Superhero Smash Season III—Audio Issue #45: Aquaman Returns!

Original Air Date

July 17, 2025

Part 1 Begins

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

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

Hero Opening Song (3:42)

“Aquaman” by Grandpa Griffith from the Electric Scooter Holiday Blowout album

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 will be playing great music about superheroes as well as music that is featured in superhero movies and shows
- I also will 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 each episode, you don’t have to worry because Superhero Smash 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
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans!

Superman (2:00)

First, I hope you got out to see Superman
- I saw it over the weekend, and the film is fantastic
- Ignore all the truly foolish talk about the film being “woke”
- It’s a great film, and the only thing woke about it is that Superman is willing to help anyone in need
- A lesson some of the film’s critics probably need to learn
- Superman also features some other members of the Justice League
- I won’t tell you which ones, because Superhero Smash is a NO SPOILERS show!
But so far James Gunn, director of Superman, and creative director for the DC Cinematic Universe (DCU), has not said anything about Aquaman appearing in any of the DCU movies
There is a rumor that Jason Mamoa, who was so great as Aquaman in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), will be starring in the DCU as Lobo, the motorcycle riding, intergalactic comic book hero
I’m sure he will be just as great as Lobo as he was as Aquaman
But, as a lifelong swimmer, I want to make a pitch for James Gunn to bring Aquaman into the new DCU
And that’s why today’s Superhero Smash is all about the King of the Seven Seas!

Heroic Audio Episode Theme: Aquaman (1:00)

When we last saw Aquaman in the movies, it was 2023 and he was starring in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
- Release Date: December 21, 2023
Superhero Smash Back Issue Bin (Season I): Audio Issue #18: Aquaman (01/02/24)
- I’ve added some new material and new songs to this episode
- I found the movie pretty entertaining
- It had some interesting sets, although there was a lot of CGI
- It was a fun buddy movie and had Aquaman paired up with an unexpected partner
- Lots of humor
- There were some nice family messages in the film too

Heroic Instrumental Theme Music (1:59)

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” movie theme song by Rupert Gregson-Williams

The Superhero Smash Comic Book Vault (2:00): First Appearance of Aquaman

The Comic Book Vault Sound Effect (0:12)
Aquaman First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73
Aquaman didn’t even make the cover
Instead it featured the smashing, two-fisted exploits of Dr. Fate!
The Green Arrow also was introduced in that comic book
Publication Date: November 1941
Publisher: National Comics Publications which later became DC Comics
Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger
Value: The last time a copy was sold, it went for $104, 575!
There are only believed to be 30 unrestored issues in existence

Super Song #1 (4:00)

“Aquaman” from Walk the Moon

Part 1 Ends (@15 minutes)

Part 2 Begins (@15 minutes)

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

Listen to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
Featuring “The Best in Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore” in the DC Cinematic Universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and our U-niverse too!
Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
Or email Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans
  - Since I’m talking about Aquaman and swimming, I want to give a Superhero Smash Super Shout-out to Jordan and all the lifeguards and swimmers at IUP’s Lepley Natatorium pool in Zink Hall
  - Zink is a great place to swim, and the lifeguards all do a wonderful job keeping the swimmers safe and trying not to get splashed by any kids jumping into the pool!
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

Super Secret Origin Story (5:00)

Aquaman narrates his own origin story in More Fun Comics #73:
- “The story must start with my father, a famous undersea explorer—if I spoke his name, you would recognize it. My mother died when I was a baby, and he turned to his work of solving the ocean’s secrets. His greatest discovery was an ancient city, in the depths where no other diver had ever penetrated. My father believed it was the lost kingdom of Atlantis. He made himself a water-tight home in one of the palaces and lived there, studying the records and devices of the race’s marvelous wisdom. From the books and records, he learned ways of teaching me to live under the ocean, drawing oxygen from the water and using all the power of the sea to make me wonderfully strong and swift. By training and a hundred scientific secrets, I became what you see—a human being who lives and thrives under the water.”
This was the Golden Age Aquaman
I’ve talked on the show before about other Golden Age superheroes, like Dr. Fate and Hourman
- Those heroes were members of the Justice Society of America (JSA), the very first team of superheroes, but Aquaman apparently turned down membership in the JSA
In 1959 during the Silver Age, Aquaman was reintroduced in Adventure Comics #260
- He didn’t make that cover either!
In that comic, Aquaman’s real name is Arthur Curry
- He is the son of a lighthouse keeper named Tom Curry and a woman named Atlanta, who is an outcast from the underwater city of Atlantis
This is the same story told in the first Aquaman movie from 2018
In both cases, Aquaman can breathe underwater, communicate with sea life, and is a powerful swimmer
Over time, we also learn that Aquaman has super strength since the Atlanteans have bodies which are adapted to live under the intense water pressure at the bottom of the ocean
Aquaman’s parents met when Atlanta was injured and washed ashore during a massive coastal storm
- As luck would have it, Tom saw her from the dock by his lighthouse

Super Song #2 (2:47)

“(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding

Aquaman and the Justice League (2:00)

Aquaman was one of the founding members of the Justice League of America, a successor to the Justice Society team I mentioned earlier
The JLA debuted in the 1960s during the Silver Age of comics
Since Aquaman was a member of the group, the writers had to find excuses to have the supervillains fight in the oceans
The team was always splitting up into groups and someone would pair with Aquaman and chase after some henchmen who had headed seaward
The song also gives us a nice homage to Batman and Wonder Woman’s theme TV theme songs

Super Song #3 (4:31)

“Arthur Curry” by Ookla the Mok

Part 1 Ends (@30 minutes)

Part 2 Begins (@30 minutes)

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

Listen to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
- Featuring “The Best in Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore” in the DCU, the MCU, and our U too!
Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
Or email Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans

Long Lost Heroes: Aqualad! and Aquagirl! (5:00)

At the beginning of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, we learn that Aquaman is now a father
In the movie, the baby’s name is Arthur Jr.
- Arthur Jr. has the ability to telepathically talk to fish, just like his dad
- He doesn’t get called Aquababy, but there is a hero named Aqualad in the comics
Aqualad was introduced in Adventure Comics #269
His name in the comics was Garth
- Garth had purple eyes and the Atlantean’s considered him evil because of this, so he became an outcast
He became a sidekick for Aquaman and eventually changed his name to Tempest
3 issues before Aqualad was introduced, DC Comics introduced Aquagirl in Adventure Comics #266
- Originally, she had the same outlandish costume as Aquaman, green pants with an orange metal mesh shirt that was meant to look like fish scales
- In Adventure Comics #266, Aquaman even comments that she has copied his costume
Aquagirl’s name was Lisa Morel, but that character was not used for long
The definitive version of Aquagirl was introduced in Aquaman Issue #33
Her name was Tula and she was supposed to be “wild, wet, and whacky!
She was the half sister of Aquaman’s half-brother Orm who was featured in the first Aquaman movie as the supervillain Ocean Master
Orm turns up in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, too, but you’ll have to watch the film to find out his role in the story since Superhero Smash is a no spoilers show!
Aquagirl is not in the film, which is probably just as well because tracing the Aqua family tree can get a bit confusing
- In the comics, both Aquagirl and Aqualad were members of the Teen Titans
Sadly, Aquagirl perished during the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline which meant great sorrow for her lover, Aqualad
- Aqualad also was a minor character on the fabulous Teen Titans Go! animated series
He was voiced by Will Wheaton of Star Trek fame
And I’ll give a shout out to Will for his amazing work as the reader of the wonderful audiobook Ready Player One, a book which far surpasses the film
- Will does a fantastic job reading the book which you can get on Audible
Aqualad first appears in the episode “Starliar” on Teen Titans Go!
And that’s more than a good enough excuse to feature a quick Teen Titans Go! song!

Super Song #4 (1:38)

“Go!” from Teen Titans Go to the Movies!
It’s such a funny show and the episodes are only about 10 minutes each, so they make for quick watching

Black Manta (2:00)

The character of Aqualad was later updated by well known comic book writer Geoff Johns
In this later version, Aqualad is the son of Aquaman villain Black Manta
Black Manta is played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the Aquaman films
- He was always a rather laughable villain the comics with his red bug-eyed underwater costume, but in the films Yahya manages to give him some real menace
- And those red bug eyes shoot lasers which gives him s0me real power as well

Super Song #5 (2:25)

“Ocean to Ocean” by Pitbull and featuring Rhea
- An updated spin on the old Toto sign Africa

Save the Planet from Global Warming (2:00)

As I always say, Superhero Smash is a no spoilers show
So I’m not going to tell you what happens in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but I will say that part of the plot involves Black Manta trying to heat up the world and cause a global warming catastrophe
It’s actually never really explained why this is Black Manta’s objective, but the warning about climate changes is one we should take to heart
Especially with us having 80 and 90 degree every day this summer!
Melissa Denchak has written a helpful article on “How You Can Stop Global Warming” outlining 12 simple steps you can personally take to make a difference with climate change
For more information about climate change, read this article: “Scientific Consensus: Earth’s Climate Is Warming”
- The scientific community is unified in its warnings about climate change, with 18 different scientific associations making statements about the world problem
But if you still have doubts, you will enjoy the character Dr. Stephen Shin in the Aquaman movie
Shin only slowly comes to be aware of how bad Black Manta’s disruption to the climate is and because he turns a blind eye to what Black Manta is doing for so long, there’s little he can do to stop the impending catastrophe
Shin is played by Randall Park who does a fine job of acting as a helpless scientist caught up unwillingly in Black Manta’s evil plans
He also appeared in the groundbreaking show WandaVision which I highly recommend
Shin only teamed up with Black Manta because Shin was single-mindedly trying to prove to the world that Atlantis existed and hoped Black Manta could help him find it
This obsession led Shin over the deep end, which is the title of our next song and was featured in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Super Song #6 (3:01)

“Deep End” by X Ambassadors

Part 3 Ends (@46 minutes)

Part 4 Begins (@46 minutes)

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

Listen to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
- Featuring “The Best in Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore” in the DCU, the MCU, and our U too!
Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
Or email Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans

Super Romantic Interlude: Aquaman & Mera (2:00)

Aquaman and his wife Mera have a long romantic history in the comics
Unfortunately, the actress who plays Mera, Amber Herd, had a very troubled marriage to Johnny Depp
I won’t comment on the legal back and forth between the two, but just as with Ezra Miller who played the Flash in the DCEU, Herd’s real life problems impacted Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and how it was received
If this is likely to turn you off to the film, let me say that DC really limits Mera’s screen time in the movie
- I imagine that was a deliberate choice by DC Studios
- The filmmakers clearly worked hard to all but remove Mera from the film to do the kind of damage control they really couldn’t do with Miller to save the DCEU Flash movie
- Although Michael Keaton is so fantastic as Batman in The Flash that I do think Superhero Smash listeners would enjoy that movie too, despite it’s many, many flaws
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is dominated by Jason Mamoa and he is what makes it a good film, so don’t let the real world stuff keep you from seeing what is a solid film
And, at least in the films and comics, Aquaman and Mera have a good marriage which is worth celebrating with a romantic love song
And since it’s summer, instead of winter when I did my previous Aquaman show, I thought I would work in a beach song about a beautiful mermaid girl kind of like Mera
Superhero Smash Back Issue Bin (Season I): Audio Issue #18: Aquaman (01/02/24)

Super Song #7 (3:45)

“Gulf Coast Girl” by Caroline Jones and the Pelicanaiers and featuring Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Lukas Nelson, and Mac McAnally

Aquaman Songs

I want to thank the (unlisted) author of “Aquaman in Popular Music”
- This website helped me discover a bunch of good Aquaman songs I had never heard before

R.I.P. Brian Wilson, Lead Singer for The Beach Boys (1:00)

If you had not heard, Brian Wilson, the lead singer and brilliant songwriter for The Beach Boys, passed away on June 11 this summer
I was out of the country when he passed, but I have featured a Beach Boys song, “Good Vibrations” on a previous show
Superhero Smash Back Issue Bin (Season I): Audio Issue #20: DC Spring Breakout! (03/11/24)
So, in honor of Brian Wilson, here’s a song to celebrate our love of the ocean
R.I.P. Brian

Super Song #8 (2:28)

“Surfin’ U.S.A.” by The Beach Boys

Super Song #9 (2:07; If extra time)

“Ocean Man” by Ween

Super Show ID 6: Superhero Smash To Be Continued Next Issue! (2:00)

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel: The Fantastic Four
- 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
- The new Marvel film, Fantastic Four: The First Steps, comes out July 24, 2025
Listen to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
- Featuring “The Best in Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore” in the DCU, the MCU, and our U too!
Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
Or email Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans
And remember, while Superhero Smash is about the adventures 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 (3:15)

“Under the Sea” by Samuel E. Wright from The Little Mermaid

Part 4 Ends (@60 minutes)