Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of Mainers?

L-A's Real Life Superheroes
Originally Posted: http://www.downeast.com/maine-the-week-in-review/2010/june/knows-lurks-hearts-mainers
By Al_Diamon
One of the things Maine doesn’t have that other states do – besides oil washing up on our beaches, casinos wasting our money, and Rod Blagojevich – is super-heroes. I’m not sure why this is, although I suspect newly chosen Republican gubernatorial nominee Paul LePage would blame high taxes, government regulations, and a poor business climate, while the Democrats’ choice, Libby Mitchell, would cite our failure to reform our tax code, lack of universal health care, and declining support for higher education.
Whatever the reason, the fact remains that Superman’s rocket from Krypton didn’t land in Mattawamkeag, Tony Stark’s factory isn’t located in Westbrook, and Mighty Mouse prefers Wisconsin cheese.
There have been sporadic attempts in the past to create a costumed character that fit Maine’s character. Alas, Super-Lobster was destroyed in a cataclysmic clash with the evil Steamer Pot and Drawn-Butter Girl. Johnny Chainsaw got cut to pieces by Kaptain Kickback and his demonic sidekick, Tree Spike. And Bed-And-Breakfast Man lost his epic financial battle with The Recession.
But just when the Pine Tree State had seemingly resigned itself to always playing second fiddle to the likes of Gotham City and Smallville, along comes a report in the Lewiston Sun Journal that two costumed crime fighters have been spotted working the mean streets of Lewiston and Auburn. “Dreizehn” (it’s the German word for “thirteen”) and “Slapjack” (it’s the English word for a stupid card game) are not the products of a gamma-ray experiment gone wrong like the Hulk, or a lightning strike like the Flash or super energy pills like Underdog.
They seem to be ordinary people, who – like Batman – suffer from some sort of psychological disorder that causes them to abandon all fashion sense. Or as Dreizehn put it in the Sun Journal, “Going out at 2 a.m. with a mask on and thinking you’re going to save the world, it says a lot about you.”
Both Dreizehn and Slapjack are in their twenties and, in the best super-hero tradition, keep their real identities secret, lest they become targets of such super-villains as Snide Down East Blogger Guy, with his evil Scepter of Ridicule. While Lewiston’s dynamic duo possess no extraordinary powers or mysterious abilities, the two masked vigilantes do carry batons, night-vision goggles, protective vests, and Taser-equipped brass knuckles. They also have cell phones to call the cops if they spot a drunk driver or somebody bigger than they are doing something bad.
They told the paper they’re going public with their crusade because of recent publicity relating to the movie “Kick-Ass,” about some – What? A message from my editor? I can’t use the words “Kick-Ass” on this site because it might offend the sensibilities of Down East’s refined readership? Has he seen the words Mike Tipping is getting away with over in the politics section? Oh, all right – I apologize. I meant to refer to that movie as either “K*ck-*ss” or “Kick-Butt” or possibly “Kick-Bottom.” Anyway, it’s about regular people who decide to be super-heroes, and one of them calls himself something like “Kick-Patootie,” which is how the movie got its name that I can’t use.
Slapjack and Dreizehn are also part of a group called Real Life Superheroes.
According to Slapjack, there are two other members in Maine, “The Beetle” and “Mrs. The Beetle.”
Well, I suppose The Tick and The Fly were already taken, and The Black Fly would be more of a bad guy. Still, Maine is severely deficient in caped crusaders, which may be why we have so many black flies. To correct that problem, I suggest some of you get busy creating masks, gloves, and boots, as well as wearing your underwear on the outside of your longjohns. Because it’s time for this state to take its rightful place in the pantheon of super-hero-approved locations.
You’ve heard of the Justice League.
You’ve heard of the Teen Titans.
You’ve heard of the Avengers.
But you’ve never heard of anything like the Society to Terminate Evil-doers And Maine’s Emergency Response Society (S.T.E.A.M.E.R.S.).
OK, the name needs work.
The members of S.T.E.A.M.E.R.S. are:
Toad Man: Eats black flies. With fava beans and a nice Chianti. A little on the creepy side, but then toads generally are.
Black Ice. He’s actually a white guy (we don’t have too many minorities), who can turn any surface into a slippery hell. In real life, he’s the mild-mannered driver of a Department of Transportation sand truck. He has a lot of trouble dealing with the contradiction.
Skidoo. Using mystic powers he learned from an ancient order of monks based in Livermore Falls, he discovered how to cloud men’s minds (and, after several shots of Allen’s coffee brandy and milk, women’s minds, as well), making them believe there’s some recreational value to riding around on snowmobiles in sub-freezing temperatures. His nemesis is Trademark Lawyer, who isn’t about to let him steal that name without paying dearly.
Snowblower. After his defeat in the Republican gubernatorial primary, former ski mogul Les Otten set to work on his next project: combining human DNA with the mechanical parts of a snow gun. He injects himself with his experimental serum, only to discover he can’t control the huge piles of white stuff that spew from his mouth.
Ms. Matinicus. Bitten by the island-living bug, she finds herself possessed of the power to smash stereotypes about inhabitants of communities well out to sea. Which also happens to be the name of her forthcoming book. Order a copy or she’ll kick your *ss.
Pier Fry. Based in a secret cave beneath his namesake landmark in Old Orchard Beach, this deep-fried defender of the innocent can raise an opponent’s cholesterol by as much as thirty points. He also attracts seagulls. Which means seagull poop. That’s not healthy, either.
Captain Cape Elizabeth. A wealthy playboy by day, but once the sun goes down, he becomes … a wealthy super-hero. Together with his partners, Foreside Boy and Gold-Coast Girl, he lures criminals into Ponzi schemes, heavily leveraged hedge funds, worthless stock options, and investments in Kevin Costner’s “Waterworld 2.”
Red Tide. He’s actually a white guy, too. It’s pretty much all we’ve got. Bitten by a radioactive shellfish, he suddenly finds himself inclined to lecture others on the many benefits of communism. It softens them up for the other heroes.
Blueberry Woman. Also Caucasian. If any oxidants come around, she can destroy them by beaming antioxidant rays from her eyes. Makes a nice muffin, too.
Winning University of Maine Women’s Basketball Coach. Perhaps because of the low pay, a mere $110,000 per year, this super-hero is probably a myth.
Strangely enough, Al Diamon and the masked avenger known as The Beer Tap have never been seen together. E-mail him at [email protected] and ask why.

Weird, Wicked Weird: Maine's Real Life Superheroes. Yup, for real.

L-A's Real Life Superheroes
Originally posted: http://www.sunjournal.com/city/story/844777
By Kathryn Skelton, Staff Writer
Her mom thought she was doing drugs, slipping out at night, wandering the streets.
Mom didn’t realize her little girl was actually busy atoning and avenging.
As the self-styled superhero “Dreizehn” (that’s the number 13 in German), she’d slip out and look for trouble, interrupting drug deals and vehicle break-ins. Think “Kick-Ass,” but in real life. Sometimes it worked, sometimes the teenager got beaten up, badly.
Dreizehn moved to Maine from a big city outside New England a few months ago to join her similarly self-styled superhero boyfriend, “Slapjack.” Several nights a week they walk Lewiston-Auburn for hours on end as roving Good Samaritans, looking for trouble.

""Slapjack," left, and "Dreizehn" walk past the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston on a quiet Tuesday night in May, looking for anyone in need. They will call for police or tow trucks if needed. Dreizehn has broken up a drug deal, for which she took "a pretty severe beating," she said.

“”Slapjack,” left, and “Dreizehn” walk past the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Lewiston on a quiet Tuesday night in May, looking for anyone in need. They will call for police or tow trucks if needed. Dreizehn has broken up a drug deal, for which she took “a pretty severe beating,” she said.


The streets here? Much less mean, in her limited experience.
Most nights their foot patrol means giving bottled water and granola bars to the homeless and maybe yelling at a graffiti artist, all the while costumed and armed with batons, knife-proof protective wear and brass knuckles electrified with Tasers.
Dreizehn and Slapjack are in their 20s. Their parents? They still have no clue.
“You kind of have to be a little unstable to do it,” Dreizehn said. “Going out at 2 a.m. with a mask on and thinking you’re going to save the world, it says a lot about you.”
Origin stories
They got started for different reasons. About four years ago, Slapjack said he read an article in VIBE magazine on the Real Life Superheroes movement, a worldwide community, to which they now belong, of people who dress up, assume names and do varying degrees of charity work and criminal deterrence.
Close friends of Slapjack had their home broken into. Another was hit by a drunk driver, part of Slapjack’s motivation now to hang outside bars. He calls police to report plate numbers when he sees people that he suspects have had too much to drink get behind the wheel.
“I believe in civilian patrols. The police can only be so many places at once, especially at night,” Slapjack said. “I think it’s everyone’s responsibility to keep an eye on their communities.”
He picked his code name from a favorite card game played with his grandmother.
The younger Dreizehn has been going out longer, since 2003.
Self-proclaimed Real Life Superhero "Dreizehn" walks down a quiet Lewiston street in May. The RLS website has members worldwide.

Self-proclaimed Real Life Superhero “Dreizehn” walks down a quiet Lewiston street in May. The RLS website has members worldwide.


“I started out, really, just bored, and didn’t want to cause trouble,” she said.
In looking to thwart mischief, there was also an element of making amends for her brother.
“He was robbing and completely destroying our family through his actions,” Dreizehn said. “It made me want to do something so nobody had to go through the pain I had to.”
She dresses to add bulk to her frame — a compressed chest, a man’s trench, men’s boots. Sometimes, in her experience, just walking up to someone is enough to make them stop whatever it is they’re doing, mainly because she appears to be a 200-plus-pound man wearing a full black and red mask with sheer white fabric eye holes.
Once on patrol, Slapjack found an unconscious man collapsed in the middle of the street and dragged him to the side of the road, potentially saving him from being run over.
But it doesn’t always go swimmingly.
“I got hit by a car,” Dreizehn said. And once, in what she believed was a meth buy, “I got ahold of what they were dealing. I ended up really taking a beating. I had my mask taken off. I managed to crawl and bite my way out of it. I had a death grip on (the meth).”
She picked her code name as a nod to her German heritage.
Why the names at all if everything’s on the up and up?
Their reasons are threefold. First, they say they don’t want their workplaces or families finding out, then worrying, questioning or demanding they give it up. Second, the couple doesn’t want to be harassed; they are, occasionally, snitches. A superhero named “Shadow Hare” began showing his face around Cincinnati too much and “the city completely turned on him,” Dreizehn said.
Lastly, putting on the costume, and wearing the name, is like becoming someone else.
“Your fear goes away,” Slapjack said.
Added his girlfriend, Dreizehn: “I wanted to be able to put a mask on so I could be somebody greater and better.”
They met through the Real Life Superheroes group. There aren’t too many others in Maine. He can name two, “The Beetle” and “Mrs. The Beetle.”
Taking it to the street
They go out on foot patrol two or three nights a week, often between roughly 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. She likes walking both cities. He prefers Lewiston.
Dreizehn and Slapjack cover about 5 miles at a stretch, carrying food, water, note pads, flashlights, cameras, night-vision goggles and cell phones. Ninety to 95 percent of the time, they’re just two people out for a walk. Two costumed, very prepared people.
If and when it comes to it, she’s clearly the scrapper. He’s never gotten in a physical confrontation.
“You’re McGruff; I’m the Punisher,” Dreizehn teased, walking through Kennedy Park on a Tuesday night in May.
Thursday, Friday and Saturday tend to be busiest, with more people on the street.
“But you never know; crime never takes a day off,” Slapjack said.
He keeps a map at home synced up to the local police crime bulletins, looking for neighborhoods or streets with patterns and familiarizing himself with people wanted on warrants.
Lewiston police Lt. Mark Cornelio checked around the station — no one he spoke with was aware of a pair of costumes on the street.
“Without knowing what their crime-fighting (is), it would be tough to say whether we agree with it or disagree with it,” Cornelio said. “My thing, I would rather have people be good witnesses.”
There’s also a reason for official police training and the lessons that come with it, he said.
Dreizehn and Slapjack said they were inspired to make themselves known now because of the “Kick-Ass” movie.
It’s not as easy as it looks on the screen.
“It was a funny little movie,” Dreizehn said. “But it’s completely disillusioned. It’s nothing like we do.”

Super friends

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

STREET JUSTICE: Real-life superheroes are now so numerous throughout the country that they have a national organization, Superheroes Anonymous. New England regional heroes include, second from left, Basilisk, Civitron, Beau Shay Monde, and Recluse. Rapper Tem Blessed (far left) has collaborated with Civitron.

STREET JUSTICE: Real-life superheroes are now so numerous throughout the country that they have a national organization, Superheroes Anonymous. New England regional heroes include, second from left, Basilisk, Civitron, Beau Shay Monde, and Recluse. Rapper Tem Blessed (far left) has collaborated with Civitron.


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

OWL’S WELL New Bedford’s Civitron (right) has some potent super genes — his six-year-old son is also a superhero: Mad Owl.


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

Real Life Superheroes

Originally posted at http://hubpages.com/hub/Real-Life-Superheroes
What is happening to America? Our once proud country is becoming a black hole of despair. Social Security is going broke, Our national debt is sky-high. Health-care costs are rising through the roof. People are losing their jobs, their homes and their hope. As the dreams of our fathers slip farther and farther from the the sight of most Americans, people are losing faith in our politicians, our systems and each other.
What can we do to bring back our hope? Here are the stories of a few people who decided to fight on the side of hope and justice. People who believe that one person CAN make a difference. People who are trying to make our world a better place…
Real life superheros…
Do You Have a Superhero In Your Neighborhood?
These superheroes live in our neighborhoods, patrol our streets and help our needy. They live normal lives and hold normal jobs. The superpower they hold is caring. These heroes have taken upon themselves the daunting job of helping others. Their super-caring has led them to a life where action is preferable to inaction…where lending a helping hand is necessary…where love and justice are not just words, but a way of life.
What makes a superhero? Many will never understand, but there are a few people in this world who know. We may or may not sympathize with their need to don the superhero uniform and go forth to help others, however we should be able to recognize the altruism that is behind it. Let’s get to know some of today’s real life superheroes before we judge them.
Phantom Zero
From: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=48882705&blogId=457750147
“I’m a relatively normal citizen who wants to increase the amount of good in the world…” (Phantom Zero @ MySpace)
Phantom Zero speaks of how he did not always fit in as a child. Growing up, his feelings oscillated between a longing to fit in and a pride in being different. Phantom Zero’s sense of being different was one reason he found superheroes appealing. Here were some who, due to special powers or extraordinary life events, would never be like the other people in their lives. He connected with these misunderstood “monsters”.
Over time Phantom Zero came to realize that different was not bad…different was unique, special, and admirable. Realization that it is the person, not possessions, that makes the man, a sense of self strengthened in his soul. Phantom Zero acquired the power to be himself, to know himself and to love himself.
Phantom Zero…an ordinary man turned superhero or a superhero disguised as an ordinary man? Many of us question our ability to change our world. We question our ability to alter our reality. Not Phantom Zero! He knows that change is within each and every one of our grasps. We are each superheroes, all we need to do is to make a decision…a decision to live with honorable intent. Phantom Zero has made “a pledge to increase the amount of good in the world to counteract the evil.” Will you join him in his pledge?
Phantom Zero’s Philosophy on being a Real Life Superhero
“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 one’s disposal.
It’s not about training one’s mind to the limits of human perfection so they can out think everyone and everthing that comes their way.

It’s about being a champion of good (and almost everyone has the capacity to do a little good every day).
The reward one receives from doing good deeds is the deed itself, the service to the greater good, and the benefit that said service offers to mankind.

At least, in my mind, that is what being a Real Life Super Hero is.
Sincerely,
Phantom Zero”

Quoted from: Phantom Zero’s MySpace Blog)

Learn More About Phantom Zero
Nyx
 
From: http://www.myspace.com/nyx22
“I respect all RLSH [Real Life Super Heros] of every sort, it’s not an easy life we’ve chosen but we’ve chosen it nonetheless.”
(Nxy @: MySpace)

In legend, Nyx was the shadowy, black-winged Greek goddess of the night. Seldom seen, Nyx has existed since the beginning of time. As shadowy as the Greek goddess, Nyx writes, “Like the night, I cannot be proven or disproven to certain degrees; and also much like the night, when morning comes there will be no trace of me.” (MySpace)
Patrolling the streets of New York City and northern New Jersey, Nyx watches over their inhabitants. Under cover of the night, she is there to help and protect. Preventing and intervening, Nyx makes her stand to preserve the safety and welfare of humanity. Nyx writes, “I feel a certain degree of loyalty to every being that inhabits this earth, a compulsion to watch–to help–to protect.” (MySpace).
Nyx’s true identity is as obscure as the moonless night. She does not seek acclaim or fortune. Her only pay is increasing the amount of honor and benevolence in this world. In these anonymous actions, Nyx strengthens and nurtures the tide of good.

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Mr. Xtreme

“We don’t harass people, don’t violate their civil rights. First and foremost, we prevent crime…We do what we are allowed to do legally as citizens.”

(Mr. Xtreme-quote from UPI article Cops Not Fans of Real Life Superheroes) Security guard by day, real life superhero by night… Mr. Xtreme fights his archenemy apathy on a daily basis. He had spent years watching and hearing of apathy’s evil deeds. One day he decided he could no longer put up with apathy’s callous disregard for the people in this world. Donning his mask of caring, he formed the Xtreme Justice League to counteract the heartless deeds of apathy. Now you will find Mr. Xtreme patrolling the streets of San Diego. Utilizing his power of super-caring he scans the city for people to help. His secret power of xtreme conspicuousness allows him to present a visual deterrent to would be criminals. Understanding that the best offense is a good defense, Mr. Xtreme knows it is easier to prevent crimes from happening than to stop them once begun. A true champion of justice, Mr. Xtreme campaigns to increase the public’s safety awareness and to empower others to take action. “…I don’t mind if people get on their cell phones or call the police or try to shake me down… At least I’m getting people to see what I’m doing and hopefully that will get them into the habit of calling the police when there are problems and suspicious activities.” (The Daily Aztec)

Mr. Xtreme’s Motivation

“I’m trying to give back to the community and do something positive,” Mr. Xtreme said. “All this apathy just kind of bewilders me and makes me kind of lose faith in humanity sometimes because nobody cares. ‘Another victim, another statistic’ and all we hear is, ‘it’s time for a wakeup call’, and I’m tired of hearing of wakeup calls…instead of getting on with our lives we need to devote and dedicate our lives to take a stand… …Our role out there is a neighborhood watch: Deter crime and make sure it doesn’t happen in the first place or raise awareness… When I go out and do this it feels really rewarding…I’m not bound by society’s rules, I don’t have to be a kissass…I’m trying to do something positive and give back to the community in a time when not too many people care.” (Quoted from The Daily Aztec-“Superhero Makes San Diego a Better Place“)
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A Change in Perception When I first read about these Superheroes, I thought it was just a joke. After doing the research for this article, my thoughts changed drastically… From humor, to interest, to wonder, to joy…I have found a group of people who are actively working to increase the amount of good in the world…without any wish of return. True altruistic activity! I have focused on Real LIfe Superheroes found in North America, but rest assured, Real Life Superheroes are actively increasing the good all around the world. I have not yet seen one, but when I do I will personally walk up and shake their hand and thank them. In the meantime, here is a big shout-out to all the Real Life Superheroes in the world: Thank You for all you have done and will do! You have my respect and support. Knowing you are there has increased the joy in my world. You are dawn in a night of strife. Your effulgence radiates outward, rippling toward a better world. Let us all be a part of this ripple; let caring and compassion unfurl in our world, expanding and pervading to touch each of us. There were too many wonderful Real Life Superheroes out there to cover each one. I have included a few more of the videos I found and links to find out more about them. You will find several others if you take the time to search. It will be time well used. When you need a pick-me-up from the greed and apathy of our world, read of these beacons of hope and be inspired. Master Legend “I’ve cut trees and rescued people and animals. I’ve brought water and snacks (to those in need) with the help of my friend “The Disabler”. I’ve done big things and little things and they all seem to equalize. I’ve saved a few lives and shut down a lot of crack houses. I love watching them get torn down. I want people to realize this is not a joke. I have almost been killed doing this. I am always out to save and protect in costume or not. I have scared some people and have been attacked by people I was helping. I walk or drive around looking to help if needed, giving what ever kind of help I can supply. I did not choose this life, it chose me.” (Master Legend: Quote from The EnemyBlog.com)

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Superhero “I have the exact same arrest powers as anybody reading this article: citizen’s arrest. If a perp is going to leave the scene or is hurting someone, then I will step in and use reasonable force to detain them.” (Superhero quoted from: Rational Reality)

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Amazonia “I do what I can to help stranded motorists and others who may need assistance to handing out supplies to the homeless. I also do the crime fighting side of RLSH work, I have helped people who were being mugged, beaten or otherwise harassed in one way or another. I will do whatever it takes to ensure that another human being is safe. I don’t have a death wish, but I will lay down my life if it means the preservation of anothers.” (Amazonia @ MySpace)

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Thanatos, the Dark Avenger
“I’ve learned that in order to fight evil, you have to fight apathy, ignorance and indifference as well.”
(Thanatos @ MySpace)
Learn More About Thanatos-The Dark Avenger
The Watchman
“In order to make a real difference, people need to know that we’re out there. We must inspire others as we have been inspired. We must be actively contributing to the betterment of our world, and people need to see us doing it.” (Watchman @ MySpace)
The Beetle
“I am not sure who will take the time to read my words, and uncertain who will even take them to heart if they do indeed read them. We stand at the crossroads, we few. Perhaps I should say we many, but in the grand numbers of the populace it is indeed we few. We stand for something everyone should believe in. We are the eyes for the blind, the hand that lifts the fallen, and the voice for those too afraid to speak. Still we stand. Holding a constant vigil for truth and justice in a time of disbelief and scorn. What makes us hold this post I wonder? I know that I do this for my children, for the weak, and for those who are afraid. Something tells me most of you also hold these same truths. The fact is, we stand, while others lay down and let the evil overcome their neighborhoods. We fight when no one else can find the courage. And yes, we face the every day onslaught of nay sayers to our cause. I know I have said it before, but alas I must say it again. I am truly proud to stand and fight along every other RLSH. It is not our fight alone, but sometimes it does feel that way. Thank you all.”
(The Beetle @ MySpace Blog)
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Ferrox
“I am just an ordinary person with my heart set on a goal. My goal is to make a difference in the lives of as many creatures as I can. I don’t want recognition or praise. The feelings I have inside are more than gratifying enough. To shield off others from knowing who I am, I have chosen to follow my husband into the league of RLSHs. At first I laughed when he told me what he wanted to do. When I explored deeper and found out that their were others like him, I was motivated. These people are not “weirdos in costume” they are people who share the same goal as me. To change the world we live in for the good.”
(Ferrox @ MySpace)
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