Menu Close

Superhero Smash Season IV—Audio Issue 66: Spider-Man’s Brand New Day

Welcome to the Superhero Smash Universe!

Original Audio Issue Air Date

  • July 29th, 2026

Listen to the Spider-Man 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!
    • Welcome to the Superhero Smash Universe, where comics, music, and good deeds collide.
    • I’m your host, Doctor Smash!
    • Superhero Smash is a musical force for good!
    • Let’s open this week’s audio issue.

Issue Theme

  • Responsibility and Service

Heroic Spotlight: Spider-Man Swings Again! (2:00)

  • Spider-Man: Brand New Day - Wikipedia
  • Spider-Man isn’t the strongest superhero.
  • He isn’t the richest.
  • He isn’t from another planet.
  • He’s just Peter Parker, a kid from Queens who makes mistakes, struggles to pay his bills, worries about school, and constantly finds himself trying to balance the people he loves with the responsibility that comes with his powers.
  • Yet Spider-Man may be the most beloved superhero ever created.
  • Why?
  • Because Spider-Man reminds us that heroism isn’t about having power.
  • It’s about being responsible enough to use that power to help others.
  • Today on Superhero Smash, we’re celebrating Marvel’s friendly neighborhood web-slinger and getting ready for tomorrow’s release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day!
  • For more than sixty years, Spider-Man has reminded us of a lesson we all need to hear: with great power comes great responsibility.

Heroic Opening Song (4:09)

  • “Hero” by Chad Kroeger Featuring Josey Scott from the first Spider-Man movie that starred Tobey Maguire

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

Here Comes Spider-Man! (1:00)

Spider-Man first appeared in 1962.

At the time, most superheroes were adults.

Peter Parker was different.

He was a teenager.

He worried about homework.

He got nervous around girls.

And he often had no idea what he was doing.

Readers had never seen a superhero quite like him.

And sixty years later, they’re still cheering for him.

Let’s swing into action with one of rock music’s most famous superhero songs.

Spider-Man Song 1 (2:07)

  • “Spider-Man Theme” by The Ramones
  • Ramones - Spiderman: A Punk Classic

The History of Spider-Man (3:00)

The World of 1962

  • Amazing Fantasy #15
  • August 1962
  • Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

When Spider-Man first appeared:

  • John F. Kennedy was President.
  • The Beatles had not yet conquered America.
  • Color television was still a novelty.
  • Comic books were dominated by adult heroes.

Many publishers believed readers wouldn’t buy a comic starring a teenager.

Stan Lee disagreed.

Fortunately for comic book history, he was right.

The Bite That Changed Everything

Peter Parker was an ordinary high school student.

Then a radioactive spider bit him.

Suddenly he could:

  • Climb walls
  • Lift tremendous weights
  • Sense danger
  • Swing through New York on webs

At first, Peter used those powers selfishly.

Then came the tragedy that changed his life forever.

The death of Uncle Ben.

And because of Ben’s death, Peter learned that:

“With great power comes great responsibility.”

That simple lesson became the foundation of Spider-Man’s entire life.

Sometimes a single moment changes everything.

Spider-Man Song 2 (3:21)

  • “Vindcated” by Dashboard Confessional
  • From Spider-Man 2

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 Spider-Man (3:00)

  • The Comic Book Vault Sound Effect (0:12)
  • First Comic Book Appearance of Spider-Man: Amazing Fantasy #15
    • Publication Date: Aug. 1, 1962
    • Publisher: Marvel Comics
    • Written by Stan Lee
    • Penciled by Steve Ditko
    • Ditko is from Johnstown, PA, where they are working to raise funds to put up a statue in his honor
    • Value: In 2011, a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 sold for $1.1 million
  • But I’ve talked about that issue in my back issue bin
  • So let me highlight another important Spider-Man comic book
  • The Brand New Day Comic: The Amazing Spider-Man #546
    • The Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #546 | Comic Issues | Marvel
    • Publication Date: Jan. 9, 2008
    • Publisher: Marvel Comics
    • Writer: Dan Slott
    • Penciller: Steve McNiven
    • Features: The first full appearance of Mr. Negative (Martin Li)
    • Value on eBay today: $150 (CGC graded 9.8 on a 10-point scale)
    • This is the first issue after the status quo reset. Marvel wanted to get Spider-Man back to his roots. In that issue, Peter has lost a great deal, his life is messy again, his relationships are complicated, and nobody remembers his secret identity. Yet he’s still out there being Spider-Man. The underlying idea is not “with great power comes great responsibility” as a slogan. It’s Peter choosing responsibility even after life has become harder. This issue launches the Brand New Day era and re-establishes Spider-Man as an ordinary guy trying to do the right thing.
    • Spider-Man isn’t defined by that radioactive spider bite. He’s defined by the thousands of choices he made afterward. Amazing Fantasy #15 shows Peter learning responsibility. “Brand New Day” shows him still choosing responsibility even when life isn’t easy.
    • McNiven also did the cover for the issue, and it shows Peter pulling on his mask, and climbing up a building. He’s starting over. The cover fits perfectly with Spidey’s brand new day.

The Origin of Spider-Man (4:00)

  • Many people know Spider-Man’s origin, but I’ll do a quick recap here to give a little insight on Stan Lee’s idea about the character
  • The hero of the story is of course mild mannered high school student Peter Parker
  • He’s always getting picked on by Flash Thompson at school
  • Ignored by all the girls
  • Then Peter gets bitten by a radioactive spider while on a field trip
  • He wakes up the next day feeling stronger and not needing his glasses anymore
  • Naturally, he wants to use his new found powers to impress a girl; he is a high school boy, after all
  • His plan to impress the girl? Use his power to show how strong he is? Nope. He figures he needs a car and he can use his powers to win enough money in a wrestling contest to buy that car!
  • Peter enters the wrestling match and wears a mask to hide his identity
  • He does win, but wins too quickly and easily, so the show’s promoter won’t pay him the prize money
  • Peter gets mad and storms out of the promoter’s office
  • As he is leaving, Peter hears a guard yell, “Stop thief!”
  • Peter watches a man run past with a bag of money
  • The guard then rushes past and says, “Why didn’t you do something? All you had to do was stick out your foot to trip him!”
  • Peter says, it’s not my business. Peter didn’t want the thief to be his responsibility
  • Later a policeman comes to tell Peter that his Uncle Ben has been shot by a burglar
  • Using his powers, Peter catches the burglar, then removes the burglar’s mask and finds that it is the same thief he let run past him
  • And so Peter learns, “With great power comes great responsibility”
  • Originally the line was “With great power there must also come–great responsibility!”
  • In Amazing Fantasy #15, the line was a picture caption, but later those famous words were attributed to Uncle Ben
  • While the saying is sometimes mocked for being repeated so often in the comics, it’s still such an important message because all people who have power of any kind have a responsibility to use that power as ethically as they can
  • Responsibility isn’t always convenient.
    • It’s often difficult.
    • But it’s still ours.

Spider-Man Song 3 (5:21)

  • “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas

Long Lost Hero: The Scarlet Spider (3:00)

  • Ben Reilly wasn’t born the way most heroes are. He was created in a laboratory as a clone of Peter Parker. He had Peter’s memories, Peter’s powers, and even Peter’s face. But he wasn’t Peter. For years he wandered the country alone, unsure of who he was supposed to be. Instead of giving up, he chose a new name. “Ben” came from Uncle Ben. “Reilly” came from Aunt May’s maiden name. Ben Reilly built an identity for himself and became the Scarlet Spider, proving that our choices matter more than our origins.
  • Thoughts on scarlet spider : r/Spiderman
  • The heart of Spider-Man’s story is discovering who you are and choosing who you want to become.
  • Ben is almost a mirror image of Peter. Peter learns that being a hero is a choice. Ben learns that being your own person is a choice. He could have spent his life believing he was nothing more than a copy, but instead he became a hero in his own right.
  • Sometimes we feel like we’re living in someone else’s shadow. Ben Reilly reminds us that we don’t have to be the original to matter. We don’t have to be someone else to be a hero. We become ourselves one choice at a time.
  • Here’s a classic Spider-Man song, “What’s Up Danger,” in honor of all the dangers and challenges Ben Reilly overcame as the Scarlet Spider

Spider-Man Song 4 (3:55)

  • “What’s Up Danger” by Blackway & Black Caviar
  • From Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse

Part 2: The Origin Story (Ends @ 35 minutes)

Part 3: The Super Romance (Begins @ 35 minutes)

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

Super Romantic Interlude: Spider-Man and Black Cat (3:00)

It’s time for our Super Romantic Interlude, where we take a break from the punches and powers to look at the relationships behind the masks.
  • Peter Parker’s most famous romance may be Mary Jane Watson, but one of his most exciting relationships was with Felicia Hardy, the Black Cat. Part ally, part rival, and part temptation, Felicia brought adventure into Spider-Man’s life. Their relationship was passionate, unpredictable, and filled with rooftop rendezvous. But it also raised an important question: Can a relationship thrive when someone loves the hero more than the person behind the mask?
The Hidden Panel
Now let’s flip the page to uncover today’s Hidden Panel.
  • Before she stole Spider-Man’s heart, Black Cat was trying to steal everything else. When Felicia Hardy debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #194 in 1979, she was introduced as a cat burglar and adversary. Readers responded so strongly to the character that she evolved into one of Spider-Man’s most enduring allies and love interests.
  • The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #194 | Comic Issues | Marvel
  • And now, here’s a song for Felicia Hardy herself, the one and only Black Cat. The Stray Cats with “Stray Cat Strut.”

Spider-Man Song 5 (3:16)

  • “Stray Cat Strut” by Stray Cats

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

  • If the paper you’re writing is acting like an unruly cat, don’t go it alone. Get some help taming it at
  • 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 ones that won’t come when called
  • 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 nine lives, as far as we know, but he can make any paper purr!

Part 3: The Super Romance (Ends @ 45 minutes)

Part 4: The Good Deed (Begins @ 45 minutes)

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

Super Good Deed for the Week: Do the Next Right Thing (2:00)

Spider-Man teaches us about responsibility. But responsibility doesn’t have to mean saving the world. Sometimes it just means doing the right thing right where you are.

This week’s challenge:

  • Take responsibility for something you’ve been putting off.

The Superhero Smash Move

  • Apologize if you’ve made a mistake.
  • Finish an overdue task.
  • Keep a promise you’ve made.
  • Take care of a responsibility without being asked.

Super Examples

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

  • Call a relative you’ve been meaning to contact.
  • Turn in an assignment you’ve been avoiding.
  • Help a neighbor with a chore.
  • Clean up a mess even if you aren’t the one who made it.

That’s This Week’s Superhero Smash Move

  • Be like Spider-Man
    • You can’t do everything, but you can do the next right thing.
  • Super good deed!

Spider-Man Song 6 (4:50)

  • “Taking Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive

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

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

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

Spider-Man Memories (2:00)

  • People say that Tobey Maguire may have been the best Spider-Man
  • But Tom Holland is the best Peter Parker
  • Can’t wait for the new movie
  • And soon we will be getting to watch Avengers: Doomsday too!
  • Legion of Superhero Smash Listeners have I’m sure heard that the new trailer just dropped

Spider-Man Song 7 (3:19)

  • “Memories” by Thutmose
    • From Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 

Spider-Man Song 7 (3:19)

  • “The Amazing Spider-Man” T.V. Theme song
    • From that all time great album Sci-Fi’s Greatest Hits Vol. 4: Defenders Of Justice

Superhero Smash Super Shout-out: To My English 830 Students (1:00)

  • Let me give a Superhero Smash Super Shout-out to the Doctoral Students in my English 830: Teaching Writing course
    • Andrea is a student in my summer English 830: Teaching Writing course
    • They’ve been working hard all month, and today is the final day of their summer program
    • They’re pretty much ready to go out and save the world, or at least to help a bunch of college students write some great papers
    • Congratulations to all of them on making it through the Composition and Applied Linguistics 2026 Summer Program!

The Last Panel (2:00)

It’s time for The Last Panel of this week’s audio issue.

  • Spider-Man’s greatest power was never his web-shooters.
  • It wasn’t his spider-sense.
  • It wasn’t his super strength.
  • His greatest power was the decision he made after losing Uncle Ben.
  • A decision to stop asking:
    • “What can I do?”
  • And start asking:
    • “What should I do?”
  • That’s the question at the heart of every great superhero story.
  • And honestly, it’s the question at the heart of every great life.
  • Most of us will never swing between skyscrapers.
  • Most of us will never battle supervillains.
  • But every day we get opportunities to help people.
    • To keep our promises.
    • To stand up for what’s right.
    • To be responsible when responsibility is difficult.
  • Spider-Man reminds us that heroism begins right there.
    • Not with power.
    • But with responsibility.

Super Show ID 6: Superhero Smash (0:30)

To Be Continued (2:00)

  • I’m Doctor Smash. Thanks for joining me for another episode of Superhero Smash
  • To Be Continued Next Issue!
  • Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel: Communications Expert Dr. Henningsen to talk about Batman
  • 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, don’t wait for someone else.
    • Do the next right thing yourself.
  • Until our next audio issue, this is Doctor Smash reminding you that responsibility is one of the greatest superpowers of all.
  • And now let’s swing out of this issue of Superhero Smash with

Heroic End Credits Song (2:04 + 2:38)

  • “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Theme” by Jared Moreno Luna & ORCH
    • From Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  • “Sunflower” by Post Malone & Swae Lee
    • From Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 

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

css.php