A 13-year-old Corpus Christi boy is one step closer to becoming a superhero in his own Marvel comic book, and his family is hoping the Coastal Bend community will help make that dream a reality.
Daymian Tamez has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Stan Lee Foundation’s Super Kid competition, beating out more than 200 other children in his group.
Now, his mother, Krystal Tamez, is asking the community to get behind him as public voting continues.
Daymian is a big fan of superheroes, especially Spider-Man. His mother says his love for the characters started with family. His uncle, an Army veteran who loves all things hero-related, takes him to see superhero movies, while his grandfather, whom the family calls Popo, buys him superhero toys for birthdays and holidays.
But Krystal says Daymian has a superpower of his own: his ability to bring joy to the people around him.
“He’s always smiling. He’s always laughing,” Krystal said. “It’s impossible to be upset with him or around him.”
Daymian was born with macrocephaly, a condition involving an abnormally large head, and has epilepsy. He cannot walk and is nonverbal, but his mother says his personality and the way he encourages others make him special.
For Krystal, the competition is an opportunity to show other families that challenges do not determine a person’s ability to make an impact.
“It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you’re born with, you can still be a hero,” she said.
The Super Kid competition is a fundraiser for the Stan Lee Foundation, which supports comic book preservation and provides resources for aspiring artists and storytellers.
The grand prize winner will become the main hero in a limited-edition comic book, receive $25,000 and earn a trip to 2027 LA Comic Con.
The winner is determined by public voting, making community support especially important as Daymian moves through the competition.
Krystal says friends and family helped him advance through the earlier rounds, but she hopes more people will join in to help him continue.
Voting resumes Monday. Supporters can use Daymian’s personal voting link to cast one free vote every day. There is also an option to donate to the foundation for additional votes.
His family is encouraging people to share his voting link on social media and spread the word throughout Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend.
For Krystal, the possibility of seeing her son become a Marvel superhero would mean more than having his name in a comic book. It would give others a chance to see what she sees every day: a young boy whose story could inspire people well beyond his hometown.