{"id":6411,"date":"2011-02-14T08:57:47","date_gmt":"2011-02-14T16:57:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.reallifesuperheroes.org\/?p=6411"},"modified":"2011-02-14T08:57:47","modified_gmt":"2011-02-14T16:57:47","slug":"costumed-crusaders-taking-it-to-the-streets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/2011\/02\/14\/costumed-crusaders-taking-it-to-the-streets\/","title":{"rendered":"Costumed crusaders taking it to the streets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally posted: http:\/\/www.msnbc.msn.com\/id\/41121744\/ns\/us_news-giving\/#<\/a>
\nBut Real Life Superheroes don’t have superpowers and most don’t fight crime<\/strong>
\n

\"Photo<\/a>

Photo by Theodore James<\/p><\/div>
\nBy Jim Gold
\nCrusaders costumed in tights, capes, cowls and other accoutrements are turning up with surprising regularity in American cities to fight what they consider their biggest enemy: public apathy.
\nThey call themselves superheroes and, with names like Dark Guardian, Red Dragon and Viper, they might be right at home on the pages of comic books. But unlike their ink-and-paper counterparts, they can\u2019t fly, vanish into thin air or outrun a speeding locomotive. And they usually are armed with nothing more than good intentions \u2014 and maybe a camera and cell phone.<\/p>\n

The Vigilante Spider, who has spent 11 years performing acts of goodness around San Diego, is a member of the Real Life Superheroes. The group has nearly 60 members, who don tights, cloaks and cowls to spread the message that ‘everybody can make a difference.’ Here he’s shown in a new documentary, “Superheroes.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For the most part, they don\u2019t really fight crime either. Most take on missions to help the homeless, raise money for charity or just lend an ear so someone in trouble knows they care.
\n“There’s a hero in everybody,” said Dark Guardian, who has patrolled the streets of New York for eight years, resplendent in a blue bulletproof and stab-proof vest with “DG\u201d on the chest.\u00a0 \u201cEverybody can make a difference; we are just a drastic example of what people can do.”
\nMany costumed do-gooders are loosely aligned under the Real Life Superheroes banner. The group\u2019s website<\/a> lists nearly 60 members, complete with profiles and portraits. But there appear to be a lot of sidekicks and other prospects waiting in the wings: Nearly 800 contributors participate in its forums, planning meet-ups, exchanging tips on the best gadgets to carry in a utility belt and even consulting an unofficial manual offering guidance on issues such as hero health and legal considerations.
\nA broken nose for his troubles
\n<\/strong>A few have crossed the line into real superhero territory \u2014 with painful results. That’s what apparently happened to \u201cPhoenix Jones, Guardian of Seattle,\u201d after he became an international media sensation with a run of publicity that included a Jan. 7 appearance on ABC\u2019s \u201cGood Morning America.\u201d A week later, Jones said his nose was broken when he was kicked in the face while trying to break up a street fight between two men, Seattle\u2019s KOMO-TV reported.
\nThe masks and the occasional ventures into real world crime fighting make police understandably nervous.
\nMasked people at crime scenes is a recipe for disaster, Seattle police Detective Jeff Kappel said, noting that officers often arrive at chaotic scenes where they must quickly sort out suspects from victims and bystanders.
\n\u201cPut yourself in our shoes,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2026 We don’t know who we\u2019re dealing with when we show up.”
\nAnd police Lt. Troy Potts of Columbia, Tenn., where police last summer ran off a crusader known as Viper by warning him that he was violating an ordinance barring adults from wearing masks in public, said there are better ways to fight crime.
\n\u201cBe the best witness you can be,\u201d he said. \u201cGet tag numbers, get a good look at the (criminal\u2019s) face, hair, eye color, tattoos \u2014 anything like that will benefit police tremendously.\u201d
\nA superhero to police would be a person who gives officers a statement and is willing to show up in court later to testify, they said.
\nBut Dark Guardian says cops on the beat aren\u2019t always averse to a small assist.
\nRouting bad guys with a bullhorn and lights
\n<\/strong>He said officers didn\u2019t do a thing when he and a dozen others entered New York City\u2019s Washington Square in 2009 with a bullhorn, lights and cameras to confront around 20 drug dealers. One of the bad guys briefly flashed a gun, he said, but the commotion quickly caused the crooks to melt away into the night.
\n“The cockroaches wanted to get away from their light,” said Peter Tangen, a professional photographer who has followed the crusaders on their rounds for years and whose pictures and interviews are featured on a super hero website<\/a>he runs.
\nBut tense confrontations or physical altercations are \u201ca rare exception\u201d to the costumed crusader rule, said Tangen, who also served as consulting producer on the full-length documentary film “Superheroes<\/a>,” which debuted last month at the Slamdance film festival in Park City, Utah, and may be released at theaters nationally in July.
\n“Superheroes” film director Michael Barnett and producer Theodore James followed superheroes on patrol for more than a year.
\nBarnett said the two thought they might find “eccentric people in costumes” when they started. Instead, they found “courageous, altruistic people,” some with little resources of their own, trying to do something, he said.
\n“A lot of people feel powerless during stressful times,” Barnett said. “Any little help inspires. That is our film.”
\nSmall victories over evil
\n<\/strong>Often that help means small victories over evil.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t go out there with the purpose of beating up bad guys,\u201d said Zetaman, a Portland, Ore., resident who dons a blue-and-black ensemble with a big \u201cZ\u201d emblazoned on his chest before heading out on patrols, which usually entail handing out food, blankets and other supplies to the city\u2019s homeless. \u201cI do stuff that anyone can do.\u201d
\nThe Vigilante Spider of San Diego told the Real Life Super Hero Project<\/a> that despite his name he relies on bright lights and the element of surprise to stop violence and the spread of graffiti.
\nIt\u2019s difficult to broadly characterize those who disguise themselves to do good. They come from all walks of life, inhabit all sorts of body types and range in age from 6 to over 60. Many share a love of comic books and superhero movies, and a passion for bringing superhero virtues of trustworthiness, bravery, and selflessness to the real world. Some are willing to reveal their real identities, and some agreed to talk if they were identified only by their aliases.
\n\"darkguardianportrait\"<\/a>
\nAmong them:<\/p>\n