May Day in Seattle meant protests, anarchists and a superhero sighting. Yes, there were reports of a costumed “superhero” in the coverage of May Day.
That inspires the return of the Friday Flashback:
Back in May 2012 there was a strange convergence of Seattle heroes and villains in comics…and in reality. (Yes, the Emerald City has costumed superheroes!)
Let’s start with comics – Peter David and Leonard Kirk’s excellent X-Factor #235 saw the mutant detectives go undercover in Seattle’s real life super hero movement. Shatterstar and Madrox went undercover to join the X-Ceptionals (an Emerald City based group of wannabe costumed heroes) after other would be heroes are sliced and diced by a mystery attacker. The tone twists from comic to tragic with clever dialogue and expressive art.
Let’s get back to reality – Citizen Heroes and The Collectibles co-sponsored the Avengers Assemble film series at SIFF Cinema that same week. Citizen Heroes is a documentary of the real super hero movement in the Pacific Northwest. Director Matt Harrison – my interview with him here – and local masked crimefighters helped introduced the Marvel solo movies that week. The biggest star of this phenomenon is Seattle’s Phoenix Jones of the Rain City Super Hero Movement.
Jones had inspired a rival. The same week X-Factor put a spotlight on Seattle’s movement in comics – Jones was challenged in this video by a man calling himself Rex Velvet who claims to be Seattle’s greatest super villain. Velvet delivered this video to the Comics Blend Facebook page. This self-proclaimed real life “People’s Villain” released two stylish videos challenging Seattle’s heroes. The villain would later use his celebrity for good by playing the bad guy in a young comic book fan’s Make-A-Wish wish day.
It was a very strange week of coincidences in Seattle indeed.
Back to Peter David’s story – the mutant detectives of X-Factor Investigations were on the case in Seattle after someone starts killing the city’s so called real super heroes. X-Factor #236 exposed the killer but this revelation brings up a ton of questions. Peter David’s storyline has been fun and filled with mystery, action and humor. It’s ironic that comic book heroes are going undercover in Seattle to save people in comic books who are dressing and want to to be super heroes.
You can find the Seattle superheroes storyline in X-Factor: Volume 16. And if you’re in the Emerald City you may spot a costumed hero on the streets or YouTube.
By Editor