Superheroes Page #4

I'M GONNA HAVE TO GO

WITH YOU."

AND HE SAID, "OKAY."

AND THAT'S HOW I GOT STARTED.

Mr. Xtreme:

ANY DAY JOB I'VE EVER HAD,

I'VE NEVER LIKED.

BUT I HAVE TO PAY THE BILLS

JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.

WHEN I'M NOT DOING THIS,

I'M A TEACHER.

I'M A STAY-AT-HOME DAD.

I HAVE TWO KIDS.

THERE'S FOUR OF US

THAT ARE TATTOO ARTISTS

AND ALSO SUPERHEROES.

MY CURRENT DAY JOB

IS A SECURITY GUARD.

I HAVE A LOT OF TRAINING.

I'M A MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTOR.

THE INGREDIENTS TO BE

A REAL-LIFE SUPERHERO

REALLY VARY,

'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S LOOKING

TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BE,

YOU KNOW, A CRIME FIGHTER

OR YOU'RE LOOKING

TO REALLY DO PATROLS,

I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE

IN SHAPE.

I THINK YOU NEED

MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING.

YOU CAN'T JUST

THROW ON A MASK:

AND GO OUT AND THINK

YOU'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING.

YOU'RE GONNA

GET YOURSELF KILLED.

I TRY TO KEEP MYSELF

IN GOOD SHAPE,

AND, YOU KNOW,

JUST KEEP MYSELF SAFE

IF I'M GOING TO BE

ON THE STREETS.

I'VE BEEN OUT THERE

QUITE A FEW TIMES,

GOING UP AGAINST THE DEALERS

IN WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK.

THERE'S TIMES WHERE

THEY WOULD GET IN MY FACE

AND THREATEN ME.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TIME

A GUY FLASHED A GUN AT US.

BUT THE THING IS

I'VE NEVER BACKED DOWN

AND THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH

HAVE NEVER BACKED DOWN.

AND WE'VE ALWAYS MANAGED

TO BE ON TOP OF THAT.

SO THEY WERE:

DEFINITELY SELLING.

The Cameraman:

I STARTED OFF JUST KIND OF

FILMING THE MOVEMENT,

'CAUSE THERE WAS JUST

SOMETHING ABOUT THE TOPIC

THAT DREW ME TO IT.

BUT EVENTUALLY I GOT

SUCKED INTO THE WORLD.

AND, YOU KNOW,

BEFORE I KNEW IT,

I FOUND MYSELF:

GOING ON:

CRIME-FIGHTING PATROLS

WITH DARK GUARDIAN

AS THE CAMERAMAN,

SHOOTING HIS PATROLS.

Dark Guardian:

THERE WAS ACTUALLY A TIME

WHERE A WHOLE BIG GROUP

OF US WENT OUT.

IT WAS A BIG BUSINESS DAY

FOR THE DEALERS.

WE WENT OUT THERE

TO KICK THEM OUT.

WE'RE HERE 'CAUSE

WE'RE NOT GONNA TOLERATE

DRUGS IN THE PARK

ANYMORE.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO

STAND FOR IT.

IT GOES ON:

AND ON AND ON:

AND NOBODY DOES NOTHING

OR SAYS ANYTHING.

IT'S TIME

SOMEBODY STOOD UP.

Dark Guardian:

THEY DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE.

BUT WE DIDN'T BACK DOWN

AND WE RUINED THEIR

NIGHT OF BUSINESS.

IF YOU'RE SELLING

ANYTHING,

YOU KNOW YOU AIN'T GONNA BE

SELLING NOTHING RIGHT NOW.

SO NOBODY'S GONNA

BE COMING OVER HERE.

I'M LETTING Y'ALL KNOW THAT.

IT'S GONNA BE

A BAD NIGHT OF SELLING.

Dark Guardian:

THE CAMERAMAN HAS BEEN

AN ESSENTIAL PART

OF WORKING THE PARKS.

I USUALLY SEND HIM IN

TO GET AUDIO OF THE DEALERS,

SO I KNOW EXACTLY

WHO'S SELLING,

HAVE SOME EVIDENCE

OF WHAT'S GOING ON.

HE'S GOT A GIANT PAIR

OF BALLS,

BECAUSE HE'S

RIGHT THERE WITH ME

HOLDING THAT CAMERA.

FIRST OF ALL,

THERE'S POLICE RIGHT THERE.

Dark Guardian:

THE POLICE-- THEY'VE ACTUALLY

PICKED ME UP BEFORE.

WHO ARE YOU?

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

I'M DARK GUARDIAN.

( laughs )

OKAY.

THEY WERE ALL JUST,

"HEY, WE APPRECIATE YOU

TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,

BUT WE DON'T WANT

TO SEE YOU GET HURT."

Lieutenant Brown:

REAL-LIFE SUPERHEROES--

THEY'RE NOT TRAINED.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE TACTICS

AND THE EQUIPMENT.

THEY DON'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE

OF LAW, OR CASE LAW.

THEY DON'T HAVE

PROTOCOLS AND PROCEDURES,

GUIDELINES,

THE WAY THAT:

THE POLICE OFFICERS DO

TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE'S

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

ARE PROTECTED.

I CONSIDER MYSELF

TO BE A PROTECTOR.

AND I WORK:

WITHIN THE LAWS.

I WORK WITHIN:

THE SYSTEMS.

I DON'T GO OUT THERE

AND TRY TO HARASS PEOPLE.

I DON'T GO OUT THERE

TO TRY TO VIOLATE THEIR

CIVIL RIGHTS.

I DON'T ACT AS THE JUDGE,

JURY AND EXECUTIONER.

MY MAIN FOCUS:

IS TO RAISE AWARENESS,

TO BE OUT THERE,

TO BE A VISUAL DETERRENT

TO PREVENT VIOLENT CRIME.

EVERY DAY:

WHEN I PUT ON MY GEAR

AND I BECOME:

MR. XTREME,

I'M VERY AFRAID WHEN I GO

OUT THERE ON PATROL.

THE SHIFT THAT:

I MIGHT BE WORKING--

IT COULD VERY WELL BE

MY LAST SHIFT.

I MEAN, ANY OF US

CAN BE SHOT, STABBED,

RAT PACKED, RUN OVER

AND SO FORTH.

LATELY I'VE BEEN

TEAMING UP:

WITH VIGILANTE SPIDER.

MY NAME IS:

THE VIGILANTE SPIDER.

I STARTED OUT:

IN LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.

I NOW PATROL:

MOST OF NORTH COUNTY.

JUST LIKE:

ANY OTHER DAY,

YOU WALK DOWNSTAIRS,

YOU HAVE BREAKFAST,

YOU SAY HELLO:

TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND,

YOU GO TO WORK,

YOU SAY HI:

TO YOUR FRIENDS AT WORK.

AND THEN YOU GO HOME

AFTER ALL:

THE MONOTONY IS DONE,

AND YOU SLEEP.

( laughs )

Man:

SO YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?

EH, I WAS JUST

METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING.

YOU KNOW, IF REGULAR PEOPLE

CAN DO THIS, WHY CAN'T I?

PEOPLE LIKE BATMAN.

HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY POWERS,

YET HE'S PART

OF THE JUSTICE LEAGUE.

SO I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,

"HEY, WELL, I'LL JUST

GO DRESS UP:

AND STALK AROUND MY CITY

AND SEE WHAT GOES ON."

AND I'VE BEEN DOING THAT

FOR ABOUT A DECADE NOW.

( siren whoops )

NOW WE HAVE P.D.

ROLLING UP ON US, SO...

- SO YOU ALREADY TALKED

TO ALL MY PARTNERS, RIGHT?

- YEAH YEAH.

- HE DIDN'T TALK TO THEM.

DO YOU HAVE ANY I.D. ON YOU?

- YES, SIR, I DO.

- CAN I SEE THAT?

- YEAH, NO PROBLEM.

- SO WE KNOW WHO'S

RUNNING AROUND DOWN HERE.

- NOT A PROBLEM.

Mr. Xtreme:

I DEFINITELY WOULD

LIKE TO HAVE:

A WORKING RELATIONSHIP

WITH THE POLICE.

IN THE EARLY DAYS I WAS

TRYING TO TAKE A MORE

PROACTIVE APPROACH.

I SHOWED UP:

AT THE POLICE STATION.

BUT THAT JUST DIDN'T

PAN OUT TOO WELL

JUST BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES

I WOULD BE ASKED TO LEAVE

OR THEY WOULD:

JUST FLIP OUT:

AND DEMAND THAT I

TAKE OFF MY COSTUME,

TAKE OFF MY MASK.

SO NOW,

MOST OF THE TIME,

I JUST WAIT FOR PEOPLE

TO APPROACH ME.

VIGILANTE SPIDER,

DO SOMETHING.

UM...

( camera shutter clicks )

OKAY, THAT WORKS.

Mr. Xtreme:

I GET ASKED THAT

QUESTION A LOT,

OF WHY I DON'T CHOOSE

REGULAR LAW ENFORCEMENT.

ME PERSONALLY--

I SIMPLY DON'T WANT

TO BE A COP.

I DON'T WANT TO JUST

DO THIS AS A JOB

AND HAVE TO REPORT

TO SOME CRAPPY-ASS BOSS.

FOR ME:

IT'S ABOUT BELIEFS.

YOU KNOW,

I AM A STUDENT:

OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE

AND POLICE SCIENCES.

BUT THAT'S

FOR MY BENEFIT HERE

AS MR. XTREME AND

THE XTREME JUSTICE LEAGUE.

Lieutenant Andra Brown:

WHILE ON THE SURFACE

THERE MIGHT SEEM TO BE

SOME SIMILARITIES

BECAUSE WE BOTH:

WEAR UNIFORMS,

WE BOTH WEAR SOMETHING

THAT IDENTIFIES US.

THE POLICE OFFICER'S

UNIFORM:

GIVES PEOPLE CONFIDENCE

THAT A TRAINED PROFESSIONAL

IS HERE,

SOMEONE THAT:

THEY RECOGNIZE:

AS SOMEONE TO HELP THEM

IS HERE.

UNFORTUNATELY,

A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE

A REAL-LIFE SUPERHERO

COSTUME,

AND THEY THINK OF IT

AS JUST THAT-- A COSTUME.

WE'RE GOING.

WE'RE DOING IT.

- OH MY GOD.

- ( screams )

GOOD EVENING.

OH MY GOD.

I AM A KNIGHT FROM HELL

COME TO SALT LAKE CITY

TO TRY TO PROMOTE

GOOD AND WELL-BEING.

MY OUTFIT-- IT'S ALL BLACK

FOR A REASON.

IT'S SO I CAN BLEND IN

WITH THE DARK.

IT'S INTIMIDATION

AND A FEAR TACTIC.

MY COSTUME IS SIMPLE.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO JUST BE

SOMETHING THAT I CAN

SLIP INTO REALLY QUICKLY.

I REALLY VEERED:

TOWARD A COSTUME

THAT DEFINITELY WAS

A CLASSIC SUPERHERO IMAGE,

VERY RECOGNIZABLE.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME,

YOU KNOW, I'M WEARING A TIE,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes