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Tony Dubois has spent much of his life surrounded by superheroes.
Spider-Man cartoons and books were staples growing up. Batman is his all-time favourite. His collection of superhero toys has grown so large that his dad, John, has trouble finding room for it all.
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Now the 12-year-old Regina boy has a chance to become a superhero himself.
Tony, who has cerebral palsy, is competing in the 2026 Stan Lee’s Super Kid competition and has climbed to first place in his group as he advances through several rounds of public voting.
“It is wild,” Tony said. “I didn’t even think I was even gonna make it to the second vote.”
The competition is open to children between five and 17 living in Canada, excluding Quebec, and the United States.
Competitors are divided into groups and advance through rounds determined by public voting. The competition began with the Top 20 and has since moved through the Top 15. The Top 10 round runs until Oct. 8, followed by the Top Five and group finals later this month.
Tony said entering the competition wasn’t part of some grand plan.
“We just did it on a whim,” he said.
“My dad just approached me one day and was like, ‘Hey, I found this contest called Stan Lee Super Kid, and I think you could have a good shot.’ And I was like, ‘Oh yeah, I think I could have a good shot.’”
John said he came across the competition while scrolling through Facebook and decided there wasn’t much to lose by entering his son.
“We just entered on a whim, like we didn’t even think we had a shot or anything like that,” he said.
Then Tony started moving up.
John remembers watching his son climb from around 75th place to 50th, then 30th before eventually cracking the top 10 and continuing toward first.
Word started spreading around Regina.
Tony got his school, Seven Stones Community School, involved, while his family shared his profile and encouraged people to vote.
“It’s been amazing to see the support that he’s gathered,” John said. “I didn’t think many people would, you know, care to vote every day.”
“A lot of people are voting. A lot of people care.”
From reading superheroes to becoming one
The grand-prize winner will receive a $25,000 honorarium, four VIP passes to the 2027 L.A. Comic Con and will be featured as an illustrated character in a special-edition Stan Lee comic book.
Travel and accommodations for Comic Con are not included in the prize.
For Tony, the comic might be the coolest part.
Asked what it feels like to have a chance at becoming a comic-book superhero, he had a concise answer.
“I’m just gonna say this in three words: wild, unexpected and amazing.”
He already has some ideas about his superhero identity.
If he could pick his powers, Tony said he would want the ability to slow down time, telekinesis and “super smarts.”
He said he would use them to help people in their time of need and make the world a better place, though having superpowers itself would simply be pretty cool.
Despite competing in a contest bearing Stan Lee’s name, Tony’s favourite superhero Batman comes from the other side of the comic-book aisle.
Tony’s love for superheroes stretches back years. John said Spider-Man was particularly prominent when Tony was younger, from cartoons to toys and books. Batman eventually became another favourite, including the Lego Batman and Arkham video games.
Tony still has the collection to prove it.
“This brand called Imaginext that’s what I collected a lot when I was younger, and that’s what I asked for majority of the time when my birthday came,” Tony said.
John remembers the pattern well.
“Every birthday, every Christmas, anytime there was a present, it was usually Imaginext,” he said. “It was usually Spider-Man, or it was Batman.”
‘Still trying to do better’
Tony’s journey has also involved challenges far outside the pages of a comic book.
John said Tony was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after complications surrounding his birth. It affects Tony’s motor skills, including his walking and balance. He uses leg braces and a walker, and a wheelchair for longer distances.
“He’s had a tough go of things ever since the get, but still trying to do better,” John said.
“Yep, still trying to do it,” Tony added.
If Tony wins the $25,000, the family already has some ideas for the money.
John said they would like to invest part of it in equipment Tony could use to pursue an interest in streaming, including a computer, cameras and microphones.
And then there’s Los Angeles.
Tony has never been to L.A. Comic Con. John is already thinking about costumes if they get the chance to go.
“I think you’d make a great Batman, and I’d make a great Robin,” he told his son.
Tony wasn’t quite sold on the casting.
But first, several rounds of voting still need to be completed.
Under the competition’s official rules, voters can cast one free vote every 24 hours. Adults can also donate to earn additional votes. Colossal Management, LLC operates the competition, and donations benefit DTCare, which will grant donations to the Stan Lee Foundation.
Group finals are scheduled for later in October, followed by wildcard, quarter-final and semifinal rounds. The final public vote is scheduled for November, with the grand-prize winner to be announced on or before Dec. 17.
For now, Tony is trying to keep his place at the top something that still feels a little surreal for a contest he and his dad almost casually stumbled into.
“It’s insane that I can even do this because this is not an every day opportunity,” Tony said.
“We did this on a whim, two days late, and look at where we are now.”
Then, after nearly 20 minutes talking about superheroes, comics and the possibility of seeing himself inside one, Tony summed it up.
“I don’t know what to say other than this is just amazing,” he said. “I can’t stop smiling.”
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