Taken directly from my local paper, and for the record, TJ: yes, I hate you for being the one who made sure I'd find out about this. I may even hate you most of all.

'Holy Simon Cowell, Batman! Here's a "reality" show we'd actually watch.

The creator of Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk is on the hunt for a new superhero -- and he plans to find it on reality TV.

Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee says his new reality show "Who Wants To Be A Superhero" breaks new ground for him.

"I've never lived in a world of reality," quipped the 83-year-old writer to the Associated Press.

Eleven wannabe superheros -- whittled down from 200 -- are to compete on the show, which is to premiere July 26th on the SciFi channel. The winning superhero will be the star of a new comic book created by Lee. It's not clear if the show will be animated or live-action.

The reported catch-phrase for those who don't make the cut? "Turn in your spandex!"'

If it's animated, it could be the funniest thing to hit that channel in years.

If it's live-action, this is the scariest thing I've heard of in the last six months. Imagine the challenges. Consider the possible setting. Visualize the radioactive immunity necklace. But, most of all, take eleven overly-stereotypical comic book readers, the ones most people (unfairly, but with some evidence) picture when they consider the breed -- and put them in spandex.

So. Anyone want the summaries?

(I think this may need its own board. Actually, I think this may need its own therapy session.)