WEBVTT - Introducing: The Superhero Complex

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<v Speaker 1>Around two thousand and nine, the rumors started to spread

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<v Speaker 1>stories of a masked vigilante jumping out of the shadows

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<v Speaker 1>to help the citizens of Seattle. A guy in a

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<v Speaker 1>skin tight rubber suit, tall and pretty ripped. He wore

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<v Speaker 1>a hooded rubber mask that covered his eyes like the

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<v Speaker 1>Batman cowl. He had black gloves and a black chest

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<v Speaker 1>plate molded into a six pack with a gold chevron

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<v Speaker 1>across the chest. One night, a guy named Dan was

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<v Speaker 1>walking through a parking lot in downtown Seattle when he

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<v Speaker 1>came upon a menacing looking dude trying to break into

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<v Speaker 1>a car. Dan pulled out his phone to call nine one,

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<v Speaker 1>but before he could reach the police, something totally insane happened.

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<v Speaker 1>The masked man emerged from the shadows and chased the

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<v Speaker 1>would be car thief away. Someone else said the guy

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<v Speaker 1>in the costume stopped mugging. Another person saw him break

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<v Speaker 1>up a fight outside a bar. There were more and

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<v Speaker 1>more encounters like this. It became clear the rumors were true.

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<v Speaker 1>There was a dark knight out there patrolling the streets

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<v Speaker 1>of Seattle, and he called himself Phoenix Jones. I am

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<v Speaker 1>a superhero. I'm the world's first legally defined superhero. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>David Weinberg in my new podcast series The Superhero Complex

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<v Speaker 1>from the teams at Novel and I Heart Radio. I

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<v Speaker 1>want to take you on a wild journey into the

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<v Speaker 1>world of real life superheroes. All over the world, there

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<v Speaker 1>are people who put on costumes and head out into

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<v Speaker 1>the streets to fight crime, and the most legendary of

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<v Speaker 1>them all is Phoenix Jones. I am just a crime fighter.

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<v Speaker 1>I just happen to have a freaking Dobeufin. Phoenix and

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<v Speaker 1>his crew sidekicks, the Rain City Superheroes, patrolled the streets

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<v Speaker 1>of Seattle. Their goal was to strike fear into the

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<v Speaker 1>hearts of Seattle's criminals. I've been in seventeen knifelights, and

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<v Speaker 1>I've taken down six gunmen. I stopped a sex trafficking ring.

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<v Speaker 1>I technically stopped a Homelight act of terror, but in

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<v Speaker 1>it was Phoenix who found himself on the wrong side

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<v Speaker 1>of the law, caught with four grams of suspected cocaine.

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<v Speaker 1>I've spent months getting to know these self proclaimed superheroes,

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<v Speaker 1>and in this bizarre world, what's real is never that certain?

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<v Speaker 1>Like are they actually heroes in the first place? When

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<v Speaker 1>you're in a cult. You don't necessarily understand you're in

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<v Speaker 1>a cult. This is the mafia. This is what a

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<v Speaker 1>mafia does. Is Phoenix a model citizen standing up for

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<v Speaker 1>justice or is he a misguided vigilante who used his

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<v Speaker 1>superhero persona to get away with his own crimes. He

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<v Speaker 1>pawned a bunch of team equipment for drugs. He's a

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<v Speaker 1>master gas lighter. Phoenix Stones is a liar. As I

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<v Speaker 1>try to find out, they'll be danger and heartbreak, friendship

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<v Speaker 1>and betrayal, and like any self respecting superhero story, a

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<v Speaker 1>good chase scene here and there. This is what cromefighters do.

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<v Speaker 1>We run on buildings, we swinging from ropes like I'm ready,

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<v Speaker 1>you know? So, how about we fire up the Batmobile

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<v Speaker 1>and take it for a spin. And if you're like me,

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<v Speaker 1>maybe you'll come out on the other side of this

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<v Speaker 1>questioning your own beliefs about who the real heroes are.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm a trained warrior, I'm not playing the game. Listen

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<v Speaker 1>to The Superhero Complex starting on April five on the

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<v Speaker 1>I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

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<v Speaker 1>your podcasts.