Faster than a speeding pebble. More powerful than a Lionel toy locomotive. Able to leap small fences in a single bound. No, it’s not exactly the Man of Steel you’ve come to know through movies and comics over the years. This is more like the Man of Plastic. And yes, he is a real man.
Herbert Chavez, a 35-year-old pageant trainer from the Philippines, has somewhat of an unhealthy obsession with Superman. We’re not talking about a Shaq-like obsession where he gets a few Supeman tattoos and wears an occasional Superman t-shirt. No, this guy has taken his fetish to a whole new level. He’s actually tried to become Superman.
I know, it sounds crazy that a grown man would want to look and act like a fictional character from another planet. That’s the type of behavior you’d expect from a 5-year-old. But in this case, it is the driving force behind Herbert Chavez’s existence. It has come to define him.
Channeling Christopher Reeves
Chavez has been undergoing plastic surgery since 1995 to look more like his favorite incarnation of his favorite superhero – the Christopher Reeves version of Superman from the iconic 1970s movies. He’s admitted to having the following procedures performed in his quest to mimic the Man of Steel:
- Chin augmentation to achieve Superman’s cleft chin
- Rhinoplasty to get Christopher Reeves’ nose
- Lip augmentation
- Thigh and calf implants for a more muscular physique
- Skin lightening a la Michael Jackson (Herbert wasn’t exactly born Caucasian)
While it hasn’t been confirmed, it is also likely Chavez has undergone:
He’s also expressed a desire to undergo a procedure that would make him taller. I didn’t even know that was possible. Is he being stretched on a torture rack?
Check out the following before and after photo, which shows the shocking transformation:
Good lord. I don’t even know where to begin with this one. How about with a few photos of his home, which is covered inside and out with Superman memorabilia.
I’m still struggling to come to terms with the fact that this is an adult. I’m getting flashbacks to The 40 Year Old Virgin, when Steve Carell spent inordinate amounts of time playing with his GI Joe dolls. Speaking of adult virgins, how many women do you think come flocking to Herbert’s door to get a look at him in his snazzy blue tights and red cape? My bet is he hasn’t exactly been beating them away with a stick.
Maybe he should spend more time dressing like Clark Kent. While Superman’s alter ego certainly struggled to get laid, or even noticed by women for that matter, I have a feeling he’d do much better than our boy Herbert with the ladies.
Keeping the Philippines Safe from Criminal Masterminds
At least we can sleep better at night knowing that Herbert Chavez is roaming the streets in a Superman costume keeping people safe from the many criminal masterminds and super villains who call the Philippines their home. Perhaps he even ambles up an occasional tree to save a kitten in distress. I’m sure that would make his parents proud.
Actually, I’ve done some research to find out who our modern-day Superman’s nemeses are. Believe it or not, there aren’t too many high profile Filipino criminal masterminds out there. It sounds like Herbert Chavez’s job as a crime fighting super hero shouldn’t be too dangerous. Here are his two main adversaries:
- Nardong Putik – A Filipino gangster turned folk hero. He carried an amulet which he believed helped him survive multiple ambushes and gunfights during his career as a criminal. Well, his amulet served as a good luck charm for a few decades, but it didn’t prevent Nardong from dying in a gunfight with Filipino narcotics agents in 1971.
- Juseph Ejercito Estrada – Former President of the Philippines who was ultimately impeached due to allegations of corruption. He was eventually convicted of plunder (is that really a crime?), but was later pardoned by Filipino President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2007.
So in all of the Philippines, the only high profile criminals I could dig up are a gangster who has been dead for 40 years and a disgraced former president with a penchant for corruption and plundering. Not exactly what I would have expected from a Filipino Lex Luthor. But then again, this whole situation is a bit silly, don’t you think? Perhaps even a bit pathetic.
If you live in the Denver, Colorado area and have a hankering to look like your favorite comic book superhero, please contact Grossman Plastic Surgery today to schedule your initial consultation. Dr. Grossman has received numerous awards for making people look like the Incredible Hulk, but he welcomes the challenge of taking on other superheroes like Wolverine, Wonder Woman, and Spiderman in the near future.
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