Unemployed workers turn to Superheroism

[CaptainChewbacca]

God love it, its NOT the onion!

Amid hard times, an influx in real superheroes

(CNN) -- Mr. Ravenblade, Mr. Xtreme, Dark Guardian and hundreds of others. Some with elaborate costumes, others with haphazardly stitched outfits, they are appearing on city streets worldwide watching over the populace like Superman watched over Metropolis and Batman over Gotham City.



As people become disillusioned from financial woes and a downtrodden economy and look to put new purpose in their lives, everyday folks are taking on new personas to perform community service, help the homeless and even fight crime.

"The movement is growing," said Ben Goldman, a real-life superhero historian. Goldman, along with Chaim "Life" Lazaros and David "Civitron" Civitarese, runs the New York-based Web site Superheroes Anonymous as part of an initiative dedicated to organizing and making alliances with superhero groups.

According to Goldman, who goes by the moniker Cameraman because of his prowess in documenting the movement, economic troubles are spawning real life superheroes.

"A lot of them have gone through a sort of existential crisis and have had to discover who they are," Goldman said. People are starting to put value in what they can do rather than what they have, he said. "They realize that money is fleeting, it's in fact imaginary."

Estimates from the few groups that keep tabs put the worldwide total of real-life superheroes between 250 and 300. Goldman said the numbers were around 200 just last summer.

Where to find real-life superheroes
There is a growing diaspora of superheroes worldwide. Here are a few resources.

World Superhero Registry: A virtual who's who of the larger real-life superhero community, including who's active and who's not.

Superheroes Anonymous: A New York-based initiative to organize and document the scattered real-life superhero diaspora.

ReallifeSuperheroes.org: A repository of all things supehero, to encourage and set up real-life superheroes in various communities

RLSH-manual.com: So, you want to be a real-life superhero? Need a uniform, you say?

Mr. Ravenblade, laid off after a stint with a huge computer technology corporation, found inspiration for his new avocation a few years ago from an early morning incident in Walla Walla, Washington.

"I literally stepped into a woman's attempted rape/mugging," Mr. Ravenblade said. While details were lost in the fog of the fight, he remembers this much: "I did what I could," he said, adding that he stopped the crime and broke no laws. "And I realized after doing what I did, that people don't really look after people."

Public response to real-life superheroes has been mixed, according to Mr. Xtreme, who founded the Xtreme Justice League in San Diego, California.

"Sometimes it's been really positive with people saying, 'Woohoo, the superheroes are here,' and then the usual barrage, saying 'Oh, these guys are losers.' Other times people will look kind of freaked out, and then sometimes people just don't know what to think about us."

Like Peter Parker kept his Spider-Man identity from his editor boss, Mr. Extreme and Mr. Ravenblade have asked CNN editors to keep their identities secret.

The current superhero movement started a few years ago on MySpace, as people interested in comics and cool caped crusaders joined forces, Goldman said. It goes beyond the Guardian Angel citizen patrols of the early 1980s, as the real-life superheroes of today apply themselves to a broadly defined ethos of simply doing good works. Watch Crimson Fist help the homeless in Atlanta »

Chris Pollak, 24, of Brooklyn, New York, can attest to the appeal. "A lot more people are either following it or wanting to go out and do it," Pollack, who goes by the name Dark Guardian, said. By "do it," he means patrol the harrowing streets late at night.

"A lot of kids say they're real-life superheroes [on MySpace]," Mr. Ravenblade said. "But what are you doing? Being in front of a computer is not helping anybody."

Comic book legend Stan Lee, the brain behind heroes such as Spider-Man and the X-Men, said in his comic books doing good -- and availing one's self -- was indeed the calling card for superheroes.

"If somebody is committing a crime, if somebody is hurting some innocent person, that's when the superhero has to take over." See a photo gallery of some real-life superheroes »

"I think it's a good thing that people are eager enough to want to help their community. They think to do it is to emulate the superheroes," Lee said. "Now if they had said they had super powers [that would be another thing]."

Without super powers, real life superheroes confess to a mere-mortal workload, including helping the homeless, handing out fliers in high-crime areas and patrolling areas known for drug-dealing.

Mr. Ravenblade said he and some of his superfriends would soon be trying to organize a Walk for Babies fundraiser in Portland, Oregon.

"We work with charities that help children," he said. "We think a lot of crimes happen because of people who didn't get a lot of love when they were younger. We do what we can to help that there."

"Homeless outreach is the main thing I like to do," said Chaim "Life" Lazaros, of Superheroes Anonymous. "We give out food, water, vitamins, toothbrushes. A lot of homeless people in my area know me, and they tell us about what they need. One homeless guy said 'I need a couple pair of clean underwear.'"

For Christmas, Lazaros said his group raised $700 in gifts and brought them to kids at St. Mary's Children's Hospital in New York. "They were so excited to see real-life superheroes," Lazaros said.

Many of the real-life superheroes even initiate citizen's arrests, but what's legal varies by state. And in North Carolina citizen's arrests are illegal. Real-life superheroes who grab a suspected villain may find themselves under a specter of trouble.

"Not a good idea," said Katy Parker, legal director for the ACLU of North Carolina. "Seeing as how there's no citizen's arrest statute [in the state], people who do this are running a serious risk of getting arrested for kidnapping, and being liable for false imprisonment."

"Vigilantism is never a good thing," said Bernard Gonzales, public information officer for the Chula Vista, California, Police Department. He's had some interactions with real-life superheroes. "The very best thing a private citizen can do is be a good witness."

Mr. Ravenblade said he's just that.

"If you're a real-life superhero you follow the law. If you catch somebody you can't just tie them up and leave them for the cops, that's for the comics. You have to wait for the cops and give them a statement," Mr. Ravenblade said.

While citizens helping out in the community is encouraged, Gonzales said the costumes can go.

"Where these people are out in public, and there's children around and everything, and these people are not revealing their identities, it's not a safe thing."

But the costumes go with the gig, right down to the do-it-yourself approach to good deeds, including, apparently, recycling.

"The costume I have is simple," said Mr. Xtreme. "I made it myself. I had a graphic designer design it for me and just took it down to the swap meet and had somebody imprint it on for me."

"The mask," an old bullfighter's piece, "I got from Tijuana."

Dear sweet Christ, I don't know if I should laugh or cry, or get my duster coat and throwing knives and head to San Diego.

[Oskuro]

No, please, let me restate that:




Now, seriously, it sounds cute and all, and it's a group of well-meaning people, wich is nice. But how long until some asshole decides wearing a mask and a cape gives him the right to beat people to a pulp?

Also, I need a trenchcoat and an antique rapier.

[Vympel]

Great, all we need now is Dr Manhattan and we can have a real-life Watchmen movie. Really though, this seems mostly harmless and just general charity.

[Tolya]

Now, seriously, it sounds cute and all, and it's a group of well-meaning people, wich is nice. But how long until some asshole decides wearing a mask and a cape gives him the right to beat people to a pulp?

We can have that without having "superheroes". Besides, how would that be different from guys who decide that being poor and miserable gives them the right to beat other people to a pulp? Crime is there regardless of capes and masks.

I am more worried for those normal people who would think that having a fancy uniform makes them just like in a movie they saw. And that fighting crime involves breaking in to some menacing corporation and getting into trouble.

Vigilantism may be a noble cause at the principle, but the amount of things that can go sideways with it is just staggering... There is a reason that police agencies have trained operators, operating procedures as well as support staff & infrastructure. And actually getting paid from our taxes.

[Rochey]

Okay, this is.....weird.

To be honest I'm not too sure what to think. While it's certainly a nice idea in concept, there are, as Tolya points out, quite a few concerns about this whole deal.

[Oskuro]

We can have that without having "superheroes". Besides, how would that be different from guys who decide that being poor and miserable gives them the right to beat other people to a pulp? Crime is there regardless of capes and masks.

Sorry, I should have elaborated, I meant to ask how long until someone doing that ruins this superhero movement both in the eyes of the public and law enforcement.

[Samuel]

How many vaudevillians? We had two Joker imitators- any other or are we only getting capes while the vaudevillians continue to be suits?

[Broomstick]

This is not entirely unprecedented - I know in the Trek fan community there have been groups of people who'd dress in full Klingon makeup and costumes to go out an do good deeds. The problem is, of course, that there are people out there who confuse fantasy with reality.

Doing good deeds in costume is not a problem. Committing crimes in costume is a problem. Unfortunately - as pointed out in the OP in regards to citizen's arrests in some areas - you can step over the line with good intentions.

[SirNitram]

While agreeing with trepidation, I do feel this should be said: Your average mid-life crisis is not nearly so oriented to the public good.

[TithonusSyndrome]

I'm actually going to allow myself some (very) cautious optimism on this one. They appear to maintain that staying within the bounds of the law is of the utmost importance and nothing in the story gives me the impression they're liable to come at any evildoers with fists flying, putting themselves at risk to the frustration of the police. Hell, even most superheroes in comic books don't appear to ever put much effort towards charity fund raising, so there's another plus. As far as allowing pop culture to influence your activities goes, it's just about the polar opposite of anonymous.

[The Romulan Republic]

I should be amused by this story, and to a point I am, but having read at least part of Watchmen and having read about the Joker imitators like other have mentioned, I'm a bit scared. Obviously fiction is fiction and the real world will never be like the comics, but if this fad is being take up by desperate people looking for meaning in their life, well, isn't that how cults form? And its a bit unsettling in that probably everyone's fantasized about being a superhero at some point, but how many ever actually act on it? The thought of people actually acting on their crazy fantasies makes me a little edgy.

I mean, these people might just be people choosing a geeky act as their way to preform charity work, with some harmless nut jobs thrown in. Or they might (in some cases at least) be disturbed bastards like the aforementioned Joker imitators. I am very much hoping for the former.

Still, there are much worse things people can do, no doubt.

[TithonusSyndrome]

Seems to me that any person sufficiently messed up to start doing Joker-like acts would already be doing so without the example set by comic books. Until we see signs of otherwise normal people going "I could devote my spare time and effort towards being a superhero, but I think I'll run with the villain thing instead", I don't think that's nearly the same concern as some dumbass maybe going too far to detain a crook on the odd occasion, which is hopefully not very routine.

[The Romulan Republic]

Seems to me that any person sufficiently messed up to start doing Joker-like acts would already be doing so without the example set by comic books. Until we see signs of otherwise normal people going "I could devote my spare time and effort towards being a superhero, but I think I'll run with the villain thing instead", I don't think that's nearly the same concern as some dumbass maybe going too far to detain a crook on the odd occasion, which is hopefully not very routine.

True enough. That's what I always say when idiots blame the media for turning kids into shooters. At most, the media will influence the way they commit there acts. If someone does that kind of shit, they were already messed up, and probably going to do something horrible eventually regardless.

Like you, I'm more concerned with people taking the hero thing to far than with people deciding to be villains. But then again, like Tolya said, people go to far (ie, vigilantism, crime in general) with or without a funny suit on.

Actually my other concern as far as the costumes are concerned is that a lot of superhero costumes don't really make a lot of sense, and would probably make someone without superpowers more vulnerable in fight than an ordinary thug not wearing the fancy clothes. Its these guys who are the most likely to get hurt if they turn to vigilantism in any case, not the other criminals.

[Darth Wong]

It seems harmless enough to me. The only difference between the Guardian Angels and these "superheroes" is how gay the costumes look.

[Patrick Degan]

Great, all we need now is Dr Manhattan and we can have a real-life Watchmen movie. Really though, this seems mostly harmless and just general charity.

Watchmen? These guys are more like this bunch:

[Covenant]

While a little odd, most of what they do seems absolutely benevolent, and fine--doing under a superhero moniker just makes it a bit more noticeable and helps distinguish it just from a philanthropist. And there's something good about attracting attention to doing good deeds on the cheap.

As for stopping crimes, it's risky to do sometimes, and I wouldn't recommend trying to harass a gang making money selling drugs, but stopping a rape or a murder is something you may have to do just out of a sense of human decency. But unless you know where all these rapes are happening, patrolling the streets may not accomplish much--still doesn't hurt, I don't think, in any case.

Hopefully any self-respecting superhero has a gadget belt equipped with a cellphone, camera, whistle or airhorn, and some kind of legal less-than-lethal self-defense device.

[phred]

This is, um, awesome? It's sort of cool and heartwarming, but at the same time this could wind up going sideways really hard really fast for some of these guys if they aren't careful.

Actually, I knew a guy when I was a kid who did this sort of thing. He never had a real good grasp on reality though.

[Drooling Iguana]

Great, all we need now is Dr Manhattan and we can have a real-life Watchmen movie. Really though, this seems mostly harmless and just general charity.

Watchmen? These guys are more like this bunch:

http://a2.vox.com/6a00c2251f70eb8fdb010 ... 000f-500pi

Yes, but some of them actually had superpowers (like that guy who could become invisible when nobody's looking.)

[Singular Intellect]

I have to admit that I completely understand the appeal of play acting as a super hero.

The problem is, as others have noted, real life isn't a movie. But as long as nobody gets hurt and good deeds get done, why am I going to object?

[Akkleptos]

Well, I for one wouldn't mind some Israeli-trained men in body armour going all Punisher on kidnappers and drug traffickers where I live.

[The Romulan Republic]

Well, I for one wouldn't mind some Israeli-trained men in body armour going all Punisher on kidnappers and drug traffickers where I live.

Except that vigilantism is illegal, and can easily end up hurting people who weren't actually guilty of anything, just like any other type of mob "justice." Including the vigilanties, I might add. There are reasons we have trained law enforcement.

[Akkleptos]

Well, I for one wouldn't mind some Israeli-trained men in body armour going all Punisher on kidnappers and drug traffickers where I live.

Except that vigilantism is illegal, and can easily end up hurting people who weren't actually guilty of anything, just like any other type of mob "justice." Including the vigilanties, I might add. There are reasons we have trained law enforcement.

I know. But you should look at impunity rates in Mexico, and how corrupted all police forces are -why do you think we resorted to the Army for the fight against the drug cartels?

In a country with decent law enforcement, your point stands true. But in other places, most would love to see someone actually doing something, other than the army and federal forces.

And, yes, vigilantism always entails the seed for more injustice, I understand that.

[Themightytom]

Well, I for one wouldn't mind some Israeli-trained men in body armour going all Punisher on kidnappers and drug traffickers where I live.

Except that vigilantism is illegal, and can easily end up hurting people who weren't actually guilty of anything, just like any other type of mob "justice." Including the vigilanties, I might add. There are reasons we have trained law enforcement.

This reminds me of the homeless guy who is protesting the mission next door because he thinks the owner of A Mission is acting unreasonable when he requires people staying there to pray regularly. Sorry buddy if you didn't see that coming I don't think its THEIR fault, its THEIR mission. its not like they get funding from any public sources and OUR shelter has no such requirement. This guy has decided to seize on this one purpose in life rather than face the pile of challenges his lifestyle have led him to. Incidently he is a software engineer who was laid off in the early 90's who turned wandering evangelist.

If he put HALF the time energy and creativity he puts into protesting into looking for work, I'd have him employed in two weeks, (but probably referred to a MH center in two hours)

[The Romulan Republic]

Not to be rude, and maybe I'm too tired to think clearly, but what does the above story have to do with this thread, let alone my post in particular?

[Themightytom]

Not to be rude, and maybe I'm too tired to think clearly, but what does the above story have to do with this thread, let alone my post in particular?

There is the crime fighter/vigilante aspect of your post, but also the "disillusioned unemployed" aspect. I
n another post Mike pointed out that Americans in particular attach moral success to employment. This seems like a way to get control of a society that they are disillusioned with and reclaim a little moral capitol.

Well I can't find work, but at least I'm out there doing some good!even though I do the same thing AND get paid, as a police officer

So it was supposed to support your comment, that people are out there for the wrong reasons and they lack the neccesary training. Its a misdirected mob.

EDIT: Sorry i didn't copy the last lines over from word.