The Misunderstanding of Phoenix Jones, a Real-Life Superhero

Phoenix Jones, born Benjamin Fodor in 1988, was is symbolic of what a superhero is: misunderstood but well-intentioned. In case you don’t know, Phoenix Jones is the self-proclaimed real-life superhero from Seattle, Washington, who’s also a former daycare teacher and MMA fighter. He is the man who fought crime and was ultimately convicted of one.

WHO IS PHOENIX JONES

Born in 1988 in Texas, Jones lived in foster care until he was later adopted. Although many sources mention that Jones was adopted, they do not delve into his upbringing. What was his relationship like with his adoptive parents? We do know that he his adoptive older brother Caros Fodor is also an MMA fighter and that they have unsettled beef, but that’s about it. The depth of their relationship is never explored. The sheer vagueness of Phoenix Jones’s upbringing in the media is partially what has led to the misunderstanding of who Jones is.

Amid his declining run as a superhero, Jones was convicted of a crime, and others pointed to this conviction as justification to turn their backs on him. They claimed his conviction showed what they had already known about him: he’s a fraud. Moreover, they felt his conviction sullied the name of other local superheroes. Not once did they consider that his conviction is representative of the struggles every human faces. When Jones needed the world the most, they turned their backs on him, and this changed him.

THE DAY PHOENIX JONES CHANGED

After a misunderstanding and spraying some people with mace he initially intended to help, Jones was arrested. Later outside the courthouse, he revealed his true identity. Subsequently, he was fired from the daycare at which he worked by his employer. Later, the charges against Jones were dropped, and his supporters stood by him, but the damage had already been done.

Nobody talks about this, but think of how Jones probably felt. He’d been fired from his job for wha? Trying to protect his city? He’d been arrested for stepping in when he thought something was wrong? Having at least one son to feed, how would he do that? In an instant, Jones had been robbed of his livelihood for doing what he thought was something good. It had to be heartbreaking. He eventually turned to a less legitimate way of earning money and was later convicted of a related crime.

Harvey Dent who later became Two-Face once told Bruce Wayne and company that you either die the hero or live long enough to watch yourself become the villain, and this sums up the life of any person working to do good. For Phoenix Jones, doing good was like trying to fight back with a handless sword. It hurt him more, combined with whatever remnants of childhood damage that still remained.

THE WRAP-UP

When Phoenix Jones first put on his uniform, he did so in hopes of reminding others they too could make a difference. His name, Phoenix, is representative of being reborn, while “Jones” is a nod to the everyday man just trying to make it. Phoenix Jones might have put away his uniform, and there might be mixed opinions surrounding him, but I’d like to remember Phoenix Jones for what he stood for: hope, change and rebirth. I’d like to think his story continues to inspire the many who travel between foster homes or simply struggle to find their place in this crazy thing we call a society.

This article was written by Jermaine Reed, MFA, the Editor-in-Chief of The Reeders Block, who also works an Adjunct College Professor and director. Join the email list to get notifications on new articles and books. This article is 100% human-written. And remember, if you see an error, that’s what makes us human. Subscribe and share.