Above: Thanatos’ green skull mask was a symbol of his crime-fighting career (Noah Schmidt/Flickr)

Midnight in the streets of the Downtown Eastside aren’t for the faint of heart. Crime, poverty, injustice. It’s a never-ending nightmare for the many who’ve been forgotten, cast aside by the rest of the world. But one man sought to make a difference, and although you may not know his name, he made a lasting impact on the people he helped as Vancouver’s silent protector. 

Ok, corny intro aside, who exactly are we talking about here? I mean, it sounds like I’m talking about Batman or some other comic book hero, right? Well, you’re not far off. The real-life superhero movement has been a thing for over half a century at this point. Ever since the likes of Superman, Batman & Spider-Man leapt onto the page, ordinary citizens have dawned capes and cowls to fight criminals themselves. Seattle’s Phoenix Jones was perhaps the most famous costumed crime-fighter, as he led the Rain City Superheroes in their war on crime during the 2010’s, before being busted for illicit activities in 2020. But Seattle wasn’t the only place to have its own vigilantes, as Vancouver was home to a truly legendary hero as well. 

Above: Thanatos’ first message on YouTube (thanatosdarkavenger/YouTube)

In April of 2008, Thanatos, Vancouver’s Dark Avenger, posted the first of 78 videos on his now defunct YouTube channel. His appearance was unsettling: a trench coat, skull-bedazzled tie, Batman belt buckle, fedora, and his iconic green skeleton mask. On his lapel, the blood-soaked button belonging to The Comedian of DC’s Watchmen was proudly displayed, a hint at Thanatos’ true nature. As he indicates in his message, Thanatos was not an angel of death, rather, a silent vigilante whose goal was to help the downtrodden people of Metro Vancouver. The button and belt buckle were symbols of his comic book fandom, as under the mask, he was just like any other man, with his own passions and hobbies. But unlike most, he became completely enveloped in those passions, as they’d guide his every move for years to come. 

Thanatos prowled the streets of Vancouver frequently, but unlike Phoenix Jones, his methods of solving the city’s problems relied less on violence, and more on compassion. According to him, a VPD officer once told him that many suffering on the streets only had death to look forward to, a sentiment that would mold Thanatos’ style of justice. In many of his YouTube uploads, he’s seen giving water and food to the homeless, rather than beating petty thieves to a pulp. During his years as a hero, he’d even make acquaintances with others “of the cloth”, such as Batman (well, a guy dressed up as Batman), and Knight Owl, occasionally going on missions together. In 2009, with the help of Oakland’s Motor Mouth, Thanatos became a founding member of the Pacific Protectorate, a league of heroes operating on the west coast. 

Above: Thanatos meets fellow hero Knight Owl. The slideshow style of editing was common in his videos (thanatosdarkavenger/Flickr)

So, what happened to Thanatos? He hasn’t been mentioned in the press for over a decade, which leads some to believe he may no longer be with us. In his videos, he was visibly older than many other heroes of his time, with some rumors saying he’d served in Vietnam. Surprisingly, the identity of the Dark Avenger has never been revealed, so unless the man himself returns to the public eye, we may never know. What’s certain is that, despite the inherent silliness of real-life superheroes, Thanatos’ mission to help those less fortunate than himself is something to aspire towards, and even though he couldn’t stop a speeding bullet or leap a building in a single bound, he was still just as super.

For more information on real-life superheroes, visit the wiki here: RLSH Wiki

Written by Noah Schmidt

Contact: nschmidt20@my.bcit.ca