Wearing specially made black knife-resistant clothing and wearing a black mask, Black Rat of
Sydney carries a utility belt and backpack containing a
fire blanket,
fire extinguisher, first aid kit and drinking water. He has campaigned for better lighting in the streets and more community involvement in neighbourhoods.[5][6][7][8]
Homem de Preto, a lawyer who acts as a superhero in his free time, helping the people of
Campinas and the region.
Gato da cidade
Canada
Polarman of
Iqaluit,
Nunavut, shovels snow off sidewalks and keeps playgrounds safe for children during the day and patrols the streets for criminals at night, wearing a black
balaclava, white pants and snow boots.[11]
Ark of
Toronto was featured in an article for Postmedia News by Douglas Quan in November 2011, who commented on his reasons and methods[clarification needed] on being a real-life superhero.[12]
The Crimson Canuck of
Windsor, Ontario, was also featured in the article by Quan,[12] as well as being interviewed on the radio station
AM800 by Arms Bumanlag, and was featured in an article in the Toronto Sun.[13][14]
Thanatos of
Vancouver, British Columbia, dresses in a trench-coat, skull-and-crossbones tie, and wide-brimmed hat while wearing a bulletproof vest as he distributes goods and goodwill to the homeless.[15][16]
The Katalysts Ontario, also known as the Justice Crew of Oshawa, in
Oshawa, Ontario, are a collection of individuals who patrol the streets at night, clean up local litter, and perform homeless outreach. Members include its founder Aftershock, Regulus, and the Nameless Crusader.[17]
Lightstep is a masked patroller currently located in Montreal. He is equipped with a bulletproof vest and a bag with first aid kit, needle collection containers, latex gloves, condoms, socks, gloves and hats.[clarification needed][18][19]
China
Redbud Woman assists the poor in
Beijing,
China. She has been seen several times wearing black tights and a blue mask, handing out food and warm clothing to the homeless.[20]
Colombia
Wearing a mask, Super Pan fights against hunger by handing out bread three days a week in poverty stricken areas of
Bucaramanga.[21]
Finland
Dex Laserskater has been patrolling the streets of
Helsinki since 1997. He has modeled his alter ego after the short lived comic book hero
Skateman. He specializes in guiding tourists, tipping waiters, doormen and street musicians and helping the police.[22]
The Defenders of France have been the subject of numerous press articles. L'Arpenteur (English: The Surveyor) is one of their leaders.[26][clarification needed]
Israel
Park Wayne is a superhero active in
Jerusalem. His outfit and identity are mostly inspired by
Batman and
Spider-Man. He has roamed the streets of the city protecting drunks, people at risk, and the creative communities in Jerusalem since 2010. He was featured in an episode of The State of Jerusalem[27] that followed him for a night in order to shed light on him.
Italy
Entomo, the Insect-Man, is a masked patroller and activist[clarification needed] who has been inspired by earlier real-life superheroes.[28][29] In February 2009, Rai 4 filmed a night-time patrol and interview with Entomo at an abandoned factory in Naples, aired on the TV program Sugo.[30] Following an interview on Il Riformista,[31] Entomo was depicted in Panorama.[32]
Japan
In 2015, various media reported that Kamen Rider №1 based on
the eponymous character patrols the streets of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, while looking for drunk drivers. Identity of the real-life Kamen Rider turned out to be Shinjiro Kumagaya, an environmental artist.[33]
Mexico
CNN covered
Mexico City's
Superbarrio Gómez, who is a celebrity, satirist, and organizer who wears red tights and a red and yellow
wrestler's mask. He uses his unique image to organize labor rallies, protest, and file petitions to prevent families from being evicted.[34]
Sweden
Väktaren (English: The Watchman) patrols[clarification needed] the streets of
Malmö, wearing a dark suit with a white mask and white "V" symbol on his chest. When interviewed, the police stated that as long as he was not impersonating a police officer, he was not breaking any laws.[35]
United Kingdom
The
BBC reported on Angle-Grinder Man, a
British self-described "wheel-clamp superhero" who claims to use an
angle grinder to illegally cut
wheel clamps off vehicles which have been clamped in by police and parking officials in
Kent and
London. Police indicate that they have received no word or complaint of his actions.[36]
The newspaper This Is Local London featured an article on SOS (whose real name is Steve Sale), a UK superhero who
gatecrashed the premiere of the film Kick-Ass in April 2010.[37]
The Statesman is a super hero who patrols the streets of Birmingham wearing a mask,[38]Union Jack shirt and dark trousers. Reports of his effectiveness[clarification needed] are mixed.[39]
A vigilante known as the Bromley Batman has been seen by several witnesses to have saved people from knife-wielding gangs and muggers in
South London.[41] His activities have been reported as far as
Cornwall.[42]
United States
Real-life superheroes are notably prevalent in the USA compared to other countries, which may be attributed to the greater popularity of
superherocomic books.[43][44][45][46]
One of the earliest examples of a RLSH was California's Richard Allen Pesta, alias Captain Sticky. Starting around 1974, clad in a blue jumpsuit with gold cape and boots and driving the "Stickymobile" he campaigned against abuses in nursing homes, supplied information on
health insurance frauds to authorities, and advocated for
consumer rights.[47] He testified before the
Federal Trade Commission hearings in 1978 and Congress in 1979 wearing his uniform.[48] He was arrested in 1986 when he rented his house to a film crew shooting pornography.[49][50]
Tothian[who?] and Ecliptico[who?] were both featured in the special features of the 2009
Watchmen film, titled Real Superheroes, Real Vigilantes.[51][52][53][54][55]
Master Legend assists the homeless of
Orlando and is a member of the Justice Crusaders.[56][57][58] Amazon based the 2017 black comedy series Legend of Master Legend on his super hero persona.[59]
Captain Ozone has starred in
PSAs, made appearances at grade schools and
hemp festivals, created a video documentary on environmentalism, and organized a public demonstration for renewable energy.[62]
Phoenix Jones is a mixed martial artist who patrols
Seattle, Washington in search for criminal activity in a bulletproof vest and stab plating. Initially wearing a ski mask to intervene in a public assault, Jones later developed a full costume and adopted the pseudonym.[63][64]
Mr. Xtreme, a security guard, spends his free time as a costumed crime fighter handing out food and juice in
San Diego, California.[65][66]
Captain Oyster, whose real name is Liam Davenport,[67] patrols his
Queens neighborhood looking for late-night crimes to solve through "intimidation and intellectual discourse".[citation needed]
Crimson Fist patrols Atlanta twice a month with his wife, Metadata, to help the homeless in their area.[68][69][70][71]
Terrifica is a
New York City-based woman who patrols bars and parties in an effort to prevent inebriated women from being taken advantage of by men. Since the mid-1990s, she has donned a mask, blonde wig, red boots and cape, because, in her words, women "need to be protected from themselves".[75]
In 2010, The Viper was stopped by police in
Columbia, Tennessee, for patrolling the streets after midnight in a black and green mask and costume. He claimed that he was "just a guy trying to do what was right in tights".[76]
The Bay Coast Guardians is a group in
St Petersburg, Florida that conducts safety patrols and homeless outreach events since 2017. The team consists of members Warden, Mercy, Jaguar, Good Samaritan, Impact, and Miracle. The BCG is also partnered with the Not-for-profit The super Foundation[77]
In
Portland, Oregon, Zetaman patrols the streets in a minivan, giving help to the homeless. (Ret.) [79]
Dark Guardian of New York, whose real name is Chris Pollak, has patrolled the streets of New Jersey and New York since the age of 19.[80][81][82] In 2017, he became the head of the
Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime prevention organisation.[83][84]
The Eye of Mountain View in California is a licensed investigator. His specialty is patrolling using homemade gadgets to record criminal activity so that it can be reported to police. He often works with his wife, Lady Mystery.[29]
Squeegeeman "fights grime and crime"[attribution needed] in Manhattan wearing a red mask and cape.[85][86] He was reported as making a mock run for President in 2008.[87]
Real-life superhero groups
United States
There are several organized groups of real-life superheroes in the
United States.
A group of real-life superheroes from all over the United States, called Superheroes Anonymous, held their first meeting near
Times Square in
New York City on October 28, 2007. Along with filming a documentary and giving interviews to news media, they patrolled New York City.[88]
The Jibsheet ran an article about a group of ten real-life superheroes in Seattle trying to help the homeless prevent their belongings from being stolen by gangs.[99]
KSTP-TV reported on Razorhawk, Geist,[95] and the Great Lakes Hero Guild while they patrolled
Minneapolis. The segment was re-broadcast nationally on ABC Overnight News.[100]
The Xtreme Justice League, founded in 2006[101] by Mr. Xtreme, regularly patrols
San Diego. Their duties include homeless outreach, safety patrols and attempting to de escalate fights. A registered non profit, they work with the local community and the police,[102] and have featured in several news stories.[103][104][65]
A Thrillist article on the world's first superhero training center called The Superhero Foundry in
Las Vegas was published in August 2018.[105] The group, called the Guardians of Tomorrow, is a citywide neighborhood watch group created to address the concerns of mass shootings and felony crimes after the
2017 Las Vegas shooting that happened across from the
Mandalay Bay during a country music concert.[citation needed]
United Kingdom
A group of four men in Liverpool, calling themselves Black Mercer, Knight Warrior, Radical, and Templar, were featured in an August 2018
Liverpool Echo article.[106]
^
abQuan, Douglas (November 26, 2011).
"Crusaders among us". Leader-Post. Archived from
the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
^Dickinson, Kirk (October 21, 2012).
"Hometown Hero: Windsor's masked hero". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 23 May 2013. as well as other local publications, university newspapers, and local Cogeco TV's Comic Book Syndicate and MTV Canada.
Wearing specially made black knife-resistant clothing and wearing a black mask, Black Rat of
Sydney carries a utility belt and backpack containing a
fire blanket,
fire extinguisher, first aid kit and drinking water. He has campaigned for better lighting in the streets and more community involvement in neighbourhoods.[5][6][7][8]
Homem de Preto, a lawyer who acts as a superhero in his free time, helping the people of
Campinas and the region.
Gato da cidade
Canada
Polarman of
Iqaluit,
Nunavut, shovels snow off sidewalks and keeps playgrounds safe for children during the day and patrols the streets for criminals at night, wearing a black
balaclava, white pants and snow boots.[11]
Ark of
Toronto was featured in an article for Postmedia News by Douglas Quan in November 2011, who commented on his reasons and methods[clarification needed] on being a real-life superhero.[12]
The Crimson Canuck of
Windsor, Ontario, was also featured in the article by Quan,[12] as well as being interviewed on the radio station
AM800 by Arms Bumanlag, and was featured in an article in the Toronto Sun.[13][14]
Thanatos of
Vancouver, British Columbia, dresses in a trench-coat, skull-and-crossbones tie, and wide-brimmed hat while wearing a bulletproof vest as he distributes goods and goodwill to the homeless.[15][16]
The Katalysts Ontario, also known as the Justice Crew of Oshawa, in
Oshawa, Ontario, are a collection of individuals who patrol the streets at night, clean up local litter, and perform homeless outreach. Members include its founder Aftershock, Regulus, and the Nameless Crusader.[17]
Lightstep is a masked patroller currently located in Montreal. He is equipped with a bulletproof vest and a bag with first aid kit, needle collection containers, latex gloves, condoms, socks, gloves and hats.[clarification needed][18][19]
China
Redbud Woman assists the poor in
Beijing,
China. She has been seen several times wearing black tights and a blue mask, handing out food and warm clothing to the homeless.[20]
Colombia
Wearing a mask, Super Pan fights against hunger by handing out bread three days a week in poverty stricken areas of
Bucaramanga.[21]
Finland
Dex Laserskater has been patrolling the streets of
Helsinki since 1997. He has modeled his alter ego after the short lived comic book hero
Skateman. He specializes in guiding tourists, tipping waiters, doormen and street musicians and helping the police.[22]
The Defenders of France have been the subject of numerous press articles. L'Arpenteur (English: The Surveyor) is one of their leaders.[26][clarification needed]
Israel
Park Wayne is a superhero active in
Jerusalem. His outfit and identity are mostly inspired by
Batman and
Spider-Man. He has roamed the streets of the city protecting drunks, people at risk, and the creative communities in Jerusalem since 2010. He was featured in an episode of The State of Jerusalem[27] that followed him for a night in order to shed light on him.
Italy
Entomo, the Insect-Man, is a masked patroller and activist[clarification needed] who has been inspired by earlier real-life superheroes.[28][29] In February 2009, Rai 4 filmed a night-time patrol and interview with Entomo at an abandoned factory in Naples, aired on the TV program Sugo.[30] Following an interview on Il Riformista,[31] Entomo was depicted in Panorama.[32]
Japan
In 2015, various media reported that Kamen Rider №1 based on
the eponymous character patrols the streets of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, while looking for drunk drivers. Identity of the real-life Kamen Rider turned out to be Shinjiro Kumagaya, an environmental artist.[33]
Mexico
CNN covered
Mexico City's
Superbarrio Gómez, who is a celebrity, satirist, and organizer who wears red tights and a red and yellow
wrestler's mask. He uses his unique image to organize labor rallies, protest, and file petitions to prevent families from being evicted.[34]
Sweden
Väktaren (English: The Watchman) patrols[clarification needed] the streets of
Malmö, wearing a dark suit with a white mask and white "V" symbol on his chest. When interviewed, the police stated that as long as he was not impersonating a police officer, he was not breaking any laws.[35]
United Kingdom
The
BBC reported on Angle-Grinder Man, a
British self-described "wheel-clamp superhero" who claims to use an
angle grinder to illegally cut
wheel clamps off vehicles which have been clamped in by police and parking officials in
Kent and
London. Police indicate that they have received no word or complaint of his actions.[36]
The newspaper This Is Local London featured an article on SOS (whose real name is Steve Sale), a UK superhero who
gatecrashed the premiere of the film Kick-Ass in April 2010.[37]
The Statesman is a super hero who patrols the streets of Birmingham wearing a mask,[38]Union Jack shirt and dark trousers. Reports of his effectiveness[clarification needed] are mixed.[39]
A vigilante known as the Bromley Batman has been seen by several witnesses to have saved people from knife-wielding gangs and muggers in
South London.[41] His activities have been reported as far as
Cornwall.[42]
United States
Real-life superheroes are notably prevalent in the USA compared to other countries, which may be attributed to the greater popularity of
superherocomic books.[43][44][45][46]
One of the earliest examples of a RLSH was California's Richard Allen Pesta, alias Captain Sticky. Starting around 1974, clad in a blue jumpsuit with gold cape and boots and driving the "Stickymobile" he campaigned against abuses in nursing homes, supplied information on
health insurance frauds to authorities, and advocated for
consumer rights.[47] He testified before the
Federal Trade Commission hearings in 1978 and Congress in 1979 wearing his uniform.[48] He was arrested in 1986 when he rented his house to a film crew shooting pornography.[49][50]
Tothian[who?] and Ecliptico[who?] were both featured in the special features of the 2009
Watchmen film, titled Real Superheroes, Real Vigilantes.[51][52][53][54][55]
Master Legend assists the homeless of
Orlando and is a member of the Justice Crusaders.[56][57][58] Amazon based the 2017 black comedy series Legend of Master Legend on his super hero persona.[59]
Captain Ozone has starred in
PSAs, made appearances at grade schools and
hemp festivals, created a video documentary on environmentalism, and organized a public demonstration for renewable energy.[62]
Phoenix Jones is a mixed martial artist who patrols
Seattle, Washington in search for criminal activity in a bulletproof vest and stab plating. Initially wearing a ski mask to intervene in a public assault, Jones later developed a full costume and adopted the pseudonym.[63][64]
Mr. Xtreme, a security guard, spends his free time as a costumed crime fighter handing out food and juice in
San Diego, California.[65][66]
Captain Oyster, whose real name is Liam Davenport,[67] patrols his
Queens neighborhood looking for late-night crimes to solve through "intimidation and intellectual discourse".[citation needed]
Crimson Fist patrols Atlanta twice a month with his wife, Metadata, to help the homeless in their area.[68][69][70][71]
Terrifica is a
New York City-based woman who patrols bars and parties in an effort to prevent inebriated women from being taken advantage of by men. Since the mid-1990s, she has donned a mask, blonde wig, red boots and cape, because, in her words, women "need to be protected from themselves".[75]
In 2010, The Viper was stopped by police in
Columbia, Tennessee, for patrolling the streets after midnight in a black and green mask and costume. He claimed that he was "just a guy trying to do what was right in tights".[76]
The Bay Coast Guardians is a group in
St Petersburg, Florida that conducts safety patrols and homeless outreach events since 2017. The team consists of members Warden, Mercy, Jaguar, Good Samaritan, Impact, and Miracle. The BCG is also partnered with the Not-for-profit The super Foundation[77]
In
Portland, Oregon, Zetaman patrols the streets in a minivan, giving help to the homeless. (Ret.) [79]
Dark Guardian of New York, whose real name is Chris Pollak, has patrolled the streets of New Jersey and New York since the age of 19.[80][81][82] In 2017, he became the head of the
Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime prevention organisation.[83][84]
The Eye of Mountain View in California is a licensed investigator. His specialty is patrolling using homemade gadgets to record criminal activity so that it can be reported to police. He often works with his wife, Lady Mystery.[29]
Squeegeeman "fights grime and crime"[attribution needed] in Manhattan wearing a red mask and cape.[85][86] He was reported as making a mock run for President in 2008.[87]
Real-life superhero groups
United States
There are several organized groups of real-life superheroes in the
United States.
A group of real-life superheroes from all over the United States, called Superheroes Anonymous, held their first meeting near
Times Square in
New York City on October 28, 2007. Along with filming a documentary and giving interviews to news media, they patrolled New York City.[88]
The Jibsheet ran an article about a group of ten real-life superheroes in Seattle trying to help the homeless prevent their belongings from being stolen by gangs.[99]
KSTP-TV reported on Razorhawk, Geist,[95] and the Great Lakes Hero Guild while they patrolled
Minneapolis. The segment was re-broadcast nationally on ABC Overnight News.[100]
The Xtreme Justice League, founded in 2006[101] by Mr. Xtreme, regularly patrols
San Diego. Their duties include homeless outreach, safety patrols and attempting to de escalate fights. A registered non profit, they work with the local community and the police,[102] and have featured in several news stories.[103][104][65]
A Thrillist article on the world's first superhero training center called The Superhero Foundry in
Las Vegas was published in August 2018.[105] The group, called the Guardians of Tomorrow, is a citywide neighborhood watch group created to address the concerns of mass shootings and felony crimes after the
2017 Las Vegas shooting that happened across from the
Mandalay Bay during a country music concert.[citation needed]
United Kingdom
A group of four men in Liverpool, calling themselves Black Mercer, Knight Warrior, Radical, and Templar, were featured in an August 2018
Liverpool Echo article.[106]
^
abQuan, Douglas (November 26, 2011).
"Crusaders among us". Leader-Post. Archived from
the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
^Dickinson, Kirk (October 21, 2012).
"Hometown Hero: Windsor's masked hero". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 23 May 2013. as well as other local publications, university newspapers, and local Cogeco TV's Comic Book Syndicate and MTV Canada.