Superheroes are being asked to give up their costumed identities today on the streets of Los Angeles, according to KTLA News.
The Walk of Fame sidewalk along Hollywood Blvd. between Highland and Orange has, for years, been the site of costumed panhandling and was featured in the 2007 documentary, Confessions of a Superhero.
Characters range from popular heroes like Batman and Superman to horror icons like Michael Myers and Chucky (played, terrifyingly, by a masked midget). Some are regulars and some appear only for brief periods. Avatar‘s release late last year saw a rash of Na’vi while a near-perfect Michael Jackson lookalike has been dancing on his Walk of Fame star since the singer’s death.
The performers skirt legality by asking tourists to "tip" them rather than charge for photos outright. Now, police officers have begun cracking down on the enterprise, arresting characters for operating without a business permit.
This new legislation is an ironic parallel to Marvel’s superhero registration act, as depicted in the 2007 comic book crossover Civil War, ultimately revealed as a conspiracy that would aide in an invasion by the alien Skrull race.
