New Year’s Resolution: Be a Superhero

Written by Sarah Hau

You probably have a New Year’s Resolution. Maybe it’s to lose weight, eat less junk food, spend more time with your kids. I am considering a job change: superhero.

What does it take to be an official, certified superhero? According to the World Superhero Registry, a real-life superhero must meet a few basic criteria:

Costume. The purpose of a costume is not simply to protect the identity of the Real-Life Superhero from criminals that might seek revenge, but to make a statement both to the evil-doers that you fight against and to the world at large: you are not simply someone who happened upon crime or injustice and made an impulsive decision to intervene. You have vowed to actively fight for the betterment of humankind and to serve as an example for others.

Heroic Deeds. The purpose behind becoming a Real-Life Superhero must be for the benefit of mankind, and the Heroic Deeds must be of sufficient degree as to exceed normal everyday behavior.

Personal Motivation. A Real-Life Superhero cannot be a paid representative of an organization, not even a benevolent one. The motivation to become a Real-Life Superhero must come from the individual…

Plenty of people have registered themselves on the site, crime-fighters like Queen of Hearts, whose “goal is to quell Domestic Violence by teaching our youth and others how to recognize and prevent it”, or Red Arrow, who says he is “a real-life superhero in Hong Kong. I try to bring happiness to people and become the salt and light of the world.”

Black Arrow, a Real Life Superhero (RLSH) from the United Kingdom says,

“I am a female RLSH, I was born to be a RLSH. My mission is to save the world. I aid those in need, I serve justice to those who deserve it. I give advice and guidance. But I am not just here for the people, I am here for the animals and the environment, for they are part of this world. Everyone has the power to stand up for themselves, to stand up for other people, but it’s the few that decide to embrace that power and be heard, and these people are RLSH, and rightly so. We stand for our beliefs, the rights of others. We stand for those who cannot. We stand because we can. It’s not that uniform you wear or the training you have done that matters, it’s how big your heart is and how far you are willing to go for your fellow man.”

Do think committing to a life of crime fighting and good deeds will make a difference in the communities of these superheros? If you registered on the Word Superhero Registry, what idenity would you assume? Why expend so much energy for other people?