The Hidden Gems of L.A.’s Indie Super Hero Scene

An Account on The Fort by Elle Fig

According to Urban Dictionary, Star Power is described as the power of one’s presence, either through endorsements, popularity or vote of confidence in said person that often lends itself to strongly influencing a certain decision or state of indecisiveness.

I can’t help but wonder where this charismatic phenomena comes from, how, despite a lowering religious presence across the US, we still see the same pagan practices carried on to shed our sense of self.

Currently I live in Los Angeles, California. The Lost make their pilgrimage here for many reasons, but it’s really the proximity to greatness that seems to allure even the most defiant of folks. Who wouldn’t want the Lifestyle of the Rich and the Famous? What you lose in anonymity, you also lose in worry. Being in the 1% is a superpower. The Snap will hardly affect you.

But this ritual should concern us; what use is there in praying to celebrity Gods when our voices are so rarely heard? It seems obvious that community can cure ails, yet somehow we have all fallen for the selfish spell; Our jobs are provided by inheritors, our charities built by investors, our politicians; movie stars and reality show hosts.

These leaders don’t even know who we are, and rather than stress about fixing our debilitating mental health crisis, the people are more interested in which of the Kardashians got Snapped. We worship the idea of ease rather than work towards it. Hollywood has become a modern day Mount Olympus.

I think it’s clear, as the saying goes, “my body is my temple”; There are no Gods to save us and enlighten our sense of self-worth… Only once we learn to truly trust in ourselves and our dreams can we strip away the poison of hierarchy.

So… what am I going on about anyway?

Griffith Observatory has been closed to the public since The Snap, where communication has become still-born and unworthy of trust. There’s been hushed talk of a super squatter commune there, using a zip-line at night to travel to the city and fight crime. Sounds a bit absurd, but in my line of work you know never to ignore a good rumor.

We know of the big dogs: Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Thor and Hulk, Spider-Man and Daredevil. But have you heard of the bandanna-wearing Bloodhound, the power-swapping Roulette, and the sneaky spy Scry? The Griffith Observatory is touring a new kind of space: the underground world of independent vigilantes. They call it The Fort. Unclear if The Castle was a response or a coincidence, but they dress and smell much different than your average hero or secret agent. These are regular people with a sense of youth and wonder, making something of themselves despite no one watching.

“Well, Elle, I feel like I have a sense of belonging…” A young woman told me, her enhanced abilities consisting of knowing the first name of anyone she made direct eye contact with, “… I can’t fly or anything, but everyone trusts me here and I’ve never felt more powerful.”

These Fort Heroes make mistakes. They’re still finding their footing. Not too much to say about leadership, though I met a man named Roach who seemed to be the glue holding it together. But it was mostly an enthusiastic affair. There was especially a lot of love for their Poster Team: The ScAvengers, a name they told me was reclaimed by “the man”.

No matter your opinion on the Sokovia Accords, or who you think is to blame for The Snap, I’ve realized something. We get so caught up in the glorified sight of The Avengers, it’s easy to forget all the little guys who hit the ground running. There are so many enhanced individuals walking all around us, and it seems more and more find their powers by the day. They can’t shoot fire from their fingertips, or take the impact of a moving car as if it were a scratch. But visiting The Fort made me realize, lack of flair — or money — doesn’t make you less capable of change.

Star power is an illusion. Our relationship with Tony Stark will always be a one way street. I’m sure his dad’s company will figure out a way to improve things over time. But why wait for their permission? Why wait for them to learn what it means to sacrifice? If we take a moment to look around, people are saving the world every day, right under our noses.

In a strange way, despite most people being afraid to go outside, plants wildly overgrown, and any sense of community being scarce, times like these remind us that, although we are alone, we are interwoven. Every choice we make will be felt by others one way or another. Everything we do echoes, even if we don’t hear it. And when things are broken people must rebuild. They must construct their own systems of confidence, their own paths, their own homes. Even if that means tearing down the things of old.

At a certain point, it’s healthy to accept that the wealthy and well-off don’t have our best interests in mind. Even the highest ranking heroes can’t save our city from itself… we have to do that. The people. The little guys.

So what do I think of The Fort? A bit rough around the edges to put it mildly, but I will say… their hearts are in the right place. They may work in the dark for now… but if we were to shine the sun on them for a day, I don’t know…

I think they could all be stars.