Wish Granted

The world of superhero fantasy serves a number of purposes, from offering light entertainment to providing a serious distraction and even a hiding place from the ugly terrors of real life. Sometimes, while indulging in fantasy, people can cross the line and end up making their fantasy world more important than their day-to-day existence. I sometimes imagine going down that route, but today, I have nothing to complain about. Today, superhero fantasy is serving its finest purpose; the expression of true courage. Today, by his example, I've been saved by Electron Boy. We all have.

Erik Martin is a 13-year-old kid who lives in the Puget Sound area of Washington. Like a lot of kids (and probably more than a few adults), he's always wanted to be a superhero. He also has liver cancer.

Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Erik's wish has come true. Exit Erik Martin; enter Electron Boy. Hundreds of volunteers joined forces, not to just make sure Electron Boy was equipped with a really cool costume, but that he travelled in style in "Moonshine Maid's" DeLorean, along with a 20 police motorcycle escort, to Seattle's Qwest Field. His mission? To save the Seattle Sounders, trapped in their locker room by the evil "Dr. Dark" and his villainous sidekick "Blackout Boy".

After Erik, uh...Election Boy, handily freed the Sounders, he spent the day performing one miraculous rescue after another, pursuing and ultimately defeating Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy. After turning them over to Bellevue police to be handcuffed, Seattle City Councilwoman Sally Bagshaw gifted our hero with the key to the city and presented a proclamation stating that Thursday was Electron Boy Day. Like any true hero, Electron Boy spent some time posing for the TV camera and showing off his mighty muscles, giving his many fans a thrill.

I found though, that his greatest power was in his last words said for the news media, "This is the best day of my life."

Well done, hero.