Update - Humanity AND Justice In A Superman Story

It's not often that I get a chance to tell my readers (I think that there might still be a couple of you out there...) about a really happy ending AND a bit of justice served.

A while back, I related a story about Mike Meyer, a mentally disabled man who had his extensive Superman collection plundered by a man he met at a local comic book store. Long story short, the dastardly fink was arrested following another lowlife crime (he assaulted a senior citizen who had hired him to do some work for him) and the collection was largely returned to Meyers. By that time the fanboy community had rallied around Meyers and replaced (and then some) what he had lost.

Great story to that point.

When the collection was returned, Meyers was asked what he'd do with the extra stuff that the comic book community had donated and he said at the time that he'd likely donate it to a children's hospital as a way to repay the generosity of his fellow Superman fans.

To me, that was the point where I realized that the real hero of the piece was Meyer himself. Mentally disabled he may be, victim he may have been, but this man is a super man in the truest sense.

Imagine my delight as I scanned the interwebs today and found these two stories:

From blog.cleveland.com (go there to see a pic of Meyer and the sketch mentioned below)


CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the very room where a young Jerry Siegel created Superman, Mike Meyer sat transfixed Monday as he drew his own sketch of his hero.

Meyer, 48 and mentally disabled, said sitting in that room in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood was a lifelong dream he never thought would come true. Several months ago, a man posing as a friend stole Meyer's comic and Superman memorabilia collection from his Granite City, Ill., home.

John Dudas, owner of Carol and John's Comics in the Kamm's Corner neighborhood, flew Meyer and a friend into Cleveland to see where it all began. They also flew in Keith Howard of Belleville, Ill., who represented the Superfriends of Metropolis group that organized a nationwide effort to replace the stolen items.

Howard has several Superman costumes, but the one he wore Monday is modeled after the uniform Superman wore in his earlier adventure, which is fitting considering the occasion.

Hattie and Jefferson Gray, who own the home where Siegel once lived, were happy for the visit.

"We get people driving by here all the time, some even stopping in and asking if they can see 'the room,' said Jefferson Gray. "But this is special."

Dudas collected 200 pounds of Superman items that he sent to Meyer and was ecstatic when Tracey Kirksey of the Siegel and Shuster Society and the Glenville Development Corp. offered the one present every Superman fans wants: a private tour of the Siegel house.

"I feel like I'm connected with Siegel and Shuster, a piece of history was created here," Meyer said, looking around the living room of 10622 Kimberley Ave. He walked to an old desk in Jerry Siegel's bedroom on the second floor and timidly asked, "Can I sit here?"

"When Jerry lived here this was a very crowded house," explained Jefferson Gray. "He used to write his Superman stories here, on the third floor and even in the basement, wherever he could."

The colorful entourage went upstairs to the tiny third floor room where Jerry did much of his script writing. The room is now full of Superman items that Jefferson has collected over the years -- a Superman record played in the background Monday. Meyer took it all in and then sat down and drew a perfect sketch of his hero with a speed that Joe Shuster would envy. He signed that one and two others he made and presented them to the Grays to be enshrined in the room.

Today, Meyer will visit other Superman Cleveland landmarks, including the site of the old Siegel and Shuster art studio and the building at 750 Huron Road, which is believed to be the model for the Daily Planet.

He will visit shops like Comic Heaven in Willoughby, North Coast Nostalgia in Parma and York Comics in Parma, where he will receive gift certificates. He will also receive a gift certificate to Big Fun on Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights.

The whirlwind vacation concludes tonight at 7 p.m. with a party at Carol and John's Comic Shop with local members of the Facebook group, Pop!: The Comic Culture Club, which helped Dudas organize the donation. They will watch classic Superman television and cartoon episodes, a Superman fan's paradise.

And lest anyone feel sorry for Meyer and his lost Superman trove, like the old-fashioned Superman comics, there is a happy ending.

Police arrested the man who talked his way into Meyer's home and stole his valuables. Most have been recovered and returned to Meyer.

But what about the comics and gifts from Superman fans across the nation that were sent to Meyer?

He took a cue from the Man of Steel and donated them to the Children's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, to inspire sick children.

Because that's what Superman would do.

Yeah, that's awesome. Superman could take lessons in humanity from this humble man.

And finally, from BND.com:

Lex Luthor is behind bars: The man who stole a mentally disabled man's Superman collection will go to prison.
Gerry Armbruster, 37, pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing a massive Superman memorabilia collection from Mike Meyer, a mentally disabled man who works at McDonald's and adores the DC Comics superhero. Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli sentenced Armbruster to six years in prison.

Armbruster had tricked Meyer into showing him the collection and stole it while Meyer was distracted while watching a movie in his Granite City home, police said.

Comic-book fan groups, actors and celebrities associated with the Superman franchise engineered a massive international effort to replace the collection, which was delivered by local Superman fans, some of them in costume.

However, police caught up to Armbruster in September while investigating another crime: he had beaten and robbed a 76-year-old man who was trying to hire him to clean up a vacant business on the block.

Armbruster pleaded guilty to residential burglary and aggravated battery, according to Madison County State's Attorney spokesman Stephanee Smith.

He should be grateful that there weren't any Superman fanboys on the jury or he'd have likely fared a lot worse based on the howls of outrage I read surrounding the story. The range of suggested comic book related punishments for his crime was both imaginative and disturbing. I wonder if he ever imagined that his one claim to fame would be being the most villified man on the planet among comic book geeks?

For the record, I think that's a reasonable sentence. With parole and good behaviour he'll likely be inside for 2 or 3 years. I'd say justice is served.