Spiderman foils robbery in Adelaide

[Gandalf]

Source

When Michael Baulderstone, a comic-book store owner, dressed as Spider-Man for a promotional event in his shop he never imagined that by the end of the day he would become a real-life crime-fighting superhero.

Luckily, Mr Baulderstone’s “Spider-sense” was tingling and he was able to thwart an attempted theft from his shop in Adelaide with the aid of The Flash and some trusted Jedi Knights wielding lightsabers.

The comical crime caper began on Saturday morning in the Adelaide Comics Centre, tucked away in a shopping centre in the heart of the city. Fans dressed as their favourite superhero characters had descended on the store for the international free comic-book day — an event designed to encourage children to read.

Mingling among the customers in fancy dress — including a Wolverine, a Catwoman and someone dressed as Kick-Ass, the character from the recent British film about a hapless American teenager who creates his own superhero to fight crime — Mr Baulderstone noticed someone acting suspiciously.

The customer, who was dressed as himself — a comic fan in an overcoat and jeans —allegedly picked up an X-Man Omnibus, valued at A$160 (£97), from the window display.

“My Spider-sense was tingling,” Mr Baulderstone, 45, told The Times while he fielded congratulatory calls for his superhero behaviour. “I didn’t want to scare him off so I followed him around the store and eventually said, ‘Are you right there, mate?’ ”

With no police — or Batman — on hand to help, Mr Baulderstone decided to take matters into his own red and blue Lycra-clad hands. “I’m 169cm tall and only 57kg, so I’m a tiny bloke but I just grabbed his bag and looked in it and there was the book,” he said.

“I had 50 people in the store so I just shouted for someone to guard the front door and it just happened that the Jedi Knights were there and they had their lightsabers out so they held the door until the police arrived.

“My colleague, who was dressed as The Flash, kept running the shop and stayed calm. It really was a team effort.”

CCTV footage captured the whole scene on tape. The footage shows Spider-Man calmly confronting the unmasked offender and confiscating his backpack. Mr Baulderstone, a life-long comic fan who has owned the shop with his colleague Peter Spandrio for three years, said that they often had people trying to steal valuable comics. However, never before had one been stopped by a real-life superhero. He said: “When the police came in they managed to keep a straight face and just hauled him away.”

Brilliant, no?

[mr friendly guy]

Well with great power does come great responsibility. Including stopping thieves of expensive graphic novels.

I predict this would get good publicity for his comic store.

[Oscar Wilde]

His buddy, dressed as the Flash, kept running the shop.

Was that intentional?

But yeah, awesome story.

[Kamakazie Sith]

Sounds like a foiled shoplifting attempt rather than a robbery, but still good job.

[Oni Koneko Damien]

“I had 50 people in the store so I just shouted for someone to guard the front door and it just happened that the Jedi Knights were there and they had their lightsabers out so they held the door until the police arrived.

The Jedi Knights, guardians of peace, justice, and the front door.

[Havok]

Fucking silly. Is this N&P worthy though?

[Ziggy Stardust]

Fucking silly. Is this N&P worthy though?

It damned well should be. I mean, I would rather every N&P thread made me this happy. Watching Shep and Elfdart trying to tear each other's throats out gets old after a while.

[Molyneux]

I had heard about this, and the only thing that disappoints me is that the original version of the story that I heard involved the shoplifter sprinting down the street for dear life, chased by a mob of pissed-off superheroes...that mental image is just beautiful.