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Superhero Smash Season IV—Audio Issue 65: Venom

Welcome to the Superhero Smash Universe!

Original Audio Issue Air Date

  • July 23rd, 2026

Listen to the Venom Audio Issue

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!
    • Let’s open this week’s audio issue.

Issue Theme

  • Redemption and Second Chances

Heroic Spotlight: Venom! (1:00)

  • As regular listeners of Superhero Smash know, I enjoy heroes who don’t always fit neatly into the traditional superhero mold. And there may be no character in Marvel Comics who has traveled a stranger path than Venom.
  • Starting life as one of Spider-Man’s most terrifying enemies, Venom eventually evolved into something much more complicated. Part monster, part vigilante, part alien symbiote, and part reluctant hero, Venom has spent decades battling villains, protecting innocent people, and occasionally trying not to eat anybody.
  • Today on Superhero Smash, get ready to bond with an alien symbiote as we explore the dark, wild, and surprisingly heroic world of Venom!

Heroic Opening Song (4:09)

  • “Monster” by Imagine Dragons

Here Comes Venom! (1:00)

  • Some heroes wear capes.
  • Some heroes wear armor.
  • And some heroes wear a living alien costume with razor-sharp teeth and a very unhealthy appetite.
  • Today on Superhero Smash, we’re diving into the world of Venom, one of Marvel’s most popular antiheroes. First appearing as a mysterious black costume for Spider-Man, the alien symbiote eventually bonded with Eddie Brock to become Venom, a character who has terrified readers, challenged Spider-Man, and ultimately become a hero in his own right.
  • And when Venom appears, he usually makes an entrance. So here’s a song that captures the wild energy of Marvel’s most famous symbiote.

Venom Song 1 (2:58)

  • “Monster” by Skillet
  • I should mention there is a great Eminem song called “Venom” which he wrote for the Venom movie
  • Unfortunately, even the clean version of that Venom song is a little rough and Superhero Smash is a family friendly show!

The History of Venom (5:00)

Let’s travel back to 1984.

Marvel Comics is preparing a huge 12 issue comic book crossover event called Secret Wars.

  • Secret Wars - Wikipedia

And during that event, Spider-Man encounters something that will change comic book history forever.

The World of 1984

  • Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 introduced Spider-Man’s mysterious black costume.
    • Secret Wars (1984) #8 | Comic Issues | Marvel
  • Created through the work of writer Jim Shooter and artist Mike Zeck.
  • Readers initially believed the black costume was simply a new outfit for Spider-Man.
  • It would eventually be revealed that the costume was actually a living alien organism.

When the black costume first appeared:

  • Ronald Reagan was President.
  • Compact discs were beginning to replace vinyl records.
  • The personal computer revolution was underway.
  • Superhero comics were entering a darker and more complex era.
  • And after decades of wearing a webbed costume, some people believed that maybe the Spider-Man artists were just tired of drawing all those lines!

The Birth of Venom

After returning to Earth, Spider-Man discovered that his new costume was actually an alien symbiote.

The symbiote:

  • Could change shape
  • Generate webbing
  • Enhance physical abilities
  • Form an emotional bond with its host

When Peter rejected the creature, the symbiote felt betrayed.

Soon afterward, it found another host.

A disgraced journalist named Eddie Brock.

Why Venom Was Revolutionary

Venom wasn’t just another supervillain.

He represented:

  • Anger
  • Rejection
  • Revenge
  • Identity
  • Redemption
  • Second chances

Because both Eddie Brock and the symbiote blamed Spider-Man for their problems, they became something more dangerous together than either could be alone.

The Hero Within

Over time, though, Venom evolved from villain to antihero and eventually to hero.

The character’s journey asks an important question:

  • Can someone who has made terrible mistakes choose to become something better?

That’s one of the most powerful themes in superhero comics, and it reminds me of a song about starting over and finding redemption. Here’s “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi on Superhero Smash.

Venom Song 2 (3:45)

  • “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi

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 Venom (3:00)

  • The Comic Book Vault Sound Effect (0:12)
  • First Comic Book Appearance of the Venom costume: Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars #8
    • Publication Date: December 1984
    • Publisher: Marvel Comics
    • Writer: Jim Shooter
    • Artist: Mike Zeck
    • Value on eBay today: $275 (CGC graded 9.2 on a 10-point scale)
      • You can pick up a cheaper copy for as little as $88
      • I’m proud to say I own the whole Secret Wars original series
  • First Comic Book Appearance of the Venom character: The Amazing Spider-Man #300
    • The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #300 | Comic Issues | Marvel
    • Publication Date: May 1988
    • Publisher: Marvel Comics
    • Writer: David Michelinie
    • Artist: Todd McFarlane
      • McFarlane is also the acclaimed artist who create Spawn!
    • Value on eBay today: Around $200

The Origin of Venom (3:00)

Unlike most heroes, Venom began as a villain.

  • In fact, Venom started as two damaged individuals who found each other at exactly the wrong moment.

The first half of Venom’s story begins with Spider-Man.

  • During Marvel’s Secret Wars event, Peter Parker discovered a strange black costume that seemed more powerful than his traditional suit.

What Peter didn’t realize was that the costume was actually a living alien known as a symbiote.

  • The symbiote formed an emotional bond with Peter and wanted to remain with him forever.

When Spider-Man learned the truth, he rejected the creature and drove it away.

  • The symbiote never forgot that betrayal.

Meanwhile, investigative reporter Eddie Brock was experiencing troubles of his own.

  • After publishing a major story that turned out to be false, Brock lost both his reputation and his career.

Brock blamed Spider-Man for exposing the mistake.

  • Filled with anger, humiliation, and resentment, Brock found himself in the same church where the wounded symbiote happened to be hiding.

Together they became Venom.

  • A creature with Spider-Man’s powers, Brock’s memories, and enough rage to fuel a hundred supervillains.

But over time something unexpected happened.

  • Eddie and the symbiote slowly began to use their powers to protect innocent people rather than hurt them.

Venom’s story became more than a tale of revenge. It became a story about second chances. A story about mistakes. A story about choosing to become something better than you were yesterday. And that brings us to a song about redemption, perseverance, and refusing to let your past define your future.

Venom Song 3 (2:46)

  • “The Middle” by Jimmy Eat World

Long Lost Hero: Agent Venom (3:00)

When most people think of Venom, they think of Eddie Brock.

But for a time, another person bonded with the Venom symbiote.

His name was Flash Thompson.

  • That’s right, the Flash Thompson who appeared way back in Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man
  • In the beginning, Flash was Peter Parker’s high school classmate.
  • Unfortunately for Peter, Flash spent much of that time bullying him.

Yet Flash also admired Spider-Man, never realizing that Spider-Man and Peter Parker were the same person.

As Flash grew older, he matured.

  • He joined the United States Army and served in combat.

During his military service, Flash suffered devastating injuries and lost both of his legs.

  • Despite everything he had endured, he refused to give up.

In 2011, the government gave Flash a unique opportunity.

  • He was bonded with the alien symbiote that had once terrorized Spider-Man.

This led to Flash becoming Agent Venom.

  • The Amazing Spider-Man Digital Comic | VeVe
  • Agent Venom was a government operative who used the symbiote’s powers to fight for his country and protect innocent people.

Unlike Eddie Brock, Flash approached the symbiote with discipline and purpose.

  • He understood that power can be dangerous if it isn’t controlled.

Over time, Agent Venom became one of Marvel’s most respected heroes.

His story reminds us that people can grow beyond their mistakes.

  • The kid who once bullied Peter Parker became a hero willing to risk everything for others.

Venom is often a story about darkness. But Flash Thompson showed that even something born from darkness can become a force for good.

Some heroes are never expected to change. Flash Thompson spent a lifetime proving that people can become more than their worst moments. Long before he became Agent Venom, Flash served his country in combat. He came home with life-changing injuries, but he refused to let those injuries define him. Most people know Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” because of its famous chorus. But if you listen closely to the verses, it’s really the story of a veteran struggling to rebuild his life after war. That’s a challenge Flash Thompson knew all too well. For Agent Venom, here’s Bruce Springsteen with “Born in the U.S.A.”

Venom Song 4 (4:42)

  • “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen

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: Eddie Brock and Anne Weying (3:00)

Few relationships have shaped Venom’s story more than Eddie Brock and Anne Weying.

Before there was Venom, there was Eddie and Anne.

  • Anne was a successful lawyer, and Eddie was a journalist with big ambitions.
  • Together they built a life and a future.

But Eddie’s professional downfall changed everything.

  • After losing his career, Eddie became consumed by anger and resentment.

The arrival of the alien symbiote only made matters worse.

  • As Venom, Eddie became dangerous, unpredictable, and increasingly isolated from the people who cared about him.

Yet Anne never completely disappeared from his life.

  • Again and again, she found herself pulled back into Eddie’s orbit.

At one point Anne even bonded with the symbiote herself.

  • For a brief time, she became She-Venom, one of the most powerful symbiote hosts in Marvel history.

Eddie and Anne’s relationship was never simple.

  • Love, loyalty, fear, regret, and forgiveness all became part of their story.

Unlike many superhero romances, Eddie and Anne’s relationship wasn’t about perfection.

  • It was about two flawed people trying to find their way through mistakes, heartbreak, and second chances.

Venom’s story often asks whether someone can overcome the darkness inside them. Anne spent years hoping Eddie could. And Eddie spent years trying to become the man Anne believed he could be. Sometimes the greatest act of love isn’t finding the perfect person. It’s believing that someone can become better than they are today.

Venom Song 5 (4:11)

  • “Faithfully” by Journey

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

  • If you feel like the paper your writing is turning into a monster, it’s probably time to
  • 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 monstrous 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 doesn’t have a monster living inside him, we hope, but he’s always hungry to get his hands on papers that need revising!

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: Give Someone a Second Chance (4:00)

Venom isn’t really a story about monsters.

It’s a story about mistakes.

  • Eddie Brock made mistakes.
  • The symbiote made mistakes.
  • Flash Thompson made mistakes.

Yet all of them found an opportunity to become something better.

This week’s challenge is simple:

  • Give someone a second chance.

The Superhero Smash Move

  • Forgive a small mistake instead of holding a grudge.
  • Reach out to someone you’ve drifted apart from.
  • Encourage someone who is trying to improve themselves.
  • Recognize growth when you see it.

Super Examples

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

  • Give a classmate, coworker, or friend another opportunity after a misunderstanding.
  • Support someone who is trying to break a bad habit.
  • Acknowledge someone’s growth instead of focusing on old mistakes.
  • Look for progress instead of demanding perfection.

That’s This Week’s Superhero Smash Move

  • Be like Venom
    • Believe that people can become more than their worst moments.
  • Super good deed!

Venom Song 6 (5:23)

  • One of the reasons Venom has remained popular for nearly forty years is that his story reminds us that redemption is possible. We all make mistakes. We all have moments we’d like to take back. But our future doesn’t have to be defined by our past. Give somebody a second chance this week, including yourself. Here’s “Change the World” by Eric Clapton on Superhero Smash.
  • “Change the World” by Eric Clapton

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 Andrea Martin (2:00)

  • Let me give a Superhero Smash Super Shout-out to Andrea Martin
    • Andrea is a student in my summer English 830: Teaching Writing course
    • Part of the Doctoral Program in Composition and Applied Linguistics here at Indiana University of Pennsylvania
    • Andrea is such a big Venom fan, she even has a tattoo of him on her leg
    • She kept asking me to do a Venom show, and since Venom started out as a Spider-Man villain, I figured a Venom show would be the perfect lead in to a Spider-Man show to celebrate the upcoming movie premier of Spider-Man: Brand New Day next week on July 31st!

The Last Panel (2:00)

  • It’s time for The Last Panel of this week’s audio issue.
  • At first glance, Venom looks like a monster.
  • He’s covered in black goo, has giant teeth, a terrifying tongue, and spends a lot of time threatening to eat people.
  • But one of the oldest lessons in storytelling is that sometimes the real monster isn’t the creature. It’s what the creature chooses to do.
  • Venom tells a surprisingly human story.
  • It’s a story about failure.
  • It’s a story about anger.
  • It’s a story about people who make mistakes and have to decide whether those mistakes will define the rest of their lives.
  • Eddie Brock made mistakes. Flash Thompson made mistakes. Even the alien symbiote made mistakes.
  • But what makes them heroes isn’t who they were yesterday. It’s who they chose to become today.
  • That’s the lesson at the heart of Venom.
  • None of us can change the past. But every single one of us can choose what happens next.
  • Maybe that’s why Venom has remained one of Marvel’s most popular characters for nearly forty years. Venom’s story reminds us that redemption is possible, growth is possible, and that sometimes the greatest victories happen inside ourselves.
  • And if there’s one hero who understands that lesson better than anyone, it’s Venom’s old rival, Spider-Man, who’s coming up next week!

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

Heroic End Credits Song for Venom (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
  • This week, give somebody a second chance. Maybe even yourself.
  • Until our next audio issue, this is Doctor Smash reminding you to tap into your inner antihero, and use your powers for good.
  • And speaking of second chances, let’s close this issue of Superhero Smash with
  • Bob Marley and “Redemption Song.”

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

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