A New Kind of Activism: Real Life Superheroes

Real Life SuperheroesWho doesn't want to be a Superhero or at the very least, an incredibly powerful mutant in this day and age? It may be the lure of of the costumes or the appeal of actually making a contribution to society, but according to a recent CNN article, real-life Superheroes are making a come-back and are hopefully here to stay.

The creator of Superheroes Anonymous, which a website devoted to real-life Superheroes, says that the economic crisis has increased the number of said Superheroes to between 250 and 300 in the world and that "they realize that money is fleeting, it's in fact imaginary." Others claim to have been inspired by the very real life stories of the regular heroes during 9-11. Some view the world as a real-life battle of good versus evil and seek their identities through anonymous characters.

According to a Rolling Stone article on the same topic:" If malevolent individuals can threaten the world, the argument goes, why can’t other individuals step up to save it?"  While this may soud like something straight out of the comic books, the real life Superheroes take their “work” seriously while following the laws of the land as best they can.

One of the drawbacks of real life Superheroes is a presumed lack of Superpowers to help them out in their endeavors to make the world a better place. "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." Many of the real life Superheroes tend to have more of a liberal perspective and rather than increasing vigilanteism, are more likely to organize a Labor rally as in the case of Mexico's Superbarrio or to encourage recycling or ecological efforts. A few do patrol the streets, but are mostly serving as witnesses to the crimes. In this day and age, no one is advising the Superheroes to tie up the villains and leave them for the police.

A visit to the Superheroes Anonymous website reveals a documentary by the same name and an apparently pending M-TV deal for a TV show. Real life Superheroes interested in being on the show are encouraged to apply. There is a link to a store with an offer for custom-made items or a link to an Etsy (usually selling crafts) store site with necessary Superhero items such as a fake Walrus Mousetache. The site also offers a step-by-step list to becoming a Real Life Superhero- apparently, no capes are required.