Seattle man decided to suit up and become a real-life superhero but his caped crusade came crashing to a halt after he was arrested for selling drugs

Most people have fantasized about becoming a real-life superhero but very few have ever had the courage to follow through on such a dream. But there was a time when citizens of Seattle could have seen a local costumed crime-fighter patrolling the streets and his name was Phoenix Jones.

Phoenix Jones debuted on the streets of Seattle in 2011 and he wasn’t alone. Jones was the leader of the Rain City Superhero Movement, a real-life superhero team like something straight out of the pages of a Marvel comic. Between 2011 and 2014 the group patrolled the city looking out for criminals while wearing masks and dressing up in colorful latex costumes.

Who is Phoenix Jones?

All the members of the Rain City Superhero Movement are no doubt interesting characters, but Phoenix Jones was and still is the most well known of the group. Like most of the members of his superhero team, he’s a semi-professional mixed martial arts fighter, he’s even signed with World Series of Fighting so there’s little doubt he was capable of handling himself, (at least more so than the average person).

Jones wore an iconic yellow and black costume and could often be seen on the lookout for crime. While the Rain City Superhero Movement disbanded in 2014, Jones continued his quest for justice solo but as time would pass, his image as a hero and symbol of justice would slowly be eroded by his own actions.

The arrest and subsequent downfall

In 2020, Jones was arrested for allegedly trying to sell drugs to a police officer as per The Guardian. But even before that, his image had been tarnished after he picked a fight with a drunk guy who was harassing him, (Batman would never). The video of Jones beating up a man who, while being a nuisance, wasn’t equipped to fend for himself against a professional fighter turned the public against the so-called hero. People labeled Phoenix Jones a “bully.”

But of course, the allegations that Jones was dealing drugs was perhaps the final nail in his coffin. How can a man stand against crime if he himself is a criminal. There’s a famous quote from The Dark Knight that seems very appropriate here: “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

It seems Phoenix Jones’ run as the protector of Seattle went on a little too long and what may have started out as a genuine urge to do good eventually morphed into something worse as Jones himself seemingly got more and more jaded. While he was practically retired before his arrest, the whole incident just sealed the deal. But it wasn’t the end of the superhero movement in Seattle, the Emerald City Heroes Organization (ECHO) still operates to this day.