This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A battle for the fate of the world, waged between Earth's mightiest heroes and villains, unfolds next week in downtown Salt Lake City.
With cheering crowds at their backs, Iron Man, Black Widow, Spider-Man and the rest of Marvel's Avengers superhero team will race to collect the shattered pieces of the Cosmic Cube, an immense energy source, before the power-hungry Loki can take over the world. A cavalcade of other villains stand in the heroes' way, too, including mad scientists, the tyrannical Red Skull, Madame Hydra and Spider-Man's foes: the Sinister Six.
The superpowered spectacle, "Marvel Universe LIVE!", runs Feb. 11-14 at the Vivint Smart Home Arena. Helping lead the charge is Paul Smage, decked out in Captain America's stars and stripes and riding the supersoldier's motorcycle around the villains and through the air.
Fortunately for Smage, defying gravity on a revved-up ride — and leading a team — comes naturally.
On a farm in southern Wisconsin, Smage and his brothers grew up watching "whatever crazy tricks the goats did" and tried to mimic them on their bikes. The neighborhood knew that if you wanted to ride motorcycles, you went to see the Smages; as the fastest rider and the one pulling off the coolest tricks, Paul Smage became the leader.
"I kind of led our little group of riding friends back in the day. And this year, I was just like, 'Wow, that's pretty much a Cap role,' " Smage said. "So I was kind of born to play this role."
Fighting alongside Smage are most of the familiar faces of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But what sets "Marvel Universe LIVE!" apart is that the show is the only place fans can see the Avengers team up with flesh-and-blood versions of the X-Men, the mutant superheroes whose movie rights don't belong to Marvel studios. The show also debuts a live-action version of Captain Marvel, a superpowered U.S. Air Force pilot, well before her movie adaption arrives in 2019.
As Smage prepares to join them in the arena, he tries to visualize the stunts he has ahead of him. At some point, he has to launch his motorcycle off a ramp, sail 20 feet into the air and land perfectly still on a ledge no bigger than the bike.
And that isn't even the stunt that keeps Smage on his toes the most.
"We ride up a spiral staircase without the stairs, another 20-something feet in the air, and take a series of 5- and 6-foot drop-offs, landing and stopping on these small platforms, dangling by chains in the air," Smage said. "It's really quite a breathtaking moment. … I've always got to respect that and give that the fear and attention that it deserves."
Yet, as Smage suits up as "the star-spangled man with a plan," something else sweeps over him.
"As soon as you put on those stars and stripes, it just … it does it for you," Smage said. "Having that suit on, I stand up straighter, I have my chest out more, it's like it immediately corrects your posture."
As he and his comrades race to save the world, with vehicles zipping around them, fists flying and explosions detonating, Smage doesn't forget the wide-eyed children in the stands. In past shows, Smage has singled them out in the crowd and pointed or saluted.
"You can see them light up and you've instantly made their day," he said. "And who knows how long they'll be affected by it? They might even, because of something I did, maybe they'll ride motorcycles or maybe they'll take up something else they're passionate about."
Years and hundreds of miles from the farm, Smage is still leading the way for a group of kids.
Twitter: @MikeyPanda —
Marvel Universe LIVE!
P The action-packed stunt show featuring more than 25 Marvel superhero icons makes its Salt Lake City debut with seven shows, including cutting-edge special effects, pyrotechnics, aerial stunts, martial arts, motorcycles and immersive video projections to tell an epic story.
When • Feb. 11-14: Feb. 11-13, 7 p.m.; Feb. 13, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Feb. 14, 1 and 5 p.m.
Where • Vivint Smart Home Arena, 301 S. Temple, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $25-$65; $15 for children (2-12) on select performances; $15 opening-night discount for select seats; Smithstix.com, by phone at 800-325-SEAT or in person at Vivint Arena Box Office
Giveaways • Participating Associated Food Stores are giving away 150 tickets to shoppers through drawings and giveaways, with no purchase necessary.