Did You Know Michigan Used To Have Real Life Super Heroes?

Even before Marvel took the box office by storm, comic books have been making vigilante justice look cool for years. When I was a kid, I won a Little Prince contest by saying that when I grew up, I wanted to be Batman. It's a dream of many kids to be a superhero, however most don't actually do it. The same can't be said about some people across Michigan.

Petoskey Batman has been a consistent figure throughout Michigan for many years due to his multiple controversies. However, much like Batman isn't a solo act, our Petoskey Batman was actually part of a larger group of real-life superheroes.

Real Life Super Heroes

I originally was doing some research for this article to highlight how Petoskey Batman, real name Mark Williams, came out of hiatus to comment on Pokemon Go. It's sort of ironic that he has a problem with someone possibly impersonating him on the game considering his entire schtick is built off impersonating someone, but that's neither here nor there.

However, it was a video linked in the comments that opened my eyes to a larger world. YouTuber wavywebsurf highlights stories from around the internet and just did a video that did an in-depth feature on Michigan's very own Petoskey Batman. It was here that I learned that Michigan had not one, not two, but seven real-life superheroes. 

Meet The Team

They called themselves the Michigan Protectors. The heroes operated as a team around 2012 and using the WayBackMachine, I was able to recover the deleted website to see how it was viewed back in 2012 and learned about all the members of the team, including one from Grand Rapids.

The Michigan Protectors insist that they are not vigilantes, but rather people who are just trying to make a difference. The group disbanded after Batman and Bee Sting had a falling out following Bee Sting being arrested for wielding a shotgun during an altercation.

You can view the full member's page here to see what each member looked like and what each of their unique attributes were. Here are our former protectors of Michigan:

Petoskey Batman and Batgirl - Petoskey, MI

We have written pretty extensively about Petoskey Batman in the past so I won't go into too much detail here, but superhero couple Petoskey Batman and Petoskey Batgirl have quite the tale. If you would like to learn more about Batman, you can read previous coverage here or watch wavywebsurf's video on him.

BeeSting - Detroit, MI

BeeSting was a former Iraq veteran who utilized his military background to help neighborhoods set up their own crime watches in the neighborhoods around the country. At one point, he was the leader of the Michigan Protectors, but was removed from the team following a stint in prison.

The Animal - Midland, MI

After his cousin died in a fire, The Animal created his mask and vowed to help his fellow man to the best of his abilities. He was one of the founding members of the Michigan Protectors.

Venge - Lansing, MI

Growing up, Venge always knew he wanted to help people. Since he was 10 years old, Venge had been donning a disguise and working to help people in his area. When he turned 20 years old, he learned there were others just like him, real-life superheroes working to help their communities. He donned the codename Venge for the first time and has tried helping where he can. Not for the fame, but because it's the right thing to do.

Sentinel - Grand Rapids, MI

The victim of a brutal robbery at a young age, Sentinel chose to devote his life to helping others so no one would have to experience the fear and helplessness he felt as a little kid.

No photo is available.

Red Jacket - Flint, MI

Visually impaired and a survivor of brain cancer, Red Jacket hasn't let his past obstacles stop him from protecting his community. He established a patrol in his neighborhood to help deter and report crime.

Void - Midland, MI

Not much is known about Void aside from where he operated, but he did have this monologue about why he serves:

For those who stand inside the darkness and scream. Where those who have been forgotten know that nothing can save them. For those who no longer have hope. If nothing is all they have left, if nothing can save them. Then let nothingness take the form of a man who is nothing but void.

That is a very cool bio Void has for himself.

No photo is available.

From what I can tell, most of these heroes are not active anymore, but in 2012, this team was very active. What do you think? Are these real-life superheroes, or are people just running around in costumes?