Johnny Saturn

In the last four or five years, there have been people who don odd costumes and go out to protect the public.  Really.  I first heard about this a few years ago on National Public Radio, and the superheroes they highlighted were Indianapolis-based.  This caught my attention, because I live near Indianapolis.  One of these was (and is) Doktor Discord, and  the other was Mr. Silent (now retired).  You can find out about many of these people on the World Superhero Registry at http://worldsuperheroregistry.com.

For the most part, these would-be superheroes are a cross between Cosplay and unofficial neighborhood watches.  They seem to be more local personas than people who take the fight to the criminal underworld.  This is appropriate, because I would hazard that the vast majority of these folks have no martial arts background, and nothing in the way of functional body armor.  They, as a general rule, lack crime-fighting gadgets such as jetpacks, power armor, and the like.

Superheroes in comics are defined by violence and their ability to kick ass.  That doesn’t work for real-world superheroes.  The law is not sympathetic to vigilantes, and beating the crap out of criminals can result in jail-time, fines, and serious judgments against the hero.  State and local laws vary, but for the most part taking justice into your own hands is frowned upon.  There are professions that allow this, such as security guards and bounty hunters, but they work under strict guidelines.

The real-life superhero movement has been called a reaction to 9-11.  Maybe, but I personally doubt it.  My guess is that the superhero has become a more powerful archetype for change in the last ten years due to all the successful live-action superhero movies.  I would say that it is also a response to the human desire to put on a mask and become someone else for a while.  Has there not also been a corresponding growth in Halloween costumes?  Has the cosplay community not also grown?

There is a comic book, and a movie spawned by it, called Kick Ass, about a would-be superhero.  The real world superhero movement far precedes Kick Ass.

Will this trend continue?  Great question.

On a related note, here is the cost, as figured in Forbes Magazine, to become Batman and maintain his high-rolling lifestyle.

The Bottom Line
Final Cost: $3,365,449

The Training: $30,000
The Suit: $1,585
The Belt: $290
The Car: $2,000,000
The Cave: $24,000
The Alter Ego: $1,109,574
The Butler: $200,000