1 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: Novel. In the aftermath of Phoenix's arrest, there was a 2 00:00:14,880 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: lot of local news coverage of the pepper spray incident. 3 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: The same real life superheroes we introduced you to in 4 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: November are now stirring up trouble for Seattle police. Are 5 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: they superheroes or a super problem? People in Seattle started 6 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:33,280 Speaker 1: to question Phoenix's methods. Was he really out there fighting 7 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:36,560 Speaker 1: crime or was he just wandering around at two am 8 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: with a can of pepper spray looking to break up 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: bar fights. Among the many Seattleites watching Phoenix's troubles unfold 10 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: was a mysterious figure lurking in the shadows. Eventually he 11 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: would emerge from the darkness, but for now, he was 12 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: watching the coverage from his secret layer. You gotta have 13 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: a villain, can't be a hero without a On the 14 00:01:01,480 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: rain City superheroes had their detractors, but a single voice 15 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: rose above the rest. A new enemy was about to surface. 16 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome Rex Velvet. Seattle's greatest real life supervillain 17 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: was born. Though he looked more like a character you 18 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: might find on a bottle of mustache wax than a 19 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: super villain. He wore dapper outfits like velvet waistcoats and 20 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: shiny suits, sometimes with a bow tie. He had an 21 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: eye patch, a cartoonish mustache, and a flair for the dramatic. 22 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: My Dean Citty, I can recall a time when I 23 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: could leave this layer and conduct my duties proudly and 24 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: without distraction. But now he's out there while with this 25 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: silly gang of mismit power ranges, disturbing the peace. He 26 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: called himself the people's villain, and he vowed not to 27 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: rest until he destroyed the famous Phoenix Jones. It's time 28 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: to get real, Jones. The community would be better off 29 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 1: without you. You're doing more harm than good, and I'm 30 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: willing to bet that a sensible, sane majority would agree 31 00:02:13,000 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: with me. You're a nuisance, a snitch shake. He must 32 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: be stopped once and for all. Bollocks. Rex Velvet burst 33 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: onto the scene in two thousand and twelve. He made 34 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,880 Speaker 1: his entrance into the world in slick, high production videos 35 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: that he shot and released online. If this grand battle 36 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: was to be judged on the quality of the videos 37 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: they posted, Rex would have been the clear winner. His 38 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: videos mocking Phoenix and his team started attracting hundreds of 39 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: thousands of views, these days. Like Phoenix, Rex Velvet doesn't 40 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: have a secret identity. He posted his videos under his 41 00:02:59,160 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 1: real name, Ryan Corey. He's the social villain. He's the 42 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,440 Speaker 1: culmination of all those old comic book villains that are 43 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: part campy, part comically cowardly. You know, if Batman and 44 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,839 Speaker 1: Robin were to show up, the Riddler would just laugh 45 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: and run away. In his civilian life, Rex is a 46 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: video producer. He'd been watching the rain City superheroes growing 47 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 1: popularity and increasingly frequent TV appearances, but he was skeptical 48 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: about them, especially after Phoenix's pepper spraying controversy. He had 49 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: the idea of coming up with a character to call 50 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: out what he saw as hypocrisy and to hold Phoenix 51 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: to account, to make people think about, Okay, well, is 52 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: this really serving the community or is this serving an individual. 53 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: Unlike Phoenix, Rex saw his supervillain identity as a make 54 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: belief character. It was kind of like playing WWF bad 55 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: guy wrestler. This is a soap opera where Phoenix has 56 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: told me many times he's not playing a game. And 57 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: that's not the only thing that Rex and Phoenix don't 58 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: see eye to eye on. Rex said he tried to 59 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: reach out to Phoenix several times. When a friend of 60 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: his approached Phoenix in the gym on his behalf, Phoenix 61 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 1: seemed annoyed and flat out refused to speak to Rex. 62 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: I thought back then, oh, maybe we can do some 63 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: fundraising work. Maybe we can work with some nonprofits. Rex 64 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,159 Speaker 1: told me he'd done some work as a super villain 65 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: for to make a Wish Foundation. When you're being involved 66 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: at levels like that, you think, huh, why wouldn't this 67 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:36,520 Speaker 1: guy want to also be involved in charity work. Rex 68 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: wasn't convinced by Phoenix's approach. I believe you want to 69 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: lead a good life, and you see this as your 70 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: maybe method for helping. I just wonder about the tact 71 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: in which he's executing the vision and is it effective, 72 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: is it getting the results you want? And is it 73 00:04:55,400 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: serving the community or is it playing dress up? I 74 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 1: can see why Rex would have rubbed Phoenix the wrong 75 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: way with his over the top comedy villain persona. As 76 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,320 Speaker 1: you know by now, Phoenix doesn't think there's anything funny 77 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:13,080 Speaker 1: about crime fighting. I also wonder if maybe it was 78 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 1: an ego thing as well. The Phoenix didn't want to 79 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: share the spotlight. But when I asked Phoenix about it. 80 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: He said he had other reasons for his hatred of Rex. 81 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 1: His whole thing was like, oh, I thought it would 82 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:26,560 Speaker 1: be fun to like play up our rivalry and use 83 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: it as a way to raise money for charity. Basically, 84 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 1: that's not what he wanted to do. He went to 85 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: vodka he called me trying to get me to get 86 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 1: on T shirts to sell vodka and make money, and 87 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: he was talking about shopping the profits and going on 88 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 1: fucking tour. What a fucking liar. You wanted to sell 89 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:41,919 Speaker 1: T shirts go on a fake crime fighting tour and 90 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: fight each other in the city with fake fights and 91 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: sell tickets and T shirts. That's what that do want 92 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: to do? That he is a liar. After hearing Phoenix 93 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 1: talk openly about lying to the media to promote his 94 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 1: own cause, it was curious to hear him get so 95 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: fired up about truth telling. To strike back at Rex, 96 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: Phoenix says he concocted a dastardly plan of his own. 97 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:08,159 Speaker 1: I copyrighted the name Rex Velvet and took the copyright 98 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: leagal ownership of it and then told him to season desist. 99 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 1: Really yeah him. Rex never mentioned this or the alleged 100 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 1: vodka deals when we spoke, but when we put it 101 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: to him afterwards, he replied, I'll say this, none of 102 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: that information is true. This is the first time I've 103 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: ever heard of it. Rex also said he never met 104 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: Phoenix and that all his attempts to reach out to 105 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: him so they could quote meet as men and discuss 106 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: potential superhero collaborations had been unsuccessful. Just f y I. 107 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: If you search the U S Copyright Office database, the 108 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: only copyright filings for Rex Velvet are three videos and 109 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: a logo, all registered to Ryan Corey, not Phoenix Jones 110 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: or his alter ego Ben Photo. If you believe Phoenix's 111 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: side of the story, Rex Velvet as an opportunist who 112 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: tried to make a buck or maybe just promote his 113 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: work as a video producer. According to Rex, Phoenix is 114 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: stuck up and delusional, taking himself way too seriously. But 115 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: as Phoenix himself told me, history is written by the winners, 116 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: and either way, it wasn't long before Rex Velvet was 117 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: sucked into the world of Phoenix Jones and his team. 118 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: People started coming to Rex with allegations about Phoenix as 119 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:28,120 Speaker 1: if he were a real villain in search of dirt 120 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: on Seattle's own hero. The magnet of Rex Velvet was 121 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: drawing people in that really wanted to destroy, and you 122 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: get threats aims not at you, but at the hero 123 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: people would play informant on the Internet. I don't think 124 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,160 Speaker 1: he understands how far I've gone to make sure that 125 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: people aren't attacking the guy. I don't want to see 126 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: this guy hurt. I don't want to see the city attacked. 127 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: And I go, whoa, whoa, whoa, not signing up for that. No, 128 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:00,080 Speaker 1: thank you. I'm gonna put a pause on this. They 129 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: weren't all just random internet trolls either. Some of the 130 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: people coming with stories about Phoenix and about Ben Fodor 131 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: seemed like they were close to him. I'm like, wow, 132 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 1: like you call yourself Ben's friends, Like you're kind of 133 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:16,440 Speaker 1: talking smack about your your boy here behind us back. 134 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: It's funny. It's as if everyone that joined his cause 135 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 1: doesn't like him, and the only person left who really 136 00:08:26,480 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: is more than ever interested in liking him is me. 137 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: And the most sinister thing that Rex could say is well, well, 138 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: well no more, friends, guess you're stuck with me. In 139 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: Seattle in two thousand and twelve, the line between heroes 140 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: and villains looked thinner than ever. Fresh from the trauma 141 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: of the Nicole Westbrook shooting, Phoenix was going rogue out 142 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: on patrols. Meanwhile, his fellow superheroes were dishing dirt to 143 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,079 Speaker 1: his arch enemy, and soon the world of the Rain 144 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: City Superheroes would descend into costumed chaos. I'm David Weinberg 145 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: and from the Team's at novel and I heart Radio. 146 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: This is the Superhero Complex, Episode six, Kryptonite. By early 147 00:09:41,920 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 1: two thousand and twelve, Phoenix was struggling. He had clashed 148 00:09:45,920 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: with the authorities over the Pepper Sprayer arrest, He'd lost 149 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,800 Speaker 1: the job he loved working with artistic kids, and he 150 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 1: was also having to spend a lot of his time 151 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: trying to prove to the state that he wasn't insane. 152 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: A lot of his personal life it often be in shambles. 153 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:06,440 Speaker 1: His words, actually, that's Evocatus Phoenix is former right hand 154 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: man an unofficial chauffeur. He says that it was obvious 155 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,760 Speaker 1: that Phoenix was having money problems. I knew things weren't 156 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 1: going well because he would always be sniffing around for money, 157 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:20,120 Speaker 1: or one time he came up this idea. And this 158 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 1: was one of the many nights I was giving him 159 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 1: a ride. There's a long avenue full of bars and 160 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,199 Speaker 1: clubs way north of Seattle, up in the U District. 161 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 1: He pitched this idea to me. Alright, but what do 162 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: you think of this? So all these bars, all these clubs. 163 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,840 Speaker 1: What if I talked to the owners and say, we 164 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 1: can watch and pay special attention to your club, stand 165 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: out front of your club. You know, we'll end up 166 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,080 Speaker 1: a contract. It'll be all over formal, you know, if 167 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 1: you give us, you know, say a hundred dollars a 168 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,640 Speaker 1: week or something, or you know, we'll write it to 169 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: the team. You know, I'll manage the funds of course. 170 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:58,240 Speaker 1: And uh, I'm like, dude, this is the mafia. This 171 00:10:58,280 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: is what a mafia does. Your offering air quotes protection 172 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: from businesses who paid. What are you hearing yourself? This 173 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: is the worst idea and the long sad history of 174 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: bad ideas. You can't be seriously, Oh oh yeah, that's 175 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,320 Speaker 1: that strike. I guess I didn't think about that, but 176 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:18,280 Speaker 1: he would end up actually doing exactly this. I think 177 00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: maybe two out of over a dozen businesses you know 178 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: give I think one gave him like forty bucks, and 179 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,719 Speaker 1: he did with one of them, and you know, he 180 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,280 Speaker 1: would like get a bunch of selfies and like he 181 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: would kind of be like almost like an Instagram influencer 182 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: of that, like, hey, come on down to whatever the 183 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: name of the bar was. And money was a big 184 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: thing for him, and that would also affect his mood 185 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 1: pretty significantly. Evo had a theory about what was driving 186 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: Phoenix's fixation on money. He sent me text messages or 187 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: he would show me pictures of Hey, is what I 188 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: was at last night. It would be a picture of 189 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 1: him both arms holding kind of like a hug pose 190 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: of a giant stack of poker chips, and like you 191 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: could tell now this was legit at a casino, and 192 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: it's like, oh man, I should quit my job and 193 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 1: just do this full time and and be living a 194 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: high life. And the very next patrol everybody. I know, 195 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:16,560 Speaker 1: it's only the tenth of the month, but if everyone 196 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:18,680 Speaker 1: can have their dues for next month paid, that would 197 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: be great, thank you. I mean, like that would happen 198 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 1: all the time. So in my particular case, you just 199 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: flat out admit that, you know, I love gambling, and 200 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,320 Speaker 1: he's incredibly smart, and you know, probably borders on like 201 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 1: card reading levels of genius there. But gambling is gambling too, 202 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:40,160 Speaker 1: and that comes with its own dangers. Other members of 203 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: the rain City Superheroes told me similar stories. Here's Midnight Jack. 204 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: I think that he was really trying to be a 205 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: good dude in the beginning. He was focusing all his 206 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:54,679 Speaker 1: energy into this superhero stuff, and over time he's kind 207 00:12:54,679 --> 00:12:57,719 Speaker 1: of got beaten down started gambling. I mean, the man 208 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: is just not in a good place. I asked Phoenix 209 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 1: about all of this, and he flatly denied it. You 210 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: who also said that you had a gambling problem? Is 211 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:13,559 Speaker 1: that true? No, that's weird, Like what kind of gamling 212 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 1: from you were really into gambling, and that he worried 213 00:13:16,559 --> 00:13:18,079 Speaker 1: that some of the money that had been going to 214 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: stuff got gambled away, and that you would send him 215 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: photos of you at like a poker table and things 216 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: like that. That's all true, absolutely, Okay, now I know 217 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:28,319 Speaker 1: he's talking about absolutely yet. So I played a ship 218 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: ton of poker, but it would have been a hard 219 00:13:29,679 --> 00:13:31,960 Speaker 1: to have a gambling problem doing that. Phoenix told me 220 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,000 Speaker 1: he played tournament poker, where you just pay a flat 221 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:38,200 Speaker 1: fee of fifty dollars to buy into the competition. So 222 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:40,320 Speaker 1: I play a tournament every Friday, And I said, my 223 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:42,720 Speaker 1: friends pictures of me with like thirty thousand ships. So 224 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:44,719 Speaker 1: they're seeing these poker tip things and they're thinking I'm 225 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: making mad cash. But that's not how it works. Do 226 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:48,679 Speaker 1: you play poker at all? Not really, I've been I 227 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 1: went through a poker phase when it was popular, so 228 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: you understand when you bind too a tournament, the chips 229 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: in front of you are not representative of money. This 230 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:57,880 Speaker 1: seems like a reasonable explanation to me, and for what 231 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: it's worth, I believe Phoenix, but I do think it 232 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: seems credible that he might have had some financial difficulties 233 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: after his arrest. And as for charging nightclubs money to 234 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 1: protect them, Phoenix says that is one accurate sort of Yeah. 235 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:16,160 Speaker 1: I definitely suggested that, but but not in the mob 236 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: shakedown way. I don't see. I just feel like he 237 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:20,080 Speaker 1: was saying, like it's a murky line to be like 238 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:21,760 Speaker 1: some of you get extra productions and some of you 239 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: we're gonna let go. I don't think it's an extra line. Like, 240 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: for example, we had sixteen shootings take place outside of 241 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: one nightclub, and they're like, we love when you're out here. 242 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: Fuck you, bro, if you want me to come and 243 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 1: stand out front of your club, you're gonna give me 244 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: a some money for that. Like, that's stupid. We're supposed 245 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: to be helping random real crime. This is crime. It 246 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: takes place because of your establishment. So if you want 247 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: me to stand outside your stabution so you can use 248 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: Phoenix Jones to pimp that, everybody's okay, you're gonna at 249 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:44,920 Speaker 1: least paying me money for that. I don't even consider 250 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: that a bad thing. Yeah, but I definitely said it, 251 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: and I shared it with the team because you're supposed to. 252 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,520 Speaker 1: And then the money never happened, so we didn't do it. 253 00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: We just did regular as patrols. I could go on 254 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 1: and on letting Phoenix respond to the many wrongs that 255 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,280 Speaker 1: his former teammates accused him of, and in fact, I 256 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 1: spent a lot of my time with Phoenix doing just that. 257 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: There are moments when Phoenix did admit to some of 258 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: those wrongs. Other times, like with the quote unquote protection money, 259 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: it just seemed to be a difference of opinion on 260 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:22,080 Speaker 1: the morality of what happened. But at the end of 261 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: the day, Phoenix says that all of these disputes with 262 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: his former crime fighting friends are issues of the past, 263 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: and rehashing them is a waste of time. These guys 264 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: are so petty and stupid. There was just so many 265 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: more important things. I mean, even if everything they assumed 266 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: was right and everything they told you was right, Let's 267 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: say I had a crazy gambling problem. Let's just say 268 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,480 Speaker 1: these things right. None of them change any of the 269 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: patrolling or effects we did zero, So why are you 270 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: still talking about that? I do think that Phoenix is 271 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:57,000 Speaker 1: wrong on this point. Phoenix's teammates all felt that his 272 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: erratic behavior and failure to communicate did in fact have 273 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: an impact on their ability to fight crime, which makes 274 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: total sense. Phoenix was always the leader of the rain 275 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: City Superheroes, and a group is only as effective as 276 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 1: its leadership. And if Phoenix is going to take credit 277 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:20,400 Speaker 1: for all his team's success, shouldn't he also take responsibility 278 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,320 Speaker 1: for some of their failures. But then to do that 279 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: would mean that Phoenix would have to admit that he 280 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: is not perfect at crime fighting, and he won't. Over time, 281 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: the tension between Phoenix and his teammates built up, until finally, 282 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 1: one day, it all came to a head on a 283 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 1: disastrous patrol that would tear the team apart. That's coming up. 284 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: In late April of two thousand and twelve, the rain 285 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,720 Speaker 1: City Superheroes were preparing for their biggest patrol of the year, 286 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 1: but according to Evocatus, Phoenix had become an absent leader. 287 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: We patrol and we we're from three to five nights 288 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:18,280 Speaker 1: a week, and we would get wildly different results kind 289 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 1: of based on the day he said, or you know, 290 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,280 Speaker 1: if he was hurting for money, or if he was 291 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: having relationship problems or something. That would always be kind 292 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 1: of something going on, and we never quite knew what 293 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,880 Speaker 1: we would get. Anytime you didn't want to be answered 294 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:33,840 Speaker 1: to anyone or didn't want to be accountable for anything, 295 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,399 Speaker 1: he would just shot off. He would get real angry 296 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: and real pouty, call everyone traders, and would disappear. Everything 297 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: came to a head on May Day, two thousand and twelve. 298 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: May Day has always been a big day in Seattle. 299 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: Thousands of people take to the streets to march for 300 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: labor rights. There are protests all over the city. I 301 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:59,960 Speaker 1: asked Phoenix if he thought that day was a turning 302 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,360 Speaker 1: point for the team. You mean, clowns got caught as clowns, 303 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 1: and then eventually you have to ask yourself why you 304 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:08,600 Speaker 1: didn't show up. I don't think that's a turning point. 305 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:10,800 Speaker 1: I think you were bitches before and that showed it. 306 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: Phoenix and the rain City superheroes often showed up on 307 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: May Day to keep watch over the crowds and to 308 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: help keep the peace if things went awry, which is 309 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: exactly what happened in two thousand and twelve. El Caballero 310 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:30,879 Speaker 1: was right there in the thick of it. There's always 311 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 1: two big protests in Seattle. The first one was the 312 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,520 Speaker 1: labor unions and the Native rights and stuff, and that 313 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 1: was always peaceful, and there was another element that would 314 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 1: show up, well, I guess they call them black block 315 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,439 Speaker 1: They would go out and look like hooding ninjas and 316 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,879 Speaker 1: go and break windows and spray paint. And I think 317 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,679 Speaker 1: we all agree that there's a lot of corporations and 318 00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 1: entities that are ripping people off and taking money and 319 00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 1: don't really care. But there's ways to go about things, 320 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: and these people are just terrorists, terrorizing people, terrorizing things 321 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:08,600 Speaker 1: and scaring the Bejesus said, folks. The Rain City Heroes 322 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 1: didn't go blindly into these situations, They came prepared and 323 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 1: that year it was Eva who made detailed plans for 324 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 1: the May Day patrols. There's an awful lot of like 325 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: logistical planning that would go into something like this because 326 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: we have people. That was literally a contribution to the 327 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: team was to do a lot of research ahead of time. 328 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 1: How do we safely patrol? How do we access vehicles 329 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 1: if we need to get out of there? How do 330 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,200 Speaker 1: we get first ato somebody if we need when roads 331 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 1: are closed. According to Evo, Phoenix had decided on his 332 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 1: own unusual strategy for monitoring the crowds the night before 333 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,639 Speaker 1: May Day had happened. Phoenix said, tell you forget all that. 334 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,120 Speaker 1: Here's what we're gonna do. I gotta buddy of mine. 335 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:52,800 Speaker 1: He works at the front desk at this hotel, and 336 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 1: he's gonna let us go in and using one of 337 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: his hotel rooms. We're gonna turn on the TV. We're 338 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: gonna party in a music and we're just gonna be 339 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,480 Speaker 1: watching all the local news stations. And when some fight 340 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:04,920 Speaker 1: breaks out on TV, we'll put on a gear and 341 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 1: we'll run out the door and don't save the day. 342 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 1: The entire rest of us are just kind of sitting 343 00:20:09,400 --> 00:20:14,880 Speaker 1: around blinking, just what what on earth? No, I mean 344 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: by the time we'd see it on TV, I mean, 345 00:20:16,520 --> 00:20:19,439 Speaker 1: it's obviously will long have passed. Well, what about all 346 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: the research we did and all the intel work ahead 347 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:23,879 Speaker 1: of time and the Index didn't want anything to do 348 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:29,800 Speaker 1: with it. The next morning, when a disgruntled set of 349 00:20:29,880 --> 00:20:32,639 Speaker 1: rain seedy heroes gathered in a parking garage to start 350 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:36,840 Speaker 1: the patrol, Phoenix turned up empty handed. He was really 351 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:39,320 Speaker 1: really upset because his buddy or something was sick that 352 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,119 Speaker 1: day or he couldn't make it, and basically we didn't 353 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 1: have a hotel room with our name on it, so 354 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: it's kind of like, well, okay, we're just gonna walk. 355 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:49,880 Speaker 1: Then they followed the crowds through Seattle and began the patrol. 356 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 1: People of all ages had come to protest with painted 357 00:20:53,359 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 1: faces and colorful signs, bearing irreverent slogans, But even in 358 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:01,360 Speaker 1: this eclectic crowd, the superhero stood out with their costumes 359 00:21:01,359 --> 00:21:05,320 Speaker 1: and shiny masks. They jostled through the pack streets. Ebo 360 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:08,840 Speaker 1: says Phoenix wasn't sticking to the plan or communicating to 361 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:11,639 Speaker 1: the team. He wouldn't listen to anyone on the team 362 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:16,680 Speaker 1: you had people that were professionally trained medics and e 363 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: M t s. He had former military that was me 364 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, we'd have a couple of the 365 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,560 Speaker 1: former veterans from time to time on the team with 366 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 1: actual boots on the ground combat experience. He wouldn't listen 367 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,840 Speaker 1: to the inputs anytime. He didn't want to be answered 368 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: to anyone, or he didn't want to be accountable for anything. 369 00:21:34,840 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: He would just shot off. Around twelve thirty, the protests 370 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:43,879 Speaker 1: started to escalate. Explosions and pepper spray in downtown Seat 371 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: may Day breaks down to Mayhem in Seattle. Demonstrations turned violent. 372 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: There's thousands of people clogged downtown streets. A group of 373 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:57,440 Speaker 1: about seventy five anarchists entered the fray. They streamed into 374 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:00,479 Speaker 1: the downtown area and mixed in with the crowds marching 375 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 1: towards Westlake Park. They were dressed all in black, and 376 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:07,360 Speaker 1: many of them were wielding bats and hammers as they 377 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: snaked through the protest, hurling rocks and shattering the windows 378 00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:16,920 Speaker 1: of shops and banks. Police officers in riot gear clashed 379 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: with the crowds. If we are disappointed in the police, 380 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,720 Speaker 1: people launched flares and smoke bombs into the air. Paint 381 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: bombs and blood red and fluorescent green streaked the pavements 382 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 1: and buildings. The downtown streets, normally packed with tourists, were 383 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:38,679 Speaker 1: filled with the smell of smoke and pepper spray. At 384 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: the epicenter of the chaos was the old Federal Courthouse. 385 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: Here's midnight Jack. This big, huge standoff ensues at the 386 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 1: Federal courthouse where they're throwing improvised explosives into The building 387 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:55,159 Speaker 1: is occupied with people that worked there. A roving group 388 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 1: of the protesters had gathered outside the courthouse. They smashed 389 00:22:58,920 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: in the glass doors and windows with flagpoles and bats. 390 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:04,880 Speaker 1: Someone tried to fire a smoke bomb into the building, 391 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: but it bounced off and burst into flames. Phoenix told 392 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,720 Speaker 1: me that's where he wanted to be, in the heart 393 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:15,159 Speaker 1: of the action. There was twelve of us. Right we 394 00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:17,040 Speaker 1: get word that they're gonna put a bomb in the 395 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 1: Federal building and blow it up. I don't I put 396 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: out the radio call that I need my team to 397 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:23,439 Speaker 1: show up. I need to got the family right now. 398 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: We gotta get it together. Club about people, Oh yeah, 399 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: I got with Guess who shows up? El Caballero with Jack. 400 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:40,879 Speaker 1: That's it, so Cavy, Jack and Phoenix assembled at the courthouse. 401 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,560 Speaker 1: I'm looking out and see like sixty people in front 402 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:51,320 Speaker 1: of us. They're throwing stuff. Ses heros held off a 403 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,560 Speaker 1: group of sixty protest It's been I'm destroying a federal building. 404 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:58,840 Speaker 1: I'm like, where's my team at? You know, were you 405 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: at Ebo? Oh, I'm in the military. I'm big. I'm 406 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,879 Speaker 1: gonna go fight some crime. You're not gonna fight sixty 407 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 1: iron clad terrorists, are you. You're just gonna make me 408 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: look like the clown I'm standing in front of the building. 409 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 1: I got Midnight Jack, the least trained of us all, 410 00:24:13,080 --> 00:24:15,919 Speaker 1: never been in a fight with batons that don't know 411 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,040 Speaker 1: how to use. Got El Caballero in hot pants, girls 412 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: hot pants dragging on the back of his shirt, a 413 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:24,399 Speaker 1: luchador mask, and a sombrero that served no prayers but 414 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 1: to offend Mexican people, and short it was a highly 415 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: costumed shit show. We're trying to fucking stop them from 416 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,879 Speaker 1: storming the building and throwing explosives and firebombs. It's just 417 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,040 Speaker 1: me in front of that door, cleaning Mike Tyson punch 418 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,400 Speaker 1: out with the dudes who come up while Midnight Jack 419 00:24:40,480 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 1: just douses everything you can see with pepper spray while screaming, 420 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 1: and El Caballeros on the phone with I didn't have anything. 421 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 1: I was just moving my arms and holding people back, 422 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 1: and people were like, oh, that one guy. Pepper sprayed people. 423 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: Pepper sprayed people. I sprayed probably sixty people that day. 424 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 1: I don't regret any of it. If you stepped up, 425 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: asked a certain point, I sprayed you. You threw something 426 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 1: at me, I sprayed you. You try to hit me 427 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:09,760 Speaker 1: with something, I sprayed you. Go look through the world. 428 00:25:09,600 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: It might sound exciting, but El Cavallero was really not 429 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: a fan of the situation that Phoenix had put him in. 430 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:22,440 Speaker 1: There's this romanticized Hollywood version of fighting criminals, and any 431 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 1: battle I've ever been in is ugly. It feels awkward, 432 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 1: it sucks, it's lame. That whole moment in space time 433 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:36,800 Speaker 1: is frustrating, lame, and annoying. It's not sexy, it's not cool. 434 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: It's not a fucking thing that's awesome. It's lame. And 435 00:25:43,240 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: the violence, the hatred, the anger, It's like, where are 436 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: these people coming from? Why are you trying to hurt 437 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:51,000 Speaker 1: other people? Why are you doing these negative things. It's 438 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: like and then to know that people's lives are in 439 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,320 Speaker 1: danger at the same time. It's not like a cookie 440 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:15,040 Speaker 1: cutter movie. It's like real life, intense stuff. By three PM, 441 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:19,160 Speaker 1: the Mayor of Seattle had signed a proclamation of civil emergency, 442 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 1: and just before seven PM, a rainstorm hit the city, 443 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:38,359 Speaker 1: causing the crowds to finally dissipate. An independent report commissioned 444 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 1: by the Seattle Police into the May Day riots singled 445 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:45,400 Speaker 1: out the Rain City superheroes and said their involvement resulted 446 00:26:45,440 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: in allegations of assaults and crimes. The report recommended that 447 00:26:50,359 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 1: next year, the Seattle Police Department should collaborate with the 448 00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:58,720 Speaker 1: City Attorney's office to determine legal strategies to restrict superheroes 449 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 1: from creating time and interfering with law enforcement operations. Phoenix 450 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 1: took to social media to complain, this is crazy and 451 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: I am super mad. We see crime, we call police, 452 00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: and we stop people from getting hurt. That's not against 453 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,160 Speaker 1: the law. What you're saying is you don't like us, 454 00:27:18,480 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 1: you don't like that work different, and because we're different 455 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: from you, you're gonna make these rules and try to 456 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 1: shut us down. He even called out the author of 457 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 1: the report by name Michael Hillman. I hope your kids 458 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: don't have Batman posters or anything in their house because 459 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 1: you're a superhero hater. When we hung out, Phoenix claimed 460 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:40,879 Speaker 1: that Homeland Security and the FBI actually thanked him for intervening. 461 00:27:41,359 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: Homeland Security comes up to us with these shotguns at 462 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:45,439 Speaker 1: the end, and I'm thinking, so I get on the 463 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:47,359 Speaker 1: ground and you're like, what are you doing? Like we 464 00:27:47,520 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: means like, Jones, get up, You're fine. I was like, okay. 465 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:52,680 Speaker 1: They gave over, They shook her hand, and they brought 466 00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: us to this like a suv. There was this guy 467 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 1: in of like the leader of our regional branch of 468 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:02,439 Speaker 1: the FBI. Phoenix told me that the FBI agent asked 469 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:06,359 Speaker 1: him for help and identifying violent protesters from the courthouse, 470 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,680 Speaker 1: and that he said, quote Jones, I like your work. 471 00:28:10,400 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 1: He was like, I'm gonna tell the Seattle please to 472 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,440 Speaker 1: leave you alone. But you sunk up. You sunk up. 473 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: He's like, you don't think you have superpowers. It's like, no, 474 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,879 Speaker 1: I don't want superpowers. He's like okay, And that was 475 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:25,959 Speaker 1: the beginning of our relationship. I wasn't able to confirm 476 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 1: any of this. When we asked the FBI about it, 477 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:32,160 Speaker 1: they said, quote, we will not be able to provide 478 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 1: any information on this inquiry. The FBI has conversations with 479 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: individuals for a variety of reasons on a daily basis, 480 00:28:39,840 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: whether they are a witness, victim, subject, or someone providing information. 481 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: We cannot verify whether the FBI spoke to a particular individual, 482 00:28:50,720 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: but if this was supposedly the beginning of Phoenix's budding 483 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:56,680 Speaker 1: relationship with the FBI, it was also one of the 484 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: final chapters of the Rain City Superheroes. When asked about 485 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: Phoenix's view that his team had hung him out to 486 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:07,840 Speaker 1: dry that day, Eva was having none of it. It's 487 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:10,440 Speaker 1: the ultimate irony to hear that he didn't feel backed 488 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:13,600 Speaker 1: up or in reality, he was just doing whatever came 489 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: across his head at the moments. That's what he would say. 490 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 1: It's like, well, I just felt, you know, abandoned, or 491 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: you know, you guys betrayed me, or you know, I 492 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: just didn't feel like you know, you guys, you guys 493 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 1: just wanted to get up on me, or no one 494 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: wanted to follow my expertise. No, dude, you just stopped 495 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,920 Speaker 1: showing and it would be so wildly unpredictable and sporadic, 496 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:36,520 Speaker 1: nobody could trust him or rely on him, or have 497 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: any idea what version of Phoenix for getting any particular 498 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: night if you would show So that's a long winded 499 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: way of saying that's rich coming from him. Whatever the 500 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,800 Speaker 1: truth is, the way Phoenix told it. May Day was 501 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,160 Speaker 1: the final straw. That's when I stopped caring. I'll go, fuck, 502 00:29:55,320 --> 00:29:57,360 Speaker 1: they don't care. That just didn't feel different between everyone 503 00:29:57,360 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 1: after that. I mean, I guess there's no feeling because 504 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: you guys matter. You did not show up. You left 505 00:30:02,280 --> 00:30:05,080 Speaker 1: me in front of a fucking riot. Who cares what 506 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,360 Speaker 1: they fucking think? Fuck that I wrote with you guys, untrained, 507 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,520 Speaker 1: out of shape and ridiculous outfits, acting clowns every single 508 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: day when I'm a professional warrior and you can't show 509 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 1: up one time when I have sixty people trying to 510 00:30:17,040 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: murder me with a bomb. Evening arrived on Mayday and 511 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 1: the dust began to settle across Seattle. The police cars 512 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: filled with the protesters who've been arrested made their convoy 513 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,280 Speaker 1: to the county jail. The swap police headed home, and 514 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 1: the last stragglers from the march dispersed. Shop owners boarded 515 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,040 Speaker 1: up the jagged holes in their windows, and the debris 516 00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 1: on the streets was swept away, But there's no cleaning 517 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: up the mess that the rain City Superheroes were in. 518 00:30:47,840 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: That's coming up. When you talk to Phoenix, he makes 519 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:04,480 Speaker 1: it sound like he stopped trusting his teammates after the 520 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:08,120 Speaker 1: May Day debacle. He claims he decided to go it 521 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:11,400 Speaker 1: alone after that, But actually that's not how things went down, 522 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:15,200 Speaker 1: because after the May Day protests, Phoenix continued to patrol 523 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:18,400 Speaker 1: with some of the rain City superheroes for over a year. 524 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:21,800 Speaker 1: And that, dear listener, that's how we get to what 525 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,200 Speaker 1: is maybe the most fitting way I can think of 526 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:28,720 Speaker 1: for a team of comic book inspired costume warriors to dissolve, 527 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: not in a blaze of crime fighting glory, but in 528 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:38,640 Speaker 1: a petty dispute over a piece of clothing, a controversy 529 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 1: that has come to be known as helmet Gate. How 530 00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 1: did your relationship with the rains City Here's end or 531 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,920 Speaker 1: what caused you to leave the life that was all 532 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: about my purple helmet. This was news to me kind 533 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 1: of because I had heard the story of the falling 534 00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:59,760 Speaker 1: out between El Caballero and Phoenix long before I met 535 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:03,280 Speaker 1: either of them. But the story that I found on blogs, 536 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 1: long lost Facebook pages, and podcasts was that they went 537 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: from best friends to despised enemies because Phoenix had stolen 538 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:17,640 Speaker 1: El Kaballero's sombrero. Apparently, no one fact checked any of 539 00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:20,840 Speaker 1: those accounts, because while it is true that these two 540 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:24,000 Speaker 1: grown men did in fact have a falling out over 541 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:27,680 Speaker 1: a piece of headwear, it was not a sombrero, but 542 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: a purple army helmet, a mitch helmet, a nice tactical 543 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,720 Speaker 1: bulletproof helmet with the padding inside so I wouldn't get 544 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 1: scrambled brains. It all started on a typical downtown patrol 545 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:45,120 Speaker 1: one night and two thousand and thirteen, after the patrol 546 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 1: ended Caddy forgot his helmet, I left it in Phoenix 547 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: Jones's car for an evening. It was another night where 548 00:32:53,040 --> 00:32:56,080 Speaker 1: we had fought real criminals and done real stuff, and 549 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 1: I just, act said, minorly left it in his vehicle. 550 00:33:00,680 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: Evil remembers the saga of the purple helmet. Well, he says, 551 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 1: at first, the helmet just went missing. No one could 552 00:33:07,680 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: find his helmet, and it was the most aggravating series 553 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 1: of I guess backwards drama that honestly started getting pretty embarrassing. 554 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,080 Speaker 1: I would start losing sleep over stuff like this, where 555 00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 1: people would call me because I was a guy that 556 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: kind of ran the team on the back end. Evil 557 00:33:26,040 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 1: claims that Phoenix accused his girlfriend Purple Rain of stealing 558 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,959 Speaker 1: the helmet that dr hearns, like, what are you talking about? 559 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 1: Why on earth would I want l caberleiro stinky helmet? 560 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: That's gross? For whatever reason, we think he just gave 561 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: it to, you know, a pretty young fan or something 562 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:48,600 Speaker 1: like that. It all sounds so petty to me, But 563 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:52,160 Speaker 1: for Cabby it was no joke. It really struck a 564 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:54,600 Speaker 1: chord with me. This guy who I trust with my life. 565 00:33:55,200 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: I mean, we're literally dodging bullets and knives and crazy terrorists. 566 00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:04,040 Speaker 1: This guy trusted in my life made my helmet disappear 567 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: and it got it weird? Why did it get weird? Like, 568 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: I don't know. For what it's worth, Phoenix has a 569 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:14,279 Speaker 1: response to the purple helmet story. He says it was 570 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:18,000 Speaker 1: in his car, which got towed and impounded, and that 571 00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 1: he was too embarrassed to admit this to his crew. 572 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:27,640 Speaker 1: Helmet gate wasn't the first time things had allegedly gone 573 00:34:27,640 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: missing around Phoenix, Crystal Marks told me that Phoenix couldn't 574 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 1: be trusted when it came to money. He was charging 575 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,680 Speaker 1: people like money per month for medical insurance that the 576 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 1: team's never saw the benefit for. He would say, yeah, 577 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 1: I'll buy you a tactical vest, give me money, and 578 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:46,880 Speaker 1: then he would never provide the vest. Evo said he 579 00:34:46,920 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: personally had to reimburse team members. He sent me a 580 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 1: photo of a receipt he kept for a vest he 581 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,160 Speaker 1: paid for out of his own pocket to give to 582 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:58,400 Speaker 1: a fellow superhero. Soon these disputes spilled out onto the 583 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:01,799 Speaker 1: Rain City Superheroes social media accounts. P J has been 584 00:35:01,840 --> 00:35:05,680 Speaker 1: proven to be consistently dishonest, unreliable, and untrustworthy. He's a 585 00:35:05,719 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: liar and a bump. You shouldn't be asking people for 586 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:09,239 Speaker 1: money or playing to the media the way he does 587 00:35:09,280 --> 00:35:12,919 Speaker 1: here is replaceable. Friendship, loyalty, and trust are not the 588 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 1: theft allegations and the mud slinging escalated. Phoenix held a 589 00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:21,920 Speaker 1: fundraiser for Purple Rains anti domestic violence campaign. Someone accused 590 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:26,800 Speaker 1: them of embezzling funds, and things got nasty. If you 591 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:29,279 Speaker 1: want to show how honest. This campaign is usink. Slanderous 592 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:32,319 Speaker 1: language is illegal. Some people don't deserve to have any 593 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 1: secret identities. Never understood by that cow was not on patrol. 594 00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:37,399 Speaker 1: She does not have any athletic ability or street skill. 595 00:35:37,520 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: She flirted with all the guys on the team and 596 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 1: wanted to be the center of attention. I refused to 597 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:43,800 Speaker 1: involve myself in this textual spewit and ask that my 598 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: name we kept out of these theatrics. Hi strong and 599 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:48,520 Speaker 1: suggest you research the term harassment and take a good 600 00:35:48,640 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: hard look in the mirror. The accusation of embezzlement turned 601 00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:55,160 Speaker 1: out to be false. The Seattle Weekly did a piece 602 00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:58,800 Speaker 1: about it. The charity confirmed that they had received the money. 603 00:35:59,239 --> 00:36:04,920 Speaker 1: Phoenix was vindicated, but then he launched another fundraiser for himself. 604 00:36:05,719 --> 00:36:08,799 Speaker 1: This time he wanted to raise ten thousand dollars for 605 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:13,759 Speaker 1: a new supersuit. The campaign offered incentives for donations. For 606 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,120 Speaker 1: the entry level ten dollars, you could get a rubber 607 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: Phoenix Jones bracelet. It went all the way up to 608 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,080 Speaker 1: two thousand dollars or more. For that you were promised 609 00:36:22,120 --> 00:36:25,640 Speaker 1: the whole pile of Phoenix merch of Phoenix Jones replica 610 00:36:25,719 --> 00:36:29,760 Speaker 1: helmet build as fits most normal sized heads, is bullet 611 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:33,160 Speaker 1: and blunt trauma resistant, plus the honor of having your 612 00:36:33,239 --> 00:36:37,000 Speaker 1: name engraved on phoenix brand new suit. He posted the 613 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 1: link for donations on Purple Rains Anti Domestic violence website. 614 00:36:40,840 --> 00:36:43,120 Speaker 1: It even caught the eye of actor Rain Wilson, who 615 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: plays Dwight in the Office. He posted about it on Facebook. 616 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:51,520 Speaker 1: Given her previous experiences with Phoenix, Crystal Marks was not impressed. 617 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:55,160 Speaker 1: I think Phoenix Jones is a liar. I mean, come 618 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:57,319 Speaker 1: at me for whatever you need to for saying it. 619 00:36:57,400 --> 00:37:00,840 Speaker 1: But raising money for his supersuit, which so ridiculous to 620 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:03,080 Speaker 1: say those words out loud. But like this high end, 621 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:06,040 Speaker 1: like tactical suit that was like super bullet proof and 622 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:08,239 Speaker 1: like stab proof. He did to go fund me for it? 623 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:12,000 Speaker 1: Tons of money. Where's the suit, dude? Like it never happened. 624 00:37:13,719 --> 00:37:16,880 Speaker 1: The tide of public opinion looked to be turning on Phoenix. 625 00:37:19,719 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 1: More allegations against him started surfacing. A superhero named Urban 626 00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:28,000 Speaker 1: Avenger called Phoenix an ego centric glory hound, and a 627 00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:32,200 Speaker 1: blog post titled Phoenix Jones sells snake oil calls it 628 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 1: a supersuit. The Seattle Weekly ran a piece called the 629 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:39,680 Speaker 1: Emperor's new suit, with a cartoon of Phoenix straining to 630 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:43,439 Speaker 1: pull his rubber supersuit on over his bloated belly, which 631 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 1: is labeled Hubris. One of the rain City superheroes took 632 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:50,160 Speaker 1: to Facebook to claim that Phoenix had stolen his go 633 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:54,840 Speaker 1: pro to boot. Then The Seattle Weekly published another story 634 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:59,360 Speaker 1: that quoted a superhero saying Phoenix Jones is a con artist, thief, 635 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:02,840 Speaker 1: steve link from his closest friends and fans, with zero 636 00:38:02,960 --> 00:38:07,719 Speaker 1: integrity for his community. El Caballero went to the press too, 637 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:11,440 Speaker 1: telling the Seattle Weekly quote, I've always thought of Phoenix 638 00:38:11,440 --> 00:38:14,800 Speaker 1: as our quarterback, but I feel betrayed by his actions 639 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:20,160 Speaker 1: and certain trusts have been broken. Soon after that, Cabby 640 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:23,840 Speaker 1: formally announced his departure from the rain Ceaity Heroes. On 641 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:30,320 Speaker 1: his Facebook page. He said quote effective immediately attention family 642 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:35,160 Speaker 1: and friends, fans, law enforcement, and even my entities. I 643 00:38:35,200 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 1: will no longer I said that part louder because it 644 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 1: was in all caps. I will no longer be working 645 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:45,879 Speaker 1: with Phoenix Jones. After three years of patrols, I see 646 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:49,440 Speaker 1: loyalty is worth nothing to him. I feel betrayed by 647 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:54,880 Speaker 1: a man I called my brother and that hurts his dishonesty, manipulation, 648 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,360 Speaker 1: and Deceit has caused me to not want to be 649 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:01,560 Speaker 1: associated with someone I can't trust. I will continue to 650 00:39:01,600 --> 00:39:04,840 Speaker 1: wear my mask and patrol the streets of Seattle, but 651 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:08,480 Speaker 1: will henceforth not be aligned with him or the rain 652 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 1: City Superhero Movement. I respect the team members individually. The 653 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:19,239 Speaker 1: Phoenix has nose dived into the flames, and I'm done 654 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:27,400 Speaker 1: with him. After El Caballero's departure, Morale also took a 655 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:31,440 Speaker 1: nose dive. Phoenix's girlfriend, Prebble Rain, announced that she was 656 00:39:31,480 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 1: officially leaving the team too, and that she and Phoenix 657 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:38,680 Speaker 1: were no longer together. Discontent was brewing in what remained 658 00:39:38,800 --> 00:39:42,200 Speaker 1: of the rain City Superhero movement. Even said everyone came 659 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 1: to him with their grievances. They wanted to know what 660 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:48,239 Speaker 1: had really gone down between Cabby and Phoenix. Everyone was 661 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:51,040 Speaker 1: very much on edge, and every person on the team 662 00:39:51,440 --> 00:39:54,280 Speaker 1: stop me if this sounds familiar, had heard a different 663 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:57,200 Speaker 1: version of this same story, and we had all been 664 00:39:57,239 --> 00:39:59,919 Speaker 1: talking about and realized that, Okay, someone has fallen. Shipp 665 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,920 Speaker 1: called the denominator. Here is Phoenix Jones. The superheroes gathered 666 00:40:03,960 --> 00:40:07,400 Speaker 1: for a crisis meeting. Their plan was to challenge Phoenix 667 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:09,839 Speaker 1: on everything that had been going down and to hold 668 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:12,520 Speaker 1: him accountable. So we get to this meeting just kind 669 00:40:12,560 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 1: of like, Okay, here's what we're gonna do with forward 670 00:40:14,239 --> 00:40:16,200 Speaker 1: and stuff like that, and here's what actually happened, and 671 00:40:16,239 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 1: here's how's al it. You want nothing of the sword? 672 00:40:18,600 --> 00:40:21,040 Speaker 1: He said, all right, well, all medical insurance stuff is 673 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:24,920 Speaker 1: going to go through my friend Dave, so any questions 674 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 1: go through him, and we're gonna put schedules on a 675 00:40:27,840 --> 00:40:33,160 Speaker 1: new Facebook page, and uh, everything's fine going forward. Any questions, 676 00:40:33,239 --> 00:40:34,799 Speaker 1: all right, let's go on. I'm like, oh, hold up, 677 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:39,480 Speaker 1: and then nothing has been answered? What this? What? We 678 00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,120 Speaker 1: have so many questions about what just happened. And you know, 679 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:44,520 Speaker 1: if this happened to El Caberro, one of your most 680 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:46,680 Speaker 1: trusted allies, and you're doing this stuff to him, like 681 00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:50,520 Speaker 1: what else are you gonna do. The more his teammates 682 00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:54,160 Speaker 1: challenged him, the more Phoenix dismissed their claims, and things 683 00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:56,920 Speaker 1: got heated. I almost threw a table out of mo 684 00:40:57,120 --> 00:41:00,839 Speaker 1: so mad they confronted their former leader, and Phoenix lost 685 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:04,880 Speaker 1: his cool. He through the world's biggest internettangent, which I 686 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:08,000 Speaker 1: still have screenshots of him talking about while you're all 687 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:10,960 Speaker 1: betrayers and you're all traders, and I started a team 688 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 1: so I can end it. So the r C s 689 00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:20,680 Speaker 1: M is officially resolved. P J out and that was that. 690 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:27,480 Speaker 1: Soon after the final blowout, Phoenix posted his resignation from 691 00:41:27,520 --> 00:41:30,800 Speaker 1: the rain City Superheroes on his Facebook page. It was 692 00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:34,359 Speaker 1: written in all caps and full of typos and grammatical errors. 693 00:41:34,920 --> 00:41:39,320 Speaker 1: Here's a condensed version. First off, I'm sorry. I started 694 00:41:39,360 --> 00:41:42,400 Speaker 1: fighting crime years ago and inspired a lot if people 695 00:41:42,600 --> 00:41:44,920 Speaker 1: to do the same. I really thought of having a 696 00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:48,200 Speaker 1: large group of civilian crime fighters was a good idea. 697 00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:51,399 Speaker 1: I was wrong. It takes a certain type of person 698 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:55,360 Speaker 1: to do this job correctly, and unfortunately I have inspired, 699 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:58,720 Speaker 1: worked with, and even taught some of the wrong kinds 700 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:02,920 Speaker 1: of people. As of today, the rain City superhero movement 701 00:42:03,280 --> 00:42:07,800 Speaker 1: is over. I will be patrolling solo with supers I trust. 702 00:42:08,320 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 1: I will not go into many details, but I feel 703 00:42:10,719 --> 00:42:13,120 Speaker 1: you deserve a few reasons why we can no longer 704 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:17,520 Speaker 1: work together. Certain members cannot run two point five miles 705 00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:21,759 Speaker 1: in thirty minutes, or do five pull ups or sit 706 00:42:21,840 --> 00:42:25,440 Speaker 1: ups in two minutes, or believe it is okay to 707 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:30,080 Speaker 1: carry illegal weapons or want to patrol with other superheroes 708 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,200 Speaker 1: that have a track record of making bad choices that 709 00:42:33,280 --> 00:42:37,279 Speaker 1: are potential dangerous. I love being a superhero, and I 710 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:40,800 Speaker 1: believe there's a certain level of professionalism that goes with that. 711 00:42:41,360 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 1: When I or any member of the r C s 712 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:45,880 Speaker 1: M show up to help you, I want you to 713 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,960 Speaker 1: know that we have first Aid CPR training, we have 714 00:42:49,120 --> 00:42:52,200 Speaker 1: taking blood borne pathogens training, and that we will only 715 00:42:52,280 --> 00:42:56,080 Speaker 1: work with others who are equally physically and medically trained. 716 00:42:56,440 --> 00:43:00,560 Speaker 1: I'm sorry if I let anyone down. I will continue 717 00:43:00,600 --> 00:43:03,480 Speaker 1: to patrol and help people. I just can't, in good 718 00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:07,200 Speaker 1: conscience continue to put my seal of approval on people 719 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:11,960 Speaker 1: I feel are not loyal or properly trained as always 720 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,000 Speaker 1: be safe, make good choices, and I'll see you in 721 00:43:15,080 --> 00:43:24,960 Speaker 1: the streets. When we talked about the team breakup, Phoenix 722 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:27,600 Speaker 1: said that people are fickle and driven by the attention, 723 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:30,560 Speaker 1: and that no one on his team brought up these 724 00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:34,279 Speaker 1: disputes back in their crime fighting heyday. It was only 725 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:36,920 Speaker 1: later after things went south with the team that he 726 00:43:37,000 --> 00:43:41,200 Speaker 1: says these grievances started surfacing. When we had these arguments 727 00:43:41,239 --> 00:43:44,919 Speaker 1: and disagreements that was pre people knowing my identity. After 728 00:43:45,040 --> 00:43:47,760 Speaker 1: my identity came out, we got all popular and everyone 729 00:43:47,880 --> 00:43:49,600 Speaker 1: was doing these interviews and everything was going on. So 730 00:43:49,640 --> 00:43:51,360 Speaker 1: all of us were all buddy, buddy, Fine. Then we 731 00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:53,279 Speaker 1: went and have these arguments later and they brought up 732 00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:55,440 Speaker 1: all this ship from past, saying when we never solved 733 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:57,120 Speaker 1: all this and we stuck with you for four years 734 00:43:57,160 --> 00:43:59,200 Speaker 1: and you're this and you're that, And I'm thinking, if 735 00:43:59,239 --> 00:44:00,680 Speaker 1: you want to come with me, Slee, than fuck you. 736 00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:05,880 Speaker 1: Maybe I'm a sucker. But I always believed Phoenix whenever 737 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:09,040 Speaker 1: I was with him, From the first moment I met him, 738 00:44:09,280 --> 00:44:11,520 Speaker 1: he told me that he would answer me honestly about 739 00:44:11,560 --> 00:44:14,880 Speaker 1: any accusation someone made against him. He also told me 740 00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:17,120 Speaker 1: there were other things that he'd done that were wrong, 741 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:19,719 Speaker 1: but he would never admit them to me. I would 742 00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:22,000 Speaker 1: have to find out for myself, and if I did, 743 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:26,880 Speaker 1: then he would answer truthfully about the incident. This policy 744 00:44:26,920 --> 00:44:29,680 Speaker 1: felt reasonable to me, and I took Phoenix at his word, 745 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 1: and I thought it was an indication that he was 746 00:44:32,600 --> 00:44:35,879 Speaker 1: willing to admit when he was wrong. I bought into 747 00:44:35,920 --> 00:44:37,920 Speaker 1: his logic because it seemed to make sense to me, 748 00:44:38,719 --> 00:44:40,840 Speaker 1: and I also agree with him that so much of 749 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:43,920 Speaker 1: the beef between him and his crew always felt a 750 00:44:44,000 --> 00:44:47,840 Speaker 1: little petty, like who cares about what happened to a 751 00:44:47,880 --> 00:44:50,479 Speaker 1: purple helmet? Does it even matter in the grand scheme 752 00:44:50,560 --> 00:44:55,520 Speaker 1: of things. But looking back on it, I don't think 753 00:44:55,560 --> 00:44:58,600 Speaker 1: he lived up to his promise of answering everything truthfully. 754 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:00,800 Speaker 1: A lot of it I think is tied up in 755 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:04,080 Speaker 1: his desire to be the best at everything. I think 756 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:07,120 Speaker 1: that desire was what made him a champion bowler an 757 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:09,640 Speaker 1: mm A fighter, but I think it is also the 758 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:13,560 Speaker 1: quality that made him an ineffective leader. It blinded him 759 00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:16,239 Speaker 1: to the possibility that he could be wrong, or that 760 00:45:16,360 --> 00:45:18,480 Speaker 1: someone in his group might have a better idea for 761 00:45:18,600 --> 00:45:21,279 Speaker 1: how to be good crime fighters. And I felt like 762 00:45:21,360 --> 00:45:23,520 Speaker 1: he was still blinded by it when he talked about 763 00:45:23,600 --> 00:45:27,400 Speaker 1: his former crew. I don't know how I associated with 764 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:29,960 Speaker 1: these clouds for so long that, Like, that's the one 765 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:31,400 Speaker 1: thing I am curious about. Like, on one hand, you 766 00:45:31,480 --> 00:45:34,040 Speaker 1: seemed because I carried them to stay and because I 767 00:45:34,120 --> 00:45:37,960 Speaker 1: carried them, I carried these motherfucker's. I carried them because 768 00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:40,160 Speaker 1: you were lonely or like well, because they believed in 769 00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:42,080 Speaker 1: what I believed in when no one else believed in it. 770 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:44,000 Speaker 1: You always like to get up and get dressed every 771 00:45:44,040 --> 00:45:45,759 Speaker 1: day and put on a rubber suit and people laugh 772 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,759 Speaker 1: at you in the streets like it fucking sucks. So 773 00:45:47,840 --> 00:45:49,960 Speaker 1: even if you're huge and fat, or you're out of 774 00:45:50,000 --> 00:45:52,319 Speaker 1: shape where you're former freaking drug out a homeless kid, 775 00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:54,239 Speaker 1: if you're gonna say, I believe in you too, let's 776 00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:55,920 Speaker 1: go walk together. I would rather do that with you. 777 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:58,080 Speaker 1: People who believe in me, believe in the concept. If 778 00:45:58,120 --> 00:46:00,279 Speaker 1: it's about me letting them down, you let me down. 779 00:46:01,719 --> 00:46:03,520 Speaker 1: I gotta stab for you, out cavaler because you want 780 00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:05,400 Speaker 1: how to do a disarmed lydon said you want to 781 00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:07,680 Speaker 1: do knife fighting skills, You fucking don't, And I can stab, 782 00:46:08,800 --> 00:46:12,920 Speaker 1: like for real, I got fucking stabbed and you want 783 00:46:12,960 --> 00:46:18,759 Speaker 1: to talk about a helmet? Fuck you, Jack Jack. Jack 784 00:46:18,800 --> 00:46:21,279 Speaker 1: can't even run. He has asthma. He can't even run. 785 00:46:22,800 --> 00:46:25,680 Speaker 1: There's videos where I run into after bad guys and 786 00:46:25,719 --> 00:46:37,680 Speaker 1: he can't run, Like what the fuck? It's clear, but 787 00:46:37,760 --> 00:46:42,279 Speaker 1: there's genuine hurt and betrayal behind Phoenix's anger and also 788 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:45,200 Speaker 1: on the side of the other Rain City superheroes. Just 789 00:46:45,280 --> 00:46:47,799 Speaker 1: because they wear goofy outfits doesn't mean they aren't people 790 00:46:47,920 --> 00:46:51,799 Speaker 1: with real feelings, and for all the bitterness, I think 791 00:46:51,840 --> 00:46:54,240 Speaker 1: the reason there's so much hurt involved in this highly 792 00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:57,680 Speaker 1: costumed severance is because all of them once bought into 793 00:46:57,719 --> 00:47:01,160 Speaker 1: the belief that Phoenix talks about the mission that had 794 00:47:01,239 --> 00:47:05,200 Speaker 1: united them. And maybe that's hard to understand from the outside, 795 00:47:06,880 --> 00:47:09,239 Speaker 1: but to enter into the world of real life superheroes, 796 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:12,200 Speaker 1: you have to rethink certain beliefs about how the world works, 797 00:47:13,239 --> 00:47:15,840 Speaker 1: because the belief in their mission is to believe that 798 00:47:15,960 --> 00:47:18,880 Speaker 1: a guy in a sombrero and purple hot pants is 799 00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:21,640 Speaker 1: actually the man who might at any moment save your 800 00:47:21,760 --> 00:47:25,239 Speaker 1: life from a hammer wielding mugger lurking in an alleyway. 801 00:47:26,719 --> 00:47:29,120 Speaker 1: That's the thing I find so fascinating about all of this, 802 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:33,400 Speaker 1: the mash up of the absurdity with the seriousness of 803 00:47:33,480 --> 00:47:38,719 Speaker 1: what these masked adventurers were trying to pull off. Their 804 00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:43,279 Speaker 1: dream was powerful, too powerful to be totally crushed by 805 00:47:43,320 --> 00:47:48,000 Speaker 1: a purple army helmet and some snarky Facebook comments. After all, 806 00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:51,800 Speaker 1: this wasn't the end for Phoenix Jones. After the breakup, 807 00:47:52,120 --> 00:47:54,080 Speaker 1: he would set out on a bid to conquer the 808 00:47:54,160 --> 00:47:57,520 Speaker 1: world in a different arena, and in a way, it 809 00:47:57,680 --> 00:47:59,920 Speaker 1: wasn't the end of the rain City Superhero movement. Either 810 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:04,280 Speaker 1: the team may have disbanded, but the legend they built 811 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:08,000 Speaker 1: together lived on and out of the darkness, a new 812 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:11,840 Speaker 1: generation of superheroes would rise up to unite behind it. 813 00:48:12,960 --> 00:48:37,200 Speaker 1: That's coming up next time. The Superhero Complex is hosted 814 00:48:37,239 --> 00:48:40,160 Speaker 1: and written by Me David Weinberg and reported by me 815 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:44,960 Speaker 1: Amalia Sortland and Caroline Thornhum. Production from Mamalia Sortland and 816 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:49,080 Speaker 1: Caroline Thornhum, Sean Glenn, Max O'Brien and David Waters are 817 00:48:49,120 --> 00:48:54,399 Speaker 1: executive producers. Fact checking by Andrew Schwartz. Production management from 818 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:59,280 Speaker 1: Sharie Houston, Frankie Taylor and Charlotte Wolf. Sound design, mixing 819 00:48:59,400 --> 00:49:03,920 Speaker 1: and scoring by Nicholas Alexander and Daniel Kempson. Music supervision 820 00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:08,320 Speaker 1: by Nicholas Alexander and David Waters. Original music is composed 821 00:49:08,440 --> 00:49:13,680 Speaker 1: by Paul Housden. Special thanks to Peter Tangan, Willard Boxton, 822 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:19,160 Speaker 1: Matt o'mera, Katrina Norvelle Beth and Macaluso, Born Rosenbaum, Shelby 823 00:49:19,320 --> 00:49:22,680 Speaker 1: Snkman and all the team at U t A. For 824 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:25,360 Speaker 1: more from novel, visit novel dot Audio