{"id":968,"date":"2008-10-09T02:48:38","date_gmt":"2008-10-09T09:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/reallifesuperheroes.org\/?p=968"},"modified":"2008-10-09T02:48:38","modified_gmt":"2008-10-09T09:48:38","slug":"real-life-super-heroes-prowl-new-york-streets-helping-the-homeless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rlsh.net\/archive\/2008\/10\/09\/real-life-super-heroes-prowl-new-york-streets-helping-the-homeless\/","title":{"rendered":"Real-life super heroes prowl New York streets helping the homeless"},"content":{"rendered":"
BY Simone Weichselbaum<\/a><\/p>\n DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER<\/p>\n Spiderman has his web and Superman has X-ray vision, but New York<\/a>‘s real life superheroes just have some sandwiches – and a whole lotta heart.<\/p>\n Costumed street watchers “Life,” “Dark Guardian” and a slew of other comic-bookish men and women patrol the city chatting up people of the night.<\/p>\n Even though cops argue superheroes belong in the movies and not on the streets, “Life” and his odd-looking crew hand out food to the homeless and assure the mentally ill they still matter in a town famous for its arrogance.<\/p>\n “I am selfish, it makes me feel good” said Chaim “Life” Lazaros, 24, a Columbia University<\/a> film student who co-founded Superheroes Anonymous<\/a> – a support network that started off as folks connecting on MySpace<\/a>.<\/p>\n At midnight Thursday, a dozen of the New York contingent will celebrate the group’s second anniversary by taking a plane down to New Orleans<\/a>.<\/p>\n Big Easy Mayor Ray Nagin<\/a> will dub Oct. 13 “Day of the Superheroes,” inviting similar-minded caped crusaders from across the U.S.<\/a> to promote peace and love, a mayoral spokeswoman said.<\/p>\n Still, New York cops weren’t too thrilled to hear about men in tights walking around looking for trouble.<\/p>\n An officer who recently went on patrol with “Life” in Morningside Heights<\/a> watched as thankful homeless took snacks from the superhero but worried that the masked man couldn’t protect himself, or anyone, from real danger.<\/p>\n “A lot of people were laughing at him,” the officer said. “His only real weapon is a cell phone with 911 on speed dial.”<\/p>\n Batman didn’t need Gotham’s Finest for back up, and real life superheroes argue they have the right to watch the streets without ticking off cops, too.<\/p>\n “They should be happy we are out there,” said Chris “Dark Guardian” Pollak, 24, a Staten Island<\/a> martial arts teacher by day.<\/p>\n “We expect people to report crime to the police and not put themselves in jeopardy,” NYPD<\/a> spokesman Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne<\/a> said.<\/p>\n “We are not doing their job. We are helping them do their job,” he said.<\/p>\n Fans agree: A homeless woman sleeping on a Riverside Drive bench early Tuesday woke up to a pile of snacks left by “Life” and his posse.<\/p>\n “They are going to be blessed,” she said.<\/p>\n