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Superhero Smash Season III—Audio Issue #55: A Super Team-Up!

Original Air Date

  • Jan. 14, 2026

Part 1 Begins

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

  • You’re listening to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
    • A musical force for good! 
    • Featuring “The Best in Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore”
  • I’m your host, Dr. Gian Pagnucci, a.k.a. The New Professor X

Heroic Audio Episode Theme: Super Team-ups (3:00)

  • This is the final episode of Superhero Smash: The Winter Specials Vol. 3
  • The IUP Winter Break is just about over, and it is time for the IUP students to return to campus
  • So this episode is dedicated to all those hard working college students and teachers out there who are gearing up for another semester
  • Including all the students at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
  • Coming up, I’ll be talking to two of my favorite teachers, superhero scholars Dr. Sandy Eckard and Dr. Alex Romagnoli
  • But first, I just finished teaching a special winter course, English 281: Superhero Literature
  • I had a lot of great students in that class, and they worked really hard to learn about origin stories, the nature of superheroes, and the importance of doing good
    • So I want to give a Superhero Smash Super Shout-out to that special group of students, the New Avengers I call them
    • They include Kirsten, Max, Savannah, Lindsey, Alexis, Kaitlyn, and Davis as well as Sawyer who told me about this great new Superman song which is a remake of REM’s “Superman”
    • Thanks for being great students folks. You’re all super in my book, like this song

Heroic Opening Song (2:31)

  • “Superman” by The Academy Is…

Super Show ID 2: Superhero Smash (0:30)

  • Listen to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
    • A musical force for good! 
    • Featuring “The Best Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore” in the Marvel Universe, the DC Universe, and our Universe too!
    • 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!
  • Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
  • Or email the New Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com
    • I love to hear from the Legion of Superhero Smash Fans
    • And this is a good time to give a Superhero Smash Super Shout-out to the students in the New Professor X’s English 281: Superhero Literature
  • If you are enjoying today’s show, you can catch more Superhero Smash one more time next week, Wednesday from Noon to 1:00 p.m. on WIUP FM 90.1, before the end  of IUP’s Winter Break

Superhero Smash Guest Stars: Dr. Sandy Eckard & Dr. Alex Romagnoli (2:00)

When last we heard from Dr. Eckard, she was fighting crime in…

When last we heard from Dr. Romagnoli he was also fighting crime in…

Superhero Smash Guest Stars: Dr. Sandy Eckard & Dr. Alex Romagnoli Interview Part 1 (7:26)

  • So now, let’s get to my interview with these 2 superhero scholars
  • As they discuss some of the problems with with higher education

Super Song 1 (4:02)

  • Here’s a little song that helps capture a little of the challenges of higher ed.
  • “Closer to Fine” by Indigo Girls

Part 1 Ends (@20 minutes)

Part 2 Begins (@20 minutes)

Super Show ID 3: Superhero Smash (0:10)

Superhero Smash Guest Stars: Dr. Sandy Eckard & Dr. Alex Romagnoli Interview Part 2 (4:02)

  • The benefits of Teaming-Up
  • Part 2 of the interview focuses on superhero teams and team-ups
  • Alex talks about Superman and Batman teaming up, so here’s a song to highlight those heroes, the world’s finest!
    • Batman/Superman: Worlds Finest #1 (2022) Variant Jason Fabok Card Stock Cover — Stone Town Collectibles

Super Song 2 (3:14)

Part 2 Ends (@30 minutes)

Part 3 Begins (@30 minutes)

Super Show ID 4: Superhero Smash (0:10)

Superhero Smash Guest Stars: Dr. Sandy Eckard & Dr. Alex Romagnoli Interview Part 3 (9:41)

Super Song 3 (1:20 + 2:04)

  • Even though Alex didn’t like Spider-Man: No Way Home because he felt it was kind of a commercial stunt, I have to say that like a lot of fans, I couldn’t help but love seeing Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland on screen together as Spider-Man
    • The Spider-Mans Embrace in NO WAY HOME Behind-The-Scenes Featurette - Nerdist
  • And if you like a lot of Spider-Men, then you should check out Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse which is a fantastic animated film released in 2023. It is the second in a planned trilogy with tons of different versions of Spider-Man
    • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) - IMDb
  • That film was even better than Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse which was the first film in the trilogy and came out in 2018
    • Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse Is The Movie I've Always Wanted | by Michael Baginski | Medium
  • Apparently the third film in the animated trilogy, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, has been delayed for release until June 2027, so for now, you will just have to watch the first 2 animated films that feature Miles Morales as Spider-Man
  • Here’s the theme song from the 2nd of those animated movies
  • “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” by Jared Moreno Luna & ORCH

Part 3 Ends (@43 minutes)

Part 4 Begins (@43 minutes)

Superhero Smash Guest Stars: Dr. Sandy Eckard & Dr. Alex Romagnoli Interview Part 4 (8:52)

  • New Types of Collaborations

Thanks to Dr. Sandy Eckard & Dr. Alex Romagnoli for a Super Interview (0:10)

  • Hope you enjoyed that great song and my interview with Dr. Sandy Eckard & Dr. Alex Romagnoli
    • Photo (from left): Gian Pagnucci/The New Professor X, Tom Welling (who played Clark Kent on Smallville, Sandy Eckard, Michael Rosenbaum [who played Lex Luthor on Smallville, and Alex Romagnoli)
  • I’ll have to see if I can bring Alex & Sandy back next summer!

Super Show ID 5: Superhero Smash To Be Continued During IUP’s Spring Break! (2:00)

  • Not quite the Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel
  • This is the final episode of Superhero Smash: The Winter Specials Vol. 3
  • IUP classes start on Tuesday, January 20th
  • While the IUP Winter Break may be ending, you will be able to hear more Superhero Smash during IUP’s Spring Break which is March 9-13!
  • I’ll aim to do my show on the Wednesday or Thursday of that week and will post the date and time here on my website
  • And I’ll be back for Season 4 of Superhero Smash in Summer 2026 so stay tuned to WIUP FM 90.1!
    • A musical force for good! 
    • Featuring “The Best Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore” in the MCU, the DCU, and our U-niverse too!
  • Meantime, keep listening to WIUP FM 90.1
  • And you can always email the New Professor X using the address SuperheroSmash3000@gmail.com

Super Song 4 (3:14)

  • “Brighter Day” Michael Franti & Spearhead

Super Final Word (0:10)

  • Hope you enjoyed today’s show
  • I’m the New Professor X
  • Before I go, let me remind about the most important message of Superhero Smash:
    • “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 for the Super Team-Up (4:27)

  • While you’re waiting for Superhero Smash to return, you might play this great song a few times!
  • “Waiting for Superman” by Daughtry

Part 4 Ends (@60 minutes)

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