Originally posted: http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/UPDATE-Real-Life-Superheroes-slideshow-added/kk5BteQ0S0GzWZOicxqHRA.cspx
Since the “Dynamic Duo”is taken, I’ll just refer to “Commonwealth” and “Armistice” as the “Philanthropic Pair”.
It doesn’t roll off the tongue as smoothly as the other name, but it does speak more to what the “Keystone Crusaders” do – giving of their time and energy to clean up the streets of Harrisburg.
The “Keystone Crusaders” came about from a magazine article “Commonwealth” was reading about real life superheroes 5 months ago.
“Commonwealth” says, “I thought it was complete, you know, nonsense, until I looked it up and was like wow, you know that’s really cool. They go around and make their cities better places.”
“Commonwealth” and “Armistice” want to keep their identities a secret, so we don’t know their alter egos.
We just know “Commonwealth” is in his late twenties, married with two kids and “Armistice” is a 19-year old who moved from Pittsburgh to be a part of his friend’s idea.
Armed with the utility belt – a staple of a super heroes arsenal, the duo take to the streets to clean up litter.
They even have spare batteries for the homeless whose flashlights might be drained and spare change for the short-changed using laundromats and parking meters.
They also carry a cooler with bottled water for the parched, like Joe Whitfield, who at first glance wasn’t so sure what he was witnessing.

Originally posted: http://www.realitysandwich.com/real_life_super_heroes
By Elliot Edge
Costumed activists are engaging ideas of self and community on the online Super Hero Academy taking place this month. The Real Life Super Hero Project is inspiring others to regain not only a moral sense of self, but also engage the question of identity very seriously. It has been a longstanding problem that society forces folk to conform to a rigid identity within the socioeconomic machinations or face alienation, despite the disempowering limitations such prefabricated notions of the self offers. This is no doubt why video games, virtual communities, social networks, hyperindividualization have become the new empires: In real life, folk are doomed by their local consensus reality regardless of it’s observable stagnation, pathologies, obsolesce, and soullessness. Though these self-made heroes and heroines seem to be putting McKenna’s line, “You don’t have to be a victim of your culture,” into real world practice. We don’t and these people are the active proof.
Kevin Kelly, author of Out of Control and What Technology Wants “The major theme of this coming decade is going to be identity of self. Every time computers get more powerful they basically threaten our established understanding of our selves both in terms of who we are or who we could be…So I think the self is really going to undergo some transformation or expansion in the coming decade and we see that with like online games where the identity that people have with these personas and avatars is very intense in the sense of this being real a place that they come to for many hours a day may be realer…It’s very, very, very, very powerful evidence that our notions of self are under transition right now.”
Birthed from a half-century-old history culture of comic book culture and combining it with LARPing (Live Action Role Playing, think a Civil War reenactment only with capes and masks) with active participation in the community; the Real Life Super Hero Project takes us past the mere culture of reaction (e.g. blogging) and flings us back into action with a soul-satisfying POW! that world society has been waiting for. Though they don’t actively seek the role of vigilantism, they are true to their word do-gooders: delivering relief supplies to flood victims, bringing food to the homeless, returning lost purses, and perhaps most importantly inspiring others, especially children—life can be fun and meaningful at the same time.
Though critics may regurgitate the problem of the spectacle, the reality of our time is in the fact that most human beings in the first world have no contact with reality at all and that there world has been replaced by a conceptual hyperreality. Thus the vehicle of the spectacle is still necessary to reach sleepwalkers. As consciousness pioneer Tom Campbell has said, “If you’re going to communicate with somebody you have to start from wherever they are, not from wherever you are.” Once again, the imagination reigns supreme. As the aptly named Super Hero stated, “People would say, ‘Why do you do this?’ And I would say, ‘Well I’m a symbol and I fight apathy and all this stuff,’ but after a while I stopped lying to myself and said, ‘The reason why I do this is because it’s hella fun.’”

Originally posted: http://www.wtsp.com/news/watercooler/story.aspx?storyid=168610
(USA Today) — Seattle’s self-proclaimed crime-fighting “superhero” got his nose broken over the weekend while trying to break up a fight while making his nightly rounds in mask and costume, KOMO-TV reports.
Phoenix Jones, the pseudonym of the caped crusader who leads the band of superheroes, tells KOMO that he had called 911 and was holding a man in a headlock when a second man pulled out a gun.
When Jones released the first bad guy, that man promptly kicked Jones in the face.
KOMO says some police officers are uneasy with the superhero gang and have confused some of them with real criminals. To avoid a mixup, Seattle police put out a bulletin in November to alert officers.
Police say they would prefer that the superheroes simply call 911 if they spot a crime in progress and not try to tackle it themselves.
“Does Superman get his ass kicked?” one detective said to KOMO. “These people should not be called superheroes.”
Jones, who claims that his team has either military or police training, started his crime-fighting ways after a friend of his was beaten up on the street.

By Zero
The general consensus among the public at large is that Superheroes have Superpowers. Be it supernatural, science related or simply resulting in special training to become the pinnacle of human development. “They” (the same “they” that speaks so prolifically throughout the annals of time, debunking and dissolving and disproving) say that we’re not Superheroes if we don’t have Superpowers. They say that without Superpowers, we can’t really be effective.
I disagree. Wholly.
Before I tackle the semantics of this subject, I’d like to state simply that while we do seem to emulate the more current comic book Superhero meme, there is a much older and more substantive meme that is being overlooked.
Research the Scarlet Pimpernel. Tomo Gozen. Joan of Arc. The Sons of Liberty. The Bald Knobbers. Don’t recognize the names? Google is your friend. Go ahead, I’ll wait.
Compassion and True Justice are older than superheroes. They’re older than Superman, Batman, they’re older than Coca-Cola.
A lot older.
Superheroes are simply the modern manifestation of this recurring theme, and the fact that an entire group of people has been driven by discontent and injustice to emulate these fantastic and literally incredible characters is proof of a sad age, indeed. But instead of embracing or supporting this marvel of human spirit to fly in the face of apathy, the majority chooses to ridicule from the safety of their armchairs without a second thought. Understandable, to a point, but it’s a knee-jerk reaction.
Really, people. Your main criticism is based on aesthetics alone. I’ve seen some of you, out in public, wearing your snuggies and your Uggs. Your button-up, popped-collar Kmart specials. You’re no prize to fashion.
It’s time to stop making decisions based on image. Hasn’t American Beauty taught you anything?
I think the reason for this criticism overkill is that the public secretly wishes that Superheroes were real. They’ve been waiting for it, subconsciously on the edge of their seats, and now that it’s in the eye of the media they want nothing less than leaping tall buildings, laser vision and adamantium claws. They want a huge change, a quantum leap in evolution because all the old tricks aren’t working for this country anymore. It’s a product of desensitization, in my opinion.
Any president that took over for Bush was screwed for this exact same reason. People want too much, and when they don’t get what they expect, any and all efforts are discounted and criticized into the ground. But now we’re getting into the realm of politics, and at this point I’ll bring my ADD rantings back to the subject at hand.
A real hero doesn’t fool himself into thinking that he can cure all with one solid blow to the heart of some perceived “evil”. That’s grossly naïve. It’s a child’s solution, albeit one that is often used to satiate a pre-existing bloodlust.
Changing the world is something that is going to take patience, persistence in character, and above all the unspoken choice that the people of this community make every day of their lives. The choice to go beyond random acts of kindness, or simple decency. The choice to become the antithesis of apathy, simply by getting out there and doing anything. Sacrificing the need to be cool, in the old sense of fashionable aloofness, for a new unity.
You think we crave the spotlight? You’d be right in some cases. As with any loosely organized bunch of universal misfits, we have a few of those types. But ask yourself, has the typical celebrity done much beyond perform onscreen, or produce a hit album every few years?
If that’s the extent of their contributions to society, how does that put them above a person that braves the cold to feed the homeless, or risks their neck just because they’re tired of watching the world crumble around them? Is it simply the aesthetic, or the image, or the lifestyle that makes America worship them so?
What does that say about our country?
The world has lost perspective, we’ve given over to the things that should take up a very small percentage of our time, and the demand for these things have caused supplies to boom. This has resulted in the current lifestyle-obsessed society that is clogging the arteries of human progress.
The saddest consequence of all is that kindness and compassion are lost to mystique and drama. Conflict is more exciting than peace. It’s an overindulgence that has crippled us.
I’d say that the RLSH community is a direct consequence of this.
So how could we expect anything less, in our image obsessed world, than these strangely dressed people vying for your attention? How many good cops or charity workers do you see in the mainstream media, calling attention to simple acts of human decency?
Not many. Not enough. In the end, that choice is all it takes to be… something more.
Think about it.

The Real Life Superhero social movement is composed of many individuals, hundreds strong, united by missions which contribute positively to society through service and self-funded good deeds. We hope to enact social change by encouraging and inspiring citizenry to become active and give back to society.
Real Life Superheroes hail from diverse backgrounds, from all over the United States, from all over the world, taking up a unique visage which draws upon the archetypal superhero from the distinctly American folklore found on the pages of comic books. The eponymous “superhero” within the label each of us has embraced is used to raise awareness and promote the concept of doing good deeds.
Real Life Superheroes have a long, well documented history of participation in positive, pro-social action: organizing blood drives, establishing neighborhood/community crime watches, contributing material goods to the needy, visiting sick children in hospitals, as well as participating in and donating to charity fund raisers. Our ranks have grown in the past few years, but the core principal of upholding ethics and morals have remained consistent. Composed of an informal grouping of individuals, teams, and organizations, we are all good citizens, law abiding citizens, wishing to contribute to our communities in the best way we can. With that in mind, one of our most basic tenets we share is offering our full support to the authorities who serve, cooperating as good citizens should, but never obstructing or interfering.
We have a culture, but we act as independents, of our own free will. We act without any overarching internal mandate. We have no board of approval; We have no director of activities; We have no standing tribunal or body which handles disputes or deals in internal affairs. And while many teams and organizations exist, no individual is necessarily bound by a collective discretion we exercise.
That said, our social movement has no control over the very few individuals who may exercise poor discretion and/or impaired judgment, or whose motives are driven by something other than selfless altruism. Regrettably, these individuals, who take the selfless acts of the many who call themselves Real Life Superheroes to selfishly and duplicitously portray themselves as moral crusaders or vigilantes–who often crave and seek out conflict or publicity for attention and ego’s sake, and in turn receive publicity and media attention for their larger than life egos–are the worst example of who we are and what we do.
Please take time to read about and reflect upon the history of this social movement, and the many good deeds that a handful of concerned citizens have accomplished, before passing judgment or condemning the whole of us prematurely.
As individuals, and as active members and participants the teams and organizations which represent and support us, we assert this above statement to be true, and have listed our names below.
 

Originally posted: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Real-Life-Superhero
By Anonymous
I mean all those comic books, movies, tv shows, you’d think that one eccentric loner would have made himself a costume. Is everyday life really so exciting? Are schools and offices so thrilling that I’m the only one who ever fantasized about this? Come on, be honest with yourself. At some point in our lives we all wanted to be a superhero.
Steps
1.
Be Realistic.While it’s great that you wanna become a superhero you should first be realistic, you obviously don’t have any superpowers so if you think you can just put on a costume and beat up some of the worst criminals your city has to offer then the only asshole who’s going to get hurt is you. Also remember that there is a thin line between superheroism and being a vigilante.
2.
Choose what kind of Superhero you’ll be.I know it sounds weird but without superpowers or incredible gadgets and training (like Batman) its impossible to save everyone in need everywhere. You should decide early on whether you’ll be the kind of superhero who gives food to the homeless or the kind who goes around fighting crime.
3.
Design a Costume.Make a costume that stands out and be original.If you go around dressed as Superman don’t be surprised if people think your going to a costume party.Remember you don’t need a costume made out of the best materials that money can buy, your costume can be made out of evrything from a wetsuit to bulletproof armor, be creative. Also you should carefully consider what kind of costume you will have, you can either have a costume that offers very little protection but is easy to put on and can be worn underneath normal clothes or you can make a costume that offers good protection but is hard to put on and can’t be worn under everyday clothes it’s your choice.
4.
Think up a name.This is definitely the hardest step of all. Once you choose a name for your superhero you’re stuck with it for good (you’ve never heard of spiderman suddenly changing his name to arachnidman or whatever) so try to choose a name that’s cool (or you think it is anyway), original (for god’s sake don’t be a dick and call yourself superman or batman) and try to give yourself a name that holds meaning to you and don’t be afraid of being a superhero without a name, if anything the idea for your superhero name will come while your out being an awesome superhero.
5.
Be confident.Not everyone can be a real life superhero. If anything the hardest part is people thinking your a joke. So always remind yourself of the good your doing for society and how you’ve made a difference. Also (and this is where everyone gets mixed up) you don’t need superpowers to be a superhero, famous superheros like Batman and Kick Ass <— My personal favorite, didn’t have superpowers and both were superheroes.
6.
Train.Whether it’s exercising, practicing your street running or trying to jump from one building to another , it’s a good idea to train before you become a real life superhero.
7.
Be well equipped.Buy pepper spray, a taser or even bulletproof armor. With being a superhero it’s much better to be safe than dead. If you want you can buy spy gadgets like tracking devises or secret recorders to catch a criminal. It really doesn’t matter as long as you have something to protect yourself with.
8.
Watch Kick Ass or look at Superheroes Anonymous.Ever since it came into existence it has become a well known fact that Kick Ass (both the comic book and the movie) is the most kick ass badassdedness thing on the planet even more than Chuck Norris. But seriously Kick Ass is the best movie I have ever seen and it basically explains what being a real life superhero will be like (if you don’t prepare for it, in fact Kick Ass is what gave me the idea to write this article) although I wouldn’t do what Kick Ass does… that’d just be stupid. Also theres a bunch of people who have already made costumes for themselves and are real life superheros, they have even formed a website called superheroes anonymous if you can’t find it just google superheros anonymous, they all mean well but personally I think it’s almost as if it’s a religious order with them, they talk about the right path of a superhero and enlightenment (it’s pretty weird).
9.
Don’t become a superhero for recognition or rewards. If you are becoming a superhero only because you want to be recognised or rewarded then don’t become one. A superhero does good because he knows it’s whats right not because he wants recognition or five minutes of fame. But if you do choose to become a superhero and you do become incredibly famous don’t forget to say how you were on the computer and you read my article and it inspired you to become a superhero. Now go and become the absolutely AWESOME superhero I know you can be. GOOD LUCK.

Originally posted: http://pmsoden.com/2010/10/26/super-heroes-in-real-life/
When you think about Superheroes what do you picture? Do you picture guys running around in tights with their capes flapping in the wind inside comic books ? Men and Women with Supernatural powers either from a radioactive insect bite, born with some mutated gene , or came from a dying planet? Or do you picture ordinary men and women out there doing good deeds for citizens? I bet you chose the first couple and not the later.
I have actually been reading comic books since I was 12. They started out being just Archie comic books or teenage mutant ninja turtles at the time. I never really got into Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman until an incident sparked at my house and I sat on a bathroom floor crying wanting to die. I didn’t really have the good life growing up. I was accused one time of always getting whatever I wanted. They had no idea the kinds of things I went through growing up and seemed to not even care. Sometimes people can hide things so well that people are often led to believe that they are something else. I guess in a way I had my own secret identity. The one I showed on the outside when smiling and hanging out with friends and the one that was at home where I would spend hours locked in my room to avoid certain situations such as being yelled at just for spilling a soda on the floor. The was a suicide prevention seminar that they gave out free comics of Superman who was helping a little girl out with her problems. Something sparked in me, almost like a light bulb went on.
That day I came home from school straight off the school bus my step-father was sitting at his desk smoking his cigarettes and spitting crud into his ashtray. He was sitting there with no shirt on , hair a mess and writing on his yellow pads that he always wrote on. I later found out what he was writing and regret to this day to find out what kind of sickness that was inside his head. I don’t remember the events the events in detail that happened that day besides showing him the comic book. Mom was in the kitchen cooking something and didn’t know what was going on. I remember being yelled at because I wasn’t doing something right. I remember running into my room and locking my door behind me. I remember him beating on it , yelling at me to open up my door, my mother yelling at him to stop yelling at me and my baby brother crying somewhere in the background. After it all died down I went into the bathroom and locked myself in there. I sat against the toilet holding the comic . I started to read it and was instantly inspired to do more with my life. It was like someone was telling me that it would be okay and that is where my Superman obsession came from.
I always wondered what it would be like if someone were to be a superhero in real life? What would this world do with someone like that?
I never really wanted to run around in a cape and tights myself except for the one year for Halloween I was Wonder Woman. Years later I am doing a project for a college class on the psychological effects of superheros on children and I discover some very interesting things. I just happen to fall on top of various random links to REAL LIFE SUPERHEROES! I was instantly interested and I had to find out more.
Wikipedia says that ,” Real-life superhero is a term applied to real-world people who dress and/or act like comic book superheroes. Sometimes, this label is bestowed upon them by those whom they have helped or the media, while at other times, the aspiring superheroes apply the label to themselves. Sometimes, the term is applied to firefighters, police officers, and other good Samaritans. The actions of New York City police and firefighters during the September 11, 2001 attacks led to frequent use of the term.”

I started talking to RazorHawk on twitter. I instantly added him as a friend.
Razorhawk does a lot of work involving children such as Toys For Tots. He told me in an interview that they don’t go out looking for trouble but a lot of them do train to deal with this when it does comes up. He really wants people to be inspired and do good things for others. Kids especially accept superheroes in their lives and makes them go forward with doing good deeds later in their lives as well. It is almost like a Pay it Forward type of deal. He is working with the 2011 Homeless Organization to raise awareness on Homelessness. They are accepting all kinds of donations not just monetary! RazorHawk is a part of the Great Lakes Heroes Guild which includes other really great heroes such as Geist, Watchman,Doc Spectral, and Celtic Viking. He also runs Hero Gear so if you are looking for a super costume contact Razor Hawk! He is very passionate about what he does and he has already inspired me to do more for where I live.
Another Superhero I interviewed recently is Metatron Arc Angel. He does his best to help anyone he can. He actually started wearing a mask in second grade to beat up bullies. Like Razor Hawk and other Real Life Super Heroes he had training in street fighting , defending yourself, how to protect yourself, etc. He is with a group of other Real Life Super Heroes called Team Justice. It is a legally registered non-profit organization. Like all other Super Heroes they have to coöperate with the law and even though Metatron Arc Angel went to jail once he was recognized by the Sheriff’s Department with an Award. Look out for a book by him sometime in the future giving you all sorts of information and advice on RLSH’s!

Shadow Panther is another hero who since younger always wanted to do some good in the world . He didn’t just want to do good but wanted to be remembered as well. He wanted people to remember there are people out there that do help. His costume was designed after his favorite superhero of all time Black Panther. He is a member of the CFA (Fire Brigade) outside of his costume. This is another example how in or out of costume these heroes still manage to do some good! He also taught himself some martial arts and received training to work on the streets. All of these heroes know how to take care of themselves and the bad guys as well. He wears a bullet proof vest and carries pepper spray with him to protect himself. One of the questions I asked was if there is a moment you ever feared for your life and he said ” All the time ….,” because he loves his family very much and is constantly worried about them. His group is the “Stealth” group . All of these heroes have their own uniqueness about them and the groups they are in are one of those things.
I focused on the recent movie Kick-Ass and how it shows an ordinary person dressing up as a comic book hero. Most of these heroes did read comics growing up like Spider-Man was one of Shade Panther’s inspirations. There is not , however, the violence you see in this movie. This movie over exaggerates the vigilante to get people’s attention. I think in a way they got their attention the wrong way. Yes, it is inspiring to see people doing what this guy did but it is another thing to see the blood shed and the lives lost during watching this movie. In some way I really don’t like the vigilante justice thought of being a superhero. To me being a superhero is not about revenge and taking lives it is about making lives better and helping people who have no way to help themselves.
I really liked Shade Panther’s answers about advice on becoming a RLSH ,” Yes definitely, here are some options of what hero you could be..
Crime Fighter: Expect to die, just because it seems easy in the movies doesn’t make it easy in real life, you have to be committed, have training, and know what the hell you are doing and have a goal..
Green: Be consistent, take care of the earth in whole and encourage recycling and stopping logging. This is a very important role, add Treesong on facebook if you want to ask some more questions about this role..
Lifer: Walk around with a bag full of food (Bread, rolls, canned food, etc..), clothes (Shirts, pants, shoes, jumpers, jackets, etc..) and sheltering items (Umbrellas, tents, and pretty much anything that could help them in staying warm and dry).. This is a very kind and selfless thing to do, even I do this.
Patrol: Safer than crime fighting and very helpful, you patrol the streets or watch from buildings and report suspicious looking characters to the police. You could also call ambulances, fire brigades, and report crimes being committed, the possibilities are exemplary for this group.
Extremist: Nobody is in this group and I do not suggest it in any way, I am only putting this here because it is a category. The extremist will push there limits and generally go after high-end criminals (Mass Murderers, Serial killers, rapists, etc..) and also stop massive drug rings and prevent mafia hits. This I could only suggest to an extremely qualified Navy SEAL or members of the SAS or SWAT.”
These guys are not just doing it to show off their flashy capes and hide behind masks to make money. Some of these guys and gals are out there doing what they do and having to struggle to pay their bills when they get home. They sacrifice themselves everyday for the common good. They are out there doing what some only dare to dream to do . If you see someone needing water on the street do you walk over them and keep going or do you stop and give them some water or some change? Sometimes you might think ” well, they will only use it on alcohol or drugs” and in some cases that might be true . Most cases I can tell you for a fact it isn’t.
I do what I can when I can for people. My own daughter has taken the gloves off her hands for another child who needed them. If a 8-year-old little girl can do it , why can’t you?
Sometimes all it takes is a bit of caring to make the world a better place and this is what these guys and gals are all about . I really admire what they are doing and why they are doing it. I would be honored to one day meet one of the RLSH’s in person and shake their hand. They are not just standing by and letting the world revolve around them, they are making the world revolve.

Originally posted: http://www.martialartsclothing.org/real-life-super-heroes.php
And you thought superheroes existed only in fiction? Inspired by fiction superheroes such as Batman and Superman, these people wear masks and capes in order to fight real crime on the strets. Here’s a list with 10 of the most famous real-life superheroes.
Superbarrio (Mexico)
He’s faster than a speeding turtle, able to leap small speed bumps in a single bound. Look, up in the sky … Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Superbarrio — a flabby caped crusader in cherry red tights who traverses the streets of Mexico City, defending the lower class. A high school dropout with a humble upbringing, Superbarrio has become one of Mexico City’s greatest folk heroes. For the past 10 years, he has stood as the champion of the working class, the poor and the homeless.

“I opened my eyes and found myself as you see me with a voice telling me, ‘You are Superbarrio,’” he said, explaining that his name means super-neighborhood. “I can’t stop a plane or a train single-handed, but I can keep a family from being evicted.” His role is primarily symbolic as the protector of low-income neighborhoods. But on behalf of squatters and labor unions, Superbarrio leads protest rallies, files petitions and challenges court decisions. Rumors also have circulated that he attempted to run for the president of the United States to better protect Mexican workers. His followers find him inspirational and recently erected a statue in his honor — a giant lifelike replica that looks like an oversized Cabbage Patch doll at 40. The awed crowd chanted, “You see him. You feel him. Superbarrio is here!”
Terrifica (NY City)
Terrifica patrols New York City’s bars, clubs, and streets by night, in an effort to protect inebriated women in danger of being taken advantage of by men. Since the mid-1990s Terrifica has donned a golden mask, Valkyrie bra, blond wig, red boots and cape, to distract the men she tries to dissuade from seducing drunk young women. She carries a utility belt containing a pepper spray, cell phone, lipstick, a camera to photograph alleged predators, a journal, Terrifica fortune cards, and Smarties for energy. Terrifica has an arch-nemesis, a self-proclaimed philanderer who calls himself Fantastico. “I protect the single girl living in the big city,” says Terrifica. By day, she is Sarah, a 30-year-old single woman who works for a computer consulting company. “I do this because women are weak. They are easily manipulated, and they need to be protected from themselves and most certainly from men and their ill intentions toward them.”
The Eye (Mountain View California)
The Eye is a 48 year-old superhero who patrols the streets of Mountain View, California. He is a street-level, practical crime fighter, who uses various electronic and other means to prevent crime. He has even got a myspace page!
Citizen Prime (Phoenix)
Citizen Prime, a 40-year-old married man whose first name is Jim, has been protecting the streets of Phoenix for a year. He became a superhero to spread the message that people don’t have to be fearful of crime. “Are you going to sit inside scared that a terrorist might attack your city, or are you going to go out and live your life?” he asked. But Prime, who patrols once or twice a week in a black, blue and yellow costume, found one chink in his armor. He couldn’t find any crime. “The only crime I’ve ever stopped is when I was actually walking out of a sporting goods store with my wife,” he said. “A shoplifter came running past me, and I managed to throw him to the ground.”
Tothian (NJ and NY city)
Tothian, 22, is a superhero who protects New Jersey and New York, is one of the more active heroes. He uses his skills as a Marine reservist and martial arts expert when patrolling the streets, and has escorted women home at night and broken up fights. His uniform–he prefers that term to costume–is black combat boots, green cargo pants and a T-shirt. His logo, which is stitched into the middle of the T-shirt with cut-up bandanas, is made from the letters used to spell Tothian. Tothian doesn’t wear a mask because it blocks his peripheral vision, and says he doesn’t wear a cape “because capes get in the way of actually doing real superhero stuff.” Tothian says he doesn’t want to become a police officer because he doesn’t agree with every law on the book. “I’m not out to punish every single criminal,” he said. For example, he would counsel marijuana smokers, but wouldn’t apprehend them as bad guys. Tothian said he gets some strange looks when people find out he’s a superhero. But after people realize he’s out to protect them, he says their trepidation eases somewhat.
Angle Grinder Man (London, and Kent)
Angle-grinder Man patrols by night looking for unhappy drivers who have been clamped and then sets the
IS IT ME OR THESE NUTJOBS CRAZY AND WHAT UR SIGN

Originally posted: http://www.dogmaticblog.com/2010/08/31/the-real-life-super-hero-project/

Even for as far back as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by superheroes, comic books and the world of alter-egos and visual characters. That very fascination has moulded who and what I am today. The mystery surrounding a secret identity just astounds me and if it were at all humanly possible – I wish superheroes actually existed. And I wish I could be one!
Cue fanfare, whilst I don my dark shades, slip into my all-black garb and let the wind blow through my hair!
Now, an avenue exists for like-minded freaks, The Real Life Super Hero Project exists to collate this unique subculture of genuine heroes.
Anonymous and selfless, they choose every day, to make a difference in the world around them. Whether it be feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, or cleaning up their neighborhoods, they save real lives in very real ways. These are not “kooks in costumes,” as they may seem at first glance. They are, simply put, a radical response… to a radical problem.
So who are these modern day heroes? They are our neighbors, our friends, our family members. They are artists, musicians, athletes, and yes, politicians. Their actions serve as reminders that as most giving today has become reactive—digital and removed, temporarily soothing our guilt and feelings of helplessness—we have blinded ourselves to simple principles and practice of compassion and goodwill.
Photographer Peter Tangen has earned the trust of this loose network, to visually document the genuine power of these individuals—and in the process, reveal the soul behind their endeavor.
At first, The Real Life Superhero Project was conceived as an avenue to shine some light on this new breed of activism and altruism, through a photographic installation to benefit the established organizations the superheroes believe in. But as more people were brought into the wholly volunteer project, largely through Tangen’s infectious enthusiasm, the scope and purpose expanded exponentially.
Now, what began as a gallery exhibit, has come to serve as the launching pad of something far greater—a living, breathing community that inspires people to become the positive forces for change we all can be. To become more active, more involved, more committed, and perhaps, a little super in the process.
Check out the website here for more info.

Originally posted – http://www.fantasy.fr/articles/view/14021/decouvrez-les-vrais-super-heros

Découvrez les vrais super-héros

The Real Life Super Hero Project met des coups de projecteur sur les super-héros du quotidien.
Par Emmanuel Beiramar
28 juillet 2010 | Mis à jour 28 juillet 2010
Les super-héros se classent en plusieurs catégories :
Il y a les super-héros mutants comme Wolverine ou Magneto.
Il y a les super-héros extraterrestres ou venant d’autres dimensions comme Superman ou Thor.
Il y a les super-héros nés d’un accident comme Spider-Man ou Hulk.
Il y a les super-héros sans pouvoirs comme Batman, Iron Man, la plupart des Watchmen ou les héros de Kick-Ass.
Et il y a les super-héros du quotidien. Ceux qui existent vraiment et qui tentent d’aider leur prochain. Ils sont costumés, « Anonyme et désintéressés», nous explique le site de The Real Life Superhero Project. « ils choisissent tous les jours, de faire une différence dans le monde qui les entoure. Qu’il s’agisse de nourrir les affamés, réconforter les malades, ou nettoyer leur quartier, ils sauvent de vraies vies, de façon très concrète. Ce ne sont pas “des excentriques en costumes », comme on pourrait le croire au premier coup d’œil. Ils sont, tout simplement, une réponse radicale à un problème … radical. »
Le photographe Peter Tangen, dont on peut voir le travail sur des affiches de Batman Begins ou Spider-Man, a décidé de s’intéresser à ce mouvement particulier. Il a contacté 20n de ces super-héros du quotidien pour les prendre en photos, dans leur costume.
Conçu à la base comme une exposition, The Real Life Superhero Project a pris de l’ampleur et attire de plus en plus de personnes, qu’il s’agisse d’artistes, de musiciens, de sportifs ou même d’hommes politiques. Le projet leur donne envie de devenir plus actifs, plus impliqués, plus engagés, et peut-être, un peu plus « super » dans leur vie de tous les jours.
Pour plus d’informations, rendez-vous sur le site officiel de The Real Life Superhero Project.
Translation to English

Discover the real heroes

he Real Life Super Hero Project puts the spotlight on the heroes of everyday life.
by Emmanuel Beiramar
The superheroes fall into several categories:
There are superhero mutants like Wolverine or Magneto.
There are superheroes or aliens from other dimensions like Superman or Thor.
There are heroes born of an accident such as Spider-Man or Hulk.
There are superheroes without powers like Batman, Iron Man, most of the heroes of Watchmen or Kick-Ass.
And there are the heroes of everyday life. Those that do exist and trying to help others. They are dressed, “Anonymous and disinterested,” explains the website of The Real Life Superhero Project . “They choose every day to make a difference in the world around them.  Whether feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, or clean their neighborhood, they save real lives, in very concrete ways. These are not “eccentric costumes,” as it may seem at first glance. They are simply a radical response to a problem … radical. ”
Photographer Peter Tangen, which can be seen working on posters of Batman Begins or Spider-Man, has decided to focus on this particular movement.  He contacted 20n of these super-heroes of everyday life and take pictures in their costumes.
Designed from the ground like an exhibition, The Real Life Superhero Project has grown and attracted more and more people, whether artists, musicians, sportsmen and even politicians. The project makes them want to become more active, more involved, committed, and perhaps a little more “super” in their everyday life.
For more information, visit the official website of The Real Life Superhero Project .