Courtesay of Falashad’s photostream on Flickr’s Creative Commons

It’s no secret that, first, superhero communities – such as the X-Men, the Justice League of America, Canada’s Alpha Flight, and The Avengers – are pretty darn awesome. It’s also no secret that, second, The Potentiality’s editorial team likes superheroes more than guys in their thirties probably should…

The Rain City Superheroes are all over the Internet. You might’ve even heard of them. And a few weeks ago I read about them in print as part of the Comedy Issue in up-and-coming “magazine” GQ. The story by Jon Ronson (with outstanding photographs by Peter Yang) is titled “It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s … Some Dude?!” and – wow – I learned a lot about real life superheroes who fight crime – or at least walk around and talk about possibly fighting crime while sharing tips about costume functionality and personal branding – in Seattle and beyond.

For an introduction to Pheonix Jones, leader of Seattle’s Rain City Superheroes, check this out:

I highly recommend Ronson’s story as well as any other Googling about real-life superheroes. Because I’m honestly still not sure what to make of them.

On the one hand, all of this is ridiculous. Ronson’s article catalogs a pretty hilarious time-killing chat between heroes as they patrol the mean streets of Seattle:

Knight Owl: I’ve discovered a maskmaker who does these really awesome owl masks. They’re made out of old gas masks.
Phoenix: Like what Urban Avenger’s got?
Knight Owl: Sort of, but owl-themed. I’m going to ask her if she’ll put my logo on it in brass.
Phoenix: That’s awesome. By the way, I really like your color scheme.
Knight Owl: Thank you. I think the yellow really pops.

On the other hand, an ordinary – though totally unordinary – citizen standing up for his or her community is pretty darn inspiring. In fact, much of the superheroing done by these guys and gals involves working to end homelessness, speaking out to stop youth from joining gangs, and driving lost or stranded citizens (or tourists) where they need to go.

Phoenix Jones’s number one enemy is apathy. I feel him on this. Whether taking on drug dealers, political corruption, greed, or environmental degradation, our communities need – and I honestly can’t believe I’m saying this – ridiculous symbols of how we can be better together.

Yes, real superheroes are everywhere. And they’re pretty darn awesome.