A Seattle man who calls himself “Phoenix Jones” appears to have
taken 2010′s comic book film “Kiss Ass” to heart.
Like the main character in the independently produced hero
fantasy, Jones has taken it upon himself to dress in a colorful
outfit and roam the streets looking for crime.
And on Sunday night, while trolling the streets of the Seattle
suburb Lynnwood, he found one.
A man, who asked local reporters to identify him only as Dan,
said his car was almost broken into by an unknown criminal when out
of nowhere a masked man in a “skin-tight rubber, black and gold
suit” rushed in and chased the crook away.
His heroics caught the attention of Kiero Eyewithness
News which went up-close with Jones, the self-named “Guardian
of Seattle.”
He carries mace and tear gas, and a stun prod for fighting off
criminals. Jones’s outfit was also equipped with stab plates and
bullet-proof material, he said.
Jones is just one of a team that calls itself the “Rain City
Superhero Movement,” which calls to arms regular citizens who are
sick of waiting for others to take direct action against criminals.
They base their principles on the “Real Life Superhero Movement,” a
website formed after comic book icon Stan Lee’s television show
“Who
Wants to be a Superhero?” caught on in 2006.
“Officially, a Real Life Superhero is whoever chooses to embody
the values presented in superheroic comic books, not only by
donning a mask/costume, but also performing good deeds for the
communitarian place whom he inhabits,” the “movement” decleared on
its web site “You don’t necessarily need to engage in a
violent fight to be a crime fighter – you might patrol and report
whatever crime you see. So basically, terms like ‘good deed’ or
‘crime fighting’ are open to various interpretations.”
Adherents are encouraged to take action in their communities by
posting flyers about missing persons, handing out food and clothing
to homeless people, raising awareness of unsolved crimes and even
donating blood.
The “Rain City” group first made waves in November, when Seattle
police were notified that costumed vigilantes were paroling the
streets under names like “Buster Doe,” “The Green Reaper,” “Thorn,”
“No Name, “Gemini,” “Catastrophe,” “Penelope” and “Thunder 88.”
Back then, “Phoenix Jones” was sporting a different outfit, with
a mask, fedora, black cape and tights: more like something seen in
“The
Shadow” than “X-Men.”
When Jones was interviewed by the local police, The
Seattle Post-Intelligencer noted, he was not
in costume and claimed that it was being repaired after he was
stabbed while fighting a drug dealer. Police said they weren’t sure
if he was really injured or not, and warned him that future crime
fighting endeavors could cost him his life.
“I don’t condone people walking around on the street with
masks,” Jones was quoted as saying. “Everyone on my team either has
a military background or a mixed martial arts background, and we’re
well aware of what its costs to do what we do.”
Local police have encouraged Seattle residents to avoid getting
involved with actively fighting crime, urging them to report
suspicious activity by dialing 911 instead.