Tag shadow hare

by Ben Goldby, Sunday Mercury
IS it a bird? Is it a plane?
No it’s a portly middle-aged businessman in a mask and cape.
Birmingham has its very own superhero patrolling the streets, and he is out to tackle the city’s toughest criminals.
Captain Britain, as he likes to be called, promises that he is “the protector of this Blessed Isle and all who live here”.
The brave Brummie is part of a new online fad which sees comic book fans carry out real-life crimefighting deeds dressed as their own Superhero alter egos.
The World Superhero Registry site boasts scores of characters, from across the globe, many of whom post videos of their heroic acts and pictures of their bizarre costumes.
While Captain Britain remains elusive, some of the “Superheroes” on the site have gained notoriety in their communities, and have even been pressured to reveal their secret identities.
Shadow Hare, 21, who “protects” the US city of Cincinnati, featured on his local TV news channel and has been battling to maintain his anonymity ever since.
“Despite the coverage I have been patrolling just as usual,” he wrote on his blog.
“I’ve heard about the lame bounty on my identity. Who cares? It doesn’t distract me from the people out there that I need to help.
“Besides, anyone can give you people a name. If they do, does that mean you will give them money? Nice try guys.”
And Shadow Hare is not the only real life superhero to hit the headlines.
California-based crimefighter The Eye, 50, has become a legend in his home state, and uses social networking site Myspace to promote his skills.
“I am a street-level, practical crime fighter and Neighborhood Watch Block Captain who uses various self-created electronic devices and other means to prevent crime, and help others in need whenever and wherever possible,” the Eye writes.
“My background as a certified private investigator as well as over 25 years of electronics expertise have aided me well in these efforts, and will continue to do so.
“I am also trained to mastery in the style of Kung-Fu known as Northern Shaolin Praying Mantis.”
Britain boasts five other crimefighting comic book stars, based in Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and Whitley, on the ouskirts of Reading.
Scottish superhero Seagull Man has targeted his feathered foes in a campaign to: “Keep the city clear of the vermin that live on our streets”.
And Whitley’s Batman and Robin are also tackling the lighter side of superhero duties.
Dressed as the famous dark knight and his sidekick, the Reading crimefighters are attracting more laughs than plaudits from the public.
One damsel in distress said: “They just appeared. I saw them running down the road in Batman and Robin outfits – I was laughing so much.
“It was like a scene out of Only Fools and Horses and they stayed in character the whole time.”
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http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2009/09/20/meet-the-real-life-registered-superhero-66331-24742662/

July 2009- FHM Magazine
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Photography by Tim Knox
Written by Josh Woodfin
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Sort of: It’s FHM’s Josh Woodfin, who joined New York’s real-life superheroes to battle street crime. While dressed a bit like a parrot…
May 2009, 10 pm, in New York’s Washington Square Pare. A 6ft 8in, 20st drug dealer steams towards me bellowing, “Mess up my world and I will FUCK! UP! YOURS!” As I spin on my heels, I hear a tearing sound. I’ve split my purple cat suit, the final indignity. The 15-strong group of hollering dealers continue to bear down on me. Then: salvation. At my flank, back-up appears in the form of three real-life superheroes: ‘Dark Guardian’, ‘Z’ and ‘Deaths Head Moth’. They swooped down to face and enemy with superior numbers and probably firepower.
Unbowed, unashamed and unafraid, the heroes advance. Now stood behind my vantage point- a low brush- I see Dark Guardian, in all honesty, a not-very-tall man, standing motionless in front of the behemoth shaking his head. Whatever the beast is saying, Dark Guardian disagrees. The air is thick with the possibility of violence. But is this a battle the heroes can win? And, move importantly, can everyone see the shape of my cock though these tights?
Origins
I can’t remember the exact point I lost faith in humanity, but I can certainly narrow it down. When I was 15, I got dumped on Valentines Day. I was so shocked I vomited on my own shoes. Then there was the time I saw a main in a park kick his dog so hard it died. Now, perhaps because of both incidents, I look at events such as the G20 protest and think, “Why bother? There’s nothing we can do…”
Then a certain You Tube video caught my eye. It was a US news report about a real-life masked 210year-old superhero called ‘Shadow Hare’, who walks the streets of Cincinnati handing out food, fighting crime and bringing justice while wearing a sort-of Mexican wrestling mask. Something about these altruistic acts nagged at me. Why was he doing this? I had to find out more.
A quick Google search revealed a huge internet community of “Reals” or Real-Life Superheroes all dedicated to the cause. Reallifesuperheroes.org lists over 30 active heroes, most of whom are located in America.
I copy in all the heroes’ e-mail addresses and attempted to make contact. The response is overwhelming, and bizarre. “I WOULD LOVE TO BE SQUEEGEEINTERVIEWED!!!!!!!” replies ‘Squeegeeman’, “HAVE A SQUEEGEETASTIC DAY!!!!!!!”
Then ‘Dark Guardian’ (or, by day, Chris Pollak) e-mails, saying that , although he’s been burnt before, he’d be happy to get us in touch with a good group of Real in New York, “This isn’t a comic book or movie, though,” he warns. “We’ve had guns flashed at us. So I won’t go on patrol without another hero, ‘Deaths Head Moth’,” That may just be a collection of nouns, but it still sounds badass. I need a costume. I plan to choose something in the aristocratic mould of The League of Extraordinary Gentleman or The Shadow, says, from a nearby fancy dress shop. I end up leaving a deposit for a flamboyant uniform that makes me look like I’ve collapsed into a gay pride flag. I make the final arrangements to meet Dark Guardian, board the plane to New York and prepare to fight with them side-by-side, cape-to-cape.
Fortress of solitude
I join my mentors for the mission in a blustery car part in Staten Island, the least populated of New York’s five boroughs. Dark Guardian is an unassuming, softly spoken young man of 25, with gel-spiked hair, a pronounced nose and a wiry build from hours of training. We’re convened at Constanzo’s Marital Arts, a gym where he’s an instructor in all kinds of fighting styles, from kickboxing to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Standing slightly behind Dark Guardian is a short, barrel-chested man in a NY Yankees hat, a grey T-shirt tucked into his heavy cargo trousers and big, steel-toe capped boots. I offer him my hand and say with a falter in my voice, “Deaths Head Moth?”
Nice to meet you,” he replies. I’m not offered another name. Behind him stands a taller, harder looking man sporting a grown-out Mohawk and arms dotted with tattoos. This is ‘Z’, a hero I wasn’t expecting.
“Okay…” interrupts Dark Guardian. “Shall we train?” They visibly perk up.
Disturbing backstories
Five minutes later we’re getting suited up. Dark Guardian sports red and black biker leathers and Asics trainers. Practical, not showy, but with an air of authority. He’s been a superhero for six years, doing everything from neighborhood patrols to working with the homeless. Deaths Head Moth, on the other hand, is more tech. He sports a one-piece black suit that zips over his head, his logo emblazed on his chest – a white skull with tow baseball bats crossed like swords underneath. Under his suit he also wears a set of butcher’s chain mail, (“It’s light and will stop most blades”). I ask what’s in his utility belt. “Everything,” he smiles. :” A knife, bear mace and these…” He deftly swivels tow batons. AS they spin, I spot something else.
“They’re mothrangs,” You mean ninja stars? “Essentially, yes. I had them custom made.” Deaths Head Moth estimates he’s spent over $5,000 on his equipment. He hands a moth rang over; it’s razor sharp. I ask if they’re legal. “They are in Virginia, not in New York.”
But it’s Z’s mask that disturbs me most. A tight black hood, with large eyeholes held together by safety pins, it’s scary/. “It’s meant to be. Some of the things I do- hunting pedophiles and rapist – it’s not strictly legal. Incidentally, you want to see something coo? These are my blast knuckles. “He holds up what looks like a set of plastic knuckledusters. He grips hard as a spark cracks into life. “Hit someone with these, and you give’em a 950-000-volt shock. It floods their body with lactic acid. That’ll put most people down”
Once I’m dressed and looking like a particularly fey parrot, the true difference between the heroes become apparent. Dark Guardian is disciplined, methodical and a skilled fighter. Deaths Head Moth looks like one of those tough little doges you see on council estates; loyal and definitely not to be fucked with. Z, however, is and old school brawler. “I grew up around bikers, “He says, “So you fought with whatever you had to hand. Chairs, pool cues…”
Z also tells me that he wants to “make a difference”, like the rest of the heroes, but I can’t help but think he’s partly motivated by vengeance. “I started after my suicide attempt.” he admits. “I was angry, running round the city tearing shit up. Then I realized that I could do some good. It sounds stupid but I am Z now. The mask gives me an excuse to be strong. If you can walk through the streets like this, you can do anything,”
The heroes then begin to undress, I assume because they don’t want to travel in their uniforms. Then I realize tit’s for another reason. “You wearing your vest?” ask Z. “There’s just three of us tonight, of course I am,” replies Dark Guardian. I watch in silence as they strap on bulletproof vest, then I look down at the gold tassels and purple spandex of my uniform, a single hair poking though the material at my belly. Never mind a bullet, I can’t even stop a hair…
Evil nemeses
As we all pile into Dark Guardian’s Mazda, the atmosphere is dark. The only talk is of the game plan for tonight. I ask if they’d run if someone pulled a gun and I’m shocked by Dark Guardian’s answer. “Yeah I’d run. But they they’d be a marked man. I’d know they were a physical offender, so I’d know they were a physical offender, so I’d go back. And fuck them up.”
What do the police thing of you?
“I actually got taken down to the precinct on the last patrol. They wanted to talk. It was weird, everyone there knows who I was and they were really supportive. They were concerned for my safety. But I’m not going to stop. I can’t stop.”
As we near Washington Square Park where the patrol will take place, the car falls silent. The air is heavy with the expectation of violence and the fug of too many grown men wearing skintight synthetic fabrics. Dark Guardian flicks though the radio. Stations after station of overblown American rock music. Then, the next station is playing Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles, “This’ll work,” says Deaths Head Moth through his mask. He hums along.
For a moment, my fear of getting shot abates and I suffer from that old familiar felling of physical embarrassment. I’m about to get out of the care and I look like a hernia.  But the gun fear returns. I point out a sign saying ‘No Stopping’. “Not a problem,” says Dark Guardian – he has a Secret Service badge he got from a friend to put in the cr.
As we walk along, we’re barely noticed, apart from one courier who nearly rides into a parked Fed Ex truck. Entering though the North East corner of the park we walk past an annoying, but technically law-abiding, samba band. Then a series of loud whistles echo through the part; it’s the dealers signaling like sportswear-clad meerkats that something is amiss. They’ve had dealings with these heroes before. Two weeks ago Dark Guardian, Deaths Head Moth and a host of others successfully, if only temporarily, booted them from the park.
When we reach the South West corner, however, were clearly outnumbered. The dealers perched on part benches like crows. I’m scared. I feel massively out of my element and far from my comfortable existence back in London. AS I walk past one dealer, he mutters, “You better have a badge if you’re gonna come up in here.” I have no idea what to do, so I just say “sorry”/ I then stand at the back behind Dark Guardian, Z perching on the top rail of a fence with Deaths Heads Moth stood to the side. They’re in attack formation when a gigantic drug dealer – I call him ‘Gigantor’ in my nightmares – comes streaming over. “Who the fuck are you! Why you gotta fuck up my world?” Dark Guardian replies coolly: “You have to leave. This part isn’t for you.” More dealers approach and I’m really shitting it. Bu the heroes stand their ground. It’s a surreal sight, three men, essentially in fancy dress, facing down at least 15 very scary drug dealers.
I’m also ashamed to say I was backing away at this point. The photographer and I liter at the edge of the part, where I quickly discover it’s hard to be inconspicuous when you’re wearing a scarlet cape. A group of the dealers start hollering at Deaths Head Moth. “Take your mask off! If you’re so brave, take your mask off.”
Deaths Head Moth unzips his mask and reveals his face.
“Woah, put it back on!” shots one of the dealers; and unfair end to a brave act. It’s getting pretty heavy. NO one’s made a move but the dealers are getting agitated – we’re costing them money. And anyone will tell you that’s a bad idea. Like pushing down on the very tip of a cat’s tail while it’s trying to cat, only loads more dangerous.
One of the dealers flashes something at Dark Guardian and he visibly tenses, then leans in to talk to the guy. Dark Guardian signals to Deaths Head Moth and Z. They start walking backwards towards me, not showing their backs to the dealers.
“You ain’t no fuckin’ heroes, man, “ shouts one dealer, causing Dark Guardian to stop in his tracks for a moment. I watch his knuckles bunch. If the light was better I’m sure I’d see them turning white, but he keeps walking.
“We have to go,” Dark Guardian stays without meeting my eyes. We start walking down the street and some of the dealers follow.
“Walk up front,“ says Z, and me and the photographer skitter off like little girls. I catch a passing lady glancing at my mammal toe (male camel toe), before looking away quickly, unimpressed. The same dealer that spoke to Dark Guardian before we started retreating comes out of nowhere. I prepare myself to use the photographers as a human shield.
But we’re safe, the dealer is an undercover cop. “I appreciated what you guys are trying to do,” he says breathlessly. “But you can’t fuck around with these guys.”
“We’re not fucking around,” says Z.
The cop looks tired for a moment then says, “Just be safe,” before running off.
It wasn’t said in a school safety lecture way, it was said with respect.
A new hero is born
As we climb back into the car, the mood is charged with frustration. Dark Guardian’s soft American accent has been replaced with a pissed-off New York Accent.
“That mudderfucker. I’m gonna get that big mudderfucker. I had my torch ready to smack him in the fucking throat if he made a move.”
I tentatively ask why he had to leave.
There was too many of them,” snaps the Dark Guardian. “We’re not stupid. We nailed them last time, and this time they were ready.”
I’m beginning to feel their frustration. They don’t want much, just to make their small corner of the world a little better. Suddenly it feels like the wrong time to tell them that my cape is caught in the door and I’m worried about losing my deposit.
When relaying what their ultimate goal is, Dark Guardian gets s even more animated.” We’re gonna fight back. I’m going to train more heroes up and we’re going to reclaim the part. We’re not better than the cops but…” Z interrupts “We can do things that people caught up in the red tape can’t.”
The car falls silent as we race though Times Square just as a thunder storm breaks over the city. I ask what everyone is thinking about. “I’m thinking about how we’re going to get them next time,” says Dark Guardian ominously.
“I’m thinking I need a piss,” says Z.
As they drop me at my hotel, we shake hands and I press again about what will happen next. Dark Guardian has calmed down a little. “We lost that battle, but this is a war and we will win it.” I asked Deaths Head Moth why he took his masked off. “I wanted to show them I wasn’t afraid,” he says, looking at his mask for a moment. “In hindsight, that was when I lost the psychological advantage.”
After our goodbyes, I sit on the edge of my hotel bed, unwilling to take off my uniform. Dark Guardian has a vision that can only be good; whether he achieves it is irrelevant. I’m just glad he’s trying. Deaths Head Moth and Z are on more personal journeys – I worry a day will come with they can’t separate themselves from their characters.
Z, though, has the potential to become something truly great, if he can just hold it together. But I’m concerned it will end badly for him, whether that means prison for going to heavy on someone, or worse – death. I walk over to my 11th-floor window, still in my uniform and open it wide to listen to the city. “Be safe,” I whisper to the night. “Be safe.” It’s at that point that I spot a young boy staring at me open mouth from the opposite window. I wink, flash him a thumbs up and disappear out of sight. ‘The Bird of Paradise’ has taken flight. FHM
Holding out for hero?
Some of the hero community’s more ‘colorful’ members…
The Eye
Crime fighter
Identity: Semi-Public
Region: California
He says: “I have over the years developed two of my own fighting styles. One is my own ‘Jeet Kune Do’ of sorts, called ‘Jade Mantis’, the other being a street wise, basic self-defense method called ‘Leaf Hand’. The quest for justice is an eternal path.”
Anax
Crime fighter
Identity: Secret
Region: Ohio/Pennsylvania
He says: “We live in a world full of hatred, pain and suffering. Truth, Justice and the American Way are for sale to the highest bidder. Corruption and incompetence affect every aspect of our lives. Some call me a crimefighter. Some call me delusional and misguided. Some call me a real-life superhero. Some call me a menace to society. Some call me a ninja.”
Master Legend
Crime fighter
Identity: Secret
Region: Florida
He says: “I am a real-life superhero. I am a trained battle-fighting machine. I am a master of martial and metaphysical arts. I put my life on the line like its worthless… maybe it is but I will destroy evil forever. I will help all those I can to the best of my abilities but we warned: I am resentful and a superhero of vengeance. Don’t tread on me!”
Red Arrow
Humanitarian
Identity: Secret
Region: Hong Kong
He says: “I try to bring happiness to people and become the salt and light of the world.”

By Carol Rucker
Fighting Crime in Cincinnati-
At age twenty-one, Shadow Hare has already logged four years of fighting crime in the shadows of Cincinnati streets; but he has only recently made his efforts known to the public. Cincinnati’s very own crime fighter stepped out of the shadows at high noon to answer a few questions. “I’m a crime fighter,” Shadow Hare said; and that’s what he does, stopping criminals in the act, preventing crime wherever he goes. Perhaps it was the adversity Shadow Hare endured as a child that inspired his current path. “I was tortured,” he said. Such suffering could very easily have pushed a weaker man toward vindication; but Shadow Hare transformed the energy of those childhood traumas into a drive to make the world a better place. Shadow Hare is a member of the Allegiance of Heroes and what he does is part of a nationwide trend evidenced by World Superhero Registry, one of many sites keeping superhero stats. There are others like him across the country, but until recently, Shadow Hare stood alone in his quest to fight crime on Cincinnati’s streets. These days trusted aide and pupil, Silver Moon, joins him in his crime fighting quest.
Shadow Hare -The Eyes and Ears of Cincinnati-
“To get what you’ve never had, you have to do things you’ve never done,” Shadow Hare explained. True to this age-old philosophy, he is doing something that’s never been done on the streets of Cincinnati. A superhero, patrolling Cincinnati’s streets as the eyes and ears of the police, he prevents crime and spreads awareness.
The Ionosphere – Shadow Hare’s Headquarters-
Shadow Hare is like a shadow indeed, coming and going quickly, slipping in and out of the crowd to aid victims of criminal acts. Sometimes he breezes through the city on a Segway, one of those handy two-wheeled personal transportation devices that make navigating the city’s terrain more convenient than in a car and faster than walking. Like most superheroes, unless someone needs him, Shadow Hare remains illusive to the average citizen. It took Greg Reese From Cincinnati weeks of seeking him out before he located Silver Hare and his companion, Silver Moon, and they agreed to make an appearance in The Ionosphere, their headquarters at the north edge of Downtown Cincinnati The Ionosphere, the official Shadow Hare-Silver-Moon headquarters, is not as secretive a place as the name might imply. It’s a Segway Dealership at Central Parkway and Vine in an up and coming area referred to by some as The Q.
The Shadow Hare’s Crime Fighting Costume-
Shadow Hare was clad in black from head to toe, with a traditional super hero cape flowing behind him. Emblazoned on his chest and characterized in the features of his face mask, was his namesake, the Shadow Hare, a ghostly rabbit with distorted features straight out of one of his dreams. During childhood that ghostly animal reached out to him, Shadow Hare says, becoming his comforter. Today that comforting creature is a symbol of Shadow Hare’s desire to protect and comfort all Cincinnati citizens.
Shadow Hare’s Crime Fighting Tools-
Beneath his costume, Shadow Hare is not the usual tall, muscle-ripped hunk of fictional hero fame. He is an everyday real man, perhaps a bit thin, but with drive and intensity enough to make up for any lack of physical stature. Combined with the element of surprise, Shadow Hare’s martial arts skills are his chief crime fighting weapon. In a brief demonstration, he illustrated his ability to bring down an offender with non lethal force. And if his martial arts skill should fail him, the 120,000 volt tazer dangling from his belt should certainly do the job.
Silver Moon- Shadow Hare’s Companion-
As Shadow Hare’s partner, the petite Silver Moon dons matching head-to-toe-black garb. Arms crossed over the white halo and single star adorning her chest, the super-heroine-in-training manages to look tough while maintaining a feminine air. Like Shadow Hare, she is dedicated to making the city a better place. Silver Moon is new to the crime fighting game. She is still learning from Shadow Hare the martial arts skills necessary to take on Cincinnati’s criminal element; but when you see Shadow Hare, you will most likely see Silver Moon, standing nearby, waiting, watching, and every bit as motivated to serve the public as her male superhero counterpart.
Shadow Hare & Silver Moon – Causing A Stir on the Street-
As the super hero and his lady companion stepped from The Ionosphere into the afternoon sunlight, they struck a pose for the camera, and caused a stir by their mere presence on the street. Lunchtime passersby clicked away with phone cameras. Some stopped to ask a question or two. Motorists called out to him or cheered; some blew their horns as he whoosed by on his Segway. Shadow Hare saluted or waved in return. Moments after Shadow Hare mounted his Segway, preparing to demonstrate how he moves along the city streets, a Cincinnati police car parked near the Vine Street corner where he stood. Next a bicycle-mounted policewoman arrived on the scene, as did another officer who parked his car on Central Parkway. “Some scoff at me. Others take me seriously.” Shadow Hare said, referring to the police officers. To that he added, “I trust the police.” Still he says “no one needs authorization to be a super hero.” If you want to follow in his footsteps, you need only contact him.
More resources

• http://www.worldsuperheroregistry.com/world_superhero_registry_gallery.htm

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1820895/shadow_hare_silver_moon_cincinnatis.html?cat=7

SDNN
It is a typical Sunday; launching a public awareness campaign to bring a home-invasion rapist to justice.
Well, maybe not a typical Sunday – at least, not for the average citizen. San Diego’s resident superhero Mr. Xtreme – as the missing vowel suggests – is far from average.
Think Superman, Spider-Man, Batman, or Mighty Morphin Power Rangers – just less … super. No high-flying, no web-slinging, no expensive gadgetry, no dino-morphing; essentially, none of the frills that make a superhero super.
That isn’t to say Mr. Xtreme isn’t super – or a hero. Quite the opposite, in fact. It takes an out-of-the-ordinary person to sacrifice his Sunday to hand out flyers warning women about a sexual assault suspect who has been on the loose since June 2008. And it takes an extraordinary person to offer an out-of-pocket $1,500 reward for information leading to the “evildoer’s” capture.
He must be brought to justice, Mr. Xtreme says, and he’s just doing his part to help.
The 30-something superhero has read news releases about a drop in crime in the county. He has no reason to believe crime is on the rise, but, he says, “Try to tell a victim’s family there’s been a drop in crime – they’ll tell you to get lost.”
“Victims of violent crimes shouldn’t be treated as a statistic,” says Mr. Xtreme, who asked we keep his identity a secret.
Sure, he talks a big game, but Mr. Xtreme has no illusions of grandeur; he isn’t secretly developing an Xtreme-mobile, or jumping from building to building in the East Village after dark.
It’s a pretty simple operation, to tell you the truth. He patrols neighborhoods in his costume – black cargo pants, a green “Xtreme Justice League” shirt, black boots and a camouflage lucha libre mask – and he wears a utility belt, equipped with a stun gun, 2.5 ounces of pepper spray, and a flashlight.
The Xtreme Justice League, the organization his shirt refers to, is a small, loose network of superheroes Mr. Xtreme works with to coordinate patrols and fight crime. Locally, he doesn’t have much help. He’s the most active, visible member of the local Real Life Superhero (RLS) community, which stays connected through sites like WorldSuperheroRegistry.com.
Mr. Xtreme’s primary goal is to be a visual deterrent to crime; a would-be evildoer, for example, might see the masked man patrolling, and rethink his malevolent misdeeds.
But, Mr. Xtreme said, if push comes to shove, he isn’t afraid to intervene in gang violence, a carjacking or a sexual assault.
“If someone’s safety is at stake, if a victim’s life is at stake, I’ll step in no matter how dangerous the situation and risk getting injured, or even risk losing my life to save the day,” he deadpans.
OK. Hmmm. That may be a little beyond the call of duty. But, it’s all in a day’s work, the superhero says.
Every now and then, Mr. Xtreme delivers a line or uses a phrase that borders on melodramatics. And, in part, that’s the purpose. He enjoys the theatrics.
He’s a building security manager by day. So, I ask him: Why not work with a community patrol group that collaborates with the police department? Instead, he operates independently, a pariah at public forums (he’s often asked to leave) and a nuisance to the cops. Sure, with an organized community patrol, he’d have more status in neighborhoods. But, he’d be missing the theatrics – missing the fun.
“I grew up in a household of abuse, I was bullied in school, and I see all the apathy and indifference in society,” he says. “It really strikes a nerve with me. I looked up to superheroes when I was a child; they were role models. And they’re still role models today.”
“I have so much respect for what community patrols do, but I want to be out and interact with the community,” he says. “I couldn’t do that from a car. And being a real-life superhero is really a symbol to illustrate my commitment to an ideal, and it can inspire people … I want to send a message to youth. You can live an ‘extreme’ lifestyle and you don’t have to be a killer or a gang member or a thug or a waste of human life or a parasite.”
So, for the time being, Mr. Xtreme doesn’t mind being an outsider – just don’t call him a vigilante.
“I don’t condone vigilante behavior; I condemn it,” he says. “It’s an insult when someone calls me a vigilante. A vigilante wouldn’t try to go to community meetings to interact with the public. A vigilante wouldn’t try to work with police.”
The superhero hopes to build a working rapport with the police. It doesn’t seem likely, but he’s hopeful. He seems eternally optimistic; that he can build bridges in communities; that he can prevent crime; that he can make a difference in the world. He may not have a super-utility belt, or a super-power, but this superhero’s heart is in the right place.
The Sunday I tag along with Mr. Xtreme, we canvass shopping centers in Kearny Mesa, handing out “WANTED” flyers, with information about the sexual assault suspect. This case really irks him.

The home-made flyers are more eye-catching than your run of the mill posters. They say “WANTED” in bold, Sharpie’d letters. A sketch of the sexual assault suspect has the word evildoer written on it. The Xtreme Justice League logo is pasted at the top and a “no evil” logo is pasted near the bottom.
He approaches people in shopping centers to give them flyers. Surprisingly, very few dodge him. It may help he’s being followed by a reporter and a film crew, who is interested in making a documentary film about real-life superheroes.
By and large, the response to Mr. Xtreme’s effort is enthusiastic.
He greets one woman sweeping a sidewalk outside a big-box business.
“Hi ma’am, I’m with the Xtreme Justice League, and we’re looking for a rapist,” he says, handing her a flyer.
“For real? Him? Still?” the woman says. The suspect has been at large for a year.
“Yes ma’am,” he says.
“That son of a bitch. Well, I hope to God you find him. I warn my kids every day. If you have any other flyers, I’ll help put them up.”
Later, he meets another grateful citizen.
“You guys are doing good work,” the man says, taking a flyer from Mr. Xtreme. Mr. Xtreme thanks him and walks away. The man’s young daughter runs out of a nearby store to see what her dad is up to.
“Daddy, who are you talking … OH MY GOSH WHY IS THAT MAN …?” The little girl isn’t quite sure what to make of her father cavorting with Mr. Xtreme.
At a market down the road, our superhero greets a woman he’s met before in the restaurant she owns. She has his flyers posted there – but she has a question.
“Why do you have to have a mask on?” she asks.
“Well, it’s a part of my uniform,” he says. “I’m a superhero.”
“Oh …”
“Oh” seems to be the standard response, when Mr. Xtreme explains himself; it’s as if no one quite knows what to make of him, but aren’t comfortable prying, so they say, “Oh.”
For every passerby who seems a bit confused by the getup, there’s the driver who honks his horn, or waves. They might recognize him from television news spots, or the Union-Tribune story about him, or the cover of The San Diego Reader. He welcomes the media attention. After all, it makes his job crime fighting a little easier.
“Some superheroes think I do this for popularity,” he says. “That’s not the case. We’re trying to build community support to make our jobs easier.”
Despite the name recognition, it’s a lonely life, he says. “My social life is basically non-existent. That’s the sacrifice I choose to make so I can be able to do this. It can be difficult to get people to understand. I usually only speak in depth to folks who want to listen. If they’re going to come at me with a barrage of nonsense, I usually just walk away or ignore them. I just take things as they come and do my thing, and not care what people think if it’s negative. No time for negativity.”
Nope. No time for negativity for Mr. Xtreme. Saving the world, after all, is daunting task. Even for a superhero.
Joseph Peña is a contributing editor for San Diego News Network.
Tags: SDNN
Read more: http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-05-29/lifestyle/local-superhero-fights-crime-his-own-way#ixzz0Vm4t6HOd

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati’s newest superhero has become an Internet sensation.

Eric Flack

Reporter

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati police have a new ally in their fight against crime, whether they want it or not.

He calls himself Shadow Hare, and he wears a mask and a cape to conceal his true identity. He’s Cincinnati’s own version of a superhero fighting crime and injustice where he finds it.  

Vote: What do you think of Shadowhare?

“We help enforce the law by doing what we can in legal standards, so we carry handcuffs, pepper spray … all the legal weapons,” said Shadow Hare. “We will do citizen’s arrests. We will intervene on crimes if there is one happening in front of us.”

The man behind Shadow Hare’s mask is 21 years old and from Milford. Those are the only clues to his true identity that he will reveal. Shadow Hare said he was abused as a child and grew up in foster homes, perhaps leading him to a life helping others.

“My message to Cincinnati is that there is still hope and all we have to do is stand together,” he said.

Shadow Hare is not alone in his quest to fight crime. He heads up a group of men — and one woman — called the “Allegiance of Heroes.” The members communicate with each other in online forums. Among the members are Aclyptico in Pennsylvania, Wall Creeper in Colorado and Master Legend in Florida.

“I’ve even teamed up with Mr. Extreme in California — San Diego — and we were trying to track down a rapist,” said Shadow Hare.

The crime fighters will often pair up to patrol the streets. Even so, fighting crime comes with its share of hardship.

Shadow Hare said he suffered a dislocated shoulder two years ago while trying to help a woman who was being attacked.

And the authorities don’t always take him seriously. In one encounter with a Hamilton County corrections officer, Shadow Hare was greeted with a chuckle and a look of disbelief.

But Shadow Hare said he and his team are not deterred by the criticism. He remains focused on trying to make Cincinnati a better place, whether it’s fighting crime or feeding the homeless.

For now, the law is on Shadow Hare’s side.

It is legal in Ohio and Kentucky to make a citizens arrest, however, the arrester does face possible civil litigation if the person arrested turns out to be innocent.

http://www.wlwt.com/news/19305002/detail.html

di BENEDETTA PERILLI
FOX Fire indossa una maschera da volpe, un lungo cappotto di pelle nera e insieme ai Nameless Few protegge dalla violenza le strade del Michigan. Ha 26 anni, è una donna, e di notte diventa una supereroina. Come Wonder Woman. Senza superpoteri, però. La sua forza sta in alcune nozioni di magia e in un buon allenamento fisico. Come lei, in giro per il mondo, centinai di altri supereroi della vita reale, che si dividono tra professioni normali e lotta al crimine.
Quella dei supereroi della vita reale è un’esperienza nata dopo l’11 settembre e rafforzata dalla recente politica dell’active citizenship promossa da Barack Obama. Negli anni recenti la loro comunità è cresciuta intorno al sito World Superhero Registry, l’anagrafe dei “difensori dell’umanità” che a oggi registra trenta iscritti e due aspiranti. Ognuno con un nome, uno stile, un “costume” e un’area d’azione. Il resto è nelle mani della loro fantasia. A eccezione di tre regole, alle quali ogni supereroe, che ambisca a entrare nel registro mondiale, deve sottostare.
La prima riguarda il costume. Non un semplice travestimento per tutelarsi da eventuali ritorsioni, ma un segno di rispetto nei confronti dell’umanità. L’abito è il biglietto da visita con cui presentarsi al mondo, e dal quale dipende la propria credibilità. La seconda regola definisce l’attività del supereroe, che deve agire per il bene dell’umanità, mantenendo però un livello d’azione più attivo e partecipativo del semplice comportamento quotidiano. In caso di inattività o di inadempienza, il registro segnala nella scheda l’eventuale ritiro dall’anagrafe mondiale.
Infine, l’ultima regola, quella che riguarda la motivazione personale e definisce i doveri del paladino. Essere supereroi non ha niente a che fare con campagne di promozione personale o trovate pubblicitarie. La vocazione deve venire dal singolo individuo, che non può ricevere denaro per la sua attività né lavorare come rappresentante, stipendiato o volontario che sia, di un’organizzazione.
Detto questo, non resta che scorrere il registro per scoprire travestimenti e crociate di questi paladini che molto devono al mondo dei fumetti ma dal quale non possono prendere neanche un nome, pena l’infrazione del copyright. E allora l’ispirazione arriva dalla fantasia. A New York lavora Terrifica, in Inghilterra c’è Black Arrow, in Florida opera Amazonia mentre la Regina di Cuori è del Michigan. Ultima limitazione all’operato di questi eroi incompresi – che in questi giorni grazie ad alcuni articoli su The Sunday Times e Rolling Stones vivono momenti di gloria – è l’utilizzo di pistole e coltelli. Ben vengano quelli in plastica, che fanno da complemento all’abito. La loro vera arma non è metallica, ma virtuale.
Dalle pagine dei loro siti, i supereroi lanciano le loro minacce al mondo del crimine. Ed è sempre online, con l’iscrizione al registro ufficiale, che l’attività trova definitiva consacrazione. Inutile fare pressioni per entrare nel registro: la nomina deve essere promossa da parte del registro stesso in seguito a una comprovata carriera da supereroe.
I capostipiti sono i quattro più celebri iscritti che a oggi, tuttavia, risultano in pensione. C’è Terrifica, paladina della sicurezza femminile che per anni ha tutelato le donne newyorkesi da uomini violenti e pericolosi. C’è Angle-Grinder Man, il vigilante inglese degli automobilisti che, operando tra Londra e il Kent, ha liberato centinaia di automobili dalle ganasce applicate dalla polizia municipale. Ci sono anche Mr. Silent, angelo delle notti dell’Illinois, e Crime Fighter Girl, ragazzina in maschera gialla impegnata in attività di volontariato e assistenza sociale nella contea di Jackson.
A loro si ispirano gli attuali supereroi, tra i quali spiccano per notorietà, con tanto di interviste a Cnn o Fox, SuperBarrio e Shadow Hare. Il primo, costume in lycra rosso, mutandoni e mantello dorati, difende i diritti dei lavoratori e dei poveri messicani. Il secondo, maschera nera, aiuta i senzatetto di Cincinnati. C’è anche chi difende il mondo dall’inquinamento, come Black Harrow – cappuccio nero, capelli rossi e amore per gli animali – o Entomo: quest’ultimo è l’unico supereroe italiano ammesso nel registro. Il fiorentino Superataf è in attesa che la sua candidatura venga valutata.
Entomo è un uomo insetto che opera a Napoli per promuovere una più ampia coscienza ambientalista. E dalla sua pagina MySpace lancia una testimonianza: “Essere un supereroe è il gesto più importante che si possa realizzare in un mondo arretrato come il nostro. Utilizzo le mie capacità salvando quel che resta da salvare e distruggendo quel che non rientra nel grande schema dell’equilibrio”.
http://www.repubblica.it/2008/12/sezioni/esteri/supereroi-vita-reale/supereroi-vita-reale/supereroi-vita-reale.html?ref=hpspr1

CHULA VISTA, Calif. — Two men are putting on their superhero costumes Thursday in response to a string of sexual assaults in the South Bay.
The men aren’t faster than any speeding bullet, but they are making their presence felt.
They said their sworn enemy is the man connected to at least three attacks on teenage girls in the Eastlake area of Chula Vista.
Members of the so-called Xtreme Justice League took to the streets of Eastlake Thursday evening.
The men are members of a volunteer crime-fighting group that dress up like superheroes to do good.
On Thursday and Friday, the men will be passing out fliers and offering a $1,000 reward for information on the sexual assault suspect, who took off on a skateboard in three of the attacks.
A fourth attack has not been tied to the same person, police said.
The men said they hope to be a visual deterrent for crime and an inspiration.
“I think superheroes represent all that is good, and we want to act as a symbol and also empower people,” said Mr. Extreme of the Xtreme Justice League. “With our patrols, we hope to make it a safer area.”
The group’s fliers include a telephone number for tips, which the group will forward to Chula Vista police.
Police said they are not familiar with the group and don’t advocate vigilante justice.
However, they did say the more eyes and ears out there, the better.
Copyright 2008 by 10News.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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