[Images by Seattle Times]

Sorry, Kyle Rayner, this kid might just be my new hero.

Erik Martin, who is living with liver cancer, dreamed of being a superhero. Yesterday, the regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted him that wish with an elaborate event that involved hundreds of volunteers around the Seattle area.

And I mean they pulled the works. I’m talking about Erik becoming his own superhero, “Electron Boy” who has his own arch-nemesis “Dr. Dark“. Oh, and he saves Spider-Man, the city, as well as the Seattle Sounders.

There was even a video package from his enemy playing in Qwest Stadium. “Electron Boy, I am Dr. Dark and this is Blackout Boy,” sneered an evil voice, as the villain: Edgar Hansen, and his sidekick Jake Anderson, both of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch who taunted the young superhero. “We are here to take over Seattle and make it dark!”

Of course, what would any superhero story be without the hero conquering over evil? The Seattle Times has an entire article about how the rest of wish played out. I have to say, it’s pretty emotional to see how many people can come together to make this kid’s wish come true like they did. The police, these volunteers, and the soccer team. The whole shebang. It’s truly amazing, incredible, uncanny…you name it.

Watching her son run across the plaza in front of the Space Needle, mom Judy Martin said Erik goes to school when he’s able, but sometimes doesn’t have the energy. “He hasn’t had this much energy in a long time,” she said. “They called it the power of the wish, and they’re right.”

“I don’t see how a feeling person can read this and not want to reach out to this kid,” said Tom Feister, of IDW’s GI JOE: Origins. “Super-heroes really can inspire the world”

I personally wish this kid has the best day tomorrow on Free Comic Book Day, but I’m sure it will be hard to top this experience. Erik was very thankful and appreciative and simply stated “This is the best day of my life.” Here’s to you, Erik.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 30th, 2010 at 5:18 pm and is filed under News & Views. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.