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Superhero Smash Season IV—Audio Issue 64: The X-Men

Welcome to the Superhero Smash Universe!

Original Audio Issue Air Date

  • July 16th, 2026

Part 1: The Hero (Begins @ 11:00 a.m.)

Super Show ID 1: Superhero Smash (0:30)

  • Good morning, listeners! You’ve waited all week, and it’s finally here: Another great audio issue of Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1!
    • Featuring “The Best in Superhero Music and Comic Book Lore”
    • Superhero Smash is a musical force for good!
    • Welcome to the Superhero Smash Universe, where comics, music, and good deeds collide.
    • And I’m your host, Doctor Smash!

Issue Theme

  • Strength Through Diversity

Heroic Spotlight: The X-Men! (1:00)

  • As regular listeners of Superhero Smash know, for a long time I used The New Professor X as my radio alter ego. While I have shifted to Doctor Smash, I figured it would be fitting to do a show about the original Professor X’s team of superheroes: The X-Men. Outcasts, teachers, students, dreamers, revolutionaries, and heroes, the X-Men have been battling evil and fighting for a better future for more than sixty years. Whether you’re Team Cyclops, Team Wolverine, Team Storm, or Team Magneto, stay tuned as we explore the strange, exciting, and surprisingly human world of Marvel’s mutants.
  • Today on Superhero Smash, get ready to hop aboard the Blackbird as we fly into the world of The Uncanny X-Men!

Heroic Opening Song (3:40)

  • “Brave” by Sara Bareilles

Here Come The X-Men! (1:00)

  • Some heroes protect a city. Some heroes protect a planet. But the X-Men were created to protect a world that fears and hates them.
  • Today on Superhero Smash, we’re heading to Charles Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters to explore one of the most influential super teams in comic book history. From Cyclops and Storm to Wolverine and Rogue, the X-Men have been battling Sentinels, supervillains, and intolerance itself since the 1960s.
  • And in the 1990s, they added one of the coolest theme songs ever to the canon of superhero music. Here’s the classic theme from the 1997 X-Men animated T.V. series from the album Sci-Fi’s Greatest Hits Vol. 4: Defenders Of Justice, probably the greatest superhero music album ever released

X-Men Song 1 (1:03)

  • “X-Men: The Animated Series” TV theme song
    • From Sci-Fi’s Greatest Hits Vol. 4: Defenders of Justice

The Superhero Smash Back Issue Bin! (0:30)

The History of the X-Men (5:00)

It’s 1963.

The Cold War is raging. The Civil Rights Movement is transforming America. The Space Race is reaching new heights.

Then Marvel Comics introduces a team unlike any superheroes readers had ever seen before.

The World of 1963

  • X-Men #1 debuted in September 1963
  • Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby
  • Published by Marvel Comics
  • X-Men #1 introduced Professor X, Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Angel, and Iceman

When readers first met the X-Men:

  • The Civl Rights March on Washington took place the same year.
  • The Cuban Missile Crisis had recently terrified the world.
  • Questions about equality and social justice were at the center of American life.
  • Young people were increasingly challenging traditional institutions.

Why The X-Men Were Revolutionary

The X-Men weren’t heroes because they chose to be different.

They were born different.

Instead of gaining powers through accidents or experiments, mutants were born with extraordinary abilities.

The series explored:

  • Prejudice
  • Fear of outsiders
  • Diversity
  • Identity
  • Belonging
  • Hope

These themes helped make the X-Men one of Marvel’s most enduring franchises.

The Giant-Sized Revival

The original series struggled and nearly ended.

Then in 1975 Marvel launched Giant-Size X-Men #1.

New heroes joined the team:

  • Wolverine
  • Storm
  • Nightcrawler
  • Colossus
  • Thunderbird

Writer Chris Claremont would then guide the franchise for more than fifteen years, turning the X-Men into Marvel’s biggest comic-book property.

The Dream

At the heart of the X-Men is Professor Xavier’s dream:

  • A future where humans and mutants live together in peace.
  • It’s one of the most optimistic ideas in superhero history.
  • And that dream of a better world doesn’t belong only to the X-Men. A few years after Marvel introduced its band of merry mutants, John Lennon imagined a world without divisions, a world where people could live together in peace. Here’s “Imagine” on Superhero Smash.

X-Men Song 2 (3:07)

  • “Imagine” from John Lennon

Part 1: The Hero (Ends @ 15 minutes)

Part 2 The Origin Story (Begins @ 15 minutes)

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

The Superhero Smash Comic Book Vault: First Appearance of The X-Men (3:00)

  • The Comic Book Vault Sound Effect (0:12)
  • First Comic Book Appearance of The X-Men: X-Men #1
    • Marvel Comics X-Men #1 (1963) CGC 1.0 Universal 1st Edition Stan Lee - Picture 1 of 2
    • Publication Date: September 1963
    • Publisher: Marvel Comics
    • Writer: Stan Lee
    • Artist: Jack Kirby
    • Value on eBay today: $3800 (CGC graded 1.0 on a 10-point scale)
  • First Comic Book Appearance of the New X-Men (including Wolverine): Giant-Size X-Men #1
    • Giant-Size X-Men #1 - Marvel Comics 1975 CGC 4.5 1st appearance of the new X-Men
    • Publication Date: April 1, 1975
    • Publisher: Marvel Comics
    • Writer: Chris Claremont
    • Artist: Dave Cockrum
    • Cover Art: Dave Cockrum and Gil Kane
    • Value on eBay today: $1626 (CGC graded 4.5 on a 10-point scale)

The Origin of The X-Men (3:00)

  • Unlike most heroes, the X-Men don’t share a single origin story.
    • Instead, they are mutants. People born with an X-Gene that grants extraordinary powers when they reach adolescence.
  • Professor Charles Xavier recognized that these young mutants needed guidance.
    • At his School for Gifted Youngsters, Xavier trained them to use their abilities responsibly and work toward peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants.
  • His oldest friend and greatest rival, Magneto, believed coexistence was impossible.
    • That difference in philosophy would define the X-Men for generations.
  • Professor Xavier, or maybe I should call him the Old Professor X since I have sometimes called myself the New Professor X, believed humans and mutants could learn to live together in peace. Magneto believed that was a fantasy. Their philosophical clash became the foundation of the X-Men universe, a debate about fear, acceptance, and what it means to be different. And that brings us to a song that asks a very X-Men question: What makes people hate each other?

X-Men Song 3 (3:52)

  • “People Are People” by Depeche Mode

Long Lost Hero: Thunderbird (3:00)

  • John Proudstar, better known as Thunderbird, joined the X-Men in Giant-Size X-Men #1.
    • Strong, courageous, and fiercely independent, Thunderbird became one of the first Native American superheroes in mainstream comics.
  • Thunderbird and the other new team members began appearing in regular X-Men comic books starting with #94.
    • Shockingly, in X-Men #95, Thunderbird died in a plane explosion
  • To have a major character die so quickly in the series was a real shock to readers
  • An article on the Sequential Scholars website titled “The Death of Thunderbird,” discusses criticism of Thunderbird’s untimely demise
    • Claremont said he felt that Thunderbird was too similar to Wolverine
    • Comics scholar Jeremy Carnes cites Len Wein and Dave Cockrum saying that John Proudstar “had nowhere to go. All he was, all he really ever could be, was a wise-cracking, insolent, younger, not-as-interesting copy of Hawkeye.”
    • But Carnes notes that “the debate over the ethics of killing off Thunderbird in Uncanny X-Men #95 began quite early, and may reflect a failure of imagination on the part of the character’s creators to acknowledge a modern Indigenous existence
  • In X-men, actions had consequences.
  • Years later, Thunderbird’s influence continued through his brother James Proudstar, better known as Warpath.
  • And Thunderbird himself sometimes appeared to the X-Men as a ghost
  • Though often overshadowed by Wolverine and Storm, Thunderbird helped pave the way for a more diverse generation of heroes
  • It’s just too bad he didn’t get to stick around long enough to enjoy the new world he helped to create
  • Some heroes leave a legacy measured in decades. Thunderbird did it in just 3 issues. Though his story ended far too soon, his influence never disappeared. For John Proudstar, here’s Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with “Learning to Fly.”

X-Men Song 4 (4:02)

  • “Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers

Part 2: The Origin Story (Ends @ 30 minutes)

Part 3: The Super Romance (Begins @ 30 minutes)

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

Super Romantic Interlude: Cyclops and Marvel Girl (3:00)

  • Few superhero romances have influenced the X-Men more than Scott Summers (Cyclops) and Jean Grey (Marvel Girl).
  • From the earliest days of Xavier’s school, the two shared a connection.
  • Over time, Scott and Jean became one of Marvel’s signature couples.
  • Their relationship evolved across decades rather than remaining stuck in the status quo.
  • Together they helped lead generations of X-Men.
  • Over the decades their relationship has survived cosmic forces, alternate timelines, and more than a little mutant drama.
  • When Jean become the Phoenix, her relationship with Scott moved from school romance to cosmic tragedy.
  • Their story became deeply tied to the fate of an entire species.
  • Few superhero romances have endured as much, or sacrificed as much, as Scott Summers and Jean Grey. Their story spans generations, worlds, and even the boundaries between life and death. Through every triumph and tragedy, they kept finding their way back to each other, time after time.

X-Men Song 5 (4:17)

  • “Time After Time” (Acoustic) by Cyndi Lauper featuring Sarah McLachlan

PSA: Visit the IUP Kathleen Jones White Writing Center (2:00)

  • If you’re trying to write love letter to send across the cosmos, but seem to be messing it up time after time..
  • Just head to IUP’s Kathleen Jones White Writing Center
  • The Writing Center is open all summer long, and the Writing Center tutors will help IUP students with all kinds of course papers and other writing challenges…
    • Even the most romantically fraught ones
  • You can get help from the Writing Center remotely this summer, via Zoom, where you can talk directly with a tutor, or asynchronously, where a tutor will give you comments on your paper
  • Let’s cue up that Writing Center Theme Song!

Writing Center Theme Song (0:30)

  • “I Love the Writing Center” by Dr. Weinstein

Superhero Smash Super Shout-out: To Dr. Dan Weinstein (0:10)

  • And let me also give a Superhero Smash Super Shout-out to Dr. Dan Weinstein, the Director of the Writing Center and LLW Associate Professor
    • Dr. Weinstein might not have mutant powers, but he’s still a great member to have on your team!

Part 3: The Super Romance (Ends @ 40 minutes)

Part 4: The Good Deed (Begins @ 40 minutes)

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

Super Good Deed for the Week: Make Someone Feel Welcome (4:00)

  • The X-Men aren’t really about superpowers.
  • They’re about people who feel different and need to find a place where they can belong.
  • This week’s challenge is simple:
    • Make someone feel welcome.

The Superhero Smash Move

  • Invite someone to join a conversation.
  • Sit with someone who usually sits alone.
  • Introduce a new student, coworker, or neighbor to others.
  • Reach out to a friend you haven’t spoken with lately.

Super Examples

Here are a few examples if you aren’t sure what to do:

  • Help a new student find their footing.
  • Welcome someone new at work.
  • Introduce two people who share common interests.
  • Include someone who might otherwise be left out.

That’s This Week’s Superhero Smash Move

  • Be like the X-Men
    • Use your unique gifts to help someone else feel they belong.
  • Super good deed!

X-Men Song 6 (5:23)

  • The X-Men remind us that our differences aren’t weaknesses. They’re part of what makes us extraordinary. So welcome someone in this week, help them find a place where they belong, and never be afraid to be yourself. Here’s
  • “This Is Me” by Keala Settle from The Greatest Showman which starred Hugh Jackman, who X-Men fans know as Wolverine

Part 4: The Good Deed (Ends @ 54 minutes)

Part 5: The Fantastic Finish (Begins @ 54 minutes)

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

Superhero Smash Super Shout-out: To Bonnie Tyler (2:00)

  • I closed last week’s show about The Phantom with Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero”
  • There are a couple other versions of that song, and I was debating which one to play, but finally went with Tyler’s classic original from the Footloose soundtrack
  • It was only later that I learned that Tyler had passed away the day before the show, so I’m really glad I chose to play her song just at the right moment
  • Tyler lived to age 75 and had many hits
  • In 2013, she got to represent the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest where she performed the soaring rock ballad “Believe in Me”
  • Let me give a Superhero Smash Super Shout-out to Bonnie Tyler, may she Rest in Peace, and all family
    • It’s sad she’s gone, but we’re lucky that we will always have her music
    • Bonnie Tyler, 80s pop legend known for Total Eclipse of the Heart and more, dies aged 75 | Bonnie Tyler | The Guardian

Super Show ID 6: Superhero Smash (1:00)

  • To Be Continued Next Issue!
  • 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
  • Listen to Superhero Smash on WIUP FM 90.1
  • Check out pagnucci.org and click the big Superhero Smash button
  • Professor X’s dream lives on when Marvel’s mutants return for a new generation in X-Men ’97.
  • Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel: X-Men ’97!

The Last Panel (2:00)

  • Time to wrap up this week’s audio issue of Superhero Smash!
  • In the world of the X-Men, being different isn’t a weakness. It’s a gift.
  • For more than sixty years, Marvel’s mutants have shown readers that courage isn’t about fitting in. It’s about standing up for what’s right, even when the world misunderstands you.
  • Whether you identify with Cyclops’s leadership, Wolverine’s toughness, Storm’s wisdom, or Professor Xavier’s dream, the X-Men remind us that everyone has a place and everyone has something valuable to contribute.
  • After all, the X-Men were never strongest because they were the same. They were strongest because they learned to work together despite their differences.
  • The X-Men also remind us that none of us gets through life alone. We all need teachers, friends, teammates, and communities that help us become the people we’re meant to be. Professor Xavier called it a dream. Maybe it’s really a challenge, to recognize the gifts in ourselves, appreciate the gifts in others, and remember that we’re stronger when we stand together.

Heroic End Credits Song for The X-Men (1:00 + 4:36)

  • I’m Doctor Smash, and thanks for joining me for another episode of Superhero Smash
  • 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, a.k.a. Doctor Smash
  • For more than sixty years, the X-Men have reminded us that being different doesn’t have to divide us. In a world that often asks us to choose sides, maybe the better answer is to remember what we share. After all, we’re stronger when we carry each other.
  • Until our next audio issue, this is Doctor Smash reminding you to tap into your inner X-Man.
  • And speaking of carrying each other, let’s close this issue of Superhero Smash with
  • “One” by U2

Part 5: The Fantastic Finish (Ends @ 60 minutes)

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