The 12 Greatest Real-Life Superheroes of All Time

This annoying man in the video to your left lets us all know exactly what happened (for a written version of the story, click the link at the bottom of this item).

During a home invasion, a robber was stunned to find a man dressed as the Norse God Thor inside, defending the home. The intruder was chased off from the flat in Edinburgh and left his shoes, and a pitchfork behind. The man jumped out of a window, landing on a roof and was not heard from again after he escaped the Norse God's wrath.

Local resident Torvald Alexander was dressed up as Thor for a New Year's Eve Party. The man is 40 years old, and still completely and irrevocably awesome.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7807920.stm

In this absolutely heartwarming story, a local comic book store owner dressed as Spider-Man to commemorate International Free Comic Book Day. He stood around his store dressed as the masked hero all day, greeting customers and enjoying the day. That is, until a man tried to steal a comic book worth well over $100.

The owner, dressed as Spidey the whole time, noticed the shoplifter, took the book out of his bag and brought him to justice.

The best quote from the video is the shop-owner himself getting quite cheeky and letting people know about the crew who helped him out (a couple dressed as Jedi Knights and a man dressed as The Flash): "The Jedis watched the door, while The Flash kept things running...". Well played, sir. Well played.

As the movie/comic book "Kick-Ass" asked, "why does nobody actually dress up and try to be a superhero?"... this leader of an Avengers-style (kind of) crew in Cincinnati who calls himself "Shadow Hare" proves that question wrong.

He and his team of "heroes" patrol the streets of Cincinnati, OH, and solve crimes, help the homeless and walk around in broad daylight like it was Halloween at your local high school and nobody had enough money for a real costume.

It's great to see people legitimately helping out the general public while asking for nothing in return; but it's funnier to see them dressed up like comic book heroes and handing certified police men business cards in case they "ever need help".

Their persistence, at least, is nothing to be laughed at -- despite Shadow Hare himself talking like the narration in a badly written comic book.

DARK GUARDIAN is the leader of a Holy Trinity, followed by LIFE and PHANTOM ZERO. Trained in martial arts, DARK GUARDIAN prides himself on patrolling the inner cesspools of New York City. Knowing that safety comes first, he is one of the few superheroes that actually dons a bullet proof vest (he's the red one in the video). While he hasn't been shot, guns have been drawn on him... scary as he only arms himself with pepper spray. According to his MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/darkguardianhero) there is a meeting of the heroes this upcoming Sunday (6/8/2010). His powers include: - Bullet-proof vest - Human strength and (obviously) Persistence.

LIFE is one of the few Hassidic Jewish Superheros, and can be found in the video to your left. Born of meager means, he followed the tenants of his faith. This includes leaving the world in a better place than he found it. From http://www.reallifesuperheroes.com/2010/05/21/life/: "This moral code, underscored with a powerful sense of social justice, led him to his work with the homeless and disenfranchised that he found all around him, dispensing those seemingly small amenities that vitally fill in the gaps left by the NYC Department of Homeless Services."

His powers include: - Giving toiletries to the homeless - Helping confused/needy homeless find shelter - Giving out food to the homeless. L'chaim! He can be found at http://www.myspace.com/theycalledhimlaz

PHANTOM ZERO is one of the first bridge and tunnel superheroes. Based in New Jersey, he's often found on the streets of New York. While in most media appearances, he seems like an earnest enough bloke, do not cross him. In this video, he responds to detractors.

From his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/ph0hero "The most important aspect of being a Real Life Super Hero is as simple as this: You selflessly serve a pro social mission. It's not about conquering groups of people to display your physical or martial prowess. It's not about having scads of cutting edge technology at your disposal. It's not about training one's mind to the limits of human perfection so they can out think everyone and everything that comes their way."