Tag Superman

Originally posted: http://www.aolnews.com/article/superheroes-need-super-support-groups/19544385
By David Moye
July 8) — Being a superhero used to be a specialized field. You either had to be the victim of a bizarre accident, like being bit by a radioactive spider, or suffer a tragic incident, i.e. being the sole survivor, blasted into outer space, from a distant planet as it was being destroyed.
But now things are different. Despite the contention of films like “The Incredibles” that some people are born super compared with the rest of us, being a superhero is a more egalitarian prospect than ever.
Yes, whereas folks used to dress up like Superman or Thor on Halloween, these days, people want to be superheroes all year long. Also, rather than piggybacking on some comic book hero, folks would rather become their own superheroes, with powers of their own choosing.

Superhero groups are popping up in cities like San Francisco; Portland, Ore.; and New York City, which is the headquarters of Superheroes Anonymous (SA), a support group of caped crusaders who run around the city doing small acts of good, like dispensing toiletries to the homeless while dressed in superhero costumes.
SA is modeled after 12-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, but rather than meet to help one another recover from being super, this offbeat organization tries to inspire people to become their own superheroes.
The organization has been around four years, and co-founder Ben Goldman — whose superhero identity is “Camera Man,” a documentarian to all the organization’s good works — says self-empowerment is the key to understanding the group’s mission.
“People become superheroes because they want to engage a certain degree of control in making the world a better place,” Goldman said.
Goldman’s group has been around four years and now has chapters in Portland and New Bedford, Mass.
In addition, two event organizers in San Francisco have created an annual festival designed to honor “heroes” who are doing things in their communities and to inspire people to become the heroes they’ve always been inside.
The second annual Superhero Street Fair takes place Saturday in the Bayview neighborhood and will have a few hundred folks dressed up as superheroes.
According to FlashNews, regular Joes and Janes are encouraged to wear their very own made-up superhero outfits and show off their unique superpowers, which organizer Joegh Bullock says could include singing, dancing, painting or even kissing, if that’s their forte.
Bullock says that by embracing their own special powers and looking deep inside themselves, people will realize how super they really are and “hopefully feel those powers in them throughout the year.”
He and his fellow organizer came up with the idea awhile back when they realized they wanted an event where everyone would wear the same type of costume.
“We wanted something where you wouldn’t have one person be a clown and another be a fairy,” Bullock said. “We also wanted to take the superpowers out of ‘Hollywood’ and make them things ordinary people can do.”
Bullock expects as many as 3,000 people will attend, and many of those will be coming out of the superhero closet for the first time. For those people, he offers this advice: Believe in your power. A costume isn’t just a costume, it’s an attitude.”
As Bullock sees it, everyone has an alter ego that should be embraced.
“Superman had his secret identity, but we all have a superpower we can call on at anytime. For instance, I call myself ‘Tape Man.’ It came up recently when I was putting up posters for the event at the same time other people were posting things around town. I had strips of tape all over my body and people were grabbing it off me.”
One woman who is embracing her super side Saturday is professional costume designer Sarah Boll.
Last year, she wore a magenta wig and purple bodysuit and revealed herself as Ultra Violet, whose “super sparkling powers can dazzle any enemy away.”
This year, Boll is transitioning into a “punk robot” hero but admits she is still working on the powers (“But I do like color,” she adds).
It’s fun for her, but Boll also is inspired to use her costume to help the community. She also believes that dressing up as a hero helps her connect with her inner hero.
“I do feel more like myself when I’m in costume,” she said. “Plus, it’s great whenever people embrace what they’re enthusiastic about and share it.”
Compared with Superheroes Anonymous, the Superhero Street Fair emphasizes fun and whimsy. However, Bullock sees the homemade hero trend as a very powerful one.
“People want something to believe in and empower themselves,” he said. “I know I want to live this way all the time.”

The group has maybe 30 to 40 members, and each one agrees to adopt a 12-point code that includes the following steps:

• Choosing to be better people and becoming a force of good.
• Discovering the source of one’s inner superhero.
• Opening one’s eyes to the environment without shying away from injustice and despair.
• Giving the inner superhero a name.

Because the laws of physics prevent a person from having heat-ray vision like Superman or the ability to run around Earth in a second like the Flash, SA members have to define superpowers more loosely than their comic-book counterparts.
“We believe that you should take something you love to do and transform that into an identity,” Goldman said. “For instance, I love to make documentaries, so I am the group’s historian. That comes in handy when you have a hero like Dark Guardian, who approaches drug dealers in parks and gets them to leave.”
Superheroes Anonymous – Dark Guardian confronts a drug dealer from Ben Goldman on Vimeo.
As far as the costumes are concerned, Goldman says there are two schools of thought.

“Batman created his costume to invoke fear, whereas Superman assumed his in order to be a symbol,” Goldman said. “That’s what we aspire to. It’s one thing to hand out toiletries to the homeless, but when you’re doing it wearing a costume, people are more likely to stop and ask what you’re doing and maybe get involved themselves.”
Comic books like “The Dark Knight” and “Watchmen” suggest that the negative side of being a superhero is the vigilante aspect, and that is something Goldman stresses is not allowed in his group,
“We don’t endorse vigilantism,” he said. “We don’t live in Gotham City where there is a bank robbery every weekend or supervillains trying to destroy the city. We leave those matters in the hands of the police. There are enough things to do such as dropping off toys at Children’s Hospital.”
Goldman’s group has been around four years and now has chapters in Portland and New Bedford, Mass.
In addition, two event organizers in San Francisco have created an annual festival designed to honor “heroes” who are doing things in their communities and to inspire people to become the heroes they’ve always been inside.
The second annual Superhero Street Fair takes place Saturday in the Bayview neighborhood and will have a few hundred folks dressed up as superheroes.
According to FlashNews, regular Joes and Janes are encouraged to wear their very own made-up superhero outfits and show off their unique superpowers, which organizer Joegh Bullock says could include singing, dancing, painting or even kissing, if that’s their forte.
Bullock says that by embracing their own special powers and looking deep inside themselves, people will realize how super they really are and “hopefully feel those powers in them throughout the year.”
He and his fellow organizer came up with the idea awhile back when they realized they wanted an event where everyone would wear the same type of costume.
“We wanted something where you wouldn’t have one person be a clown and another be a fairy,” Bullock said. “We also wanted to take the superpowers out of ‘Hollywood’ and make them things ordinary people can do.”
Bullock expects as many as 3,000 people will attend, and many of those will be coming out of the superhero closet for the first time. For those people, he offers this advice: Believe in your power. A costume isn’t just a costume, it’s an attitude.”
As Bullock sees it, everyone has an alter ego that should be embraced.
“Superman had his secret identity, but we all have a superpower we can call on at anytime. For instance, I call myself ‘Tape Man.’ It came up recently when I was putting up posters for the event at the same time other people were posting things around town. I had strips of tape all over my body and people were grabbing it off me.”
One woman who is embracing her super side Saturday is professional costume designer Sarah Boll.
Last year, she wore a magenta wig and purple bodysuit and revealed herself as Ultra Violet, whose “super sparkling powers can dazzle any enemy away.”
This year, Boll is transitioning into a “punk robot” hero but admits she is still working on the powers (“But I do like color,” she adds).
It’s fun for her, but Boll also is inspired to use her costume to help the community. She also believes that dressing up as a hero helps her connect with her inner hero.
“I do feel more like myself when I’m in costume,” she said. “Plus, it’s great whenever people embrace what they’re enthusiastic about and share it.”
Compared with Superheroes Anonymous, the Superhero Street Fair emphasizes fun and whimsy. However, Bullock sees the homemade hero trend as a very powerful one.
“People want something to believe in and empower themselves,” he said. “I know I want to live this way all the time.”
Filed under: Weird News, Entertainment, Crime

Originally Posted: http://www.ranker.com/list/the-12-greatest-real-life-superheroes-of-all-time/davehoward
By DaveHoward
The LAPD has performed a bltizkreig assault on Superheroeson Hollywood Blvd ( http://ow.ly/1Wsch ). True, just in front of the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater, dozens of Real-Life people who dress as superheroes on a daily basis were rounded up in a raid. In a sinister government plot not seen since “Heroes., Police jailed members of the” X-Men,” Batman, Edward Scissorhands, Bumblebee, Mr. Incredible and Catwoman. The Incredible Hulk and Superman were just two of the iconic loiterers who outsmarted the fuzz and returned to panhandle another day. Unlike these classic, renowned panhandlers, here are 12 people who really make a difference with their superhero costumes.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz8r0qOm5OMNorse God Thor Stops A Home Invasion/Robbery
This annoying man in the video to your left lets us all know exactly what happened (for a written version of the story, click the link at the bottom of this item).
During a home invasion, a robber was stunned to find a man dressed as the Norse God Thor inside, defending the home. The intruder was chased off from the flat in Edinburgh and left his shoes, and a pitchfork behind. The man jumped out of a window, landing on a roof and was not heard from again after he escaped the Norse God’s wrath.
Local resident Torvald Alexander was dressed up as Thor for a New Year’s Eve Party. The man is 40 years old, and still completely and irrevocably awesome.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7807920.stm
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb_LghFFwkkSpider-Man Prevents Comic Book Robbery
In this absolutely heartwarming story, a local comic book store owner dressed as Spider-Man to commemorate International Free Comic Book Day. He stood around his store dressed as the masked hero all day, greeting customers and enjoying the day. That is, until a man tried to steal a comic book worth well over $100.
The owner, dressed as Spidey the whole time, noticed the shoplifter, took the book out of his bag and brought him to justice.
The best quote from the video is the shop-owner himself getting quite cheeky and letting people know about the crew who helped him out (a couple dressed as Jedi Knights and a man dressed as The Flash): “The Jedis watched the door, while The Flash kept things running…”. Well played, sir. Well played.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Da1ADqPplQ4Shadow Hare Actually Cleans Up Cincinnati Crime
As the movie/comic book “Kick-Ass” asked, “why does nobody actually dress up and try to be a superhero?”… this leader of an Avengers-style (kind of) crew in Cincinnati who calls himself “Shadow Hare” proves that question wrong.
He and his team of “heroes” patrol the streets of Cincinnati, OH, and solve crimes, help the homeless and walk around in broad daylight like it was Halloween at your local high school and nobody had enough money for a real costume.
It’s great to see people legitimately helping out the general public while asking for nothing in return; but it’s funnier to see them dressed up like comic book heroes and handing certified police men business cards in case they “ever need help”.
Their persistence, at least, is nothing to be laughed at — despite Shadow Hare himself talking like the narration in a badly written comic book.
Batman and Robin Catch Drug Suspect
Two police men dressed up as Batman and Robin captured a suspected drug offender in a weird sting operation. Once they approached the door, their intent (to confuse/disorient/distract the offenders) worked to their advantage, as the offenders would not answer the door for some crazy, costumed strangers knocking loudly on their door.
When one of the suspects decided to run out to the back of the house to try and escape, Batman and Robin were there waiting for him. Batman chased the man, hopped over a fence and arrested him. According to fellow officers, PC Eames said: “The bad thing about the operation is that we had to endure hours of terrible puns from PC Holman.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-415996/Police-dress-Batman-Robin-catch-drugs-suspect.html
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7pB2gLZtlYThe Holy Trinity: Dark Guardian, Life and Phantom Zero
DARK GUARDIAN is the leader of a Holy Trinity, followed by LIFE and PHANTOM ZERO. Trained in martial arts, DARK GUARDIAN prides himself on patrolling the inner cesspools of New York City. Knowing that safety comes first, he is one of the few superheroes that actually dons a bullet proof vest (he’s the red one in the video). While he hasn’t been shot, guns have been drawn on him… scary as he only arms himself with pepper spray. According to his MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/darkguardianhero) there is a meeting of the heroes this upcoming Sunday (6/8/2010). His powers include: – Bullet-proof vest – Human strength and (obviously) Persistence.
LIFE is one of the few Hassidic Jewish Superheros, and can be found in the video to your left. Born of meager means, he followed the tenants of his faith. This includes leaving the world in a better place than he found it. From http://www.reallifesuperheroes.com/2010/05/21/life/: “This moral code, underscored with a powerful sense of social justice, led him to his work with the homeless and disenfranchised that he found all around him, dispensing those seemingly small amenities that vitally fill in the gaps left by the NYC Department of Homeless Services.”
His powers include: – Giving toiletries to the homeless – Helping confused/needy homeless find shelter – Giving out food to the homeless. L’chaim! He can be found at http://www.myspace.com/theycalledhimlaz
PHANTOM ZERO is one of the first bridge and tunnel superheroes. Based in New Jersey, he’s often found on the streets of New York. While in most media appearances, he seems like an earnest enough bloke, do not cross him. In this video, he responds to detractors.
From his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/ph0hero “The most important aspect of being a Real Life Super Hero is as simple as this: You selflessly serve a pro social mission. It’s not about conquering groups of people to display your physical or martial prowess. It’s not about having scads of cutting edge technology at your disposal. It’s not about training one’s mind to the limits of human perfection so they can out think everyone and everything that comes their way.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ype4XKrNGXwRazorhawk
You’re nobody until Fox News mocks you as a misguided “do-gooder” (and then outs your secret identity).
Razorhawk, a former gas station employee, patrols the evil confines of Minneapolis. While crime is not the most important thing in the City of Lakes, he still helps out. He spends his time volunteering helping seniors and a very successful Toys For Tots program.
He doesn’t care for the term “Superhero” but prefers “the title Masked Adventurer as I do not have any special abilities or powers. I am just a guy who wears a uniform and promotes safety and crime awareness. I perform safety patrols in my town and in Minneapolis, as well as help out with many charities that help kids.”
He can be found at http://www.myspace.com/razorhawk_glhg
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgAU_H8essYNyx
Previously known as Hellcat, Felinity, and Sphynx; NYX is an ever-evolving superhero. Also a bridge and tunneler, she is one of the few female superheroes, filling the boots of such retired greats as Terrifica (who patrolled NYC bars saving cosmo’d women from bad decisions).
Usually donned in lingerie, she stands for diversity.
From her MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/nyx22) “I respect all RLSHs (Real Life Superheroes) of every sort, it’s not an easy life we’ve chosen but we’ve chosen it nonetheless.”
Here she explains what the platform of the Real Life Superhero Project should be… just pretend it makes sense.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wwQ_PRS748Citizen Prime – Utah Crime Fighter Extraordinaire
Citizen Prime hails from Utah and has recently announced his retirement. It’s too bad because his costume is great, even if it’s really really loud (after this fascinating video, see his interview at about 2:35).
This is, in part, due to his house being burgled and some key elements of his persona being taken from him.
Formerly calling Arizona his home, he has appeared at the Phoenix Comic-Con and tralled the mean streets of the Super Bowl parking lot.
Powers:
– His real passion is working with kids, helping them find the hero within. He appears in the video around the 2:30 mark. He works with kids in a program that is built for people to defend themselves, as well as discover their inner hero. A kind of a Tony Robbins for kids.
His MySpace page can be found at http://www.myspacae.com/paragonprime
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9srsaJW1bKMEnigma
Enigma, a pro-green superhero that hails from San Antonio, home of the Alamo.
His philosophy is simple: “Pride, Integrity and Honor.”
From his MySpace, ( http://www.myspace.com/enigmarlsh: ):
“I was put on this earth gifted from the lord, gifted to accomplish goals both mentally and physically challenging. I am here to help others and defend ones in need. I’m here to help clean up society and make the world feel and be a safe once again! I made the decision to dedicate my life to protect and help anyone in need, even if it means sacrificing my own to accomplish this goal.”
Enigma is more than a treehugger. According to his blog, he recently fought off two guys breaking into a car, using only an acid tinged tongue and a palm strike to the head. He then zip-tied them and used their phone to call 911.”
Bad. Freaking. Ass.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpFer_LXE3cSqueegee Man, Captain Xavier Obvious
Squeegee Man and his partner, Captain Xavier Obvious, have embraced the West/Ward concept of Superherodom.
Often seen promoting social causes such as the AIDS Walk, they are currently living in a “secret” rooftop lair somewhere in New York.
From Squeegee Man’s My Space (http://www.myspace.com/squeegeerific ) announcement for his failed 2008 presidential campaign, where he had a platform that included “I promise to make America Squeegeetasting again!”
A bit of a rogue he is not currently a member of The Real Life Superhero Project. Here is a bit ABC did on them. http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3281359
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I0sl2CArXYCrimson Fist
While he will not give out his secret identity, he also refuses to wear a mask.
Crimson Fist hails from Atlanta, GA and spends a few days a month working with folks who may need a granola bar and a bottle of water.
After a tumultuous trial of drugs and booze, he discovered his alter ego and hits the streets before he could hit the skids.
His MySpace http://www.myspace.com/heroatl claims that he is now undercover.
Just like everyone else who has still a MySpace page!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yyheqc-6ZM012. Mr. Silent
Despite the misnomer of Mr. Silent, he took some time out to speak with Fox News.
He came across his alter-ego during a drunken moment of clarity, while watching Superheroes flix at a friend’s place. Steering away from the vigilante image of crime fighter, he recently helped the police locate the owner of a discarded purse.
In 2009 he went underground, but we know we will hear from his soon. Oh, wait…
13. Everyone Else
BONUS: If you are salivating for more, here is a clip from the not so secret society RealLifeSuperheroes.com . This is a broader overview of some of the previously mentioned heroes.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hohnzMe0cWw
 

Originally Posted: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/superheroes-jesus-hercules-superman-iron-man-inspire-fantasy/story?id=10770296

 

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 pubished : http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/real-life-superheroes.php
With DIY superhero Kick-Ass bursting into cinemas, we meet the real men and women who have dedicated their lives to helping others…
Squeegeeman

Who? A “mass do-gooder” who vows to rid New York of both crime and grime. His superhero weapon of choice? A squeegee.
Why? Claiming to have been born with “Super-squeegee abilities”, Squeegeeman not only fights crime, but also goes on hospital visits, plants trees and collects money for charity. He claims that when someone walks down a clean street in New York or makes it home without getting mugged, they have him to thank, which kind of steals credit away from the city street-cleaners and the NYPD.
Movie hero equivalent: WALL•E, the only movie character to equal Squeegeeman’s superhuman dedication to cleaning and tidying.
Entomo, the Insect Man of Napels

Who? This Italian hero claims a near-death experience connected him to “a spiritual plane of existence involving insects”.
Why? Entomo lists his superpowers as sharpened senses, agility and an insect-like psychic ability he calls ‘parallelogram’ – apparently this helps him to establish “a specific psychological/physical profile only based on tiny, almost insignificant details”. Entomo battles criminals as well as corrupt politicians, and he even has his own superhero catchphrase: “Hear my buzz, fear my bite: I inject justice”. Catchy.
Movie hero equivalent: Spider-Man, who also developed creepy-crawly superpowers of agility and a special ‘spidey sense’.
Terrifica

Who? A guardian fighting for sobriety, chastity and the way home for drunk, vulnerable females in need of protection from lusty men.
Why? Like a disapproving parent in a costume, Terrifica patrols bars and parties in New York late at night defending inebriated women from lecherous guys looking to take advantage while armed with pepper spray, a camera and Smarties (to keep her energy levels up). Curiously, she even has her own arch-nemesis, Fantastico, a ‘supervillain’ lothario who dresses in velvet and skulks around bars trying to pick up defenceless women.
Movie hero equivalent: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who also rescued damsels in distress from preying monsters and predators.
Zetaman

Who? A self-confessed nerd who adopted a costume and name to be more like the superheroes in his favourite comics.
Why? While Zetaman tries to steer clear of actual crime-fighting (“I guess it sounds kind of less heroic, but I don’t want to die”), he arms himself with a collapsible baton, a stun gun, an air horn and a mobile phone just in case. The most important items in his arsenal, however, are blankets, gloves, socks and sandwiches which he hands out to the men and women who are forced to live on the streets of his home town Portland, Oregon.
Movie hero equivalent: Superman, who shares Zetaman’s humanitarian attitude and his chest-based insignia.
Angle-Grinder Man

Who? A costumed vigilante who fights the system by offering a free wheel-clamp removal service for frustrated motorists in the UK.
Why? Rebelling against what he considers to be oppressive measures such as congestion charges, CCTV and speed cameras, Angle-Grinder Man takes a stand against “arrogant” politicians by providing wheel-clamp aid to persecuted vehicle owners in Kent and London (at weekends). His website lists his mobile number for such emergencies, presumably because no one has access to a giant Angle-Grinder signal light to shine in the sky.
Movie hero equivalent: V from V For Vendetta, another British vigilante who fights against a corrupt government.
Master Legend

Who? A costumed crime-fighter who claims to have psychic abilities, as well as powers bestowed to him by a voodoo queen.
Why? The daddy of superheroes, Master Legend has been thwarting criminals for over a decade and the local sheriff in his hometown of Winter Park, Florida has even confirmed that the masked hero has helped with many arrests. With his own means of transport (the Legend Cycle) and armed with his Master Blaster personal cannon (a spud gun), this old defender shows no sign of hanging up his tights any time soon.
Movie hero equivalent: Professor Charles Xavier from X-Men who also has psychic powers (minus the silver body armour).
Superbarrio

Who? A Mexican hero who takes a realistic approach to fighting crime and corruption: by organising labour rallies and filing petitions.
Why? Donning a red-and-yellow costume, complete with wrestler’s mask, Superbarrio is a champion for the working class and homeless of Mexico City. His work protecting low-income neighbourhoods by leading protests and challenging court decisions has resulted in the hefty campaigner becoming a folk legend – he even had a giant-size statue erected in his honour and once met with Fidel Castro.
Movie hero equivalent: Nacho Libre, the tubby Mexican wrestler who also has a secret identity.
Dark Guardian

Who? Criminals of New York beware! This highly-trained martial artist is “dedicated to making the world a better place”.
Why? Despite going through some costume changes in the past, Dark Guardian is a committed superhero who claims to have helped the police in apprehending various drug dealers and tracking down an illegal gambling den. Unlike most of his other superhero colleagues, he does not keep his true identity secret – his real name is Chris Pollack. Dark Guardian sounds better though.
Movie hero equivalent: Batman, the Dark Knight, as another hero of the night fighting against injustice.
Citizen Prime

Who? A recently retired superhero who fought crime in $4000 body armour and helped to found the Worldwide Heroes Organization.
Why? A financial executive by day, Citizen Prime would patrol the streets clad in a helmet, breastplate, pads and codpiece and was also particularly involved in his local community, often visiting youth centres and schools. News of his retirement was met with much mourning among the real-life superhero community, although criminals in his area presumably rejoiced.
Movie hero equivalent: Robocop, who wore similar armour and shared his attitude towards promoting good citizenship.
Death’s Head Moth

Who? Strikes fear into criminals with sinister imagery and a scary name. Probably doesn’t do many school visits.
Why? Armed with ‘moth-a-rangs’ (specially made metal throwing ninja stars shaped like moths) and a dark, brooding attitude, Deaths Head Moth fights crime in Norfolk, Virginia and is a well-known name in the superhero community, often teaming up with other heroes and being an active member of the Great Lakes Heroes Guild.
Movie hero equivalent: Rorschach, the cynical anti-hero in Watchmen who has an attitude as fearsome as his fighting skills.
Tothian

Who? Dispensing with the costume and novelties, Tothian focuses on the most important part of being a superhero: fighting crime.
Why? Having served five years in the Marine Reserves, Tothian has the discipline, as well as the physical capabilities, to treat crime-fighting as a serious calling. Claiming that martial arts is only one aspect of the training required to be a superhero (he also lists law, criminology, forensics and first aid, among others), this patrolling defender uses his special expertise to prevent crime and ensure the safety of the residents in his hometown, New Jersey.
Movie hero equivalent: Steven Seagal in every one of his movies. He has the combat skills and mental attitude to take criminals down
Captain Prospect

Who? Founder of the Capital City Super Squad, a team of superheroes who help to protect and serve Washington DC.
Why? Along with his superhero colleagues Nice Ninja, Spark, Siren, Justice, DC Guardian and The Puzzler, Captain Prospect helps the people of Washington DC by undertaking safety patrols, contributing to community events and organising fundraisers, as well as feeding the homeless. This patriotic do-gooder even chose the colours and design of his costume to reflect the DC flag.
Movie hero equivalent: Captain America, the leader of The Avengers, who will be starring in his own movie due out in 2011.
Mr. Xtreme

Who? Part of the Xtreme Justice League, a team of costumed superheroes who tackle violent crime on the streets of San Diego.
Why? Using a camouflage mask with bug-shaped mesh eye-holes to keep his identity secret, Mr Xtreme patrols the streets late at night armed with a stun-gun, pepper spray and handcuffs in order to apprehend criminals as well as promote a positive message to youngsters and raise public awareness about local crime. By day, however, Mr Xtreme is merely a mild-mannered security guard. Presumably, he takes the mask off then.
Movie hero equivalent: David Dunn (Bruce Willis) from Unbreakable, a security guard who discovers he has superhero-like abilities.
Shadow Hare

Who? A caped crusader who fights crime on the streets of Cincinatti with the ominous symbol of a demonic rabbit on his chest.
Why? Declaring to “see the shadows of shadows”, this costumed hero claims to have stopped “many evil doers, such as drug dealers, muggers, rapists and crazy hobos with pipes”. Despite being a trained martial artist who carries mace, a taser and handcuffs, Shadow Hare actually dislocated his shoulder while assisting a woman who was being robbed, just to prove that you shouldn’t be trying this at home. Luckily he can speed away on his Segway scooter if the fight gets too much for him.
Movie hero equivalent: Frank, the demonic rabbit from Donnie Darko who also liked to stick to the shadows.
Polar Man

Who? Hardly a crime-fighter, this local hero helps his community by shovelling snow off the steps for day-care centres and the elderly.
Why? Hailing from Nunavut, a particularly icy region of North Canada, Polarman is the friendly neighbourhood superhero who, as well as clearing snow for those in need, helps to keep playgrounds in order for the local kids and deters vandals. He is said to model himself on a man in Inuit legend who provided food and clothing to the poor while riding a polar bear.
Movie hero equivalent: Iceman, the sub-zero superhero from the X-Men who doesn’t, unfortunately, ride on a polar bear.

Superheroes get real
by fighting important issues
By Joshua Simmons
Published: Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Up in the sky! It’s a bird; it’s a plane. Nope, it’s a superhero.
Comic book superheroes complete with cape and cowl are running through the streets of almost every major metropolitan area in the United States.
They have colorful names like Dreamer, Terrifica and Super Barrio. Rather than fighting crime in a traditional sense, they combat issues that they feel to be just on a more personal level.
They have left the bat-shaped boomerangs and X-ray vision at home, instead opting for food and blankets for the homeless or assisting with organizing to combat corporate injustice.
Portland is no different from the rest of the nation. That’s right; we have a superhero of our own. His name is Zetaman.
Zetaman has taken on the responsibility of defending Portland’s homeless population from the frigid nights and hunger. Armed with blankets, socks and food, he travels around Portland by night and provides those men and women with the necessities to make it through another night.
“They are happy to receive them,” Zetaman stated in an e-mail.
The royal blue clad superhero has based his costume on Superman and Zorro, but his real heroes are his grandfather and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What could lead a man or woman to becoming a superhero?
“I guess some free time Internet searching, a want to do good things combined with a lousy work schedule. As far as recommending [becoming a superhero] to others, I would not. It is a very difficult thing to do because it opens a person up to a lot of ridicule,” Zetaman said.
“First if I saw the costume I’d think, ‘We must be in Portland.’ If I saw what they are doing I’d be really happy that they are out there doing something, and I would do anything I could to try and help. I do community service in my own way; I fed the homeless around town for Thanksgiving, which feels better for me than to sit around eating a big dinner and feeling guilty,” Kassi Havens, a Clackamas Community College student said.
According to the World Superhero Registry, yes there are so many superheroes out there that they are being registered; three things need to be accounted for in order to be considered for membership.
The first is what many would consider obvious, a costume. The World Superhero Registry states on its Web site, “The purpose of a costume is not simply to protect the identity of the Real-Life Superhero from criminals that might seek revenge but to make a statement both to the evil-doers that you fight against and to the world at large: you are not simply someone who happened upon crime or injustice and made an impulsive decision to intervene.”
The requisite costume has become something of a symbol for comic book fans and “Reals” alike. From the iconic Superman logo, to the basic jeans and T-shirt that accompany Wolverine’s metal claws, costumes are how superheroes are identified worldwide.
“I think it’s a good thing because you don’t get people who are just trying to get attention; they are actually trying to have fun while helping people,” said Havens.
Zetaman, however, has run across his share of the bad element in the Real Life Superhero community. Like with anything the Superhero community attracts people who actually want to make a change in the world, as well as the less than savory types who are just interested in getting five minutes in the spotlight.
The other two rules are a bit more complicated than cutting up your mother’s bed sheets and wearing tighty whities on the outside of your pants. The first is heroic deeds; a Real must be able to prove that they became a Real-Life Superhero for the benefit of mankind.
The final step is listed as personal motivation. The Web site indicates that in order to be registered “a Real-Life Superhero cannot be a paid representative of an organization”
In other words next time you see a spotlight in the sky at night, keep in mind that a Real is out doing their part to make the world a better place.

Go Faster! Training tips to improve your running speed.
http://www.the-biomatrix.net/run-faster.htm
By Adam Sinicki
Obviously if you want to improve your running speed you should practice firstly by running, varying your speed between sessions and regularly attempting to push your top speed. You can practice at set points or use what I call ‘incidental training’, which is when you turn an ordinary task into a training opportunity for example by running to the shop or to work. Personally I run practically everywhere. Like a mentalist.
If you want to push the boundaries further and use some more unconventional methods to improve your 100 metres the following strategies will serve you well.
Upper Body Strength
The power created by swinging your arms is very important to your overall running speed. When I was younger I wanted to be Sonic the Hedgehog (actually I thought I was Sonic the Hedgehog) so I used to run with my arms flailing around behind me which significantly decreased my running speed. From this I learned two important points: do not run with your arms behind you,
The most important muscles to train are your deltoids, closely followed by your biceps and triceps. A good way to train the latter two is with ‘dumbbell runners’ which involve holding two mid-to-light dumbbells and making a slow-motion running motion. They’re much like bilateral hammer curls mixed with kickbacks and they’re brilliant. Shrugs meanwhile are a great way to train the shoulders.
Also important is your core strength, which can be trained with press-ups, sit ups and pull ups.
Leg Strength
Training your legs is important for running but it’s also paramount that they don’t become too bulky which can be detrimental to your speed. Your muscles will be developed to an extent from the running itself, particularly by running up hill.
To get an extra edge though use leg extensions, hamstring curls and calf raises. Running utilises fast twitch muscle fibres which you need to train by practicing the movements explosively with ‘bursts’ of strength to lift the weight.
Overspeed training
Overspeed training is the incredibly cool name for a training method used by sprinters and football players to increase running speed. Basically it involves finding a way to run up to 10% faster than usual, by getting towed, or by running downhill, or with wind behind you. The idea is that by doing this, you are ‘teaching’ your body and your brain the movement necesary to create that kind of speed and that hopefully they’ll eventually be able to repdoduce it on their own. In theory this technique could be used for several other endeavours. For example there are machines that take your arm through the perfect golf swing. Having your friend help you with a heavy weight might even have a similar effect. Still you should do overspeed training just because it’s called overspeed training! It would be even cooler if it was called hyperspeed training… (I’ve got to invent that).
Running against resistance
This is like it sounds – basically the opposite of overspeed training (underspeed training?). Some things that can provide resistance are shallow water, sand (think Rocky 3) and ankle and wrist weights. You could also run while towing something ala Rocky. Quicksand would probably be awesome but it’s hard to come by.
Ooh! This is now called hyperspeed training!
Stamina
It should go without saying that you need to increase your stamina in order to maintain a good speed. Any CV training will achieve this but obviously running and jogging are the most well-suited. Use a treadmill if you’re in the gym and alternate between 10 minute jogs and 2 minute sprints for the best results.
Springbak Speedsoles
‘Speedsoles’ are squidgey insoles that you place in your shoes to give yourself a bit of extra bounce. They can supposedly increase running speed and jumping height by around 10%
While you shouldn t expect flubber I have found that they do at least give you a bit of a spring in your step and have the added bonus of combating shin splints and other running-related pains.
Visit the site
You may also be interested in:
Buy Now: Project Superman Paper-back!
Yes you read right: Project Superman is now available as a 124-page paper back! For just £13.88 (+P&P)
Project Superman is the name I gave to my personal mission to try and improve myself in every way possible; to become faster, stronger, smarter and more agile. This book is a veritable bible of unique training methods, fighting techniques, tools, future transhuman technologies, psychological tricks, health tips and everything else you need to improve yourself in every way possible.
Whether you want to be a superman or just improve your health, there’s something here for you.
Reposted with permission from http://www.the-biomatrix.net

From:http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2613577/reallife_superheroes.html?cat=17
By David Finniss
I’m a big comic dork. Anyone who’s read my articles can tell that is a pretty big hobby of mine. It seems that some people have decided to live out their fantasies, take LARPing to a whole new level and try to become bona fide superheroes.
I’m still not sure what my view on the topic is. I mean, I get it. I would love to be a superhero too, whether it be Batman, Green Lantern, or Superman there is something appealing about having that level of impact. I also want to commend the people for trying to, in their own unusual way, make the world a better place. I just don’t think that that is the way to do it.
What works in the comics and on screen doesn’t work in real life. For one thing, vigilantism is illegal, and the costumes these guys end up donning look silly.
“Oh, but Batman does it” you say?
The cops are somewhat tolerant. They encourage these real life superheroes to be proactive and are grateful for the assistance, but there is a clear line that they don’t want you to cross. As one would expect, they’re not quite as tolerant of the idea as say Commissioner Gordon.
A part of me wants to support this, it really does. I mean, I think it would be pretty cool to live in a world where there are superheroes and I’m all for people taking the initiative to make the world a better place and showcase humanity’s capacity for good. That’s all awesome stuff and for that I commend these people. One of the awesome things about Superman is that he represents what we can all aspire to be. The Nolan movies play up the idea that Batman too is a symbol that has more endurance and impact than a regular man. With most of the role models the media tries to create coming up woefully short, there is something to the idea of becoming an embodiment of goodness and charity.
At the same time… no. I mean, come on. You can become an icon and embody all of those ideals without the costume. Michael Jordan is an icon, Ronald Reagan was an icon, Martin Luther King Jr. was an icon. You can effect the same change via other means (joining the neighborhood watch, volunteering, donating money etc) and bypass the inevitable snickering that a good chunk of people are going to do as they discover this sort of stuff.
Batman isn’t a realistic character, yes I said it. He runs a multi billion dollar corporation, has a genius level intellect, and has the strength and agility of an olympic athlete. That’s like taking the athleticism of Lebron James, the wealth of Bill Gates, the brain of Stephen Hawking and rolling it into one and giving it access to state of the art military technology. Even the people with the drive and determination usually succeed at one or two, but not the trifecta. The real life people who are trying to do the same thing don’t have any of those attributes.

The expertly managed hullabaloo around Zack Snyder’s film adaptation of the Watchmen comic series (it opens in cinemas today), sees superheroes move ever closer to the centre of our shared culture.
Just as readers of Shakespeare, Byron or P.G. Wodehouse swam in a rich soup of biblical and classical references that informed their understanding of every sentence, so modern readers and moviegoers have unconsciously assimilated a common vocabulary of superheroics. If T.S. Eliot were writing today, he would pepper his poems not with allusions to the heroes of Greek myth but to the adventures of the Justice League of America. These gaudily dressed commercial demigods may be the closest thing we have to a pantheon.
Once confined to the “funny papers”, costumed adventurers broke through into the adult world in 1986 with the publication of Frank Miller’s iconoclastic The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’s daring Watchmen. Before those two series there had been attempts to bring the masked vigilantes from their fantasy milieu into a world a little more like our own. But it wasn’t until Watchmen, set in a parallel mid-Eighties America on the brink of nuclear war, that the effect of costumed adventurers on the society they inhabit was considered.
Comics publishers were overjoyed that a new, older, wealthier demographic was buying comic books and responded by publishing bound collections of story arcs from their monthly comics and branding them “graphic novels”. A few genuine long-form comics expressly written for the format were also attempted, but only a few came close to achieving the commercial and critical impact of Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns. Too many writers thought that the “darkness” was the selling point, and produced comic books not much different from the Silver Age comics of the 1960s and 70s but with added violence.
To achieve much more is difficult: the relentless momentum of the graphic format leaves little time left for characterisation or introspection. By slowing the action down, inserting additional material such as mock autobiographies by the characters, Moore was the first comics writer to create rounded, flawed, believable supermen. It was that, more than the artwork, that propelled Watchmen onto Time magazine’s 100 greatest novels list.
The mixture of introspection, political subversion and old-fashioned derring-do established by Moore is still, a quarter of a century later, the template for most modern comics writers. If you are looking for the most interesting of the new superhero comics today, try The Authority, a superhero team story where, rather than just scrapping with mad scientists and purse-snatchers, the heroes try to use their powers to change the world. In Ex Machina, the technologically enhanced hero settles for running New York and almost averts 9/11 but spends as much time defusing controversy over public art funding as chasing supervillains.
Perhaps the most interesting fruit of Watchmen – and a sign of how mainstream superheroes have become – came in a pair of books that dispensed with illustrations altogether. Although Batman-themed young-adult easy readers and the film spin-off “novelisations” had appeared before, Tom DeHaven’s It’s Superman was something entirely different. Set in the 1930s, it retells the story of the origins of Superman. Although still a pacy read, it has a rich sense of period that invites comparison with Steinbeck. For pop-culture students there are little nods to the Max Fleischer Superman animations and Thornton Wilder’s Our Town.
Austin Grossman’s 2007 novel Soon I will be Invincible was an even more knowing and playful examination of superhero archetypes played out through a pair of beautifully crafted internal monologues. Like many of today’s writers, Grossman has a native fluency in classic superhero lore, resulting in a book studded with pop-culture detail. The humour of films such as The Incredibles and Mystery Men rely on audiences being steeped in superhero culture. Watchmen too is dependent on cinemagoers understanding exactly which conventions are being subverted. And of course nowadays most moviegoers do: the mythic history of superheroes pervades our culture in the same way that the tales of Asgard or Olympus once did. We are all, wittingly or unwittingly, aware of the mechanics of secret identities, hidden lairs, radiation accidents that empower rather than disable and miraculous flying machines that are the staples of the genre, whether we are talking about classic heroes like The Fantastic Four or Moore’s dysfunctional superteam.
Superheroes are big business: Dark Knight raked in a billion dollars at the box office, Iron Man took more than $500 million in 2008 and the third instalment in Sam Raimi’s Spiderman franchise netted an impressive $890 million.
It is no surprise then that publishers are keen to find new superhero properties. DC Comics’ big hitters, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, all appeared first before the end of the Second World War. Marvel’s heroes are a little younger, but their biggest-earning heroes all still date from the early 1960s. There are dozens, perhaps scores, of new superhero-themed movies in the works: of all of them Mark Millar’s Kick Ass is the one most likely to offer something genuinely novel and exciting.
Superheroes have conquered more than the entertainment media. Two or three nights a week Citizen Prime patrols the streets of Salt Lake City in his mask and cape armed with stun guns and a police baton. He is not the only one. There are at least 30 real-life “superheroes”, of varying levels of effectiveness and seriousness, scattered across America, with odd examples popping up as far afield as Tunbridge Wells. With no powers other than idealism, and with no supercriminals to battle, they are something between a fancy dress party and the Neighbourhood Watch.
That may not always be the case, though: the technology to create armoured exoskeletons like that of Marvel’s Iron Man is under development by the US military and may only be a decade away from coming to fruition. Implantable enhancements will probably come a generation later. Assuming that they do deliver the promised combat advantage, the enhanced strength and senses of military supersoldier programmes will find their way into the hands of the criminal element – and, of course, once we have supervillains then superheroes, or at least superpolice, won’t be far behind. You will need to be ready. Better buy some comics.
Michael Moran writes the Times Blockbuster Buzz blog

I have been asked a few times “but what about your secret identity”? Well let’s just say that:
1. Having done skip-tracing in the past, I know how easy it is for somebody to find you, whether you move ONCE, or 3 times within a year. All of my skip-tracing was done without the use of a computer at that. Just buy a book.
2. If you drive, use a cellphone or anything else…well you get the idea.
3. My voice is pretty damn recognizable unless you are at least 75% deaf.
4. I’ve been in documentary films, music videos, public access TV, 4+ music groups…who am I foolin’?
5. As far as I know we only live once. Well I never have been big on livin’ to be an old man. We all gonna die so no need to cry!
I love the luchador tradition of mask-wearing, and I love theatrics in general. I think everybody’s entitled to wear masks, costumes, make up, or what have you… as far as hiding though, you probably don’t leave the house in your uniform, there’s camera’s at the ATMs, the streetlights, squad cars, stores… There is also such a thing as corrupt cops for folks to get info from for the right price. There’s nowhere to hide.
For the RLSH Community, I see uniforms mainly as fucntional symbols augmented with gear that helps you to do your job. Good luck, and have a drink for me >:D
Respect.
~X