Have you been wondering where to get you or your sidekick a quality cape? Have a hankering for a new secret identity? Are you an invisible superhero who needs an invisible mp3 player so you can remain undetected? Or are you a villain in need of some de-villainizing? If you’re visiting New York City, head on over to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store, where you can satisfy all of your superhero needs!

The Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store (372 5th Ave. Brooklyn, NY. 11215) is a cross between a warehouse and a funhouse, laid out a bit like a Home Depot with aisles organized by categories like “Capery”, “Gear & Manuals,” “Secret Identities,” and “Robotics/Cybernetics/Mutations.” And while it’s possible to buy any of their reasonably-priced superhero supplies via their website, there’s something special about the experience of shopping there. The knowledgeable staff is extremely helpful and will go out of their way to help you try on a cape, get de-villainized (in their patented De-Villainizer, which helps you rethink your choices and become a more upstanding citizen), or decide whether a can of Doom or Gloom would be right for you. They are also adamant about encouraging the superhero in all of us. When making a purchase, you must put your items in a vault, and they are not released to you until you recite The Vow of Heroism out loud, thereby ensuring that you will not waver in your pursuit of truth and justice.

Shopping at the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store is an act of heroism in and of itself! All proceeds from the sale of the superhero supplies benefit the 826NYC, which provides free drop-in writing tutoring for school-age children in the New York City area. 826NYC is part of a larger group of tutoring facilities co-founded by author, Dave Eggers, which started with 826Valencia in San Fransisco. Since then, 826NYC sprouted in Brooklyn, and 826Michigan was created in Ann Arbor. Each of these tutoring centers work both to provide free writing tutoring to children, and get the community excited about the written word. The 826 centers are strongly rooted in their communities, and work with the schools as well as provide fun events for children and adults alike, all in the interest of keeping literacy and writing alive. And like 826NYC, the other locations have geeky storefronts to help them fundraise. 826Valencia boasts a Pirate Supply Store, while 826Michigan offers Robot Supplies and Repair Services! The ties to the community are apparent even in each store’s theme! San Fransisco has an ocean-based store; New York, the home of comic books, has a superhero supply store; and what makes more sense in a state known for its car factories than a robot repair shop?

So, whether you’re visiting New York, San Fransisco, or Ann Arbor, you can get your geek on while being a hero to schoolchildren by visiting an 826 store!

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Words and photos by Teresa Jusino.