Original Air Date
- August 1, 2024
Part 1 Begins
Heroic Opening Song (3:03)
- Happy National Spider-Man Day!
- You heard the voice of Spider-Man creator Stan Lee saying his “Excelsior” catch phrase at the end of that song
- “Superheroes” by Heroes Music Project from the Team USA: Proud to Be an American album
- Let me give a shout-out to Team USA at the Paris Olympics
- And I also want to give a shout-out to the South Korean Men’s Fencing Sabre Team which has won gold medals in 3 consecutive Olympics and calls themselves The New Avengers!
- The Olympic athletes are about as physically close to real life superheroes as anyone can get
- And let me also give a shout-out to my good friend Bruce Wechtenheiser who was on the show just a couple weeks ago talking about everybody’s favorite web-head
Superhero Smash: Season II (1:00)
- You’re listening to Superhero Smash: Season II!
- Featuring the best in Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore
- Focusing on current superhero movies and popular culture events
- I’m your host, Dr. Gian Pagnucci, a.k.a. The New Professor X
- Playing great music about superheroes as well as music that is featured in superhero movies and shows
- Also talking about comic book history and heroism
- But no matter what cool stuff I discuss, you don’t have to worry because this is a NO SPOILERS show!
- Contact me, the new Professor X, via email: SuperheroSmash2024@gmail.com
Audio Episode Theme: Deadpool & Wolverine (1:00)
- Although this is National Spider-Man day, today’s show is all about
- Deadpool and Wolverine just premiered on July 26
- I actually saw it on July 25 and it was awesome!
- The film had a ton of great music in it, which I’ll be featuring in today’s show
- It also has a ton of Deadpool fighting Wolverine until they decide to team-up
- I’ll be talking about the movie and the characters
- But don’t worry. Superhero Smash is a NO SPOILERS show, so I won’t give anything exciting away!
- And just to tie in with the Spider-Man holiday, I’ll also mention that Spidey and Deadpool have actually had many team-ups
- You can enjoy them wise cracking like nobody’s business in the fun graphic novel: Spider-Man Deadpool Don’t Call It a Team-up
Superhero Theme Music (2:29)
- “Deadpool Has a Theme” by Rob Simonsen
The Comic Collector’s Vault (5:00)
- Let’s crank open the Comic Collector’s Vault
- Open Door Effect
- Deadpool’s first appearance: The New Mutants #98
- Publication Date: February 1991
- Writers: Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza
- Artist: Rob Liefeld
- Value on eBay $550 (CGC graded 9.6 on a 10 point scale)
- Wolverine’s first appearance: Final teaser panel of The Incredible Hulk #180 and then on the cover of The Incredible Hulk #181
- As a kid, I read a copy at a friend’s house
- Publication Date: February 1991
- Writers: Len Wein
- Artist: Herb Trimpe
- Hulk #180 Value on eBay $425 (CGC graded 3.0 on a 10 point scale)
- Hulk #181 Value on eBay $1600 (CGC graded 2.0 on a 10 point scale)
Deadpool & Wolverine Song 1 (1:03)
- “X-Men the Animated Series”
- From Sci-Fi’s Greatest Hits Vol. 3: Defenders of Justice
- From Sci-Fi’s Greatest Hits Vol. 3: Defenders of Justice
Part 1 Ends (@15 minutes)
Part 2 Begins (@15 minutes)
Show ID: Superhero Smash (0:30)
- WIUP FM 90.1
- Featuring the best superhero music and comic book lore in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the DC 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 SuperheroSmash2024@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans
Deadpool & Wolverine Box Office (3:00)
- The film is getting rave reviews
- It is fun and has a lot of moving moments too
- Deadpool & Wolverine earned $444 million on its opening weekend according to Forbes
- It’s the highest R-rated movie opening of all time
- It beat out the original Deadpool (2016) movie which previously held the record
- Helped make the Marvel Cinematic Universe the highest-grossing film franchise of all time with $30 billion across 34 movies; All 34 films debuted at #1 at the box office
- Number 6 highest domestic opening weekend of all time
- Check out “Deadpool & Wolverine: All the Box Office Records Broken” by Anthony D’Alessandro for all the facts
- The film is on track to make over $1 billion worldwide
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- Deadpool & Wolverine is doing great everywhere
- It’s #1 international boxoff country is China, where the film made $27.6 million for its opening weekend
- And I had word from Dr. Danning Liang, a graduate from IUP’s Composition and Applied Linguistics Doctoral Program, who said the film is a must-watch hit in China
- Dr. Liang graduated from IUP and is starting a new job teaching English at Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine
- Good luck, Danning!
- Let me give a shout-out to her and to the whole legion of Superhero Smash fans across the globe
- Remember, you can stream WIUP FM 90.1 wherever you go in the MCU, DCU, and our U too!
Deadpool & Wolverine Song 2 (5:02)
- “Greatest Show” by Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efron, Zendaya & The Greatest Showman Ensemble
Deadpool & Wolverine’s Linked Origins
Wolverine’s Origin (3:00)
Tim Webber, in “Wolverine’s Adamantium Skelton, Explained” tells us the details of how Wolverine gained his claws.
- Wolverine’s real name is James Howlett, something we learn in the book Wolverine: Origin
- In the story, James falls in love with Kayla Silverfox, a Native American teacher, who gives him the name Wolverine after a Native American legend
- Wolverine received his adamantium skeleton from the Weapon X Program, as detailed in the iconic MARVEL COMICS PRESENTS: WEAPON X epic by comic artist legend Barry Windsor-Smith. Weapon X is the Canadian-operated offshoot of the Weapon Plus Program, a government operation dedicated to creating super-soldiers like Captain America.
- An evil Canadian professor named Thornton had Logan and the other members of Team X captured. Team X was a retired squad of mutant spies. Professor Thornton used the team for experimentation in the Weapon X Program. The Weapon X Program experimented on Logan by coating his skeleton in adamantium in a grueling process. Adamantium is a metal in the Marvel uinverse that is virtually indestructible. Along with having his skelton modified, Logan was subjected to intense brainwashing that pushed him into a mindless, almost feral state.
- Wolverine’s claws are a natural part of his adamantium skelton. The skeleton weighs about 100 pounds. Wolverine only survived the procedure because of his mutant healing power.
- Logan did eventually escape from the Weapon X Program and joined the X-Men, but he also became a lone wolf, roaming on his own
Deadpool & Wolverine Song 3 (2:50)
- “I’m a Ramblin Man” by Waylon Jennings
Deadpool’s Origin (3:00)
Shashank Shakya, in “Deadpool Origin and Powers Explained,” gives us the details of how Deadpool gained his powers.
- Interestingly, Deadpool’s origin is also tied to the Weapon X Program.
- Deadpool’s real name is Wade Wilson. Wade was a part of the Special Forces before he was dishonorably discharged from duty. After he was relieved from duty, he became a mercenary for hire. However, he was then diagnosed with cancer and volunteered for the Weapon X Program since they claimed they could heal him from his cancer and also give him superhuman abilities.
- At Weapon X, Wade was injected with a serum meant to give him a healing factor that might also heal his cancer. The serum was created and administered to Wade by Dr. Emrys Killebrew who created it from the samples of Wolverine’s blood.
- Even though the treatment healed Wade, it also accelerated his cancer mutation essentially turning him into a walking tumor that could regenerate from any physical damage. This is why Deadpool basically can’t be killed. After he escaped from the Weapon X facility, Wade took up the name of Deadpool.
- Deadpool was actually modeled on the character Deathstroke from DC’s the Teen Titans and writer Rob Liefeld gave Deadpool the real name of “Wade Wilson” as an homage to Deathstroke’s real name “Slade Wilson.”
Deadpool & Wolverine Song 4 (4:50)
- “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls
Part 2 Ends (@45 minutes)
Part 3 Begins (@45 minutes)
Show ID: Superhero Smash (0:30)
- WIUP FM 90.1
- Featuring the best superhero music and comic book lore in the MCU, the DCU, and our U-niverse too!
- Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
- Or email Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash2024@gmail.com
- I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans!
Romantic Interlude 1: Deadpool Marries a Vampire (2:00)
- Wolverine’s main love is Jean Grey of the X-Men, and if you have not watched it in awhile, let me recommend that you go back to see the original X-Men movie again; it premiered back in 2000
- I rewatched the movie after seeing Deadpool & Wolverince, and I have to say that the acting and writing in the film were so stellar that it still holds up as a great movie even after 2 decades
- But since time is running out, I’ll spend my last few minutes talking briefly about a couple of Wade Wilson’s lovers
- Deadpool #25, “The Wedding of Deadpool,” is an especially great comic because the wraparound cover features pretty much every hero from the Marvel Universe
- In the comics, Deadpool marries Shiklah, a vampire queen
Super Romantic Song 1 (3:43)
- “I’m with You” by Avril Lavigne
Romantic Interlude 2: Wade and Vanessa (1:00)
- Being married to a vampire might make for damn cold nights indeed
- But I think Wade’s true love is really Vanessa Carlysle
- Vanessa is played by Morena Baccarin in the Deadpool movies
- Her comic book character was called Copycat
- Vanessa loves Wade even though his head has become badly deformed and, even more significantly, Wade keeps underestimating Vanessa’s love for him
Super Romantic Song 2 (3:54)
- “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & The News
Superhero Smash To Be Continued Next Issue (2:00)
- Not quite the Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel
- Next week I’ll be gone to attend my niece’s wedding
- So I better give a shout-out to Courtney and her fiancé Brad
- Sadly, this does mean there will be no Superhero Smash next week, but be back here in 2 weeks for my special guest star Professor Henningsen who will be talking about superhero leaders. You won’t want to miss it!
- Contact me, the new Professor X, via email: SuperheroSmash2024@gmail.com
- And always remember: “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
A Golden Shout-out (2:00)
- Although Superhero Smash won’t be on for 2 weeks, there is plenty of Olympics action to keep you busy
- And for those who just can’t get enough of athletic achiements, you might want to try out Peacock’s new GoldZone program
- GoldZone brings you every Olympic medal peformance
- It’s modeled after the NFL’s RedZone program which brings fans every touchdown
- Now I want to recognize Superhero Smash’s own Sound Engineer and Musical Producer, Loughlin Pagnucci
- Loughlin has been helping me all summer long, but I’ll be taking him to Michigan State University where he will start Law School in a few days
- Thanks, Loughlin, for all your help making Superhero Smash the marvelous show it is!
- Now there’s just time for a little nod to the Olympics before we finish with the song Deadpool & Wolverine are listening too as they attempt to save the MCU
- The Madonna song is one of Deadpool’s favorites
Heroic Closing Song 1 (0:58)
- “Olympic Theme” by Leo Arnaud Featuring the Cleveland Symphonic Winds
A Last Word from Sound Engineer & Musical Producer Loughlin Pagnucci (0:05)
- Excelsior!
Heroic Closing Song 2 (5:49)
- “Like a Prayer” by Madonna
Part 3 Ends (@60 minutes)