Captain Atom

Framed for a crime he didn't commit and forced into an experiment instead of being executed, Captain Atom quantom leaped 20 years into the future, where he was forced to serve under the government

Introduction

Captain Atom was created by Joe Gill and famous artist Steve Ditko in Space Adventures #33 in March of 1960 under Charlton Comics, but was later acquired by DC comics in 1987 where he first appeared in Captain Atom #1. Both versions were military officials, in Charlton he was Scientist Allen Adam and in DC Air Force Captain, Nathaniel Christopher Adam.

Strange Suspense Stories

The Charlton Years

Scientist Allen Adam was working on an experimental rocket, which launched with him trapped inside. The rocket exploded and the good scientist disappeared. However he gained superpowers, and didn't disappear, later reforming his body on the Earth. He wore a red and yellow costume which shielded people from the radiation he gave off and his hair would turn white when he'd power up to his alias. Later he would replace the yellow and red for a more liquefied metal look.

Captain Atom was first published in a series of short stories in the anthology series , titled "Space Adventures # 33-40 (March 1960-June 1961) and # 42 (October 1961). he'd have the series eventually renamed after himself and he would find himself facing odd villains and teaming up with other heroes, such as the famous "Blue Beetle. " By 1967 Charlton's Captain Atom was canceled after issue # 89. He would later appear in 1982 in a series called Charlton Bullseye in which he wore his initial outfit. Before DC bought off the Charlton characters he last appeared in 1983 which teamed him up with most of the other symbolic Charlton heroes. These characters would be bought by DC appearing in  "Crisis on Infinite Earths" as these characters would appear as people from Earth 4 of the multiverse whilst characters like Superman and Batman would derive from Earth 1. The last time the Charlton Captain Atom would ever appear would be in "Dc Comics presents: #90" being teamed up with Firestorm and Superman. After this event this characters would be rebooted to fit the rebooted fictional universe.

The DC years

Captain Atom

In 1986, Captain Atom was launched in the post crisis DCU with a new costume and a new solo series, written by Cory Bates, that ran for more than 50 issues. The story begins back in Vietnam-War era 1960's. Captain Nathaniel Christopher Adam of The United States Air Force is accused of a crime he didn’t commit while over seas. Given the option of execution or to take place in an unusual experiment. Should he survive, he would receive a presidential pardon. Obviously Nate chose the latter, and participated in a project called “Project Atom.” Placed in a chamber with an alien alloy which it would be tested for its durability by exploding a nuclear device over it. There was little chance of survival, and when the test occurred, Nathanial Adam left behind his wife and his child with a world he knew, as it sent him into the future over 20 years. When he arrived in the future, the alien alloy had bonded with Nate, causing him to have a sleek silvery skin and with it bizarre extraordinary powers. After being a little disgruntled, he discovered his wife had remarried, and throughout the early stories of his ongoing, The newly dubbed “Captain Atom” dealt with learning about his powers while serving under the government and General Eiling, the man who married his wife. He did this to clear his name. “A man out of his place” Captain Atom had to adjust to life of the 1980’s and after some stints with Firestorm and Plastique, among others, it was his battle with Major Force, where Captain Atom decided not to serve under Eiling anymore. Captain Atom would later marry the Canadian terrorist Plastique, though they would find themselves divorced by 1999, Captain Atom would eventually find himself serving with the Justice League.

Cap leads the JLE

In 2003, in one of the more embarrassing moments of the characters run, he was paired off in the comical mini-series, “Formerly Known as the Justice League” where he played the straight man. Around this time, the writers developed an inner struggle between with his roles as super hero and government agent.

In the Wildstorm Universe

Later, in “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies" President Luthor noticed a kryptonite comet heading to Earth, placed a price on the Man of Steel’s head and ordered Captain Atom to lead a group to capture the Man of Steel. After finding out what would happen, should the comet hit Earth, Captain Atom took a ship and blew up the comet. The impact, along with the absorption of the kryptonite, caused Captain Atom to Quantum Leap, sending him to The Wildstorm Universe.

Finding himself in The WSU, he was immediately confronted by the Superman-esque character, Mr. Majestic. After fending him off would ask himself the same questions “Why Am I gold?” and “How can I get home?” for throughout the series finding it impossible to leave. Being confronted by Majestic again, by the Wildcats, and by The Authority holding his own fairly well. By the end of the series Captain Atom was sent home.

The Age of Monarch

After returning to DC proper, Captain Atom is revealed to be contained inside the city of Blüdhaven and used to administer radiation treatments to metahumans. Damages to his radiation-shielding skin had left him comatose and unable to keep his body’s radiation within safe levels. The Atomic Knights were forced to keep him contained within a bunker in Blüdhaven. After being fitted with a new containment suit (similar to the Monarch costume of Armageddon 2001) Captain Atom seems to become mentally unstable. He breaks free of his containment, apparently killing the destructive Major Force and finally releasing a vast amount of energy that obliterates what’s left of Blüdhaven. Captain Atom is unseen again until Kyle Rayner, as Ion, discovers him in the Bleed, a place between dimensions.

Under the alias of Monarch, Captain Atom had been spending time in the Bleed, planning to build an army to fight against the Monitors of the Multiverse. His army of foot soldiers mainly consisted of the JLAxis of Earth-10, the Extremists of Earth-8, and the Crime Society of Earth-3. During the Countdown: Arena arc, Monarch traversed through different Earths, gathering superheroes for his strike force. But, he sought to choose the best of the best, and that could only be determined in battle, in a Colosseum made by him in his Quantum Universe. With the heroes fighting amongst themselves, he was eventually drawn into it. His armor was able to shrug off the willpower-based attacks of three Green Lanterns at once without a scratch and he, himself, was able overpower, toss, and smack around three Supermen with ease. Out of the heroes he captured, Red Son Superman and Liberty Files Batman were able to figure out that Captain Atom was under the Monarch armor.

Two of Atom's counterparts, Breach and Quantum Storm, escaped from the Quantum Universe to gather all of the Captain Atoms from the different universes to fight against Monarch. As they all arrived, the plan backfired. It was revealed that Breach was brainwashed by Monarch into bringing all of his 51 counterparts in order to kill them and absorb their power. Monarch was able to single-handedly eradicate every incarnation of himself and absorb them into his very being, becoming more powerful in the process. In the end of it all, his strike force consisted of Ray "The Ray" Palmer (Earth-6), Eve of Shadows (Earth-13), Red Son Superman (Earth-30), Vampire Batman (Earth-43), the monstrous Scarab (Earth-26), Hal Jordan Jr. (Earth-12), Starwoman (Earth-7), Johnny Quick (Earth-3), Wonder Woman (Earth-34), and himself. He finally goes to war against the Monitors on Earth-51. During the war, Monarch was confronted be Superman-Prime, resulting in an intense battle between the both of them. In a fit rage due to Monarch's ridicule, Superman-Prime rips open the breastplate of Monarch's armor, setting off a massive explosion that destroyed the entire universe of Earth-51, apart from its Monitor. The status of Monarch and Prime is yet to be revealed... However in a recent interview with Geoff Johns, he is slated to appear in Action Comics this fall.
 

Powers & Abilities

Allen Adam

- Invulnerability - Superhuman durability. Able to survive unaided in space.
- Atomic Blasts - Emit blasts of atomic energy. Ability to strike with an Atomic Punch
- Superhuman Strength - Strength far above the limits of a normal human being
- Atomic Absorbtion - Extreme atomic and energy absorbtion.
- Atomic Manipulation - Minor atomic transmutation.
- Flight - Ability to fly at supersonic speeds and interstellar distances.

Nathaniel Adam

- Invulnerability - Dilustel metal "skin" is almost totally indestructible, resistant to various degrees of damage from energy, heat, lasers, etc.
- Energy Blasts - Emit blasts of any type of energy from any part of his body at once, but normally prefers using his hands for ease of aim.
- Superhuman Strength - Strength on a par with a Silver Age Superman and the Martian Manhunter.
- Energy Absorbtion - Extreme energy absorbtion that's second to none in the DC Universe.
- Energy Manipulation - Minor atomic transmutation. Generate force field bubbles. Capable of rendering energy based foes incapable of using their powers. He has also shown the ability to telepathically interface with computer networks in addition to those listed above.
- Matter Manipulation - Able to enhance his own abilities to match the will he uses to gain it.
- Time Travel - Through great concentration and strain, he is capable of travelling ahead in time (without the aid of Quantum Jumping) for a limited period before returning to the present.
- Flight - Ability to fly at supersonic speeds and interstellar distances.
- Military Experience - Trained in military weaponary, strategy, and hand-to-hand combat. Adam also has strong survival instincts derived from his experiences during the Vietnam War.
- Air Force Pilot - Skilled combat pilot.

There is also speculation that this version of Captain Atom being an Elemental (Quantum Elemental) along with Swampthing (Earth), Red Tornado (Air), Firestorm (Fire) and Naiad (Water).

Other Media

Captain Atom makes his first appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Initiation". Accompanying John Stewart, Supergirl and Green Arrow to North Korea to investigate a nuclear anomoly. They find an unnamed nuclear behemoth (who bears a distinct resemblance to the Apokoliptic monster, Brimstone), terrorising the area. Captain Atom attempts to siphon the energy emiting from the creature, but finds it too great. Attempting to breach the creatures suit with dampening rods, Captain Atom is unsuccessful and his containment suit is breached, forcing him to fly clear just before as he blows up. Later in the episode he is found on the satellite, his energies being restored into a new suit.

In the episode "Taskforce X", we are shown his facets of power which include his superior strength (holding open blast doors unwittingly allowing members of Taskforce X to escape) and nuclear absorbtion powers whilst containing a nuclear reactor. We are also introduced to Plastique, who, in his Captain Atom comic series, would develop a romantic relationship.

Captain Atom further emphasizes his powerhouse status in the episodes "Question Authority" and "Flashpoint". In the latter episode we witness Captain Atom going toe-to-toe with Superman. Harnessing red sun energy, he is able to temporarily dominate before he is eventually subdued by the Man of Steel.


Captain Atom will be appearing inthe upcoming game, DC Universe Online.

Captain Atom will be appearing in the animated movie, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.