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\nBy Hunter Clauss, Editor-In-Chief
\nSpandex-clad superheroes like Batman, Spider-Man and Superman have found homes in the colorful panels of comic books, movie theaters and the imaginations of readers around the world, but there is a growing community of real-life superheroes who are taking to the streets.
\nThe popularity of the real-life superhero scene is growing almost as fast as an old-timey locomotive moves thanks to the Internet. The visibilty of this blooming community has led to a new Sci Fi Channel reality-television show that is currently in the works. \u201cWho Wants To Be A Superhero?\u201d will feature 11 real-life superheroes fighting through various obstacles in order to prove they have what it takes to be the best real-life superhero.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s so ingrained in our public consciousness that somebody\u2019s got to be doing it,\u201d said Arizona-based hero Kevlex, whose heroic deed is taking part in his own neighborhood watch by patrolling around in a mask and light body armor. Kevlex refused to give his real name so that his secret identity could remain safe.
\nWhile these real-life superheroes do not possess superpowers like super strength or x-ray vision, heroes like Kevlex are motivated to take action by their outrage at criminal behavior.
\n\u201cThere are people out there actively promoting child molesting,\u201d he said, refering to the North American Man Boy Love Association.
\nKevlex believes that groups and organizations that promote racism or crime should not have a place in today\u2019s diverse society. Kevlex said that he always wondered why there were not any superheroes making a stand against crime.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s making a stand as well as being a symbol,\u201d he said.
\nKevlex searched for websites that covered the superhero scene but wasn\u2019t impressed by what he found.
\n\u201cThere were a few sites that dealt with it in passing or dealt with it as a curiosity, but nothing that really pulled everything into focus,\u201d he said.
\nSo to help find other real-life superheroes, Kevlex created the World Superhero Registry, www.worldsuperheroregisrty.com, as a forum for active players in this scene to communicate with each other.
\nThe registry keeps track of real-life superheroes around the world. But in order to be recognized by the World Superhero Registry as a real-life superhero, certain criteria must be met. Superheroes must have a well-thought out costume, perform heroic deeds for their communities and be personally motivated.
\nAmong those real-life superheroes listed on the World Superhero Registry is Angle Grinder Man. Living in England, this modern-day Robin Hood frees automobiles from police clamps or boots with his trusty power grinder.
\nAlso listed on the World Superhero Registry is Terrifica, who has been featured in New York magazine and on NPR\u2019s \u201cWait, Wait\u2014Don\u2019t Tell Me!\u201d Donning a blond wig and a golden Valkyrie bra, Terrifica patrols New York City\u2019s bars and protects intoxicated women from being taken advantage of by men.
\nThere are also crime-fighting super teams listed on the registry. The Crimefighter Corps is one such group that patrols the streets of Jackson, Mich. The team includes the Queen of Hearts, Crimefighter Girl and Captain Jackson, whose alter-ego, Thomas Frankini, was arrested for driving under the influence in 2005.
\nWhile the World Superhero Registry has listings from all over the globe, Kevlex believes there are more real-life superheroes roaming the streets than those listed.
\n\u201cThe people who are the most serious tend to not talk much,\u201d he said.
\nKevlex believes these hardcore heroes are ones who are going after organized crime bosses, as well as performing other highly dangerous activities. Kevlex mentioned that these kinds of heroic deeds are extremely dangerous, but that he would also come to the aid of anyone in trouble no matter how risky the situation might be.
\nBut not all superheroes have their own powers, and some superheroes, like the fictional Batman of Gotham City, rely on gadgets for their personal safety as well as to fight crime. Real-life superhero inventor Professor Thaddius Widget strives to invent these same gadgets and accessories for the needs of his superhero clients.
\n\u201cMany of the items I create are potentially hazardous,\u201d Widget said in an e-mail, so as not to reveal his secret identity. \u201cSome are ridiculously dangerous.\u201d
\nWidget invents and sells anything from steel-reinforced gloves to grappling hooks. Two projects he is currently working on are a compact grappel launcher and an electrified fighting staff.
\nSince he creates and sells such devices, Widget said that keeping his identity a secret is important so he can\u2019t be held accountable for his inventions.
\n\u201cI refuse to be sued because someone uses a grappling hook improperly and falls to their death, or puts out an eye with a pointy bit of equipment,\u201d he said. \u201cI expect my customers to take personal responsibility for their purchases and their actions.\u201d
\nWhile real-life superheroes have the best of intentions when it comes to patrolling their neighborhoods, Sgt. Eugene Mullins of the Chicago Police Department thinks they should find other ways to help fight crime.
\n\u201cWe don\u2019t want any citizen to go out and hurt themselves to try and be a vigilante,\u201d Mullins said. \u201cThey can be in spandex and a cape if they want to\u2014as long as they don\u2019t interfere with a police investigation.\u201d
\nMullins said citizens should call the police department if a crime is taking place rather than take matters into their own hands. He also encourages people to problem solve with the police department on how crime can be reduced in their neighborhoods.
\n\u201cThat promotes a healthy neighborhood,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t want anybody going out and getting themselves hurt.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Evil doers beware! There\u2019s a thriving community of real-life superheroes patrolling the streets<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[161,448,1412,1579,1841,2063,2097,2128,2181,2630,2741,2874,2936,2987],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}