Real-life superheroes wear masks or otherwise disguise themselves in order to perform deeds ranging from community services to deterring crime. Some examples documented in the news media include:

Argentina

Menganno works on the east side of Lanús. He wears blue clothing, a helmet, and a shield similar to that of fictional superhero Captain America, but with the colours of the Flag of Argentina. Spiderman of Buenos Aires, the Spiderman of Buenos Aires patrols the outskirts of the city helping children with social projects and reporting crimes to the police.

Australia

Wearing specially made black knife-resistant clothing and wearing a black mask, Black Rat of Sydney carries a utility belt and backpack containing a fire blanket, fire extinguisher, first aid kit and drinking water. He has campaigned for better lighting in the streets and more community involvement in neighbourhoods. Captain Australia, featured in the mX and then The Courier-Mail and on television's A Current Affair, is based in Brisbane, Queensland. Police have expressed their preference that Captain Australia not intervene in incidents.

Canada

Polarman of Iqaluit, Nunavut, shovels snow off sidewalks and keeps playgrounds safe for children during the day and patrols the streets for criminals at night, wearing a black balaclava, white pants and snow boots.Fallon, Daniel. Net crusaders, The Age. Published July 31, 2004. Ark of Toronto was featured in an article for Postmedia News by Douglas Quan in November 2011, who commented on his reasons and methods on being a real-life superhero. The Crimson Canuck of Windsor, Ontario, was also featured in the article by Quan, as well as being interviewed on the radio station AM800 by Arms Bumanlag, and was featured in an article in the Toronto Sun. as well as other local publications, university newspapers, and local Cogeco TV's Comic Book Syndicate and MTV Canada. Thanatos of Vancouver, British Columbia, dresses in a trench-coat, skull-and-crossbones tie, and wide-brimmed hat while wearing a bulletproof vest as he distributes goods and goodwill to the homeless. The Katalysts Ontario, also known as the Justice Crew of Oshawa, in Oshawa, Ontario, are a collection of individuals who patrol the streets at night, clean up local litter, and perform homeless outreach. Members include its founder Aftershock, Regulus, and the Nameless Crusader. Lightstep is a masked patroller currently located in Montreal. He is equipped with a bulletproof vest and a bag with first aid kit, needle collection containers, latex gloves, condoms, socks, gloves and hats.

China

Chinese Redbud Woman assists the poor in Beijing, China. She has been seen several times wearing black tights and a blue mask, handing out food and warm clothing to the homeless.

Colombia

Wearing a mask, Super Pan fights against hunger by handing out bread three days a week in poverty stricken areas of Bucaramanga.

Finland

Dex Laserskater has been patrolling the streets of Helsinki since 1997. He has modeled his alter ego after the short lived comic book hero Skateman. He specializes in guiding tourists, tipping waiters, doormen and street musicians and helping the police.

France

Captain Ozone has featured in the French Max magazine, the Koikispass magazine, and the German edition of the FHM magazine. The Defenders of France have been the subject of numerous press articles. L'Arpenteur () is one of their leaders.

Israel

Park Wayne is a superhero active in Jerusalem. His outfit and identity are mostly inspired by Batman and Spider-Man. He has roamed the streets of the city protecting drunks, people at risk, and the creative communities in Jerusalem since 2010. He was featured in an episode of The State of Jerusalem that followed him for a night in order to shed light on him.

Italy

Entomo, the Insect-Man, is a masked patroller and activist who has been inspired by earlier real-life superheroes. In February 2009, Rai 4 filmed a night-time patrol and interview with Entomo at an abandoned factory in Naples, aired on the TV program Sugo.Episode 7: "Supereroe a Gomorra" , Sugo. Published March 4, 2009. Following an interview on Il Riformista, Entomo was depicted in Panorama.

Japan In 2015, various media reported that Kamen Rider No.1 based on the eponymous character patrols the streets of Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, while looking for drunk drivers. Identity of the real-life Kamen Rider turned out to be Shinjiro Kumagaya, an environmental artist.Real-life Kamen Rider patrols the streets of Japan

Mexico

CNN covered Mexico City's Superbarrio Gómez, who is a celebrity, satirist, and organizer who wears red tights and a red and yellow wrestler's mask. He uses his unique image to organize labor rallies, protest, and file petitions to prevent families from being evicted.

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Sweden

Väktaren () patrols the streets of Malmö, wearing a dark suit with a white mask and white "V" symbol on his chest. When interviewed, the police stated that as long as he was not impersonating a police officer, he was not breaking any laws.

United Kingdom

The BBC reported on Angle-Grinder Man, a British self-described "wheel-clamp superhero" who claims to use an angle grinder to illegally cut wheel clamps off vehicles which have been clamped in by police and parking officials in Kent and London. Police indicate that they have received no word or complaint of his actions. The newspaper This Is Local London featured an article on SOS (whose real name is Steve Sale), a UK superhero who gatecrashed the premiere of the film Kick-Ass in April 2010. The Statesman is a super hero who patrols the streets of Birmingham wearing a mask, Union Jack shirt and dark trousers. Reports of his effectiveness are mixed. In August 2011, the BBC reported on Shadow (whose real name is Ken Andre) who patrols in Yeovil. A vigilante known as the Bromley Batman has been seen by several witnesses to have saved people from knife-wielding gangs and muggers in South London. His activities have been reported as far as Cornwall.

United States

Real-life superheroes are notably prevalent in the USA compared to other countries, which may be attributed to the greater popularity of superhero comic books. One of the earliest examples of a RLSH was California's Richard Allen Pesta, alias Captain Sticky. Starting around 1974, clad in a blue jumpsuit with gold cape and boots and driving the "Stickymobile" he campaigned against abuses in nursing homes, supplied information on health insurance frauds to authorities, and advocated for consumer rights. He testified before the Federal Trade Commission hearings in 1978 and Congress in 1979 wearing his uniform. He was arrested in 1986 when he rented his house to a film crew shooting pornography. Tothian and Ecliptico were both featured in the special features of the 2009 Watchmen film, titled Real Superheroes, Real Vigilantes. Master Legend assists the homeless of Orlando and is a member of the Justice Crusaders. Amazon based the 2017 black comedy series Legend of Master Legend on his super hero persona. Batman of San José advocates for the homeless in San Jose, California. Shadow Hare wears a mask and cape and patrols Milford, Ohio, armed with tasers, pepper spray and handcuffs. Captain Ozone has starred in PSAs, made appearances at grade schools and hemp festivals, created a video documentary on environmentalism, and organized a public demonstration for renewable energy.Merchant, Brian. Climate Change? This Looks Like a Job for Captain Ozone, Environmental Hero. TreeHugger. Published September 28, 2008. Phoenix Jones is a mixed martial artist who patrols Seattle, Washington in search for criminal activity in a bulletproof vest and stab plating. Initially wearing a ski mask to intervene in a public assault, Jones later developed a full costume and adopted the pseudonym. Mr. Xtreme, a security guard, spends his free time as a costumed crime fighter handing out food and juice in San Diego, California. Captain Oyster, whose real name is Liam Davenport, patrols his Queens neighborhood looking for late-night crimes to solve through "intimidation and intellectual discourse". Crimson Fist patrols Atlanta twice a month with his wife, Metadata, to help the homeless in their area. Wall Creeper and Zen Blade patrol in Denver. The Watchman and Moon Dragon were reported patrolling Milwaukee in 2009. Terrifica is a New York City-based woman who patrols bars and parties in an effort to prevent inebriated women from being taken advantage of by men. Since the mid-1990s, she has donned a mask, blonde wig, red boots and cape, because, in her words, women "need to be protected from themselves".Robinson, Bryan. Meet the Anti-Sex in the City Superhero, ABC News. Published November 5, 2002. In 2010, The Viper was stopped by police in Columbia, Tennessee, for patrolling the streets after midnight in a black and green mask and costume. He claimed that he was "just a guy trying to do what was right in tights". The Bay Coast Guardians is a group in St Petersburg, Florida that conducts safety patrols and homeless outreach events since 2017. The team consists of members Warden, Mercy, Jaguar, Good Samaritan, Impact, and Miracle. The BCG is also partnered with the Not-for-profit The super Foundation Dragonheart is a bilingual real-life superhero who operates in Miami. In Portland, Oregon, Zetaman patrols the streets in a minivan, giving help to the homeless. (Ret.) Dark Guardian of New York, whose real name is Chris Pollak, has patrolled the streets of New Jersey and New York since the age of 19. In 2017, he became the head of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime prevention organisation. The Eye of Mountain View in California is a licensed investigator. His specialty is patrolling using homemade gadgets to record criminal activity so that it can be reported to police. He often works with his wife, Lady Mystery. Squeegeeman "fights grime and crime" in Manhattan wearing a red mask and cape. He was reported as making a mock run for president in 2008. The Demon Warrior in Sacramento, California, investigates demonic forces. Skyline is an anonymous real life superhero and martial-artist operating in Albuquerque, New Mexico, performing community patrols, donating food, de-escalating street fights, and documenting police/ICE interactions. Skyline has cultivated a large online following on platforms like TikTok.

Russia

In Russia, there have also been attempts to create their own real superheroes. In March 2011, the first Russian superhero, nicknamed the "Chelyabinsk Ninja" (Челябинский Ниндзя), appeared in Chelyabinsk. However, nothing more was known about this superhero and there were no new news or rumors about him. In Saint Petersburg in September 2011, a superhero nicknamed "Petersburg Man" (Человек-Петербург) appeared, who helped people get on the right path and demanded that people throwing out cigarette butts on the streets take their own trash to the trash can. This superhero also had his own page VKontakte, which at that time had more than three thousand subscribers who could contact him through the group and ask him for help. Unfortunately, this superhero did not exist for long and there were no more rumors or news about him.