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Supertramp hits Berlin

February 09 2014
’Supertramp‘ gets his strength from beer ’Supertramp‘ gets his strength from beer
An unusual comic book hero has hit the streets to highlight the plight of the city’s homeless people

An unusual comic book hero has hit the streets of Berlin as part of an attempt to highlight the plight of the city's homeless people.

The superhero in 'Supertramp' – who is called ‘Superpenner’ in German – has many of the usual features you would expect to find in a caped crusader: large muscles, a cloak and his underpants on the outside of his trousers.

But his torn bodysuit, bedraggled appearance and bottle of beer hint at his life on the streets. The comic proclaims: "His muscles are firm, but he has no fixed abode."

It was launched last month as a free supplement in the city’s street paper, called Strassenfeger (Street Sweeper) in an attempt to boost its circulation. The newspaper is sold by homeless and unemployed people.

Supertramp gets his powers by accident when an intern at a secret service lab gives him a bottle of mysterious green liquid which "looks like a urine sample" by mistake.

Downing a beer gives him superhuman strength, and along with his sidekick "Gutter Girl" they take on "The Baddies".

However there is also a serious message. As the ad poster says: "Not every tramp is a super tramp."

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