The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #6 (August 2017)

Tags

Anna Dittman, Cary Bates, Dr. Megala, General Eiling, Genji Sato, Greg Weisman, Ivan Nunes, Jim Chadwick, Kristy Quinn, Post-Rebirth Captain Atom, Saida Temofonte, Ultramax, Will Conrad

“Mission Creep”

• Writers: Cary Bates, Greg Weisman
• Pencils & Inks: Will Conrad
• Colors: Ivan Nunes
• Letters: Saida Temofonte
• Editors: Jim Chadwick, Kristy Quinn
• Cover Artist: Anna Dittmann

Time to rip off the band-aid and dive into the last issue of this mini-series. At first I put off covering this one because I wanted to see where Captain Atom went next (nowhere as it turned out). Then I just kind of forgot about it. For about four years. If you want to hear my initial thoughts on the issue, listen to this episode of my podcast. For the purposes of this blog, I will not relisten to the episode and do this fresh. Is that cool with all my reader?

This story opens with Mr. Thrane approaching an abandoned car in a desolate valley in 2008. There he finds a dossier and a video message from Eiling. Thrane’s target is Flip Kovic, a terrorist-for-hire that the US government hasn’t had any luck taking down. Eiling reports Kovic is somewhere in the United States before doing a quick and awkward Liam Neeson impression.

Eiling gives Thrane the number of a third party who is brokering a deal with Kovic and informs him half his fee has been transferred to his Cayman Island account. As Thrane strolls away from the vehicle it explodes.

In present day (2017), Captain Atom is at Eiling’s house warning him that Thrane now has a kill list and Eiling is on it. When they were fighting in the quantum field, Atom and Thrane merged minds and Nate saw Eiling hiring the killer in 2008. He tells the General to cut the crap and be straight. Eiling finally comes clean and says he hired Max Thrane to take out Kovic, which he did by feeding the man to alligators in the Everglades. He says he is the one who flipped on Thrane. Atom pulls a Batman and leaves the General in mid-sentence while his back is turned.

The next morning, Nate is at his wife’s grave. He tells her he has met his son Genji and understands why he hates his deadbeat disappearing dad. We then cut to a news report where the broadcaster states that if he really wants the public to accept him, Captain Atom needs to bring in Ultramax.

Ultramax has sent Captain Atom and General Eiling an ultimatum. Present themselves to him or he kills Genji, whom he has kidnapped. Turns out Max learned some secrets himself when he and Nate merged minds. He wants Nate and Eiling alone at dawn in the same valley from 2008. If anyone else shows up, Max will kill Genji.

Megala and Eiling think they might have a chance against Ultramax with the special ammo they’ve developed, lead-lined explosive uranium bullets. Apparently they were created to take down Nate in his previously unstable form.

The next morning, Cap and Eiling arrive at the meeting point. Max releases Genji as Atom releases Eiling. As they pass each other, Eiling whispers to the kid to watch for his signal. He whips out his gun and tires as Captain Atom swoops in and flies his son to safety. Of course the special ammo doesn’t work. It just pisses Max off.

Captain Atom flies in and deflects Ultramax’s attack. Max says after he killed the General he was going to come after Atom and Genji anyway. Nate unleashes quantum hell on Max while protecting Eiling from Max’s attack.

Eiking tells Nate to leave him and save his son. Nate wasn’t born yesterday though. He has figured out what Project Resurgence is and why the military was keeping close tabs on Genji and keeping Nate away from his son.

Reflecting Ultramax’s power back at him knocks the psycho out. Genji comes out of hiding and joins Eiling and Nate. Genji shakes Captain Atom’s hand before Nate gathers up Max and flies him to seek medical attention.

Very early the next morning, Megala meets with Eiling back at the base. According to their surveillance, Genji actually absorbed a bit of Max’s power, which should have killed him. It looks like Genji just might actually be a Captain Atom Junior.

• 

Back at his wife’s grave, Nate gets a final message from his whistle blower. It is, of course, Dr. Megala. He doesn’t tip Nate off about Genji’s possible powers though. The issue and mini-series ends with the Justice League in the Watchtower viewing a news report stating that the public now has trust in Captain Atom.

• 

As of this writing, it has been about four years since this book was published. The next time we saw a Captain Atom, he was back in his old silver skin with boots and gloves. His old ’80s look. He did not join the Justice League, and we never learned what became of his son. If we ever get another series written by this team, I’m sure all these questions will be answered.

I absolutely love this book. I think the writing was excellent, and it was some of the best art in a Captain Atom series I have ever seen. No offense intended to the legendary Pat Broderick. I give this book and the series a solid A.

Edit: After I wrote this, I listened to the episode of my podcast where I discussed this issue. Apparently at the time I was not impressed at all with this one. I have no idea why my opinion changed over the course of the last four years.

The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #4 (June 2017)

Tags

Post-Rebirth Captain Atom

“Shock and Awe”

• Writers: Cary Bates, Greg Weisman
• Pencils & Inks: Will Conrad
• Colors: Ivan Nunes
• Letters: Saida Temofonte
• Editors: Jim Chadwick, Kristy Quinn
• Cover Artist: Carlos D’Anda

From Silver and Gold Podcast episode 27:

Sorry for the delay, folks. Life gets in the way of podcasting sometimes. With that said, OMG April was a great month for both our heroes!

First we had “Booster Trouble” by Mark Russell, Rick Leonardi, Scott Hanna, Steve Buccellato, Dave Sharpe, Marie Javins, Brittany Holzherr, Michael Allred, Laura Allred, Dan Jurgens, Norm Rapmund, and Hi-Fi Design from Booster Gold/The Flinstones Special #1. Yep, a new Booster Gold comic!

Then there was “Shock and Awe” by Cary Bates, Greg Weisman, Will Conrad, Ivan Nunes, Saida Temofonte, Jim Chadwick, Kristy Quinn, Bobbie Chase, and Carlos D’Anda from The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #4. Yep, a new Captain Atom comic!

Our excitement will not be contained. Listen now!

Guest Stars: Fred Flintstone, Barney Rubble, Skeets, Wilma Flintstone, Max Thrane, Dr. Megala, General Eiling, “Captain Atom Jr.”

Remember to use the hashtag #SNGPOD when commenting on social media!

Follow us on Twitter! (@SNGPOD4779)

Music
Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Meet the Flintstones – The Skip Jacks
My Heart Has a Mind of It’s Own – Connie Frances
I Swear – All 4 One
I Wanna be a Flintstone – Screaming Blue Messiahs
Don’t Wanna Know – Maroon 5
(Meet) The Flintstones – The B-52’s

Click here to play Silver and Gold episode 27!

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #3 (May 2017)

Tags

Dr. Megala, General Eiling, Genji Sato, Post-Rebirth Captain Atom

“Back to the Future”

• Writers: Cary Bates, Greg Weisman
• Pencils and Inks: Will Conrad
• Colors: Ivan Nunes
• Letters: Saida Temofonte
• Editors: Jim Chadwick, Kristy Quinn
• Cover Artist: Marguerite Sauvage

It’s Silver and Gold Podcast episode 26! Listen to Roy and Jay via the world’s most sensitive microphone as they discuss “Runback” from Booster Gold (vol 1) #15 by Dan Jurgens, Bob Lewis, Bruce D. Patterson, Gene D’Angelo, Augustin Mas, and Barbara Randall. Jay fights a cold as the two then discuss “Back to the Future” from The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom (vol 1) #3 by Cary Bates, Greg Weisman, Will Conrad,  Marguerite Sauvage, Ivan Nunes, Saida Temofonte, Jim Chadwick, and Kristy Quinn.

Guest Stars: Rip Hunter, Dr. Soo, Animal, Michelle Carter, Broderick, Goldstar, Dr. Megala, General Eiling, “Captain Atom Jr.”

Gold Watch: The month Booster Gold #15 was published, Booster also appeared in The New Teen Titans #30 and The Outsiders #18.

Remember to use the hashtag #SNGPOD when commenting on social media!

Follow us on Twitter! (@SNGPOD4779)

Music
Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Shake You Down – Gregory Abbott
The Rainbow Connection – Kermit the Frog
Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake
Run Back – Carl Douglas

Click here to play Silver & Gold episode 26!

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #2 (April 2017)

Tags

Cary Bates, Greg Weisman, Ivan Nunes, Jim Chadwick, Kristy Quinn, Post-Rebirth Captain Atom, Saida Temofonte, Will Conrad

“Past Imperfect”

• Writer: Cary Bates
• Co-Plotter: Greg Weisman
• Pencils & Inks: Will Conrad
• Colors: Ivan Nunes
• Letters: Saida Temofonte
• Editor: Kristy Quinn
• Group Editor: Jim Chadwick

Roy “Charlemagne” Cleary and FKAjason return to review “A Future Lost” from Booster Gold (vol 1) #14 by Dan Jurgens, Mike DeCarlo, John Costanza, Gene D’Angelo, and Barbara Randall. Booster’s in the future and on the run from the cops.

Then we review “Past Imperfect” from The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom (vol 1) #2 by Cary Bates, Greg Weisman, Will Conrad, Ivan Nunes, Saida Temofonte, Kristy Quinn, and Jim Chadwick. Lost in time, Captain Atom tries to make a new life for himself with disastrous results.

Guest Stars: Rip Hunter, Dr. Soo, Broderick, Goldstar

Gold Watch: The month Booster Gold #14 was published, Booster also appeared in The New Teen Titans #29.

Remember to use the hashtag #SNGPOD when commenting on social media!

Follow us on Twitter! (@SNGPOD4779)

Music
Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Walk Like an Egyptian – The Bangles
Bad and Boujee ft Lil Uzi Vert – Migos
This Time Imperfect – AFI

Click here to play episode 25!

Silver and Gold Episode 07: Missing In Action!

Tags

Anton Sarrock, Augustin Mas, Aunt Jeanie, Babylon, Blackguard, Bob Smith, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Carl Gafford, Cary Bates, Dan Jurgens, Dirk Davis, Dr. Megala, General Eiling, Homer Lockleed, Margaret Eiling/Peggy Adam, Martin Allard, Martin Lockleed, Mike DeCarlo, Mindancer, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nansi Hoolahan, Pat Broderick, Skeets, The Director, Thorn, Trixie Collins

This time out, Jay and Roy review Booster Gold (vol 1) #4 by Dan Jurgens, Mike DeCarlo, Nansi Hoolahan, and Augustin Mas. Thorn, Booster, and Skeets battle Mindancer, Blackgaurd, and the 1,000. Then we review Captain Atom (DC, vol 1) #4 by Cary Bates, Pat Broderick, Bob Smith, Carl Gafford, and Augustin Mas. Nathaniel Adam is finally reunited with his daughter after his 18-year-absence. Plus, scads of your listener feedback!

Music
Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Peaches – The Presidents of the United States of America
Silver and Gold – Pee Wee King

Direct Link.

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Check out or tumblr page for images from this issue.

Silver and Gold Episode 05: Fighting Mad!

Tags

Augustin Mas, Blackguard, Booster Gold, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Dan Jurgens, Dirk Davis, Dr. Megala, General Eiling, Jeffrey "Goz" Goslin, Margaret Eiling/Peggy Adam, Mike DeCarlo, Mindancer, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nansi Hoolahan, Silver Age Captain Atom, Skeets, The Director, The Love Boat, Thorn, Trixie Collins

In episode 05 of the Silver & Gold Podcast, we discuss Booster Gold (Vol 1) #3, The Night Has Two-Thousand Eyes (by Dan Jurgens, Mike DeCarlo, Nansi Hoolahan, and Augustin Mas), and Captain Atom (DC Vol 1) #3, Blast from the Past (by Cary Bates, Pat Broderick, Bob Smith, Carl Gafford, and John Costanza). Also, FKAjason and Charlemagne’s secret origins are revealed, that’s what friends are for, Booster in peril, Thorn’s fashion choices, The Love Boat, Booster Gold looks like an idiot, typical Eddie, a wall of balls, Mindancer’s brain bolt, Firestorm as the star of the book, Captain Atom’s creepy meeting with his daughter, and Nate going critical.

Remember to use the hashtag #SNGPOD when commenting on social media!

Follow us on Twitter! (@SNGPOD4779)

Music
Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Gold – Spandau Ballet

Direct Link.

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher!

Check out our tumblr page for images from this episode.

 

 

 

 

Captain Atom #19 (September 1988)

Tags

Bob Smith, Captain Atom, Cary Bates, Greg Weisman, Helen Vesik, Jeffrey "Goz" Goslin, Margaret Eiling/Peggy Adam, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pat Broderick, Shelly Eiber, Starshine Stone

“Life After the Dead”

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

This issue of Captain Atom was published June 7, 1988. It opens with a stunning drawing by Broderick & Smith of Captain Atom flying over Washington, DC, reflecting on the Washington Monument. His inner monologue reads, “Every time I fly past the Washington Monument I can’t help remembering the civil rights movement… and the 200,000 people who marched here back in ’63.  Hard to believe a whole generation has come and gone since the turbulent times of the Sixties. Those were the days, my friends…”

I like these little reminders that Nate is displaced from time. It is the thing that most sets him apart from other versions of Captain Atom. I also like his dangerously-close-to-a-mullet new hairdo. Since he’s quit the military, Nate has grown his hair out. With his new ‘do, he’d look right at home in 1976. Like his hair is slowly catching up with the times.

Nate calls on Starshine Stone, the proprietor of Mellow Yellows. He met her in Captain Atom #16 when he sold her a keychain. This time he’s selling her a leather peace medallion signed and dated by Dr. Timothy Leary. Starshine is quite impressed and offers Nate $200 for the item. Nate asks her for a job, which she gives him but warns she can’t pay as well as the Air Force.

Their quaint conversation about 1960s sitcoms is interrupted by a bedraggled homeless-looking guy entering the shop. He’s Mitch, Starshine’s ex-husband. With him are two thugs in suits who inform Starshine that Mitch owes them $600 (for cocaine he has used without paying for, apparently) and Mitch told them Starshine would pay. Starshine says she will not pay for Mitch’s drugs and Nate asks the men to leave. The bigger thug begins to draw a gun.

Nate smashes open a lava lamp and throws the contents in the larger thug’s face. It burns him, naturally (lava lamops don’t really have lava inside – that would be impossible – but they do have super hot wax inside). Nate drop kicks the other thug as he draws his weapon and throws them both out of the store. He turns to deal with Mitch but Starshine stops him. She says basically Mitch is her cross to bear.

Starshine refuses to give Mitch money as she knows he will just spend it on more drugs. She kicks him out of the store and locks up for the day.

Later, Nate and Peggy are jogging with Gos huffing and puffing behind them, trying to keep up. Peggy is warning her dad to take it easy with Starshine. He might freak her out with his trippy 1960s knowledge. Also, while he is physically ten years younger than Starshine, Nate is actually 20 years older (because of his quantum boost through time). Nate says the age difference doesn’t matter and runs on ahead of his daughter and friend, who are now holding hands. Wake up, Nate!

Let me just point out right here that I do not have a problem with May-December romances or interracial relationships. This is a sticky subject that comes up in the pages of Captain Atom later on. Fan reaction to Peggy and Goz’s relationship was dissapointing to say the least. Nate himself struggles with some backward notions when he discovers the truth. No, the thing that bugs me (and makes me say “Wake up, Nate,” is the fact that Goz is Peggy’s godfather and Nate’s best friend. While I personally think my own daughter Tabby is free to date whomever she wishes, if she were to date my best friend Roy, I may have to kill him. You don’t date your best friend’s daughter.

Later, Nate is walking Starshine home while she reminisces about how she and Mitch met and how good their relationship had once been. I’m not entirely sure Nate was listening though. When she says, “See you tomorrow at the store, Cameron,” he thinks to himself, “Tomorrow at the store. I’ll ask her tomorrow at the store.” Nate’s thinking with the wrong head.

Was that crass?

Nate hears Starshine scream and charges into her house. Mitch has broken in, and collapsed in a pool of his own sick. While Nate calls an ambulance, Starshine blames herself for not heloping Mitch earlier. When the paramedics haul Mitch away, Starshine asks for alone time and runs into her house. Nate is left on the sidewalk, withthe two goons from earlier watching him. They plan to come back later to get their money from Starshine and hope Nate is still around so they can get another crack at him. Nate sees them and glares but does not yet go all Captain Atom.

That evening, when the two crooks do try to break in, Cap shows up and melts their guns. He flies them high above the city and demands information. Nate wants to go after the big boss. They quickly give him an address and he dumps them into a nearby dumpster.

At the aforementioned address, the boss is on the phones making plans for a deal, completely unaware that Captain Atom is listening outside his window.

Captain Atom bursts in and gives “Ramone” the angry-sparky-eyes. Later, in a dark downtown alleyway, a car approaches an overcoated, fedora-wearing, briefcase-carrying figure. The men in the car identify him as Ramone. They are fellow gangmembers sent to shoot Ramone down because he “talks too much.” They open fire on the man and reach for the briefcase.

Of course, it isn’t Ramone. It is Captain Atom. And he didn’t get gunned down. Because he’s Captain Atom. When they discover the briefcase is empty, Cap blasts their guns out of their hands before grabbing the ringleader and flying off with him.

At 4:30 the next morning, fifteen miles south of the Florida Keys, Captain Atom witnesses a plane dropping off a shipment of drugs to a nearby fishing boat. He sinks the boat and heads after the plane. He’s hoping the plane will lead him to “the last link in the pipeline.” He follows the plane to an island where poppies are being grown and harvested.

Captain Atom begins burning the poppy fields. The cartel opens fire and launches missiles at the hero. Of course, they fail. Cap destroys all their equipment, confident that he’s brought these particular bad guys to their knees.

Later, Starshine is remembering when Mitch proposed to her at an outdoor music festival. It was a good memory of a good time but the reality of the present creeps in. Mitchell has died. Starshine slips a peace symbol momento into the corpse’s hand and buries her face in Nate’s shoulder.

“Captain Atom Versus the South American Drug Lords” was a fine story. I like to see him taking down common thugs and criminals instead of always slugging it out with super-villains. Cary and Greg told a concise, solid story with some hints at subplots hat will come up later. Pat and Bob did some great work, particularly when Cap was burning the poppy fields. My one complaint was that Captain Atom looked a little awkward when he was hovering outside Ramone’s window. That aside, I give this issue an A.

Captain Atom next appears in Animal Man (vol 1) #1.

(All characters and images belong to DC Comics and I am not making any profit off this blog.)

Captain Atom #18 (August 1988)

Tags

Babylon, Bob Smith, Captain Atom, Cary Bates, Colonel Uber, Dr. Megala, Duncan Andrews, General Eiling, Greg Weisman, Major Force, Margaret Eiling/Peggy Adam, Martin Allard, Master Militarius, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pat Broderick, Shelley Eiber

“Power Play”

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

This issue was published in May of 1988.  It opens with General Eiling paying a visit Dr. Megala.  He demands that Megala quit “playing sick” and gets back to the base.  Eiling wants Megala on hand for the launch of something called the Force-One.  Megala points out he is convalescing and that he is no longer needed for the Force-One project anyway.  Eiling tries to convince him that he needs to come because the Force-One is a vital key to keeping Major Force in check.  The General leaves, meeting Allard outside with a chopper.  Allard asks if there is any improvement in Megala’s condition.  Eiling says Megala feels guilt over unleashing Major Force on the world.  More likely, he feels guilt over the government’s treatment of Nate and could care less about Clifford Zmeck.

Later, as Nate tries to wrap a gift, he receives a call for help from a Colonel Uber.  It seems that Eiling’s helicopter never made it back to base.  Uber, fully aware of Nate’s secret identity, is asking for Captain Atom’s help finding the General.  Nate is not amused.

Back at the base, it seems Megala decided to come in after all. He says it was the General’s “pep talk” that brought him in.  Noticing a glitch, he goes up into the gantry to repair the faulty Force-One.

Later, Nate presents Peggy with the birthday gift he bought her: a bracelet she’s had her eye on for a while.  Peggy begins to cry because this is the first birthday Eiling hasn’t called her since he became her stepfather.  Not expecting this guilt trip, Nate drops in on his ex-wife Angela after dropping Peggy off.  Of course, Angela has been dead for a few years so he visits her at the cemetary.  He still doesn’t understand why she married Eiling after his own “death,” but concedes that he was a good father and must have been a good husband.  He drops flowers on her grave and tells her he knows what she’d want him to do.

Cut to some place completely dark where Eiling and Allard are being held.  Allard lights a match, but visibility is near zero.  We get a rare glimpse of Eiling’s human side when allard apologizes for passing out and the General says there no shame in it; he passed out himself.

Back at the base, Captain Atom shows up with Eiling’s crashed helicopter.  He found in on the north face of Wiley’s Peak.  Colonel uber appreciates Cap’s help but when pressed, Nate refuses to tell him why he changed his mind.  Uber theorizes that the General was kidnapped by Major Force, who has been AWOL for ten days.  The Major has strayed 200 miles outside of their sensor range.  Uber explains that Megala’s Satellite (set to launch that night), the Force One, will fix that glitch and give the military constant tabs on Force.

All the while Cap and Uber are talking we see Megala hard at work on his rocket.  Atom flies off to continue his search for General Eiling.

Eiling and Allard manage to burst out of their dark cell.  Allard is convinced that Major Force is their captor, but the General is not so sure. Allard recall nozzles coming out of the helicopter’s control panel and shooting nerve gas at them.  Eiling says the gas only could have been put in at Megala’s retreat.  The evidence doesn’t add up to Major Force.  Eiling can recall seeing someone beat their downed helicopter with an iron mallet before passing out.

Just then, a television mounted on the ceiling outside their cell comes to life and General Eiling meets his kidnapper.

 “Master Militarius,” according to Allard, was one of the villains Captain Atom fought while he was working in secret (the “Big Lie” – Nate’s cover story).  Whomever this is, they most likely know Cap’s cover is a lie.  Allard and Eiling don’t have a chance to work this out.  A cannon emerges from the walls and begin to shoot bouncy black balls around the room.  The two captors use the wooden door of their cell as a shield, but the balls begin to smash it to bits.  Clearly Master Militarius means to kill them or do serious bodily harm to them.  The two prisoners use the door to jam the cannon, which destroys it.  They go into the next room, the room that housed the cannon, only to find another monitor.  Master Militarius tells them that the entire house was recently renovated with booby traps.  Allard hears rushing water.  The room begins to fill with water while back at the base Uber continues with the countdown for Megala’s rocket.

General Eiling and Allard duck under the water.  Eiling finds a weak spot in the wall where the wood had been rotting and shoves his weight into it.  The two captors burst out of the room, and completely out of the house onto a tranquil hillside.  Eiling thinks their escape was too easy.  He finds Militarius’ costume in some nearby bushes along with a note warning him that he’s in danger of being listed as AWOL.  Allard points out the launch of Megala’s rocket in the distance.

As the two hike back to base, we see Babylon hiding in the bushes wearing Militarius’ coat.

Later, back at the base, Eiling confronts Megala.  He has figured out that it was Babylon that kidnapped him on orders from the doctor.  Megala explained that he needed Eiling out of the way while he added something special to the satellite’s payload.  There is a monitor connected to a device in the rocket. At the point of Megala’s death, a message will be broadcast to the world by the satellite.  The message will expose the truth about Captain Atom and expose Eiling’s involvement.  It is Megala’s insurance policy (Eiling has tried to have the doctor killed at least once before).

Captain Atom appears, with a very drunk Major Force in tow.  He found the Major stinking drunk in the Swiss Alps, and returned him to Eiling as a favor to the Swiss people.

The issue charmingly ends with Major Force puking on General Eiling’s shoes.

This was not my favorite issue of Captain Atom.  There was not a lot of super-heroing going on.  While I do like to see Nate’s human life, I’m not overly fond of Eiling-heavy stories.  And Allard is such a dork, I wonder how he ever rose so high.  Also, Babylon’s deathtraps really could have killed Eiling and Allard.  Like dead for realsies.  Is that really the kind of guys Babylon and Megala are?  The art was great, though.  Pat Broderick was doing great.  I give this issue an A for art and a C+ for story.

(All characters and images belong to DC Comics and I am not making any profit off this blog.)

 

Captain Atom #13 (February 1988)

Tags

Bob Smith, Captain Atom, Cary Bates, Chester King, Duncan Andrews, Enemy Ace, General Eiling, Greg Weisman, Harris Eiling, Margaret Eiling/Peggy Adam, Martin Allard, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nansi Hoolahan, Nightshade, Pat Broderick, Randall Eiling/Randy Adam

“We Three Kings”

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

So this is Christmas for Captain Atom.  Morose and bittersweet.  I know a lot of Captain Atom fans are not Christian and do not necessarily celebrate December 25 as the birth of Christ, but Nathaniel Adam was raised Catholic.  So I apologize to anyone if they find anything about this post offensive, but I assure you I am not another pig-headed American trying to force his own religion or politics down anyone’s throat.  I see this as just a plot device.

For those of you who are Christian, I wish you a happy Christmas.  To those of you who aren’t, but still celebrate Christmas, a happy Christmas to you as well.  Also, happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, Boxing Day, Day of Goodwill, Slovenia Independence and Unity Day, HumanLight, and whatever significance this time of the year holds for you.

This issue of Captain Atom, cover dated March 1988, hit the spinner rack on December 8, 1987.  It introduced two new supporting cast members (Chester King and Harris Eling [the first Eiling I’ve actually genuinely liked]), and reunited Captain Atom with his old Charlton partner and girlfriend Nightshade (Eve Eden).  It also featured Enemy Ace, a strange character to be found in a Captain Atom book, but it works.

This issue opens with Nate standing on a bridge in a snowy park overlooking a small body of water on Christmas Eve.  He chucks his “Cameron Scott” ID into the water.  In Captain Atom Annual #1, Nate resigned from the Air Force.  He cut all ties with General Eiling, Dr. Megala, Lieutenant Allard, Major Force, and all the other knuckleheads associated with the Captain Atom Project.  But he’s still using the fake identity they provided him with.

Nate feels he is truly free of Eiling.  The General has been keeping Adam in line by threatening to tell Peggy and Randy the truth about their father.  But now Nate feels he has a card that trumps Eiling’s – Major Force.

Noting that the snow makes visibility in the park nearly zero, Nate transforms into Captain Atom, burning away his Air Force uniform in the process, and flies away.

Meanwhile, at his father’s home, General Eiling is stoking his fireplace and thinking about Captain Atom and Major Force.  He knows Nate thinks he has dirt on him, but Eiling also knows he still has dirt on Nate.  Captain Atom is the one, after all, who told the world Major Force’s “origin story.”  Nate can’t reveal the lie without admitting his own guilt.  And that would eventually unravel Captain Atom’s own story – the “big lie.”

So lost in thought is General Eiling that he does not hear his father calling him.  Harris (Eiling’s father) wants to know why his son is so preoccupied.  But Eiling tells his father he can’t discuss “matters pertaining to national security.”  Harris asks his son to try and put his worries aside so that they – and Randy and Peggy – can have a happy holiday.

Back in his apartment (probably in Washington, DC), Nate is going through his bills.  On the coffee table in front of him is the saddest looking Charlie Brown Christmas tree. The apartment is littered with bachelor trash and empty cans (but fear not, Captain Atom fans, it appears Nate has been binge-drinking soda – not beer).  His bank account is dwindling, his friends and family are all out of town, his wife is dead, and he’s sad and alone on Christmas Eve.  But he looks at the bright side – Eiling is no longer in his life.

At this point in the story we meet Chester King.  He’s a young, handsome, happy young man.  He’s on a pay phone with his wife, telling her he has to work late on Christmas Eve for “Mr. Wiley.”  He says he just has to run an errand for his boss and he’ll come straight home.  His wife, a beautiful raven-hared woman in a skimpy outfit, says she’ll keep the egg nog warm for him (gross).  Then Chester calls Mr. Wiley, thanking him for the generous bonus his employer has given him.  Mr. Wiley tells Chester that “the incendiary device” is identical to the type used by the “Black Cougars.”  (The Black Cougars must be the DCU equivalent of the Black Panthers.)

“When the tenement goes up,” assures Chester, “[The Black Cougars] will get all the blame… and you’ll get all the insurance benefits.”

So this “Mr. Wiley” and Chester are involved in some sort of insurance fraud scam.  Chester hangs up the pay phone and is approached by a homeless man who says his name is Bubba.  He asks Chester for a quarter and Chester gives Bubba a wad of bills.

Back at the Eiling house, Randy and Peggy are frolicking in the snow while Harris watches from a window.  He tells General Eiling it reminds him of the first Christmas he spent with them after his son married Angela Adam.  Harris quickly realizes his son isn’t listening to him; he is on the phone with Allard.  General Eiling shoos his father out of the room, citing “national security” again.

Next we see Nate walking the streets of D.C. (and he identifies it as Washington, D.C., so mystery solved!) in a foul mood.  He has no one to spend the holiday with, thinking to himself that even Dr. Megala and Babylon are with friends.  He is also approached by the homeless Bubba, asking him for a dollar.  Nate gives Bubba a quarter, saying it is all he can spare.

Chester King, meanwhile, is breaking into the abandoned tenement, setting the explosives while thinking to himself how happy his wife is going to be with his bonus and a surprise trip to the Bahamas.  He refers to the condemned building as “the Dixie,” and that it is an eyesore anyway.

Bubba and his homeless brethren are enjoying a bit of liquor around their barrel fire and a Christmas tree that is even more pathetic than Nate’s.  Bubba’s friends ask if he has somewhere better to be.  To this, Bubba replies, “Better than this?  There was a time… when only the creme de la creme of the rich and famous could even get into the ballroom of the Dixie Hotel on the night before Christmas.”

Chester bursts into his favorite watering hole, Smitty’s Bar, buying a round for everyone there.  In a dark corner sits the morose Nathaniel Adam, feeling out of place.  Even here, in a bar, we don’t see Nate drinking alcohol or beer.  I guess it wasn’t super-hero-like to be depressed and drinking.  But didn’t Tony Stark (Iron Man) have a well-documented drinking problem?  Not to mention Green Arrow’s pal Speedy being a heroin junkie.  I guess Bates and Weisman wanted to keep Captain Atom light by not showing him drinking.  However, he is clearly holding a beer on the cover.  I’m overthinking this.

Back at the Eiling house, Harris is regaling Peggy and Randy with a tale from his own RAF days.  Stuck in the skies over Germany in World War I with a fuel leak in his Nieuport 10, Harris encountered Hans von Hammer – a.k.a Enemy Ace.  Faulty plane or not, Harris couldn’t pass up a chance to shoot down the German who had racked up “close to 70 kills since the war began.”  Von Hammer, in a brilliant aerial maneuver, looped over Harris and became the pursuer rather than the pursued.  But Enemy Ace never fired on Harris Eiling.  He saw that the Nieuport was disabled and let the RAF pilot go.  He even gave Eiling a salute.  It was against his “battle code” to take down a disabled opponent.  But Harris didn’t live by the same code, and fired on Enemy Ace with his sidearm in vain.  Later in life, he regretted taking those shots.  He felt it was dishonorable.

General Eiling gets really pissed off by his father’s revelation.  He calls it the biggest load of crap he’s ever heard.  He says his father has gone soft and is senile.  He storms out into the snow without putting on a coat.

At Smitty’s Bar, a man crashes in, saying the old Dixie Hotel is on fire.  The patrons go out to watch the fire.  Someone comments on “those poor squatters.”  This alarms Chester.  Mr. Wiley never mentioned squatters.  The onlookers try to organize a rescue but don’t know what they can do.  Except one of those onlookers knows exactly what to do – Nathaniel Adam.

As Nate ducks into an alley to do his super-hero switcheroo, Chester sees a man on fire run from the building.  He throws the man into the snow, smothering the flames with his coat.  With horror, Chester realizes the man is Bubba, and watches him die.  That is when the full scope of what he’s done hits him.  His friends pull him away from Bubba just as Captain Atom bursts on the scene.

Nate thinks to himself that, even though he’s been super-heroing for over a year, this feels like his first time out.  He protects some of the squatters from falling debris before absorbing the smoke and flames.

At the Eiling house, the General is holding his hand over the flame in the fireplace.  He tells his father he will not tolerate any more “weak-willed molly-coddling” in front of his children – especially Randy.  Neither the General nor his father realize that Randy is listening to their conversation, looking a little distressed.

In D.C., firefighters are finishing up at the Dixie.  One of the men returns Chester’s coat, calling Bubba a “bum,”which angers Chester.  He walks home, despondent over what he has done.  Passing a bell-ringer collecting money for charity, Chester drops $5,000 into the man’s bucket.

At Smitty’s, the patrons are lifting Captain Atom up and cheering him.  Nate thinks he’s never felt so close to being a real super-hero.  A blonde woman in the bar flirts with Cap.  She says she’s Eve Eden, and that she and Cap have a mutual “uncle” who asked her to keep an eye on him.  Nate asks her out and they walk out of the bar, hand-in-hand.  Eve Eden is, of course, Nightshade.

Like I said, morose and bittersweet.  Bates and Weisman really captured how lonely it is to be Captain Atom.  He’s missed 18 years and life went on without him.  His children don’t even think of him or seem to miss him on this holiday.  It is really kind of touching.  I really loved this issue.  We have Nate sad and lonely, yet happy he’s free, the return of Nightshade into his life, the introduction of one of my favorite and little-used supporting characters (Harris Eiling), and Enemy Ace.  And I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Pat Brodericks artwork.  I think this may be one of my favorite issues of Captain Atom. A+

The cover alone warrants an A+.

Captain Atom Annual #1 (1988)

Tags

Bob Smith, Captain Atom, Carl Gafford, Cary Bates, Dr. Megala, Duncan Andrews, General Eiling, Greg Weisman, Major Force, Martin Allard, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pat Broderick, Randall Eiling/Randy Adam

“The Dark Side of the Force”

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

Although this annual is cover-dated “1988,” it probably should have been the 1987 annual.  It picks up where Captain Atom #12 left off, and was on sale November 24, 1987.  But because comic books are dated 2-3 months after they are published (as are magazines, and I never knew why), this was the 1988 annual.  When annual #2 was published nine months later, it also bore the date “1988.”  So Captain Atom looks like it had two annuals in 1988 when really it was one in 1987 and one in 1988.

Confused?  Me too.

The annual opens to a radio broadcast in a small unnamed community.  Several listeners have reported a UFO in the skies that seems to have gone down in a nearby abandoned limestone quarry.  The DJ suggests that it all just some sort of government plot.  How right he is.

Meanwhile, in his apartment (I think maybe he lives in Washington, DC, but it hasn’t really been established with any certainty yet), Nathaniel Adam is awakened by a phone call.  General Eiling is ordering Captain Atom to investigate the crashed UFO.  Nate seems none too interested until Eiling tells him that Randy will be there.

Indeed, Majestic Squadron is on its way to the quarry via helicopter.  Randy is cracking jokes just like his dad used to do before a dangerous op.  Doctor Megala and General Eiling are watching Randy and Captain Atom’s individual progresses as they head for the crashed ship.

Captain Atom is first to arrive on the scene (aside from some locals).  He touches down in front of the large silver craft as it begins to open.  Cap tries to welcome the aliens to Earth, but the response he gets is an angry rock-man flying out of the open hatch (this is the fellow we met in Captain Atom #12, Clifford Zmeck – aka Major Force).  He lands and then stands before Cap, towering over him.  Nate tells the “alien” that he is his friend, impressing the locals who are watching (Nate is not in the loop – unaware that this alien is actually an Air Force Sergeant).  The alien smacks Cap, sending him flying.

So Cap gets pissed.  He tried the “diplomatic” approach.  Next he tries the “blasting quantum death into the face of the enemy” approach.  The locals cheer for Captain Atom as Megala and Eiling monitor the Major’s vitals.  When Cap goes to investigate the rock face he embedded the Major into, he is blasted by black matter.  Major Force leaps at Captain Atom, calling him “dork face.”

It is the use of the phrase “dork face” that tips Nate off that maybe this dude isn’t an alien after all.  Eiling is proud of “Mr. Zmeck.”  He poses a threat to Captain Atom that Nate hasn’t had to face yet.  Zmeck manipulates matter the way Nate manipulates energy.  It is a welcome surprise to Eiling.  Megala says the use of matter instead of energy could be from the amount of alien metal used on Zmeck, or the lower mega-tonnage of the nuclear device used; or even a variable they don’t even know.

Local news has picked up the battle, which appears to be at a stalemate.  Megala warns Eiling that Zmeck is about to enter his final molting stage.  Eiling orders his man at the scene to step in.

At the scene of the “crash,” a man dressed as an Air Force Major (but wearing green goggle-like glasses that Pat Broderick seems to love drawing) bursts into the crowd of onlookers, saying “My pal, the Captain, needs help.”  He repels into the quarry before the camera crew can get a good look at him.

Zmeck encases Captain Atom in a ball of matter.  Cap tries to break free, but can only manage to get his head and hand out before passing out (from exhaustion I guess).  The mysterious Major has Zmeck in his sights and fires his rifle at the beast just as the final molting process begins.  He then charges at Zmeck, who picks him up to break his back.  Zmeck passes out and the quarry fills with a thick black smoke that obscures the view from above.

Captain Atom revives and sees the alien ship open once more.  General Eiling and Dr. Megala emerge.  A medical team dressed in haz-mat suits check on Zmeck and the mysterious Major (who is actually Lieutenant Martin Allard).  Cap bursts out of his prison, angry that he was used by his superiors.  He says he’d heard rumors of a second experiment with the alien metal.  Eiling explains Major Force Project to Cap (which we learned about in Captain Atom #12).  He tells Cap that the “alien ship” is going to explode and he expects Nate to absorb the flames.  Megala makes a lame apology to Nate for using him like this.  He says Eiling threatened to simply kill Zmeck upon his arrival if Megala didn’t play along.

Cap asks Megala to “please just get out of my sight.”  The doctor follows Eiling into a tunnel that will protect the team from the blast.  The smoke clears just as Majestic Squadron shows up.  Randall Eiling requests a meeting with Captain Atom.  Nate ignores his son (much to his own disgust), picks up Major Force, and flies away.  He pauses long enough to absorb the explosion of the “space craft,” per General Eiling’s orders, before leaving the scene altogether.

Over the next few days, news programs report what little info they have on the crash.  The Air Force isn’t releasing any details, and the identity of the mysterious Major, Captain Atom’s “friend,” is still unknown.  Back at the base, Major Force has been debriefed and has a symbol etched onto his metal skin.  He doesn’t like the implants that monitor his every move or the Delta-9 gas pellets or the head-blowing-off explosives.  Megala doesn’t trust Zmeck but Eiling feels he has complete control over the Major.

Later, Captain Atom holds a press conference.  He explains that Major Force is his ally, an amalgam of the alien and his mysterious Major friend.

Over the course of the next ten days, it becomes clear what a menace General Eiling has unleashed upon the world.  In trying to stop up a breach in the Carson Dam (in Nevada, maybe?), Major Force inadvertently causes the crash of a rescue helicopter and the deaths of everyone on board.  Afterwards he is indignant with witnesses and brags about the thousands of lives he’d saved.  Later, when Major Force responds to a hostage crisis at a “downtown tenement building” (the city is still not identified), he guts the building, sending hostage-takers and hostages alike flying to the ground.  They end up in a local hospital’s ICU.

In an effort to distance himself from Major Force, Captain Atom appears on a news program called Newsprobe.  He apologizes to the public for unleashing Force upon them.  He pleads with Force to curtail future use of his powers.  Eiling, watching the broadcast while on the phone with Megala, thinks he can still spin the Major Force story positively.

Outside the studio, Major Force confronts Captain Atom.  He tells Cap that he’s right – Zmeck has no business being a super-hero.  Upon Force’s request, Cap gives him a lift to the base to see Eiling and Megala (Major Force does not have the ability to fly).  As they approach the base, Force grabs Cap around the neck.  Cap flips Major Force, pissed off that he has been drawn into Eiling’s insane plans.  He thinks to himself, “Never again!”

It appears that, due to his size and strength, Force begins to get the upper-hand.  However, just as he is about to blast Cap with matter, Allard uses the implanted explosives to blow off Major Force’s left hand.  Cap realizes Force is fitted with microphones, cameras, and explosives.  Eiling chides Allard, saying he was supposed to release gas, not blow off the Major’s hand.

“Sorry,” says Allard, “wrong button. Gas activated now.”  (Martin Allard has reason to hate Clifford Zmeck – the Air Force Sergeant killed Allard’s mother in 1969.)

The gas knocks the Major out.  Nate thinks to himself that Eiling made two mistakes.  The first was to underestimate how mentally unstable Zmeck was.  The second was to get Captain Atom involved in the first mistake.  Nate uses concentrated quantum blasts to etch something on Major Force’s chest before tossing the unconscious “super-hero” into Eiling’s headquarters.

Force crashes into Megala’s lab in front of General Eiling, Lieutenant Allard, and Dr. Megala.  Etched on Zmeck’s chest are the words, “I QUIT!”

I vividly remember the first time I read this issue, back in 1987.  It blew my poor little fifteen-year-old mind (for reasons I will clarify when I review Captain Atom #15… How’s that for foreshadowing?).  It was an exciting story.  I loved the idea of another quantum powered dude out there, a less-intelligent Moriarty to Captain Atom’s Sherlock Holmes.  I don’t know why Greg Weisman started shouldering the writing responsibility with Cary Bates, but they seemed to be a good team.  And Pat Broderick and Bob Smith did a great job.  An A effort all around.

This was another important milestone in Captain Atom’s history, although I did not realize it at the time I first read it.  From 1960 to 1975, Cap only appeared in 24 comics as a major character.  That’s just 24 issues spread out over 15 years (and two of those appearances were just in fanzines).  He was always on the fringe of the DC Universe from the time he was purchased from Charlton Comics.  He was included in the Crisis on Infinite Earths mini-series but not as a major player.  He really came into his own with this particular series, and was popular enough to warrant two annuals.  I remember (not knowing about the character’s history pre-1987) being anxious about how this was all going to play out when I was a kid.  Rereading this annual transported me back to simpler times in my life, when my $8 a week allowance was blown at Komix Kastle the day I got it.  Ah, youth.