"With great power comes great responsibility...". We've all heard these words at one time in our lives, be it through the illustrations of Stan Lee, the inspirational speeches of FDR and Winston Churchill, or by the French enlightenment writer Voltaire(although 99% of us will attribute the quote to the late Uncle Ben of Spiderman).
Growing up, many of us idolized superheroes, yearning to be admired ourselves for being courageous in the face of evil and for many more, the idea of having a superpower or an assortment of deadly gadgets alone was the alluring prospect. Most of us have outlived this obsession, manifesting itself only in the form of monthly cinema trips to watch Hollywood heartthrobs defend earth against whatever atrocity Chris Nolan has conjured. But for a select few, this longing has lived on, burning inside like a fearless candle only to be extinguished by the obliteration of corruption...
They call themselves Real-life Superheroes(RLSH) and aim to bridge the gap between the fantastic and the practical by making a real difference in the world. Described as being both anonymous and selfless, these vigilantes patrol neighborhoods, help the underprivileged, comfort the ill, all while wearing unique and identifiable costumes. According to the official website RealSuperheroes.com, These are not “kooks in costumes,” as they may seem at first glance. They are, simply put, a radical response… to a radical problem.
On this first edition of RLSH, we turn our attention to two brave deluded warriors. Remember to like, upvote and follow for further editions!!
#1 "MENGANNO"
Menganno, which literally translates to "Joe Blow", operates out of Lanús, Argentina. Similar to Captain America, he wears blue clothing and carries a blue shield decorated with the colours of his nation. Less than a year ago, our hero was exposed as 43-year old Oscar Lefosse, a previous member of the Argentine Federal Police(AFP) whose gun license had expired. Mr Lefosse was charged after he fired his glock pistol out of the front window of his car when 3 petty criminals tried to assault him and his wife. In an interview with AFP in 2010, Mr Menganno described himself as "a real, flesh and blood superhero. My goal is for all of us to be better and show more solidarity. Injustice makes me sick." He also said that he only ever defended himself with a flashlight, pepper spray and a compass, and always left his gun at home.
Menganno clearly means well but his overall message is a bit distorted for me to fully get behind his campaign of justice. First of all, he drives a blue moped around the streets of Lanús, in broad daylight... For me, the coolest and possibly the most important thing a superhero can do, is make a good entrance. Batman's stealthy nature in battle is possibly what makes him so frightening – if you can't see him, he could be anywhere. But instead, in Menganno's case, criminals are slowly alerted of his arrival, by a muffled high pitched engine getting louder and louder as our hero approaches the crime scene. Hero rating: 5/10
#2 "Phoenix Jones"
Born Benjamin John Francis Fodor, Phoenix Jones is the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement, a Washington based crime prevention organisation. His armory includes a stun baton, pepper spray or tear gas, handcuffs and a first aid kit. He was also an MMA fighter better known as "Fear the Flattop".
Jones decided to take matters of justice into his own hands after his car was broken into causing injury to his son. Since then he has been known to break up brawls, chase down drug dealers and apprehend thieves on the streets of Seattle. However, Jones was arrested on the suspicion of assault after pepper spraying a suspect involved in a fight. Hours before appearing in court, Jones appeared on Fox to debate his cause.
Outside of the courtroom, Jones took off his mask to the streams of reporters to reveal is identity as Ben Fodor. He then made this statement:
"I will continue to patrol with my team, probably tonight [October 13, 2011]. In addition to being Phoenix Jones, I am also Ben Fodor, father and brother. I am just like everybody else. The only difference is that I try to stop crime in my neighborhood and everywhere else. I think I have to look toward the future and see what I can do to help the city"
No doubt Phoenix Jones is a cool guy with an even cooler name, but the fact that he is a professionally trained MMA fighter is ridiculous considering his clientele. It would be a different story if he was encountering the criminal masterminds we're used to seeing on the big screen, but instead, he spends his time roughing up low-life junkies who are probably just a little misunderstood. Great pecs though. Hero Rating: 7/10
Tune in for next weeks addition of Real Life Superheroes.