Captain Atom #17 (July 1988)

Tags

Angela Adam, Black Canary, Black Racer, Blue Beetle, Bob Smith, Booster Gold, Brainwave Jr., Captain Atom, Cary Bates, Firestorm, Greg Weisman, Helen Vesik, Mister Miracle, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pat Broderick, Red Tornado, Shelley Eiber, Swamp Thing

“Battle Beyond the Green”

• Writers:  Cary Bates & Greg Weisman
• Pencils:  Pat Broderick
• Inks:  Bob Smith
• Colors:  Shelley Eiber
• Letters:  Helen Vesik

This is a continuation of the story from Captain Atom #16 in which the Justice League was facing off against an angry Red Tornado (in hurricane form) and called Cap in for support.  Available for sale April 5, 1988, this story featured Cap’s first real brush with elementals (at this point Firestorm was not yet solidly established as the fire elemental), and his introduction to the Black Racer.  This book opens with what I feel is one of the greatest renderings of Cap ever to appear in print.  Broderick, Smith, and Eiber did not fool around with this one.  It is the Modern Age Captain Atom at his absolute best.

Absolutely beautiful artwork.  Art like this is a big reason I loved Captain Atom in the 1980s.  The only beef I have with the artwork is a minor one (Cap’s bruises from the fight with Major Force have miraculously faded away).  I truly love the artwork of The One and Only Pat Broderick.  Not sure I can get behind his dislike of cosplayers.

The storm declares Captain Atom is “less than nothing” to an elemental like him, and knocks Cap to the ground.  Red Tornado threatens to scatter Cap’s atoms into the stratosphere.  Cap warns him (with the Captain-Atom-is-mad-eye-flare) of the kind of damage he can do when he is angry.  It is at this point that the swamp declares it has had enough. Vines creep up from the ground and pull Cap down.  His Justice League team-mates Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Mr. Miracle, and Booster Gold find Captain Atom tangled up in the vines, unconscious.

Nate suddenly finds himself out of his metal skin (completely naked) in a grassy field with his deceased wife Angela.  Angela is pulled away from him by an angry windstorm (Red Tornado) and Nate switches to his Captain Atom persona.  In reality, Cap is on board the JLI shuttle, unresponsive.  Beetle and Booster are trying to fly out of the storm while complaining about the rest of the League failing to show up.

Checking Cap’s vitals, Mr. Miracle makes a huge discovery.  He learns that the metal exo-shell Cap wears is alien in origin.  This contradicts the origin story Cap fed the media (“the lie”).

Back in Nate’s mind, Red Tornado and Captain Atom continue to battle.  Tornado muses over Cap’s refusal to just die.  Cap gives a sarcastic non-answer about the quantum field, and the two find themselves engulfed in a huge explosion.  The turmoil around them suddenly dies down and they find themselves floating in non-space next to each other.  Tornado has a fuzzy recollection of the two of them fighting.

Then their host shows himself.

It is Swamp Thing, the Earth elemental, who has brought the two together through the Green.

Booster Gold instructs Beetle to fly the shuttle to California.  The JLI realizes no doctor can help Cap and they can’t stand idly by.  They need a psychic, and since Martian Manhunter was a no-show, they’re paying a visit to Infinity Incorporated and Brainwave.

Back in Cap’s head (or whatever existential plane they are on), Swamp Thing explains they will not be able to return to their physical bodies until the three of them exist in total harmony.  Meanwhile, a fourth entity makes an appearance in their crazy mindscape: an ominous aerial skier.  Swamp Thing says this means they are running out of time.

Red Tornado explains that he does not think he can exist in harmony with Captain Atom as Cap is “one of them.”  He says “they” are “polluters of the bio-sphere.”  He goes on to explain that he once fought alongside humans (he was a member of the Justice League alongside Cap’s frenemy Firestom), even giving his life to them when the Justice League space station was destroyed (this was in Justice League of America (vol 1) Annual #3 [1985] – this actually marks Red Tornado’s return to the post-Crisis mainstream DCU).  Rather than kill him, the explosion transformed Red into a being of wind.  He watched man destroying Earth (abusing the bio-sphere) until he decided he’d seen enough and felt totally justified trying to destroy humanity.

Swamp Thing tells Red they are brothers.  He quickly recounts his own origin story and how he became the Earth elemental.

Meanwhile, Captain Atom’s body has been taken to the headquarters of Infinity, Inc.  where Brainwave, Jr. announces Cap is not in an ordinary coma.  His “silver cord” is dangerously “over-extended.” Brainwave says he cannot help Cap unless he goes to him and promptly passes out.  Mr. Miracle explains that Brainwave has used astral projection to enter Captain Atom’s mind.

Back in the astral world or whatever, Swamp Thing admits that he, too, once lost patience with humanity.  He tells Red that he can learn to temper his fury with mankind as he did himself.  Cap sees the skier in the skies again and decides to go and confront it but Swamp Thing erects a barrier and tells Cap not to go.  Swamp Thing explains it is the Black Racer, a “pure elemental force who deals a fatal touch to his chosen victims with a single stroke.”  And he’s gunning for Nathaniel Adam.

Like Red Tornado, this is the Black Racer’s first post-Crisis appearance.  Created by Jack Kirby in 1971, the Black Racer’s corporeal form is that of bedridden Sgt. Willie Walker, who was paralyzed during the Vietnam War.  Walker was contacted by the Source when Darkseid first brought the war of the gods to Earth, and told it was his responsibility to take on the role. The Racer makes use of what appear to be skis as his means of transport, much like how the Silver Surfer, another Kirby creation, uses a surfboard. New Gods are collected by the Racer at the moment of their deaths, and taken to Hadis (the Fourth World version of Hades).  Thanks, Wikipedia.

Assuming they can not be harmed by the Racer’s touch (Red Tornado and Swamp Thing’s human bodies are dead), Red goes after the Black Racer.  Swamp Thing leads Cap to a strange swirly mass that he senses is sanctuary, with Red not far behind.  However, the Black Racer can not follow them in, leading Swamp Thing to believe the danger has passed for Nate.

Within the sanctuary, they come across Brainwave.  Brainwave explains he is there to lead Nate back to Earth.  Red Tornado leaves them, saying he has some deep thinking to do.  Before Swamp Thing can leave, Cap poses a question to him: If the Earth elemental was born out of a violent explosion that killed Alec Holland, and the Wind elemental was born out of a violent explosion that killed John “Reddy” Smith, then what elemental was born out of the violent explosion that killed Nathaniel Adam?  Swamp Thing tells Cap he’ll have to work that one out for himself.

The Black Racer makes one last grab for Captain Atom, but misses his mark when Cap and Brainwave find themselves in reality once again, surrounded by the Justice League.  Captain Atom thanks Brainwave and leaves, much to Blue Beetle’s chagrin.

This is not the end of Captain Atom’s brushes with the Black Racer or Red Tornado.  He and Red end up as allies and the Black Racer never gives up on catching Nathaniel Adam.  The art of this issue is superb, truly Pat Broderick did not phone this one in.  The story was pretty good as well, raising some really important questions about exactly WHAT Captain Atom really is.  I give this issue an A.

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Captain Atom #16 (June 1988)

Tags

Babylon, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Bob Smith, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Cary Bates, Doctor Spectro, Dr. Megala, Duncan Andrews, General Eiling, Greg Weisman, Jeffrey "Goz" Goslin, Major Force, Margaret Eiling/Peggy Adam, Martin Allard, Mister Miracle, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pat Broderick, Red Tornado, Shelly Eiber, Starshine Stone, Swamp Thing

“The Big Blowout”

• Writers:  Cary Bates & Greg Weisman
• Pencils:  Pat Broderick
• Inks:  Bob Smith
• Colors:  Shelley Eiber
• Letters:  Duncan Andrews

This issue hit the stands on March 1, 1988.  This issue featured Cap’s JLI friends and his first meeting with Red Tornado.

When this issue opens, General Eiling and Dr. Megala are looking at images of Captain Atom taking a beating from Major Force (from the last issue) and discussing whether or not Force should be reprimanded.  Dr. Megala thinks he should be, but Eiling says that since Nate quit the Air Force, he had that beating coming to him.  Megala warns that if the surveillance video of the fight ever gets out, it would be devastating to their project.  Eiling says that isn’t a concern; he is having Allard wipe the tapes.  He begins to wheel Megala out of his command room, but is intercepted by Babylon.  Allard reports that Major Force is again under control as Babylon wheels Megala away, and Megala continues to beat himself up over the mess he’s gotten Nathaniel Adam into.

Back in his apartment, Nate has made the discovery that bruises acquired in his metal exo-shell also appear on his human non-super-hero face.

Nate is upset that he couldn’t stay away from Major Force and Dr. Spectro.  Upon leaving his apartment (wearing dark sunglasses and a fedora to hide his bruises), Nate discovers an eviction notice on his apartment door.  He pawns his watch for $375.  As he walks home contemplating his bills, Nate discovers a business called “Mellow Yellows.”  The sign outside declares it an “authentic 60s nostalgia outlet,” and that they buy and sell memorabilia.

Inside Mellow Yellows, two boys are arguing about the first astronaut to go up in a Gemini capsule.  One says it was John Glenn, the other insists it was Gus Grissom.  Nate cuts in and says it was actually Alan Shepard and that the model the two are arguing over is of a Mercury capsule, not Gemini.  The owner of the business comes over and introduces herself as Starshine Stone.  Nate introduces himself as Cameron Scott and asks how much she’ll give him for an authentic JFK keyring from the 1960 presidential campaign.  She offers him $250 and then tells Nate if he can answer four more “vintage questions,” she’ll pay him double.

Of course, Nate wins the wager.  After all, it was the 1960s just a year or so ago for him.  After a little shameless flirting with Starshine, he leaves the store with his slightly-ill-gotten $500.

The story cuts to a couple of freaked-out meteorologists (probably at the National Weather Service).  They are very worried about a storm brewing off the Eastern seaboard of the United States, from the Gulf of Mexico as far north as Washington, DC.  Not only is the storm massive, but one of the meteorologists thinks it is alive.  He warns his coworker that they must notify the Governor, the National Guard, and the Justice League.

At the JLI New York Embassy, Blue Beetle is on monitor duty when the warning comes through.

Beetle assembles the Justice League.  Mister Miracle, Black Canary, and Booster Gold come running.  The hurricane is somehow “saying” that it has a duty to cleanse the Earth.  With Blue Beetle as acting leader, the JLI piles into the shuttle and heads towards the eye of the storm.  As they approach, some relief workers on the ground who are busy piling sandbags hear the “voice of the storm.”  It says, “I descend upon the Earth to rid it of the impurities which have tainted its skies for so long! For I am the elemental of the air!”  This is the first mention of elementals in the pages of Captain Atom, and it is an important theme throughout the title’s run.

On the shuttle, Black Canary recognizes the voice of the storm as that of her old team-mate Red Tornado.  She uses her sonic scream to communicate with the Red Tornado elemental/hurricane.  In response, the storm blasts the shuttle, sending its occupants flying about the cabin.  A giant cloud hand grabs the shuttle and places it on the ground outside the storm’s radius.  The JLI emerges from the ship and the face of Red Tornado appears in the clouds and addresses them.

He warns that if they try and interfere again, he will kill them.   Blue Beetle calls for backup, which means Cap’s pager goes off just as he is buzzing Peggy and Goz up to his apartment.  He leaves his friend and daughter a hastily scrawled note of apology and jumps out the window on his way to the storm in Louisiana.

The JLI has their hands full saving civilians on the ground and have just about given up hope that their backup will arrive when Captain Atom arrives on the scene.  They brief Cap on the situation and point out how dangerously close the storm is to the Langley Nuclear Reactor Plant.  Beetle doesn’t believe Cap is up to the task of fighting Red Tornado (based on the bruises on his face), but Cap ignores him and flies towards the storm.

Red Tornado knocks Cap into the Gulf of Mexico, but the hero doesn’t stay down.  He returns to the storm and begins circling it at a rapid speed.  He draws energy from the quantum field to create a counter-vortex that deflects the storm from the path of the nuclear plant.  The storm is diverted over a nearby swamp, where the battle is watched by an angry Swamp Thing.

To be continued next issue.  So we have the earth elemental, the air elemental, and Captain Atom facing off in the next issue.  It promises to be an epic battle.

This wasn’t a spectacular story.  I do like Blue Beetle’s mistrust of Captain Atom for no particular reason that is hinted at in this story, though.  I never cared much for Starshine Stone, either.  I don’t know why she bugs me.  I give it the story B-.  But Pat Broderick and Bob Smith have knocked it out of the park again. A for art.

Captain Atom #1 (November 2011)

Tags

Captain Atom, Dr. Megala, Freddie E. Williams II, J. T. Krul, José Villarrubia, New 52 Captain Atom, Ranita Carter, Rob Leigh, Stanley Lau

“Evolution of the Species”

• Writer:  J. T. Krul
• Pencils & Inks:  Freddie E. Williams II
• Colors:  José Villarrubia
• Letters:  Rob Leigh
• Cover Artist:  Stanley Lau

And then there was the New 52.  In September, 2011, DC Comics consolidated and relaunched their comic lines, discontinuing some series, and introducing yet other series, resulting in 52 titles, each with a new #1. That consolidation included the incorporation of both WildStorm Productions and the reincorporation of certain Vertigo properties into the mainstream DC Universe.  One of the characters given another shot at a series was Captain Atom (the New 52 also saw the return of Firestorm, the Nuclear Man – one of Cap’s old buddies).  Captain Atom (volume 3) #1 was available for sale on September 21, 2011.  It did not feature an origin story (that was to come a year later in Captain Atom #0), but did again establish that Nathaniel Adam was an Air Force pilot who somehow gained super powers.

The story opens (after a brief interlude in San Francisco with a rat rummaging around a sleeping homeless guy) in Chicago with Captain Atom blasting a robot dude on the streets.  He chides his enemy, telling him that “firing energy cannons at the guy who absorbs energy – not the smartest strategy.”  Preparing to punch the guy and “crack his eggshell,” Cap pauses as he notices something on a microscopic level.  He evaporates the man’s robot armor – turning it to dust – then gazes at his hand (which appears to begin dissipating), thinking he is losing his control over his body at the molecular level.

Cap returns to his home base, the Continuum (located “somewhere in Kansas”).  He briefly flirts with Dr. Ranita Carter before she is dismissed by Dr. Megala.  The New 52 Megala is even more crippled than the Modern Age Megala.  Megala asks Cap what went wrong with robot guy.  Cap sums up the exchange.

Dr. Megala explains that Captain Atom’s powers are nuclear in nature; that he taps into the SNF (Strong Nuclear Force – the energy that binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus).  His body seems to split atoms repeatedly, giving him incredible energy.  His hand became unstable because it did not reform the atoms as quickly as it split them.  Megala explains to Nathaniel that he was lucky it was his hand and not his brain.  He would cease to exist.  In simple terms, using his powers could kill Captain Atom.

Ranita interrupts the two with information that there is significant seismic activity detected in New York City.  As a result, the nuclear reactors at Indian Point are critical and a breach is iminent.  It is not the result of an earthquake, but a volcano in Manhattan.  Captain Atom doesn’t hesitate, flying for New York.

Cap makes it to Indian point from Kansas in about an hour (the original Captain Atom could also fly at super speeds).  Cap absorbs the leaked radiation while Megala’s words haunt him (“Using your powers could kill you.”).  That part of the crisis averted, he moves his attention to the volcano.  Realizing there are too many people in harm’s way to effectively move them all to safety, he transmutes to lava into snow (“the opposite of lava,” he thinks).

Meanwhile, on the streets of San Francisco, a homeless man is chasing a rat.  His homeless pals thinks he plans to eat it, but the rat (with ominous glowing red eyes) has been stealing his food and he wants to break it’s neck.  But before he can get his hands on it, the rat transforms into a multi-limbed, multi-mouthed monster.  Interesting interlude that I’m sure will pay off later.  Back in New York, Captain Atom is determined to stop the volcanic threat at the source.  The heat is producing too much energy for him to absorb (it isn’t yet established whether or not the New 52 Cap will “time bump” when absorbing too much energy [as he predecessor, the Modern Age Cap, did], but clearly there are limits to how much he can take in before harming himself).  He jumps into the volcano, trying to neutralize it at the source.  Although he does manage to “put out” the volcano, the heat begins to tear him apart and he can feel himself losing control.

As he melts down, he thinks to himself, “If this is the end, at least I died doing some good for once.”  Meaning what exactly?  Is this Nate also a war criminal?  Has he hurt people?  When the New 52 was introduced, the readers were tossed into the new books with their stories already in progress (for the most part).  After a year, DC launched a “zero month” with special issues that featured the character’s origin stories (although this wasn’t the case for Firestorm and some others, it was for Captain Atom).  This means we are fed little bits and pieces of Captain Atom’s history and abilities as the series progressed.  Of course, he didn’t die in this issue because there was a #2.  As well as 3-12 and #0.

I have to be honest.  This is not my favorite version of Captain Atom.  I don’t hate it.  Just not entirely in love with it.  I think he’s too much like Dr. Manhattan.  The original Cap was a brilliant scientist as well as an Air Force Captain.  He was almost omnipotent.  So was Dr. Manhattan.  The Modern Age Cap was just a soldier who gained powers.  And he had some serious limitations.  It is hard to get excited about a guy who can do practically anything.  That’s why I lost interest in Superman.  No real challenges for the heroes.  Also, at first, I was not super crazy about Freddie Williams artwork.  I thought it looked kind of sloppy.  It has since grown on me and I now think it is quite good.  It has a certain dark and ominous tone.  And J. T. Krull certainly had me hooked with the story.  I wanted to know more about Nate, more about Ranita, and was extremely curious to find out whether General Eiling or Major Force would return.  Or perhaps someone from Cap’s Silver or Bronze Age days.  Nightshade?  The Ghost?  Dare we hope, the Fiery Icer or Iron Arms?  One can dream.  I give this issue an A-.

Captain Atom #87 (August 1967)

Tags

A. Machine, Abby Ladd, Bronze Age Captain Atom, David Kaler, Fiery Icer, Gunner, Nightshade, Rocke Mastroserio, Steve Ditko

“The Menace of the Fiery Icer”

• Writer: David Kaler
• Pencils: Steve Ditko
• Inks: Rocke Mastroserio
• Letters: A Machine

In my review of Captain Atom #86, I said I wanted a Cap solo adventure, not another team-up with Nightshade.  Well, I got my wish.  But Nightshade is still here, in a back-up story as Blue Beetle now has his own title (the series ran from June 1967 to November 1968 but was only five issues).

This issue begins with Allen Adam and his buddy Gunner stationed at a missile tracking station in the Caribbean.  They are taking a dip in the ocean after work when Adam spots a swimmer in trouble (being approached by sharks to be exact).  Adam leaps to the rescue, transforming into Captain Atom.

Captain Atom punches and kicks the sharks as Gunner swims the man to safety.  Yeah, that’s right.  Captain Atom punched a shark.  Who’s the badass now, Aquaman?

Meanwhile, a masked dude in red leading a group of green-clad masked dudes storms the missile base.  Turning a dial on his belt, the red guy blasts the MPs with heat, forcing them to drop their rifles before knocking them out with a blast of cold.  Then he starts blowing crap up by augmenting the temperatures he is blasting.

Captain Atom, still beating up sharks (quite unnecessarily at this point) hears the explosions.  He leaves the shark victim with Gunner and heads for the base, moaning about what a lousy vacation this has been.

Cap starts punching the guys in green.  An MP calls out a warning about the man in red.  “His powers of heat and cold are deadly!” is met with the retort, “Meet the Fiery Icer, boys!”

Okay, it was the 60s.  Comics were aimed at kids.  The name says his powers.  I must pack away my snide comments for now.  The Fiery Icer it is.  NOT a dumb name at all.  A name of POWER.  A name to be FEARED.  A name to be rubbed on sore muscles…

Captain Atom turns up his own heat to combat the ice from the Fiery Icer.  The men in green dive onto Cap, who dispatches them easily.  The Fiery Icer creates a steam effect allowing him and his men to escape undetected.

Searching for the villain and his goons, Cap sees a freighter off-shore.  He rightly assumes it must be where the Fiery Icer has hidden.  Spotting his approach on the radar, the Fiery Icer switches on his “magneto-beam” to draw Atom in closer.  Then blasting him with an “instafreeze beam,” and wrapping him in “freezing cell-belts,” the crooks manage to completely subdue Captain Atom.

For someone as powerful as he is supposed to be, Captain Atom sure does get subdued a lot.

The crooks drop their frozen bundle overboard to die at sea like “Professor Javits,” the man Cap and Gunner rescued from the sharks.  Sinking fast, Cap manages to melt the ice he was encased in but the belts are quickly freezing the water around him.  Resurfacing, he turns back into Captain Adam to conserve his strength.  

Adam spots the freighter but is quickly captured by the Fiery Icer’s goons.  He is taken to their headquarters on the shore and is thrown into a room with none other than Abby Ladd, the reporter who hates Captain Atom.  The Icer reveals that Ladd was searching for Javits when he captured her.

Adam feigns an escape attempt, taking a heat blast from Fiery and falling into the water nearby.  As Abby cries over the “dead” Allen Adam, Adam changes back into Captain Atom underwater.  Forgetting he has the power to become intangible, Atom searches for a way to get back in undetected.

Finding a generator, Atom tries something new and draws power off of it in an attempt to recharge himself.  It works (new power!) and power surges back through him.

He makes for a radio room, taking out the green-clad thugs as he goes.  Cap radios Gunner for backup, and begins searching the base for the Fiery Icer.  The Icer is about to freeze Abby Ladd to death when he gets news that Captain Atom is alive and busting up the place.

Catching up to Cap, the Icer encases him in ice again, but Atom breaks out easily.  The villain manages to knock Cap over and begins pouring ice and fire onto him.  But Captain Atom keeps bouncing back from the attacks.

As Gunner and a group of MPs storm the building, Captain Atom and the Fiery Icer continue to battle, destroying the building around them.  Just as the Icer is getting the upperhand, Captain Atom comes up swinging again and beats his enemy into unconsciousness.

Changing back into his uniform and into Allen Adam, Cap goes to free Abby Ladd.  He tells her he is alive thanks to Captain Atom, who has done a lot for this country and isn’t the glory hound poser she thinks he is.  Abby begins making dinner plans with Adam but Gunner rescues him by saying Eve and her Senator dad are waiting for him back at the base.

We never learned the Fiery Icer’s motivation.  Why did he attack the base?  What did Javits have to do with it?  What was Abby’s story about?  How did the Fiery Icer get his weapons?  Who was he?  I know I promised I’d start having more fun with these old comics, but this one was a sloppy mess.

However, despite his unfortunately stupid name, the Fiery Icer proved to be the most formidable adversary Captain Atom has faced yet.  He really gave Cap a run for his money.  And the Ditko/Mastroserio team has once again knocked it out of the park.  The images I’ve selected for this entry back that claim up.  The A+ art and the D story combine to give this issue a C.  It really could have been so much better.

This “universe” was absorbed into DC Comics’ Multiverse when the Charlton characters were purchased by DC.  This universe became Earth-4.

On the letters page, a reader named Sean Cook in Eldorado, Kansas turns out to be sort of prophetic.  He suggests a team called THE CRIMEBUSTERS, featuring Captain Atom, Blue Beetle, Peacemaker, Nightshade, Thunderbolt, and the Question.  In Watchmen #2 (written by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, published in October 1986 – nearly twenty years after Captain Atom # 87), the superheroes of that era banded together to form THE CRIMEBUSTERS. The Watchmen Crimebusters were Dr. Manhattan (inspired by Captain Atom), Nite Owl (inspired by Blue Beetle), The Comedian (inspired by Peacemaker), Silk Spectre (inspired by Nightshade), Ozymandias (inspired by Thunderbolt), and Rorschach (inspired by The Question).  Coincidence?  Or did Moore and Gibbons see Sean Cook’s letter?