On Saturday, Spider-Man, The Punisher, Thor and various other Marvel Super Heroes took to the streets in protest.
Dressed to fight crime and armed with megaphones and cardboard signs, comic book fans from across the Orlando area met at A Comic Shop in Winter Park to protest illegal aliens - not from Mexico, but from outer space.
Protesters in full superhero regalia waved signs while chanting anti-alien slogans in an effort to attract the attention of passersby and promote awareness of the fictional threat.
"The actual intent is to raise awareness for comics," said Aaron Haaland, owner of A Comic Shop and the organizer of Saturday's protest. "It might be something where people think it's about illegal immigrants."
The event was designed to promote Marvel's new comic series, called The Secret Invasion. The series, which debuted earlier this month, centers around the Skrulls, an alien species that has infiltrated the superhero ranks, endangering humans and superheroes alike.
"A Skrull is a shape-shifting alien," explained Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada in a recent interview. "Skrulls are hiding amongst us. They've taken over world governments."
The eight-part series chronicles the war between the Marvel Super Heroes and the Skrulls, who can impersonate the heroes and steal their powers.
"The idea of the Skrulls is paranoia. You don't know who to trust," Haaland said. "They're infiltrating the Marvel Universe in a real way. They're trying to take over, conquer and replace the heroes."
Protester Kyle Hamilton expressed the animosity that he and his fellow protesters feel toward the alien menace.
"Skrulls are scum," Hamilton said. "Skrulls are worse than that little white stuff that gets on the corners of your mouth on a hot summer day. Skrulls don't have souls."
The protest, which took place at the comic shop on South Semoran Boulevard and University Boulevard, drew the attention of shoppers and passing cars, many of whom honked and waved to show their support for the protest.
Despite his insistence that the rally was purely nonpolitical, Haaland pointed out the connection between the fictional problems of the Marvel Universe and political issues in the real world.
"The Marvel Universe has always been more connected to real issues," Haaland said. "It's always been a more realistic universe than other forms of pure escapism."
This event was Haaland's second organized protest. The first protest, which took place last year, was intended to combat the fictional "Superhero Registration Act" put forth by the U.S. Congress in the Marvel Universe.
"People thought it was an anti-Iraq War protest," Haaland said.
A local production company filmed the event for a mock documentary. Documentary cameras followed a fake news reporter, who questioned the protesters as if they actually lived in the Marvel Universe.
The superhero fans faced strong opposition to their protest. Other comic fans, covered in green face paint and brandishing pro-Skrull signs, rained insults on the hero supporters.
Skrull supporters shouted slogans at their opponents, ranging from "Skrulls forever" to "It's not easy being green."
More than 100 of the store's customers pledged their support for the protest.
"It's kind of got a life of its own," Haaland said.
The superhero protesters remained firm in their hatred of the Skrulls.
"They just come here to ruin our planet," Hamilton insisted. "Skrulls are evil, and they need to go back to their home. No jobs for Skrulls. Nothing for Skrulls."
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