Miles Scott

SAN FRANCISCO — A 5-year-old Northern California boy who has battled leukemia for years became a darling of social media and attracted thousands of fans at home and around the country — including the president — as he took on the persona of his favorite superhero.

Dressed in Batman’s signature cape and mask, Miles Scott faced foe after foe around San Francisco on Friday, drawing huge crowds and fulfilling his greatest wish in the process.

The White House sent out a tweet encouraging Batkid to “Go get ’em!” and in a video recording, President Obama said, “Way to go, Miles! Way to save Gotham!”

Batkid was called into service by Police Chief Greg Suhr and spent the day zooming from one “crime scene” to the next. Accompanied by an adult Batman impersonator, Batkid rescued a damsel in distress from cable car tracks, captured the Riddler as he robbed a bank, and saved the San Francisco Giants mascot — Lou Seal — from the Penguin’s clutches.

Miles was able to fulfill his wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the city and volunteers who stepped forward to help.

Batkid had a police escort worthy of a dignitary as he sped around the city in a black Lamborghini with Batman decals, with officers blocking traffic and riding alongside him on motorcycles.

“I think it might be the first time a Lamborghini had a booster seat,” said Patricia Wilson, the executive director for Make-A-Wish in the Greater Bay Area.

The crowds grew after each stop, reaching into the thousands by the time Miles got to Union Square for lunch at the Burger Bar.

At Batkid’s stop in the city’s Russian Hill neighborhood, a woman sat on the cable car tracks in a dress and thigh-high black boots. She had a handkerchief around her mouth, and her hands were bound behind her back.

Batman and Batkid sprang into action, with the aid of a trampoline, as the crowd roared. They rescued the woman and disabled a plastic replica bomb she was tied to.