1 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: Novel It's late two thousand and nine, Ben Fodor strolls 2 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: into a Seattle comic book store, The Dreaming Comics and Games. 3 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: He enters a hidden back room behind a bookcase. When 4 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,120 Speaker 1: he emerges from his secret lair, he has no longer 5 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:35,479 Speaker 1: been Photor. As the comic book lovers of Seattle browsed 6 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 1: the shelves stuffed with Nightwing and Batman comics, an actual 7 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: costumed crime fighter glides past them and steps out of 8 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: the shop. Phoenix Jones has a city to save. A 9 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: Few months earlier, before he established his secret changing room, 10 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: Phoenix was sitting in the same store or chatting to 11 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: the owner, Errand about crime fighting. At that point, he 12 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: decided that he wanted to continue fighting crime, but he 13 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: realized that he needed a compelling outfit, one that would 14 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 1: make him stand out, and it would take a lot 15 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: of trial and error to get there. I had a 16 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: pair of jeans, no shirt, and like a ski mask. 17 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: Then there was a more ostentatious look. We went all 18 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: spandex with the count chocolate hate. Clearly, this was not 19 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: a permanent solution. When I first heard about real life superheroes, 20 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: I assumed that they modeled their outfits of fictional superheroes 21 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: because I thought it was cool, But there's actually a 22 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:46,560 Speaker 1: practical reason for wearing a flamboyant superhero outfit. It distinguishes 23 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: you from criminals who might also be wearing a mask. 24 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: If a cop gets called out to a crime and 25 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,600 Speaker 1: they see a guy in a ski mask, there's a 26 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: pretty good chance they'll think this is the suspect. And 27 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: as a superhero, that is something you want to have 28 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 1: wit at all costs. So Ben needed a costume that 29 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 1: would distinguish him from the criminals he wanted to take down. 30 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: In some ways, I feel like what happened next was 31 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: the moment when Ben Fodor really became a superhero. Up 32 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: until this point, he was just a guy in spandex 33 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: and a goofy hat trying to stop crime. But his 34 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: next suit is when he fully embraced superhero image. We 35 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: got this replica Batman suit off the internet and like 36 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: grinded the nipples off because one of the Batman forever 37 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: like grinded the nipples off and being a conversation. And 38 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: then we went out there and I had that one 39 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: for a while. I spray painted the gold V on it, 40 00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: and so the newly minted Phoenix Jones, with his freshly 41 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: spray painted Nippolis batman Halloween costume, took to the streets 42 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: of Seattle, and the comic book version of this story, 43 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: Phoenix would instantly start kicking ass. But this was not 44 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:56,119 Speaker 1: a comic book, this was real life. The first six 45 00:02:56,160 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: months was just then expose and stupid for starters. Not 46 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 1: all of Phoenix's gadgets worked the way he hoped. I 47 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: was chasing a guy and get broke into a car. 48 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, I'm coming after you. I pulled 49 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: out this neck and I just bought and I pop 50 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: it off. But I'm running like super warp speed right, 51 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:14,200 Speaker 1: and the neckgun catches wind and blows back and nets 52 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: me and rolls up and I land in the side 53 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,440 Speaker 1: of like a little gutter ditch right on the side 54 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: of the road has been raining, just like two inches 55 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: of water in it, right, And I landed belly down, 56 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh my god, I'm gonna drown. So 57 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,640 Speaker 1: I'm like rolling up, taking breasts and rolling up and 58 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: taking breasts. At this point, Phoenix feels a pair of 59 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: hands grabbing his back. He gets forcibly turned over and 60 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: they're glaring down at him is the criminal he'd been chasing. Then, 61 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: in a decidedly unheroic moment, lying in a ditch and 62 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: ensnared in his own net, Phoenix gets mugged. He grabs 63 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: my wallet, he punches me in the face. I just 64 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: laid belly up in this freaking rain ditch and then 65 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: filing the cop show and they're like, what's going on? 66 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: So I explained the story doing They're like, oh, we 67 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: have to take photos for such as lies. It turns 68 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: out crime fighting is tougher than it looks. Everything you 69 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: see in a crime fighting magazine. It's the pages between 70 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: the panels. You have to learn to live in. You 71 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 1: those little white bars to separate all the comic book panels. 72 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,000 Speaker 1: That's where the real crime fighting takes place. That's where 73 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:20,159 Speaker 1: all the superhero work really is. Phoenix explained that in 74 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: the comic books, you'll often see a hero on top 75 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 1: of a tall building chasing a bad guy. The hero 76 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: might be shown swing on a rope, but what's not 77 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: shown is when he's set up where the rope would go. 78 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 1: That's the part the superhero stories leave out. But as 79 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: Phoenix was figuring out the hard way, these little details 80 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: are crucial. Only weeks into his crime fighting career, Phoenix 81 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: Jones was a laughing stock, reliant on friendly members of 82 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: the Seattle Police Department to fish him soaking wet out 83 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: of the gutter. This would not stand. It was time 84 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:03,320 Speaker 1: to get serious. From the team's at novel and I 85 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: heart Radio, This is the Superhero Complex, Episode three, We 86 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: Can Be Heroes. Hearing Phoenix tell the story of his 87 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 1: early crime fighting failures made him more endearing to me. 88 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: It was nice to hear him deviate from his over 89 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: the top proclamations about being the only real superhero and 90 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: his claims that he has quote perfect at crime fighting. 91 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 1: I get the sense that his arrogance and his insistence 92 00:05:45,200 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: on being better than everyone around him has been the 93 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:50,599 Speaker 1: source of a lot of the interpersonal conflict in his 94 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 1: superhero life. The night of the disastrous net incident was humiliating, 95 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,839 Speaker 1: but one thing that you'll never see a self respecting 96 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: superhero do is quit. As soon as he'd waved goodbye 97 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,080 Speaker 1: to the police who had rescued him, he dusted off 98 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: his dirty Nipolis batman outfit and got back to work. 99 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: I stopped my first crime that same night. I hear 100 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: this girl screaming, and back in the day there used 101 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: to be a really big pickpocket and like grab iPhone 102 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: and run scenario kind of deal. This guy's pulling on 103 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 1: this girl's purse and he cuts the purse strap right. 104 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: I see him and I come up behind him. And 105 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: at that point in time, I was still a catch 106 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,040 Speaker 1: phrases too. I'm like, really deep in the stupid and 107 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: I roll up and I was like, stop, what are 108 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: you doing? You know, kind of like that. It's a 109 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: terrible catchphrase, by the way, Hey I do what I can. 110 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: You know, you think you have catch phrases until the 111 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: moment happens, you know, I say stop. The guy just 112 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: turns around. It just straight up stabs me right in 113 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: the stomach. And I had no armor. I was in 114 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: just bandex, and all of a sudden, I realized, wait 115 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: a minute, this isn't a game. You're a professional martial artist, bro, 116 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: you have skills. You are three or four time champion 117 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: at this point, There's no reason that you should be 118 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: out here yelling at ridiculous corny catchphrase. In Spandex and 119 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,479 Speaker 1: Phoenix is telling of the event. It's almost as if 120 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: he'd forgotten until this very moment that he was a 121 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: trained fighter. Immediately I switched to fight stands too, left 122 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 1: jabs in a right hand set the dude down flamingo dim, 123 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: which is duct taping your right hand to your left 124 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: leg so you can hop around like a flamingo if 125 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: you try to run. And I'm sitting next to him 126 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: and the girls taken off. At this point, I have 127 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: a purse, but I don't know where the girl is. 128 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: And all a sudden, like the brightest light shine on me, 129 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: and I'm like, what's going on? I look and the 130 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: cop who had just got me out of the ditch 131 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: like four hours earlier, He's like, no way. He's like, 132 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: Phoenix Jones just stopped the crime. And I was like, 133 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: I did. I stopped the crime and the girls in 134 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: the back of the car and everything, you know, And 135 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,200 Speaker 1: the cop comes up goes, hey, if you got caught 136 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: by this corneum, motherfucker, maybe crimes not for you. With 137 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 1: his first bad guy in handcuffs, it was time for 138 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: Phoenix to level up again. And how does an ambitious 139 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: crime fighter stay one step ahead, you might be wondering, Well, trampolines. Obviously. 140 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: I went around the city setting areas that I would 141 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 1: have things to make me superhero up and it was 142 00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:03,440 Speaker 1: a calculated, it planned out, orchestrated idea, and it really 143 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 1: really blew some of the criminals minds, you know, like 144 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 1: little things like hiding those little trampolines you can buy, 145 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: you know, like hiding them behind dumpsters and where there's fences. 146 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: Phoenix told me that he set up these sort of 147 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: booby traps around town. Not traps in the sense that 148 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: they ensnared criminals, but more like magic tricks that made 149 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: it seem like he had superpowers. He would chase unsuspecting 150 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: bad guys down Seattle's backstreets. They'd flee in horror, attempting 151 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:32,559 Speaker 1: to scramble over walls, only for Phoenix to sail majestically 152 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 1: into their path, propelled by one of his strategically placed trampolines. 153 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: I'm bouncing over the fence, flying and just land. The 154 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: dude just stopped and just laid down. He's just like, 155 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: it's almost like you are breaking the Magician's rule and 156 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:52,120 Speaker 1: like revealing the trick, you know. Yeah, but I think 157 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: that's not the trick, right. The trick is timing, being 158 00:08:55,559 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: effective and actually having the skill to do it. Because 159 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: there's no trick to what I've done, Right, I jumped 160 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:02,560 Speaker 1: over that fence, landed in front of a guy with 161 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: a knife, and you surrender. No trick. Well, the trick 162 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: I think is that you had gone ahead of time 163 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: and put a trampoline there, right, But it's not a trick. See. 164 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: That's the difference between being a superhero and being something 165 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 1: that's a joke. Right, is because I'm using it as 166 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: a tool to get over that fence to cut off 167 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:24,400 Speaker 1: valuable time. I'm just doing it in the mode of 168 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: a superhero. Other superheroes are doing things simply as a trick. 169 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: I love the image of Phoenix leaping from a trampoline 170 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: and soaring through the air to thwart criminals, but I 171 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: have serious doubts about the validity of this story. It 172 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 1: just seems crazy to me that you would know where 173 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: to place the trampolines and that they would be in 174 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: precisely the right spot during what I imagine is a 175 00:09:45,960 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: pretty chaotic chase through darkened streets. But some of Phoenix's 176 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 1: other tactics seem a lot more plausible. I used to 177 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: lazer point people all the time. Hilarious at a laser 178 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 1: pointer on the top of my thing, and I just 179 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: go stop. People would just stop out. I was thinking, 180 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:03,199 Speaker 1: like buzz Lightyear, kind of like I'm setting my thing 181 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 1: from stunned to kill. Yeah, And I would just laser 182 00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: point of him and I'd be like, don't make me 183 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: a mobilize you and they would just stop, you know 184 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: what I mean. So it's like a bluff, but really, 185 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: if you came after me, you would get beat up, 186 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: So it's not exactly bluff, right. The lasers for your protection. 187 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: You get closer to me, you're gonna have a problem. 188 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: The laser keeps you at a safe distance from your 189 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,280 Speaker 1: own bad choices. Wouldn't it be nice if we all 190 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: had lasers that kept us at a safe distance from 191 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: our bad choices. Anyways, in between zapping bad guys with 192 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: his buzz light here laser and getting caught in his 193 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: own net gun and bouncing over fences on miniature trampolines, 194 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: Phoenix did manage to stop a few crimes here and there, 195 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: and in the process he attracted some followers, folks who 196 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: wanted to fight alongside him and, if needed, help him 197 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: get out of whatever dumb mess he had made for himself. 198 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: Even the world's greatest superhero needs a hand sometimes coming up, 199 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: I meet Phoenix's original sidekicks. That's after the break on 200 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: my first trip to Seattle. When Phoenix stood me up. 201 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: I'd been messaging some of his crew from way back 202 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: in the day. I'd found Midnight Jack on Facebook. He 203 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: and another real life superhero, Ghost agreed to meet me 204 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: at the north Gate Movie Theater and the outskirts of 205 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: Seattle's city limits. The theater was in an outdoor shopping 206 00:11:33,559 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 1: center with a few cafes and the Subway sandwich shop. 207 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: It was a sunny, clear day in August. As I 208 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:42,440 Speaker 1: stood next to an outdoor fire pit, I noticed that 209 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: ash was falling from the sky. I looked around and 210 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: saw the alarm on the faces of other people around me. 211 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 1: It felt apocalyptic, not unlike a scene out of a 212 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:55,800 Speaker 1: superhero movie where everyone is confused at the falling ash. 213 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: Then we all look up to see a giant explosion 214 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: in the sky m as two masked superheroes battle Royale 215 00:12:04,120 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: and the heavens above our mortal world. But it turned 216 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: out it was just a large structure fire about a 217 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,040 Speaker 1: mile away. Eventually I smelled the smoke and saw the 218 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:22,200 Speaker 1: plume rising in the distance, and then midnight Jack and 219 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: Ghost walked up to me and introduced themselves. They were 220 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: not what I expected. I guess I thought they would 221 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,600 Speaker 1: be more intimidating. This was during the pandemic, so they 222 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: both had masks on. Ghosts looked like he'd just rolled 223 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: out of bed, flip flops, jim shorts, and a T shirt. 224 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:41,559 Speaker 1: Midnight Jack at least looked like he'd come from the 225 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: gym workout pants coffee in hand, though I remember being 226 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: surprised how much skinnier he was than I expected. Hi, good, huh, 227 00:12:51,360 --> 00:12:55,280 Speaker 1: I guess you're here to look for a ghost. Yes, Yet, 228 00:12:56,280 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: we decided to walk down some steps away from the 229 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:01,480 Speaker 1: shopping center to a more looted area with a few 230 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,960 Speaker 1: tall apartment complexes built around a scenic bike path that 231 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: ran alongside a little creek. On that bench over there, 232 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,680 Speaker 1: as grandparents pushed strollers and couples walked hand in hand 233 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: along the path, midnight, Jack and Ghost regaled me with 234 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: wild stories of their past lives. Home was dude almost 235 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 1: ripped Cabby's dick off one time, which is funny. It's 236 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,319 Speaker 1: why you don't wear fucking men's leggings to street patrol 237 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,520 Speaker 1: duly noted Cavey I'd later learn was a fellow recruit 238 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: before becoming one of Phoenix's comrades. Midnight Jack says he 239 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 1: started out in life as a criminal with a superhero 240 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 1: like ability getting away with it. I have no record. 241 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: I had a very serious cocaine addiction, specifically a crack 242 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: cocaine addiction. If you look back at my personal information, 243 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: which I won't give you, I have something crazy like 244 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: a hundred and seventy two police contacts in three years, 245 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,679 Speaker 1: no arrest, no convictions, which is not necessarily something you 246 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: should bring bragging about it. I mean, that's just what 247 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: it was. Now. Because Jack won't give me his real name, 248 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 1: I'm not able to verify his claim that he has 249 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: something like a hundred and seventy two police contacts without 250 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:14,320 Speaker 1: ever being arrested or charged with a crime. But I 251 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: will say that I find it very hard to believe 252 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: that someone suffering from a severe crack addiction who claims 253 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: to have been a very active criminal and gang member 254 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,560 Speaker 1: could have that many encounters with the police and never 255 00:14:25,600 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 1: get caught. Maybe it's a proof that real life superheroes 256 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: have remarkable superhuman abilities, or maybe Midnight Jack is full 257 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: of ship. Yeah, I'm curious about your transition, Like, what 258 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: made you stop doing crime and start fighting crime. Well, 259 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: when you stop doing cocaine, you stop needing to fund cocaine, 260 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: and so the need to commit crimes slowly goes away. 261 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:49,280 Speaker 1: So at the end of that I left the crew 262 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: I was with. I left the state for a year, 263 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: and when I came back, I was sober and I 264 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: was looking to fill my time in a positive way 265 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: as opposed to being a criminal, bad guy and a buck. 266 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: I was twenty two when I got back, and you know, 267 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: I had done nothing really in my entire life other 268 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: than crime. Jack saw news article about a guy stopping 269 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: car breakings wearing what he calls a rubber gimp suit, 270 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: but what we know now was actually a Nipolis batman costume. 271 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:18,360 Speaker 1: I was like, well, Ship, I got an little ski 272 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 1: mask that I used to use in a baseball bat. 273 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: I'll just start walking around here. So then for the 274 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 1: next six months, I walked around with a bat and 275 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: a ski mask and chased off car prowlers. And we 276 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: call them baders. It's aggressive homeless drug addicts that we 277 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: call invaders. And yeah, that was basically my first six 278 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: months of career. Jack was in a park at night, 279 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: ski mask on, bat in hand when a cop stopped 280 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,600 Speaker 1: him and asked for his name. I was like, uh, 281 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: it's Jack. He glanced at his watch eleven fifty three pm. 282 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: In a flash of inspiration, his superhero persona came to him, 283 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 1: Midnight Jack, and the names stuck ever since, legends are 284 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:04,880 Speaker 1: born out of necessity, they're not planned out or carefully created. 285 00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:09,880 Speaker 1: Now that the legend was born Midnight Jack decided it 286 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: was time to join some like minded heroes. He told 287 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: me that he fell in with a crew of decidedly 288 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,200 Speaker 1: average Seattle superheroes, all fat, out of shape, and they 289 00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 1: were so desperate to have somebody with any sort of 290 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: skills or no how whatsoever. Jack says they harassed the 291 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: odd drug dealer, but they weren't about to save the world. 292 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: Then one day he saw Phoenix Jones crew patrolling in 293 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: his part of town. He came up to me and 294 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: I was like, hey man, just so you know, like 295 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:37,760 Speaker 1: this crowd down here is more mellow that one down 296 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: there is a little routier. We already did two loops 297 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: to the block. Most of the cars are parked down here, 298 00:16:42,120 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: and this and that and that you got all this 299 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: kind of stuff, and it was he goes, who the 300 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: funk are you? And why are you telling me about 301 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: my own patrol? How did you even get here? That 302 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 1: was how I met Phoenix Jones. It wasn't exactly love 303 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: at first sight, but it was clear to Midnight Jack 304 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: that Phoenix Jones was very different from crew he was 305 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 1: running with at the time. Jones was the real deal. 306 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:08,160 Speaker 1: Jack says his work ethic impressed Phoenix, but Phoenix describes 307 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,959 Speaker 1: their first encounter a little differently. We found him night 308 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: Jack on the streets. He was out patrolling in a 309 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: very stupid way. He was out there just beating up people, 310 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: like with no abandoned just you know, I mean, just 311 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:22,280 Speaker 1: like hiding in a bush with two sticks and then 312 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: when a crime takes out, just beating someone senselessly. So 313 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 1: we found him and we were like, you should join 314 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: our squad and like not go to prison, and then 315 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,320 Speaker 1: from there it just kind of built. It might sound 316 00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:34,840 Speaker 1: like an odd recruitment strategy to make a guy you 317 00:17:34,880 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 1: found hiding in the bushes and beating people to within 318 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: an inch of their life a member of your crime 319 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: fighting crew, but Phoenix spotted a fellow costumed crime fighter 320 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,240 Speaker 1: and clearly saw something in Jack. By the time Jack 321 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: started hanging out with Phoenix, Ghosts had already been patrolling 322 00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: with him for a while. In fact, Ghost actually knew 323 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: Phoenix back when he was just Ben Fodor. I came 324 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: back from Iraq in two thousand and nine and I 325 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: found out that someone I knew from high school, Ben 326 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:05,760 Speaker 1: was doing this crazy shift out in the streets. And 327 00:18:05,840 --> 00:18:07,680 Speaker 1: you knew been in high school I did. We ran 328 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: in similar circles. I called him, I'm like, Ben, what 329 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: the hell are you doing? What are you doing? Man? 330 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,080 Speaker 1: And he invited me up to have a chat with him. 331 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:17,120 Speaker 1: We talked about it, and I was like, well, I'm 332 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: I'm going now if you don't really have a say 333 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: in that. I really wanted to know what Ben had 334 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: been like when they were growing up, But Ghost was 335 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,600 Speaker 1: not particularly interested in talking. He seemed wary of me 336 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,000 Speaker 1: and my microphone. At one point midnight, Jack said that 337 00:18:32,119 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 1: Ghosts had been freaking out. On the way to the interview. 338 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:38,399 Speaker 1: Jack did almost all the talking. Ghost would stand to 339 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,240 Speaker 1: the side, and sometimes he would wander off, like twenty 340 00:18:41,359 --> 00:18:43,840 Speaker 1: or thirty yards away from us and just stand there 341 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:48,159 Speaker 1: watching From a distance. I don't trust anyone, like sometimes 342 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: I struggle with some post traumatic stress situation and that 343 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,520 Speaker 1: doesn't really help things with when it comes to my trust. 344 00:18:54,080 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: But I'm just doing my best. Ghost didn't want to 345 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 1: talk much about the old days, though. Every once in 346 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: a while, night Jack would launch into a story about 347 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,680 Speaker 1: a patrol from long ago, and Ghosts would jump back 348 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 1: into the conversation. Apparently, midnight Jack used to carry a 349 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 1: container of baking flower to throw it people. One time, 350 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:14,880 Speaker 1: he was about to douse a local pervert and flower 351 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: when Ghosts stepped in. Almost flowered this homeless dude and 352 00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:21,560 Speaker 1: a wheelchair. They had one leg, but he had his 353 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,119 Speaker 1: dick out and he was following women back from the club, 354 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: jacking off, yelling aggressive sexual things. You're talking me out 355 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 1: of flowering that guy because he was in a wheelchair. 356 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: I was gonna flower him and then I was gonna 357 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,120 Speaker 1: push him over. I got the sense based on this 358 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:38,719 Speaker 1: story and videos I've seen of Phoenix's patrols, the Ghost 359 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: often played this role. Phoenix described him as a level 360 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: headed analyst rather than a brawler. Ghost as a specific 361 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:50,280 Speaker 1: intel slash observational job, and he's amazing at that. But 362 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 1: Ghost can't run into an altercation and take people out. 363 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,399 Speaker 1: These days, Ghost doesn't go out on patrol, but he 364 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: continues to fight crime. He says his efforts are now 365 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:01,919 Speaker 1: focused on catching pedophile else online By posing as a 366 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,199 Speaker 1: fourteen year old boy, I set up these fake profiles, 367 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 1: and I have at least ten detectives that work with me, 368 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: and to any pedophiles out there, it's always me, so 369 00:20:11,200 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: keep that in mind. I came away from my first 370 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: encounter with real life superheroes. I'm not really sure what 371 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 1: to make of them. On that first trip to Seattle, 372 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: before I met Phoenix, I was skeptical of a lot 373 00:20:24,600 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: of their claims, but I admire their ambition and their 374 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 1: desire to do good in the world, even if a 375 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: lot of their escapades seemed a little absurd. I also 376 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: got a kick out of all the petty infighting that 377 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:38,600 Speaker 1: seemed to consume a lot of the superheroes time. I 378 00:20:38,640 --> 00:20:40,879 Speaker 1: was only just learning what kind of person puts on 379 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:43,679 Speaker 1: a costume and takes the law into their own hands. 380 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:46,959 Speaker 1: But maybe it shouldn't have surprised me that a lot 381 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: of them have big egos that can lead to personality clashes. 382 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 1: Despite the bickering, they did seem to have a solid 383 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: system in place for organizing patrols and vetting new recruits. Sometimes, 384 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:01,680 Speaker 1: when Phoenix at interviews with the media, he would give 385 00:21:01,680 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: out a phone number that people could call if they 386 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,439 Speaker 1: wanted to get in touch with him. That phone number 387 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:10,119 Speaker 1: went directly to Ghost and one day he got a 388 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:12,960 Speaker 1: call from a new guy who said he was interested 389 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: in joining the team. We hit it off instantaneously because 390 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:21,239 Speaker 1: we understood that it's not a game, that's not some 391 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: kind of trivial thing you could just jump into. The 392 00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: guy on the other end of the phone was about 393 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:29,639 Speaker 1: to become the latest member of Phoenix's crew and one 394 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: of Phoenix's best friends. He called himself El Caballero. Of 395 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:38,880 Speaker 1: all the real life superheroes I've hung out with, El 396 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: Caballero was the one who surprised me the most. Before 397 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: I met him, I had formed my opinion based on 398 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:47,879 Speaker 1: videos of him patrolling with Phoenix's team, and to be honest, 399 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:50,399 Speaker 1: I thought he was the most ridiculous of the bunch. 400 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: His superhero costume was really absurd. He wore a luchador 401 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:58,399 Speaker 1: mask and a purple cape vest thing with a gold 402 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:02,000 Speaker 1: embroidered dragon and l bottoms. He was the guy a 403 00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:04,920 Speaker 1: midnight Jack had talked about who nearly got his junk 404 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:08,439 Speaker 1: pulled off on patrol. And of course his name was 405 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,399 Speaker 1: El Caballero Gentleman or night in Spanish, which for a 406 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:16,679 Speaker 1: white guy just seemed like an odd choice. Based on 407 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: all of this, I had an idea in my head 408 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:24,640 Speaker 1: of who Cabby was, but then I actually met him. 409 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: El Caballero agreed to meet me, of all places, at 410 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: a Mexican restaurant. He doesn't live in Seattle anymore, and 411 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: he asked to keep his exact location a secret. He 412 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,240 Speaker 1: says there are a lot of bad dudes he's apprehended 413 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: over the years, who he thinks are keen to track 414 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:42,120 Speaker 1: him down and enact revenge. It's peaceful where he lives now, 415 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,640 Speaker 1: a small town about an hour and a half outside 416 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: of Seattle. He left the city a few years ago 417 00:22:47,119 --> 00:22:49,280 Speaker 1: and has settled into a quiet life with his wife. 418 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,600 Speaker 1: They live in a trailer park in the forest. Cabby 419 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: chose the Mexican restaurant to meet because it was close 420 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:56,639 Speaker 1: to his home. It had nothing to do with his 421 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: superhero name. I got there a little early and took 422 00:22:59,720 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: a sea in a booth, Mexican pottery and colorful Spanish 423 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: tile line of walls. When he walked into the restaurant, 424 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:09,320 Speaker 1: I didn't recognize him. It came over to me and 425 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: introduced himself, and I was immediately entranced by his eyes. 426 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,760 Speaker 1: Cabby has hypnotic blue eyes that feel like tractor beams 427 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:21,320 Speaker 1: into your soul. There's a depth to Cabby that totally 428 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: surprised me. He's a deeply spiritual person, but also very intimidating. 429 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,320 Speaker 1: He's a big guy, covered in tattoos. He had on 430 00:23:29,359 --> 00:23:32,680 Speaker 1: a denim jacket over a brightly colored shirt. His appearance 431 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,359 Speaker 1: hides a gentle, thoughtful side that I hadn't expected. We 432 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: sat in the restaurant for a while. I ordered some 433 00:23:38,280 --> 00:23:40,360 Speaker 1: food and Cabby had a couple of drinks and ordered 434 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: a burrito to take home to his wife. Then we 435 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,119 Speaker 1: got some beers from the gas station and sat in 436 00:23:45,119 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 1: my car chatting in the parking lot between the restaurant 437 00:23:47,960 --> 00:23:52,159 Speaker 1: and Cabby's trailer. One of his neighbor's sauce and wandered 438 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: over to see what we were up to. Hey, we're 439 00:23:56,560 --> 00:23:59,359 Speaker 1: just doing an interview. We're doing an interview for the internet, 440 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 1: all right, it sounds good. All these kids, thank you. 441 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:10,280 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna how should I talk? Is this a 442 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 1: good level to talk in? And talk? When I talk, 443 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:20,119 Speaker 1: I generally talk talk like this, and yeah, sharing the 444 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:23,840 Speaker 1: story and telling the thing about the things of the story. 445 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:26,720 Speaker 1: It sounds good. Cabby has lived all over the world. 446 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,440 Speaker 1: His dad was in the U. S Military and worked 447 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,320 Speaker 1: for NATO. So Cabby spent part of his childhood living 448 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:34,960 Speaker 1: in Europe. After I saw the Berlin wall fall, it 449 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:38,200 Speaker 1: was like eleventh grade, twelfth grade, and I moved back 450 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: to America in small town. I'm a little bit of 451 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:45,679 Speaker 1: a artist and creative person, and growing up in Europe 452 00:24:45,680 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: and then coming to America, whatever, some of my mannerisms 453 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 1: made people think certain things or whatever, and they made 454 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: judgments on me. And there was like skin heads and 455 00:24:55,840 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: all this other not traditional skins, but some negative Nazi 456 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 1: white power skins, and like one threw me down the 457 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: steps and teachers were like, oh, that's all right, that's 458 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 1: all good or whatever, and so I experienced that, and 459 00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: I was like, no one should suffer this, like, let 460 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:17,240 Speaker 1: alone myself. And so like I went from someone who 461 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 1: was very sensitive, artistic and still am I believe to 462 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:24,560 Speaker 1: someone who was trained to protect myself and then even 463 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 1: trained to protect other people. I tried to join the military, 464 00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:32,159 Speaker 1: but have irregular heartbeats. Even though he couldn't become a soldier, 465 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: Katy wanted to be a protector of humanity in some way. 466 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: He got into martial arts and pursued a career in 467 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: social work. I was doing caregiving and helping developmentally disabled 468 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:45,960 Speaker 1: people and stuff like that. Some of my clients were 469 00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:49,439 Speaker 1: really intense, had violent tendencies, and so the company I 470 00:25:49,480 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 1: worked for sent me to them because I had already 471 00:25:52,400 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 1: been trained, not with them, but with other things with 472 00:25:55,640 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: martial arts and de escalation and things like that. Cabby 473 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 1: was also an avid reader of history, and in his 474 00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:05,800 Speaker 1: studies he came across a template for the type of 475 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: heroism that he wanted to emulate, the Knights Templar. It's 476 00:26:10,920 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: an ancient chivalric order dedicated to protecting pilgrims and widows 477 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,480 Speaker 1: and orphans and the downtrodden and anyone else. Although the 478 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: actual Knights Templar were destroyed around the year seven, the 479 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:26,359 Speaker 1: revivalist group the Cabby was involved with paid homage to 480 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,439 Speaker 1: the medieval order and dubbed Cabby their new Knight. I 481 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: swore on the Holy Bible in front of legal witnesses, 482 00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:34,480 Speaker 1: and they gave me a knighthood. In fact, I have 483 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,640 Speaker 1: several knighthoods now, just based on the fact that I've 484 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 1: sworn to protect humans. Cabby took his new role as 485 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:44,040 Speaker 1: a protector of humanity very seriously. He felt a deep 486 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: sense of honor and duty as a member of this 487 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: historic order. I felt like I wouldn't be living up 488 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: to these high honors that these people gave me if 489 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 1: I didn't do something more noble with my skills. I 490 00:26:58,040 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: told Jones, I'm like, hey, it's cool you have your 491 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 1: school buddies, but let's bring on some real heavy hitters. 492 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,120 Speaker 1: It was time for Phoenix Jones and the rain City 493 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:10,080 Speaker 1: Superheroes to raise the bar so for a new generation 494 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:15,000 Speaker 1: of aspiring recruits. Things were about to get competitive. After 495 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 1: the break, we sort the superheroes from the sidekicks. Over 496 00:27:31,359 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 1: the first couple of years of his superhero career, Phoenix 497 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:38,120 Speaker 1: Jones had built a rag tag crime fighting posse through 498 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: a bit of luck and some chance encounters with like 499 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 1: minded folks. This motley crew ultimately became the rain City 500 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: Superhero Movement, an organization with a mission to strike fear 501 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: into the heart of Seattle's criminal underworld. If Phoenix really 502 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,680 Speaker 1: wanted to create the Avenger's style supergroup of his dreams, 503 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 1: he couldn't just let anyone in. The movement needed some 504 00:28:03,359 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: professionals like ghost. James Marks is a veteran. He'd worked 505 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,520 Speaker 1: in aviation mission planning for the Army and had served 506 00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: in Iraq after he got out of the service. James 507 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,000 Speaker 1: was surfing the internet when he came across some curious 508 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:23,040 Speaker 1: posts about a guy who claimed to be a real 509 00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 1: life superhero. His first thought was, Oh, come on, give 510 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:30,960 Speaker 1: me a break, I suspect. His second thought was, is 511 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: that a Nippolis Batman costume? But that's more of a guess. 512 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:38,160 Speaker 1: I remember seeing online a couple of posts and screenshots 513 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 1: of some weirdo named Phoenix Jones, and it just seemed 514 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:46,240 Speaker 1: a little larger than life personality, and I thought, it's like, 515 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:49,800 Speaker 1: what a kind of cook is this. James was skeptical 516 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 1: but intrigued, so when he heard the superheroes of Seattle 517 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: were holding an event in a bar to meet the public, 518 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: he showed up. My expectations were seeing a bunch of 519 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 1: basement dwelling causeplay nerds that put down their dice for 520 00:29:04,760 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 1: a minute to go patrol the streets or something. And 521 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: it was nothing like I'd expected. A lot of the 522 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 1: superheroes James met that day had families and full time jobs. 523 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,320 Speaker 1: They didn't seem delusional. It seemed like they genuinely wanted 524 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: to help people. After the meet up, James couldn't get 525 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: the idea out of his head. He'd given up his 526 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: job in the military, but he missed the feeling of 527 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: being on a team united behind a cause. I shot 528 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: an email to Phoenix shows. He left his email on 529 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: the Facebook post, so I'm like, okay, morning, you know, 530 00:29:34,520 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: what's the process, Like, how is this work? If someone 531 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 1: might be interested in joining something like this? And he 532 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:44,360 Speaker 1: he responded right away and his famous caps locked fashion. 533 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 1: Meet us at Second in Jackson on Tuesday morning at 534 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:53,600 Speaker 1: midnight and wear something blue, Phoenix out. So in the 535 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: early hours of the following Tuesday, James waited on the 536 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:59,560 Speaker 1: street corner more in kind of like a black hoodie 537 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: and pctical cargo pants and have this blue sash kind 538 00:30:04,320 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: of a scarf. I showed up there and found out 539 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: there's like eight other people also waiting around kind of 540 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:14,880 Speaker 1: dressed in various dark garb, each with the individual color. 541 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:17,480 Speaker 1: There was green, there was orange, there was me blue, 542 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 1: there was black, there was yellow. The superhero recruits eyed 543 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 1: each other apprehensively. Nobody said much. A couple of other 544 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: people started showing up that we're very much decked out 545 00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 1: and what looked like kind of superhero gear almost costumes. 546 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: Won't look like a Mexican wrestler. There was one guy 547 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:40,480 Speaker 1: looked like Spider Man kind of. That was Midnight Jack. Eventually, 548 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 1: in his very famous late fashion, Phoenix Jones showed up 549 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: and greeted all of us, and turns out it was tryouts, 550 00:30:48,920 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: superhero tryouts. If you want to join the gang, you've 551 00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: got to prove yourself. Phoenix was in his full suit 552 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 1: and body armor and act like his usual cocky self. 553 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: He's a very very charismatic, affable guy, clearly very smart, 554 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:12,480 Speaker 1: like just genius smart, and smile like a crack a 555 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,160 Speaker 1: camera lens. You could just leap into any room and 556 00:31:15,240 --> 00:31:17,280 Speaker 1: be the center of attention and the start of the show. 557 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:21,480 Speaker 1: Before the rookies got the chance to prove themselves to 558 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: their magnetic leader, there was a first round. They had 559 00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 1: to pass they took us around the corner, one at 560 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: the time. Your name, hold up your ready, pulled on 561 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: your masks and keep it up, you know, for be 562 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 1: anonymous in this. But okay, now what's your superpower? And yeah, absolutely, 563 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:38,720 Speaker 1: And I just kind of sat there and blinked a 564 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: few times. I didn't think of that. He's like, it's okay, 565 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 1: that's all right, that's the right answer. We boot anyone 566 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: who thinks they can fly immediately. I'm like, all right, okay, 567 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:51,880 Speaker 1: it's like, all right, you're good to go, you know. 568 00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: One of the time they let everyone else back, and 569 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 1: at least one person walked away, very dejected, back to 570 00:31:57,480 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: the car and drove off. Reading to James, this part 571 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:04,880 Speaker 1: of the vetting process was essential. There had been one 572 00:32:04,920 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: guy before my time, apparently went by the name the Platypus, 573 00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 1: who superpower was poisoned water balloons or something, which turned 574 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:15,320 Speaker 1: out to be full of peace. So suffice to say, 575 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:20,400 Speaker 1: this line of volunteer working activism draws a very particular crowd. 576 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: Once the rain City Superheroes were satisfied that the new 577 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:26,280 Speaker 1: recruits were more or less sane, it was time for 578 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:32,320 Speaker 1: the real test. Their first patrol Phoenix Jones had a 579 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:35,240 Speaker 1: very like all right, everyone follow me, do what I do. 580 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 1: Don't hurt anybody, just follow my lead. He just started 581 00:32:41,200 --> 00:32:44,479 Speaker 1: running and everyone's staring blinking at each other. Okay, well 582 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 1: hold up. With the new recruits trailing in his wake, 583 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 1: Phoenix led the patrol squad to Pioneer Square, an old 584 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 1: red brick neighborhood in the city's downtown area, for a Tuesday. 585 00:32:56,800 --> 00:32:59,000 Speaker 1: It was a busy night. People from the bars were 586 00:32:59,000 --> 00:33:01,920 Speaker 1: spilling out onto the streets, and the motley crew of 587 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,160 Speaker 1: want to be superheroes attracted a lot of attention. Just 588 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 1: a lot of cars honking as they drove by, or 589 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 1: you know, waving of people. A couple of other security 590 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: guards on parking lots, Hey, p j what's up. It 591 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 1: was like everyone seemed to know this guy, Phoenix was 592 00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:19,600 Speaker 1: in his element. He must have stopped for thirty photo 593 00:33:19,640 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 1: ops by the time we made it around the block. 594 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,960 Speaker 1: All the women, so many women would want selfies with 595 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 1: him or take pictures, or he did this thing where 596 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 1: you carry women like a bride to get a picture. 597 00:33:29,480 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 1: I mean, that was a workout in itself. But it 598 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,240 Speaker 1: wasn't just a photo op. The recruits got to see 599 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:36,600 Speaker 1: some action too. There was a couple of people who 600 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 1: had clearly gotten kicked out of the club but weren't 601 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 1: leaving yet, clearly being too intoxicated, and one of the 602 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:45,080 Speaker 1: telltale signs that she's about to go down as you 603 00:33:45,120 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 1: see someone pull off their shirt, they're like ship shortless mail, 604 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: shirtless mail Phoenix leapt into the middle of the fray. 605 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:54,840 Speaker 1: We just kind of stood back and watch him get 606 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 1: in there and talk people down. He pulled up pepper 607 00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: spray at one point, didn't deploy, but just laid in faces. 608 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: You know, back up or else are you gonna get it? 609 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,000 Speaker 1: A full year of patrolling later, James and three other 610 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:09,960 Speaker 1: battle hardened recruits who had been at the tryouts were 611 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:13,319 Speaker 1: inducted as full team members of the rain City Superheroes, 612 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:17,080 Speaker 1: and by this time James had a new superhero name, 613 00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 1: being a history nerd and uh loving a lot of 614 00:34:20,400 --> 00:34:22,799 Speaker 1: things Latin. I kind of went down the path of 615 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:27,800 Speaker 1: the Roman Army and shows evocatus. It means veteran in Latin, 616 00:34:28,360 --> 00:34:31,320 Speaker 1: and UH usually just got chopped down to EVO for short. 617 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 1: Evo is the one I told you about before who 618 00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: wears a full faced helmet a bit like daft punk 619 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:41,240 Speaker 1: and motorcycle leathers with thick protective gloves. With a team 620 00:34:41,280 --> 00:34:44,839 Speaker 1: that now included train warriors like Evo, the Rain City 621 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:50,000 Speaker 1: Superheroes were ready to take Seattle by storm. Phoenix even 622 00:34:50,040 --> 00:34:53,840 Speaker 1: had his girlfriend along for the ride, Purple. Rain Purple 623 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:58,640 Speaker 1: focused mainly on supporting victims of domestic violence. El Caballero 624 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 1: remembers the heyday of the Ray City Superheroes. Well, we 625 00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 1: were really hitting the pavement. We were really doing some stuff, 626 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:09,440 Speaker 1: from felons who would stabbed people, hardcore drug dealers like 627 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:13,719 Speaker 1: the cocaine and the cartel stuff, to identity thieves like 628 00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:19,319 Speaker 1: we hit the ground running. The team held practices in 629 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:22,040 Speaker 1: the middle of the night at gas Works Park. It's 630 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:24,719 Speaker 1: on the shores of Lake Union, a freshwater lake in 631 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 1: the middle of Seattle. The rusting remains of an old 632 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 1: gas plant still stand there late at night by the 633 00:35:31,120 --> 00:35:35,799 Speaker 1: metal ruins. The superheroes would trade skills. Phoenix taught them 634 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:38,799 Speaker 1: m A moves, and Evo taught knife disarms and other 635 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:41,520 Speaker 1: techniques he picked up in the military, and these turned 636 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,719 Speaker 1: out to be necessary. According to Midnight Jack, things could 637 00:35:44,760 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 1: get pretty gnarly out on patrol. We go to crazy 638 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:51,480 Speaker 1: ass light. We were going to work with fucking bruises 639 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:56,280 Speaker 1: and black eyes from fistfights, broken thumbs, taped up toes, 640 00:35:57,239 --> 00:35:59,440 Speaker 1: washing the mace off your body at the end of 641 00:35:59,440 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 1: a long nighte so you can get two hours sleep, 642 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 1: and going in stock shelves at the target. That's the 643 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:09,759 Speaker 1: kind of life that we lived. The stakes were hot. 644 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: I had to look out for each other. Like Phoenix says, 645 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:19,239 Speaker 1: this wasn't a game. I end up getting stabbed and 646 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:23,440 Speaker 1: Cabby was there and he's like, oh, it's all good, man, 647 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:25,319 Speaker 1: don't even stress about that. So we're talking and we're 648 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:27,480 Speaker 1: getting dress at getting stad Oh yeah, it's like everything's fine. 649 00:36:27,520 --> 00:36:29,000 Speaker 1: We're talking about our way to the car. We're driving 650 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,600 Speaker 1: back to the hospital or whatever, right, and before I 651 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:35,080 Speaker 1: get in, I like can't stop tearing up, right, And 652 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: I'm like, man, I can't get in the hospital like this, 653 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:40,440 Speaker 1: Like there's cameras, people might see it. We are tearing up, 654 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:43,319 Speaker 1: like I can't stop crying, like a stabbed Yeah, I 655 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,480 Speaker 1: just can't stop and get my ship together and I 656 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: wake up. But I'm in the hospital bit and I'm 657 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:50,400 Speaker 1: like what the cat was like, don't worry, boss, I 658 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:55,960 Speaker 1: choked you out. I was like, thanks, man, you're a 659 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:59,680 Speaker 1: genius choking your buddy unconscious so he doesn't freak out 660 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:04,480 Speaker 1: getting stabbed. That's true friendship. And it's just as well because, 661 00:37:04,560 --> 00:37:06,719 Speaker 1: as you might have gathered, Phoenix has a lot of 662 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:11,440 Speaker 1: stabbing stories. He got the chance to repay Cabby. On 663 00:37:11,480 --> 00:37:14,839 Speaker 1: another patrol in Belltown, Cabler and I see this person 664 00:37:14,840 --> 00:37:16,359 Speaker 1: and the guy's got a knife and he's yelling at 665 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:18,480 Speaker 1: this guy and this girl, and Cabby runs in and 666 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:20,880 Speaker 1: the guy turns around and reaches out and grabs Elkaboler 667 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:24,960 Speaker 1: straight in the crotch and starts grabbing his junk. Cabby 668 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:27,400 Speaker 1: at instinct grabs the guy's arm right, So the guy's 669 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:29,319 Speaker 1: arms kind of grabbing his junk like that, and he's 670 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:30,960 Speaker 1: got his arm around it like this and like this 671 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:34,160 Speaker 1: back is for on the side of the street. And 672 00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:35,799 Speaker 1: then I come through. When I put the guy down 673 00:37:36,239 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: and Cabby steps back, he's like he's holding himself and 674 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 1: he goes, you know what, man, I forgive you. So 675 00:37:43,960 --> 00:37:46,719 Speaker 1: the guy he was grabbing his nuts. It was just 676 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:48,319 Speaker 1: one of those moments. It looked like I was gonna 677 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 1: get his junk pulled off. It was hilarious. I love 678 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:54,040 Speaker 1: Cabby that way. Until I met Cabby, I never imagined 679 00:37:54,160 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 1: that superhero work would put your groin in so many 680 00:37:57,040 --> 00:38:02,640 Speaker 1: high risk situations. Anyway, flash forward to today. Of the 681 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:05,600 Speaker 1: individuals who made up the rain City superhero movement in 682 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,480 Speaker 1: two thousand and eleven and two thousand and twelve, none 683 00:38:08,480 --> 00:38:12,120 Speaker 1: of them are on speaking terms with Phoenix Jones, literally 684 00:38:12,160 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 1: not one. We'll get into the drama of all that 685 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:18,960 Speaker 1: fallout later, but despite the fracture of the group, speaking 686 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:22,520 Speaker 1: to me one, it was clear that they missed each other. 687 00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:26,359 Speaker 1: Just kind of the calm, cool demeanor that Jones had 688 00:38:26,360 --> 00:38:29,040 Speaker 1: at that time, where it was like, I'm gonna take 689 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:31,840 Speaker 1: care of business and fight some crime, but I'm not 690 00:38:31,840 --> 00:38:35,880 Speaker 1: gonna be scared about it. That was always impressive with me. 691 00:38:36,520 --> 00:38:41,719 Speaker 1: Cabby is this mix of like skilled negotiator right and 692 00:38:42,440 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 1: tactical fighter. Is a tactical monster, so he'll come in 693 00:38:45,680 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: and just do something and hit somebody one time or 694 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:49,160 Speaker 1: take them down the right way, and by the time 695 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:50,960 Speaker 1: they got something to do, they're just they're in the 696 00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:53,759 Speaker 1: wrong position. I can't tell you enough about that guy. 697 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: When you're risking your lives together, you get close and 698 00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:59,800 Speaker 1: evil got to know the rest of the team, particularly well, 699 00:39:00,120 --> 00:39:01,320 Speaker 1: a lot of the people on the team would just 700 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:04,040 Speaker 1: kind of naturally talk to me because I kind of 701 00:39:04,480 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 1: accidentally wound up as like the entire HR departments. Evo 702 00:39:08,160 --> 00:39:11,240 Speaker 1: had many roles in the rain City Superhero movement. Turns 703 00:39:11,239 --> 00:39:13,320 Speaker 1: out being a superhero comes with a lot of admin 704 00:39:13,880 --> 00:39:16,359 Speaker 1: In addition to running Phoenix is social media, filling out 705 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:20,359 Speaker 1: endless paperwork, and managing the patrol schedule. Evo was also 706 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:23,920 Speaker 1: the rain City Superhero's main chauffeur. I would leave up 707 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:26,000 Speaker 1: to an hour and a half early before a patrol 708 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 1: to start picking up team members, and I was driving 709 00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:31,239 Speaker 1: a tiny Forward Focus at the time, and I would 710 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:33,759 Speaker 1: have it packed like a clown car full of these 711 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:37,960 Speaker 1: superheroes who couldn't drive. So I would be listening for, 712 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:39,920 Speaker 1: you know, two to three hours a night of these 713 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:42,520 Speaker 1: people just kind of venting and unwinding about everything going 714 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:45,120 Speaker 1: on in their personal lives before we hit the street 715 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:48,680 Speaker 1: and put on the mask. If there's one thing I've 716 00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:51,480 Speaker 1: learned in my time in the world of real life superheroes, 717 00:39:51,680 --> 00:39:54,320 Speaker 1: and so they have a lot of car trouble, Phoenix 718 00:39:54,360 --> 00:39:56,880 Speaker 1: seems to learn from one car crisis to the next, 719 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,960 Speaker 1: both with me and with his former crew members. Over 720 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:03,840 Speaker 1: the course of many many car pools with Phoenix, Evo 721 00:40:04,239 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 1: begin to notice a pattern that made him uneasy. I 722 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:11,279 Speaker 1: guess one of the unintended consequences of me driving him 723 00:40:11,320 --> 00:40:14,719 Speaker 1: absolutely everywhere is that he would tell me these stories about, 724 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:16,640 Speaker 1: you know, what's going on, Oh my god, you won't 725 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:18,760 Speaker 1: to believe what she told me this time, or something 726 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:21,879 Speaker 1: like that. But he tells this story to so many 727 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:24,880 Speaker 1: people that he kind of forgets who he's already told. 728 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:27,640 Speaker 1: Phoenix would reel off stories to people on the phone 729 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,799 Speaker 1: as they cruised around in Evo's car. Evo would also 730 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:34,200 Speaker 1: drive Phoenix to speaking engagements at summer camps and colleges, 731 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:37,440 Speaker 1: where he'd tell wild tales of his crime fighting capers. 732 00:40:38,080 --> 00:40:41,480 Speaker 1: Evo started noticing that the details and these familiar stories 733 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:45,640 Speaker 1: started shifting. He would just hop on his phone and 734 00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:48,239 Speaker 1: you know, start telling different team members different versions of 735 00:40:48,280 --> 00:40:51,480 Speaker 1: the same story as well, seemingly kind of forgetting like 736 00:40:51,520 --> 00:40:53,440 Speaker 1: I'm in the car or that I've already heard this. 737 00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:57,400 Speaker 1: As well as having concerns about the truth of Phoenix's 738 00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:00,520 Speaker 1: claims evil, it was starting to have doubts about Phoenix's 739 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:04,640 Speaker 1: leadership style. Behind the scenes, it wasn't very communicative. If 740 00:41:04,640 --> 00:41:06,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't like on stage or if it was in 741 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:09,880 Speaker 1: front of a crowd or anything like that, he didn't 742 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:11,840 Speaker 1: talk much, or he didn't tell a lot of people 743 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:13,759 Speaker 1: like what was going on or what's the next step. 744 00:41:13,800 --> 00:41:15,640 Speaker 1: It's kind of like, if you want to be in this, 745 00:41:15,680 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 1: you gotta follow my every word and lead. In a 746 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:22,319 Speaker 1: team full of aspiring superheroes, there was always going to 747 00:41:22,320 --> 00:41:25,560 Speaker 1: be some friction, but Evo says things got particularly bad 748 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:29,000 Speaker 1: between Phoenix and Midnight Jack. They would bud heads like 749 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:31,000 Speaker 1: an old married couple and just end up getting in 750 00:41:31,120 --> 00:41:33,640 Speaker 1: yelling fights, and more than one patrol, you know, one 751 00:41:33,680 --> 00:41:35,400 Speaker 1: would just like funking, I'm out and they would just 752 00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:38,239 Speaker 1: leave the patrol, leaving a bunch of people in line, 753 00:41:38,320 --> 00:41:42,879 Speaker 1: kind of like, uh, what what do we do? When 754 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:45,160 Speaker 1: I spoke to him, Phoenix didn't deny that there had 755 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:49,279 Speaker 1: been clashes, but to him, that misses the point. Every 756 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:50,960 Speaker 1: one of those guys didn't no ship before they met me, 757 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:52,719 Speaker 1: and I taught every single one of them how to 758 00:41:52,719 --> 00:41:56,440 Speaker 1: fight crime. So people can kind of say with a 759 00:41:56,480 --> 00:41:59,440 Speaker 1: will from personality conflicts, but when it comes to just facts, 760 00:41:59,680 --> 00:42:03,160 Speaker 1: half of those guys would be nowhere without my crime fighting. 761 00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:07,080 Speaker 1: Any group of people is going to have its personality conflicts, 762 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:09,800 Speaker 1: and for a group like the Rain City Superheroes, with 763 00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:14,000 Speaker 1: it's larger than life personalities undergirded by a sense of righteousness, 764 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:17,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure it was even harder to keep everyone in agreement. 765 00:42:17,840 --> 00:42:20,840 Speaker 1: And then throwing the high stakes nature of their mission, 766 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:24,359 Speaker 1: the possibility of death or injury, and top it off 767 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:28,200 Speaker 1: with an arrogant, charismatic leader. And it's a wonder they 768 00:42:28,200 --> 00:42:33,040 Speaker 1: were able to work together at all. But somehow they 769 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:35,520 Speaker 1: did it, and maybe they could have kept at it. 770 00:42:35,960 --> 00:42:38,520 Speaker 1: But then they started to get attention, first from the 771 00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:42,840 Speaker 1: citizens of Seattle, then the local and eventually national news media. 772 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 1: Phoenix and his gang were about to hit the big time, 773 00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:49,680 Speaker 1: and the fragile alliance they had with each other would 774 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:53,040 Speaker 1: finally start to buckle under the weight of their growing fame. 775 00:42:55,800 --> 00:43:20,920 Speaker 1: That's coming up next time. The Superhero Complex is hosted 776 00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:23,920 Speaker 1: and written by Me David Weinberg and reported by Me, 777 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:28,719 Speaker 1: Amalia Sortland and Caroline Thornham. Production from Amalia Sortland and 778 00:43:28,760 --> 00:43:32,680 Speaker 1: Caroline Thornham. Sean Glenn, Max O'Brien and David Waters are 779 00:43:32,680 --> 00:43:37,480 Speaker 1: executive producers, fact checking by Andrew Schwartz, Production management from 780 00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:42,400 Speaker 1: Sharie Houston, Frankie Taylor and Charlotte Wolf. Sound design, mixing 781 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:46,920 Speaker 1: and scoring by Nicholas Alexander and Daniel Kempson. Music supervision 782 00:43:46,960 --> 00:43:51,440 Speaker 1: by Nicholas Alexander and David Waters. Original music is composed 783 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:56,560 Speaker 1: by Paul Housden. Special thanks to Peter Tangan, Willard Foxton, 784 00:43:56,760 --> 00:44:01,480 Speaker 1: Matt O'Meara, Katrina Norvelle Beth and macalou so or In Rosenbaum, 785 00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:04,680 Speaker 1: Shelby Shenkman and all the team at U t A. 786 00:44:05,520 --> 00:44:21,120 Speaker 1: For more from Novel, visit novel dot Audio m