Convergence: Blue Beetle #2 (July 2015)

Tags

Andromeda, Apparition, Blue Beagle, Blue Beetle, Brainiac 5, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Catspaw, Chameleon, Chip Kidd, Colossal Boy, Computo, Cosmic Boy, Dave McCaig, Dick Giordano, Element Lad, Ferro, George Pérez, Inferno, Invisible Kid, Karate Kid, Kid Quantum, Leviathan, Live Wire, Saida Temofonte, Saturn Girl, Scott Lobdell, Sensor, Spark, Star Boy, The Question, Timber Wolf, Ultra Boy, Wildfire, Yishan Li

“Legion of Doom!”

• Writer:  Scott Lobdell
• Pencils & Inks:  Yishan Li
• Colors:  Dave McCaig
• Letters:  Saida Temofonte
• Cover Artists:  Chip Kidd, George Pérez, Dick Giordano

>>>SPOILERS<<<

>>>SPOILERS<<<

>>>SPOILERS<<<

>>>SPOILERS<<<

>>>SPOILERS<<<

>>>SPOILERS<<<

(You’ve been warned.)

So this is the exciting conclusion to the Earth-4 heroes’ Convergence adventure.  It was better that Cap’s last “battle” in Convergence: Justice League International #2.  This time around he was a little more than just a punching bag.  And I really like the dynamic between Blue Beetle, the Question, and Captain Atom.  I would totally read an Earth-4 series with these three as the primary characters.

This issue opens with a quick reintroduction of the characters.  And I immediately have something to pick at.

Captain Atom is identified as “Nathaniel Adams.” Now, the Charlton Captain Atom’s name was Allen Adam, but I didn’t so much mind the retconning of him to Nathaniel.  After all, the Nathaniel Adam version of the character was my favorite.  But “Adams?”  It was revealed in the last issue that his last name was “Adam!”  See the panel below from Convergence: Blue Beetle #1:

I would love to be DC Comics’ “Captain Atom Fact Checker.”  Heck, I’d do it for free.  I enjoyed this issue and would really like to see more, but that was a little sloppy.  I know it could be worse.  These things happen.  The superhero Breach was once referred to as “Major Adams” (he was originally conceived as a reboot of Captain Atom).

On a downtown Hub City rooftop, the Legion of Super-Heroes descends from the sky to meet with Blue Beetle, the Question, and Captain Atom.  The three Hub City heroes climb atop Beetle’s Bug to meet with them.  The Legionnaires do not come out swinging though.  Cosmic Boy introduces them politely and asks which of the three is their leader.

After naming himself leader, Blue Beetle demands that the Legion surrender.  Cosmic Boy declines, saying he has no fear that the three Hub City heroes can take the Legionnaires.

Beetle electrifies the hull of the Bug to slow down the Legion while he, Cap and the Question jump inside.  Onboard, Tracy reveals that she has hacked into the Legion’s flight rings and has gathered tons of data on them.  Cap says he’s uncomfortable with a civilian like Ted Kord having this kind of tech but the Question shuts him up.

The Bug lurches, knocking them all off their feet.  Colossal Boy has grown to the size of one of the neighboring buildings and is shaking the ship.  Andromeda tries to stop him, but the Bug vanishes from Colossal Boy’s hands, teleporting about a mile away to another rooftop.  Their arrival is observed by a stray dog.

I’m wondering, did Blue Beetle always have this advanced tech?  I know he’s supposed to be super smart, but I don’t recall his ship teleporting. And if he had the technology to teleport objects, why did he even need the Bug?

Beetle tells his partners to keep the Legionnaires of his back for six minutes while he cooks something up.

The Legionnaires continue to search Hub City for its three heroes.  They seem split on the task at hand.  No one really wants a fight, but Telos has warned them that the losers’ cities will be destroyed and to not fight is to lose.  Brainiac 5 is confident the Legion can take on the other heroes.  He says only Captain Atom has real “powers,” and he is essentially raw energy.  Of course, Brainiac is wrong, and soon learns it when Cap blinds the Legion with some sort of light blast (new power?) and plows into them.

Cap blasts Cosmic Boy with a burst of energy.  Andromeda goes after Cap, but is knocked back by Chameleon (who seems to be bouncing off buildings for some reason).  Invisible Kid takes Cap from behind and grabs him as Ferro and Star Boy swoop in.

Back on the Bug, Beetle is reading up on a group of Legionnaires, hoping he has found the right ones for his plan.  Tracy tries to shoo away the stray dog (who has now boarded the ship), but Beetle decides to adopt him.

The Question takes on Brainiac 5 (no longer blinded) and seems to defeat him with a riddle.  Karate Kid asks the Question what he’s done to Brainiac.  I wonder, am I the only one who sees a missed opportunity here?  Karate Kid ends up fighting Earth-4 Charlton characters, but Judomaster is not among them?  How coold would that have been?  I mean, it seems like a no-brainer to me.

And just what the heck did the Question do to Brainiac 5?

Saturn Girl, Sensor, and Computo board the Bug.  Their Legion flight rings led them to Beetle’s hiding place.  Beetle tells them he needs the three of them for his plan.  They say it is crazy, but is it crazy enough to work?

Outside, Cap is facing off against Cosmic Boy, Andromeda, and Colossal Boy.  It looks as if this battle will soon be over for Captain Atom.

Just then, Hub City is hit by an earthquake.  In a matter of seconds the city is decimated.  All the heroes are seriously bummed out by this unexpected turn of events.

The Hub City heroes and the Legionnaires board the Bug, where they make a shocking discovery.  Looking outside the Bug’s windows, Hub City appears standing tall and suffering no damage.  Beetle reveals that he, Saturn Girl, Sensor, and Computo used their powers to make Hub City appear destroyed to the outside world.  This way Telos thinks he got his winner and the heroes can focus on teaming up to defeat him.

I really enjoyed this comic.  After the let-down of Convergence: Justice League International #2, I was not expecting much from this issue.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Not only did Captain Atom have a nice juicy role, but Blue Beetle got to show off his brains.  And the Question was there.

Okay, so the Question didn’t do much, but I like seeing him in action with Cap and Beetle.

I liked this story. It was clever and cute (particularly Blue Beagle).  And I really like Yishan Li’s style.  I wish this was an ongoing series.  I give this issue an A.

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

Advertisements

Convergence: Blue Beetle #1 (June 2015)

Tags

Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Chip Kidd, David McCaig, Dick Giordano, Doctor Spectro, George Pérez, Nightshade, Saida Temofonte, Scott Lobdell, The Ghost, The Madmen, The Question, Yishan Li

“Convergence”

• Writer:  Scott Lobdell
• Pencils & Inks:  Yishan Li
• Colors: David McCaig
• Letters: Saida Temofonte
• Cover Artists:  George Perez, Dick Giordano, Chip Kidd

>>>SPOILERS<<< >>>SPOILERS<<< >>>SPOILERS<<< >>>SPOILERS<<< >>>SPOILERS<<< >>>SPOILERS<<<

(You’ve been warned.)

This is what I’ve been waiting for.  The Bronze Age (and “original”) Captain Atom returns in this Convergence tie-in.  Cameos aside, this version of Cap hasn’t seen this much action since Americomics Special: Sentinels of Justice #1 in 1983 (yes, Cap was a prominent character in Multiversity: Pax Americana #1, but he was not sporting the white hair, red tights, and silver arms designed by Steve Ditko in 1967).  And even this Captain Atom isn’t exactly the Bronze Age Cap (but close enough).  While I thoroughly enjoyed his return to the printed page, I’m wondering why this issue was a Blue Beetle and not called something else (Sentinels of Justice, perhaps).  Blue Beetle isn’t really the focus of the book.  There’s as much Captain Atom and the Question in this as there is Blue Beetle.  But that minor complaint does not make me enjoy this issue any less.  I was happy with it from start to finish and am extremely pleased to see Captain Atom in any form.

The issue opens with WHUB News reporter Vic Sage (aka the Question) reporting on a terrorist attack on the already-besieged Hub City.  One of the many cities domed and cut off by Telos, Hub City is at the mercy of the Madmen.  The Madmen – armed to the teeth – are facing off against the National Guard (led by Captain Nathaniel Adam).

Okay, so Irritating Minutia Point #1: This version of Captain Atom’s real name is Allen Atom, not Nathaniel Adam.  But they are essentially the same dude so I’ll let that one slide.

The Madmen open fire so Captain Adam’s men retaliate in kind.  However, they’ve brought some more heavy weapons than the Madmen.

Vic sends his crew to upload the story and approaches Captain Adam in the aftermath of the destruction.  The Madmen appear to have all been killed.  Donning his Question mask, Vic says he’s not pleased with Adam’s handling of the Madmen situation, but that isn’t what he wants to talk about.  He tells Adam that Ted Kord requires his help.  The two part ways, with Adam not very thrilled at the prospect of hanging out with Ted.

Later, in the rooftop lab of Ted Kord at the top of Kord Industries headquarters, Ted’s assistant Tracy questions Ted about his latest “nothing burger” invention and his need to put a door in the roof of the building.  Captain Adam enters (with his side-arm drawn!?!?!?) and Ted accosts him at once about the attack on the Madmen.

Ted reveals his new invention may free Hub City from the dome and wants Nate’s approval to try.  Thinking back on the pile of dead Madmen, Nate says he has no objection.  Ted pulls a lever and the machine fires a pink blast at the dome.  It appears to not even scratch the surface.  Ted collapses, sure he’s failed, but Tracy tells him to take a look at Nate.

Captain Atom has returned to full power.  As the two heroes bicker over whether or not Ted should be allowed to suit up as Blue Beetle, Cap notices a bunch of swirly colors in the sky.  Figuring he knows what this means, Captain Atom flies off to investigate.

Irritating Minutia Point #2:  There is clearly a door in the ceiling of the room they’re in.  Tracy questioned Ted about it earlier and Ted shot a pink ray at the dome through it.  Why did Cap burst through a wall to exit the room?  Is he just being an ass?  I do like that Yishan Li drew the little sparkles around Cap, though.  Haven’t seen those in a while.

Above the streets of Hub City, Cap finds Dr. Spectro blasting the dome with his colorful rays.  Cap automatically (and wrongly, of course) assumes Spectro is behind the dome and demands answers.  The two are interrupted by the bizarre appearance out of thin air of a costumed individual neither of them recognize.

It is Booster Gold, who does not exist in the Hub City Earth (Earth-4 for those of you keeping score).  Cap assumes Booster is in league with Spectro and gives him an atomic blast.  Blue Beetle, now in costume, hurries to the fight and arrives just as Booster fades away.  This scene has played out before.  We saw it from Booster’s perspective in Booster Gold: Futures End #1 in November 2014.

As soon as Booster vanishes, Cap loses his powers.  He drops from the sky and Blue Beetle scrambles to catch him.  Neither of them are concerned about Dr. Spectro, who also loses his powers and drops out of the sky.  The Question appears on the rooftop with them, but neither Blue Beetle or Captain Adam are interested in what he has to say.

Thinking Hub City is falling victim to an earthquake, the three heroes jump off the roof onto Beetle’s Bug (piloted by Tracy).  The building they were on transforms into Telo, who tells them they must fight the heroes of the other captive cities.  The dome drops, resulting in Captain Atom’s powers returning again.

The dome drops and the heroes brace themselves for what comes next (in Convergence: Blue Beetle #2).  To be continued.

We are treated with a brief history of the Charlton characters of Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, and the Question.

Yishan Li is a capable artist, perhaps not my favorite but by no means bad.  I give his art an A.  Scott Lobdell, I feel, did the best he could with what he had (basically this is just setting up the big fight with the Legionnaires next issue) so I give this issue an A for writing as well.

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

The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1 (January 2015)

Tags

Blue Beetle, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Frank Quitely, Grant Morrison, Iron Arms, Jae Lee, L.A.W., Nathan Fairbairn, Nightshade, Patrick Gleason, Peacemaker, Rob Leigh, Sarge Steel, Sentinels of Justice, Silver Age Captain Atom, The Question, Tiger, Vincent Deighan

“In Which We Burn”

• Writer:  Grant Morrison
• Pencils & Inks: Frank Quitely
• Colors:  Nathan Fairbairn
• Letters:  Rob Leigh

Yes, I am a fan of Grant Morrison.  Yes, I am a fan of Frank Quitely.  I mean, I have EYES, don’t I?

The concept of DC Universe’s “multiverse” was scrapped as a result of the 1985 maxi-series Crisis on Infinite Earths.  But, as with all things in comics, it was not to stay dead.  After the events of Infinite Crisis there was another maxi-series entitled 52.  It was in the pages of 52 that DC revealed that the multiverse still existed.  The Multiversity was a limited series of one-shots set in the DC Multiverse in The New 52. The one-shots in the series are written by Grant Morrison, each with a different artist. The Multiversity began in August 2014.  This issue was published November 19, 2014.

This issue takes place on Earth-4 (The Charlton Universe) and opens with the rather gruesome assassination of the President of the United States by Peacemaker (aka Christopher Smith).  Chris has been captured and is being questioned by government suits.  But the Peacemaker isn’t talking.

As Chris is lead out of the interrogation room, he passes Senator Warren Eden, who is discussing this turn of events with his daughter Eve (Nightshade).  Eden tells his daughter that Peacemaker’s actions have essentially killed the idea of a “super hero” and made the term a dirty word.  Warren advises his daughter to savor her time as a super hero, as he is putting certain plans into motion.  The government had two super heroes on the payroll, but Peacemaker has killed the President and Captain Atom is missing in action.  The government needs a convincing exit strategy to distance itself from the heroes.

Elsewhere, Blue Beetle has been tracking the Question with his Bug.  The Question is trying to run from the Bug, but Beetle points out that is impossible.  The Question tells Beetle he’s barking up the wrong tree by chasing him, that he is trying to find the murderer of Nora O’Rourke and solve the mystery of “algorithm B.”  He refers to this as “The Yellowjacket Case” (four unsolved murders of four prominent scientists).  Beetle tells him there is no Yellowjacket case and for Question to be reasonable.  “His people” are all over the Question.

Blue Beetle says he made peace with the government but the Question contends that Beetle is going about crime-fighting all wrong.  The Question pulls a device out of his coat and activates a crane that Beetle has conveniently parked the Bug under.  The Questions tells Beetle he should never rely on technology and takes off.  He ducks into a subway station where he is then confronted by Nightshade.

The Question quickly overpowers Nightshade and hops onto a passing train.  But before he does so, he tosses her one of his calling cards.  It bears a question mark that has been augmented to resemble the symbol for infinity.

The Question then goes to the crime scene where Nora O’Rourke was murdered.  She was apparently Chris Smith’s girlfriend.  He had left early that day when someone crept into his apartment, picked up a heavy statue, and crushed Nora’s head with it.  That killer may look familiar to fans of Charlton comics.  He appears to be Captain Atom’s old enemy Iron Arms.

This is when Captain Atom enters the story (the same Captain Atom that Warren Eden said was missing in action).  He is at some science facility working on a particle accelerator, apparently some time prior to the president’s assassination.  The scientists are working in the control room as Cap is reading a comic book.  He is commenting on how he can read the story any way he chooses, flipping through it backwards or starting in the middle, and there is nothing that the characters in the story can do about it.  He can perceive time any way he wishes but they are limited in their perceptions.  The characters are unaware of his scrutiny.  It is hard to tell if he is talking about the comic book, the scientists he is with, or even us as the readers.  The scientists switch on their device (just as Cap says he can “read” their “thought balloons” and knows what they are planning.  Once the device is activated, Cap vanishes, the comic books bursts into flames,  and one of the scientists announces that Captain Atom has left the universe.

There is another man in the control room; a man whose face we do not see but can assume is Sarge Steel because he has a metal hand.  He pulls a gun on the scientists, who argue they did everything he asked.  They opened a black hole inside Allen Adam’s skull.  This does not sway Steel, who shoots them all dead.

We then cut to Nightshade visiting her mother.  Mom seems a little on the senile side and bitter about her ex-husband.  Nightshade tells her mom that Allen Adam is helping her dad to harness the power of a black hole so the empire will no longer rely on oil.

The scene switches to Chris and Nora having a discussion about someone named Harley (the President’s father and comic book writer) as Sarge Steel beats the living hell out of someone.  The story is kind of hard to follow as it isn’t presented as a linear path.  It is as if we are reading the comic the way Captain Atom sees the world.  The scene does reveal that Peacemaker had plans to run away with Nora after he did “what had to be done.”

The next scene is night on a rooftop.  The Question is standing over a man who is pinned under a fallen sign.  The Question reveals this man is not the high-level mob fixer he pretended to be but an undercover dirty cop on the payroll of the Vice President.  He lays a revolver on the floor in front of the prone man and begins to drone on about an eight-stage color coded system of development that all societies must pass through.  The cop begs the Question let him go (an exposed wire from the sign is sparking nearby and the cop is in a puddle – he fears he will be electrocuted).  The cop tells him that his orders come from the Sarge and that he really doesn’t know anything.  All he knows are rumors – about Captain Atom being killed and something about a secret formula.  The Question leaves the man to die on the rooftop.

Cut to the past, and Nightshade, Peacemaker, Tiger, Blue Beetle, and the Question are meeting with a government official.  They are sporting new “uniforms” and Tiger is unhappy about the changes.  Peacemaker welcomes them all to the Justice League of America (which prompts Blue Beetle to ask, “How about the Sentinels?”).  President Harley then enters the room and tells them their trademarks and code names belong to the U.S. government now.  When the Question complains, the President leans in and asks, “Are you in the box or out of the box, Mr. Sage?”  This reveals that the government knows the Question’s alter ego, but the comment about the box implies that Vic Sage is gay, I guess.

Later, when President Harley reveals the team at a press conference, he announces that their leader is Captain Atom.

Captain Atom has trouble focusing on the task at hand because he is being distracted by a conversation he will have in the future (this is some trippy Dr. Manhattan level stuff – which makes perfect sense when you think about it).

The conversation is actually in the past. Cap is in a park interacting with a dog.  He’s surrounded by strange statues of people in distress and is talking to the dog.  Governor (not-yet-President) Harley is about to meet with him but Cap’s handlers warn him that Cap has been heavily sedated since “the U-235 incident.”  The scientist tells Harley that the statues were once people and he should warn them immediately if Cap’s speech becomes disorganized, anxious, or aggressive.  Another of Cap’s handlers thought it would do him good to be reunited with his pet dog.

Cap disassembles the dog, thinking the “pieces would explain the whole.”  When he realizes he has just killed his pet Butch, Cap begins to cry.  He asks for more sedatives and asks when he will go back to normal.  He then wonders aloud what it would be like if Butch was both alive and dead and suddenly there is a brand new Butch standing next to the old, dead one.  He then says it isn’t the same.  Harley introduces himself to Allen Adam.  Cap says it must be hard work being the president, to which Harley responds he is not.  Harley brushes it off and asks Cap to walk the gardens with him.  Harley says they are a world famous masterpiece of design and organization.

So it was Harley that “inspired” Allen Adam to use his powers as Captain Atom.

Cut to some 2005. A terrorist has crashed his plane on the White House lawn and taken President George W. Bush hostage.  He plans to kill the president.  He stomps and spits on the American flag.  Governor Harley is also present, confident, and a little cocky.  Peacemaker and his drones show up and take out the terrorist’s men.  Harley warns the terrorist that this is just the beginning.  Some day there will be more Peacemakers.

On the streets, the Question and Blue Beetle are confronting a heroin dealer and arguing.  The Question tells Beetle he could use his money to build homeless shelters and try to cure society’s ills rather than constructing a giant flying Beetle.  He force-feeds the dealer a substantial amount of heroin and leaves him tied to a light post.  The Question brings up Yellowjacket (America’s first superhero) and his fate. Yellowjacket has vanished and no one knows what became of him.

We then see a young man (clad in a yellow jacket) visiting the grave of Governor Harley’s father.  He sits and waits for a considerable amount of time.  Captain Atom appears and tells him, “The door has one side and opens both ways.  Let me show you.”

The man in the yellow jacket is then forced to confront a memory.  He was young, snooping in his father’s studio late one night.  He found a scrapbook of newspaper articles about Yellowjacket and a revolver.  Then Yellowjacket himself comes through the window and the boy shoots him dead.  It was his father, and the little boy was future-president Harley.

This was pretty awesome.  It gives us an idea of what Watchmen might have been like if Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons had been allowed to use the Charlton characters.  While visually beautiful, it doesn’t really compare to Watchmen, though.  I love Frank Quitely but I love Dave Gibbons style even more.  Also, I always thought the name “Frank Quitely” was a crazy coincidental name (Quite Frankly, Frank Quitely) but never gave it much thought.  I did not realize it was a pseudonym used by Vincent Deighan.  I give the art an A and the story an A.  I am a sucker for Grant Morrison.

Booster Gold: Futures End #1 (November 2014)

Tags

Blue Beetle, Booster Gold, Brett Booth, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Dan Jurgens, Doctor Spectro, John Kalisz, Mark Irwin, Moritat, Ron Frenz, Scott Hanna, Stephen Thompson, Steve Lightle, Taylor Esposito, Will Conrad

Well, this was a nice surprise.  The Bronze Age Captain Atom had a brief cameo (along with Dr. Spectro and Blue Beetle) in Booster Gold: Futures End #1.

This issue was written by Dan Jurgens (naturally) with art by Jurgens, Moritat, Will Conrad, Steve Lightle, Stephen Thompson, Mark Irwin, Ron Frenz, Scott Hanna, and Brett Booth.  Colors were by John Kalisz and the letterer was Taylor Esposito.

It was good to see Cap back in the red tights again.

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

Captain Atom by Fred Hembeck

Tags

Blue Beetle, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Fred Hembeck, Judomaster, Nightshade, Peacemaker, The Question, Thunderbolt

Check out what popped up on Fred Hembeck’s tumblr page.  It’s a  2010 drawing he did of the Charlton heroes (Captain Atom, The Question, Nightshade, Thunderbolt, Judomaster, Blue Beetle, and Peacemaker).  Fred Hembeck is a cartoonist best known for his parodies of characters from the major comics publishers.  Of this drawing, he said, “I have a soft spot in my heart (and my head) for these guys, no Question about it!”

Americomics Special #1: Sentinels of Justice (August 1983)

Tags

Bill Fugate, Blue Beetle, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Captain Fisher, Dan St. John, Fiery Icer, Greg Guler, Iron Arms, Matt Feazell, Nightshade, Sentinels of Justice, The Banshee, The Madmen, The Manipulator, The Question, Vic Sage

“Sentinels of Justice”

• Writers:  Dan St. John and Greg Guler
• Pencils:  Greg Guler and Matt Feazell
• Inks:  Greg Guler and Matt Feazell
• Colors:  Bill Fugate
• Letters:  Greg Guler

After a year’s absence, Captain Atom returns and he brings Charlton’s heavy hitters with him.  AC Comics editor and head writer Bill Black had been making plans for a superhero team to be named the Sentinels of Justice when he was contacted by Charlton Comics with a request that AC provide material for the Charlton Bullseye comic book. The team concept was quickly revised, with a roster of Charlton characters. Charlton Bullseye was cancelled before the story could be published, but AC was granted a limited license to publish the material already prepared for Charlton.  That is how this special issue came to be.  Although not a Charlton book, it was authorized by Charlton and therefore was the last time they had anything to do with the publication of these characters.

This story opens with a news broadcast by Vic Sage (aka The Question).  He is reporting live from Ebcom International where the “latest in the recent series of related crimes has been committed.”  Millions of dollars worth of equipment has been stolen.  The thieves had been identified as Iron Arms, the Fiery Icer, and the Madmen.  Iron Arms and the Fiery Icer are, of course, super-villains that Captain Atom has faced (in Captain Atom #84 and Captain Atom #87, respectively).  The Madmen were a terrorist group the first plagued Blue Beetle in Blue Beetle #4 (Charlton Comics).

Captain Atom versus Iron Arms in Captain Atom #84

The Fiery Icer (and his henchmen) versus Captain Atom in Captain Atom #87

Blue Beetle versus the Madmen from Blue Beetle #4

(So they’re dusting off all the “greats” for this one. Ugh.)

Vic Sage asks, “When will the men running this city realize they are out of their league trying to stop these super-criminals?”  He calls on them to “stop hamstringing those who can help now!!”

From their secret lair, the Fiery Icer, Iron Arms, and the Madmen are also watching the broadcast.  They turn it off and bring up an image of a masked man on their viewscreen, addressing him as Manipulator.  He tells them that the next day will see their “greatest and most daring attack.”  He will lead them when they attack the Whittier Hall exhibit.  After he signs off, the Fiery Icer refers to the Manipulator as a nut case (glass houses, Fiery Icer).

At Cross Industries (another secret lair of the Manipulator), the masked villain is addressing what looks to be a board of directors in a conference room.  He tells them it is time for Jonathan Barrington Collingsworth, Jr. to “burn his mark upon the history of mankind.”  He plans to steal the Rockwell Solar Battery at Whittier Hall to gain “control.”  Control of what he doesn’t specify.  The world?  There is a shrouded figure in green standing behind him in the shadows as he speaks.  The Manipulator is obviously unhinged.  He screams at his people about complete raw power and strips off his mask.  One of his men refers to him as “J.B.,” so he must be Jonathan Barrington Collingsworth, Jr.  The man, Hartford, seems concerned about the potential loss of innocent lives.  J.B. tells Hartford he should be more concerned about his own hide.  The man in the shadows steps forward and puts a hand on Hartford’s shoulder.

Meanwhile, in the lab of Ted Kord, his blonde assistant (girlfriend? wife?) Tracy enters with the daily paper.  She informs him that Dr. Rockwell is exhibiting “that new solar cell you were interested in.”  As Ted reads the article, his special phone rings, meaning that Captain Fisher is calling him.  After a brief conversation, Ted instructs Tracy to activate the “Sentinel Beacon.”  He removes his lab coat to reveal his Blue Beetle costume underneath.  He boards the Bug and we are treated with that iconic image of it rising out of the river, sadly only witnessed by a drunk on the docks.

As he flies to the police station, he thinks to himself how well the Sentinels of Justice work together, “even with Captain Atom in charge.”  What the hell is that supposed to mean?  Does Blue Beetle have a problem with Captain Atom?  Old Ted Kord needs to lighten up.  He seems a bit full of himself (something Tracy remarked upon back at the lab).  He seems, ironically, a lot like Booster Gold.

Beetle arrives at Captain Fisher’s office to find Captain Atom and Fisher talking to the mayor.  The mayor doesn’t want Hub City to be turned into a super-hero battleground.  Nightshade enters the room (she’s dropped her old mini-skirt costume from the 60s in favor of a form-fitting catsuit deal).  She says to Fisher that the Sentinels are at his disposal, which prompts Fisher to remind the mayor that the Sentinels have authorization from the Governor.  With a mysterious mist surrounding him, the Question checks in and Fisher asks the sixth man in the room to tell them about his solar battery.

Dr. Rockwell addresses them from a mounted display of blueprints.  He has created false plans for a solar battery to be used as bait to draw out would-be thieves.

The next day, at Whittier Hall, Dr. Rockwell is unveiling his “important discovery.”  In the crowd (undercover) are Nightshade and Captain Atom.

Blue Beetle is watching the Whittier building from the rooftops while the Question lurks in an alley.  The Question spots the approaching hovercar first, and when it pulls up in front of the hall, “pandemonium roars forth” in the form of the Madmen, Iron Arms, and the Fiery Icer.

The group breaks into to building, followed closely by the Manipulator.  He orders the Fiery Icer to secure the solar battery and scare the hell out of the audience.

Captain Atom goes after Iron Arms, sending Nightshade to face the Fiery Icer.  This I have a problem with.  Iron Arms was defeated easily by Cap back in Captain Atom #84.  The Fiery Icer is the super-villain who gave Cap the most trouble.  So he sends his girlfriend after the hard one while he takes the easy one?  Bad form, Cap.

Captain Atom informs the Manipulator he is under arrest, then punches Iron Arms in the face, throwing the villain backward.  He leaps at Cap, who discovers Iron Arms has upgraded his equipment and is much stronger.  Just as the Manipulator is ordering Captain Atom’s death, Blue Beetle swings in through a window.  He takes on the Madmen, kicking their asses in his acrobatic style.

More Madmen show up (probably arriving via a second hovercar), as does the question.  He helps Beetle hand the Madmen their butts.  Meanwhile, Nightshade sneaks up on the Fiery Icer in her shadow form.  She demands he hands over the stolen plans for the solar battery.  When he refuses, Nightshade kicks the Fiery Icer in the chest.  He shoots her with ice, which she dodges.  She then flings an ebony bomb at the Fiery Icer, who finds himself “consumed in utter total blackness… and absolute terror!”

Captain Atom finds his hands full with Iron Arms after all, who is THOKing the heck out of Our Hero.  Just when Cap gets his second wind, the Manipulator shoots him from his floating chair.  He’s surprised the blast didn’t kill Cap.  Atom regains his composure and throws an atomic fireball at the Manipulator.  The Manipulator emerges from the wreckage of his chair, offering “ten million in gold” to whomever kills Captain Atom.  This peaks Iron Arms’ interest greatly.

The Question and Blue Beetle are just finishing off the last of the Madmen when the Manipulator calls forth his secret ally (the man in green from earlier).  He crashes in through a window, being referred to as “the Banshee” by the Manipulator (the Banshee was an old nemesis of the Question).  Beetle leaps into action but the Banshee blasts him with a stun bolt shot from his arm.  Blue Beetle is dropped to his knees and the Banshee scoops up the Manipulator and flies away with him.  Beetle calls to Cap, who is punched through the wall by Iron Arms while distracted.

Iron Arms stands over Captain Atom’s prone body.  He readies to deliver his killing blow when Nightshade smacks him in the back with the solar battery.  His power pack short circuits, causing his arms to freeze.  Unable to support the weight of his arms without the power pack, Iron Arms topples over headfirst onto the floor.  Nightshade checks on Cap (calling him “John”), who awakens and says he’s okay.  He flies after the Manipulator, leaving the others to deal with the Fiery Icer (again, delegating his most dangerous foe to others).

Blue Beetle and the Question approach the Fiery Icer, who is holding Dr. Rockwell up by his neck.  He tells them to get back or he’ll burn Rockwell to a crisp (he reveals in his inner monologue that he has no desire to kill anyone and is simply bluffing).  In a swift movement, the Fiery Icer throws Rockwell at Beetle and the Question and melts a hole in the wall through which he escapes.  Captain Fisher’s men show up to help control the room and arrest those that were subdued.

However, Captain Atom returns to the scene, having lost the Manipulator and the Banshee.  A Madman, on his way to jail, utters the phrase “gag me with a spoon,” just to remind us that it is 1983.

The team knows that when the Manipulator discovers that his solar battery plans are fakes, he’ll come back for them.  Cap vows that when that day comes, the Sentinels of Justice will be ready for them.

In the epilogue, yet another shrouded figure is watching a recorded tape of the Manipulator ranting.  The Manipulator says he knew the plans were fake all along because their is a traitor in the midst of the Sentinels of Justice.  He says he attacked them and sacrificed Iron Arms and the Madmen to test the Sentinels.  The shrouded figure erases the tape, calling the Manipulator a fool (saying to himself that he had been manipulating the Manipulator from the start).  He vows to destroy the Sentinels.

There is a note from the editor at the end of this story.

Basically, it says there will be no followup to this story as the characters were purchased by DC Comics.

This was a fun book.  I liked the team.  It is almost the Crimebusters from The Watchmen.  All that is missing is Thunderbolt and the Peacemaker.  This was a good first issue for a super team, and it is a bit sad that it was not possible for this to go anywhere.  Dan, Greg, and Matt did an awesome job.  There were also some great pinups in the back of the book.  This issue was definitely a B+.

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

Charlton Bullseye #2 (1975)

Tags

Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, David Kaler, E-Man, Joe Staton, John Byrne, Nightshade, Roger Stern, Steve Ditko, Sunurians, The Ghost

“Two Against Sunuria”

• Writer:  Roger Stern (also credited as “Guiding Light” is Dave Kaler)
• Pencils: Steve Ditko
• Inks:  John Byrne
• Letters:  John Byrne
• Cover Artist: Joe Staton

I did a minimal amount of research and learned (thanks to Mike’s Amazing World of Comics) that – although Charlton Bullseye #1 and #2 both carry the vague cover date of “1975,” the first issue was on sale December 1, 1974.  The second issue – which included the conclusion of the previous issue’s Captain Atom story – went on sale May 1, 1975, two months after Captain Atom’s 15th birthday.  This is the last Steve Ditko Captain Atom work that I am aware of.

Picking up right where Charlton Bullseye #1 left off, Nightshade has just awoken to find herself and Captain Atom in unfamiliar surroundings.  Cap explains that they were teleported to Sunuria when Nightshade was unconscious.  The Ghost, leader of the Sunurians and so-called “Faceless One,” is attacking Cap and Nightshade while this explanation is going on.  The Sunurian High Priestess is watching the battle, wary of the Ghost’s motives and methods.  The Sunurians halt the attack and declare that the Ghost is to fight Cap one-on-one.

Captain Atom and the Ghost agree to this, and face off against each other on a raised platform armed only with swords.  Both of their powers have been negated to ensure a fair fight.  The gravity is also disabled as the combat commences.  Cap thinks he and the Ghost are evenly matched, and refers to the Ghost as “Rois.”  We were never treated with a scene in which Captain Atom learns the Ghost is actually his friend Alec Rois.  As a matter of fact, in the Ghost’s last appearance, neither Allen Adam nor Eve Eden had any idea the Ghost was their friend Alec.  The revelation must have happened in the eight years that lapsed from when the Sunurians sent the Ghost to fetch Captain Atom to the time when he actually teleported Cap to Sunuria.  Or it was a mistake on the writers’ part.

The Ghost disarms Captain Atom, sending his sword flying.  From his shoulder, Cap whips off the Sunurian electro-thread they are both also armed with.  He isn’t clear on how to use it, but did see the weapon used by Punch in Captain Atom #85, and did wield them briefly against Punch and Jewelee.  Cap disarms the Ghost with the thread, and the Ghost whips out his own electro-thread.  Watching below, the High Priestess whispers to Nightshade that she wants to help the heroes.  She leads Nightshade away, and the darling of darkness easily dispatches the guard blocking their path.

Captain Atom disarms the Ghost again and throws his own electro-thread away.  He begins to pummel the Ghost.  The Ghost kicks Captain Atom into a nuclear furnace, which should kill the powerless hero.  But the High Priestess and Nightshade have made into the control center and deactivated the dampening field around Cap.  Nightshade hurries back to the arena as Captain Atom goes critical.

The Ghost has vanished, most likely buried under the rubble that was the arena.  Nightshade leads Captain Atom back to the control center, where the High Priestess warns them never to return before teleporting them home.  After they are gone, she destroys everything around her, saying that she and the Sunurians are “going to meet the Faceless One.”  Back on Earth, Captain Atom carries Nightshade off into the night.

And so ends this story.  The Ghost appears to be dead (but he isn’t; he returns to fight Nightshade in Charlton Bullseye #7).  The Sunurian civilization is destroyed, and Captain Atom has a date with Nightshade.  Overall, a pretty good issue.  Again, I give the Ditko/Byrne art team an A+ and Roger Stern’s writing an A.  There is also a Steve Ditko E-Man story entitled “Moonshift” in this issue, as evidenced on the cover.  Sadly, it would be seven more years before we see Captain Atom again.

*

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

Charlton Bullseye #1 (1975)

Tags

Balor the Barbarian, Barb Weaver, Blue Beetle, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Charlton Bullseye, CPL Gang, Damara of Arcadia, David Kaler, Gunner, John Byrne, Jon G. Michels, Nicola Cuti, Nightshade, ROC-2000, Roger Stern, Steve Ditko, Sunurians, The Ghost

“Showdown in Sunuria”

• Writer: Jon G. Michels (also credited as “Soul & Inspiration” is Dave Kaler)
• Pencils: Steve Ditko
• Inks: John Byrne
• Letters: John Byrne & Barb Weaver

At the close of the 1960s, Charlton’s superhero titles (including Captain Atom) had been cancelled, and licensed properties had become the company’s bread and butter; publishing comics featuring popular cartoon characters such as The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Top Cat, luring several such titles away from Gold Key Comics. Charlton also published Bullwinkle and Rocky, based on Jay Ward Productions’ Rocky and His Friends/The Bullwinkle Show.

Charton Bullseye was a fanzine published from 1975-76 by the CPL Gang highlighting Charlton Comics. It was a large format publication, with color covers on card stock and black & white interiors (although the first issue was black and white throughout). Charlton Bullseye published several previously unpublished Charlton superhero and adventure stories, along with articles on Charlton comics, news, reviews, pinups, and more.

The CPL Gang was a group of comics fans who published the fanzine Contemporary Pictorial Literature (CPL) in the mid-1970s. Founded by Roger Stern and Bob Layton, the CPL Gang included Roger Slifer, Duffy Vohland, and the young John Byrne, all of whom themselves became comics professionals by the tail-end of the 1970s.

CPL rapidly became a popular fan publication, and led to the CPL Gang forming an alliance with Charlton. They first got permission to publish a one-shot called Charlton Portfolio (actually CPL#9/10) in 1974 which included the unpublished sixth issue of Blue Beetle.

During the mid-1970s, both Marvel and DC were publishing in-house fan-zines publications, and Charlton wished to make a return to the superhero market, as well as establish a fan presence. The positive response to Charlton Portfolio led to the CPL Gang getting approval to publish a Charlton-focused fanzine, Charlton Bullseye. This in turn led to Charlton giving Layton and Stern access to unpublished material from their vaults by  Steve Ditko and many others. Much of this material made it into the five issues of Charlton Bullseye, including the continuation of the story dropped after Captain Atom #89.

When this comic was published, the United States was embroiled in the Watergate scandal.  The Rocky Horror Show opened on Broadway in March.  April brought us the Fall of Saigon and an end to the Vietnam War.  And the first Monster Truck, Bigfoot, was created by Bob Chandler (truly a great American milestone).

This is and the story in Charlton Bullseye #2 are the two last published Captain Atom stories drawn by Steve Ditko, the Captain’s creator, and the character had been absent from the spinner racks for eight years.  Before the story, we are treated with a quick refresher on the main players.

This is the first time the Ghost’s captors are referred to as “Sunurians” in print.  Also notable, Captain Adam’s name has changed from Allen Adam to N. Christopher Adam.  It isn’t indicated what the “N” stands for, although the Modern Age Captain Adam’s first name is established as “Nathaniel.”

In the mysterious land of the Sunurians (Sunuria?), the Ghost is pleading his case with the ruling council.  He wants to teleport Captain Atom to them because he has spent the past eight years idle and wants revenge.  This seems to contradict the ending of Captain Atom #89 in which the Sunurians were about to send the Ghost out to bring Cap to them.  Why did they decide to wait so long?

The High Priestess addresses the council and the Ghost.  She says if he fails in his attempt to defeat Captain Atom, it could mean his own doom.

Meanwhile, in New York, Captain Atom and Nightshade are fighting a giant robot.  As Nightshade goes after it in her gliding Nightshademobile, Cap enters the robot by becoming intangible and confronts the baddies inside who are operating it.  They draw weapons but lose sight of Cap when he bends light rays to become invisible (New power?  Invisibility isn’t new, but he’s never mentioned “bending light rays” before.).

Captain Atom throws the surrounding thugs around as Nightshade boards the robot.  She uses a “black light beam” to blind a goon.  As another thug reaches for the self-destruct button, Cap throws an atomic fireball at him.  No longer under the control of the men onboard, the robot pitches forward.  Nightshade hits her head and blacks out.  As Cap is radioing Gunner for emergency medical help, he and Nightshade vanish.

They reappear in Sunuria, surrounded by the Ghost and a few Sunurians.  Captain Atom runs away, leaving the unconscious Nightshade behind (bad form, Captain).  The Sunurians tell the Ghost that he must tend to the injured Nightshade before pursuing Captain Atom; it is their “warrior’s code.”  The Ghost agrees, knowing Cap can’t escape Sunuria.  They discover she has a hairline fracture of her skull, which they can heal.  However, if she suffered brain damage they cannot help her.  The Ghost thinks if that is the case, it would be kinder to let her die.  He still does not realize that she is his friend Eve Eden or that Atom is his friend Allen (er… N. Christopher I mean) Adam.

Meanwhile, N. Christopher Adam is flying around Sunuria, commenting that it looks like something dreamed up by H. Rider Haggard.  He sees evidence everywhere that the Sunurians worship the Ghost.  He is attacked by some Sunurians (women again; we’ve never seen a male Sunurian) but manages to evade them before having a thought that completely baffles me.

“Whoever runs this set-up must’ve been frightened by a Xerox machine.”  A Xerox machine was, in 1975 (and today) primarily a photocopier.  If the Sunurians are frightened by photocopiers, that would seem to indicate they are afraid of copies.  Which makes no sense because they are all blonde pony-tailed women (as if clones or copies of one woman).  If that is the case, wouldn’t they then love Xerox machines?  Or does he mean “fear them” in the way Christians are taught to “fear God?”

As Captain Atom flies off to find a place to hide (to conserve energy for the inevitable confrontation with the Ghost), the Ghost is having troubles of his own.  The high priestess shows up wanting to know why he isn’t fighting Captain Atom and is letting “her finest troops” take on the superhero.  Rather than point out that he is obeying the Sunurians’ own crazy “warrior’s code,” the Ghost takes offense to her referring to the soldiers as “her” troops.  He points out that he rules, and that they are his troops to do with as he pleases.  She agrees, begrudgingly.

Meanwhile, the Sunurians have found Cap’s hiding place.  He gets fed up with outrunning them and sets out to find the Ghost and Nightshade in earnest.  I can’t help but wonder why he left Nightshade behind in the first place.

Speaking of Nightshade, the Sunurians restore her with “healing rays.”  The Ghost drags her behind him, calling out to Captain Atom.  He threatens to kill her if Cap doesn’t surrender.  Rather than run the risk that the Ghost might be bluffing, Captain Atom comes up through the floor beneath him and socks him in the jaw.

It ends there.  I’m guessing they took a full-length story and chopped it in half to make room for “The Guardian Spiders” featuring Damara of Arcadia and Balor the Barbarian, “ROC-2000: A Family Album,” a Blue Beetle pin-up and an article about the hero, an interview with Nicola Cuti, and a couple other pin-ups and articles.

The artwork of this story, despite the lack of color, is absolutely beautiful.  John Byrne’s inks really compliment Steve Ditko’s pencils.  According to editors at Charlton, Ditko didn’t like to ink his own work.  I wonder what he thought of Byrne’s work.  As Ditko grants few interviews, we may never know.  I’d love to hear his thoughts on what became of Captain Atom after the character left his hands.  Perhaps I have some earnest Googling to do tonight.  Anyway, the story itself is passable.  It feels incomplete and a bit lopsided on its own.  I give it a C.  Add that to the A+ artwork and Charlton Bullseye #1 gets a B from me.

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

Captain Atom #89 (December 1967)

Tags

13, A. Machine, Bronze Age Captain Atom, David Kaler, Faustus, Frank McLaughlin, Gunner, Nightshade, Steve Ditko, Sunurians, The Ghost

“Thirteen”

• Writer: David Kaler
• Pencils: Steve Ditko
• Inks: Frank McLaughlin
• Letters: A. Machine

This issue is a sad milestone for Captain Atom.  The first time the Captain was shelved, it was for three and a half years (from Space Adventures #42 to Strange Suspense Stories #75).  By the end of 1968, all of Charlton’s super-hero comics were cancelled, including Captain Atom.  This was the last issue published, and it had a cliffhanger ending.  The world did not get a resolution to the story for eight years, and Captain Atom didn’t get his own title again until 1987, twenty years after Captain Atom #89 was published.

The story opens at “a place hidden from the eyes of man,” what appears to be some sort of underwater complex.  The Ghost, installed as the ruler of this place, complains that he misses his old home and doing evil things.  His teleportation circuitry on his arm has been hidden, covered by skin.  He says if he could return home, he could resume his double life and even bring about the demise of Captain Atom.  The woman he is talking to reminds him that his teleportation device has been disabled so he is forced to stay in this place and rule these people.  The Ghost wonders who the original “Faceless One” was.

His female companion uses a rod-like device to pull up an image of Captain Atom on a viewscreen.  She and the Ghost see he is standing by a missile that the woman seems to recognize.  The blonde woman and the Ghost then meet with more women in a “council chamber.”  These women are the gold-wearing pigtail-having women who took the Ghost away in Captain Atom #86.  They agree that the Ghost must be allowed to return home in order to bring the missile back with him.

Back in Washington, just as Alec Rois (the Ghost) returns home, his butler hands him a package and a letter.  The letter is from the U.S. government, asking Rois to help them unlock the secrets of the missile.  The package contains a crystal ball, in which Alec sees the masked face of a man who calls himself “13.”  13 clearly knows Alec is the Ghost, and warns him not to interfere with his own plans to take the missile.

At a Texas NASA base, Captain Atom and Gunner are examining the missile when a warning message appears on the wall.  It reads, “I claim the missile for myself!  I will take it peacefully or fight for it!  Nothing can stop 13!”

Captain Atom warns Gunner to double the security and then heads out to find more info on 13.  He doesn’t go far when he meets the costumed man up in the clouds, joined by a flying black cat.  The cat, which 13 calls Faustus, warns his master to be wary of Cap.  13 conjures up some red scarves which begin to bind Captain Atom.  Cap turns up his heat and burns the scarves away.

13 throws silver coins at Cap, which stick to Atom’s body.  He then increases the weight of the coins to more than a ton each and Captain Atom plummets into the sea.  As he sinks, he begins to think his powers are useless against magic.  Cap manages to shake off the coins and then returns to base.  Gunner reports that no one showed up to take the missile but a letter came from Alec Rois.  Rois and his staff will be there that afternoon.  Watching through a crystal ball, 13 and Faustus look forward to giving Cap more hell but are wary of the Ghost arriving.

Within the hour, Rois arrives on base.  He and Captain Adam shake hands (they are old friends, each unaware that the other is their mortal enemy).  Adam warns Rois of 13’s attack and that the magician will probably make another attempt.

This is what bugs me about Alec Rois.  He knows Captain Adam and has been face-to-face with Captain Atom.  Aside from the similarity in the names being a dead giveaway, Captain Atom no longer wears a mask.  So, aside from different hair color, Atom is physically identical to Adam.  Like all it takes to hide your identity is to change your hair color or put on a pair of glasses.

After working for a bit, Alec says he is leaving his men to work while he rests.  This pleases Adam because it means he can switch back to Captain Atom to check things out.  Gunner promises to call Rois if anything turns up.

Alec returns to the lab as the Ghost and sets up a teleportation device to steal the missile.  But Captain Atom arrives and flings an atomic fireball at the Ghost.  Just as the Ghost is readying to teleport Cap out of there, Faustus and 13 appear.  13 makes flowers appear in the Ghost’s hands while Faustus conjures ropes out of nowhere to bind Captain Atom.

13 conjures up small animals and flings them at the Ghost while Cap continues to struggle to free himself.  He manages to break free and goes for 13, who vanishes before Cap can grab him.  Realizing he won’t be able to get his hands on Ghost or 13, Cap returns to the missile to guard it.

The Ghost whips out weapons from the Hidden Land, stinging strings and a force field box.  13 instructs Faustus to keep an eye on the Ghost with the crystal ball.

Back at the missile, the men have nearly cracked into it when their tools go wild operating on their own and a booming voice fills the chamber.  The voice of 13 warns the men that if they don’t stop trying to get in to the missile, they will have “bad luck.”  Captain Atom arrives, and gets the men to safety.  He remarks on how “spooky” the place is when 13 and Faustus pop up out of nowhere.

Just then the Ghost shows up wielding his stinging strings.  Captain Atom comes at the Ghost from behind, smashing him into a mirror.

Gunner tries to take 13 from behind but Faustus conjures a giant umbrella and he becomes trapped inside.  13 uses the Ghost’s stinging strings and force field to subdue the Ghost, Captain Atom, and Gunner.

13 builds some sort of machinery under the missile while Cap, Ghost, and Gunner are suspended helplessly in the force field.  It is a shrink ray, which 13 uses to shrink the missile to fit in the palm of his hand.  Faustus carelessly knocks over the force field generator, freeing Cap and Ghost.

Faustus puts the Ghost in a “sound bubble” that prevents him from using his teleportation device.  Just before Cap grabs 13, the magician twiddles his fingers and the missile vanishes.  Cap demands to know where it was sent.  13, Faustus, Cap, and Ghost suddenly find themselves outside, hovering in the sky above the base.

The Ghost begins to suspect this isn’t magic at all.  He thinks magic can’t create a sound bubble to hold him.  What on Earth does he base this on?

Back on the ground, 13 binds Cap in chains (which he easily breaks).  Cap flings an atomic fireball at 13, which the evildoer turns into a flower.  13 and Faustus fly away just as the Ghost breaks free of the sound bubble.  The Ghost teleports away as 13 and Faustus vanish.

13 and Faustus reappear in “the distant future.”  As 13 removes his mask and costume to reveal a bald white guy underneath, Faustus comments on how fun it was to use their future technology to make Cap think they were using magic.  Joined by other future people (all bald men), 13 chides Faustus, saying that “playing for the future of Earth” was not fun.

Lamenting the fact that they made Captain Atom look like a fool, 13 peeks in on Cap with his “crystal ball.”  He witnesses Cap taking a call from the president, in which the president reveals that 13 was a secret agent who was working for the government.  The missile was sent to a secret base to be destroyed.  It isn’t clear how much the president knows about the future bald dudes.

Back in the “hidden land,” the Ghost is fuming about his failure, blaming 13 and Faustus.  The golden-wearing pigtail ladies (they are the Sunurians, although they haven’t yet been revealed as such in the comics) tell him to go back and get Captain Atom.  They want Cap’s fate to be determined in Sunuria.

To be continued next issue!  Except, of course, there was no next issue.  Eventually the story was picked up in a fanzine called Charlton Bullseye.  Roger Stern and John Byrne got their hands on Steve Ditko’s pencil work and finished the story, but that wouldn’t be until 1975.  THe next time Captain Atom was seen was a brief cameo in another Charlton book, Ghost Manor, in 1974.

This issue looked good, certainly.  Ditko and McLaughlin were a good team.  Frank McLaughlin went on to work for both Marvel and DC Comics.  He inked Captain Marvel  and Captain America for Marvel, and had notable runs inking The Flash with Carmine Infantino, Wonder Woman with Gene Colan, and Green Arrow with Dan Jurgens.  He was a regular inker for Dick Dillin’s Justice League of America.  Still alive and kicking as of this writing, Frank’s last contribution to comics was inking again for Dick Dillin in DC Retroactive: JLA – The ’70s #1 in 2011.  I give the artwork of Captain Atom #89 an A+.

The story, however… Why do the Sunurians want the missile?  Why do the future baldies want the missile?  Who was the original “Faceless One?”  Why can cats from the future speak English?  Where was the missile found?  What was inside the missile?  Why can’t sound bubbles be conjured magically?  Too much of this just didn’t make any sense.  This D story brings the overall rating of this issue to a B in my book.

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

Captain Atom #88 (October 1967)

Tags

A. Machine, Bronze Age Captain Atom, David Kaler, Frank McLaughlin, Gunner, Nightshade, Steve Ditko

“Ravage of Ronthor”

• Writer:  David Kaler
• Pencils:  Steve Ditko
• Inks:  Frank McLaughlin
• Letters:  A. Machine

Eight million light years away, an alien spacecraft crashes on an alien world.  Giant insects emerge from the craft and begin attacking the alien world’s civilization.

Thousands of light years away (what happened to the millions?) on Earth, Captain Atom is reporting to a military base.  The besieged planet has sent an SOS and the American military is responding.  He is to pilot an experimental space craft that uses space warps rather than traditional rocket fuel.  Realizing that it has been thousands of years since the SOS was sent, the rocket was developed to actually “break the time continuum” so that Captain Atom can arrive just after the message was sent.  The craft will only work with Captain Atom supplying his own power.

Gunner asks Cap if someone else can pilot the ship; he is clearly worried for his friend’s safety.  Cap says it has to be him supplying the energy for the craft to work.  With luck he should be back within a week.

*

Eve Eden (Nightshade) calls Captain Atom, also worried about him.  She also asks him what she should do about Abby Ladd’s ongoing crusade to discredit Captain Atom and bed Captain Adam.  He has no good advice for her.

The rocket launches, using conventional fuel to escape Earth’s gravitational pull.  Once in space, Cap plugs into the controls and the ship vanishes into the time continuum.  It emerges above the planet in peril centuries in the past.

As soon as Cap exits his craft, it is set upon by the giant insects that have been ravaging the planet.  He rams into one but the thing’s exoskeleton is a thick armor he can’t penetrate.  Cap is at abit of a loss, as he has to conserve his energy for the return trip.  The creature begins to trap Captain Atom in a spider-web like substance but a well-aimed atomic fireball knocks the thing down.

Another creature attacks, stunning Cap with a blast of “x-rays,” then attempts to eat him.  He smashes the thing’s mouth (evidently killing it) then goes back into his spacecraft and collapses.  He awakes from an hours-long nap to see the nearby city in flames.  He quickly packs a bag and then begins to follow the radio signal that lead him to this planet in the first place.  The city appears deserted – even the sections not engulfed in flames.  A flying monster grabs him and he blasts it with the fire extinguisher he had packed.  It slows the creature down but doesn’t stop it.  Cap flings the monster away and it bursts into flames for no apparent reason.

Finally finding the source of the signal, Captain Atom is greeted by a voice on a PA system welcoming him to the planet Ronthor.  The voice says it scanned Cap and learned everything about him, including his language, and stored it in its computer systems.  The voice explains that the people of Ronthor were so technologically advanced that they had machines do everything for them and they grew bored.  They built huge rockets and left their home, leaving Ronthor as a “memorial to stifling perfection.”  The voice itself is a machine and it convinces Cap that the planet must be preserved so other species can learn from their mistakes.

*

Returning to his ship, Cap uses the chemicals in his lab to make an insecticide that will kill the attackers.  He blasts off into space with one of the creatures wrapped around his ship (the gigantic bug is killed in the take-off).  From space, Cap drops his chemical concoction onto the planet and it does the trick.  Commenting that this has been the weirdest thing he’s ever done, Captain Atom warps his ship back to Earth.  As he prepares his landing, Gunner notices another object on the radar, setting up the next adventure.

Cap was right, this was a pretty weird one.  It seemed a little pointless and Captain Atom’s sudden motivation to save this lifeless world was kind of baffling.  As a military man, he should have grabbed some Ronthor technology or something before he left.  As a story, Captain Atom versus space insects fell a little flat, especially when all he did to defeat them was spray some DDT (still better than that Fiery Icer fiasco, though).  But the artwork was beautiful.  Frank McLaughlin’s inks of Steve Ditko’s pencil work was outstanding, better than Rocke Mastroserio.  And I am a big Ditko/Mastroserio fan (the editor indicates on the letter page that Ditko “doesn’t want to ink Captain Atom”).  The A art and C story combine for an overall rating of B.  Not too bad.  There is also another Nightshade back-up story in this issue.

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