenomenon. Self-proclaimed “real-life superheroes” are patrolling the streets and making their neighborhoods safer.
There is a spate of real-life superheroes cropping up across the nation, including the Dark Guardian in New York City, Phoenix Jones in Seattle, and Knight Vigil in Tampa.
A young woman named Nyx patrols in northern New Jersey, Boston has a guy called Civitron, and someone calling himself DC’s Guardian protects Washington, D.C., and there are plenty of others.
“If you have to be a little eccentric, you have to be a little eccentric,” says Phoenix Jones.
Phoenix tells INSIDE EDITION his rubber costume is stab-proof and he has a bulletproof vest underneath. The outfit has other practical functions.
“I need a symbol that’s readily identifiable to police that says, ‘Hey, I’m not a bad guy,’ and I also need to cover my identity,” he explains.
Like every good superhero, Jones has a sidekick for backup. She calls herself Blue Sparrow.
The Dark Guardian is actually 26-year-old martial arts instructor Christopher Pollak. He says his costume is an attention-grabber on the streets of New York City.
“I could do everything I do in regular clothes, but I do it with my superhero persona. It helps me to reach out to people more and get out that positive message that there’s a hero in everybody,” explains Pollak.
But is this whole real-life superhero bit a big joke?
“It is absolutely not a prank. It’s all for real, and we’re going out there trying to do good,” says Pollak.
The website reallifesuperheroes.com insists, “These are not ‘kooks in costumes,’ as they may seem at first glance.” It points out that they also do things like helping the homeless.
Things can get dangerous for the amateur crime fighters. In a scene from a new documentary movie called Superheroes (superheroesthemovie.com), the Dark Guardian confronts a man he believes is a drug dealer, a guy who towers over him.
“You a cop? You better…you better have a badge, man. If you don’t have a badge, don’t come over here [expletive] with me, man. All right? Mind your [expletive] business, all right?” the alleged drug dealer said.
“This is my business,” replied the Dark Guardian.
Despite his tough talk, the suspect left the scene.
Phoenix Jones recently had his nose broken, and was also threatened with a gun. That time he called 911.
Phoenix Jones: “Hey, I’m reporting an assault in the street. The guy tried to…said he was going to shoot me.”
911 Operator: “What color clothing are you wearing?”
Phoenix Jones: “I’m wearing a gold and black rubber suit.”
911 Operator: “OK, are you guys part of the Superheroes?”
Phoenix Jones: “Yes.”
Seattle police aren’t exactly thrilled about the whole superhero idea, and say they should leave the crime fighting to the authorities.
But Pollak shrugs off the critics. “Some people may think it’s crazy but anybody I help is usually grateful. They don’t care what I’m wearing,” he says.
Pollak says he knows life is not a comic book and he always calls 911 when things get out of hand.
The website reallifesuperheroes.com has 53 different caped crusaders listed.