We had spoken on the phone a few days earlier and I was now driving my hire car from Cairns to Yorkeys Knob on the Northern Beaches.
As I drive past the local shops I see an imposing figure in the distance, “what the fuck” I say aloud as I approach and see that it is none other then (fake) Deadpool himself, standing 6ft 4, arms folded and to the uninitiated; intimidating.
Bursting into laughter I admire this kid’s game, pull to a stop and wind down the window. He approaches the car, we greet one another and directs me where best to park so I can talk to his mum and get her permission for 17-year-old Jake to appear on our show.
She walks downstairs slowly limping, having suffered the effects of a stroke a few years back and welcomes me. More than happy to sign the release form she explains that “Jake can look after himself”, looking at his size and having seen him fight, I don’t doubt that for a minute.
We head to the beach just a few minutes away to film fake Deadpool running by the ocean within seconds everyone notices him and smiles from cheek to cheek appear, “It’s Deadpool!” kids scream out. I’m surprised 8 year olds even know let-alone love a R-Rated Marvel character but it's not just kids, two 30 something year old ladies approach us wanting to take a photo with the anti-hero, Jake politely accepts their request and there are more smiles and laughter.
Hanging out with Jake for a couple days you see how much joy he brings to all those he encounters. The only person who wasn’t so impressed was his girlfriend, Bethany who was waiting for us at a bus stop in Cairns, for hours.
“He isn’t good with sharing information and he isn’t good with time” she explains. I try to smooth things over, saying it was my fault, but it wasn’t, he had genuinely just forgot to tell her about our plans for filming that day and she knew it.
We pick her up and theres no hint of anger, just a little frustration but it’s soon laughed off. It’s clear that these two have a tremendous amount of respect and love for one another and she’s totally used to this sort of behaviour. They’ve been together for a year now after meeting on one of Jake's patrols. He ran past and she soon gave chase trying get a photo with her new hero. “It’s not everyday you see Deadpool running down the street” she says.
Everything about Jake is a little different, good different. He isn’t your typical teenager and I admire that. “At school I was probably the haha typical cliché loner kid, always doing my own thing” but through dressing up as Deadpool Jake has found a way to boost his self esteem and at the same time make others smile, “I’ve managed to grow comfortable, as an extension to myself and ever since this suit my confidence has been rising”.
Cairns police however are not so impressed. On Jake's first date with Bethany he decided to take her to the movies dressed up as Deadpool and kitted up with fake weapons, “which concerned the police to dispatch 6 units of police and terrorist investigators towards the scene” he says.
Senior Constable Russ Parker of Cairns Police explains “to them it was just this person fully covered and brandishing weapons”. Of course not everyone knows about the Marvel cinematic universe and Parker is the first to admit it, “I have no knowledge of Deadpool the character I’m one of those who is ignorant to it, Im one of those boring people, who likes to watch documentaries, my son recently took me to watch the Black Panther, and I didn’t get it”.
Jake was arrested and found guilty of Public Nuisance, fined $500 dollars and placed on a 9 month good behaviour bond. Just 6 months in he finds himself the star of a video going viral for all the wrong reasons. “I didn’t know it was being filmed, I'm not usually the one that uses violence, I try to be more resilient” he tells me.
Senior Constable Parker admits the video is “distressing to watch” but when Jake explains what actually happened its clear that legally is out of hot water. “I was waiting at the bus stop to go into town and do my usual rounds and the dude came out of his house and straight up asking i’m questions why I’m dressed up, about my origin, am I really Australian, we don’t want you here, fuck off to your own country.” What ensues is a few shoves and then an all out brawl. Deadpool wins the fight and win’s over Senior Constable Parker “he even had the good grace to bend down and pick up the guys thongs from the ground and presented them back to him, which is pretty noble of him. He protected himself as he is lawfully entitled to do and certainly it appears he was just the victim of unwanted attention from potentially a drunken fool. He protected himself as he is lawfully entitled to do and certainly it appears he was just the victim of unwanted attention from potentially a drunken fool.”
He’s not the only person who Jake has won over, I am absolutely a fan. This teenager does more than most to bring smiles to everyone he encounters, he has overcome his own self esteem issues to help himself and others. Sure his girlfriend and I both don’t think late night patrols are safe for any kid let alone one in a Deadpool suit but that’s his choice to make and if it makes him happy all power to him.
I ask Jake if he has any advice for people who want to help their community “maybe try something a little formal like a fundraiser, or charity events, if your really committed to being a costumed crusader don’t be an ass hat about it, don’t be power hungry, look for other things too like taking photos for kids, try and spread joy.”
