Marvel Universe LIVE: Superhero school - fighting, weapons training, costumes and cast chats behind the scenes

Then take a sneak peak tour behind the scenes of the amazing arenas touring live stunt show spectacular Marvel Universe LIVE!

Our man – self confessed comic book fan Graham Walker – flew in, minus his cape, to attend superhero training school and get a preview of the show and in Cincinnatti ahead of its UK tour which plays its only Yorkshire date this week at Sheffield FlyDSA Arena, Thursday to Sunday, October 10 to 13.

He was put through his paces with weapon training, shown how to throw an Iron Man punch and knock out the Green Goblin, tried his hand at lifting Thor’s hammer was turned into a super alien in the costume department and talked to the cast to ding out how they become Thor, Captain America, Wasp and Black Widow.

VIDEO: Watch his full video report above.

BUY TICKETS: Marvel Universe LIVE! tickets in Sheffield are £24.20 to £55. Buy in person from Sheffield FlyDSA Arena, call 0114 256 5656 or visit www.flydsaarena.co.uk

Ashley Olivier, who plays as Hope van Dyne aka The Wasp, trained in circus skills, displayed her girl power aerial acrobat combat skills and said: “This show is not ust for boys – it’s for everyone, of all ages. It’s great to inspire other girls.Wrapping her hands around the aerial silks, which whisk her up into the air, creating the flight fight scenes as The Wasp, she explained: “I wrap my hands and body around them to take off and land quickly. It makes it look like the Wasp is flying. It takes a lot of training but all the cast will tell you that.”Louise Forsley, an International Women's motorcycle trials rider, adds more girl power to the show as superspy Black Widow – the heroine played in the Avengers movies by Scarlett Johansson.

The biker girl likes to get one over on the boys and reveals: “My character even does an amazing bike trick before Captain America – she’s leading the way.

“It’s great to be able to ride a motorbike as part of the show but the stunts were a big learning curve.”

Throwing an Iron Man punch and making it look real comes second nature to Chad Cramer, from Dallas, Texas – he not only plays the superhero but is also Flight Captain at Marvel Universe Live.

He showed how to make the punch look effective even when you are watching from way back in the arena. Holding your oppenents shoulder, step off centre, pull your arm back like a bow and throw the punch... whisking past the bad guy’s face.

But Stefan Reynolds, who plays the Green Goblin and took the fall, added: “My job is to make the superheroes look even more super. It’s all about timing.”

Issac Spooner, who plays Star-Lord, and Seth Carnes, understudy for Loki and Doctor Strange, demonstrate weapons used in the show including combat sticks – again all about timing.

Rebecca Williams, head of wardrobe, is in charge of the costumes which range from $2,000 to upwards of $100,000 – in most cases there is only one of everything, so keeping them show ready and clean is a full time job for her department.She explained how a secret solution of vodka and Tea Tree oil is used to spray the costumes and it gets rid of the stink odours after all the punishing stunt routines, night after night. She says: “I use it at home and have told all my friends – there you go a superhero cleaning tip for everyone.”:

Toby Pruett, As assistant performance director, is responsible for ensuring everything runs smoothly during the shows. His Sheffield visit is something of a homecoming.

Originally from Kentucky, he was based in the UK for a while n Hooton Pagnell, near Doncaster. He said: "It was absolutely Marvel-ous. Just like this show. Marvel Universe Live, a great story, with all the stunts and state-of-the-art technical magic, including 3D mapping, to make it ver immersive, really is the greatest show on Earth.”