The hero Sioux Falls deserves: Marine veteran becomes Batman for hospitalized children

Jeremy Fugleberg
Argus Leader
Batman and Captain America attend the Independence Day celebration in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D. Wednesday, July 4, 2018.

By day, his name is Terry Mattke. He helps veterans get medical appointments. By night (and well, on other days), Mattke dons the cape, cowl and persona of an unmistakable superhero, and goes by a very different name.

Batman.  

Sioux Falls' own Dark Knight started roaming the city in 2016, as a featured guest at children's parties and a welcome surprise in medical wards around the city where he'd brighten the lives of sick kids and their parents.

Now Mattke, a retired Marine veteran and former car salesman at Vern Eide, is expanding his charitable work alongside his new job at the Department of Veterans Affairs, meaning you'll see a lot more of the Caped Crusader.

"It frees up more time for Batman and the charitable things I want to do,” Mattke said.

He's added a new online presence – a class project from students at Dakota State University – and is recruiting new superhero partners (yes, Captain America and Spiderman), and vowing to bring joy to even more hurting kids.

Leah Schroeder, a certified child life specialist at Avera, said having Batman show up for young patients gives them a huge boost.

"It brings a smile to the kids faces," she said. "Batman is a popular character, action figure and superhero, so those young boys and girls really look up to him when he does come. They think it's pretty cool: he sounds just like Batman."

Terry Mattke, dressed as Batman, joins Captain America in a recent hospital trip to visit with sick children and their families.

Batsuit was the answer

Mattke wasn't always Batman. He had watched in the military as organizations like Make-a-Wish gave terminally ill children a chance to be a military member for a day. As a wrestling fan, he had watched how wrestling superstars like John Cena made sick kids' day by showing up by their hospital beds, talking with them and posing for pictures. 

"I always thought, 'How awesome is that, that these little kids going through their every day battle, for one day we make them feel like a king and queen, a million bucks?'" he said.

The batsuit was the answer. 

Terry Mattke, dressed as Batman, is expanding his charitable work as the Caped Crusader.

"I told my wife, 'We’re going to do this. I’m going to buy a batsuit, I’m going to get it customized to how I want it, and we’re going to visit kids in hospitals,'" he said.

He first dressed up as the Caped Crusader in 2016, assembling the pieces to resemble the version played by Christian Bale in the Dark Knight trilogy.

"I like the way that suit fits," he said, even though Michael Keaton is his favorite Batman.

The bodysuit came by itself. So did the gloves. So did the neckpiece. Mattke completed the ensemble with a polished pair of boots, his combat boots from his Marine Corps day, and a special car: his own Batmobile, a 2016 Polaris Slingshot he customized with pinstriping and Batman touches throughout.

"That really catapulted us to the next level," he said.

Many nights, Mattke will stay at home with his family. But other nights, when it's nice out, Batman begins.

"I'll say, 'Tonight is a good night to go out as Batman,'" Mattke said.

He'll stop at various places around Sioux Falls, posing for pictures and, in character, staring into the dark soul of the city.

But the real work, that's to be found in Sioux Falls' hospitals.

Members of Sioux Falls Fire Rescue got to meet a different kind of hero Wednesday, July 12.

This Batman's motivation is helping kids

Mattke has to be careful about the voice. You know, Batman's guttural, raspy voice, popularized by Christian Bale's portrayal of the character. Mattke's worked on it, especially a few catchphrases.

"What’s funny is, when we go into hospitals, they say, 'Please don’t use your Batman voice – we don’t want to scare the children,'" he said. "When I’m out and about, in the community, I’ll use the voice."

Helping kids is the central motivation for Mattke's Batman. It's the work he wants to do. He'll show up, sometimes on request, or sometimes he'll just call ahead and visit children suffering through illness. He'll talk with them, pose for photos and leave his autograph.

"It brightens their day, makes them feel like a normal kids, makes those 5-10 minutes special, and the parents really appreciate the kindness that he does giving back," said Schroeder.

But Mattke said he's amazed what he he gets in return.

"These kids and these families are some of the most positive and inspirational people you can be around," he said. "They've taught me so much about life and the goodness in the world.

"It makes you realize how lucky you are and how fortunate you are with your health and your kids, and it shows you how amazing and precious life is, with these kids and these families, and how much they inspire me.”

Terry Mattke, Sioux Falls' own Batman, is joined by fellow superhero Spiderman at LifeScape's MallWalk 2019.

Visiting sick kids was always part of the plan. But Mattke's Batman was also a commercial gig, where he'd make appearances at parties and the like. 

But now, with his new job helping veterans, he's expanding his charitable work and recruiting others to what he calls Team Batman. 

Mattke has help. Through faculty at Dakota State University, a class of students produced a website for his work after interviewing him.

"As one student stated, 'It means so much to hear about the great work that Batman is doing, and to be able to have a small part helping him make a difference in lives,'" said Pam Rowland, assistant professor at Dakota State University in computer science and cyber security, who taught the class.

And Batman doesn't roam alone. Fellow superhero Captain America has joined him on occasion. Mattke said a young man messaged him recently, said he was inspired by Mattke's work and wanted to be part of it. As Spiderman.

"That’s what it’s all about," Mattke said. "We‘re getting to where we want to go with my vision and him messaging me meant the world to me. You’ll start seeing him more with me and Captain America, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Recently Spidey joined Batman and Captain America for a joint appearance at MallWalk 2019, a fundraiser for LifeScape.

"If I quit tomorrow, I’d say we’re super proud of what we accomplished and what we’ve meant," Mattke said. "But I’ve far from done. We’re just getting started in my book.”