INTRODUCING NDT HERO ADVENTURES
In every community, unseen forces are at work safeguarding the structures we rely
on—bridges, towers, aircraft, pipelines, turbines, rails, and more. Behind those forces
stand professionals whose skill, vigilance, and integrity keep our world standing tall.
At ASNT, we know that story well. This year, with the help of artist Eddie Pompa,
we’re bringing it to life in a whole new way.
Beginning with this issue, we are proud
to debut NDT Hero Adventures. This
nine-part comic series follows a team of
extraordinary inspectors whose super-
powers are rooted not in fantasy, but in
the real science and practice of nonde-
structive testing (NDT). Each installment
spotlights an NDT method, transforming
everyday inspection challenges into
heroic encounters that illuminate the crit-
ical role our community plays in public
safety.
In the first installment, “Echoes in
the Steel” (on the following page),
Captain Sonic’s ultrasonic skills reveal
a dangerous flaw in a water tower just
moments before she’s called to investi-
gate a compromised historic bridge—an
early glimpse of the cascading threats
our heroes must confront. Across the
series, each hero brings their unique
techniques—ultrasonics, magnetism,
penetrant testing, radiography, vibra-
tion analysis, and more—to uncover
the hidden flaws that shape the safety
of our world. Future installments can
be found on the last page of the
magazine.
These stories are more than entertain-
ment. They are an invitation: to educate,
to inspire, and to celebrate the work
of every NDT professional who quietly
prevents the disasters that never make
the news. They show young readers
that science can be heroic, and remind
seasoned practitioners that their exper-
tise is, too.
And we’re just getting started. For
ASNT 2026, all nine stories will be
collected into a softcover volume. We’ll
host a signing at the ASNT booth with
the maker of NDT Hero Adventures,
share free copies with conference
attendees, and invite our community
to meet the creator behind the art and
storytelling.
Whether you’re discovering NDT for
the first time or have spent a career
advancing the discipline, we hope you
enjoy this new adventure—and see a
bit of your own heroism reflected in its
pages.
The work you do has always been
super. Now it finally looks the part.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Eddie C. Pompa
is an ASNT-
certified Level III
inspector,
educator, and
committed advo-
cate for the NDT
profession. With a career spanning over
30 years across aerospace, oil and gas,
and education sectors, Pompa currently
serves as the Safety &Mission Assurance
NDT Level III at NASA’s Johnson Space
Center in Houston, Texas, while also
teaching NDT classes at Lone Star
College in Houston to aspiring inspectors
in the evenings.
A longtime volunteer with ASNT,
Pompa serves on the Society’s
Advocacy and Education Committees
and its Industry Sector Council for
Aerospace, sits on the board of his
local section, and participates actively
in outreach—speaking at STEM events,
mentoring students, and promoting
awareness about NDT career paths in
high schools, colleges, and the broader
public.
His passion for blending technical rigor
with creativity led to the creation of the
“NDT Hero” concept—comics and char-
acters that give a face (and sometimes
superpowers) to real NDT methods,
making the field more accessible and
inspiring to new generations. Through
this series, Pompa aims to celebrate the
unsung heroes of inspection and quality
assurance—and to show that their work
matters every time they prevent a failure
that could cost lives.
You can learn more about the NDT
Hero program by visiting ndthero.com
and by following Pompa on LinkedIn
(#NDTHero), Instagram (@ndtheroes), and
Facebook (@ndtheroes).
SCOPE
|
SOCIETYNEWS
Creator Eddie C.
Pompa’s passion for
blending technical rigor
with creativity led to
the creation of “NDT
Heroes.”
76
M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6
©
EDDIE
POMPA
In every community, unseen forces are at work safeguarding the structures we rely
on—bridges, towers, aircraft, pipelines, turbines, rails, and more. Behind those forces
stand professionals whose skill, vigilance, and integrity keep our world standing tall.
At ASNT, we know that story well. This year, with the help of artist Eddie Pompa,
we’re bringing it to life in a whole new way.
Beginning with this issue, we are proud
to debut NDT Hero Adventures. This
nine-part comic series follows a team of
extraordinary inspectors whose super-
powers are rooted not in fantasy, but in
the real science and practice of nonde-
structive testing (NDT). Each installment
spotlights an NDT method, transforming
everyday inspection challenges into
heroic encounters that illuminate the crit-
ical role our community plays in public
safety.
In the first installment, “Echoes in
the Steel” (on the following page),
Captain Sonic’s ultrasonic skills reveal
a dangerous flaw in a water tower just
moments before she’s called to investi-
gate a compromised historic bridge—an
early glimpse of the cascading threats
our heroes must confront. Across the
series, each hero brings their unique
techniques—ultrasonics, magnetism,
penetrant testing, radiography, vibra-
tion analysis, and more—to uncover
the hidden flaws that shape the safety
of our world. Future installments can
be found on the last page of the
magazine.
These stories are more than entertain-
ment. They are an invitation: to educate,
to inspire, and to celebrate the work
of every NDT professional who quietly
prevents the disasters that never make
the news. They show young readers
that science can be heroic, and remind
seasoned practitioners that their exper-
tise is, too.
And we’re just getting started. For
ASNT 2026, all nine stories will be
collected into a softcover volume. We’ll
host a signing at the ASNT booth with
the maker of NDT Hero Adventures,
share free copies with conference
attendees, and invite our community
to meet the creator behind the art and
storytelling.
Whether you’re discovering NDT for
the first time or have spent a career
advancing the discipline, we hope you
enjoy this new adventure—and see a
bit of your own heroism reflected in its
pages.
The work you do has always been
super. Now it finally looks the part.
ABOUT THE CREATOR
Eddie C. Pompa
is an ASNT-
certified Level III
inspector,
educator, and
committed advo-
cate for the NDT
profession. With a career spanning over
30 years across aerospace, oil and gas,
and education sectors, Pompa currently
serves as the Safety &Mission Assurance
NDT Level III at NASA’s Johnson Space
Center in Houston, Texas, while also
teaching NDT classes at Lone Star
College in Houston to aspiring inspectors
in the evenings.
A longtime volunteer with ASNT,
Pompa serves on the Society’s
Advocacy and Education Committees
and its Industry Sector Council for
Aerospace, sits on the board of his
local section, and participates actively
in outreach—speaking at STEM events,
mentoring students, and promoting
awareness about NDT career paths in
high schools, colleges, and the broader
public.
His passion for blending technical rigor
with creativity led to the creation of the
“NDT Hero” concept—comics and char-
acters that give a face (and sometimes
superpowers) to real NDT methods,
making the field more accessible and
inspiring to new generations. Through
this series, Pompa aims to celebrate the
unsung heroes of inspection and quality
assurance—and to show that their work
matters every time they prevent a failure
that could cost lives.
You can learn more about the NDT
Hero program by visiting ndthero.com
and by following Pompa on LinkedIn
(#NDTHero), Instagram (@ndtheroes), and
Facebook (@ndtheroes).
SCOPE
|
SOCIETYNEWS
Creator Eddie C.
Pompa’s passion for
blending technical rigor
with creativity led to
the creation of “NDT
Heroes.”
76
M AT E R I A L S E V A L U AT I O N • J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 6
©
EDDIE
POMPA
