“We use this to cut watermelon,” says 25-year-old Wang Haiqiang as he flaunts a pair of Wolverine’s retractable claws; one of his and a friends’ self-made Marvel memorabilia. He’s an engineer with a DIY science and technology lab called Makerbeta based in Xi’an City, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.

In their workshop downstairs from the main office, Wang and his colleague Tian Chunchun showed us some more DIY contraptions – Doctor Strange’s magic circle, Ironman’s fist with real laser, a 500,000-voltage recreation of Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir, and Thanos’s Infinity Gauntlet with flexible joints and Infinity Gems that light up with the push of a button – all made from scratch, using glitter and paint for the aesthetics, and complicated electric wiring and programming for the practicalities, which at times seem dubious. 

“These superheroes are so cool. And we want to have their super powers,” said Wang, donned in a Guardians of the Galaxy T-shirt. “Invincible on heaven and earth,” added Tian. “Thunder blasts all the way,” Wang agrees, raising an arm while making a resounding, rumbling sound of thunder. His eyes sparkle, through which you can almost see the child within.

The group regularly posts videos on social media platforms on how their gear is made, with a simple storyline which is deliberately crafted to be wacky. They don’t just make Marvel gear, but also crazy contraptions from Japanese animations or Chinese legends. “Anything that’s fun,” said Wang, showcasing a recreation of the flame-throwing guitar from Mad Max: Fury Road.

The 28-year-old founder of Makerbeta, Qi Lei, a former psychologist, got her inspiration after visiting a makers fair in the southern city of Shenzhen.

“Makers from all over the world came,” she said. “I can never forget the look on their faces when they were creating stuff. They were so passionate about it.”

Even long before, China’s engineers had been influenced by a flourishing makers community overseas with brave ideas and resourceful ways to turn them into reality – garage inventors taking to YouTube to share their ideas and creations. Makerbeta wants to stir up a makers movement in China.

“It seems as though China’s culture right now is to consume and not to produce,” said Qi. “But that used to not be the case. Historically, we had great inventors. Chinese makers now are bringing back that culture and I think they deserve a chance to be heard.”

She’s well on track – Makerbeta has already raked in a whopping 250 million views online. But so far, the clicks haven’t turned into profit.

“It’s not just about the money though,” said Wang. Elsewhere, he could earn a decent living as a young engineer.

“It’s about living the dream,” added Tian.