19 plastic surgeries to become Superman

A Filipino has undergone 19 plastic surgeries over 16 years to transform himself into his idol, Superman.

Herbert Chavez, 36, of Calamba City, has had myriad procedures done including, nose jobs, lip liposuction, skin whitening, jaw realignment, pectoral implants and abdominal implants. The surgeries have cost the Filipino Superman 300,000 Pesos (€6,800). Next, the clothing designer plans on a procedure to make him taller by implanting metal in his legs, but so far his favourite procedure was getting new abs.

Herbert has been obsessed with the Man of Steel since he was five years of age, and his devotion has not waned.

He can regularly be seen in his neighbourhood dressed in the superhero costume and says he wants to teach kids good morals and brighten their days.

Herbert said: “I don’t have any regrets at all. People come up to me in the street all the time and want their picture taken with me. They are all really excited to see a real-life Superman in the Philippines.”

The fictional hero devotee is also the Guinness World Record holder for largest collection of Superman memorabilia.

Guinness says his collection is filled with 1,253 Superman-related items, but Herbert says that now it numbers closer to 5,000 pieces with plans to increase it to 10,000.

He even moved to a larger home that could fit his growing collection.

Herbert’s plastic surgery regimen does take maintenance. But, because he has been such a regular patient, Herbert’s surgeries are free in exchange for publicising his doctor’s practice. Even Herbert has acknowledged that he will one day need to stop going under the knife saying: “When my body says it cannot endure it anymore or when my doctor says that my body cannot handle it because of age, then I will stop.”