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Superhero Smash Season III—Audio Issue #43: Italian Superheroes

Original Air Date

  • June 26th, 2025

Part 1 Begins

Super Show ID 1: Superhero Smash (0:10)

  • Buon Giorno!
  • You’re listening to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
    • Featuring “The Best in Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore”
  • I’m your host, Dr. Gian Pagnucci, a.k.a. The New Professor X
  • And this is an Italian Superheroes Special Episode

Heroic Opening Song (4:07)

  • “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

Super Show ID 2: Superhero Smash (0:20)

  • You’re listening to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
    • Focusing on current superhero movies and popular culture events
    • All summer long, I’ll be playing great music about superheroes as well as music that is featured in superhero movies and shows
    • I’ll also be talking about comic book history and heroism
    • And you can rest assured that no matter how much super cool stuff I talk about during today’s episode, you don’t have to worry because this is a NO SPOILERS show!
  • Superhero Smash is aired exclusively on WIUP FM 90.1
  • Contact me, the new Professor X, via email: SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com

Heroic Audio Episode Theme: Italian Superheroes (5:00)

  • I know the legion of Superhero Smash fans have been missing the show for the past 2 weeks
  • That’s because I was in Italy to give a scholarly presentation
  • I presented at the 15th International Conference on Religion and Spirituality in Society
  • I traveled to Rome, Venice, Florence, and Pisa, and saw all kinds of cool sites and ate lots of fabulous pasta and gelato
  • It was a great trip
    • Gian in Venice wearing an Italian-style summer hat!
  • And my trip to Italy, Italia as it is called, was so inspiring that I thought I should devote an episode of Superhero Smash to Italian superheroes and Italian music
  • Unfortunately, the list of Italian superheroes is pretty limited, so I’m going to look very broadly at superheroes who are of Italian descent
  • Which leads to my first hero: The Punisher
  • The Punisher is called Frank Castle, but his real name is actually Frank Castiglione
  • Played wonderfully by Jon Bernthal who also just starred in the fabulous movie The Accountant 2
  • And that leads us to our opening theme song from the Disney/Netflix 2-season series, The Punisher
    • Jon Bernthal Promises New 'The Punisher' Streaming Special Will Match the Netflix Tone - Murphy's Multiverse

Heroic Instrumental Theme Song (1:06)

  • “The Punisher Main Title” by Tyler Bates

Part 1 Ends (@10 minutes)

Part 2 Begins (@10 minutes)

Super Show ID 3: Superhero Smash (0:30)

The Superhero Smash Comic Book Vault (3:00): First Appearance of The Punisher

  • The Comic Book Vault Sound Effect (0:12)
  • The Punisher first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #129
    • Amazing Spider-man 129, First Appearance of the Punisher - Etsy
  • Publication Date: February, 1974
  • Publisher: Marvel Comics Group
  • Writer: Gerry Conway
  • Artist: Ross Andru
  • Cool Rifle Target Cover by Gil Kane and John Romita Sr.
  • Value: $950 on eBay (CGC graded 4.0 on a 10-point scale)
  • A plain copy is going for about $450, and I actually own one
  • In fact, let me give a Superhero Smash Shoutout to a guy from Wisconsin named Forrest who gave the comic to me
  • Sadly, he has passed away, but hopefully he’s somewhere reading comics to his heart’s content and maybe sipping a glass of wine

Super Song 1 (7:36)

  • “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” by Billy Joel
    • I want to give a Superhero Smash Shoutout to Billy Joel who was supposed to perform in Pittsburgh for the 4th of July but sadly is ill and had to cancel is tour
    • Our thoughts go out to you, piano man

Super Secret Origin: The Punisher (4:00)

  • The Punisher’s origin story is as tragic as Batman’s
  • Frank Castle is a former soldier who takes his family to New York’s Central Park
  • Unfortunately, his family is caught in a gangland shootout
  • His son, Frank Jr., his daughter, Lisa, and his wife, Maria, are all killed by crossfire
  • Frank himself is badly injured, but does recover
  • This leads him to seek vengeance upon the mob
  • And unlike Batman, Frank’s form of punishment for criminals is to kill them
  • According to Wikipedia, “The Punisher was conceived by Gerry Conway, then-writer of The Amazing Spider-Man. Conway was inspired by The Executioner, a popular book series created by author Don Pendleton, in which a Vietnam veteran, Mack Bolan, becomes a serial killer of criminals after the Mafia-related deaths of his family. Conway said in a 1987 interview that ‘[He] was fascinated by the Don Pendleton Executioner character, which was fairly popular at the time, and [he] wanted to do something that was inspired by that, although not to {his] mind a copy of it.”
  • Stan Lee, who had by then been named Publisher at Marvel Comics, actually came up with the name The Punisher, taking it from the name of a minor robot character he had created for the celestial being Galactus
  • And while Conway thought of having a small skull on the Punisher’s breast, John Romita Sr. had the brilliant insight to make the skull the entire chest of the punisher’s costume, the white contrasting starkly with the original blue costume which later was made all black
    • The Punisher' Review: One of the Best Marvel-Netflix Shows Ever
  • The Punisher’s skull emblem has become widely celebrated, with lots of people wearing it who really don’t know the symbol’s origins
  • Which is why they should be listening to Superhero Smash of course!

Super Song 2 (to 1:43 of 4:44)

  • “Punishment” by Biohazard

Part 2 Ends (@26 minutes)

Part 3 Begins (@26 minutes)

Super Show ID 4: Superhero Smash (0:30)

Long Lost Hero (4:00)

  • As I mentioned, there just aren’t a lot of Italian superheroes out there
  • On a Quora post responding to the question, “Is there an Italian/Italian-American superhero in Marvel of DC?”, Luca Accomazzi responds with this heartfelt post:
    • “When I was about 14, Stan Lee introduced a national superhero for Japan, a sun-powered mutant, and I thought ‘Great, he’s realized that there’s a whole world out there. Now maybe I’ll get to see an Italian superhero.” Forty years later, I’m still waiting for it.”
    • Sorry, Luca, I can’t create an Italian superhero myself, but at least you are getting an episode of Superhero Smash dedicated to the topic of Italian superheroes
  • Luca does tell us about Umberto Landi
    • Landi is a super solider like Captain America and Captain Britain
    • He’s called Captain Italy, or better yet, Capitan Italia!
    • Landi is part of a super team called Excalibur, which also includes Captain Spain and Captain France
    • Unfortunately, Captain Italy gets killed, but then returns in some alternate reality
  • Not quite the hero Italy was looking for, maybe
  • I also want to give a quick Superhero Smash shoutout to Dr. David Henningsen
    • Dave is a communications professor who was on the show last summer talking about superhero leader types
    • Back Issue Bin (Season II): Audio Issue #31: Superteam Leaders and Superhero Smash Special Guest Star Dr. David Henningsen (8/15/24)
      • This action packed episode featured Dr. Henningsen talking about how best to lead a team of superheroes!
    • Dr. Henningsen will be back for a special show later this summer
    • Meantime, comics history expert that he is, he reminded me of another Italian superhero
    • In Detective Comics #215, Batman has to unite “The Batmen of All Nations,” and this includes meeting The Legionary from Italy who dresses like a Roman centurian
      • Detective Comics #215 - The Batmen of All Nations; X Marks the Mystery! (Issue)
  • In honor of both The Legionary and Capitan Italia, here is a great Italian song I just discovered
  • This could be a perfect theme song for either superhero!

Super Song 3 (3:53)

  • “Italian Radio” by Blue October

Super Romantic Interlude (:10)

  • And I should also mention that Capitan Italia has super strength and, more importantly, the ability to fly!

Super Song 4 (2:50)

  • “Gonna Fly Now” by Bill Conti
    • Have to give a shoutout to my brother, Rob, listening to Superhero Smash in Wisconsin, who absolutely loves this song

Super Romantic Interlude: The Question & The Huntress (5:00)

  • The Question and The Huntress
  • One of the greatest superhero romances ever can be found across multiple short scenes in the Justice League animated series
  • I’ve talked about this romance before, but I did not realize that both The Huntress is of Italian heritage
  • The Huntress’ real identity is Helena Bertinelli and she is an Italian-American, with some fans speculating that she is of Sicilian descent
  • The Huntress was originally Batman and Catwoman’s daughter, Helena Wayne, on the alternate Earth 2, though in Justice League her background is not explained, and in some comic stories Helena Bertinelli is distinguished from Helena Wayne
  • The Huntress is also one tough super-heroine
  • When Huntress first meets The Question, she says, “You must be ugliest guy of all time hiding your face like that, Question” since he always wears a full face mask
    • The Question tells her he is bored and to go away, but instead they team up to investigate 2 cases they ear each working on
  • Later, as Question looks hacks into a computer system, Huntress fends of the guards
    • Question gets the data he needs, but says it will take him days to analyze it
    • Huntress scowls at him, so he says “Dinner and a movie?” and she replies, “It’s a start”
  • Later, while on a double date with Green Arrow and Black Canary, The Question saves Huntress’ life
    • Huntress then asks “why risk your life for me?”
    • The Question replies only, “because I, (hesistates) like you”
    • She pulls him by his necktie and kisses him
    • The Question - DC Animated - Justice League Unlimited - Profile - Writeups.org
    • Then he says, “Where are we going?” and Huntress replies “Don’t ask so many questions.”
  • Huntress and Question keep a long distance relationship going by talking on the phone as they investigate different cases
    • Question, or Q as Huntress calls him, announces a discovery, “Aha, as I suspected, 32 flavors” as he unveils a secret bin of Baskin Robin’s ice cream, the 32nd flavor
    • Then Huntress says, “So, what are you wearing,” and Question replies “Blue overcoat, fedora” (his trademark uniform) which gets a “You really stink at this” comment from Huntress
  • In their final episode together, Question’s life is on the line, but Huntress saves him
    • He asks Huntress to remove his mask with an aerosol spray
    • Question’s face is bruised and batter and he says, “You were right, I am the ugliest guy of all time” to which she simply replies, “Not in my eyes”

Super Song 5 (3:06)

  • “That’s Amore” by Dean Martin
  • from the wonderfully romantic movie Moonstruck which stars Cher and Nicholas Cage (who appeared as an alternate-earth Superman in DC’s The Flash movie)

Part 2 Ends (@45 minutes)

Part 3 Begins (@45 minutes)

Super Show ID 5: Superhero Smash (0:30)

Super Team-up: Andrea Bocelli and Jannik Sinner (2:00)

Super Song 5 (3:57)

  • “Polvere e Gloria” by Andrea Bocelli & Jannik Sinner

Super Show ID 6: Superhero Smash To Be Continued LATER This Summer! (2:00)

  • Listen to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
    • Featuring the best superhero music and comic book lore in the MCU, the DCU, our U!
  • Not quite the Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel
  • I’m afraid Superhero Smash will be going on a 1 week hiatus for the 4th of July holiday
  • But I’ll be back in 2 weeks to do a Superman Family show just in time for Superman’s opening on July 11
  • And, in case you are traveling this weekend, you might want to check out
  • The Lansing Lugnuts Minor League baseball team
  • I’ll be going with my son Loughlin
    • So let me give a Superhero Smash Shoutout to him and the hard working attorneys and staff at the Prosecutor’s Office in Jackson County, Michigan, where Loughlin is doing an internship
  • You can checkout my website, pagnucci.org, and click the big Superhero Smash button to learn more about the show and upcoming features
  • Or email me, the new Professor X, using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
  • If you are enjoying today’s show, you can catch more Superhero Smash on Thursday mornings at 11:00 a.m. all summer long on WIUP FM 90.1
  • And remember, while Superhero Smash is about the exploits of amazing individuals,
    • “You don’t need superpowers to be a hero. The only thing it takes to be a hero is the courage to do what’s right when someone needs your help.”–Gian Pagnucci

Heroic End Credits Song (4:04)

  • “Per colpa di chi?” by Zucchero (which means sugar) joined live by Italian Opera Great Luciano Pavarotti from the album Pavarotti & Friends Together for the Children of Bosnia
  • The words are all in Italian, but you’re going to love the song anyway!
  • Arrivaderci!

Part 4 Ends (@60 minutes)