It seems like there’s been a rash of people pretending to be superheroes recently. They pop up, get a bit of news coverage, then fade off into obscurity. They usually don’t even do anything that would make the cops take any interest (and they’re usually pretty interested in masked mystery men). But the superhero that “patrols” Columbia, Tennessee, The Viper, has gotten the police’s attention…they’ve just told him to stop his silliness.
When cops recently stopped The Viper on his patrol and found him armed with a utility belt filled with a screwdriver, wrenches and a cell phone, which he said that he’d use to report any crimes he saw. But it turns out there are laws in Columbia against wearing a mask in public. So, it looks like The Viper will be hanging up is bootleg “Kick Ass” costume and going back to his college classes.
Now, normally I’d point out how the ABC news about The Viper uses the same slightly condescending tone that the news usually reserves for comic-book-related stories. But if this story doesn’t deserve to be mocked, nothing does.
ABC News video about The Viper after the jump!
[ABC News via Bleeding Cool]