"Real-Life Superheroes" Now Patrolling The South Bronx
New York Initiative's Facebook
Between the NY Press cover story last year, thedocumentary Superheroes and the book, "Heroes in the Night: Inside the Real Life Superhero Movement," the group of real-life superheroes known as the New York Initiative have been getting a lot of press lately. Though we have yet to see them in person ourselves, the BBC followed them around recently on one of their missions, and it sounded mighty...real: "Tonight, NYI members are patrolling the notorious South Bronx projects, looking for troublemakers and their victims."
The group, which includes costumed members Zero, Short Cut, Samaritan Prime, Battlestar, Nitro and Deaths Head, arm themselves with weapons (including a long metal torch that can be used as a club), and they have "martial arts trainers and practitioners on the team." They gave the BBC an idea of the kinds of cases they've handled: We find drunks fighting out, domestic abuse, a robbery, anything like that...I stopped a rape once. A couple of guys were taking a drunk girl home with them. They were talking about all the stuff they were going to do to her. I came up and I told them to get away from her," said Deaths Head Moth.
The BBC seem kind of clueless about their origins—they say at one point, "Crime fighting Hollywood film Kick-Ass is based on them," which is not true, seeing as how the movie is based on the comic series...but perhaps they meant that the real-life superheroes were inspired by the film. The Brooklyn-based group released astatement on intent on Craigslist late last year, in which they vowed to protect sex workers from the Long Island Serial Killer, but on their regularly-updated Facebook page, they say that they've also been patrolling the West Village for muggers.
The group has called their exploits like "a community block watch or safety patrol," but police haven't been as supportive of their antics: “Block watch? Naw, fuhgetabout that. You’ll get shot. The guys in this neighborhood, they’ll shoot you and no one will tell us who did it. There’s a strong ‘no snitching’ rule out here,” one officer told NY Press. At least none of them are dressed up like Batman:
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By Ben Yakas in News on May 12, 2011 6:18 PM
Shamless Screen Grab courtesy of Gothamist
A couple take aways: A lot of "story" - how they almost did something, how they patrolled, how they "thought" someone "Might" "Possibly" rape "someone", and how they "Talked" to them.
No evidence of anything actually happening.
The Police quote - and again - a quote from a Police Officer (real crime fighter), that if the New
York Initiative Playtime Cosplayers actually DID any of what they claim, they would be shot.
It's been months now. Who do you believe? A street gang playing dress up, or one of New
York's finest, and the BBC. Black and White, with a link. That's something of proof. Either the
Beeb and the Police are wrong or the Fame Grubbing Kids with Skateboards.
Using deductive reasoning you are left with believing that comic book fanboys with scateboards and home made clubs are fighting armed (with guns) criminals, or that they're telling stories. And Lying. Because if you look for evidence, it can't be found. What kind of work leaves no evidence of having been done?
Storytime.
-Lord Malignance
By the way - nice analysis there: Origin of New York Initiative: The Movie "Kick Ass".
I've read the excuses of 'the cops won't respond to our calls', 'the cops are all corrupt', or 'we don't report all of our activities for security' when this subject has been brought up before. Wonderfully subjective and/or un-proveable excuses.
ReplyDeleteThere should be articles frequently showing up in the press of muggers and would-be rapists with broken bones in hospitals all over Manhattan if the NYI activities are as half as effective as have been claimed. There is no such trail of broken bad guys. But, oh wait, the cops are too lazy/and or corrupt to give them credit and it's a big cover-up conspiracy, possibly for security reasons.
Dave Baymiller,
ReplyDeleteSee? That's deductive reasoning, and critical thinking. Someone tells you something that sounds like crazy talk, you examine the foundations of the claim. If the claim is "We brawl with other street gangs nightly with our home made beating sticks" - and yet no one is shot, and all the criminals take their beatings meekly - One calls foul. Criminals in One's experience, don't take beatings, they GIVE beatings. Yet that shy retiring wall flower Jack Cero, self confessed "Greatest Badass Of All Time" wanders around w/nary a scratch. One thinks there would be some proof, somewhere - but no. All that they can produce to "verify" their superheroic victories against the dark forces of Evil, are autobiographical stories, or stories I could set up for "reporters" with a few friends. Want to see a purse snatching foiled? One has that setup. An arrest? Oh no, never an arrest. The Criminals just get a stern talking to by junior batman himself. Who ALSO is without any physical blemish. One would think for the sheer macho advertisement they made of their Mudbath/Fightclub they would have obvious detectable flaws like scratches - heck even fighting babies could get you a scratch or two. But Nothing. It must be all that body armor they wear over their faces that protects them on patrol. Except - they say they don't wear any over their faces. Hmmm. One is stumped. It must be either storytime or lying.
Thank you,
-Lord Maligannce