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Last summer in the midst of the typical summer action blockbusters, HBO released a pithy documentary called “Superheroes” directed by Michael Barnett.  The film offers a look into the secret realm of “Real Life Superheroes” – people from all over the world who have constructed alter-identities inspired by comic book characters and action heroes. They go by names like “Mr. Xtreme”, “Apocalypse Meow” and “Life”. They wear elaborate costumes: masks, capes, colorful tights and carry an array of weapons – often homemade. Some are trained in martial arts, can scale walls and easily wield a sword – while others can barely run up a small hill without running out of breath. There are socially awkward heroes that live in virtual isolation, and some that form groups like the “The Real Life Superhero Project”, a network of over 25 heroes from all over the country.

What unifies their disparate personas is their commitment to fighting crime, helping those in need, and bringing justice to the world.  Another thing that unifies them is their disdain for apathy. The most important day of observance for Real Life Superheroes is the anniversary of the death of Kitty Genovese who was raped and murdered in Queens on March 13, 1964. There were 37 witnesses who did absolutely nothing. Only one made a call to the police. It’s one of the events that has given Friday the 13th its macabre undertones. Another important day for RLS is the anniversary of the beating of Rodney King (who just passed away as we went to press on this story).

The HBO documentary was more of a portrait and actual crime fighting never really made it into the plot. In light of Trayvon Martin’s murder, those who patrol the streets and take the law into their own hands have recently been cast in a very unpopular light, but the work of the heroes profiled in the HBO documentary is less about playing cop and more about offering a warm blanket and a meal to someone sleeping in the streets. This is the kind of work that doesn’t have the luster to rival box-office ticket sales, but there was one character in the documentary who really stood out. Despite the fact that he was rarely seen on camera without a beer in hand stumbling around inebriated and lascivious – his character was still compelling. You could tell he was authentic and that his heart was really in the work.

When we were preparing the Action Heroes issue this character immediately came to mind. His name is “Master Legend”. He’s one of the oldest most established Real Life Superheroes. He’s based near Orlando, Florida where he has been on patrol for over 30 years. I was determined to book a face to face interview. I tracked him down and eventually caught hold of a voicemail.

On March 16th I received a call back from Master Legend. Apprehensively, I answered the call. I didn’t recognize the number, but as soon as I heard the voice on the other end I recognized it immediately from the documentary. Before he could even speak I said, “Master Legend! So great to hear from you!” He sounded a little somber and quickly rebutted, “I apologize for taking some time to get back to you. My ex-wife just died this week. She’s the mother of my daughter. I’m dealing with a lot right now.” I felt a little winded. It was a heavy load to receive just after “Hello”. I told him to take the time he needed and that I would be in touch for an interview at a more appropriate time. Yet, he insisted we meet. In fact he offered to meet the next evening at a strip club in downtown Orlando called “Surprises”. Now this really threw me for a loop. I accepted the meeting, but I insisted we meet in a G-rated location in downtown Winter Park – a wealthy enclave just north of Orlando. The following day I waited at sunset for him and his patrol partner Sym – short for Symbiote. They insisted I at least meet them on the railroad tracks. I guess they needed to feel more in their element.

It was a sequence from a comic book: The sun was setting and two silhouettes stepped into view – one wearing a cape the other svelte and streamlined with the body of a ninja. The sun kept their faces veiled in darkness until we all met on the ruts of the Winter Park railroad tracks. Before hellos were exchanged, Master Legend gave an uncomfortable glance in each direction and said “I don’t come here very often. They don’t need us here”. I quickly understood why he originally wanted to meet me at a strip club and why he didn’t take the time off to grieve. Tonight was St. Patrick’s Day – a night notorious for drunken violence. A strip club in downtown Orlando is where Sym and Master Legend would be needed tonight – and they both planned to head over there directly after our interview.

I also learned shortly thereafter why Master Legend was drunk during most of the scenes of the HBO Documentary – a fact that he didn’t appreciate very much. Just before they began filming for the movie his current girlfriend had died – a grief he wasn’t able to handle as well as he was handling the death of his ex-wife the evening of our interview. Tonight he had arrived with a drink in hand, but it was a can of soda. He offered me a sip.

“I was born with a veil,” he said almost out of thin air, “They had to pull the extra skin off me at birth.” I didn’t know what that meant so I jotted it down in my notes and researched it later. The “veil” Master Legend was referring to is called a “caul.  It’s a rare occurrence, but in some births babies will exit the womb with a layer of plasma covering their face or entire body. Since medieval times the appearance of a caul on a newborn was seen as a sign that the child would possess supernatural abilities and the caul itself was saved for protection.

This is all part of the legends that these Superheroes weave around their identities along with their costumes and weapons. Master Legend has 5 different disguises – one is a scuba suit: “I need to be adaptable and able to swim through swamps.” His weapons vary. Tonight he is carrying a bokkon – a wooden sword used to train samurais in swordsmanship, but he is most famous for his “iron fist” – a giant iron glove he welded himself. He hates guns so he prefers to be creative like the shot put he made that shoots cherry tomatoes. His weapons are just as effective though, he even served jail time for attempted murder for beating up a child molester with his famous “iron fist”. Master Legend explained that when they finally convicted the felon for child molestation the charges were dropped and Master Legend was released after serving only 3 weeks.

Both Symbiote and Master Legend patrol the streets of Orlando. They have partnered up on several missions for the past five years. Symbiote is still in college studying computer science. He started the work of being a Real Life Superhero when he was just a freshman in high school. “My parents were always supportive. They have even joined me on some of my patrols.” At the beginning he was more of an apprentice until 4 years ago on a patrol in downtown Orlando when they met a veteran soldier sleeping in the streets. He had bandages that looked pretty old. Sym asked to look at the wounds and offered to change the bandages. Beneath the bandages were the signs of severe gangrene. “I remember the smell. It always stuck with me. It really gave me some clarity of what this work means. It was one of those moments where I knew I was making a difference.”

The typical routine of a Real Life Superhero is to answer phone calls that come through their hotline – calls for help or tips on trouble brewing. Other calls will come requesting them to appear at a birthday party or to cheer up someone who is sick. The rest of the work is patrolling. They partner or go solo covering designated areas of Orlando or the suburban neighborhood where Symbiote lives. They do a lot of work trying to get crack houses shut down. They often call on police for assistance. “I’m a big fan of law enforcement,” says Master Legend, “but in today’s environment you see that they are easily swayed by outside influences.” Several crack houses they had to shut down themselves. Master Legend reminisces , “Once I had to fend off, Swamp Rat, a crack head trying to kill me. I knocked off part of his ear with my iron fist. He’s always hated me since then.”

Every other year the Real Life Superheroes will gather for a convention, but they complain that “Most of the people there are just people that like to dress up.” Sometimes Master Legend and Symbiote will host superheroes from other parts of the world to partner up on patrols like SOS MAN, who came from England and handed out goods to local homeless with them.

The majority of their work is subsidized by their personal funds. They try to sell things to raise money, t-shirts, supercharged crystals, live appearances and photo ops, but for the most part the responsibility is on them. “We’ve helped thousands of people with our limited resources”, says Sym. “We once put $200 together and fed 500 people with sandwiches a side snack and a drink.”

“Another time there was this lady”, adds Master Legend, “…looked like you took her from Ethiopia and brought her downtown. She was all broomsticks. We were handing out food that night and I gave her extra stuff. Felt real bad. Wished I could do something else. Wish I had money like all those basketball players.”

They both pause for a moment under the weight of all they still haven’t been able to tackle. Before they get too lost in the discouragement I ask them what would be their message to people out there who want to embody what it means to be a superhero.

Symbiote simply says: “If everyone would just keep an eye out for their own brothers.”

Master Legend looks antsy. The sun has set and he’s ready to get out into the streets again. He tips his helmet and soon they’re off to the madness of St. Patrick’s Day. Before they left they insisted on giving me a ride back to my car. As I stepped onto the pavement they handed me a fresh can of soda and drove off.