Real Life Superheroes

Emotionally, it's really raw. Imagine the powerful rage when someone crosses the passion between a man and a woman or a man and his city.

- Frank Miller

Everyone knows about Batman. Everyone knows about Spiderman, Superman and the Incredible Hulk. Superheroes, by now, are well known and adored by adults and children alike. But there are some superheroes you may not have heard about. Names you may not recognise and more importantly, a distinction you may not be aware of. These superheroes are people - just like you and I - who have taken on superhero identities to fight crime and protect the people.

These are real life superheroes.

The message here seems simple enough, and certainly righteous. In many areas of the world crime is out of control and has been for far too long. What the world needs is an increased awareness of criminal activity and most importantly - a shedding of the apathetic attitude shared by so many of today's youth. This point was raised recently by the tragedy of the VirginaTech shootings when many in the media criticised the students for not fighting back.

In a life threatening situation it is becoming more and more common for people to simply accept what is happening and wait for it to be over. People will find injured or dead people and tell no one, they will look away and pretend they saw nothing. Apathy is being spread throughout an entire generation of people raised to be pen pushing executive types. These real life superheroes have taken it upon themselves to bring about a paradigm shift in the way the general populace views crime.

Whether they succeed or fail, whether their method is right or wrong, their cause is certainly noble. Though donning a costume and gadgets may seem a little kooky, one can hardly fault them for taking a stand.

In the following weeks I will be interviewing a number of these superheroes and posting the interviews here. We will be introduced to the likes of The Symbiote, Tothian, Mr. Silent and more. Maybe amidst the apparent strangeness of this relatively new sub-culture, there's an important message to be found. Stay tuned.