1 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: Novel. One Night in two thousand and eleven, a guy 2 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: named Dan was walking through a parking lot downtown Seattle 3 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:24,480 Speaker 1: when he came upon a menacing looking dude trying to 4 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,440 Speaker 1: break into a car. Dan pulled out his phone to call, 5 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:33,519 Speaker 1: but before he could reach the police, something totally insane happened. 6 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: From the right. This guy comes dashing in wearing this 7 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: skin tight rubber, black and golden suit and starts chasing 8 00:00:47,159 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: him away. Dan isn't the only one to have a 9 00:00:58,640 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: chance encounter like this. Around two thousand and nine, the 10 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,279 Speaker 1: rumors started to spread stories of a masked vigilante jumping 11 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 1: out of the shadows to help the citizens of Seattle. 12 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: People kept seeing this masked man patrolling the streets at night. 13 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: One person said he stopped a mugging. Someone else caught 14 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: a glimpse of him sprinting through the backstreets downtown. Rumor 15 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: had it he even stopped a terrorist attack. The accounts 16 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,559 Speaker 1: all said he was tall and pretty ripped. He wore 17 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: a hooded rubber mask that covered his eyes like the 18 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: batman cowl. He had black gloves and a black chest 19 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: plate molded into a six pack with a gold chevron 20 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: across the chest and an American flag on his bicond. 21 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: When Dan tried to tell his friends about what happened 22 00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: the night he witnessed the attempted car breaking, they were skeptical. 23 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: People are saying, no way, dude, no way. They're like, oh, 24 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: you were probably drunk. But Dan wasn't drunk. Well, maybe 25 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: he was, but what he saw was real. The rooms 26 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: were true. There was a dark knight out there patrolling 27 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: the streets of Seattle, and he called himself Phoenix Jones. 28 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 1: An ordinary citizen becomes a dark knight known as Phoenix Jones, 29 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:18,919 Speaker 1: self appointed crusader, Phoenix Jones, Phoenix Jones, Phoenix Jones, Phoenix Jones, 30 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 1: Phoenix Jones. A real life superhero. Superman can fly, Batman 31 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,400 Speaker 1: has his gadgets, Spider Man has his webs and super 32 00:02:27,480 --> 00:02:32,520 Speaker 1: sharp senses, and then there's Phoenix Jones. Maybe not quite Superman, 33 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:41,640 Speaker 1: but an extraordinary one. Real life superheroes are people who, 34 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,119 Speaker 1: inspired by comic book characters, create their own superhero persona, 35 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,760 Speaker 1: make their own costume, sometimes weapons, and then head out 36 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: into the streets to fight crime in the real world. 37 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: And Phoenix Jones at his peak, was the most famous 38 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,079 Speaker 1: of all the real life superheroes. His goal was to 39 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: strike fear into the hearts of Seattle's criminals, but in 40 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: it was Phoenix who was led away in handcuffs, caught 41 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: with four grams of suspected cocaine. So how did Seattle's 42 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: greatest independent crime fighter end up getting busted on drug charges? Well, 43 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: it depends on who you believe. Phoenix says he's the 44 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 1: victim of a corrupt and ineffective police department that snagged 45 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: him in a classic case of entrapman and the police, 46 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: while they have their own version of the story. So 47 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: what exactly is real and the world of real life superheroes. 48 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: Is Phoenix Jones a shining example of a brave citizen 49 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: fighting for justice? Or is he a misguided vigilante who 50 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:57,680 Speaker 1: used a superhero persona to disguise his own criminal activity. 51 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: I'm going to take inside the world of real life 52 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:05,400 Speaker 1: superheroes as I try to answer these questions. Along the way, 53 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: there will be danger and heartbreak, friendship and betrayal, and 54 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: of course all the elements you would find in any 55 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 1: story about criminals, drugs and violence, and a good chase 56 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,040 Speaker 1: scene here and there. And maybe, if you're like me, 57 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: you'll come out on the other side of this adventure, 58 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 1: with a deeper understanding of these people who are often 59 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: treated as a joke. Going into this story, I never 60 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: thought I would identify with the type of person who 61 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: puts on a homemade suit and claims to be a superhero. 62 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: It's hard to take someone like that seriously. It's much 63 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: easier to dismiss them as crazy or naive. But now 64 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:46,600 Speaker 1: that I've gotten to know some of the men and 65 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: women who call themselves real life superheroes, I'm starting to 66 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,239 Speaker 1: think maybe it's the other way around. Maybe we should 67 00:04:54,320 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: question our beliefs about who the real heroes are. I'm 68 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: David Weinberg and from the team's at Novel and I 69 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: heart Radio. This is the Superhero Complex, Episode one out 70 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: of the Shadows. I can only imagine what it must 71 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: have been like for those lucky few people in the 72 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: midst of distress who were suddenly saved by a real 73 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: life superhero. And just like in the movies, the police 74 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: and the citizens of Seattle wanted to know who is 75 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: this masked crusader chasing down bad guys in the streets. 76 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: Phoenix broke up a brawl and one of the guys 77 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,840 Speaker 1: churned on him. Phoenix called, put the guy in a hold, 78 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: and waited for police to arrive. What the police saw 79 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: when they arrived was a guy who looked a lot 80 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 1: like Batman. Phoenix clearly put a lot of work into 81 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,680 Speaker 1: his costume. By the way, he hates it when you 82 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:08,120 Speaker 1: call his superhero get up a costume. I find it offensive, 83 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: like ridiculous. Phoenix prefers the term super suit. It's bulletproof, 84 00:06:13,279 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: it can't be lit on fire. It has a heart 85 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:17,600 Speaker 1: sensor monitor in it. It's connected to fucking WiFi. If 86 00:06:17,600 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: someone calls Phoenix, it connects to a headset in his helmet. 87 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: My suit does its job. It's made of de three 88 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: oh non Anttonian fluid. That means it's soft to touch, 89 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: but it gets harder when you hit it with force. 90 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:31,120 Speaker 1: My suit is so awesome that the government of Seattle 91 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: said I couldn't wear it anymore because it gave me 92 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 1: too much protection if they decided they wanted to get me. 93 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 1: Before long, Phoenix became a local celebrity. Several nights a 94 00:06:41,040 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 1: week he carried out patrols of downtown Seattle, where he'd 95 00:06:44,160 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: searched for criminals to apprehend or those in need, and 96 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 1: people came up to him and asked for photos. Reporters 97 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: flew in from all over the world to interview him. 98 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: Writer and broadcaster John Ronson even did a profile of 99 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: him for g Q. Phoenix cent go to Bowtown to 100 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: break up a kind of crack deals. There was about 101 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:08,040 Speaker 1: five or six different groups of crack dealis on different 102 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 1: street corners, and they came back and walked towards us, 103 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: and Phoenix said, are we standing? Are we leaving? They 104 00:07:17,960 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: all said was standing. It helped that Phoenix had something 105 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: the other superheroes and the comic books didn't. His own 106 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:30,000 Speaker 1: media strategy. He filmed his exploits and posted the videos online. 107 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: He even added his own commentary, All douchebags depicted in 108 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,160 Speaker 1: these videos are innocent until proven guilty in a court 109 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: of law. One thing's for sure, it's fun as hell 110 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: to watch videos of Phoenix taking down bad guys. One 111 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: of my favorites is a video titled Phoenix Jones versus 112 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: Helicopter Dick, which is a surprisingly accurate description of what 113 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: went down that night. Phoenix rolls up to a bar 114 00:07:56,440 --> 00:07:59,480 Speaker 1: where something bad is clearly going down. According to a 115 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,080 Speaker 1: caption in the video, a guy has exposed himself to 116 00:08:02,120 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: some women at the bar, and then attacked a bouncer, 117 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,240 Speaker 1: and Phoenix is talking to the bouncer While they're chatting, 118 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: the suspect appears, pulls his dick out again and starts 119 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: twirling it while yelling Helicopter Dick. Phoenix rushes over and 120 00:08:18,080 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: grabs the guy by the ear like an angry father 121 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 1: disciplining his kid, and drags him down the sidewalk until 122 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: someone steps in and pulls them apart, but Helicopter Dick, 123 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,600 Speaker 1: who's clearly drunk, lunges at Phoenix. Phoenix takes a step 124 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: back and says to the guy, if you do that again, 125 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: I will pepper spray. Eventually, the police come and cuff 126 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: Propeller Phenis and load him into the back of a 127 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 1: squad car, while Phoenix has a quick chat with one 128 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: of the officers, telling him that he has the whole 129 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: thing on video and can hand it over to them 130 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: for evidence. Phoenix says, when you start showing your drunk 131 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,240 Speaker 1: two girls, that's a different kind of sick and you 132 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,160 Speaker 1: end up in a police car. He signs off with 133 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: his signature raised have a good night and I'll see 134 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: you in the streets. Not all the videos that Phoenix 135 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,960 Speaker 1: posts are about crime fighting. Sometimes he makes videos hyping 136 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: himself up. You want to blaze now, man, I'm already 137 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:19,320 Speaker 1: blazing blaze an attractive son. Wow, got my gold spiny 138 00:09:19,320 --> 00:09:23,559 Speaker 1: glue boots on? How could you beat that? Wasna? Yeah? Man, seriously, 139 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: I make Elton John looks straight right now. That's the 140 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: sub he gets vulnerable. I wanted to be a superhero 141 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,960 Speaker 1: my whole life. The first year fighting crime, I was arrested. 142 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,200 Speaker 1: I've been shot, I've been stabbed. So many bad things 143 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: happened to me for something that I believed in. And 144 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: this is real as it gets. He buys ice cream 145 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: for kids. The ice cream Shucks showed up in my neighborhood, 146 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: so I bought all the kids ice cream because I'm 147 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: rich now so I can do crazy things. And even 148 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: if he is the self proclaimed greatest living superhero and 149 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: a model of perfection, he still likes to sing in 150 00:09:58,400 --> 00:10:10,840 Speaker 1: the car like us Mortal Superman, god Man. I'm only one, 151 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: and it seems that being a superhero comes with perks. 152 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: He's landed several sponsorship deals with local health and fitness brands. 153 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:23,120 Speaker 1: After a hard workout, it's pretty much only long thing 154 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: that your boy needs and thank god they gave me 155 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: the Secret Souls epic smoothie Baby. He even got invited 156 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: on a press tour to England to promote a new 157 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: model of cell phone. Phoenix became a sensation. He seemed 158 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: to tap into people's mistrust of the institutions that are 159 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: supposed to keep us safe. But long before his drug charges, 160 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 1: Phoenix Jones was not popular with Seattle's law enforcement. In 161 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: one video, Phoenix comes across a bartender on the street 162 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,880 Speaker 1: who says a guy assaulted him. Phoenix sees the suspect 163 00:10:55,960 --> 00:11:01,719 Speaker 1: in a bloody shirt outside the bark. Don't give me 164 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,240 Speaker 1: a nine one one call police, thank you, and Chase ensues. 165 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: The suspect hides in the back of a truck and 166 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: Phoenix and his sidekick pretend that they don't know where 167 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 1: he is while they call the police. But when the 168 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: police arrive on the scene, they see more piste off 169 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:25,000 Speaker 1: at Phoenix than the alleged criminal. Um gonna talk to me, 170 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: Phoenix tells the police, Yes, video, that would be useful evidence, 171 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: but we have to give you a statement in our video, 172 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,559 Speaker 1: and they don't seem interested. Well, could I could? I 173 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: could have an Internet number, though, please, because I'd like 174 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: to file all my stuff. No, it's gonna work. The 175 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: video stops. Text appears on the screen, which criticizes the 176 00:11:49,920 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: Seattle Police for their incompetence and says that Phoenix is 177 00:11:53,760 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: going to file a formal complaint. It ends, quote, it 178 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: is the job of the police to arrest and investigates 179 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: suspected criminals. Your feelings about my protective outfit and your 180 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 1: politics should not impair your legal obligation to the people. Sincerely, 181 00:12:11,520 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 1: Phoenix Jones. This scenario plays out time and time again 182 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 1: on Phoenix's YouTube channel. Whenever he encounters a criminal, he 183 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: detains them, calls one, and waits for the police to 184 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,079 Speaker 1: arrive on the scene, the same police that he says 185 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 1: are about to get him. I've been arrested a hundred 186 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: eighteen times. I've only had four charges ever stick, and 187 00:12:35,840 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: none of the charges of the Phoenix Jones have ever 188 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: stuck because I'm flawless at that job. The police have 189 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: repeatedly told Phoenix to leave the crime fighting to them. 190 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: Unless you are the victim of a crime, you are 191 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: not allowed to corner somebody holds somebody. You cannot do 192 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: that because then it becomes a crime where you are 193 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:59,760 Speaker 1: the suspect. And they have also taken to the media 194 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: to discourage copycat superheroes. Well, they say it's not illegal 195 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: to dress up and calls him and patrol, but they're 196 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 1: asking the superheroes to just call nine. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the 197 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:15,199 Speaker 1: dislike between the police and Phoenix is mutual. The police 198 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:17,200 Speaker 1: are just a gang man. I mean, I hate to 199 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:18,920 Speaker 1: be like that, but they're a gang. And then people 200 00:13:18,920 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 1: are gonna get mad at me for this, but that's 201 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: because you're stupid. As Phoenix got more famous, the tension 202 00:13:24,360 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: between him and the police escalated. When it finally boiled over, 203 00:13:28,679 --> 00:13:31,320 Speaker 1: it's spilled out of the superhero world and into his 204 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: civilian life with disastrous consequences. But we'll get to all 205 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 1: that later. First we've got to meet Phoenix's superhero ancestors. 206 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 1: That's coming up. Phoenix Jones was not the first person 207 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: to dawn a mask an attempt to become a real superhero, 208 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,680 Speaker 1: but it's hard to know for sure who the first 209 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,319 Speaker 1: the original real life superhero was. Some say it was 210 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: Master Legend, and that's a lesson for all those people 211 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 1: who like to abuse little kids. In the nineties, he 212 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: was a fixture on the streets of New Orleans, handing 213 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 1: out water to the homeless in a cape and stormtrooper 214 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: vest with long hair sticking out from under an old 215 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: army helmet. And he's still at it today in Florida, 216 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: though his methods are questionable. Here he is shooting eggs 217 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: out of a cannon he made out of PBC pipe 218 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: and spray painted silver. Master Legend hard boil the eggs. 219 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:45,200 Speaker 1: There there it is the yep splattered. He's one of 220 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 1: the only real life superheroes who claims to have supernatural powers, 221 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: super strength, speed, and the ability to see the future. 222 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: There's even a TV show about his life, The Legend 223 00:14:57,440 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: of Master Legend. Who are you? I'm Master Legend. I'm 224 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 1: a real life superhero registered in two counties. I love 225 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 1: Master Legend, but the idea that he fights crime was 226 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: beer gut and goofy outfit does seem a bit preposterous, 227 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: more like a piece of performance art than an effective 228 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: crime fighter. And before Master Legend was Master Legend, there 229 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:37,320 Speaker 1: was Willie Perry, a k a. The Birmingham Batman. Willie 230 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:41,960 Speaker 1: drove around Birmingham, Alabama, and a souped up nine thunderbird 231 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: with a Batman license plate and rescue ship painted on 232 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: the hood. Mostly he focused on helping stranded motorists car 233 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 1: he'll flitch out, I didn't. He was fair and I 234 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: was stranded. I was only how me and my kids 235 00:15:56,400 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: who won't stopped to him, And along came It's strange 236 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 1: m And in nineteen sixty Chicago, a school teacher called 237 00:16:07,120 --> 00:16:12,360 Speaker 1: Jim Phillips called himself the Fox. It said that he 238 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 1: took his name from the Fox River, which runs through 239 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:20,760 Speaker 1: northern Illinois west of Chicago. He defended his community against 240 00:16:20,840 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: the heartless corporations that were dumping toxic waste into rivers. 241 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 1: His calling card was a note signed with a fox 242 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: face and the place of the letter Oh. Legend has 243 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: it he'd canoe down the river to put caps on 244 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: drainage pipes that were releasing pollutants into the water. Once 245 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:41,479 Speaker 1: he even dumped fifty pounds of sewage from Lake Michigan 246 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: into the office of the company responsible for its sort 247 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 1: of one man guerrilla force against pollution. He has become 248 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 1: a local hero sorts. And then there are groups like 249 00:16:54,520 --> 00:16:58,480 Speaker 1: the Guardian Angels, a nonprofit started in New York City 250 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy nine by Curtis Sliwa, who recently ran 251 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:05,200 Speaker 1: from mayor of New York City. We are going to 252 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,480 Speaker 1: do what we can in a nonviolent way, without having 253 00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:12,159 Speaker 1: any weapons available to us whatsoever, to curb this violent 254 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,560 Speaker 1: crime that is on a continuous round page. The Guardian 255 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 1: Angels started by patrolling the subway in New York, a 256 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,480 Speaker 1: bit like Phoenix Jones on the streets of Seattle, and 257 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: their numbers grew. Today there are thousands of members spread 258 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: out in chapters around the country. Also like Phoenix, the 259 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: Guardian Angels prided themselves on their ability to stop crime 260 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:37,119 Speaker 1: without carrying guns, but there are lots of examples of 261 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: groups who did arm themselves, like the Minutemen, for example. 262 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 1: A few different groups using that name have been around 263 00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: since the early two thousands, and they execute armed border 264 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 1: patrols looking for undocumented immigrants. They named themselves after the 265 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: civilian militia groups who fought during the American Revolutionary War. 266 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 1: Robert Crook's sixty seven year old retire reef less Vegas 267 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,639 Speaker 1: patrols the US Mexican border and treks what he calls 268 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 1: invaders and enemies of the United States of America did 269 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,320 Speaker 1: not come in this way and if they do, I'll 270 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:16,679 Speaker 1: be your wait for watching. And long before any of 271 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: these groups, there was the Bald Knaubers, this group that 272 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 1: wore masks and executed vigilante justice in the wild West. T. 273 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: Crulos is the author of the book Heroes in the 274 00:18:33,080 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: Night Inside the real life superhero Movement. I put a 275 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 1: research into any sort of vigilante movement that I thought 276 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:48,320 Speaker 1: might be sort of a president for the real life superheroes. 277 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: The Bald Nabbers dispensed vigilante justice in Missouri from nine. 278 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,640 Speaker 1: They took their name from a mountaintop where they met. 279 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:02,320 Speaker 1: Their leader was a bar owner named Nathaniel and Kenny. 280 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,159 Speaker 1: They wore soup coats backwards and donned homemade masks with 281 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: devil horns protruding from the top and red and white 282 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:13,000 Speaker 1: stitching around their eyes and mouth. It must have been 283 00:19:13,280 --> 00:19:16,439 Speaker 1: a terrifying sight to see them tearing across the plains 284 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: on horseback with their whips in hand, looking to kill 285 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:24,880 Speaker 1: suspected horse thieves. Each member of the group lived by 286 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: this oath. Our purpose is to punish the evil doer 287 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: among us. The courts have failed us, we administer punishment 288 00:19:33,560 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: to those the arm of the law cannot or will 289 00:19:36,560 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 1: not reach in doing this, we do not break the 290 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: law because we have no evil intent. So they started 291 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: out by, you know, hanging people that were cattle thieves 292 00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:52,880 Speaker 1: or stuff like that. But as their rain sort of 293 00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: went on, they became a little bit more petty, like 294 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: you could be visited by the Bald Knobbers and whipped 295 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:03,440 Speaker 1: if you were accused of being ordinary. And it wasn't 296 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: just people with an irritable disposition that the Knobbers went after. 297 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,320 Speaker 1: Back then, many of the poorer couples in the community 298 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: couldn't afford to pay marriage license fees, so they were 299 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,159 Speaker 1: technically not married, but lived together as though they were. 300 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:21,120 Speaker 1: The bald Knobbers believed these unwed couples were living in sin, 301 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: and so they went around beating them. One day, some 302 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:26,880 Speaker 1: of the Knobbers set out to kill a man who 303 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 1: criticized them. They ended up killing two of his family 304 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:33,720 Speaker 1: members in a shootout, and they were jailed. Their leader 305 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: was also killed, and, as Crulos writes in his book, 306 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,920 Speaker 1: the condemned Knobbers were hung on a poorly constructed gallows 307 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: in a scene described as gruesome. The knobbers feet dragged 308 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:52,520 Speaker 1: on the ground as they writhed in pain. The gallows 309 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: were quickly fixed and the knobbers were hung again. It's 310 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:00,359 Speaker 1: kind of an example of vigilanteism that spun out control. 311 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: One of the main arguments I've heard people make against 312 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: the real life superhero movement is that they are nothing 313 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: more than modern day bald knobbers, vigilantes, people who take 314 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: the law into their own hands. But Phoenix and the 315 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: other real life superheroes I've met don't consider themselves vigilantes 316 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,879 Speaker 1: because when they apprehend a criminal, they immediately call and 317 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: hand them over to the police so they can be 318 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:35,280 Speaker 1: prosecuted within the legal system. In fact, Phoenix argues that 319 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 1: it's the police, not superheroes like him, that act like 320 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: they're above the law. It's one of the reasons he's 321 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 1: not a fan of the cops. The job for the 322 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 1: police union is to make sure the police officers do 323 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 1: not get in trouble, right, they have the inner policing system. 324 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: All the inner policing system is run by police. There's 325 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:57,159 Speaker 1: no outside accountability in the police department at all. There 326 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: are lots of examples throughout American history where the police 327 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: have often been protected from punishment by the very system 328 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: that is supposed to keep them in check. So where 329 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 1: does that leave Phoenix Jones. Well, it's complicated. He relies 330 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 1: on the police to complete the work he started, but 331 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: he despises the way they do their job. Phoenix isn't 332 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,000 Speaker 1: alone in his standoff with the cops though, After all, 333 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 1: what's a superhero without sidekicks? That's coming up, you know how. 334 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 1: In the Batman series, Commissioner Gordon shined a giant bat 335 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:47,520 Speaker 1: chick spotlight into the sky whenever a hero was needed 336 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: to save Gotham City the bat signal. Well, Phoenix Jones 337 00:22:55,440 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: never had one of those, but his rise to fame 338 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,680 Speaker 1: turned him into the human uivalent of that call to action. 339 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,639 Speaker 1: Because as news stories about Phoenix spread around the world 340 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: of him stopping car thieves and breaking up street fights, 341 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: regular citizens were inspired to join him in his fight 342 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:16,520 Speaker 1: against evildoers, and before long, Phoenix had a crew of 343 00:23:16,560 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 1: masked Avengers who fought crime by his side. Together, this 344 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: band of ragtag heroes, former soldiers, reformed criminals, aspiring activists, 345 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:31,159 Speaker 1: and medics all patrolled the streets of Seattle under the 346 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:35,359 Speaker 1: leadership of Phoenix, striking fear into the heart of Seattle's 347 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:40,840 Speaker 1: criminal underworld. They called themselves the rain City Superheroes, and 348 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: the media ate it up. Brain City superhero crime fighting movement, 349 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: life superhero live superheroes, real life superheroes, Digilanni crime stoppers 350 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: in Seattle, the Patrol Seattle, looking for crime, prepared to 351 00:23:54,640 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: fight it? Are they for real? To find find out 352 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 1: more about Phoenix, I needed to speak to the one 353 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:06,040 Speaker 1: group of people who knew his crime fighting days better 354 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: than anyone else. Shirt left. When you watch any video 355 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: of the rain City Superheroes on Patrol, it's easy to 356 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 1: see where they got so much media coverage. They are 357 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:23,680 Speaker 1: a spectacle. Phoenix wears his black and gold super suit 358 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:26,119 Speaker 1: and he does look like a superhero from a movie, 359 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:28,680 Speaker 1: but the rest of the crew looks a lot more. 360 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:35,400 Speaker 1: How can I put this without sounding mean ridiculous. There's 361 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 1: Midnight Jack, who claims to be a former gang member 362 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 1: with a new set of skills charity outreach, homeless hand out, 363 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:46,919 Speaker 1: animal rescue, and pedophile investigations. He's wearing regular street clothes, 364 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: black cargo pants and a black and gray fleece and 365 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: a black spiderman mask, basically the kind of kid would 366 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: wear on Halloween. There's Ghost, a veteran who joined Phoenix's 367 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:01,119 Speaker 1: band of crime fighters after returning from a tour of 368 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 1: duty in Iraq. I put on my white bandana for 369 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,040 Speaker 1: the first time and someone tried to stab someone else 370 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:09,440 Speaker 1: and I did a palm strike right in their diaphragm. 371 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 1: They collapsed, and then I was ghost. He looks like 372 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: a waiter who just got off work. He's wearing black 373 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: slacks and a white button down collared shirt and a 374 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 1: black ski mask. There's Phoenix's girlfriend, Purple Rain. She's wearing 375 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: a cross between a leather jacket and purple spandex, with 376 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,840 Speaker 1: a black leather beret and a purple mask that looks 377 00:25:31,880 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 1: like the one that's Scorpion from Mortal Kombat wears. I 378 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:37,560 Speaker 1: helped up from the sidelines, kind of behind the scenes, 379 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:38,920 Speaker 1: and then it was only a matter of time before 380 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:41,760 Speaker 1: I took on a mouth with my own. There's Evocatus, 381 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:45,600 Speaker 1: another war van. He's in black motorcycle leathers and a 382 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:49,119 Speaker 1: silver mask that covers his entire head. He looks like 383 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:51,639 Speaker 1: a cross between a medieval night and a member of 384 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: daft punk. At least once a week, ups, are you 385 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:59,239 Speaker 1: a cop? And just like, why what cop do you 386 00:25:59,320 --> 00:26:02,800 Speaker 1: know that? Looks like this but okay. And then there's 387 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:08,600 Speaker 1: Phoenix's best friend and right hand man. Uh, my name 388 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 1: is El Caballero. About protection and safety from human beings. 389 00:26:15,600 --> 00:26:19,040 Speaker 1: L Caballero looks like a cross between seventies era Hugh 390 00:26:19,080 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 1: Hefner and a Mexican luchador. He wears a purple top 391 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: that straddles the line between cape and vest. It has 392 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:30,679 Speaker 1: a purple fur collar and giant fur covered cuffs and 393 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 1: a gold embroidered dragon on the back. And he's wearing 394 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,359 Speaker 1: black bell bottoms with a tactical belt similar to Batman's. 395 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: And to top it all off, a red and purple 396 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: sequined lucid or a mask with some sort of pyramid 397 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:48,159 Speaker 1: looking emblem that he's sewed onto the forehead. This is 398 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: the camera guy. You make sure he does not get punched. 399 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,680 Speaker 1: It is very hard not to laugh out loud when 400 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:58,520 Speaker 1: you see them together. You should be lookout. The video 401 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:01,679 Speaker 1: footage of their patrol has the feel of a mockumentary 402 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: about nerds who think they are warriors, and this is 403 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:07,600 Speaker 1: pretty typical of the type of media coverage that the 404 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:10,200 Speaker 1: rain City superheroes got at the peak of their fame. 405 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:14,400 Speaker 1: A mix of look at these goofballs and a heartwarming 406 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,119 Speaker 1: snapshot of some passionate do gooders. And while it is 407 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 1: easy to mock them, you can see in the videos 408 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 1: of their patrols that Phoenix and his crew are actually 409 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:29,199 Speaker 1: doing good in their community. They help stranded motorists and 410 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: make sure drunk people get home safe. Are you a cap? 411 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:34,360 Speaker 1: Did you get my friends a ride? Back? Down? Here? 412 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:38,480 Speaker 1: They administer first aid to the injured, and sometimes they 413 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: save lives. A man was getting violent with security at 414 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: a nightclub. He proceeded to get violent with me and 415 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:46,880 Speaker 1: my group of friends. Here's a clip from the daytime 416 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: talk show Life Changers hosted by Dr Drew featuring a 417 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:54,399 Speaker 1: guy named Fabio who says that Phoenix saved his life. 418 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: Phoenix ran in and Pepper spread the guy and diffuse 419 00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: the entire situation. Dr Drew then turns to Phoenix and 420 00:28:00,840 --> 00:28:04,359 Speaker 1: Purple Rain, who are seated on stage and their superhero suits. 421 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 1: How did you hear about it? Had you? We have 422 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:08,400 Speaker 1: eaten dinner in the restaurant or you know? Most situations 423 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:10,400 Speaker 1: aren't like this one. I happened to be on top 424 00:28:10,440 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 1: of the parking garage across the street and I saw 425 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 1: the thing. That thing happened, and I was able to 426 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: There's like a little pole and I was able to 427 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:20,399 Speaker 1: jump from the top should be the pole down and 428 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:26,119 Speaker 1: get into the situation, racing over rooftops, descending drain pipes, 429 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:29,520 Speaker 1: icing bad guys. The rain Ceedy Heroes had a good 430 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 1: run from They were a fixture of downtown Seattle. They 431 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: were local celebrities, but a lot of the media coverage 432 00:28:38,240 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 1: felt like it was laughing at them rather than with them. 433 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: But it also legitimized them. They formed the type of 434 00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: bond that comes from being in the foxhole together, risking 435 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:52,480 Speaker 1: their lives for a righteous cause. But it didn't last, 436 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,959 Speaker 1: and when things went wrong, it seems to have started 437 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:05,240 Speaker 1: Phoenix's down all. Maybe the group's demise was inevitable given 438 00:29:05,280 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: Phoenix's belief that he is the only one who is 439 00:29:08,840 --> 00:29:11,600 Speaker 1: a real superhero. I'm not a part of that group 440 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 1: at all. Like me, I'm a crime fighter. I'm a 441 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: mass adventurer. That's what I do. You know what I mean. 442 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: You guys are playing superhero. I am a superhero. I'm 443 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: the world's first legally defined superhero. It's in legal documents. 444 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: The FBI has me as a superhero I'm not playing 445 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 1: a game. You guys got dressed up. I put on 446 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 1: my uniform. It's different. I tried to verify Phoenix's claim, 447 00:29:42,280 --> 00:29:44,920 Speaker 1: but when I asked the FBI about this, they said, 448 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 1: the FBI does not provide endorsements. There's no single moment 449 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: in time you can point to and say this was 450 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: the day the rain City Superhero Movement died. Each member 451 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: of the team had their own reasons for quitting, but 452 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: they all blame Phoenix in one way or another. Here's 453 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 1: Midnight Jack. Phoenix Jones was so hooked on the attention. 454 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: It was so hooked on the media following and the 455 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,560 Speaker 1: celebrity status and things like that that it it was 456 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: a problem, which kind of led to a lot of 457 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,120 Speaker 1: us kind of losing respect for him and uh and 458 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 1: wanting to be disassociated from things. Um. Admittedly I was 459 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: the last person to leave him, but you know, I mean, 460 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:34,440 Speaker 1: when you're in a cult, you don't necessarily understand you're 461 00:30:34,440 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 1: in a cult. And and that's really what rain City 462 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:39,760 Speaker 1: was at the end, was a cult. Midnight Jack was 463 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 1: not the only one referred to the rain City Superhero 464 00:30:42,200 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 1: Movement as a cult. Here's Evocatus. There's one person in 465 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: charge fundamentally, for better or for worse. If you see 466 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 1: anything that challenges this person, it all falls apart. If 467 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: you question it or ask for further clarification or anything 468 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:01,680 Speaker 1: you say, it all falls apart and you were ostracized. 469 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: It's cult like in the we had a cult leader. 470 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:09,800 Speaker 1: I guess today none of the rain City superheroes who 471 00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: I spoke to are on good terms with Phoenix. I 472 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:16,920 Speaker 1: think Phoenix Jones sociopath is what. I think he's a 473 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,000 Speaker 1: master gas lighter. I think Phoenix Jones is a liar. 474 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: He pawned a bunch of team equipment for drugs. Dude, 475 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: this this is the mafia. This is this is what 476 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 1: a mafia does. At first, the rain City superheroes were 477 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:35,520 Speaker 1: inspired by Phoenix, and they were willing to risk their 478 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 1: lives because they believed in his mission. But over time 479 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,800 Speaker 1: they came to see Phoenix Jones as less than a 480 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: hero and more of a fraud. So how did it 481 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: all go so wrong? How did the world's greatest real 482 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: life superhero fall so spectacularly from grace, alienated from his 483 00:31:56,320 --> 00:32:00,120 Speaker 1: crime fighting friends, A defender of justice who you is 484 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: to chase down drug dealers, but ended up pleading guilty 485 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 1: to a drug charge. Over the course of the last year, 486 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:11,800 Speaker 1: I've spent a good amount of time with real life superheroes. 487 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 1: I've patrolled the streets with them, seeing firsthand with their 488 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: version of crime fighting looks like, and I've gotten to 489 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:22,080 Speaker 1: know the people behind the masks. I have to say, 490 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 1: it's been a wild ride and disorienting. At times, I've 491 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:31,800 Speaker 1: been convinced that Phoenix Jones is an egomaniac who uses 492 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:36,640 Speaker 1: his superhero persona as a means to enrich himself. Other times, 493 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:40,520 Speaker 1: I've felt that Phoenix is the only sane person in 494 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: a society that has lost its goddamn mind. Everyone in 495 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:48,920 Speaker 1: Phoenix's orbit has their own version of what happened. Each 496 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:52,320 Speaker 1: of them is the hero of their own story. Honestly, 497 00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 1: I'm still trying to make sense of it all. You 498 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,440 Speaker 1: never know what anyone says. It's true, ever, right? You 499 00:32:57,480 --> 00:32:59,720 Speaker 1: should always know that. So what do you say? We've 500 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:02,640 Speaker 1: fire her up the old batmobile, take it for a spin. 501 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:05,520 Speaker 1: We've got a lot of superheroes to meet and the 502 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: truth to uncover. Oh and I forgot to mention the 503 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:13,480 Speaker 1: real life supervillains, So you better bring your grappling hook 504 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:28,680 Speaker 1: because we might get into some sticky situations. The Superhero 505 00:33:28,720 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 1: Complex is hosted and written by Me, David Weinberg and 506 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:36,120 Speaker 1: reported by Me, Amalia Sortland and Caroline Thornham. Production from 507 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 1: Mamalia Shortland and Caroline Thornham. Sean Glenn, Max O'Brien and 508 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: David Waters are executive producers. Fact checking by Andrew Schwartz. 509 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 1: Production management from Sharie Houston, Frankie Taylor and Charlotte Wolf. 510 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: Sound design, mixing and scoring by Nicholas Alexander and Daniel Kempson. 511 00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,960 Speaker 1: Music supervision by Nicholas Alexander and David Waters. Original music 512 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 1: is composed by Paul How's It Special thanks to Peter Tangan, 513 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:07,840 Speaker 1: the Unplanned America Team, Willard Foxton, Matt O'Mara, Katrina Norvelle 514 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: Beth and Macaluso, Rin Rosenbaum, Shelby Shenkman, and all the 515 00:34:12,480 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 1: team at U t A. For more from novel, visit 516 00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:17,160 Speaker 1: novel dot Audio