Life Outside the Comic Book: Meet These 5 Awesome Real Life Superheroes

Everyone always says you don't need a cape and funky spandex to be a superhero. You can be a superhero just by being a good person. As simple as that may seem, it's not that easy - that's just being a hero. Superheroes are just those fictional characters in movies and comics who run around saving lives. They can't possibly be real...or can they?

Believe it or not, there are actually a few real life superheroes in our world today - they just don't make headlines as much as Spider-Man and Batman. While there are many people who dress up in tights as cosplay and call themselves superheroes, there are some out there who actually make a difference and have earned the title.

Here are 5 awesome real life superheroes you may not have heard of...

Captain Ozone

Coming from the year 2039, Captain Ozone traveled back in time to March 13, 1989 to try to help save Earth's environment. He spends his days promoting clean energy throughout the world, saving endangered animals and teaching kids how to be more eco-friendly. His goal is to stop the Petroleum Wars of the 2030s that caused the end of the world.

Armed with his weapon of choice, the toilerang, Captain Ozone made many public appearances during the 90s, appearing in comic strips, on television and at environmental rallies. In fact, it is believed that he inspired the popular animated series Captain Planet as Captain Ozone's "arrival" came a year and a half before the show premiered. Captain Ozone still fights to protect the Earth today, making occasional public appearances, and is one of the founding fathers of today's real life superheroes.

Check out Captain Ozone's documentary below:

Mr. Xtreme and the Xtreme Justice League

Mr. Xtreme was abused and even molested as a child, and grew up surrounded by hate, abuse and rape. Wanting to do something about this, he built a suit and took on the alter ego Mr. Xtreme, working as a vigilante on the streets of San Diego to save people from rape and murder.

On his suit is the picture and news clippings of Kitty Genovese, a girl who was raped and murdered. He later assembled a team of superheroes that he dedicated to her.

The Xtreme Justice League, Mr. Xtreme's band of real life superheroes, has fought crime on the streets of San Diego since 2006. The team does a lot more than fight crime, though. The XJL also does community service, including helping the poor and homeless, and helping the community as a whole.

The team's members include superheroes like The Grim, Nyght, Vortex, Fallenboy, Vigilante Spider, Violet Valkyrie, Divine Force, Phantomasque, Freedom Fighter, Midnight Highwayman, and Emerald Fáel, all lead by Mr. Xtreme himself. One of their former members, Rouroni, passed away in 2012 during a fatal car crash, causing an out pour of grief from the real life superhero community.

Entomo the Insect Man

Entomo the Insect Man is a martial-artist vigilante located in Naples, Italy. He, like Captain Ozone, fights for environmentalism, trying to keep the world safe. In addition to this, he also patrols the streets to stop crime - mostly vandalism.

Entomo first publicly appeared in 2007 as an environmentalist superhero and has been public ever since, excluding a brief, interrupted retirement during 2011. Entomo has had two different superhero teams. The first team was called the Theta Force, and consisted of himself along with Dr. Presenza, Wild Panther, Grottesk, and Marin. Entomo's new and current team, the Vindicators, consist of many of the same member.

Master Legend

One of the world's first superhero's, Master Legend started his heroic career in 1982 at the age 16 (although he claims he's been a superhero since birth). Over the past 34 years, Master Legend has done his superhero work out in Orlando, FL. His work includes community service, crime fighting, serving as a social activist, and anything else he can find to help the public. He even had a sidekick at one point named Ace.

Master Legend once received quite a bit of national attention when an article titled 'The Legend of Master Legend' was written about him in Rolling Stonemagazine. Master Legend is considered one of the greatest real life superheroes of all time, and was also a co-founder of Team Justice, the world's first superhero group.

Meet the hero for yourself in the video below!

Nyx

Nyx has been an active superhero in the New York / New Jersey area since 2007, when she was 16. She considered being a superhero for many years before that, but after a traumatic life event (which she is unwilling to go into further detail about), Nyx stepped up and joined the New York Initiative of real life superheroes.

Nyx is a very active superheroine who is willing to stand up to the evil of the world, and respects anyone else who does also. Nyx's line of work is largely populated by helping those in need, but she also tries to stand as an inspiration to women. Since she is in a field largely dominated by men, Nyx had this to say:

Some of the superheroes who dress up and walk the streets only do it for attention, but then there are these heroes who truly become a superhero. Some are trained, like Entomo, while others are just regular people like you and me who want to make a difference. These are just a few of the real life superheroes, there are plenty more out in the world who work day and night to help their communities.

It doesn't take much to help the world, whether you are fighting crime like the Xtreme Justice League or helping those in need like Nyx. All you need to do is take a stand against the injustice and inequality in the world and take things into your own hands. These superheroes are inspirational because they show us that anyone can make a difference. Whether you're a martial artist in Italy or just a kid from Florida, you can take a stand, and you can change the world.

Written by Creator Trevor Norkey