Real-life Mexican superheroes give el Chapulin Colorado a run for his money

Your cities are overrun with lawlessness on dangerous streets, and it’s not the drug cartels you’re worried about; caped and masked heroes have taken on the task of vigilante justice and civility into their own hands—filling the void police are too powerless to fulfill. It’s not a scene from the latest Marvel comic, but a real life scene from the streets of Mexico.

Meet the real life superheroes of Mexico; they’re being compared as the Mexican “Power Rangers” but they wear Lucha Libre masks and capes. Their names are Peatonito (Super Pedestrian), Ciudadina (Super Citizen) and Ecologista Universal (The Universal Ecologist).

We only assume you need to utter those famous words that would summon el Chapulín Colorado: “¿Y ahora quien podra defederme?” (Oh, who can defend me now?)

In a country that continues to deal with the growing pains of their own industrial revolution—overcrowded cities and crime–these everyday Super Heroes have become the answer to that famous call.

What’s that? It’s a bird, it’s a plane, NOPE it’s not Super Man. It’s an inconsiderate motorist who stopped right on top of the pedestrian crossing at a street intersection. Peatonito comes to the rescue in his black cape and suit, flexing his muscles as he pushes back against the driver’s fender, in a make-believe show of strength that translates to a lesson in civility.

Peatonito is the superhero you wish were always on your side when dealing with rude drivers. (Jon Orcutt/Twitter)

“Lots of drivers laugh and say, ‘well yes, indeed you’re right, it won’t happen again,’” Peatonito told Mexican newspaper “El Confidencial.”  Pedestrians should know they have the right of way, over vehicles, and they must be respected. We want people to get off their automobiles, use public transportation, and above all: walk.”

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What about when the pedestrians are the culprits? That’s when Peatonito’s good friend Ciudadina steps in. As her name implies, she’s in charge of instilling civility in the residents of the country. In her pink cape, with hipster style and typically riding a bicycle, Ciudadina makes sure that when things get too crowded in Mexico City’s Metro, people practice good manners. Saying “excuse me” can go a long way.

Ciudadina snaps a photo with her other Superhero  friends and Jose Luis Saldana of Azteca TV. (@JLSaldanaC/Twitter)

In a city where shoving your way into the subway or the bus is sometimes the norm, Ciudadina is a breath of fresh air, just like the bright colors she wears. Check out her project on improving public spaces in the video below:

“For example, I pass out little cards that say ‘excuse me’ when there are too many people in the crowd,” Ciudadina said. “This card passed out in the Metro has a lot of impact, because people don’t see each other, they only shove. Things change for the better when people say ‘can you excuse me please?’”

Super Barrio is the man who started it all. He pioneered the genre of real-life Superhero wearing Lucha Libre masks and evenging the wrongs in society. (@HETradio3)

However if it weren’t for Superbarrio, this whole superhero movement might have never occurred: See, he was the pioneer of the whole masked crusader movement in Mexico. Wearing his classic gold cape and underpants, he went to a conference in Barcelona in 2011 to talk about grassroots social activism. This guy has been around for a while and is here to stay.

SEE ALSO: Women taking arms against crime in Mexico

Other superheroes include Super Gay (the name is self-explanatory), Super Luz (defender of electric company workers) and Super Ecologista, defender of the Environment, I guess you can call him Captain Planet and the Planeteers are those citizens he inspires.

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