Interview #6: Grim

Please enjoy the first Real Life Super Villain Interview with Grim: 

Me: What ultimately made you become a super villain? 


Grim: Villains have the real fun. Heroes always have a code they stick too, and the villains not so much. Also, I did look into the whole community first before I picked a side, The Rlsv are out numbered but does what they can to expose and bring down the false heroes. We are not against all of the Rlsh just the ones that are in it for all the wrong reasons, or in some cases are just poor examples of a human being to being with.




Me: How did you come up with your name? 


Grim: There are many reasons why I became Grim, one is it was a childhood nickname. But also when I first heard about all of this a couple of friends and I diced to be the horsemen so I am the horsemen of death, but Facebook wouldn’t let me use death as a name. So I became Grim The Reaper.




Me: How did you come up with your costume design? Is there any particular Villain you modeled yourself after?


Grim: I have been told that I look like a knock off of a villain called black mask. I think, if I remember correctly he was a villain in the Batman comics but I wasn’t much of a Batman fan myself. The design I went with is my idea of a "living reaper" is what I like to call it. I just wear dark colors, and I have a skull mask, I wanted to keep it simple.




Me: As a Super Villain what do you do ?


Grim: As a super villain mostly what I do is read about different heroes and villains. I watch the videos, and listen to the internet radio shows. I do all this to find the ones that need to be brought forth to the community and expose them. I do that by writing notes of hate, I also was doing an internet radio show myself where I would interview different members of the rls community. I have a plan to start doing that again in the near future.




Me: Do you ever "fight" with Super Heroes? 


Grim: Yes and no. Most of what the villains do is online. So, yes we get into verbal fights at times, but no real fist fights yet that I know of. There have been a few challenges that I know of but that is all. However, if any real fights were to go down I would put my money on the villain.




Me: What is your most memorable moment as a Super Villain? 


Grim: Hmmm, I would have to say my top 3 are getting kicked off Master Legends radio show, the way people reacted to my a couple of my notes of hate. I think the main one would be my interview with Agent Wraith. 




Me: Do you ever get critisism for being a Super Villain? 


Grim: Eh the most I have gotten is someone going on that I should be a hero instead of a villain, but that’s about it.




Me: Would you encourage more people to be Super Villains instead of Super Heroes? 


Grim: Yes! Like I said before the villains get to have all the fun.




Me: Have you ever encountered a dangerous situation of any sorts?


Grim: I have been in many dangerous situations in my life but none of them had anything to do with the rls community. 




Me: Do you have a certain group or affiliation you belong to? 


Grim: Yes, I am a member of R.O.A.C.H and the LOD. I am more active in R.O.A.C.H but, I can not really get in to what I do with them. 




Me: What advice would you give to new Super Villains? 


Grim: First don’t piss me off, or you might get your own note of hate. Second remember, it's all in fun or at least it should be. And last don’t do anything too stupid. 




Me: Are there any particular Super Heroes you have your "eye on" , so to say? 


Grim: Always. One that I read up on as much as possible is Phoenix Jones, or PJ, as the villains like to call him. Really if it wasn’t for PJ I may have very well been a hero instead. But the more I read about him and his ego the more I hated him.




Me: How do you feel about Super Heroes? 


Grim: Over all I like the idea of them, but sadly too many of these self titled heroes are just over grown egos that need to be put down before one of them goes out and does any real harm to somebody.




Me: Do you have anything you'd like to say in closing to citizens, or future super Villains?


Grim: The only thing I can think of is to say don’t drink the ****ing kool aid, just because someone calls themselves a superhero don’t just buy in to it. Do what you can to find out if this person really deserves that title. And at every step you can challenge them to live up to the title of a superhero. Also, keep in mind if it weren’t for us Rlsv then the streets would be filled with half brain dead idiots calling themselves superheroes.






This has been our very first interview with a Real Life Super Villain, Interview #6 with Grim. I hope you all enjoyed it, and if you'd like to learn more about Grim please follow this link http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002217230273. As always, any proceeds made off of adsense on this site go to charity.

Interview #5: The Eye Crimefighter

Me: What ultimately made you become a Super Hero?


The Eye: The desire to help and protect others, from a very early age, and to do it in my own unique fashion.



Me: How did you come up with your name? 


The Eye: Since I am a certified Private Investigator, and have been doing pro bono investigations for many years, I identified early on that the theme of being an informed and skilled observer was key to being a true, real life crime fighter. I may be known for my various gadgets, owing to my background as both a senior electronics tech and inventor from my youth, but meticulous observation and evidence gathering are the cornerstones of actual crime fighting and prevention.



Me: How did you come up with your costume design? Is there any particular super hero you modeled yourself after?


The Eye: There are several fictitious crime fighters that I am styled after. The prime source, however, I have to say, is the 1960’s tv series of “The Green Hornet”, principally for the way in which he would gather evidence, and then report to his contacts in the police department, for final resolution. In many ways, traditional law enforcement’s hands are tied in the ways that they have to do things, whereas a private citizens’ are not. When the two work together in harmony, a lot more can be done to combat crime…in *any* city, anywhere. Other inspirations include characters like The Shadow, Mike Hammer, Spiderman (explaining my penchant for inventing wrist-mounted gadgets), and of course, the Dark Knight himself, Batman.



Me: As a Super Hero, what do you do?


The Eye: Firstly, I am, as I mentioned, a certified Private Investigator, who does pro bono work to help people. Secondly, I am currently the several year’s running Block Captain for the Neighborhood Watch group for our street, and am known as “The Eye” owing to my being a P.I. Due to this fact, there was no sense of awkwardness in being known as “The Eye”, as most people I know think of it more as a fitting nickname rather than as a RLSH monicker. 



Me: How many nights a week do you actually get out there? 


The Eye: Every evening during the week. And on the weekends, morning, afternoon and night.



Me: Have you ever had a run-in with the police? If so, what happened?


The Eye: No run-ins…I just work with them. I talk to the Mountain View Police spokesperson Liz Wyle quite often. In many ways, she serves as my “Commissioner Gordon”, or if you want a classic Green Hornet reference from the 60’s tv series, my “D.A. Scanlon”, as it were. If I have questions about a current case, or want more information on an event that has occurred on my watch, she is a useful source for such, so that I may pass that information along to my fellow watch members.



Me: What is your most memorable moment as a Super Hero? 


The Eye: There are many such moments, not just one. Whenever an up and coming RLSH just starting out contacts me for advice, I feel a strong sense of responsibility for what I am passing on in knowledge and experience. It is a sobering thing indeed, and I do not take it lightly.



Me: Would you encourage more people to become Super Heroes? 


The Eye: I would encourage more people to use their own unique skills and talents, whatever form they may take, to help others in any way they can. They don’t have to don a mask or cape to do it. It comes from the heart.



Me: Have you ever encountered a dangerous situation? If yes, what did you do ? 


The Eye: One night Lady Mystery (my wife and co-crime fighter) and myself were accosted by a crazed man on the streets of our city, who made an attempt to lunge towards her, and got a taste of my activated stun cane in ready position right up under his nose. Needless to say, when told to back off, he did. And we continued our homeward trek. Most times, presenting yourself as a formidable adversary is all that is needed to quell a “situation”. Always ensure that you have a tactical advantage in the streets. The idea of a “fair fight” is a myth to be dispensed with. Make sure you are the victor. This is not a game for children.




Me: Do you have a certain group of affiliation you belong to? 


The Eye: There are many Facebook groups that I belong to that are RLSH-related, but I do not belong to an actual "super group" like the Justice League or Justice Society, if that's what you mean. I prefer to work as a duo with my lady and partner in everything, Lady Mystery.




Me: What Advice would you give to a new Super Hero?


The Eye: Do what you cant to help others, not just "fight crime". I've been hailed as a hero more times for simply having a flashlight on hand at the right time than at any other time. Being prepared to render aid in the moment is far more important, and that takes many forms other than self-defense measures.




Me: How do you feel about the Super Villains?


The Eye: They are a useful counterpoint to RLSH pomposity, which can get out of hand at times. 




Me: Do you have a "arch-nemisis"?


The Eye: Not of any significance that I am aware of.




Me: Do you have anything you'd like to say to citizens, or future Super Heroes?


The Eye: Help and watch out for each other. That's it. Just find a creative way to do that, and you're a hero or heroine in my book.






Thank you for reading Interview number 5 with The Eye, I hope, as always, that you enjoyed reading it. All proceeds made off of adsense on this site go to charity. If you'd like to learn more about The Eye follow this link to his facebook page http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001999832476

Comic Book Super Heroes

To start off :) I decided it might be nice to have a breather from all the interviews. I know pretty much all that actually read this blog read it for the interviews, but a break is nice now and then. So if I had to label this particular blog as anything, I would probably put it under gadgets. Now of course there are Real Life Super Heroes that make their own gadgets, but this isn't about them, not today at least. Today I'd like to stray a bit off the path of Real Life Super Heroes and jump to our very favorite Comic Book Super Heroes. Heroes who have no powers, but still succeed in protecting citizens just as well as the next Super Powered Hero. 

I'd like to start off with, my personal favorite, Iron Man of course. We all know Tony Stark, the genius who built the suit, a technology that should be way beyond our reach. Generally, that would be true, but of course with any movie like that, lights a spark in our idea engines. Is it actually possible to build a real life Iron Man suit? A little Jarvis built in computerized helmet and all. Well the fact of the matter is, people are already working on that. They do happen to have an exoskeleton that works like the Iron Man suit, for the soldiers. It helps them run faster, lift more weight and even jump higher. That is the easy part if anything. The helmet, well they do have, obviously it is not as high-tech as Tony Stark's is, and sadly no, there is no Jarvis, but the helmets exists, and even without Jarvis, that's still pretty cool. The most difficult thing though, would be his flight stabilizers. First of all, I guess in a sense they are "Jet packs", but so much more advanced than that, i'm sure all Stark fans would concur. Today, we obviously don't have that advanced of technology, we do however have Jet packs, and yes, Jet Packs that can be made to fit shoe wear (Like rocket boots!). However, even though scientists have been working on Jet Packs for years, there haven't been very many successful attempts, and even the ones that have been successful, were only mid air for a few seconds to maybe half a minute. So thinking about flying around as Iron Man did, with the technology we have today in Jet Packs is a bit out of the question...for now at least. If one did happen to want to put a real life working Iron Man suit together though, I think you'd have to be one rich sucker. The total cost of a real life working Iron Man suit is over 100 million dollars! I guess that's why all the good gadgets that comic book super heroes use, belong to the billionaires. 

The second person I would like to talk about would be none other than Batman. I'm sure that comes of no surprise, when we thing super heroes and gadgets, everyone thinks Batman. 

Between Iron Man and Batman, Batman would definitely be the simpler way to go in the way of gadgets. To start off, lets go simple...the Batarang.

The Batarang, is a simple gadget, and is exactly as it seems. Basically a bat shaped metal boomerang. Of course there are different versions Batman has made of the Batarang but let's stick with the simple.

The fact of the matter is, yes of course this is feasible. Its a metal boomerang! Not that hard to make in real life..but seriously...don't try to make it. Unless you are an expert thrower and catcher, don't even think about doing this. The metal edges of this Batarang would be very sharp, can you imagine trying to catch that thing spinning, god knows how fast, at your head? I think not. Yeah, it's there, it's real, but it's also very very dangerous.

Another good gadget would be the Grapple Gun. The grapple gun, again, simply stated is a grappling hook loaded into a small gun that could fit on Batman's belt. The hook would be shot out of the gun by compressed air and hook onto anything it could at the top of the building, sending Batman shooting up the stories of a building. Well of course there are Grapple guns, but they are nothing like the grapple gun that Batman uses. The line that Batman uses to "climb" up the buildings, is way to thin to actually support him, especially when he swings off the buildings still attached to it. Not to mention the gun itself in real life is no where near that size, a real life Grapple Gun is quite a bit bigger than the belt sized grapple gun Batman has. (There was even a super-hero episode on Myth Buster when they got in on some of this sweet grapple gun action!).

I'm not about to get into every gadget that Batman has, that would take ages, and honestly I wouldn't be surprised If half of you have clicked away from this already. For now though, In conclusion lets move on to the favored and most famous, Batmobile. The best car a nerd could ever wish for <3. This car has gadgets, and weapons coming out the wazoo! This thing has anywhere from machine guns and jet engines, to auto-pilot and oil slick nozzles. I guess the people of Gothem City should be pretty thankful that this guy is on their side and not against them. Obviously, many of these things attached to this wonderful car are plausible. An oil slick nozzle could easily be built in, even machine guns could. I'd say the trickiest part of anything on the Batmobile would be the jet engines. It is very feasible to put a Jet engine on the back of your car, is it safe or smart? No, not really, definitely no...did I mention no? Unless you are an expert at driving a car that is going to be going up to 800 miles an hour, I'd say stay away from your death bed. That's why it's in a movie, and not in real life. As for the auto-pilot, I'm sure many of us know, they are already in the making of cars that drive them selves, so that's not to far off in the future anyway. Thumbs of for a future working Batmoblile then?

None of the Batman gadgets would be cheap, easy to manufacture, or safe, but they sure are cool. Just remember, not only were these men rich, they also had combat training. Batman didn't just go out into the streets and say "Oh hey guys, I'm gonna throw this Batarang thing at your face now 'Kay?". No, he has had extensive training and knows what he is doing.

There are so many other Comic Book Super Heroes that are quite famous, and don't have any super powers, but I think we will get to that another time. Thanks for reading my slight rant on Comic Book Super Hero gadgets, and I hope you enjoyed a small break from all the interviews. If you have any comments or suggestions please drop a message :). Remember all proceeds made from adsense on this site go to charity!

Interview #5: Hazmat CitizenCrusader

Me: What ultimately made you become a Super Hero?


Hazmat: I like to help people and stop bad guys and I think its fun to dress-up.




Me: How did you come up with your name?


Hazmat: I chose it because I am the one who will embrace the things society wants to avoid. Where others are uncomfortable and look the other way, I stride boldly.


That or I didnt have a superhero name and asked some friends on an RLSH forum for some suggestions and Hazmat got the most votes.




Me: How did you come up with your costume design? Is there any particular super hero you modeled yourself after?


Hazmat: Green is my favorite color and black compliments green well. So I went with those together.


My look isnt modeled after any particular superhero.




Me: As a Super Hero, what do you do?


Hazmat: My area has a really large police force so there is little actual street crime. Therefore our team puts its focus on homeless outreach and charity events. We are also getting ready to do some shelter refurbishment for homeless with children. We do participate in crime prevention patrols but to a lesser extent because there isnt a great deal of need here.




Me: Have you ever had a run-in with the police? If so, what did you do?


Hazmat: Nope. 




Me: How many nights a week do you actually get out there?


Hazmat: As often as time will allow but I dont think I have ever gone more than two weeks straight without putting boots on the street.




Me: What is your most memorable moment as a Super Hero?


Hazmat: I would say "coming out of the phone booth" to my parents. it was a strange fifteen minutes to say the least.




Me: Would you encourage more people to become Super Heroes?


Hazmat: Only if they thought it would be a fun thing to do. There is absolutely nothing I do as a "Cape" that I cant and dont do in plain cloths. The effort and the resources are for others. The gimmick is for me. So if someone thought it sounded like a good time, yes I would encourage it. 




Me: Have you ever encountered a dangerous situation? If yes, what did you do ?


Hazmat: I have not encountered anything I thought was really dangerous to me while in costume. Situations that could be and were dangerous to others yes. But not to me personally.




Me: Do you have a certain group or affiliation you belong to?


Hazmat: I am part of the C-4 team. C-4 stands for Cherry City Citizen Crusaders.




Me: What advice would you give to a new Super Hero?


Hazmat: Have fun. Take the work serious. Take the danger serious. Dont take yourself too serious.




Me: How do you feel about the Super villains?


Hazmat: Like any other group they have their good and bad elements. When the villains are doing their job they act as a sounding board and feedback system for the Capes that are out there trying to do some good. Then there are a few that are just haters and want to tell people what they can or cant call themselves or just be generally negative or overly preachy because they are judgmental and angry little people.


For the most part I have found the villains to be a fun addition to this strange subculture.




Me: Do you have a "arch-nemesis"?


Hazmat: No.




Me: Do you have anything you'd like to say to citizens, or future Super Heroes?


Hazmat: Stay Strong & Be Safe.




As always, thank you for reading the interview with Hazmat CitizenCrusader. If you would like to learn more about him you can find him at Hazmatcc's Facebook.  All proceeds made off of adsense on this site are donated to charities.

Interview #4: Bee Sting

Me: What ultimately made you become a Super Hero?


Bee Sting: In March of 2011 I discovered the "Real Life Super Hero" movement. At first I kind of laughed about it. Then I saw some normal, non "super hero"-looking people doing out of the ordinary and extraordinary things. My first inspiration was Sky Man.


I thought, "I can do this. I can create a persona of who I am, underneath the layers of my humdrum life, going to the core of myself, creating a new hobby out of the things I've done before = Helping people."


Me: How did you come up with your name? 


Bee Sting: Beesting was my callsign when I was in the military. It is a play on my real name.


Me: How did you come up with your costume design? Is there any particular super hero you modeled yourself after?


Bee Sting: Black and Yellow are some cavalry colors - I was in the cav. That's where much of my motif comes from. Other inspirations were Geist, and a few others.


Me: As a Super Hero, what do you do?


Bee Sting :I help profile crime in high crime areas. I set up neighborhood watch patrols, do random acts of kindness, and do homeless outreaches. I am actively involved in battered women rescue shelters - both providing them with donations and assisting families that are trying to escape their situations.


Me: How many nights a week do you actually get out there? 


Bee Sting:2-3 nights per week.


Me: Have you ever had a run-in with the police? If so, what happened? 


Bee Sting: Yes. Police usually laugh us off at first, but then they get around to asking us for help. They have been sending messages of "thank you for what you do".


Me: What is your most memorable moment as a Super Hero? 


Be Sting: That's a tough one. Probably any of the times when we have a standoff = my team is here, dealers are there. Dealers run away.


Me: Would you encourage more people to become Super Heroes? 


Bee Sting: I always encourage citizens to do their own part in their own neighborhood. Dressing up, or assuming a persona, is not necessary. It serves to draw attention to the big picture, but it can detract from the mission when it's a serious mission involving interaction with very dangerous people.


Me: Have you ever encountered a dangerous situation? If yes, what did you do ? 


Bee Sting: We conduct ourselves in a way that we are always ready for situations. When dangerous situations arise, we are usually armed and aware of our surroundings to an extent that the dangerous element rarely attempts to engage us. 


Me: Do you have a certain group or affiliation you belong to? 


Bee Sting: I am a member of the Michigan Protectors and an advisor to the Michigan Protectors Flint Chapter.


Me: What advice would you give to a new Super Hero? 


Bee Sting: Learn what your abilities are, what you need to work on, and how you can best serve as a member of a team. I would suggest that someone never patrols alone.


Me:  How do you feel about the Super villains? 


Bee Sting: Volunteers don't need anti-volunteers. There are enough real criminals out there that we have no need to share oxygen with pretend villains. Facebook's "super villain" crowd don't do anything more than bother people's personal lives. You'll never see a video of one of them doing what a super villain would be doing. They call it being 'too smart to video tape'. I call it being a coward with no moral base to stand on.


Me:  Do you have a "arch- nemisis"? 


Bee Sting: I wish I did. Someone once said they were going to rival me, but then they disappeared the next day. Oh well.


Me: Do you have anything you'd like to say to citizens, or future Super Heroes?


Bee Sting: Evil will only exist if we allow it to exist. Both apathy and criminal acts can be destroyed by citizens who are willing, capable, and eager to defend themselves.

This has been Interview #4 with the Super Hero Bee Sting. I hope you enjoyed, to learn more about Bee Sting follow the link provided " Bee Sting ". All proceeds made off of Adsense on this site goes to Charity.

Interview #3 : Moon

Me: What Ultimately made you become a Super Hero? 


Moon: Well, back in the day I heard about this movement, in peoples magazine, I was in middle school at the time, and that kinda got the idea in my head, until I'd say about a few years later when I started going to Comic Book Conventions. I'm an active member in my church, and after every comic book convention, I would help out with the homeless handout and community outreach with my church. I started doing that while I was in costume, because I would cosplay a lot at the conventions. I wouldn't say I was a super hero then , but it was kinda my first step in coming into the community.


Me: How did you come up with your name?


Moon: Well, My persona is based off a super hero named "moon knight", he's been my favorite comic book character since I can remember. I based my name and look off of him because he is my favorite Super Hero, and I would use the character I was cosplaying as I was handing out these packages/handouts. So, I just went with it and just said "I'll choose him".


Me: As a super hero what do you do? 


Moon: When I work with my Chicago group, which contains Crimson Catalyst and Abyss,etc., we do homeless handouts and community outreach. But, when I'm alone, in my hometown, I try to do my own outreach and crime prevention. I live sort of far out from the city, so there isn't much crime, but along with some of my close friends (Who a few have security background, which is good to have), We usually do crime prevention but we also do homeless handouts, and try to do good deeds.


Me: So, do you belong to two groups? 


Moon: I don't think my friends have decided if they want to join the "super hero thing", as of now, they just want to lend a helping hand. So, I wouldn't call that persay a group, but when it comes to Crimson catalyst and the others I'd deffinetly say we are in a group. 


Me: How many nights a week do you actually get out there? 


Moon: I try to do handouts in my home town, every saturday. There are a lot of things in my life though, and a lot of things catch up with you, but I do try to do as much as possible...It varies.


Me: As a super hero, what is your most memorable moment?


Moon: I'd have to say, the first time I got into a bit of a "fight" or an arguement. I was on a flight heading down to chicago, and I was in partial gear at the time. There was this arguement between two people, and I tried to intervene, saying thing like "hey man whats up? Why are you guys fighting?". They kind of laughed at me saying "hey man get the **** away from me, this isn't halloween". I was scared at that time, I was only wearing spandex, and didnt have any armour yet. So i just took off my mask and said "hey man if you want to fight, take it somewhere else, not where there is family and all these people". They did listen to me at that moment, so I'd have to say that was my most memorable moment. That was the first time I was actually scared. I was still a "noob". 



Me: Have you ever had a run in with the police?


Moon: Yes, the first time was when some of my friends and I were removing grafitti, and I was the only one dressed up. My other friends were just wearing street clothes. Someone called the police, and they came over so we had to explain what we were doing. The only issue the police had with us was that removing grafitti was the states job, because it was on city property. So we had to go down to the station, and explain some more, but I'd say that
s the worst that has ever happened with the police.

Me: Would you encourage more people to become super heroes? 


Moon: Well, it's only for a certain group of people. I encourage others to use take action, not wait around for others to resolve the situation. But to actually dress up, go out, and fight crime..not really. You have to have a clear head, to do what we do. It's the idea that I want other people to follow.


Me: What group of people would you say is qualified to be a "Super Hero"


Moon: Well it depends, if you want to do crime prevention you should at least take self defense classes, or have a fighting background. I'd say if you have a pretty straight head and are good at that , then yeah go ahead and put on a costume ...but don't do it alone. If you want to do the charity aspect of it, which i'd say is the easiest part and the most fun, since you get great reactions from people, Id say anyone can do that. You have to be able to tolerate wearing a costume though. 


Me: What advice would you give to new super heroes, aside from training?


Moon: Team work would be number one, you have to be able to work with other people as a team. You have to understand "pressure points" within your team, I mean I know my group still has a lot to learn from each other, and we get into arguements. Im sure other teams do to, but you have to learn to work as a team. 


Me: How do you feel about the Super Villains?


Moon: I don't know much about them, but I kinda think its silly. When I first heard about Real Life Super Villains I was like "They are all a bunch of trolls online". I don't really add them, but I do like the fact that they do certain things when a super hero is acting out of line, and they basically correct them on that. That is the one aspect I like about them, but actually calling yourself a Super villain? 


Me: Would you say that crime rates have gone down, just for the fact that people know Super heroes are out there?


Moon: I'd say yeah, especially in New York city. Just people knowing that there is someone out there watching, I'm sure that sort of drives away a percentage of crime. I've never really thought about that though, but I'd say there's not a drastic change, but there is a change.


Me: Do you have anything you'd like to say to the Citizens, or Future Super Heroes?


Moon: Yeah, Super Heroes..we aren't crazy, all we want to do is to do something different in order to change the world, if its possible. Yeah it seems silly, but it's working, a lot of people respect us, a lot of people know we're out there, a lot of people give us support, and we inspire people. There may be people who say we don't help at all, but I'm sure the people we do help would say differently.




Thank you for reading Interview # 3, with the Real Life Super Hero "Moon". I hope you all enjoyed it, and remember all proceeds made off of adsense on this site go to charity :)

Interview #2 : Crimson Catalyst

Me: What ultimaetly made you become a Super Hero? 


Crimson Catalyst: I grew up with comics, and I was always kind of tomboyish, to put it mildly. When your childhood idol is Batman, the next logical step is to embody him in some way, shape, or form. I guess? Oh, and then there's the whole 'helping people' thing. That's nice, too.


Me: How did you come up with your name? 


Crimson Catalyst: The "Crimson" part was easy. I'm a redhead, so the color red is always a common theme for me... As the Catalyst, however, I am someone who precipitates events which unfold, such as my handouts when on street patrols, and other such "good deeds." That, and it is also described as a chemical reaction. The logo on my chest is the alchemy symbol for "strong fire."


Me: How did you come up with your costume design? Is there any particular super hero you modeled yourself after?


Crimson Catalyst: I am on "tier 2" of my costume design right now. It is very practical, and functional for street patrols. It's also easy to conceal hidden armor, and gear while also not being clunky, or prone to slowing me down. My first design consisted of a painted over womens' fencing chest protector for armor, and a red full-body suit. Complete with a cape. Capes are NOT practical... Haha... I found that one out, fast. I haven't really modeled myself after any one 'hero', fictional or otherwise. But it IS quite a challenging matter of balancing 'looks' with practicality. That's what I've learned.


Me: As a Super hero, What do you do ? 


Crimson Catalyst:I hand out food, and supplies to the homeless. Often times, my meals are homecooked and prepared, by me. Then my teammates and I conduct our patrols and pass everything out. We also keep an eye out to help those we come across who may be in need; physical altercations, drunken individuals out at night who are walking alone... things like that. We just use our best judgment, and help whenever is necessary to do so.


Me: As a female super hero, do you receive any different treatement than the other super heroes?


Crimson Catalyst:Yes, I do. Women are often far more receptive to me on the streets, because I am a woman as well. When operating in a group, we each handle situations as they come. I usually fulfill the role of a peacekeeper. When I cannot do that, however, I find that I am not taken quite so seriously in combative situations... I use this to my immediate advantage.


Me: Have you ever had a run in with the police? If so, what happened?


Crimson Catalyst: We, as pedestrians, are not legally obligated to present identification to law enforcement. So long as we are operating under the law, and so long as we know our rights, we are usually not bothered. I explain what it is we are doing, placing emphasis on our charity work and community service. That has always been enough, thus far!


Me: How many nights a week do you get out there?


Crimson Catalyst: Right now, due to personal constraints, only 3-4 times a month. The rest of that time is spent coordinating routes and destinations, mapping out crime trends, keeping up on my workout & training regimen, and holding my own life together. It all sounds very complicated, and exciting, but it's really not anything special. The information I collect is always publicly accessible with relative ease; it's just applying that knowledge in a proactive manner. 


Me: What is your most memorable moment as a Super Hero? 


Crimson Catalyst: It would have to be the homeless woman I helped, at around 2 o'clock in the morning on a street corner in the freezing cold. She was in a makeshift wheelchair, and she was missing a leg. The other was wrapped in a bundle of blankets. I added one more blanket to her bundle by wrapping it around her one leg, and then knelt down before her so that I could further warm her up, by the friction of my hands. Meanwhile, my teammates were rounding up other food and supplies for her, and for other homeless people out on the streets on this VERY cold night. I will never forget the words she gave me, or her face. I'll also never forget the faces of the 15 or so people, looking out at us from the windows lining a bar just outside. Her name was Muriel. She continues to be my inspiration to this day.


Me: Have you ever encountered a dangerous sitaution? If so, what did you do? 


Crimson Catalyst: I haven't. Nothing beyond petty things, such as bar fights or other such altercations. Nothing involving guns, or knives. I've been very fortunate in the short time that I've been doing this, not to have to step in on far more dangerous circumstances; and I wouldn't rush in anyway, without first being properly geared, and trained


Me: Do you have a certain group or affiliation you belong to? 


Crimson Catalyst: I have my team, and the various other people I work with. Nothing is set in stone, though. I get us together as often as I am able to organize our meet-ups.


Me: What advice would you give to new Super Heroes?


Crimson Catalyst: Get properly geared, get trained, and watch before you do. The law is your friend. City officials are your friends. Work within the constraints you are given; the "rules" are in place for a reason. Use your best judgment, and keep yourself informed. Knowledge is the strongest weapon you have.
"Stay in school, kids. Don't do drugs." Y'know. Happy, moral shit like that.


Me: How do you feel about Super Villains?


Crimson Catalyst: They're a bunch of cutie-patooties <3


Me: Do you have a "Arch-nemisis"?


Crimson Catalyst: Cheesecake. I have a very profound love/hate relationship with cheesecake. On one hand, it's absurdly delicious. On the other, I have to do another 100 crunches to justify wolfing one down. Oh, the temptation! 8(


Me: Do you have anything you'd like to say to the citizens, or Future Super Heroes? 


Crimson Catalyst:We are as much symbols as we are citizens, ourselves. It should always be our aim to carry ourselves as such, and lead by example. It's not about fame, or however many times we've shown up in the public media. It's about helping people, and sending the message that others can do this too; with our without a cute costume. The smallest word of confidence or act of love can change someone's whole life for the better. Even today, there are dozens of very small, simple gestures someone had allotted me in my past that have me fondly reminiscing.

Thank you all for reading the second interview, with the lovely Crimson Catalyst. If you'd like to learn more about her, and what she does, follow her on face book at http://www.facebook.com/crimsoncatalyst. See you all next time here at Real Life Super Heroes and villains.