{"id":5884,"date":"2010-11-08T20:27:32","date_gmt":"2010-11-08T20:27:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.reallifesuperheroes.org\/?p=5871"},"modified":"2010-11-08T20:27:32","modified_gmt":"2010-11-08T20:27:32","slug":"real-life-gadgets-for-real-life-superheroes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/2010\/11\/08\/real-life-gadgets-for-real-life-superheroes\/","title":{"rendered":"Real-life gadgets for real-life superheroes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally posted: http:\/\/www.gizmag.com\/real-life-superhero-gadgets\/16862\/<\/a>
\nBy Ben Coxworth
\n

\"Rochester,<\/a>

Rochester, Minnesota’s Geist, with his stun baton<\/p><\/div>
\nYes, there are<\/em> real-life superheroes. And no, we\u2019re not just referring to firefighters, paramedics, and other heroic people who we\u2019re used to seeing coming to the rescue of others. We\u2019re talking about costume-wearing, identity-concealing, cool-name-having people who fight crime, pollution, or other evils in their own communities, on their own time, and at their own risk. Many of them actually patrol the city streets, ready to intervene if they see trouble brewing \u2013 and being ready includes having the right tools. Given that none of these people have Bruce Wayne\u2019s budget, however, their gadgets tend to be less like Batmobile clones<\/a>, and more like… well, read on and see for yourself.<\/p>\n

Off-the-rack items<\/h2>\n

\"Some<\/a>

Some of the gear carried by Geist<\/p><\/div>
\nFirst of all, there are some household products that are popular in the RLSH (Real Life Superhero) community, including flashlights, first aid kits, mobile phones, cameras, and zip ties, to use as handcuffs. When it comes to preparing for physical confrontations, some not-so-household ready-made devices come into play, such as Kevlar vests, body armor, pepper spray, and telescoping batons. Moving up the ladder to the realm of \u201cIs that even legal?\u201d, a few RLSHs carry tasers, wrist rocket sling shots, and blast knuckles, which are shaped like brass knuckles and deliver an electric shock. Interestingly, we could only find one superhero who said they carry a firearm.<\/p>\n

The Eye\u2019s Custom Gear<\/h2>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Eye, and some of his custom gadgets<\/p><\/div>
\nJust as Spiderman is known for his web shooters and Wonder Woman for her golden lariat, so many RLSHs are known \u2013 at least within their community \u2013 for their custom-made gadgets. One in particular is The Eye<\/a>, a kind of Dick Tracy-esque superhero who watches over the streets of Mountain View, California.
\n\u201cBeing a professional\u00a0electronics tech from way back in my history, and being born and raised in Silicon Valley, I take great pleasure in the creation process, the sub-system testing, the final result, and\u00a0a device’s\u00a0final effective usage in the field,\u201d he told Gizmag. His mostly light-based doo-dads have a decidedly steampunk appeal, and include things such as…<\/p>\n