Captain Atom

This article is about the superhero with atomic absorption and superhuman strength. For the superhero with size-changing powers, seeAtom (character).For the Australian comic, seeCaptain Atom (Atlas Publications).

Captain Atomis the name of severalsuperheroesappearing inAmerican comic books,initially owned byCharlton Comicsbefore being acquired in the 1980s byDC Comics.All possess some form of energy-manipulating abilities.

Captain Atom
The Nathaniel Adam incarnation of Captain Atom as depicted inSecret Origins#34 (December 1988), art byTy TempletonandJerry Ordway.
Publication information
Publisher	Original: Charlton Comics Current: DC Comics
First appearance	Allen Space Adventures#33 (March 1960) Nathaniel Captain Atomvol. 3 #1 (March 1987)
Created by	Allen Joe Gill(writer) Steve Ditko(artist) Nathaniel Cary Bates(writer) Pat Broderick(artist)
In-story information
Full name	Nathaniel Christopher "Nate" Adams
Team affiliations	(Both) United States Air Force (Nathaniel) Justice League International L.A.W. Justice League Extreme Justice Justice League Europe Justice League Task Force United States Army
Partnerships	(Nathaniel) Nightshade Plastique Forerunner
Notable aliases	(Nathaniel) Cameron Scott,Monarch
Abilities	(Allen) Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes Anti-magic Time manipulation Time travel Teleportation Atomic manipulation Atomic transmutation Quantum field manipulation Fundamental-forces control Energy projection Energy absorption Reality alteration Flight Immortality Invulnerability Matter manipulation Matter generation Matter absorption Regeneration Bio-fission Size alteration Self-sustenance Space vacuum adaptation Power augmentation Power distribution (Nathaniel) See:Powers and abilities
Captain Atom Cover forCaptain Atomvol. 3 #1, art byPat Broderick. Publication information Publisher (Vol. 2) Charlton Comics (Vols. 3 and 4) DC Comics Schedule Monthly Format Ongoing series Genre Superhero Publication date December1965 – September2012 No.of issues Vol. 2 12 Vol. 3 57, plus 2Annuals Vol. 4 12, plus a #0 issue Creative team Written by Vol. 2 Joe Gill Vol. 3 Cary Bates,Greg Weisman Vol. 4 J.T. Krul Artist(s) Vol. 4 Freddie Williams II Penciller(s) Vol. 2 Steve Ditko Vol. 3 Pat Broderick,Rafael Kayanan

Publication history

Captain Atom was created by writerJoe Gilland artist/co-writerSteve Ditko,and first appeared inSpace Adventures#33 (March 1960).Captain Atom was initially created forCharlton Comics,but was later acquired byDC Comicsand revised for DC's post-Crisiscontinuity.In 2011, DC Comics relaunched its superhero comics and rewrote the histories of some characters from scratch, including Captain Atom, giving him a new origin, appearance and slightly altered powers. Captain Atom was the character inspiration forDoctor Manhattan,who was featured in the miniseries (and later live-action film adaptation)Watchmen,which would be connected to the DC Universe in the miniseriesDoomsday Clock.

Throughout the years, the character has been featured in several moderate-to-short-lived eponymous series, and has been a member of several different versions of DC's flagship superhero team, theJustice League.In all incarnations, the character initially served for themilitary.In the Charlton Comics continuity, he was a scientist namedAllen Adamand gained his abilities by accident when he was seemingly "atomized" and then reformed himself as an atomic-powered being. In both DC Comics incarnations, he is anAir Forcepilot namedNathaniel Adam,who was a test subject in a scientific experiment who seemingly disintegrated in the process, only to reappear later as the super-powered Captain Atom.Over the years, DC has attempted to reinvent the character several times. For a period, the character assumed the mantle of the supervillainMonarch,and in 2005 DC attempted to retell the Captain Atom story with an entirely new character,Breach,who was subsequently discarded. In the new continuity following DC's2011 relaunch,Captain Atom has never been a member of the Justice League and the team views him with distrust; his character origin and abilities were also revised.

Captain Atom has appeared in several animated television and film adaptations of Justice League and other DC storylines since the mid-2000s, where he is depicted as a powerful member of the Justice League whose abilities place him roughly on par with the franchise's flagship characterSuperman.In several animated depictions, he has served the role as a government stooge when the government has brought itself into conflict with the Justice League.

Fictional character biography

Charlton Comics (Silver Age)

Strange Suspense Stories#75 (June 1965), a reprint issue of Captain Atom's debut, cover art bySteve Ditko.

The Charlton Comics version of Captain Atom wasAllen Adam.The character's origin had Adam working as a technician in a special experimental rocket when it accidentally launched with him trapped inside.Adam was atomized when the rocket exploded while entering the upper atmosphere. However, he somehow gained superpowers that included the ability to reform his body safely on the ground. He was outfitted in a red and yellow costume that was designed to shield people from his radiation. When he powered up, his hair changed to a silvery-white.

Later, in his own title, he replaced his original red and gold costume with a liquid-metal outfit that was under his skin and which transformed when he powered up. Captain Atom's powers were similar to such other nuclear-powered superheroes asGold Key'sDoctor SolarandDell Comics'Nukla.Captain Atom was first published in a series of short stories in theanthologyseriesSpace Adventures#33–40 (March 1960 – June 1961) and #42 (October 1961). Charlton began reprinting his short adventures in the anthologyStrange Suspense Storiesbeginning with issue #75 (June 1965), renaming the titleCaptain Atomwith issue #78 (December 1965) and giving the hero full-length stories andsupervillainantagonists such as Dr. Spectro (previous stories involvedCold Waranti-Communist missions or dealing with aliens). Captain Atom later teamed with the superheroNightshade,with whom he shared a mutual attraction. The superhero theBlue Beetlestarred in the initial back-up feature, later replaced by a Nightshade back-up series.

Captain Atomwas cancelled with issue #89 (December 1967). In 1975, the unfinished Ditko art for issue #90 was inked byJohn Byrneand published in the first two issues of the official Charlton fanzine,Charlton Bullseye,as the 10-page "Showdown in Sunuria" (writer: Jon G. Michels) and the 11-page "Two Against Sunuria" (writer:Roger Stern). Captain Atom next appeared in issue #7 (May 1982) of the new-talent showcase comic also calledCharlton Bullseye,in a story by writer Benjamin Smith and artist/co-writer Dan Reed, which for some reason returned him to his original red and yellow outfit. The character's last pre-DC appearance was inAC Comics' one-shot issueAmericomics Special#1 (August 1983), in a story teaming the Charlton "Action Heroes" the Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Nightshade and theQuestionas theSentinels of Justice.This last story had originally been done for Charlton before the company folded.

The actual Charlton characters made their first reappearance in DC'sCrisis on Infinite Earths,which introducedEarth-Fouras the native reality of Captain Atom and the world where all the Charlton Comics adventures had taken place. By story's end, Earth-Four (and the Charlton characters) had been incorporated into the Post-CrisisDC Universe, its history merging with that of the mainstream reality. The last appearance of this Charlton-era Captain Atom was inDC Comics Presents#90 (February 1986).

DC Comics (Post-Crisis)

A new Post-Crisisversion of the character was introduced in March 1987 with the launch of a monthly comic written byCary Bates(long-time writer ofTheFlashandSuperman), co-written byGreg Weismanand drawn byPat Broderick.

This modern captain's name is established asNathaniel Christopher Adam,aUnited States Air Forceofficer andVietnam Warveteran. Adam had been framed for a crime and was, under military justice, condemned to death; this taking place under the purview of Col. Wade Eiling in the year 1968. As an alternative to execution, Adam was "asked" to participate in 'Project: Captain Atom', a military experiment with a slim chance of survival. He agreed to this in exchange for an unconditional presidential pardon. The experiment involved testing the hull of a crashed alien ship's durability by placing a human being (Adam) within the metal craft and then exploding an atomic weapon under it. The weapon went off and Adam was seemingly disintegrated. Eighteen years later, Adam suddenly reappeared. The alien metal, now bonded around his body, afforded him incredible abilities far beyond that of a mere mortal. Bonded with the metal, Nathaniel Adam now had powers that resulted from the metal's ability to tap into the "Quantum Field".It was revealed that the alien metal could absorb energy but only past a certain threshold, any excess absorption would force it to jump forward in time based on the amount of energy obtained.

Flung into the year 1986, Adam becomes literally a "man out of time". Wade Eiling is now a military general and the second husband of Adam's now-deceased wife Angela. Everyone had assumed that Nathaniel Adam died the day of the experiment, so his presidential pardon was never issued and the current government refused to acknowledge the previous pardon. Seizing the opportunity at hand, Eiling uses the outstanding murder/treason charges against Adam to blackmail him into acting as a military-controlled, government-sanctioned superhero codenamed Captain Atom. The events of the Charlton stories are used cleverly by Bates as a readymade, fabricated past to convince the world that Adam had secretly been a superhero for years enabling him to quickly gain the trust and reputation as an unsung patriot and hero. For his non-superhero activities, Nathaniel uses the aliasCameron Scott,an Air Force intelligence operative. During this time he meets the superpowered terrorist,Plastique,a recurring part of Nathaniel's life. Early conflicts involve him coming to terms with the lost time he missed with his now grown children, the death of his wife, her marriage to Eiling, and the overall ramifications of his newly acquired powers. Later, he learns thatProject Atom,a secret government funded group that used new experimental machines to harness powerful energies had repeated the same process and created the supervillainMajor Force,a bloodthirsty madman lacking Captain Atom's morality and classic military/A.F. discipline.

Atom/Adam serves under Eiling reluctantly while befriending research scientist Doctor Heinrich Megala of Project Atom, who had previously helped to create an elaborate cover story for Atom/Adam. Doctor Megala is responsible for creating the X-Ionizer technology capable of cutting the skin of most invulnerablemetahumans.In spite of his disabilities and poor health, he helped Atom/Adam learn about the Quantum Field as well as about his powers. Captain Atom later succeeds in clearing his name of the original treason charge and eventually rebels against Eiling, resigning from the Air Force and becoming an actual superhero. ByCaptain Atom#39, Megala's health would deteriorate to a point where he asked Captain Atom for help and attempted to use his atomic energy to neutralize the life-threatening disease he is suffering from, but becomes blinded as a side effect. Fearing that Eiling would eventually turn on him, Megala claims that he intends to set up a contingency plan which would make public all of Project Atom's classified secrets once his heart ceased to function. Megala's plan proved to be a mere bluff when he is killed in a confrontation with the Ghost a.k.a. Alec Rois, but Captain Atom decides to become the actual whistleblower and discloses the truth on national television.

Captain Atom joins theJustice Leagueat the request of the U.S. government, eventually serving as leader ofJustice League Europe.During his career, he has a brief romance with Catherine Cobert, develops a friendly rivalry withFirestorm,becomes involved with and eventually marries Plastique, learns basic heroics fromBatmanafter briefly losing access to the Quantum Field, and commands the metahuman forces during the "Invasion" storyline where Earth was under attack by an alliance of alien forces.Captain Atomwas canceled as of issue #57 in 1991 because Atom was slated to become the hero-turned-villainMonarchin DC'sArmageddon 2001crossover event; however, when word of this leaked out, DC changed the ending at the last minute. Atom and the Monarch character continue battling through time inArmageddon: The Alien Agendalimited series,until he is returned to his own time at the conclusion. Captain Atom then returns to the League, involved in the Zero Hour Crisis in 1994,founding an offshoot team,Extreme Justicein 1995.While leading Extreme Justice, Captain Atom comes across another version of Monarch, this one claiming to be the real Nathaniel Adam. Later in 1999, he is a member of the poorly received team known as the Living Assault Weapons orL.A.W.,the members of whom are all previously Charlton Comics characters. In 2003, he again teams up with several former members of the Justice League as the "Super Buddies"in the humorous limited seriesFormerly Known as the Justice League.Around this time, various stories reintroduce Atom's conflict between his role in the superhero community and his responsibilities as a government agent.

At some point, Atom's marriage to Plastique ends in divorce. Apart from a brief mention of her at the beginning of L.A.W., the marriage appears to be forgotten. Plastique has reappeared in 2006 as a villainess again, undoing her reformation into a heroine. A later confirmation is brought in by theCaptain Atom: Armageddonminiseries in which, after falling in love with Angela Spica ofthe Authority,Captain Atom reminisces about his short marriage with Plastique, and attributes their divorce to their irreconcilable views about world and politics, since Nathaniel, even in his spousal life, could not stop being a loyal soldier of the U.S., and Plastique could not simply put aside her life as a terrorist.

Later in 2003, writerJeph Loebreturns Captain Atom to his roots as he went back to work for the government, this time for PresidentLex Luthorin the first story arc of theSuperman/Batmanseries. Atom seemingly sacrifices his life to save Superman and Earth by piloting a starship to destroy a kryptonite meteor, but as it had previously been established that this type of accident could not kill him, he soon returns to life and to the background of the DC Universe. In a 2005 issue ofSuperman/Batman,it is made clear that Captain Atom survived the collision with the kryptonite meteor, but has absorbed massive amounts of radiation and become a super villain described as a "Kryptonite Man".However,Hiro Okamuracreates a device that siphons Captain Atom's energy and returns him to normal.

"Armageddon" and WorldStorm

In 2005/2006, Captain Atom appears in a nine-partlimited seriesentitledCaptain Atom: Armageddonunder DC'sWildstormimprint. Captain Atom's sacrifice inSuperman/Batmansends him to the WildStorm universe for the duration of the series. In this title, he wears a yellow/red outfit that was first seen in the 1996Kingdom Comelimited series.

At the moment of his apparent death, Captain Atom experiences a time-shift coinciding with his 2005 appearance inSuperman/Batman,resulting in his arrival in the Wildstorm Universe. He quickly gets into a fight with an overzealousMister Majesticand the fight ends with Majestic soundly defeated. Seeing the frightened reactions of onlookers, and puzzling over his own altered appearance, he realizes that he has somehow become trapped on analternate Earth,one where superheroes are feared by the general populace. Mistaken by the local superheroes as the force destined to destroy their universe, he is in fact an instrument used ultimately by Nikola Hanssen, new host for half the essence of the Void, to reclaim her whole power (partially lodged in his own body, and cause of his altered appearance) and use it to trigger the reboot of the WildStorm universe, in the WorldStorm event.

Monarch

Main article:Monarch (comics)

Captain Atom's ultimatum, art byDan Jurgens.

Captain Atom returns to the DC Universe inInfinite Crisis#7 whenSuperboy-Primepunctured Breach,who wields similar energy-manipulating abilities. The end ofArmageddonhas him reappear in the devastatedBlüdhaven.A year later,Captain Atom is revealed to be contained insideBlüdhavenand used to administer radiation treatments tometahumans.Apparently Void, able to finally let him go home, is unable to ensure his safety, and multiple damages to his radiation-shielding skin had left him comatose and unable to keep down his body radiation to safe levels; this forces theAtomic Knightsto keep him constantly contained. In 2008'sCountdown#8, it is learned that these ruptures were caused as part of a greater plan by Solomon the Monitor, in his plans to "recreate the Monarch" as part of a larger scheme to force the assimilation of the other Monitors.

After being fitted with an updated version of theMonarcharmor (Armageddon 2001) to contain his radiation, the Captain awakens. Seeming to be mentally unstable, he breaks free, apparently kills the rampagingMajor Force,and then releases a vast amount of energy, obliterating what was left of Blüdhaven. He remains missing untilKyle Rayner,then known asIon,discovers him in The Bleed, a place between dimensions. The Captain indicates that he is traveling through The Bleed to operate outside the gaze of theMonitors.He discusses his time in the Wildstorm Universe, and his desire to visit other alternate worlds.

Countdown

Main article:Countdown to Final Crisis

In the last panel ofCountdown#45, Monarch is shown observingForerunner.The following issue,Countdown#44, bears a cover by Ed Benes with the Monarch armorand features Monarch swaying Forerunner to his side, turning her against the Monitors. Monarch argues that the Monitors are genocidal overlords who must be defeated; however, the Monitors assert that Monarch is a supervillain whose plan is to cause a Multiversal war that will leave him the ruler of the unified Earth remaining in its wake. Monarch creates an army of foot soldiers, includingthe Extremistsof Earth-8, the JL-Axis of Earth-10, and theCrime Societyof Earth-3, and disposes of Forerunner when he reveals his plans for a multiversal arena tournament.

The four-issue miniseriesCountdown: Arenafeatures Monarch battling alternate versions of characters throughout the Multiverse to compile the strike team for his new Multiverse army,specifically oneSuperman,oneBatman,aWonder Woman,aGreen Lantern,aFlash,aBlue Beetle,aNightshade,aStarman,and aRay.Monarch's behavior becomes increasingly violent, notably in the form of his killing all residents of the Eve of Shadows' country in retribution for her attempt to violate the Monarch's rule of "no escaping".Monarch is now paranoid, and unwilling to share details of his past to his "subordinates", but theRed SonSuperman andLiberty FilesBatman discern that under the Monarch armor lies another Captain Atom, and so they employ his other counterparts—Breach (Tim Zanetti)andQuantum-Storm (Ronnie Raymond)—to assemble an army of Captain Atoms from the different dimensions to fight back. InArena's conclusion, Monarch reveals that Breach is his brainwashed accomplice and that he has lured his 51 counterparts to murder them and absorb their power. With his team of Eve of Shadows (Earth-13), Vampire Batman (Earth-43),Ray "the Ray" Palmer(Earth-6), the monstrous Scarab (Earth-26), Hal Jordan Jr. (Earth-12),Starwoman(Earth-7),Johnny Quick(Earth-3), Wonder Woman (Earth-34), Red Son Superman (Earth-30), and himself—the sum power of 52 Captain Atoms—Monarch believes he is ready to confront the Monitors,and does so, finally launching his war on Earth-51 against the exposed Monitors.

In a protracted fight againstSuperman-Prime,his suit is damaged, releasing a chain reaction that apparently destroys the entire universe of Earth-51 aside from its Monitor.It was later learned that the Monitor Solomon had attacked Captain Atom in Blüdhaven, rupturing his skin and setting into motion his transformation into Monarch.

Project 7734

DuringJimmy Olsen's investigation aboutProject 7734,the secret black-op commanded bySam Laneto fight extraterrestrial menaces on Earth (includingKryptonians), it is discovered that an amnesiac and brainwashed Captain Atom is now one of the prized possessions of Sam Lane.Project Breachrefers to his capture and brainwashing into a weapon (with Lane wanting to stress the similarities between Adam andTim Zanetti) orPlanet Breaker.Captain Atom refers to his name and rank as "Codename: Captain Atom".

Captain Atom returns in a co-feature inAction Comics#879 and appears in his normal costume instead of the Monarch armor he was last seen wearing. He is shown to reside in a mystical, medieval-reminiscent realm, attacking a highly fortified castle for unknown reasons other than, as he states, "his mission". After obliterating the castle's defenses, he has a brief flashback to a moment with the Justice League, then falls to the ground disoriented. No explanation is given for his return to his original appearance, his whereabouts sinceCountdown to Final Crisis,or why he has reverted to his heroic persona rather than that of the conquest-seeking Monarch. InAction Comics#880 it is revealed that Captain Atom has little or no memory of who he is other than his name. It is revealed that this mysterious realm is connected to Project 7734 and is part of his conditioning. Later, he is attacked byMajor Force,an enemy believed to have been destroyed by Captain Atom himself when he first became Monarch.Mon-Elappears and helps Captain Atom escape, taking him to the Justice League's satellite, where the League members declare that they are going to bring him to justice for his actions as Monarch.After a struggle with the League, Captain Atom tells them what he can remember. The League reminds him he was a hero who once saved the planet. He feels he has changed from the man he once was, and that he needs to go back to the magic world to make right what he has done. TheShadowpactare called on to join him on his quest and provide a way for him to reach Sorcerers' World.

Generation Lost

Captain Atom appears as one of the central characters inJustice League: Generation Lost,a maxi-series that takes place during the widerBrightest Dayevent. At the start of the series, Captain Atom is recruited as part of a massive group of superheroes tasked with hunting down the JLI's founder andTed Kord's murderer,Maxwell Lord.During an encounter with Max at the Justice League's former New York headquarters, Captain Atom is rendered unconscious alongsideFire,Ice,andBooster Gold.The former Justice League members awake to discover that Lord has used his mental abilities to erase his existence from the minds of every single human on the planet, save for those present at the embassy. and the others.Afterwards, Captain Atom discovers that Max has mentally influenced the US army into believing that he had betrayed them.

Captain Atom shares with the group that when he absorbed anuclear bombMax had set off, he found himself thrown through time to the future of 24th century, an Earth that had fallen into chaos through metahuman wars and backward in technology. Atom found a woman elderly and grotesque, who turned out to be an agedPower Girl,telling him it was Maxwell Lord who was responsible for all of this. Atom is then pulled back into the present, and tells the rest of the team that the world needs them to stop the instigated Max.

After discovering that the OMACs had dismembered a droid, Captain Atom was struck byMagogwho simply scoffs at the notion and states that he has come to kill Captain Atom at the behest of Max.In their battle, Captain Atom manages to convince Magog he is being manipulated by Max. Magog stops the attacks as he remembers Max's existence and Captain Atom is prepared to help him. However, Max is on hand and forces Magog to kill himself with his spear. Max uses his powers to manipulate everyone into believing that Captain Atom has killed Magog before leaving. Captain Atom realizes Magog's spear is about to explode with energy. Captain Atom tries to absorb as much as he can, thrusting him into the time stream again as a crater is left behind.

Captain Atom is propelled through time again to 112 years in the future, where a metahuman war against the OMACs had devastated the planet. Captain Atom battled for survival alongside the future versions of the Justice League, but they all are eventually contaminated by a new nanovirus version of the OMACs and one by one become OMACs themselves. As a dying Power Girl tells him that the catalyst for all this was the death ofWonder Womanby Max's hands, Captain Atom is returned into the present but not before Batman orders him to terminate the OMAC project to stop Max's plan.

During the final battle against the new OMAC known as OMAC Prime, Captain Atom allows OMAC Prime to absorb his energy, before reabsorbing the energy and overloading his powers, resulting in him being thrown into the time stream once again. Just before this occurred, Captain Atom grabbed Max and threatened to pull him into the time stream as well, unless Max undid the global mindwipe of his existence. Max complied and everyone on the planet had their memories of him restored before Captain Atom was pulled away to a time and space unknown. Max later released a statement onto the internet exonerating Captain Atom of the deaths in Chicago, saying far worse would have happened if he had not intervened.

The New 52

InThe New 52reboot of DC's continuity, Captain Atom is reintroduced with altered powers, appearance and origin. He is still USAF pilot Nathaniel Adam. In the new reality, Adam volunteers to participate in an experiment conducted by a research facility called the Continuum. At this facility, Dr. Megala's research is focused on the quantum field and on "dimensional transfer throughM Theory".Adam is asked to pilot the dimensional-transfer vessel by Dr. Megala, who is now presented as a particle physicist working out of Colorado,but is seemingly atomized during the experiment. Soon afterwards, he reappears, now an energy-based life form. According to Dr. Megala, Captain Atom's abilities are largely nuclear in nature and involve tapping into the strong nuclear force, the energy that binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Adam's physical atoms are constantly splitting apart, giving him incredible power. His body maintains integrity by instantly re-merging these atoms, but extreme use of his powers can interfere with this process and cause Captain Atom's form to become unstable. This leads to a fear that at some point Captain Atom's brain might lose its molecular stability and he will not be able to fix it before it impairs his consciousness or causes him to suffer some form of brain death.

In the new reality, Nathaniel Adam has been only Captain Atom for a few months and is still exploring his abilities, constantly learning new facets to them such as his ability to perceive wireless transmissions from cell phones and computers.He frequently returns to the Continuum so that Dr. Megala and the staff can help him further understand his abilities and occasionally so they can stabilize his body when he seems to be having problems. The world at large looks on Captain Atom with suspicion due to uncertainty about his agenda and the nature of his abilities. Some fear that he is leaking radiation and potentially poisoning those he comes into contact with. Several have remarked that the Justice League may have rejected Captain Atom for membership due to suspicion of how dangerous he is.Despite this, Nathaniel chooses to try and use his powers to help others on Earth, clandestinely if need be. During a fight with Megala, who had taken control ofFirestorm's body, Atom is forced to absorb a massive amount of energy released which splits his molecules apart into the timestream. One of these pieces is found in the 31st Century, where he names himself Nathaniel Adym.Adym had become an agent of Echo, a covert branch of theScience Policeassigned to monitor the timestream.As part of his duties, he had interacted with members of theLegion of Super-Heroesstranded in the past, inLegion Lost,along with his subordinates Agent Jocelyn Lure and AgentYera Allon.Adym is last seen escaping the threat of his own singularity bomb, launching himself into the past.

DC Rebirth: The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom

Captain Atom (Nathaniel Adam) lost control of his powers and caused a devastating accident in this six-issue series set in 2012.Needing to contain his unstable abilities, he went into Dr. Megala's Subterranean Suppression Dome but seemingly exploded.The world believed Nathaniel Adam was killed in a blast; However, Adam took a subatomic trip through time and ended up without powers, 20 years in the past.It is revealed that the quantum blowback sent him back in time to 1994 as a normal man.Adam's wound distorted after being shot during an attempted car robbery, and his body was encased in liquid metal.As a result of the time stream correcting itself, he was thrown back to 2017.

Powers and abilities

Powers

In the Post-CrisisDC Comics Universe, Captain Atom'sDilustelskin is tied into the Quantum Field, which enables him to absorb and manipulate theoretically infinite amounts of energy, limited by only his willpower and imagination. This energy can be used for flight (which is generally faster than the speed of sound in Earth's atmosphere and up to half-light speed in the vacuum of space), super strength (shown at times to be on par withMartian Manhunter,though another source –the DC Heroes Roleplaying Game– defines his level of strength second only to Superman's among the heroes of the DC Universe, though as Monarch he was capable of effortlessly overwhelming three versions of Superman), durability (he has survived exploding nuclear weapons, and even energy sufficient to wipe out all life within the Universe of Earth 51 – although this was his own energy), self-sustenance and life support (allowing him to live and even speak in space), and controlling energy of any form. In addition to high speed flight he has been shown to possess enhanced reflexes. Atom's abilities stem from his link to the Quantum Field, which provides a virtually infinite source of Quantum Energy, which can be used for a vast number of effects. He commonly manipulates his energy into force field bubbles, or explosive "bombs", but the most common form is a simple energy blast. Atom has been shown to be capable of manipulating even exotic energies such as magic, and has a high degree of resistance to such attacks.

Over the years, Captain Atom has become an expert at energy manipulation and he can fire energy blasts from any point on his body, although he usually uses his hands for better aim. He can fire in multiple directions at once or from every point of his body at once. Several times he has "detonated", releasing a massive amount of energy at once, destroying objects within a certain radius, as demonstrated by his destruction of Bludhaven. On more than one occasion, he has used his ability to manipulate all forms of energy to prevent a foe using their own powers, such as theRayandFirestorm.

If Atom absorbs too much energy at once, the energy transports him uncontrollably through time. Depending on the type of energy absorbed, he either goes forward or backward in time, though he also possesses the ability to voluntarily move forward in the time-stream. Captain Atom states that through concentration, he can briefly travel ahead in time ( "about a week or so" ). The process is exhausting and the period he can interact in the future appears to be limited to a few minutes before he returns to the present. In the case of involuntary quantum jumping, he is typically shown as being stuck in the time-stream for as long as it takes his body to process any absorbed energy.

Captain Atom can also convert energy to matter in the same manner he manipulates energy. Originally, he needed a pair of gloves invented by theBlue Beetleto do so, but he has since learned to do so without them. He is capable of manipulating matter on an atomic or sub-atomic level at a limited scale. He has used his atomic transmutation powers to turn bothMauland theEngineerback to their human forms. This power can be used instinctively or through concentration, though Atom has conceded he is not very good at it. In the same way, he learned to accessweak forceenergy. As a consequence of his energy manipulation abilities, he is able to telepathically interface with computer networks. He has on occasion used this to repel telepathic intrusions by downloading information directly into other telepaths. With focus and effort, Captain Atom can increase any of his abilities to match his current willpower, up to an unknown level. As Monarch prior to absorbing the Captain Atom Brigade his powers and abilities were increased to such a level that he was capable of effortlessly containing several versions of powerful heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman and several Green Lanterns.

Atom has shown the capacity to absorb matter, as well as energy – typified by his absorption of the Captain Atom Brigade. As Monarch he possessed all of his inherent abilities – at much higher levels – as well as teleportation, and awareness of and access to different realities. He was capable of storing enough energy, that upon its release, was capable of wiping all life from the alternate Earth 51 – except for its Monitor and a single plant.

Later writers and editors have introduced a radioactive aspect of Captain Atom's physical makeup. This seems to contradict the quantum nature of Atom's powers as originally introduced, as he previously did not emit radiation when his skin was cut open. Towards the end of his series' run, it was speculated that Captain Atom is an Elemental (Quantum Elemental) along withSwamp Thing(Earth),Red Tornado(Air),Firestorm(Fire), andNaiad(Water).

In addition to his superhuman abilities, Nathaniel Adam is also an experiencedUnited States Air Forcepilot. It is notable that he is one of the few superheroes with a "Captain"appellation that corresponds to a military rank he has actually held. He is especially skilled in combat piloting, is trained in military weaponry, strategy, and hand-to-hand combatand speaks multiple languages, includingRussian.Adam also has strong survival instincts derived from his experiences during the Vietnam War.

Dilustel

Captain Atom's metallic shell, or "skin", is composed of a portion of the alien being known as Silver Shield, and is called Dilustel. Pieces of the alien's metal body were used inProject Atom,and on later subjects likeMajor ForceandBombshell.Nathaniel is able to coat himself with the metal, either partially or totally. Atom's symbiosis with the metal is such that even partially armored he is able to access the Quantum Field. The metal is almost indestructible, resistant to various degrees of damage from energy, heat, lasers, etc. OnlyX-Ionizertechnology can cut the metal, as established when the Captain Atom Project uses it to remove the Silver Shield's skin. Thekatanawielded by the "Cambodian" that once sliced through Atom's side was also X-Ionized. The magical guns of theCrimson Avengerwere able to crack his skin. Breaking through it causes Captain Atom to Quantum Jump as if he has absorbed too much energy.

X-Ionizer

The X-Ionizer is a hardening technology invented by the specialists ofProject Atom,introduced in theCary Batesrun of theDC ComicspublishedCaptain Atom.Because of the nearly invulnerable nature of the alien metal discovered, the scientists needed some way to cut it to perform experiments. Doctor Heinrich Megala, one of the lead researchers of the Project, developed a device that would make the molecular lattices of an object by knitting together positive & negative ion particles in such a way that it became superdense and compact. This, in effect, makes the object nearly indestructible. Also, any edge on an X-Ionized object would attain the sharpness of amonofilament,enabling both it and its user to cut finer and cleaner than the most advanced blade or laser. Once transformed, the object would then be able to cut through virtually any material, including theDilustel(quantum metal) skin of theSilver Shieldwhich was used to empower Captain Atom, Major Force, and Bombshell.A mercenary known as the Cambodian wore a suit of X-Ionized armor, and uses an X-ionizedkatanato cut through Captain Atom's skin inCaptain Atom#7.A famous physicist and former C.I.A operative, turned dangerous cult leader and quantum powered supervillain called 'The Ghost' theorized that properties hardened and honed by such a device undergo a form of mantling taking on properties very similar to the extra-dimensional biometal belonging to the Silver Shield entity.

DC Rebirth

AfterDC Rebirth,Captain Atom is restored to his Post-Crisispowers. HisNew 52powers have seemingly disappeared.

Former powers

His former drastically alteredNew 52powers are a being whose atoms are constantly splitting and then reforming just as quickly, releasing massive amounts of energy. This surplus of power can be manipulated in a number of ways such as flight and the ability to transmute physical matter. Captain Atom has been seen to transform lava into snow by willing it and has been able to remove cancer from a human being. He can also absorb massive amounts of energy.

Captain Atom's abilities are largely nuclear in nature and involve tapping into thestrong nuclear force,the energy that binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Excessive or intense use of his abilities has resulted in Captain Atom temporarily losing his own molecular stability. It is not yet known if he will be able to conquer this weakness with practice.

As an energy-based life form, Captain Atom's senses now operate on different levels than a normal person. He is able to sense and perceive radio signals, cell phone signals and other similar transmissions. He can also see the energy of certain molecules, such as when he notes the energy signature of the Flash and remarks that his molecules seem to be sparking with fire or lightning.He also does not need air, food or water to survive.

Rogues gallery

Captain Atom has his own enemies:

• Bolt(Larry Bolatinsky): An assassin and mercenary sporting an electrokinetic suit hired by General Eiling for a number of militia hero sales schemes. Often came in conflict with Captain Atom over the course of his military career while under contract in another of many government staged publicity stunts.
• Doctor Spectro(Tom Emery): A scientist driven mad by his emotion-altering prisms, Dr. Spectro gained the ability to affect emotions directly. Post-Crisis,Spectro was a small-time crookGeneral Wade Eilingused to create a cover story for Captain Atom. Very bright costumes were a characteristic of Dr. Spectro.Doctor Spectro first appeared inCaptain Atom#79 as the first supervillain antagonist of the titular hero, and was created bySteve DitkoandJoe Gill.The character first appeared in Charlton Comics, later in DC Comics.James Sandy counted Doctor Spectro among the many comic characters that were introduced in theSilver Age of Comic Booksand disappeared again after a short run,but authors ofThe Superhero Bookfound him a unique supervillain.
• Fiery-Icer:A mercenary with a suit that unleashes intense fire from his right gauntlet and frigid cold from the left, the mysterious Fiery-Icer fought Captain Atom on several occasions.
• General Wade Eiling:Once his commanding officer in the military who even in his new identity Nathaniel Adam often butted heads with due to his unscrupulous means of promoting America's new military assets. Unknown to the Captain for the longest time, it was the corrupt general who had Adam framed for killing a senior officer which, in turn, subjected him to the Atom Project years ago.
• The Ghost(Alec Rois): A physicist who developed a teleportation device that he used to become a millionaire, Alec Rois took on the persona of the Ghost and became Captain Atom and his partnerNightshade's Pre-Crisisnemesis. Post-Crisis,he was a cult leader nicknamedthe Faceless One,a disgruntled weapons developer and a former CIA operative who sought revenge against an unscrupulous employer. Having been trapped in the Quantum Field by his ownStealthraytech, he is released as an energy being who controls teletranslocation through it and has connections to Atom's past conviction while enlisted five years ago.
• Iron Arms:A mercenary that employs a backpack that powers powerful cybernetic arms.
• The Cambodian(Rako): An arms dealer and personal enforcer of the Post-CrisisGhost. A survivor of a U.S. bombing raid during the Vietnam War, this Cambodian refugee was taken into Rois' services while he was a government agent. Acting as the Green Elite's hitman, Rako framed Nathaniel Adam for treason under Rois' orders, resulting in his drafting into Project: Atom. As the Cambodian, he would clad himself in armor and weaponry tempered by the X-Ionizer, wielding a skein sharp enough to pierce Captain Atom's Dilustel armor.
• Major Force(Clifford Zmeck): A rapist/murderer exposed to the same experiment that created Captain Atom, he would regularly betray the U.S. government or go back to work for their more clandestine, i.e., crooked, organizations, becoming a regular as Captain Atom's Post-Crisisnemesis.
• Monarch(Hank Hall): In an alternate future, Hank Hall goes mad and kills Earth's heroes to conquer the world. When the heroWaveridercomes back in time to prevent this, he instead creates the paradox that made his future possible. When Monarch goes back in time to retrieve his past self, it was Captain Atom that failed to stop him. Captain Atom battled the villain through time to quell the guilt of his failure to stop him earlier.
• Plastique(Bette Sans Souci): A French-Canadian terrorist with explosive-based powers and intense separatist designs, first came in contact with Captain Atom during an assassination attempt at a Canadian/American peace delegation. The two frequently clash with one another, eventually falling in love and entering into a whirlwind marriage, albeit a short-lived one.
• Punch and Jewelee:A husband and wife team of villains who work as thieves and mercenaries. Post-Crisis,they instead foughtKing Faradayand Nightshade.
• Thirteen:In reality a federal agent from Earth's future, Thirteen travels back in time with his partner Faustus, a talking cat, to prevent the Ghost from stealing an experimental missile and end up facing Captain Atom. He appears to be a sorcerer but it is unknown if he employs true magic or just sufficiently advanced science.
• Ultramax:Former assassin turned death row inmate in the early 2000s, when Atom had his meltdown and was catapulted into the Q-Field. Max Thrane, as he was facing the electric chair at the time, was bathed in the fallout during his execution. About a decade later, Captain Atom would return and undo his predicament, only for him to awake finding he had gained similar Quantum Powers due to the hero's blowback years ago, to which, now going by the name Ultramax, Thrane set out on a path of revenge against the one who slated him for his death sentence.

Other versions

• An alternate universe incarnation of Captain Atom appears inArmageddon 2001.
• An alternate universe incarnation of Captain Atom who was killed byParasiteappears inKingdom Come.
• Several alternate universe incarnations of Captain Atom appear inCountdown to Final Crisis:Quantum Stormfrom Earth-37, the leader of the Atomic Knights from Earth-38,Brigadier Atomfrom Earth-13, aHulk-like variant namedAttum,the roboticQuantum Mechanix,Captain Adamma, Quantum Boy, an anthropomorphic wolf version, aSoviet Atomfrom Earth-30, aDoctor Manhattan-lookalike, and a giant-sized anthropomorphic atom.
• An alternate universe incarnation of Captain Atom from Earth-4, amalgamated with Doctor Manhattan and Marvel Comics characterReed Richards,appears inFinal CrisisandThe Multiversity.
• An alternate universe incarnation of Nathaniel Adam who never became Captain Atom appears inFlashpoint.

In other media

Television

• Captain Atom appears inJustice League Unlimited,voiced initially byGeorge Eadsand subsequently byChris Cox.This version is a member of theJustice League,speaks with a slightTexanaccent, and is a disembodied mass of energy contained in a special suit with a limit to how much energy he can absorb, which will cause him to explode like a nuclear bomb if exceeded. In his most notable appearance in the episode "Question Authority",General Wade Eilingreactivates his Air Force commission and orders him to keep theQuestioninProject Cadmus' custody. Captain Atom fightsSuperman,but is defeated and brought back to theWatchtower.
• Captain Atom appears inYoung Justice,voiced byMichael T. Weiss.This version is a member of the Justice League. In the second season, he becomes the leader of the League before handing over the position toBlack Canaryby the season finale.
• Captain Atom appears inBatman: The Brave and the Bold,voiced byBrian Bloom.This version, also known as Allen Adams and Cameron Scott, is an arrogant and egocentric member ofJustice League Internationalwho is fond of makingpublic service announcementsand looks down on heroes without superpowers.

Film

• Captain Atom appears inSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies,voiced byXander Berkeley.This version works for the U.S. government under PresidentLex Luthorand leads a group of government-sanctioned heroes.
• Captain Atom makes a cameo appearance inJustice League: The Flashpoint Paradox,voiced byLex Lang.This version is a member of the Justice League. Additionally, theFlashpointincarnation of Captain Atom makes an appearance, during which he was captured by theAtlanteansand forced to powerAquaman's doomsday device.
• Captain Atom appears inInjustice,voiced byFred Tatasciore.
• The Allen Adam incarnation of Captain Atom appears inDC Showcase: Blue Beetle,voiced byJeff Bennett.
• Captain Atom appears inJustice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Three,voiced byBrett Dalton.

Video games

The Allen Adam and Nathaniel Adam incarnations of Captain Atom appear as character summons inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.

Miscellaneous

Captain Atom appears in theInjustice: Gods Among Usprequel comic. He joins Batman's Insurgency to combat Superman's growing Regime before being mortally wounded by Wonder Woman while retrieving an enhancement pill from theFortress of Solitude.Captain Atom then drags Superman to the atmosphere in an attempt to kill him, with the resulting explosion leaving the former dead and Wonder Woman comatose.

Collected editions

Title	Material collected	Published date	ISBN
Action Heroes Archive Volume 1	Space Adventures(vol. 2) #33-42,Captain Atom(vol. 1) #78-82	November 2004	978-1401203023
Action Heroes Archive Volume 2	Captain Atom(vol. 1) #83–89,Charlton Bullseye#1–2, 5,Mysterious Suspense#1,Blue Beetle(vol. 5) #1-5	May 2007	978-1401213466
Captain Atom: Armageddon	Captain Atom: Armageddon#1-9	November 2006	978-1401211066
Captain Atom Vol. 1: Evolution	Captain Atom(vol. 4) #1–6	December 2012	978-1401237158
Captain Atom Vol. 2: Genesis	Captain Atom(vol. 4) #0, 7-12	August 2013	978-1401240998
Captain Atom: The Rise and Fall of Captain Atom	Captain Atom: The Rise and Fall of Captain Atom#1-6	January 2018	978-1401274177

External links

• DCU Guide
• Captain AtomonDC Database,aDC Comicswiki
• Captain Atomonthe DC Animated Universe Wiki, an external wiki
• Captain Atom (1960)andCaptain Atom (1986)atDon Markstein's Toonopedia.*Archived (1960)andArchived (1986) from the originals on April 9, 2012.
• Captain Atom (DC Comics)at the Big Comic Book DataBase
• International Catalogue of Superheroes entry for Captain Atom
• Captain Atom historical sales figuresat The Comics Chronicles