the real life superhero
movement
When we think of the word “superhero” your first thought is most
likely about Batman or Superman, Spiderman or Iron man. Could
be because they are one of the most recognized and greatest superheroes to ever
grace the pages of a comic book. Now I could spend the next five minutes
talking about why I think Batman is the greatest superhero, but let me sum it up
for you. Batman is the greatest not because he is endowed with superpowers, but
because he raises the bar of human ability and yet he is just a man. You could be batman. You could be
batman. I could be batman. He is the greatest because he fights to
make the world a better place garbed in a costume so as to draw attention to his
cause, instilling hope to those who have none, and to motivate others to take a
stand against apathy. But let’s say for a minute that someone new to the real-life
superhero subculture wanted to become an RLSH. It is possible to become an RLSH. All a
person needs is an alter-ego and a drive to make a change. But what if Batman
was the standard? How much training would be necessary to become one of the
world’s most beloved caped crusader? Let us examine Batman, what drives him and
the training he mastered in order to accomplish his mission. I use Batman
because as I said before, he is not endowed with special abilities, rather he
relies on his iron clad force of will to do what he needs to do in order to
accomplish his mission; to protect and serve his community. In
order for a person to truly “become Batman” they need not only cool gadgets and
a costume, but education. Lots of education. It is estimated somewhere in the
range of 43,800 hours of education is needed in order to be adept at every skill
set needed to be on par with Batman. That breaks down to eight hours a day for
15 years! No weekends, no vacations.
The reason this would take so long is because when Batman needed a
particular skill, he would learn every aspect it until he had mastered the
skill. Things like forensic science and criminology were cornerstones of
Batman’s education. The same could be said for hand-to-hand combat.
There are also other
skills one would need in order to fight crime like Batman. Strategy and
intelligence, counter-intelligence, military tactics, offensive and defensive
driving, acrobatics, biochemistry, repelling, rock-climbing and hand
gliding.
When we think of the word “superhero" rarely, do we think of those of who go out to
make the world a better place just because. The volunteer citizens who strive to
live in a world of their choosing; a world where the good deeds of one
individual, can impact the life of another, potentially impacting another, and
so on and so forth creating a snowball effect of “pay-it-forwardness” that would
make this world a better place for future generations to
come. We all know their names. They are our
neighbors, our colleagues, friends and family. I am here today to talk about those
whom we don’t know, whose identities have been shielded from us for whatever
reason. Those who’ve chosen to become part of the ”Real-Life Superhero”
subculture. It is a culture
believed by many to be created by people of an odd nature; those play too many
videogames, or perhaps spend their existence cataloging every piece of comic
book knowledge. People we call nerds. Geeks. Losers.
Therein lies my problem; why this is worth doing. I
believe there is more to this then just a bunch of individuals whom we deem
“outcasts.” I want to understand why this has become a worldwide phenomenon, and it has.
There are recognized “Real Life” Superheroes all over the
world. Take for example “Captain Sticky” of the late 70’s, the first self-proclaimed
superhero. He would drive around
the streets of San Diego in his Stickymobile (a highly-customized Lincoln
Continental), taking a stand against a number of injustices ranging from nursing
home abuse to auto mechanic rip-offs. His mere presence would attract media
attention, cause less reputable business to change how they would operate.
Or “Citizen Prime” of Arizona. His focus? On the education of youth,
going to elementary schools around Arizona to teach children how to stand up
against bullying, how to encourage others, or what to do in an emergency situations.
Another, real life superhero that has opted to take a more aggressive approach is Phoenix
Jones of Seattle. Garbed in a suit of black and gold, he received media attention after being arrested for macing
group of individuals involved in a fight outside of a local bar. Fellow
registered members of the organization The Real Life Superhero Project view him as a black sheep, stating
that the mission of the RLSH Project is to fight injustice within the confines of the law.
These are “normal” people who help those in need in a unique way. The personas they
create become icons, images of hope. Hope that this world isn’t succumbing to apathy. They start neighborhood
watches.
They give provisions to the
homeless. They clean the windows
of children’s hospitals. Some take
a more offensive approach and actually confront the criminal element in their
towns. Each has their own unique
reason why they choose to don the mask so to speak, but in the end, their fight
is all the same. They want to make
the world a safer place for you...for me, and for future generations. Let us examine just a few examples of
real life superheroes or other influential figures and their motives. Later on, as an aside, we’ll examine
just how easy, or how hard it is become Batman as he is the most realistic
depiction of what it takes to be an effective
superhero.
In
the eyes of many, superheroes encompass many roles. Do-gooders,
heroes, revolutionaries. Just to
name a few. But to others,
superheroes are something completely different, having more negative names
attached to them. Vigilantes,
attention-seekers, terrorists. The
latter is harsh to the sound, but consider if you will, the example of Guy
Fawkes.
Born in 1506, Guy fought for
Spanish law in the low countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg.
He fought to restore a catholic
monarch to the throne to replace the protestant King James. Guy and his
coconspirators wished to replace King James with his who happened to be
catholic. They planned to do this
by way of explosion using 20 barrels of gunpowder. However,
before the assassination could take place, an anonymous letter revealed the
location of the gunpowder and Guy Fawkes, in charge watching the explosives, to
the king’s guards thus resulting in Guy’s arrest. He
was first interrogated, then tortured then scheduled for execution. But
before he hung from the gallows, Fawkes leapt from the platform, breaking his
neck in a final act of defiance. According to history, Fawkes died a
defiant terrorist.
It wasn’t until 200
years later in 1841, that the story of Guy Fawkes re-written into a hero’s tale.
Author William Ainsworth painted a
completely new picture of Fawkes. It was thanks to this redefining, its
pop culture reference in the movie V for
Vendetta, the image of Guy Fawkes’ face has become a symbol of postmodern
Anarchism.
The Cyber-vigilante
activist group known as Anonymous
has adopted this mask, the mask of Guy Fawkes, as the unofficial face of their
secretive organization. This group
is a different kind of organization comprised of online hackers that infiltrate
secured websites to release locked information for the purpose of making said
information admissible in a court of law. As was the case with Chris Forcand, the
first suspected internet predator that was arrested due to vigilantism via the
internet. Anonymous also hacked
into a secret child pornography website named Lolita City and released the names
of 1,589 of its members. The
website, which help 100 gigabytes of pictures and videos was hacked and shut
down shortly after the release of member names.
If I may, allow me to
go back for a minute to a previously mentioned example of a real life superhero.
As I mentioned before, Captain
Sticky of the late 1970’s fought against various injustices around the San Diego
area. Anything from Rental car
rip-offs to nursing home abuse. His efforts were recognized when in 1977
his investigations into nursing home abuse resulted in more stringent long-term
health care regulations.
Though he was the only
self-proclaimed superhero at the time, and he did accomplish good things,
Captain Sticky appeared to have created his alter-ego as his way of attaining
media attention. He
seemed
to always be where the cameras were, making the news all throughout the late
70’s and well into the 80’s. At
one point Marvel comics was interested in writing of his exploits, but the
project was balked when neither, Marvel or Captain Sticky would finance the cost
of the project.
Whether it was for
personal gain, or for a much more morally upstanding reason that lead him
Richard Pesta to create Captain Sticky, the end result was the same. His efforts served to better his
community within the confines of the law. Others have not lived by that code of
ethics. Consider if you will
another real life superhero by the name of Phoenix
Jones.
Benjamin
Fodor, also known as Phoenix Jones, is a superhero based in present day Seattle
and leader of the superhero group the Rain City Superhero Movement. A
group which is comprised of military or mixed martial art trained individuals.
This group, Jones included,
prefers to take on the more traditional role of fighting crime. In
fact, it was landed Phoenix Jones on the wrong side of the law on several
occasions.
As
vigilantism is a crime and is described as the act of inflicting punishment in
return for an injury or offense, taking the law into his own hands has served
Phoenix Jones not so well. He did not have a good standing with the local police
department. He did however in
several occurrences “save the day.” In 2011, Jones was arrested for assault,
using pepper spray to break up a fight, which landed him in jail for 72 hours.
No charges were filed, and he was
released but the incident did not go without consequence. The
aforementioned real life superhero community, especially those involved with The Real Life Superhero Project, which
I will talk about later on, view him as a “Black sheep” stating, “The founding
principles of the Project were to uphold justice within the parameters of the
law. To take physical action, is
to be a vigilante, which is in itself a crime.” It is this organization that sets the
standard for the real life sub-culture worldwide.
Allow
me to elucidate The Real Life Superhero
Project. The organization was
spawned from another, lesser known organization called Superheroes
Anonymous. The small group
wanted to have a more cohesive community of heroes that could lend aid to each
other whenever it was needed and so had to create an entirely new organization
to bring their vision to fruition. The organization spans every major
continent, the US alone having hundreds of registered Superheroes as per the
World Superhero Registry. Their
motives and avenues of public service are as diverse as their personas; each
having their own story and way they contribute to their community.
Some, such as Life and the Dark Guardian focus on feeding the homeless.
While others like Motor mouth, Dark Guardian and Death’s Head Moth prefer a more
offensive approach, confronting the criminal element on rough
neighborhoods. Whatever their
reasoning or their outlet, each RLSH (real Life Superhero) strives hard to make
their community a better place.
So
what makes a good RLSH you ask? What is needed to become a superhero yourself?
Well first and foremost person needs the determination and courage ts a Bao do
this; to go out in public dresses in a costume and stand for one’s ideals,
regardless of how it is received by society. At first, real life superheroes get
mixed reviews; the public seeing them as weirdoes or attention seekers. And this
is half true. They do seek attention, but it is not in a narcissistic way, but a
way that will draw attention to their cause. Equally as important is the
persona. You have to be creative enough to come up with your own identity; one
that does not steal from someone else’s idea or overstep copyright infringement
laws. This persona serves as an icon to inspire others to do their part so if
you’re alter-ego is not inspiring or eye-catching, you’re not achieving your
task.
Gadgets
and other supplies are also essential. The average RLSH on patrol has four
things on them at all times. These things are: a flashlight, pepper spray, a
first aid kit, and a cellular phone. These things are the most important tools a
hero will use. The flashlight, because most likely you will patrol at night. And
since you will be patrolling at night, in rougher neighborhoods, you’ll need
pepper spray for self-defense. The cell phone, for obvious reasons, to call in
to the local police department if or when a need arises. And lastly, the
first-aid kit should be easily accessible should anyone be in need of minor
medical attention. These are the staples of any RLSH, anything else is to the
discretion of the hero.
Of
course all this information is gathered and interpreted me, having no
association with any of the many real-life superheroes out there. It wasn’t for
lack of trying. But they seem to be an elusive bunch. RLSH’s seem reluctant to
interview random college kids as it doesn’t further their cause as much as the
national media attention they would get from news media. I
did however find a source of information in the form of short biographies of
several RLSH. The general
consensus is that most of them had things they need to atone
for.
As
has been previously stated, Real-life Superheroes are an elusive
sub-culture. They seek to make the
world better in a way of their choosing.
When I started this paper, I wanted to inform the masses about this
subculture that remains relatively shrouded in mystery. However, as I went on I
concluded that though the organization is out there and known, the individuals
who are of said organization wish to remain anonymous. It is this anonymity that
they cherish that makes the idea of a real-life superhero a misunderstood
concept to the greater portion of the general public.
Becoming a real-life superhero? Yes it is possible.
But where is the line between becoming an icon or a crackpot.
Someone who symbolizes hope, or someone fulfilling some childhood dream
with blatant disregard for the ideology that is the superhero lifestyle. I still believe that despite its
misconceptions the idea of the “real-life superhero” is what our society
needs. Symbols
of hope.
likely about Batman or Superman, Spiderman or Iron man. Could
be because they are one of the most recognized and greatest superheroes to ever
grace the pages of a comic book. Now I could spend the next five minutes
talking about why I think Batman is the greatest superhero, but let me sum it up
for you. Batman is the greatest not because he is endowed with superpowers, but
because he raises the bar of human ability and yet he is just a man. You could be batman. You could be
batman. I could be batman. He is the greatest because he fights to
make the world a better place garbed in a costume so as to draw attention to his
cause, instilling hope to those who have none, and to motivate others to take a
stand against apathy. But let’s say for a minute that someone new to the real-life
superhero subculture wanted to become an RLSH. It is possible to become an RLSH. All a
person needs is an alter-ego and a drive to make a change. But what if Batman
was the standard? How much training would be necessary to become one of the
world’s most beloved caped crusader? Let us examine Batman, what drives him and
the training he mastered in order to accomplish his mission. I use Batman
because as I said before, he is not endowed with special abilities, rather he
relies on his iron clad force of will to do what he needs to do in order to
accomplish his mission; to protect and serve his community. In
order for a person to truly “become Batman” they need not only cool gadgets and
a costume, but education. Lots of education. It is estimated somewhere in the
range of 43,800 hours of education is needed in order to be adept at every skill
set needed to be on par with Batman. That breaks down to eight hours a day for
15 years! No weekends, no vacations.
The reason this would take so long is because when Batman needed a
particular skill, he would learn every aspect it until he had mastered the
skill. Things like forensic science and criminology were cornerstones of
Batman’s education. The same could be said for hand-to-hand combat.
There are also other
skills one would need in order to fight crime like Batman. Strategy and
intelligence, counter-intelligence, military tactics, offensive and defensive
driving, acrobatics, biochemistry, repelling, rock-climbing and hand
gliding.
When we think of the word “superhero" rarely, do we think of those of who go out to
make the world a better place just because. The volunteer citizens who strive to
live in a world of their choosing; a world where the good deeds of one
individual, can impact the life of another, potentially impacting another, and
so on and so forth creating a snowball effect of “pay-it-forwardness” that would
make this world a better place for future generations to
come. We all know their names. They are our
neighbors, our colleagues, friends and family. I am here today to talk about those
whom we don’t know, whose identities have been shielded from us for whatever
reason. Those who’ve chosen to become part of the ”Real-Life Superhero”
subculture. It is a culture
believed by many to be created by people of an odd nature; those play too many
videogames, or perhaps spend their existence cataloging every piece of comic
book knowledge. People we call nerds. Geeks. Losers.
Therein lies my problem; why this is worth doing. I
believe there is more to this then just a bunch of individuals whom we deem
“outcasts.” I want to understand why this has become a worldwide phenomenon, and it has.
There are recognized “Real Life” Superheroes all over the
world. Take for example “Captain Sticky” of the late 70’s, the first self-proclaimed
superhero. He would drive around
the streets of San Diego in his Stickymobile (a highly-customized Lincoln
Continental), taking a stand against a number of injustices ranging from nursing
home abuse to auto mechanic rip-offs. His mere presence would attract media
attention, cause less reputable business to change how they would operate.
Or “Citizen Prime” of Arizona. His focus? On the education of youth,
going to elementary schools around Arizona to teach children how to stand up
against bullying, how to encourage others, or what to do in an emergency situations.
Another, real life superhero that has opted to take a more aggressive approach is Phoenix
Jones of Seattle. Garbed in a suit of black and gold, he received media attention after being arrested for macing
group of individuals involved in a fight outside of a local bar. Fellow
registered members of the organization The Real Life Superhero Project view him as a black sheep, stating
that the mission of the RLSH Project is to fight injustice within the confines of the law.
These are “normal” people who help those in need in a unique way. The personas they
create become icons, images of hope. Hope that this world isn’t succumbing to apathy. They start neighborhood
watches.
They give provisions to the
homeless. They clean the windows
of children’s hospitals. Some take
a more offensive approach and actually confront the criminal element in their
towns. Each has their own unique
reason why they choose to don the mask so to speak, but in the end, their fight
is all the same. They want to make
the world a safer place for you...for me, and for future generations. Let us examine just a few examples of
real life superheroes or other influential figures and their motives. Later on, as an aside, we’ll examine
just how easy, or how hard it is become Batman as he is the most realistic
depiction of what it takes to be an effective
superhero.
In
the eyes of many, superheroes encompass many roles. Do-gooders,
heroes, revolutionaries. Just to
name a few. But to others,
superheroes are something completely different, having more negative names
attached to them. Vigilantes,
attention-seekers, terrorists. The
latter is harsh to the sound, but consider if you will, the example of Guy
Fawkes.
Born in 1506, Guy fought for
Spanish law in the low countries of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg.
He fought to restore a catholic
monarch to the throne to replace the protestant King James. Guy and his
coconspirators wished to replace King James with his who happened to be
catholic. They planned to do this
by way of explosion using 20 barrels of gunpowder. However,
before the assassination could take place, an anonymous letter revealed the
location of the gunpowder and Guy Fawkes, in charge watching the explosives, to
the king’s guards thus resulting in Guy’s arrest. He
was first interrogated, then tortured then scheduled for execution. But
before he hung from the gallows, Fawkes leapt from the platform, breaking his
neck in a final act of defiance. According to history, Fawkes died a
defiant terrorist.
It wasn’t until 200
years later in 1841, that the story of Guy Fawkes re-written into a hero’s tale.
Author William Ainsworth painted a
completely new picture of Fawkes. It was thanks to this redefining, its
pop culture reference in the movie V for
Vendetta, the image of Guy Fawkes’ face has become a symbol of postmodern
Anarchism.
The Cyber-vigilante
activist group known as Anonymous
has adopted this mask, the mask of Guy Fawkes, as the unofficial face of their
secretive organization. This group
is a different kind of organization comprised of online hackers that infiltrate
secured websites to release locked information for the purpose of making said
information admissible in a court of law. As was the case with Chris Forcand, the
first suspected internet predator that was arrested due to vigilantism via the
internet. Anonymous also hacked
into a secret child pornography website named Lolita City and released the names
of 1,589 of its members. The
website, which help 100 gigabytes of pictures and videos was hacked and shut
down shortly after the release of member names.
If I may, allow me to
go back for a minute to a previously mentioned example of a real life superhero.
As I mentioned before, Captain
Sticky of the late 1970’s fought against various injustices around the San Diego
area. Anything from Rental car
rip-offs to nursing home abuse. His efforts were recognized when in 1977
his investigations into nursing home abuse resulted in more stringent long-term
health care regulations.
Though he was the only
self-proclaimed superhero at the time, and he did accomplish good things,
Captain Sticky appeared to have created his alter-ego as his way of attaining
media attention. He
seemed
to always be where the cameras were, making the news all throughout the late
70’s and well into the 80’s. At
one point Marvel comics was interested in writing of his exploits, but the
project was balked when neither, Marvel or Captain Sticky would finance the cost
of the project.
Whether it was for
personal gain, or for a much more morally upstanding reason that lead him
Richard Pesta to create Captain Sticky, the end result was the same. His efforts served to better his
community within the confines of the law. Others have not lived by that code of
ethics. Consider if you will
another real life superhero by the name of Phoenix
Jones.
Benjamin
Fodor, also known as Phoenix Jones, is a superhero based in present day Seattle
and leader of the superhero group the Rain City Superhero Movement. A
group which is comprised of military or mixed martial art trained individuals.
This group, Jones included,
prefers to take on the more traditional role of fighting crime. In
fact, it was landed Phoenix Jones on the wrong side of the law on several
occasions.
As
vigilantism is a crime and is described as the act of inflicting punishment in
return for an injury or offense, taking the law into his own hands has served
Phoenix Jones not so well. He did not have a good standing with the local police
department. He did however in
several occurrences “save the day.” In 2011, Jones was arrested for assault,
using pepper spray to break up a fight, which landed him in jail for 72 hours.
No charges were filed, and he was
released but the incident did not go without consequence. The
aforementioned real life superhero community, especially those involved with The Real Life Superhero Project, which
I will talk about later on, view him as a “Black sheep” stating, “The founding
principles of the Project were to uphold justice within the parameters of the
law. To take physical action, is
to be a vigilante, which is in itself a crime.” It is this organization that sets the
standard for the real life sub-culture worldwide.
Allow
me to elucidate The Real Life Superhero
Project. The organization was
spawned from another, lesser known organization called Superheroes
Anonymous. The small group
wanted to have a more cohesive community of heroes that could lend aid to each
other whenever it was needed and so had to create an entirely new organization
to bring their vision to fruition. The organization spans every major
continent, the US alone having hundreds of registered Superheroes as per the
World Superhero Registry. Their
motives and avenues of public service are as diverse as their personas; each
having their own story and way they contribute to their community.
Some, such as Life and the Dark Guardian focus on feeding the homeless.
While others like Motor mouth, Dark Guardian and Death’s Head Moth prefer a more
offensive approach, confronting the criminal element on rough
neighborhoods. Whatever their
reasoning or their outlet, each RLSH (real Life Superhero) strives hard to make
their community a better place.
So
what makes a good RLSH you ask? What is needed to become a superhero yourself?
Well first and foremost person needs the determination and courage ts a Bao do
this; to go out in public dresses in a costume and stand for one’s ideals,
regardless of how it is received by society. At first, real life superheroes get
mixed reviews; the public seeing them as weirdoes or attention seekers. And this
is half true. They do seek attention, but it is not in a narcissistic way, but a
way that will draw attention to their cause. Equally as important is the
persona. You have to be creative enough to come up with your own identity; one
that does not steal from someone else’s idea or overstep copyright infringement
laws. This persona serves as an icon to inspire others to do their part so if
you’re alter-ego is not inspiring or eye-catching, you’re not achieving your
task.
Gadgets
and other supplies are also essential. The average RLSH on patrol has four
things on them at all times. These things are: a flashlight, pepper spray, a
first aid kit, and a cellular phone. These things are the most important tools a
hero will use. The flashlight, because most likely you will patrol at night. And
since you will be patrolling at night, in rougher neighborhoods, you’ll need
pepper spray for self-defense. The cell phone, for obvious reasons, to call in
to the local police department if or when a need arises. And lastly, the
first-aid kit should be easily accessible should anyone be in need of minor
medical attention. These are the staples of any RLSH, anything else is to the
discretion of the hero.
Of
course all this information is gathered and interpreted me, having no
association with any of the many real-life superheroes out there. It wasn’t for
lack of trying. But they seem to be an elusive bunch. RLSH’s seem reluctant to
interview random college kids as it doesn’t further their cause as much as the
national media attention they would get from news media. I
did however find a source of information in the form of short biographies of
several RLSH. The general
consensus is that most of them had things they need to atone
for.
As
has been previously stated, Real-life Superheroes are an elusive
sub-culture. They seek to make the
world better in a way of their choosing.
When I started this paper, I wanted to inform the masses about this
subculture that remains relatively shrouded in mystery. However, as I went on I
concluded that though the organization is out there and known, the individuals
who are of said organization wish to remain anonymous. It is this anonymity that
they cherish that makes the idea of a real-life superhero a misunderstood
concept to the greater portion of the general public.
Becoming a real-life superhero? Yes it is possible.
But where is the line between becoming an icon or a crackpot.
Someone who symbolizes hope, or someone fulfilling some childhood dream
with blatant disregard for the ideology that is the superhero lifestyle. I still believe that despite its
misconceptions the idea of the “real-life superhero” is what our society
needs. Symbols
of hope.