As “Supergirl” leaves theaters and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” swings into them, filmgoers have plenty of opportunities to see superheroes on the silver screen this summer.
But one man is looking inward for inspiration, by rebranding himself as a real-life superhero: The Roanoke Raven of Virginia.
Although he retains his anonymity, the Roanoke Raven did share his backstory with local news outlet WDBJ7.
By day, he works as an EMT for a local fire department. But when he puts on the “Spider-Man” inspired stealth mask and goggles, he becomes the superhero that he believes the city needs.
“We live in a city where thousands and thousands of emergencies happen a day, and no one really talks about them,” the Roanoke Raven said in an interview with WDBJ7.
“There are people on the street right now, homeless and not having the ability to eat at night, and you’ve got people passing them that refuse to make eye contact with them. That’s the society we live in right now.”
He said seeing those needs “lit a fire” in him.
“I think we can make the city a better place to live,” he said. “And, I think that if it takes wearing a superhero mask to do it, let’s do it.”
When he’s not leading litter pick-ups and returning grocery carts, the vigilante takes a light-hearted approach to his social media videos, sharing his childhood inspirations, like Spiderman, Superman, and Batman.
“Growing up, I didn’t always have a stable anchor to teach me all the things that I needed to learn, and often I felt like I always saw the world in a different way than others around me,” the Roanoke Raven told Good Good Good.
“I’ve always been an optimist, and I feel as though those three superheroes who I have loved and adored since I was a kid amplified that fire.”
The self-made vigilante also uses his platform to raise awareness about critical issues in his community.
“Let’s talk about water,” The Roanoke Raven said in a recent TikTok video.
“The entire pack of 24 cost me less than $5 at Kroger,” he said. “And yet, no matter how cheap or simple this item is, we still have over 42 million Americans that are suffering from water insecurity.”
“That's not good for anybody,” he added.
So, the Roanoke Raven decided to do something about it.
“Today, me — and one of the citizens from Roanoke that wanted to help me out — lent a helping hand,” he said. “We got together, and we gave away over 120 bottles of water to random citizens in the area and donated the rest to the Roanoke Rescue Mission.”
“That means that 120 more people have the ability to have a drink and stay hydrated with clean drinking water for the day.”
But he acknowledged that his mission-of-the-day could only go so far.
“The problem is, drinking water is temporary, being hydrated is temporary,” he acquiesced. “All we did today was put a tiny Band-Aid on a large problem. So what I’m asking for is [for] you to help, too. It takes two dudes and $20 to get 120-plus bottles of water donations in the Roanoke Rescue. So imagine what we could do if we all worked together.”
As opposed to the crime-fighting superheroes and bow-and-arrow-wielding vigilantes made popular by comic books, the Roanoke Raven platforms small, simple acts that help everyday people without a fight sequence. And while he encourages more people to get involved, the spotlight stays on the action — not his identity.
“Bottles of water are simple,” he concluded in his video. “And it is in their simplicity that we overlook their impact. Everything helps, anything helps. So today, I encourage you guys to go out there and help your community like I did. Let's give some people some drinking water. And tomorrow, who knows?”
He signed off with his trademark catchphrase: “Fly high, citizens.”
So what’s next for the Roanoke Raven?
“I am actively about to leave for a different state to work with an organization fighting back against human trafficking,” the Roanoke Raven told Good Good Good. “When I get back, I would love to do a meet-and-greet-slash-food drive for Feeding Southwest Virginia.”
When asked if he had any advice for his fellow citizens, he added that “anything helps.”
“I encourage everyone to go out there and find people to help, whether it’s giving away food and water or down to the little fact of sitting and talking to someone to try to make their day a little bit better,” he said.
“My main goal is to make Roanoke city work together. Something that I’m really proud of is how the project is inspiring the community.”
[EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story referred to the subject as a firefighter. He later clarified that he is an EMT who works for his local fire department, who is actively pursuing his paramedic and firefighter certification.]
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Featured Image: Screenshot/TikTok: @the.roanoke.raven
