The Smark Avengers

📚 Welcome back to another Relaxed Fit episode of the podcast! This week, Corey, Dylan, and Jon kick back and dive into some of the biggest (and weirdest) recurring issues in comics. Why does every Spider-Man, X-Men, and Daredevil run need to lead into a massive earth-shattering event instead of just letting characters breathe? Does death in comics really mean anything when everyone eventually comes back? And what’s the deal with writers clinging to their “pet characters” no one else cares about? From Marvel’s obsession with constant crossovers to DC’s never-ending cycle of resurrections...

The X-Men have faced Magneto, Apocalypse, and even the Dark Phoenix… but what about the other guys? In this episode of our comic book podcast, Corey, Dylan, and Jon take a hilarious yet informative deep dive into four of the strangest and most underrated villains in X-Men history: The Blob, Toad, Vanisher, and Mastermind. From their bizarre backstories and odd powers to their biggest appearances in comics, cartoons, and movies, we spotlight how these classic villains shaped mutant history—even if they’ve been overshadowed by bigger names. Expect deep cuts, funny commentary, and plenty of love for th...

Marvel is bringing back the Age of Apocalypse with Age of Apocalypse Alpha and the upcoming Age of Revelation event — but is this a bold new chapter in X-Men storytelling, or just a nostalgia-driven cash grab? 🤔 In this episode, Corey, Dylan, and Jon dive deep into Marvel’s latest announcements, breaking down what fans can expect from this new era. We cover the return of one of Marvel’s most iconic alternate timelines, the creative teams behind the books, and whether Marvel is giving us something fresh or simply rehashing the past. We explore: Why Mar...

WWE Meets the MCU & DCU – Wrestlers Turned Superheroes! From the squared circle to the silver screen! In this episode of our comic book podcast, Corey, Dylan, and Jon break down every time a professional wrestler made the jump into superhero movies and TV shows — and whether it actually worked. 💥🤼‍♂️🎬 We’re talking: Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy The Rock as Black Adam in the DCEU John Cena as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad and his Max series Cody Rhodes as Derek Sampson in Arrow ...

🎬 James Gunn's SUPERMAN (2025) is finally here! In this episode of the podcast, Corey, Dylan, and Jon give their full review and breakdown of the most anticipated superhero movie of the year. Does Gunn's vision capture the heart of the Man of Steel? Or does it fall short of truth, justice, and the DCU way? We dive into everything—casting, tone, villains, Lex Luthor, Lois Lane, Superman’s suit, the action scenes, easter eggs, and where this movie sets the stage for the new DC Universe. Whether you're a longtime DC Comics reader or just love superhero movies, this is...

🦸‍♂️ What happens when superheroes act more like sitcom characters than godlike icons? Welcome to the chaotic genius of Keith Giffen’s DC Comics era. In this episode, Corey and Dylan celebrate the late, great Keith Giffen and his unforgettable comedic legacy—from Justice League International to deep-cut oddities like The Heckler, Ambush Bug, and more. We dive into how Giffen, alongside J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire, transformed characters like Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Guy Gardner, and Martian Manhunter into a dysfunctional, hilarious team full of heart and hijinks. It wasn’t just the headliners—Giffen packed the roster with o...

🧨 Fantastic Four: First Steps Just Dropped… So We Watched This Trainwreck | Smark Avengers Ep. 22 🧨 While everyone’s heading to theaters for Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four: First Steps, the Smark Avengers crew — Corey, Dylan, and Jon — decided to take a very different journey… straight into the infamous Roger Corman 1994 Fantastic Four movie. You know, the one that was never meant to be released? 🎥 In this full watch-along episode, we dive into: The painfully low-budget costumes The hilariously awkward special effects Why this movie was secretly made just to keep the film rights Ho...

🔥 The Fantastic Four Movies Were DOOMED From the Start | Smark Avengers Ep. 21 🔥 Before the MCU took over the box office, Fox’s Fantastic Four movies tried (and failed) to launch Marvel’s First Family into cinematic greatness. In this episode, the Smark Avengers — Corey, Dylan, and Jon — take a brutally honest look back at the 2005 Fantastic Four, Rise of the Silver Surfer, and the infamous 2015 reboot. 🧪 From bad CGI to worse scripts, questionable casting, and a complete misunderstanding of Doctor Doom, we break down: Why none of these movies really worked The awkward tone...

💥 From Joke to Threat: We Reboot Comic Book Villains That Suck | Smark Avengers Ep. 20 💥 Not every supervillain is a Thanos or Joker… some are Doctor Bong. In this episode of Smark Avengers, Corey, Dylan, and Jon take on the ultimate comic book challenge: turning some of the lamest villains in Marvel and DC history into actual threats. Can Swarm, the Nazi made of bees, be terrifying? Can The Hippo go from punchline to powerhouse? And what the hell do you even do with Doctor Bong? 🧠 In this episode: We redesi...

🌀 Who Are These Comics For?! Deep Dive into TidalWave’s Bizarre Biographies | Smark Avengers Ep. 19 This week, the Smark Avengers dive headfirst into one of the most unusual corners of the comic book industry: TidalWave Productions — the indie publisher best known for its unauthorized celebrity biographies and unexpectedly wild tie-in comics. From comic book adaptations of Stormy Daniels’ Space Force, Vincent Price Presents, and The Mis-Adventures of Adam West, to long-running lines like Fame, Female Force, and Infamous, we’re asking the real questions: 👉 Are these comics ethical? 👉 Who’s actually buying them? <p...

🌊🐠 We Sat Through a PowerPoint on Aquaman Villains… It Changed Us | Smark Avengers Ep. 18 Aquaman’s villains are… something else. In this week’s episode of Smark Avengers, Corey takes Jon and Dylan on a deep-sea journey through the strangest, silliest, and most baffling Aquaman villains from the 1950s to the 2000s — all presented in glorious PowerPoint form. From The Human Flying Fish to the infamous Awesome Threesome, and the utterly inexplicable Un-Thing, this episode is a comedy deep dive into DC Comics history you won’t believe is real. It’s weird, it’s hilarious, and it some...

🧠 The Fall of Professor X: Onslaught, Death & Brain Theft?! (Part Two) The Smark Avengers dive into the darkest era of Professor Charles Xavier in Part 2 of our deep-dive into the X-Men’s most complicated founder! We cover the rise of Onslaught, Xavier’s controversial actions, his shocking death at the hands of Cyclops, the INSANE moment when the Red Skull stole his brain, a new start in Krakoa that ends due to the same bad old habits, and then back to space again! Whether you're a hardcore Marvel Comics fan or an MCU follower, this is the...

🧠 Professor X like you’ve NEVER seen him before. In this first part of a two-episode deep dive, the Smark Avengers crew explores the complex and controversial early life of Charles Xavier—long before he became the leader of the X-Men. From murdering his twin sister Cassandra Nova to founding the X-Men, we break down the origins of Marvel’s most powerful telepath. 👊 We cover: Xavier’s childhood and dark family secrets His first encounter with Magneto, Juggernaut, and Moira MacTaggert The formation of the original X-Men lineup How Charles shaped mutantkind up...

🔥 Thunderbolts REVIEW – Does Marvel Still Have It? | Smark Avengers Ep. 15Marvel’s Thunderbolts is finally here — but is it a thrilling return to form or proof the MCU has lost its spark? In this episode of the Smark Avengers, Corey, Dylan, and Jon dive into a full spoiler-filled review of Thunderbolts, dissecting what worked, what failed, and what this means for the future of Marvel's Phase 5. ⚡️ From Bucky Barnes and Yelena Belova to Taskmaster and Red Guardian, we break down the entire Thunderbolts lineup and how the movie handles its morally gray misfits. 🧠 Expect hot takes...

🛡️🎯 We Built Our Own Avengers Teams with a Wheel and a Bidding War! 🎯🛡️What happens when you mix classic Marvel Comics, a random character wheel, and a ruthless bidding system? Absolute chaos — and some surprisingly smart picks! In this episode of Smark Avengers, Corey, Jon, and Dylan go head-to-head in the ultimate Avengers Fantasy Draft challenge!💥 The Rules: The wheel spins one of the first 30 Avengers members in Marvel history Each host has a limited budget to bid on characters for their team Strategy, betrayal, and desperation ensue 😈 🏆 Who...

🚀🌭🧬 X-Men Drafts, Katy Perry in Space, and Hotdog Madness — Smark Avengers Chaos! 🧬🌭🚀 When Corey’s away, Dylan and Jon go off the rails! In this wild episode of Smark Avengers, we dive into a little bit of everything — from an uncovered "Lost Episode" where we created our dream X-Men lineups, to the news of Katy Perry traveling to space, to some of the most chaotic hotdog debates you’ll ever hear on a comic book podcast. 🎯 In this episode: Reacting to our old X-Men Fantasy Teams — Who picked better mutants? The absolutely real, absolutely biz...

🕷️🖤 Mary Jane's Venom?! Breaking Down Every Symbiote Host in Marvel 🖤🕷️ Mary Jane Watson is the new Venom host — and the Smark Avengers are here to break down EVERY major (and weird) character who's ever bonded with the symbiote! From Eddie Brock and Flash Thompson to some totally unexpected hosts, we cover the entire chaotic legacy of Marvel’s most famous alien goo. 🧠 In this episode: Full reaction to Mary Jane becoming Venom Every Venom host explained — the good, the bad, and the bizarre Jon vs. Dylan: Which Spider-Man fan knew more about each symbiote takeo...

🥴🕷️ Let’s Get Weird: Drunk Watching More Japanese Spider-Man (Watch Along Chaos) 🕷️🥴 We're BACK for another round of Japanese Spider-Man insanity—but this time, we’re raising the stakes with a full-on drinking game challenge! 🍻 Join the Smark Avengers as we crack open some cold ones and dive into two more episodes of Toei’s legendary, totally unhinged 1978 Spider-Man series. 🍺 The Rules: Drink every time Spider-Man does a random flip, sip on every weird run, gulp when you spot casual 70s sexism, and more rules we instantly regret creating 👦 Episode 1: A small child gets hit by a truck...

🎪🕷️ Circus Crimes & Monster Plots?! Watching Japanese Spider-Man Gets Weird 🕷️🎪 Strap in, true believers—because this ain't your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! In this Watch Along / Let's Watch episode, the Smark Avengers dive headfirst into two absolutely wild episodes of Japanese Spider-Man (Toei’s 1978 tokusatsu classic) and it gets... unhinged FAST. 🎥 Episode 1: A nimble but cowardly thief steals stacks of cash to fulfill his dream... of starting a circus?! 👾 Episode 2: Professor Monster launches his Spider-Man Extermination Plan, and it involves explosions, absurd villains, and peak 70s tokusatsu madness. Think Mystery Science Theater 3000 meets comic book podcast—with no...

WrestleMania 41 is in the books, and the Smark Avengers are breaking down EVERY match, moment, and surprise from both nights! From title changes to returns, from dream matches to downright confusing booking decisions — we’re here with uncensored reactions and spicy smark-level takes. 💥 Night 1 & Night 2 Breakdown 🎤 CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, The Rock — we cover them ALL 📉 What worked, what didn’t, and what left us speechless 🧠 Deep dives into storytelling, long-term booking, and what it means for WWE’s future Whether you're a hardcore wrestling fan...