The Superhero Complex

iHeartPodcasts and Novel

When darkness falls over Seattle, a masked crusader emerges from the shadows. His name? Phoenix Jones - a charismatic cage fighter, hell-bent on ridding the streets of criminals.

Welcome to the world of real life superheroes - ordinary people who put on outrageous costumes and head out to fight crime.

Phoenix’s team of superhero sidekicks have all turned against him. They say he’s no hero and in 2020, it’s Phoenix who finds himself on the wrong side of the law.

So is Phoenix a model citizen fighting for a better world? Or is he a fraudster who used a superhero identity to disguise his own crimes? Journalist David Weinberg sets out on a wild journey to find out.

The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio

For more from Novel visit Novel.audio

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Our Editor's Take

The Superhero Complex podcast follows host David Weinberg as he seeks the truth about Phoenix Jones. Phoenix is a real-life superhero. In 2011, Phoenix caught the adoration and ire of Seattle for his superhero antics. Back then, Seattle had its fair share of real-life superheroes. The Rain City Superhero Movement included ten civilian patrollers donning superhero costumes. Phoenix Jones was one of them. These masked crusaders would try to save lives and fight disorder in Seattle. But who was the man behind Phoenix's mask?

Host David Weinberg illuminates the world of real-life superheroes with this podcast. But to discover Phoenix, he first had to go through Ben Fodor. That is Phoenix Jones' real name. Fodor is a cage fighter by day. But he's Phoenix Jones, crime-fighting superhero, by night.

David wants to learn everything he can about Phoenix. What were his motivations? What was his origin story? The Superhero Complex podcast sees David traveling to Seattle to meet Phoenix in person.

Ben's origin story comes from a personal experience. Like many other real-life heroes, he, too, had been a victim of crime in Seattle. After a close run-in involving his little son, he decided it was up to him to rid the streets of criminals. He found the cops' response to crime too slow. It was tiring and frustrating. So he became Phoenix Jones.

Fast-forward to 2020, and Phoenix faced big legal trouble for his antics. His crimefighting sidekicks had left him by his lonesome self, too. The podcast questions whether there is still a chance for Phoenix to rise from the ashes? Can he continue his mission to keep Seattle safe?

Are these vigilante crime fighters today's undervalued heroes? The Superhero Complex podcast attempts to find out in its ten episodes. Listeners may appreciate this fascinating story.

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Society & CultureSociety & Culture

Play Trailer

Introducing: The Superhero Complex

Introducing: The Superhero Complex

When darkness falls over Seattle, a masked crusader emerges from the shadows. His name? Phoenix Jones – a charismatic cage fighter, hell-bent on ridding the streets of criminals. Welcome to the world of real life superheroes: ordinary people who put on outrageous costumes and head out to fight crime. Phoenix’s team of superhero sidekicks have all turned against him. They say he’s no hero and in 2020, it’s Phoenix who finds himself on the wrong side of the law. So is Phoenix a model citizen fighting for a better world? Or is he a fraudster who used a superhero identity to disguise his own crimes? Journalist David Weinberg sets out on a wild journey to find out. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episodes

Introducing: The Superhero Complex

Introducing: The Superhero Complex

When darkness falls over Seattle, a masked crusader emerges from the shadows. His name? Phoenix Jones – a charismatic cage fighter, hell-bent on ridding the streets of criminals. Welcome to the world of real life superheroes: ordinary people who put on outrageous costumes and head out to fight crime. Phoenix’s team of superhero sidekicks have all turned against him. They say he’s no hero and in 2020, it’s Phoenix who finds himself on the wrong side of the law. So is Phoenix a model citizen fighting for a better world? Or is he a fraudster who used a superhero identity to disguise his own crimes? Journalist David Weinberg sets out on a wild journey to find out. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1: Out of the Shadows

1: Out of the Shadows

Welcome to the world of real life superheroes - ordinary people who put on outrageous costumes and head out to fight crime. Journalist David Weinberg sets out to uncover the truth about Seattle’s masked crusader, Phoenix Jones. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2: A Phoenix Rises

2: A Phoenix Rises

Every superhero has an origin story. David travels to Seattle to come face to face with Phoenix for the first time, but their meeting raises more questions than it answers. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3: We Can Be Heroes

3: We Can Be Heroes

What’s a superhero without sidekicks? David meets the ragtag recruits who became Phoenix’s crime-fighting supergroup, the Rain City Superheroes. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4: Under the Spotlight

4: Under the Spotlight

Phoenix and the Rain City Superheroes hit the big time. But fame comes with a price. Phoenix starts to make some powerful enemies. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5: The Rogue Era

5: The Rogue Era

After a run-in with the law, Phoenix’s superhero antics start to have consequences for his civilian life. When tragedy strikes in downtown Seattle, things begin to unravel for Phoenix Jones. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tensions are brewing in the Rain City Superhero Movement. After a disastrous patrol, things boil over. David picks through the rumors, betrayals and grudges, to figure out who’s to blame for the breakup of Seattle’s super-squad. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7: From the Ashes

7: From the Ashes

While Phoenix launches his comeback as a cage fighter, rumours swirl that some of his demons are catching up with him. With Phoenix absent, his former sidekicks struggle to pick up the pieces. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8: The Hero We Deserve

8: The Hero We Deserve

After a final showdown with the police, it seems like Phoenix has fallen from grace once and for all. But in the world of real life superheroes, all is never quite as it seems. As protests erupt in Seattle in 2020, Phoenix Jones has one last shot at redemption. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

9: BONUS EP - Unsung Heroes

9: BONUS EP - Unsung Heroes

David fires up the batmobile again, for a whistle-stop tour of the wider real life superhero universe. We meet superheroes and villains from Mexico City to the Netherlands, and hear from journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson about his time with costumed crime fighters in New York. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

10: BONUS EP - America’s Next Top Superhero

10: BONUS EP - America’s Next Top Superhero

Before Phoenix Jones, there was Major Victory, Fat Momma and Monkey Woman. David delves into the weird world of ‘Who Wants to Be A Superhero,’ a reality TV show in which comics legend Stan Lee searches for the ultimate real life superhero. The Superhero Complex is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio For more from Novel, visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: Deliver Us From Ervil

Introducing: Deliver Us From Ervil

In the 1940s, a group of Mormon dreamers started a town in the Mexican desert. But what began as a utopian vision quickly turned sour when the founding family’s son, Ervil LeBaron, struggled for control of the community and unleashed a multi-generational crimewave – the ripples of which are still being felt today. From bank robbery to drug smuggling, auto theft rings to multiple murders, a deadly cult evolved into a sophisticated organized crime family. In Deliver Us From Ervil, journalist Jesse Hyde tells the story of Ervil LeBaron and the unlikely ensemble of reporters, cops, survivors and family insiders trying to halt his bloody legacy. Deliver Us From Ervil is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. Listen to Deliver Us From Ervil on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-deliver-us-from-ervil-96084334/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Introducing: The Fighty Pucks

Introducing: The Fighty Pucks

The Fighty Pucks is the story of the most violent hockey team on the planet. A team of lovable bad boys, misfits and bruisers, led by a teenage boy - AJ Galante. Together with his father, a powerful business man with a dark past, AJ ran the team as they went rampaging on a path to glory. But all the while, the team was being secretly watched by their toughest opponent of all - the FBI. The Fighty Pucks is produced by Novel for iHeartRadio. For more from Novel visit novel.audioSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.