1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Around two thousand and nine, the rumors started to spread 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: stories of a masked vigilante jumping out of the shadows 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,560 Speaker 1: to help the citizens of Seattle. A guy in a 4 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 1: skin tight rubber suit, tall and pretty ripped. He wore 5 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: a hooded rubber mask that covered his eyes like the 6 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 1: Batman cowl. He had black gloves and a black chest 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:25,760 Speaker 1: plate molded into a six pack with a gold chevron 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:31,479 Speaker 1: across the chest. One night, a guy named Dan was 9 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: walking through a parking lot in downtown Seattle when he 10 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: came upon a menacing looking dude trying to break into 11 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: a car. Dan pulled out his phone to call nine one, 12 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: but before he could reach the police, something totally insane happened. 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 1: The masked man emerged from the shadows and chased the 14 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: would be car thief away. Someone else said the guy 15 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: in the costume stopped mugging. Another person saw him break 16 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: up a fight outside a bar. There were more and 17 00:01:08,120 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: more encounters like this. It became clear the rumors were true. 18 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: There was a dark knight out there patrolling the streets 19 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:20,760 Speaker 1: of Seattle, and he called himself Phoenix Jones. I am 20 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: a superhero. I'm the world's first legally defined superhero. I'm 21 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 1: David Weinberg in my new podcast series The Superhero Complex 22 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: from the teams at Novel and I Heart Radio. I 23 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: want to take you on a wild journey into the 24 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:42,640 Speaker 1: world of real life superheroes. All over the world, there 25 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: are people who put on costumes and head out into 26 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: the streets to fight crime, and the most legendary of 27 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: them all is Phoenix Jones. I am just a crime fighter. 28 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: I just happen to have a freaking Dobeufin. Phoenix and 29 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,600 Speaker 1: his crew sidekicks, the Rain City Superheroes, patrolled the streets 30 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: of Seattle. Their goal was to strike fear into the 31 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: hearts of Seattle's criminals. I've been in seventeen knifelights, and 32 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: I've taken down six gunmen. I stopped a sex trafficking ring. 33 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: I technically stopped a Homelight act of terror, but in 34 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: it was Phoenix who found himself on the wrong side 35 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:29,119 Speaker 1: of the law, caught with four grams of suspected cocaine. 36 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: I've spent months getting to know these self proclaimed superheroes, 37 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,880 Speaker 1: and in this bizarre world, what's real is never that certain? 38 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: Like are they actually heroes in the first place? When 39 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: you're in a cult. You don't necessarily understand you're in 40 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: a cult. This is the mafia. This is what a 41 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: mafia does. Is Phoenix a model citizen standing up for 42 00:02:51,360 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 1: justice or is he a misguided vigilante who used his 43 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: superhero persona to get away with his own crimes. He 44 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: pawned a bunch of team equipment for drugs. He's a 45 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: master gas lighter. Phoenix Stones is a liar. As I 46 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: try to find out, they'll be danger and heartbreak, friendship 47 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 1: and betrayal, and like any self respecting superhero story, a 48 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,640 Speaker 1: good chase scene here and there. This is what cromefighters do. 49 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: We run on buildings, we swinging from ropes like I'm ready, 50 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,639 Speaker 1: you know? So, how about we fire up the Batmobile 51 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:29,520 Speaker 1: and take it for a spin. And if you're like me, 52 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: maybe you'll come out on the other side of this 53 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: questioning your own beliefs about who the real heroes are. 54 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: I'm a trained warrior, I'm not playing the game. Listen 55 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: to The Superhero Complex starting on April five on the 56 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 57 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 1: your podcasts.