Anyone with even a completely basic knowledge [read: us] of Marvel Comics will be aware that the superhero is supposed to be a force for good. But a couple of men have evidently not been paying attention, because in two separate incidents, they’ve been accused of assaulting women in the middle of the day in their Spider-Man costumes. Not so super.
One man has been accused of groping a woman in Times Square, New York, then verbally abusing her after she called him out on it. Uniformed policemen chased Moufsa Rabaoui, 22, across the square in full costume after he approached a woman from behind, wrapped his arm around her neck and grabbed her arse. The victim shouted: ‘You can’t do that’, which then allegedly prompted the Spider-Man doppelganger to launch an expletive-riddled tirade at the poor woman. This guy sounds like a real treat, doesn’t he?
It’s the second occasion a Times Square Spider-Man has made it into the press. 36-year old Philip Williams was accused of harassing a 46-year-old mother last year. Williams was later acquitted, but we have to wonder, what's going on with all these superheroes? We also have to wonder, what did these guys' mugshots look like? Were they allowed to keep their masks on? So many questions.
But still, next time you see a superhero wandering around IRL – maybe approach with some caution?
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.