Tag Spider-Man

Originally posted:http://www.the-biomatrix.net/way-of-the-superhero.htm
By By James Carrales Lira AKA Vampireto! of Biomatrix.net
‘The way of the superhero’ is something I like to talk about a lot (believe me, I never stop!) and to me consists of taking three aspects that a superhero has (and that I admire) and to imitate them in real life. These are a strong body, outstanding mind, and a great style. That’s why, as a fan of superheroes, I came to see the Real Life Super Heroes community (RLSH) as role models for the age of the hero. At first I was surprised that more people shared my enthusiasm; that there are people that are brave enough to put on a costume and go out and try to change the established status (yes! I’m talking about you Mr. Hero!). But did they have what it really takes? Sadly, as I came to discover some do, but others… not so much! It’s as if they just act super when they have the costume on, and that’s a shame! A hero most be a hero all the time – like a state of mind if you like. This might be why many also seem a little out of shape – YES , GOOD PHYSIQUES ARE IMPORTANT. Didn’t want to mention it but, it certainly does make people feel safer than if they’re next to a wimpy superhero. So to better know if they have not just the ‘Heart of a Hero’, but also the body and mind of one too, I talked with one of them to discern if my doubts were justified!
For all of you, here is Dale Pople – AKA. ‘Super Hero’:
Hello Super Hero and thanks again for taking time to answer my questions… first of all:
I’ve heard that the hero persona must be a better version of yourself, one that improves on whatever flaw one has. For example: if you lack confidence then use your alter-ego to find that inner strength that’s missing. Is that true?
That’s possible, but everyone is different, so it may apply to some but not others. I’m pretty much the same guy in or out of my suit I think. Although some people have said my voice gets a little ‘Deeper’.
Do you exercise constantly? If that’s the case can you tell us your normal routine?
I have been a weightlifter since I was 17 and always liked to train heavy, I even ended up power lifting (see MySpace video) nowadays I do a few days a week of kettle bells as well. I hate to say it but although Batman & Superman are built like Bodybuilders I think a real Superhero would do a lot more kettle bells than just about anything else. The give you strength, Endurance, Cardio, agility, all of it. So that’s what I recommend as a ‘Superhero Workout’ nowadays.
Do you think it would be wise to improve first your civilian background (your secret identity, if you like) to make a better SUPERHERO in the future? Is it worth it waiting until you get stronger or its ok to train while patrolling the streets?
Well, I’m an odd case. I was in the military, always worked out, even went thru the Police academy & was a Pro Wrestler before becoming a Superhero. So I ‘groomed’ myself for this lifestyle for a long time without really knowing it. I was also almost 30 when I did (I’m 41 now) as for a younger guy? I’d say yeah, go ahead & do it but keep learning & training as you go.
Everybody talks about taking martial arts, self-defence lessons or preparing for physical confrontation for their crime fighting quests. Is that really as important for a superhero as everybody thinks? How many times have you used your fighting skills on a real situation?
Hardly ever, BUT that being said I’d rather know how to fight & never need it then need to fight & not know how. Take something. No art is going to hurt you.
Some say that the best way to improve you is in a competitive atmosphere. Does being on a sport team would improve you as a Superhero? I think no, a Superhero has to have a ‘Put the other guy over’ attitude. Like a Pro Wrestler. That’s why I was a better wrestler than a Football player or something (I’m not into sports) so I’d say no.
What sports do you recommend for developing your strength? Or you speed? What about your agility and reflexes? Is there any kind of super-training that let you develop all of these aspects at once?
See above (Kettlebells – check them out on YouTube)
Do you think that the general RLSH community needs to make an improvement into their own physical aptitude?
Eh, not really, most guys train somehow, there are a few guys who I wish would put some more meat on there bones, but they’re young and are trying so I don’t hold it against them.
Do you have any health advice for those who are starting training?
Pick up some magazines like Muscle & Fitness, read the routines, I used to have a CPT, Hire a trainer & have him show you around the gym, you’ll make gains quicker if you have a clue what to do. Watch the other guys & ask questions.
Another great fundamental part on the ‘way of the superhero’ is the awesome minds that some of them have (say Batman, Tony Stark, Sherlock Holmes, etc.), and everybody knows that Spiderman always wins because under the whole spider-like package (I mean his powers not his package…) there’s a genius. So…. Do you think it’s important to hit the book and, improve your mind?
You forgot Reed Richards & Hank Pym (now the Scientist Supreme) but at any rate yeah, improving your mind is paramount. Learn your local laws so you don’t break any. Maybe study profiling, I study a LOT of criminal cases (Columbine, the North Hollywood shootout etc) and history in General. I feel History is the best teacher.
Do you exercise your mind to become more capable in helping others?
Nah, I feel that’s instinctive, you either stop at accidents or keep driving, it’s two different types of people.
Do you know of any exercise to improve your memory?
Huh?
What about the skills you need to know on daily basis in the superhero world? Say fist aid or mechanics? Is there any other that you think would be useful? What about public relations?
PR is a HUGE one, I get asked to represent the Superhero community on a VERY regular basis, but I have a unfair advantage as I have worked in broadcasting for 15 years. I’m a extrovert, & enjoy the public a great deal. A Lot of the guys who do this seem to be very introverted & I have no such problem. Just to be fair I’ve also been asked NOT to on a few occasions.
And the final part: the style! Yes, my friends, the style! That cool thing that great characters have that make them immortal legends (or at least famous enough to be on the big screen); the ability to reinvent yourself, to create your own new persona, your own code of honour – and then to follow it to the end. Superheroes have it and so you do. But with great style comes great individuality. You must be original. You must not copy others (Do you see Wolverine asking Ironman about fashion tips? (Iron Wolverine? Hmm… interesting!)). Yeah it’s hard, but at the end you will feel great to know that you stand out from the rest.
Well, just about every great superhero design has been done before, so you’re going to borrow unintentionally or not. I AM very different from the rest of the pack in the fact that I am VERY colourful, that seems to be frowned on pretty badly by the bulk of the community. Most of the guys seem to think ‘The more black the better’ I blame the new batman films personally.
Did you design your own costume?
Yes.
What where you thinking while designing it?
Function, colour, Classic Superheroes
Why don’t you use a mask? Does it have anything to do with being more easily trusted by the people?
I’m in Florida, masks are hot, they are also not nearly as convenient or practical as comics make them seem. Somebody can crank it, then you’re blind & in trouble. they also limit your vision. I just don’t like them.See aboveMy suit was built with Florida in mind. It’s all heat friendly, even the gloves are ventilated.
Do you consider the practical value of it when making it?
How do you fight against the heat or cold with that costume on?
What are the materials you used?
Spandex & lycra mostly.let’s see. Stun gun, 37mm shot cannon, bear mace, ASP Baton, Mag light, Body armor, Bokken, sonic grenade, scanner, GPS. Exacto knife, multi tool etc.
Do you use any kind of gadgets? If that’s the case can you name them?
Do you make your own gadgets? Or have someone make them for you?
No, some guys make their own but I’m very ‘Soviet’ with my equipment. I like proven reliable tech.
Do you think it’s important to develop you own tech no matter the time it takes to achieve it?
No
If that the case what gadget would you like to have?
A Phaser
Having a trademark gadget is awesome (batarangs, web-shooters,) do you know any RLSH that has developed their own gadgets?
Yes, The EYE makes a ton of his stuff. and Death’s Head Moth actually has Motherangs!
Do you know what TRANSHUMANISM IS? In that case would you consider it as an important part into a superhero’s life-style?
You got me on that one, & I didn’t want to Google it because that would be cheating & I’m a superhero LOL

By Silver Sentinel
Having taken up the mantle of a hero, I feel its important to have a code of conduct to follow. This is my own personal code that I try to follow whenever doing work related to my mission.
Discipline: As a superhero, I shall maintain myself in a disciplined manner. I shall obey all the laws and regulations of my jurisdiction. I will not condone, nor encourage, unsafe or illegal behavior in my fellow heroes, or fellow citizens.
Courage: As a superhero, I shall face my mission with courage and not shrink from doing my civic duty in the face of adversity. I shall trust in myself, to know right from wrong, and to always strive to do the right thing.
Forgiveness: As a superhero, I know that I am not perfect. I shall accept an apology when offered, and offer an apology when I have done wrong. It is better that I offer apology and allow another to save face, than it is to rob another of their dignity.
Compassion: As a superhero, I have sworn to defend the weak and offer my strength to the downtrodden. Nor shall I seek reward for doing my civic duty.
Honor: As a superhero, my sworn word is the Word of a Hero! When I speak, my words reflect not just upon myself, but for my brothers and sisters in the RLSH Community.
Wisdom: As a superhero, I shall show sound judgment in my words and in my deeds. If I am in doubt, I shall seek someone more knowledgeable then myself for their advice.
Loyalty: As a superhero, I will stand by my fellow heroes through thick or thin. I shall not speak ill of a fellow hero in public, nor show disloyalty through my actions. If I disagree with a fellow hero, I shall speak to them in private and not offer my grievances to the public view.
Respect: As a superhero, I shall respect my fellow man, no matter their race, their religious views, education, or social background. I shall treat all others as I, myself, expect to be treated, with courtesy, compassion, and dignity.
 

Originally posted: http://www.mania.com/5-kickass-real-world-heroes_article_121849.html
Costumed Crusaders aren’t just found in comics and movies any more.
By Rob Worley
“Why does everyone want to be Paris Hilton but nobody wants to be Spider-Man?”
That’s the question Dave Lizewski poses to his friends just before he embarks on a life of crime-fighting in the comic and film Kick-Ass. In that fictitious world there are no super heroes or even costumed heroes.
In the real world, it turns out, there are plenty of people trying to be Spider-Man. Mania is here to guide you through a few of the costumed adventurers that inhabit the world outside your window!

5. TERRIFICA

4. ANGLE GRINDER MAN

3. THE HUMAN FLY

2. SUPERBARRIO GOMEZ

1. THE FRENCH SPIDERMAN

If you are looking forward to the Kick-Ass premiere, check out some of our Movie Maven Kick-Ass coverage.  Here is Tara’s interview with Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.  If you missed it last month, Tara got to check out the premiere in Austin at South By Southwest, check out the red carpet coverage

Originally posted: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2865968/real_life_super_heroes_everywhere.html?cat=7
Kick Ass – Not Just a Movie
By Carol Rucker
Sometimes life imitates art and sometimes it’s the other way around, just like in Kick Ass, an upcoming movie that’s based on a Marvel comic book but also reflects a national Super Hero trend. If you know the story or

 have seen the movie trailers, you already know it’s a tale about a youthful team of unlikely crime fighting citizens.
These heroes can’t fly like Superman nor can they scale tall buildings like Spiderman. The heroes in Kick Ass have no super powers at all, nor any of the traditional caped crusader traits going for them…… but they can “kick….” Well you know. That’s where the movie title comes from.
More Than Just A Screenplay
The movie is based on a comic book drama that plays to the hearts of regular guys, those every day men and women who decide they’ve had enough with crime in the streets. When the regular guys and gals in Kick Ass decide to take it beyond mere talk, they take to the city streets fully adorned in super hero garb. They challenge bad guys and fight crime, a great idea for a comic book or a movie, right?
Except it’s more than just a screenplay. Kick Ass is art imitating life. In case you haven’t noticed, real life super heroes are everywhere, not just the stranger who fixes your flat tire or the volunteer who delivers food to seniors. Those people are everyday heroes indeed; but there are also genuine costumed and caped heroes in many cities; and you don’t have to go to the movies to see them.
Cincinnati’s Super Heroes
“Some scoff at me, others take me seriously,” Shadow Hare said in a 2009 interview. Despite what people have to say, Cincinnati, Ohio’s super hero has been fighting crime on the streets for nearly 5 years. If your timing is right, you might find Shadow Hare at his headquarters, The Ionosphere. (the Cincinnati Segway Dealership at Central Parkway and Vine) But you are more likely to see him gliding along the Downtown city streets on a Segway with his lady companion, Silver Moon, nearby. Together they seek out crime and do what they can to stop it.
Super Heroes Everywhere
You can find details about Shadow Hare on his MySpace page and on The World Super Hero Registry. There you will also find profiles on many more of the nation’s true life knights in shining armor. Here are just a few.
Utah – Like most super heroes, Insignis wishes to keep his identity a secret. Masked and costumed in black and white, Insignis patrols the streets of Salt Lake City. There he fights

 crime and does good deeds with help from the The Black Monday Society.
Arizona – Wearing black from head to toe, topped off with a gold cape, Citizen Prime patrols Arizona streets. He not only fights crime, but also strives to promote good citizenship in his home state.
Florida – Dressed in black from head to toe, Amazonia does double duty, working the streets in both Ocala, Florida and Lowell Massachusetts. As a founding member of the organization, Vixens of Valor, she is sworn to protect the innocent.
Michigan – You will recognize The Queen Of Hearts by her black tights and the big heart adorning her chest. She does volunteer work, assists local charities and patrols the streets of Jackson, Michigan with her cohorts, Captain Jackson and Crimefighter Girl. She also teaches Jackson, Michigan youth how to recognize and prevent domestic violence.
The movie, Kickass is coming out soon; and if you decide to see it, remember, it’s more than just a movie. It’s real life.
Source: Shadow Hare/Silver Moon Interview June 5, 2009
http://www.worldsuperheroregistry.com/world_superhero_registry_gallery.htm
More resources

• http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/355205/superheroes_in_the_city_shadow_hare.html?cat=2
• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1820895/shadow_hare_silver_moon_cincinnatis.html?
• http://www.associatedcontent.com/video/355207/superheroes_in_the_city_part_2_shadow.html?cat=2

Originally posted at http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Life/94281-Super-friends/

Move over, Clark Kent. All over New England, mild-mannered citizens are suiting up and doing their part to play the hero.
By TEA KRULOS
THWAK! I swing with my right fist, trying to connect with my opponent’s face. In a smooth motion, he deflects my punch with his forearm, which is protected with a black and metallic-plastic arm gauntlet. I swing with my left fist, and am again knocked away effortlessly. I can see my reflection in his sunglasses, framed in white. He smiles and smoothes out his red and white spandex shirt — adorned with a letter “C,” a flame shooting out of the top — and then crouches into a fighting stance.
“Oh, no,” I think. “I’m about to get my ass kicked by a Lycra-wearing superhero.”
This non-caped crusader goes by the name of Civitron, and lucky for me, our combat is not a battle royale to the death. Rather, we are sparring at Rebelo’s Kenpo Karate, in New Bedford, where Civitron has trained under sensei Joseph “Kenpo Joe” Rebelo on and off for more than 10 years. We aren’t alone.
Twelve other “real-life superheroes,” striking and grappling, are crowded into the dojo for a martial-arts workshop led by Rebelo (who, despite his superhero-sounding last name, is not a member of this tribe). The heroes have flown in — by plane — from all over the country to take part in a three-day conference called “Superheroes Anonymous,” which is akin to a modern-day Justice League confab. They are wearing a multi-hued rainbow of spandex costumes, but there is also an emphasis on “real.” These aren’t the chiseled matinee-idol muscle men and women of the comics pages — more like the people with whom you ride the bus. Yes, some are athletic and tall, but some are short with pot bellies. It’s doubtful these heroes will put the fear of God into real-life hoodlums, let alone the Penguin or Dr. Octopus.
“We come in all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and beliefs,” says Civitron. (In the tradition of protecting a superhero’s alter ego, these heroes agreed to speak with the Phoenix as long as we could assure them their secret identities would be safe.) There is Nyx, a curvy New Jersey woman, dressed in gray leotards with a red dust mask covering her lower face. She is sparring against Zimmer, who has just arrived from Austin. Zimmer, short and wiry, wears a spandex shirt, the binary code for the letter “Z” streaming down one side. Zetaman traveled from Portland, Oregon, with a suitcase full of bulky blue plastic armor (superheroes of other eras never had to get their costumes through airport security). Scavenger has on a black mask and corset; black plastic streamers hang from her arms. Her main focus, superhero-wise, is picking up litter in Waterbury, Connecticut, where she has traveled from with her friend, the mountainous Runebringer. He is wrapped in a large gray coat with runic characters decorating his chest.
A lifelong superhero fan, Rebelo, 48, is clearly relishing his surreal position as instructor to a class whose students look as if they had stepped out of a stack of his comic books. As he yells out instructions, his colorful combatants block and counter strike, a Roy Lichtenstein–like comic panel of goggles, masks, combat boots, homemade utility belts, and capes come to life.
After training for a few days in the superhero arts, these mortals will return home and watch over their cities — maybe in a neighborhood near you.
Superheroes in real life
The real-life superhero (RLSH) scene is, believe it or not, a growing movement of people who adopt a superhero persona of their own creation, then perform small-scale heroic deeds, such as donating to charities or watching their streets for criminal behavior. Some can acquit themselves admirably in the fighting arena, whereas others make do by carrying pepper spray and Tasers, but most stress that their best weapon is a cell phone to call the police.
If the image of mere mortals walking the streets in homemade costumes is strange, consider that our vicarious culture has increasingly catered to our fantasy lives. We’re assuming the lives of rock stars, soldiers, and athletes in video games, and immersing ourselves completely in characters created in World of Warcraft, Second Life, and other online role-playing games. We watch artificial realities on TV, and read celebrity blogs on MySpace and Twitter.
Combine this with the grand American tradition of the superhero comic book, which took its first BAM! and POW! steps into the pop-culture pantheon more than 70 years ago. In the last several years, the Spider-Man, X-Men, and Batman franchises, among others, have smashed box-office records like the Hulk on a rampage. Add to that hit TV shows like Heroes and the popularity of graphic novels, and it’s easy to see the yearning of your everyday Clark Kent to be something, well, more super.
The spreading of the RLSH philosophy has been as simple as a click of the mouse. Internet chat rooms and YouTube videos connected new superheroes from city to city. Inevitably, regionalized teams formed and events like Superheroes Anonymous were set up so that like-minded heroes could meet, mask to mask.
First-time filmmakers Ben Goldman and Chaim Lazaros founded the annual conference three years ago, to capture heroes uniting to work together in New York City, with additional footage shot the next year in New Orleans. (Their documentary is currently in post-production.) Civitron volunteered to host this year’s conference in the “Secret City” of New Bedford. (Not exactly the Fortress of Solitude, but it will do in a pinch.)
Originally a premise to get quirky, compelling footage, Superheroes Anonymous has evolved. Besides the annual conference, it has recently been rethought of as a nonprofit organization, with chapters in New Bedford; New York; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Portland, Oregon.
“We’ve already met with lawyers to go over nonprofit paperwork,” says Civitron. “The funny thing is, they were really disappointed that they wouldn’t be representing crazy people who thought they had super powers.”

New England heroes
“New England has a long history of people looking for justice, and I think it’s been passed down generation to generation,” says Civitron, who was born in Boston and moved to New Bedford in sixth grade. He says the history, and even the East Coast’s Gotham City–like architecture, makes New England a great place to hang a superhero shingle.
Perhaps that’s why the region is damn near overrun with superheroes.
Recluse also calls New Bedford home. Clad in a studded rubber mask and a shirt with the white outline of a spider, he is a mysterious and elusive figure, true to his name. He does, however, agree to speak briefly with the Phoenix.
“When I first started,” recalls Recluse, “I was doing patrols in one of [New Bedford’s] worst neighborhoods, the South End. A lot of drug dealers, a lot of gangs, and I got injured doing that. . . . I thought it was like the comic books, apparently. I don’t know what I was thinking. I tried to stop three people from breaking into a house and I got thrown off the porch and landed on my shoulder, so I learned a lesson there.”
Since then, he says, he has taken a more careful approach, hitting the streets as a dynamic duo with a trained martial artist who calls himself Bushido (Japanese for “way of the warrior,” and the name of the moral code the samurai lived by). While combing the streets for crime, he wears street clothes — and a ballistics vest.
Recluse, too, has been donning plainclothes of late, “trying to observe and report more,” he says. “I knew Bushido way before I ever donned my Recluse mask; he saw what I was doing and he wanted to do it as well. We patrol from a vehicle with a video camera and only get involved if it’s an immediate danger to someone or someone’s property.”
Basilisk, inspired by Batman, cruises around the Taunton area. You’ll recognize him as the guy wearing a trench coat, goggles, a hood, and gloves. He met Civitron online, and the two now meet regularly to get coffee and discuss life, or to go look for wrongs to right.
Basilisk says he views himself as “a servant of the people. I take this goal very seriously,” he says. “Basically I want to be myself and I want to make a difference.”
If any bad dudes venture farther north, specifically in the Lewiston and Auburn area of Maine, they’ll be entering Slapjack’s turf. Slapjack says he first adopted his persona for the online role-playing game City of Heroes. But after hearing about other real-life superheroes, he decided it was time for his character to move from the virtual world to the real streets to watch for crime and help with charity work.
His look is inspired by the classic comic-noir hero The Shadow. They both wear a fedora and trench coat, and Slapjack has a mask with a spade and a diamond over the eyes. He sometimes carries metal-framed playing cards that can be tossed like throwing knives.
“Slapjack is the complete opposite of who I am,” he says, reflecting on his costumed persona. “I’m a really happy-go-lucky type of guy. I am very social and open, and Slapjack is like the darker personality. He is more secretive, more opinionated, he’s let his mind go and it really is like a Clark Kent/Superman or Bruce Wayne/Batman type of thing.”
There are numerous other heroes in the region. Among them: The Beetle of Portland, Maine, who couldn’t be reached for comment; someone calling themselves “Samaritan” from Providence, who recently contacted Civitron, and said he had been walking his beat for the last couple years, unaware of the larger RLSH movement; and the retired Ms. Kismet of New Bedford, whose MySpace page notes that “I carry a backpack, which hold[s] a great number of useful superhero things, like . . . alcohol-based hand sanitizer (it does the trick without promoting bacteria resistance).”
Instrument of the people
Civitron’s heroic name comes from the Roman civi (of the people) and the Greek suffix tron (instrument), and describes how he sees himself. He is of Puerto Rican and Italian decent, with the build of a runner and someone who takes his martial-arts training seriously.
“Something I say all the time is that I’m not really Civitron alone,” he tells me later by phone, as he watches over his neighborhood. “Civitron is a creation of everybody in my life who helped me get to this point.”
This eclectic hero-forming collective includes Civitron’s mom, whom he credits with teaching him to be a strong person, but not a “tough guy.” “He’s always wanted to save the world,” she says.
Civitron’s partner, Jennifer, is also supportive of him. Their six-year-old son has even adopted his own superhero persona, Mad Owl, complete with a brown-and-gold owl costume.
But other than the father and son having secret identities, the three actually seem like a pretty normal family. Jennifer goes to school for biology. Civitron — who has a very warm, Zen-like personality, almost constantly smiling — has worked as a counselor, and currently is involved with a day program for autistic patients.
Whereas many comic-book superheroes are reviled in their communities, Civitron has legions of fans. They include the former RLSH Green Sage, a friend from New Bedford who has retired his own hero costume but still supports Civitron’s efforts, and Tem Blessed, a positive-message rapper from Providence who has collaborated with Civitron on a food drive. The two plan to work on projects together in the future.
Civitron says his first meeting with his sensei, Rebelo, was in a comic-book store. Rebelo is proud of Civitron and his colleagues.
“His actions make others aware that they can act heroically, too,” says Rebelo. “Helping a food pantry, picking up litter, distributing food and clothes to the poor — these are actions that so many people have given up on. You hear so much about not being a snitch, about not getting involved. There’s a famous quote from Charles Barkley, ‘I’m not a role model.’ Civitron is saying the opposite of all that — that he is a role model. He wants to be involved and do something positive.”
Don’t expect the New Bedford Police Department to build a bat-signal anytime soon, though.
“We prefer to be the only costumed crime fighters out there,” says Lieutenant Jeffrey Silva, a police spokesman. He says the department is aware of real-life superheroes, but they have yet to cross paths with them.
“Although they might be well-intentioned, we don’t endorse citizen patrols, because we don’t know the level of training,” says Silva. Even so, he concedes that any help to police is welcome.
“Anytime someone wants to get involved and help police, we see it as a good thing, so long as they don’t work without police participation. We prefer people to be the eyes and ears of the police.”
But what about the strange costumes?
“Well, fortunately, we’re not the fashion police,” states Silva.
So what is the payoff for dressing as a superhero and running through dark and dangerous alleyways in the moonlight? Slapjack says that the realization that he is trying to do something positive is his reward.
“Knowing that you are going out there and being proactive and helping makes you feel good about accomplishing something,” says Slapjack. “My father always said, ‘No matter how bad your life, no matter how hard, there is always someone a lot worse off than you are.’ I always took that to heart, and use that as motivation to be better and do good.”
“I just see myself as someone trying to make things better,” agrees Recluse, “and I hope that people see me as that.” As for Civitron, he says being a father is a reason he wants to make the world a better place.
“I’ll be satisfied in the end if I’m just perceived as doing my part,” he says, “contributing to society and making my community better. I like being real and living my truth.”
For more information, visit the Web sites superheroesanonymous.com and reallifesuperheroes.org. Tea Krulos is a freelance writer from Milwaukee. He can be reached at [email protected].

Twenty-eight-year-old David “Civitron” Civatarese is a Boston-based real-life super hero. In his day job he works with adults with autism but in his free time, Civitron dons his home-made super hero disguise – a burgundy and orange jumpsuit – and takes to the sidewalk, assisting his community however he can by cleaning up the streets, helping out the homeless or families in need.
He’s part of a growing collective of ordinary citizens across America who have transformed themselves into something – and someone – else, made themselves larger than life. Going under the banner ‘Superheroes Anonymous’, the collective is dedicated to inspiring the super hero spirit in everyone.
Original persona
According to Civitron, it’s about finding out what your individual powers are and finding out how you can use those powers to help your community.
“Many of us dress up as an original super hero persona – and that’s part of the personal journey of going out and changing your life, of becoming the change that you want to see in the world [to quote Gandhi]. We take a look at ourselves, take a moral inventory – and see what we can change. With the persona we provide a template for ourselves to live by.”
The costumes – and the reasons for wearing them – are different for everyone, says Civitron.
“It’s about becoming a living example, not only for others but also yourself. You put on the costume to remind yourself you are out there specifically for the purpose of helping and for living your cause. For others, it’s more about fun.”
Whether it’s Life Lazaros, a New York hipster who wears a black mask and works on the street with runaways and homeless people, or Zeta Man, who coordinates fundraisers in his local hip hop community, the growth of the real life super hero has been exponential in recent years, with close to 200 members across the United States.
Health and safety
But it’s not a question of vigilantism, Civitron is keen to point out. Superheroes Anonymous members act within the boundaries of safety and the law and liase with the police to build upon existing mechanism within society, rather than working alone. They aim to take responsibility within their own community.
Whether you wear a costume or not, Civitron says the guidelines to becoming a real-life super hero are simple:
“Know the law and know what the legal boundaries are. Always be safe… and for anybody looking to become a real life super hero – they should explore themselves, know what they believe to be true, set out to be that ambassador to the world and always stay true to their message.”
http://www.rnw.nl/pt-pt/node/27694

A conversation between Big Simon and Tiny Terror on doing good
Big Simon: Tiny Terror… I’m callin’ you out!
You’re fond of pointing out how we’re fighting a losing battle, how the notions behind the theory of entropy describe a situation in which we are little more than hindrances to a certain outcome. I’d like to take a moment to point out a flaw in that idea.
Entropy is the measure of increased disorder in a closed or isolated system. In a system with no change in variables, chaos is the rule. The common example is that you cannot put the ingredients for a cake mix into a bowl, seal it shut, and expect it to make itself into a cake. Order doesn’t come from nothingnesss – in fact, it’s just the opposite. With no outside force working on those ingredients, the liquids will soak unevenly into the powders, and eventually you’ll just have a big, gloppy mess.
On that point, I think we agree. But that’s as far as your theory seems to go.
What it’s missing is that there is an outside force. Us. People doing good things. I don’t care if you call them “Real Life Superheroes”, “Costumed Activists”, “Crimefighters”, or “Good Samaritans”, these people are the ones who mix up the cake mix, who slide it into the oven and bake the cake, who take it out and frost it, then serve it up to the rest of the world. This force, this human force, doesn’t just consist of people in this movement; it consists of everyone who believes doing good things is right; it’s made up of uncorrupted cops, daring firefighters, brave soldiers, caring nurses, precise doctors, teachers who challenge their students, and students who take their challenge. It’s made up of next-door neighbors, complete strangers, open-source programmers, faithful missionaries, honest politicians (as rare as they might be), lawful judges, and courageous public defenders. It’s the essence of the most positive side of human nature, and it’s real and alive.
The world is a better place than it was two hundred years ago. It’s more complex, not less so. It’s more ordered, not less so. We have better communication and a more widespread understanding and acceptance of our differences. No, we’re not perfect, but we’re closer than we’ve ever been in all of history.
We may never reach that perfect utopia, but we aren’t getting worse, because we’re not a closed, isolated system.
All it takes is a little hope, and a little more action.
Tiny Terror: Don’t head off to Ponderosa just yet, Big Simon. After all, it’s open ’til 10 PM at the very least and although you might miss the lunch buffet, you certainly won’t miss dinner.
Just in case no one gets the joke, Ponderosa is an all-you-can-eat buffet in Pennsylvania.
Ha.
Anywho, I’m aware of my flaw in arguing on behalf of entropy; a flaw I’ve ignored up until this point because no one else seems to be capable of pointing out the fact that we do not exist in a closed-system…Where entropy doesn’t have to be the norm. I can admit that things have gotten a heck of a lot more civilized since our days as mammoth-hunting neanderthals and I can also admit that things have become better regarding levels of violent crime and hate crimes and all of that.
How interesting, however, is it that you’ve gone and proven that the RLSH’s existence is one that is fleeting?
Things are better, A LOT better, than they ever were in the past even if they could stand to make continued leaps forward. And this is a trend that has carried on regardless of you folks doing what you do. The world becoming better does not weigh upon your shoulders so much as it weighs upon everyone and I think the general consensus is that things have not become worse.
And as far as our caring for fellow man goes, it continues to get better.
Innately, we’re driven to sadism and altruism…Although that other side of us exists, we seem to be suppressing it quite well in favor of treating one another with more generosity and kindness than we have displayed in the past.
Yes, I was wrong and flawed in my arguments for entropy. Congratulations on being the first person to either look it up or recognize the flaw first-hand. However, noting the world continues to get better and has continued to get better, showing a trend, does sort of dispute the RLSH’s existence. Why have such a movement if things are getting better?
Big Simon: Just because things are generally getting better doesn’t mean there are pockets and places that couldn’t use a helping hand. We get better, on the whole, because people are inspired by the actions of others. Scientists become scientists because somewhere along the line a teacher really grabbed their interest. Firemen become firemen usually because something – or someone – in their lives convinced them of the need to save, or the raw goodness of saving, lives. Same with paramedics and EMS workers. We may not all stand on the shoulders of giants, but most of us have been given a leg up by someone who provided a catalyst for change, a challenge to be better.
No, the RLSH movement isn’t necessary. But you’re right at one point: It is fleeting. This moment, this tiny chronological span, is the only time it would work. The American entertainment industry has created for us (and the world!) a new mythology, an distinctly American mythology. Superheroes have gone mainstream, due to big-budget films like Iron Man, Spider-Man, and The Dark Knight, and it’s created an environment in which people who wish to stand up for their communities can take on the semblance of the inspirations they had long before the new mythos became a public phenomenon. I won’t say everyone in the movement was inspired by comic books, but a large number, even the majority were, and if they want to do their good deeds dressed like those fictional characters who instilled in them at a young age the desire to to right, now is the perfect time to do so.
But we live in a thirty-second society. We like our McDonald’s. We like our news served up in soundbites and flashes of pre-edited video. We like our short speeches and catchphrases. Nothing holds our attention for long, and the RLSH movement will be the same. It’s fleeting because in twenty years we’ll have stepped it up. Maybe we’ll move to a whole different mythology. Maybe people will see the need to do this sort of thing all the time, and there won’t be a purpose to do it with a costume and a mask. Maybe they just won’t care anymore.
Yes, the RLSH movement is fleeting, in the grand scheme of things. But people inspiring others is not, and that is what is going to be the legacy of the movement, if it’s done right. That is what will be remembered.
Tiny Terror: Mm, fair enough.
Not much I can say in regards to this, save for the fact that I hope you’re right. I hope inspiration is the legacy of the movement.
On the other hand, its legacy could be one of crazy, if not civil-minded people that liked to play dress-up. Make sure that people remember what you were fighting for, not who was fighting.
Other than that, curse you Big Simon, for pointing out the flaws in my argument.
I’ll be back, hasta la vista, foiled again, and all of that other, villainous jazz.
 

By Michael M. DeWitt, Jr.
I admit it. I wear Spiderman underwear. I still have a crush on Wonder Woman. And I have a Superman tattoo located somewhere on my body (you’ll have to use your X-ray vision to find out exactly where, though).
Most people become infatuated with superheroes early in life. At first, it’s the child in us that thinks that awesome, superhuman powers are just plain cool. Later, as we age and our bodies fall apart, superheroism is more about staying strong and young and powerful, about defying our own mortality.
But we often forget the most important element of heroism – helping others. And while we may never be able to fly or teleport or use our X-ray vision to see through walls, we can all be superheroes in our own communities just by helping others.
At least that is the credo of a bold new group that known as Superheroes Anonymous. With names like The Dark Guardian and The Watchman, these guys – and gals, too – actually create and wear their own costumes and venture out into their own neighborhoods looking to make their communities a batter, safer place to live (go to superheroesanonymous.com to learn more, including tips on making your own costume). They patrol the streets of their hometowns, helping strangers and protecting the weak and the innocent.
Immature, or genius? Just ask the people they help.
Superheroes Anonymous members distribute sandwiches to the homeless, volunteer at charitable organizations, distribute clean water, and patrol the streets looking for criminal activity to report, and much, much more. The movement began in New York City and is now spreading rapidly to superhero fans worldwide.
If this zany plan could work in New York’s metropolis, why not Hampton County? Could we make our own hometown a better, safer place to live?
My superhero senses tell me “Yes, we can.” And while you don’t have to don tights or a red cape or any other goofy costume (people will look at you funny in the Piggly Wiggly), and none of us can leap tall buildings in a single bound, I believe that we can all become superheroes and make a difference in our own communities if we only try.
Yes, the people of Hampton County are faced with legions of deadly villains. Crime, drugs, gangs, violence, to name a few. We are also faced with evils less fearsome but no less dangerous – indifference, intolerance, and ignorance.
But each of us also possesses our own unique, special power. The power to do good or help our neighbor in some way, whether it be the power to reach out to a child, or to take food to the needy, or to courageously report a crime.
We have the “super” powers to clean up our streets, to volunteer as mentors and help educate our young people, the power to form Neighborhood Watch groups, and the power to get involved in our educational and political processes.
We have the power to spend a few minutes each week mentoring to a young person, and we have the power to reach out to the sick and elderly.
The world is changing, and the forces of evil grow stronger each day. It’s time for real life community heroes to reveal their identities.
Want to be a superhero? Take action.
Tights and cape are optional.
Do you know a community hero?
If you know someone whom you feel is a community hero, we want to hear from you. Call The Guardian at 943-4645 or email [email protected].

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

Originally posted: http://www.cinematical.com/2008/12/30/real-life-superheroes-becoming-more-popular/
By Erik Davis
Dec 30th 2008 // 11:02AM
While they’ve been around for a few years now — emerging from the suburban shadows shortly after 9/11 — the current superhero craze, propelled mainly by popular movies like The Dark Knight, Spider-Man, Iron Man and Watchmen, has created more than just big-screen sequels — oh yes, try an assortment of real-life superheroes (or so they like to think). For example, the Green Scorpion (pictured right) works out of the New Mexico/Arizona region, is a member of The Justice Society of Justice organization and states the following on his website: “Eventually, everyone has the opportunity to awaken and become who they always wanted to be. Some people just hit the snooze button and go back to sleep.”
Or what about Doktor DiscorD, who’s also a member of The Justice Society of Justice, and states: “We dont care about victimless crime like drug use or people buying prostitutes. the kind of CRIME we’re talking about is the kind that makes little old ladies afraid to leave their houses.” Laugh all you want, but Scorpion and DiscorD are joined by roughly 200 other real-life superheroes (or, as they call themselves, “Reals”) all across the world. According to a pretty hilarious article in the Times Online, the rules are fairly simple: “They must stand for unambiguous and unsponsored good. They must create their own Spandex and rubber costumes without infringing Marvel or DC Comics copyrights, but match them with exotic names … they must shun guns or knives to avoid being arrested as vigilantes …”
Homebase for these “Reals” looks to be the World Superhero Registry, where you can scroll through tons of real-life superhero profiles, read interviews, scan the message boards, scope out a gadget gallery and — get this — read movie reviews, the last of which appears to be … drum roll please … The Dark Knight. So what do you think of these real-lifers? Cool thing to do on a Saturday night, or people desperately in need of a real life?