Real-Life Superheroes Becoming an Alternative Law Enforcement

Certain individuals in America have finally managed to live out something kids have dreamed of for decades: Being a superhero. Some might think that this is a product of recent harsh realities in this country being too much to bear for parts of the populace and a jumping into a deep-end fantasy blended with reality. Well, the real reality (as redundant as that sounds) is that these real-life superheroes seem to be understanding reality better than those who say they're attuned to the increasing dark realities of America. These particular superheroes are doing what most people who lament the state of the world aren't willing to do: Scan the streets in big cities late at night to fight crime and help provide things to homeless people who live in the streets while we sleep.

Call these new superheroes the new Dark Knights if you wish. However, this trend is starting to expand lately and almost turning into major business enterprises. When it starts coming down to making money and who gets the most publicity, it turns into some blistering fights among these new superheroes--very similar to how it is with the classic superheroes in comic books of the modern era. It's starting to create an interesting debate that may be approaching: Are these superheroes truly helping the downtrodden or using their philanthropy as a chance for publicity and creating a new, lucrative business that the business world couldn't have possibly imagined would ever happen?

Then you have that other possibility of these people going a little over the edge into fantasy and convincing themselves they have real super powers when they really don't.

Right now, the best real-life superheroes popping up within the metropolises of America are the ones humble enough to realize that they don't possess some kind of superhuman strength that could overcome a gang of thugs trying to pester individuals living on the streets. Nevertheless, it's not that some of these superheroes haven't averted crime by just intimidation or other methods that don't involve direct fighting. They are looking out for the homeless, though--mostly by providing food or clothing items. One of the best in that department is right here in my home state of Oregon and a new superhero of the name Zetaman.

Zetaman (who, true to superhero code, remains anonymous) dresses all in black and patrols the downtown streets of Portland at night providing the homeless with as many amenities as he can find. In recent interviews in the local press, it's obvious he knows his priorities and lets people know that he doesn't have super powers to help fight crime as much as he wants to. He's been known anyway for scaring away a few shady individuals here and there who get some horrible pleasure taunting (or stealing from) homeless people. Perhaps that makes him more of a sitting duck being so obvious and broadcasting to the press that he's not made of steel.

One thing about Zetaman--the funds he uses to buy things for the homeless are said to be from his own pocketbook. The biggest controversy, though, is that it appears he's thinking about turning this superhero exploit into a business, starting a website and soon to be selling merchandise. At least in the comic book world, Superman, Batman, et al, didn't do that.

But society has to put it in context why people like Zetaman need to be a business. He needs capital in order to keep doing what he's doing effectively and on a larger scope. With the government failing to help homeless people more every year, it might just be one business (and maybe even a corporation down the road) worth supporting. In the cutthroat world of business, however, it can potentially come down to some serious sniping about who gets the most publicity and how the money made gets used. With this likely going down that road soon, it makes you wonder if real-life superheroes will end up becoming just as corporate as every other corporation...

The growing business of becoming a real-life superhero...

According to a recent interview with Zetaman for Willamette Week www.wweek.com/editorial/3417/10489/ , he once did a search on the internet to see if there were other real-life superheroes in Portland, Oregon. He found out that there weren't any--though plenty of other superheroes in large cities around the country. You have Dark Guardian and Squeegeeman in NYC. There's also Mr. Silent in Indianapolis and Master Legend in Florida who individually claims to have some real super powers (however unproven). Sure, a few of these people are probably just out to get attention instead of helping people. They nonetheless have been known to help make sure people are safe on the streets at night...and, most of all, have websites that are intended to get the word out if not make money.

Other watchdog groups (such as the famous Guardian Angels) applaud the superheroes not making money off of their nocturnal hobby. So far, Zetaman hasn't made money off of what he does, though that could change due to others starting to sell merchandise off their websites. MySpace, too, is said to be helping these real-life superheroes get a lot of attention. Then you have other superheroes getting envious when another gets more attention over others. Such a thing is already happening as you can see by reading the message board comments to the Willamette Week article above. It's sad to read the rivalry--particularly when one superhero claims he's done a lot more than even Zetaman has.

Those with a business frame of mind probably don't bat an eye over it and figure it as part of a business process. The ones who don't care for the competitive business world may look at it as ridiculous in-fighting that's only hurting what it stands for.

When it comes to real law enforcement, they aren't 100% for such a thing happening. We aren't living in a comic book world where law enforcement is working in-tandem with Superman or Spiderman to help stop crime. In fact, I always wondered how law enforcement managed to keep their jobs in the comic book metropolises when all the great superheroes we're familiar with could single-handedly take care of major crime. In the case of Zetaman, he almost got himself in trouble by law enforcement one night when out guarding over people's cars in the parking lot of a movie theatre in downtown Portland. This was back when he wore a mask to disguise himself and doesn't any longer so law enforcement will know him over Joe Blow Carjacker.

If Zetaman and other superheroes can end up working together, we might just have a much better crime force in this country when police forces continually get cut in major cities. Of course, a few critics might consider real-life superheroes to be close to vigilantism when that idea gets looked down upon by those who train for years to work in law enforcement. Lest you think that these superheroes don't go out without weapons--well, you'd be mistaken. Even Zetaman goes out with a few weapons for protection. He doesn't, however, carry a gun--much to the probable relief of the local police.
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Will we see real-life superheroes become a new business in America in a time when any help in fighting American crime is more than appreciated? You can't say that America isn't finding new creative avenues to business ideas that are sometimes fed by the public's immersion into pop culture.

In the comic book world, it was a good feeling to see millionaires using their resources to fight crime (e.g. Bruce Wayne/Batman). Now, it seems to be mostly middle-class men (and maybe later, women) who are out to help people and possibly live a financially-able and unique American Dream...