Thursday, April 28, is Superhero Day.
In honor of the occasion, we’d like to re-live one of our favorite local stories – the story of Erik Martin of Bellevue, who saw his dream to be a superhero for a day come true thanks to the Make A Wish Foundation.
Erik, aka Electron Boy, lost his battle with cancer and other health problems in September 2011, but not before leaving an indelible mark on his community.
Here is our original story about Martin’s day of heroism from April 2010:
SEATTLE -- Superhero Electron Boy once again saved the Seattle area from the sinister schemes of Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy on Thursday.
Who, you ask?
Electron Boy's secret identity is 13-year-old Erik Martin of Bellevue. But the real hero Thursday was the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Erik, who lives with kidney cancer, wanted to be a superhero and Make-A-Wish made it happen.
A wish like that doesn't come true without some help, namely police and the Seattle Sounders FC, among others.
Stay with us as we follow Erik's adventures as Electron Boy.
At 11 a.m. Electron Boy received a dire phone call from Spiderman, briefing him on an emergency the Sounders are trapped in a dark locker room. Our hero got into his costume then took off in his superhero vehicle, a DeLorean, with Bellevue Police escorting him.
About an hour later, Electron Boy arrived at Qwest Field. He swooped in to rescue the team from perpetual darkness.
His work was not done. An hour later, he was back in Bellevue, rescuing someone trapped in a Puget Sound Energy bucket truck. The truck had been zapped by the evil Dr. Dark.
Soon after, Electron Boy was back in Seattle at the Space Needle, where the elevator suddenly was not working and civilians were stranded on the observation deck. Dr. Dark was waiting for him in the lobby. As the two battled it out, Electron Boy froze Dr. Dark with his lightning rod. Our hero then got the elevator working.
The Make-A-Wish staff congratulated and cheered Electron Boy as police hauled away Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy (played by Deadliest Catch stars Edgar Hansen and Jake Anderson).
Erik's wish was part of World Wish Day, which the foundation says is a global celebration of wish granting that honors the 30th anniversary of the wish that inspired the creation of the foundation.