Captain Atom #22 (December 1988)

Tags

Amanda Waller, Bob Smith, Carrie Spiegle, Cary Bates, Dan Raspler, Dennis O'Neill, General Eiling, Greg Weisman, Martin Allard, Max Lord, Nightshade, Pat Broderick, Plastique, Shelley Eiber

“Captain Atom Goes to War”

Written by Cary Bates & Greg Weisman ° Pencils by Pat Broderick ° Inks by Bob Smith ° Letterer: Carrie Spiegle ° Colors by Shelley Eiber ° Editors: Denny O’Neil & Dan Raspler

Well, Nate has gone off the rails in some Central American country (we never learned where he actually was last issue). He has taken the law into his own hands in an attempt to stop a civil war and created an embarrassment for his own country. Meanwhile, Wade Eiling pays a visit to Amanda Waller to find out who authorized her to send Nightshade out after Captain Atom. Waller politely shows the General the door.

Down south, Nate is melting choppers left and right but sparing the operators. He’s only after the weapons. It seems a military man like him would realize there’s always more weapons. Burn them all and people will just use their hands, Nate.

En route, Nightshade (Eve) is being briefed by Waller and thinking to herself she would have jumped at this opportunity regardless. Seems Eve is still carrying a torch for Adam. Back in New York, a frustrated Maxwell Lord fields multiple calls about his rogue Justice Leaguer. Nate, meanwhile, continues to melt tanks and piss everybody off.

Back at the base camp, Nate tries to convince his fellow soldiers that maybe what Captain Atom is doing is right but they won’t hear it. How have they not out two and two together? This white haired pinko shows up in X country the same time Captain Atom shows up and starts melting helicopters and they can’t see they are the same guy? While sitting watch for the night, Cap is knocked out and dragged off by Plastique. The next morning his fellow soldiers are none too concerned as they break camp and move on.

When he wakes up, Nate finds Bette has fitted him with a special collar. If he tries to change into Captain Atom, the explosive will take his head off. She’s also unbuttoned his shirt, but that was really just for her.

In an effort to try and convince Plastique they can make a difference, Nate leads her to a pit where he has melted the government’s and the rebel’s stolen arsenals. Bette did not realize he had been disarming both sides. Back home, Eiling and Allard have realized the same thing. Wade says Nate is in for a rude awakening.

Back down south, Nate asks Bette if she’ll give him give days to sort this war out. But whatever will they do for those give days?

Sly old Nate seduced Bette in an attempt to lift the key to the collar off of her. But she’s too quick for him and ends up pinning him down. Just then darkness falls, but it isn’t a natural darkness. Nightshade has arrived. Realizing there is no way to fight her in the dark (Eve’s turf), Plastique unlocks the collar and Captain Atom brings in the light.

The women begin to scrap, but Nate interferes. He says he’s out to stop all conflict in the country, not just the war but also between Eve and Bette. But before anyone can do any real damage, the trip smells something burning and discover a nearby village in flames. Without their weapons, the soldiers have resorted to using torches. As Adam and Eve watch the locals have at each other with whatever they can get their hands on, Bette slips away.

Nate finally realizes there is no way he can stop this war. He gathers up Nightshade and they fly home.

Overall, I liked this little two-parter. This is the kind of stuff Captain Atom was getting into in his Charlton days, so it was only fitting Nightshade was along for the ride. Only, in those days, he would have solved the problem and not accepted defeat. But this ain’t your grandpa’s Captain Atom. A well-crafted story and great art. Broderick and Smith are a dream team. A.

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Captain Atom #20 (October 1988)

Tags

Blue Beetle, Bob Smith, Booster Gold, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Carrie Spiegle, Cary Bates, Dennis O'Neill, Dick Giordano, Dr. Spectro, Frank McLaughlin, Henry Yarrow, Mister Miracle, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pablo Marcos, Pat Broderick, Shelly Eiber, Starshine Stone

 

“The Silver Lie”

• Writers: Cary Bates & Greg Weisman
• Pencils: Pablo Marcos
• Inks: Frank McLaughlin
• Colors: Shelley Eiber
• Letters: Carrie Spiegle
• Cover Artists: Pat Broderick & Bob Smith
• Editor: Dennis O’Neil
• Executive Editor: Dick Giordano

When is Nate going to learn to stop relying on “the lie” to get what he wants? It blows up in his face every time! Maybe not right away, but eventually the truth comes out for sad sack Nathaniel Adam. And the lie he spins in this issue marks a turning point in his history. Things are set into motion and his future with the Justice League is at risk.

The last time we saw Captain Atom in action was in Justice League International #17. This issue opens in the JLI’s New York Embassy, and right away things look… odd. Not bad at all. Just different. That’s because (for the first time) this issue was not penciled by Pat Broderick. Pablo Marcos did a lot of pencils and inks for both DC and Marvel throughout the 1970s to the 2000s.  He did ink Blue Beetle #13 a year prior to this comic’s publication.

Mister Miracle and Booster Gold enter the monitor room just as Cap and Blue Beetle are taking off on a mission. They are puzzled by BB and Cap’s new bromance.

The mystery is solved when the pair come across a file entitled “Captain Atom Blue Beetle, The Covert Casebook.” I know, I know.  Comics.

According to the casebook, when Cap was operating in secret (which never happened), he occasionally teamed up with the previous Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett. According to the fake history, Dan tried to convince Captain Atom to go public with his super-heroing years before he actually did.

Nate flashes back to the beginning of this latest piece of The Lie. It began one day when he was stocking shelves at Mellow Yellows and Henry Yarrow came in. Yarrow was Nate’s defense attorney in 1968 when he was first put on trial. He’s been trying to find evidence to clear Nate’s name. He’s also gotten a face-lift, as he is on the run from some crime organization that wants him dead. Nate closes up the shop and takes a ride with Yarrow, knowing that doing so will anger Starshine.

Yarrow reveals that Lester Bryant, chairman of Zyco Industries, has been buying up small R and D companies. In the 60s, Bryant was one of the Generals who sat in on Nate’s court martial. According to a “deathbed confession” by a “bitter employee,” there is a codebook in a safe in Bryant’s office that incriminates him as a member of a Vietnam, drug ring. Zyco security are on to Yarrow, thinking he is a corporate spy. He can’t break into the office safe, so he gives Nate all the info he has and lets Nate decide how to proceed.

Nate decides the best way to proceed is to lie to one of his Justice League team-mates and use him to gain access to Zyco Industries.  He meets Blue Beetle in a secluded area where Beetle demands to know how Nate found out he was Ted Kord (Kord Industries was one of the companies purchased by Zyco). Beetle, who claims he and Atom never saw eye-to-eye since Cap joined the league, asks Nate why he thinks he’d help him. Nate hands him the secret casebook.

Blue Beetle reads about a time when Dr. Spectro attacked the first Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett. The Bronze Age Captain Atom came to Dan’s rescue. This story is told in flashback form throughout the book. It is enough to convince Ted, who agrees to visit Zyco.

Ted calls on Lester Bryant, who is rather portly. He visits Zyco under the pretense that he is seeking a job with the company. Bryant is all too happy to oblige, and sends Ted off with the lovely Miss Devon to take a tour of the company. As Ted flirts with Devon, mini cameras in his cufflinks are snapping pics, which Beetle and Cap pull up on the JLI computer later on.

Captain Atom spots the safe behind Bryant’s desk. He opts to listen in on Bryant’s bugged phone while Blue Beetle goes on a date with Miss Devon. Cap feels like crap for lying to Ted – not only about the “secret casebook,” but also that the airman who’s name they are trying to clear is actually Nathaniel Adam.

Back at Zyco, Bryant places a call. He tells the person on the other end that he was aware of Ted’s wrist cameras, but clearly isn’t aware of the bugged phone. The individual on the other end shares Bryant’s concern about Ted Kord and Miss Devon going on a date, and orders Bryant to have them both killed.

Out on the town, Ted pushes Devon out of the path of a speeding taxi. Before the offending cab can speed away, Captain Atom shows up and grabs the driver. Miss Devon confesses to Ted she knows a lot more than she’s let on, and tearfully offers to tell him everything.

Later, after he’s dropped Miss Devon off with the police, Blue Beetle meets up with Captain Atom at the JLI Embassy to compare notes. After dropping the would-be assassin off at a nearby police station, Cap went over the surveillance footage and discovered that Zyco’s “research submersibles” are being equipped with military-grade weapons. Miss Devon revealed to Ted that two of these prototypes were sold to major drug rings operating in the Gulf of Mexico.

In flashback land, Blue Beetle (Dan Garrett) is strung upside down in Dr. Spectro’s lair. Spectro is torturing the Beetle, hoping to learn his and Captain Atom’s secrets. But before Dan can talk, Captain Atom bursts in to the rescue.

Back in the “real world,” Cap and Beetle come upon the bad guys testing out their new submersibles on an unsuspecting cruise ship. Beetle swings down to take on the baddies while Cap provides air support. Ted’s plan is to confiscate the subs for his repo business. He shatters one of the canopies but isn’t overly concerned as that is an easy fix. He seems mostly concerned with impressing his business partner Booster Gold. Cap accidentally sinks one on the subs and apologizes to Beetle as he rescues the pilot. The second sub is also destroyed by its’ pilot.

Cap thinks Ted will be angry and this actually relieves him. He feels bad for lying to Beetle. However, back on board the JLI shuttle (with the baddies stowed away), Ted tells him he isn’t sore. After all, they have a tradition to uphold. The non-existent tradition of a Blue Beetle/Captain Atom team.

Back at the JLI embassy, Ted and Nate listen in on Lester’s office. He’s on the phone with a very upset third party. They hear and eplosion and take off for Zyco to investigate (this is where we entered this story). They arrive only to find Lester has been killed.

The fake flashback story wraps up with old Cap and old Beetle leaving Spectro’s lair and promising to always have each others’ backs. The issue closes with current Cap and current Beetle (after discovering the safe they were looking for was destroyed along with its contents) making the same promise to each other. Cap flies away feeling like a total a-hole for using Ted that way. Which he is. Honestly, did he really think Ted wouldn’t help him without the lie? I mean, they’re Justice League team-mates. Those guys always look out for each other, don’t they?

So I give Pablo and Frank and A for art. This was beautiful. I love their take on the Bronze Age Captain Atom and the Golden Age Blue Beetle. And I can’t complain about not having seen Pat Broderick’s take on Beetle, because he drew the cover. Cary and Greg get an A for story, too. I’ve always really liked this issue. It was super fun seeing Captain Atom and Blue Beetle teaming up and I will never not love these two Ditko creations.

Silver and Gold Episode 14: The Man of Gold vs the Man of Steel!

Tags

Alan Gold, Augustin Mas, Bob Smith, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Carl Gafford, Cary Bates, Dan Jurgens, Dennis O'Neill, Dirk Davis, Duncan Andrews, Gene D'Angelo, General Eiling, Martin Allard, Mike DeCarlo, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pat Broderick, Plastique, Superman, The Cambodian, The Mongolian, Trixie Collins

Superman teaches Booster Gold a harsh lesson with his fists in Booster Gold (vol 1) #7 by Dan Jurgens, Mike DeCarlo, Gene D’Angelo, Augustin Mas, and Alan Gold. Captain Atom gets sucker-stabbed by the Cambodian while he’s chatting up Plastique in Captain Atom (DC, vol 1) #7 by Cary Bates, Pat Broderick, Bob Smith, Carl Gafford, Duncan Andrews, and Dennis O’Neil. And Roy and Jay are there to talk about it!

Music
Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Battle Without Honor or Humanity – Tomoyasu Hotei

Direct Link.

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Check out our tumblr for images from these issues.

Silver and Gold Episode 12: At Last! The Origin of Booster Gold

Tags

Alan Gold, Augustin Mas, Bob Smith, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Carl Gafford, Cary Bates, Dan Jurgens, Dennis O'Neill, Doctor Spectro, Duncan Andrews, Mike DeCarlo, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nansi Hoolahan, Pat Broderick, Skeets, Superman

Like Julius Caesar in 49 BC, FKAjason and Roy “Charlemagne” Cleary cross the Rubicon with Booster Gold, Skeets, Superman, and their new pal Z. Finally, the origin of Booster Gold is revealed by Dan Jurgens, Mike DeCarlo, Nansi Hoolahan, Augustin Mas, and Alan Gold. We then turn our sights on the new Doctor Spectro trying to get a piece of Captain Atom’s lie with Cary Bates, Pat Broderick, Bob Smith, Carl Gafford, Duncan Andrews, and Dennis O’Neil. All of this and more are found in today’s reviews of Booster Gold (vol 1) #6, and Captain Atom (DC, vol 1) #6. Plus, your listener feedback!

Music
Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Channel Z – The B-52’s
Kiss – Prince
With or Without You – U2

Direct Link.

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Check out our Tumblr for images from this issue.

 

Silver and Gold Episode 10: Face Off

Tags

Augustin Mas, Bob Le Rose, Bob Smith, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Cary Bates, Dan Jurgens, Dennis O'Neill, Doctor Spectro, Dr. Spectro, Firestorm, Janice Race, Mike DeCarlo, Mister Twister, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nansi Hoolahan, Pat Broderick, The Irredeemable Shag

In this episode of Silver and Gold Podcast, Captain Atom faces off with Firestorm, the Nuclear Man! Dr. Spectro faces off with a journalist! Booster Gold faces off with a killer zamboni and the Metropolis hockey team! So many face offs we had to call in the Irredeemable Shag to help us out. We review the Booster Gold (vol 1) #5 story “Face Off” (by the creative team of Dan Jurgens, Mike DeCarlo, Nansi Hoolahan, Augustin Mas, and Janice Race) and the Captain Atom (DC, vol 1) #5 story “The Return of Dr. Spectro” (by the creative team of Cary Bates, Pat Broderick, Bob Smith, Bob Le Rose, Augustin Mas, and Dennis O’Neill).

Music
Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Purple Rain – Prince
Kiss – Prince
Batdance – Prince
Face Off – Bow Wow & Omarion

Direct Link.

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Check out our Tumblr blog for images from this issue.

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 03: Captain Atom… A True American Hero?

Tags

Batman, Blue Beetle, Bob Smith, Brian Mulroney, Captain Atom, Cary Bates, Dr. Megala, Firestorm, General Eiling, Jeffrey "Goz" Goslin, John Costanza, Martin Allard, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pat Broderick, Plastique, Ronald Reagan, Superman

In this episode of Silver & Gold, we discuss what I like to call “Captain Atom versus the French Canadian Separatists.” After a brief discussion about Captain Atom’s junk, we review Captain Atom (vol 1, DC) #2 by Cary Bates, Pat Broderick, Bob Smith, Carl Gafford, and John Costanza.

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

Music

Heart of Gold – The Roy Clark Method
Silver Threads and Golden Needles – The Springfields

Download this episode now on iTunes!

Direct Link.

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.)

Silver and Gold Episode 01: First Issue Excitement!

Tags

Ambush Bug, Angela Adam, Augustin Mas, Blackguard, Bob Smith, Booster Gold, Captain Atom, Carl Gafford, Cary Bates, Dan Jurgens, Dirk Davis, Dr. Megala, General Eiling, Jeffrey "Goz" Goslin, Jimmy Olsen, John Costanza, Mike DeCarlo, Modern Age Captain Atom, Pat Broderick, Skeets, tom ziuko, Trixie Collins

In the first (and possibly last and only) episode of the Silver and Gold Podcast, Roy and Jay Discuss and review Booster Gold #1 (from February 1986 and written and drawn by Dan Jurgens with inks by Mike DeCarlo, colors by Tom Ziuko and letters by Augustin Mas) and Captain Atom #1 (from March 1987 and written by Cary Bates with pencils by Pat Broderick, inks by Bob Smith, colors by Carl Gafford, and letters by John Costanza).  The Silver and Gold theme song is Heart of Gold by the Roy Clark Method. This podcast was inspired by Shag and Rob of The Fire and Water Podcast. If response to the podcast is positive, we will continue recording and make this a regular show.

Click on the link below to play this episode.

Silver and Gold #1

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.)