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Thursday, January 6, 2011

The real-life Kick Ass character: Self-styled superhero 'Phoenix Jones' chases off would-be car thief

Residents of Lynnwood in Washington can sleep safely in their beds, knowing that their streets are being protected by... Phoenix Jones.

The city, just north of Seattle, is part of the patrolling zone of a self-styled superhero who roams the streets in search of injustice.

In a real-life version of the 2010 film Kick-Ass - where a mild-mannered school student transforms himself into a masked crusader - Phoenix Jones has taken the law into his own gloved hands and is spending his time cleaning up the suburban streets.

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Phoenix Jones

Crimefighter: The real-life superhero, who goes by the name of Phoenix Jones, the Guardian of Seattle, grants an interview with the local TV station

Rumours of the costumed crimefighter - and others like him - began to surface as residents spoke of unconfirmed sightings around the streets.

Then a Lynwood local, who only wanted to be identified as Dan, had a first-hand meeting.

Dan said he was returning to a parking lot on Sunday evening when he spotted a 'bad guy' trying to break in to his car with a piece of metal.

Dan said: 'He started sticking it down between the window and the rubber strip.'

Phoenix Jones

On the street: Phoenix Jones - and eight other costumed crusaders like him - take the law into their own hands each night in a bid to beat crime

Phoenix Jones

Comic transformation: In a move straight from the plot of a superhero folm, Phoenix uses a hidden section of a local comic book store to suit up

Dan said he started dialling 911 but - before he could even finish dialling the three-digit number - help arrived in the most unlikely form.

He said: 'This guy comes dashing in, wearing this skin-tight rubber, black and gold suit, and starts chasing him away.'

Dan admitted that he had not heard of the strange avenger working Lynnwood's streets, and also admitted that he didn't want to report the sighting because his friends told him he must have been drunk.

Kick-Ass

Life imitating art: Aaron Johnson as Kick-Ass, the crimefighting alter ego of student Dave Lizewski

But he is not the only one to have seen a real-life superhero - the comic-book vigilantes are known to police.

A Seattle Police Department spokesman confirmed that there is a band of do-gooders who are known as the Rain City Superhero Movement, and have identified at least nine members.

Phoenix Jones, who came to Dan's aid, is just one member of the group. He is joined by - believe it or not - Thorn, Buster Doe, Green Reaper, Gemini, No Name, Catastrophe, Thunder 88 and Penelope.

In what could turn out to be the rise of the obligatory comic-book super villain, police have been told by the group to disregard Captain Ozone or Knight Owl - because they are not part of the movement.

And don't get your hopes up about the gadget-bristling Jonesmobile either.

Police say Phoenix is driven around in a Kia - by a female sidekick who doesn't get out of the vehicle.

Local KIRO 7 TV reporter Monique Ming Laven met Phoenix Jones, and there's more to the anonymous crimefighter than just a snazzy pair of tights.

His suit incorporates a bulletproof vest, trauma plating on his arms and legs and other sensitive areas.

His utility belt, to borrow a phrase from fellow crimefighter Batman, includes a Taser, Mace and tear gas.

Phoenix said: '“When I walk into a neighbourhood, criminals leave because they see the suit.

'I symbolize that the average person doesn't have to walk around and see bad things and do nothing.'

'Everyone on my team either has a military background or a mixed martial arts background, and we're well aware of what it costs to do what we do'

Phoenix said since he started his crime-fighting crusade nine months ago, he's been stabbed, and had a gun pulled on him a few times, but received no serious injuries.

Police department spokesman Jeff Kappel said: 'There's nothing wrong with citizens getting involved with the criminal justice process - as long as they follow it all the way through.

He said police would prefer that people call 911 and be good witnesses, rather than getting involved personally and risk injury or death.

Phoenix Jones agreed, saying that crimefighting wasn't for the weak-hearted.

He said: 'I don't condone people walking around on the street with masks. 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.'




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