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.

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) (September 1999 – February 2000)

Tags

Aquaman, Avatar, Batman, Big Barda, Bill Clinton, Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Fate, Golden Age Blue Beetle, Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner), Judomaster, L.A.W. Captain Atom, Martian Manhunter, Nightshade, Orion, Peacemaker, Plastic Man, Rama Kushna, Sarge Steel, Steel, Superman, The Flash, The Question, Wonder Woman, Yves Fortè

Writer: Bob Layton
Pencils: Dick Giordano
Inks: Bob Layton
Colors: Tom Ziuko
Letters: John Workman

The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons) was a six-issue mini series published by DC Comics starting in September 1999 and running to February 2000. The series logo on each of the six covers spotlighted one specific member of The L.A.W., with the first issue featuring Blue Beetle. The following five issue covers featured old Charlton characters the Question, the Peacemaker, Nightshade, Judomaster and Captain Atom. The six covers, when lined up, formed one complete picture. And everybody got a new costume!

So what was the world like in September 1999? Bill Clinton was in the White House with Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street. Rescuers were still searching for survivors of the İzmit earthquake (there were just over 17,000 dead from the 7.6 magnitude quake in Turkey). Greece was hit by an earthquake and multiple aftershocks. If you had a time machine and a hankering to go to the movies, you might catch American Beauty, The Sixth Sense, or The Iron Giant. Of course, you might also see Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, or Wild Wild West, so it’s sort of a crapshoot.

The basic story of L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons): the team was formed in response to the disappearance of the JLA after they were attacked by the Avatar (who used to be Judomaster’s sidekick “Tiger”).

After causing the Justice Leauge  to disappear along with their Watchtower, Avatar then attacks a European Space Agency launch facility. During the attack, Captain Atom shows up to stop him, but he is quickly defeated and captured by the Avatar (way to fail, Cap). The Avatar keeps Captain Atom trapped within a large crystal that contains his powers, which he needs to carry out his plan.

Nate references his wife Plastique, which I love, even if it is something of a continuity headache.

Senior Advisor of Metahuman Affairs, Sarge Steel, is asked by President Clinton to go to the Swiss Alps (where the Peacemaker Project is located). The Peacemaker Project has a wide variety of information; specifically, information regarding the Avatar and the disappearance of the JLA. As Sarge Steel is arriving, the Avatar’s Ravanans are attacking the Peacemaker Project. With the help of the new Peacemaker, Mitchell Black, they are able to defeat Avatar’s henchmen before too much of the base is destroyed.

During the fight at the Peacemaker Project, the Blue Beetle and the Question are investigating a group of Avatar’s followers. They meet up with Judomaster who was going out on his own to correct a wrong that he had committed (although the particular “wrong” is not revealed, we do learn Judomaster was sent away from Nanda Parbat by Rama Kushna). The three heroes are attacked by Avatar’s group of followers and they flee in Blue Beetle’s Bug. While fleeing, they are contacted by Sergeant Steel to come and meet him in the Swiss Alps.

When they arrive at the Peacemaker Project’s base, they discover that Nightshade is also there, recovering from a procedure that Fate had performed to remove a succubus that was inhabiting her body. She has developed new powers as a result of the procedure. She can now easily travel through shadows and use them to form a shadow cyclone as a weapon against the Avatar’s Ravanans. She is able to prevent the Ravanans from capturing French Ambassador Yves Fortè.

During a battle with Avatar and his Ravanans, Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, The Question, and Judomaster are defeated and Judomaster is taken back to Avatar’s base. While they are detained, Judomaster reveals to the group that the Avatar is actually his former sidekick, Tiger.

Nightshade is able to locate the missing JLA and the Watchtower by utilizing her new powers. She is able to free them from the stasis that the Avatar had placed them in and the JLA help her repel the attacking Ravanans. The JLA return to Earth to battle the remaining Ravanans while Peacemaker, Blue Beetle, and The Question travel into outer space to destroy the targeting system that the Avatar has in place to destroy all of the military outlets in the world. Blue Beetle successfully shuts down the system and averts a major catastrophe. Judomaster then meets with the Avatar and, knowing that he is beaten, the Avatar gives up his mission.

The L.A.W. are able to free Captain Atom and all of the members go their separate ways. (When Cap emerges from the crystal, he is wearing his “Kingdome Come” costume.) The Blue Beetle decides that he is going to take some time off from being a super-hero for a while so that he can better understand who he truly is.

The reason for the wikipediaish entry for this series and lumping it all into one entry is simple: this is a Captain Atom blog, not a Charlton Comics blog. Don’t get me wrong, I love the old Charlton books. But Captain Atom hardly figured into this series at all. There is lots of Blue Beetle action though, including a dream sequence that features the Golden Age Dan Garrett Blue Beetle.

Dick Giordano and Bob Layton’s art is superb and Bob’s story is pretty good. If this had turned into an ongoing series, I certainly would have picked it up. I give The L.A.W. (Living Assault Weapons an A.

Captain Atom next appears in JLA Showcase 80-Page Giant #1.

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

 

 

 

Charlton Comics Super Heroes by Loston Wallace

Tags

Blue Beetle, Loston Wallace, Nightshade, Silver Age Captain Atom, The Question

Loston Wallace, a graduate of the Kubert School, is a freelance comic book artist from North Carolina.  He has published work for both DC and Marvel Comics, as well as illustrations for FASA games.  Of the Charlton super heroes, he say this:

“I grew up reading CHARLTON COMICS in the 1970s.   I loved Charlton’s ghost story comics like HAUNTED, GHOST MANOR, GHOSTLY TALES, SCARY TALES, and war comics like FIGHTIN’ ARMY and FIGHTIN’ MARINES and so forth, but I discovered that a decade earlier, Charlton had published superhero titles too.  CAPTAIN ATOM, THE BLUE BEETLE, THE QUESTION, and NIGHTSHADE all made appearances in Charlton mags.  Back in the early 2000s I decided to draw my four favorite Charlton superheroes in THE BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES style…”

You can check out Wallace’s other great works on his deviantart page or his official website.

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

Convergence #8 (July 2015)

Tags

Andy Kubert, Barbara Gordon, Batman, Blue Beetle, Brad Anderson, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Carlo Pagulayan, Dick Grayson, Dr. Fate, Eduardo Pansica, Ethan Van Sciver, Green Lantern (Alan Scott), Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Green Lantern (John Stewart), Jason Paz, Jeff King, Jill Thompson, John Romita Jr., John Starr, Judomaster, Nightshade, Peacemaker, Peter Steigerwald, Scott Hanna, Scott Lobdell, Stephen Segovia, Supergirl, Superman, The Flash, The Question, Tomeu Morey, Tony S. Daniel, Travis Lanham

“Last Stand”

• Writers:  Jeff King, Scott Lobdell
• Pencils:  Stephen Segovia, Carlo Pagulayan,Eduardo Pansica, Ethan Van Sciver
• Inks:  Jason Paz, Scott Hanna, Trevor Scott,Stephen Segovia, Ethan Van Sciver
• Colors:  John Starr, Peter Steigerwald
• Letters:  Travis Lanham
• Cover Artists:  Andy Kubert, Brad Anderson, Tony S. Daniel, Tomeu Morey, Jill Thompson, John Romita, Jr.

Going into Convergence, I said I was going to wait until it was over to review it.  As Captain Atom’s role in the actual mini-series was limited, I decided not to.  Besides, as a kid I was always told if I couldn’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.  And I’ve found very little “nice” to say about this series.  I understand what DC Comics was doing here but I didn’t like it.  From 1935 – 1985, the DC Universe was never “rebooted.”  Since 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths, we’ve had Zero Hour, Final Crisis, Flashpoint, and now Convergence.  Why are they so trigger-happy with that reset button?  I’ve decided I’m done with DC for a while.  If they bring back Captain Atom or Firestorm, I’ll buy them.  But that might not ever happen (however, if the Legends of Tomorrow TV series is a success, Firestorm may be back in a big way, and the door was left open on The Flash for a season 2 Captain Atom appearance).

The Bronze Age Captain Atom appears in the background four times in this issue, although his costume coloring is slightly wrong.

That last panel seems to indicate that the original Charlton heroes do indeed “evolve” into their Multiversity counterparts.  This means we already know their fates and Captain Atom is dead once again.

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

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.

Captain Atom, Nightshade, and the Question by George Kambadais

Tags

Captain Atom, George Kambadais, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nightshade, The Question

According to his tumblr page, George Kambadais is a freelance comic artist, illustrator, and co-creator of The Double Life Of Miranda Turner.  He has worked with DC comics (The Vampire Diaries), Image, IDW, Arcana Comics, and others.  He also writes fanfiction.  His tumblr is worth a look.

Justice League International #13 & Suicide Squad #13 (May 1988)

Tags

Al Gordon, Amanda Waller, Batman, Black Canary, Blue Beetle, Bob Lewis, Booster Gold, Boris Dmitravich Razumihin, Bronze Tiger, Captain Atom, Captain Boomerang, Carl Gafford, Deadshot, Duchess, Green Lantern (Guy Gardner), Hammer, Javelin, John Economos, John Ostrander, Luke McDonnell, Martian Manhunter, Max Lord, Modern Age Captain Atom, Molotov, Mr. Miracle, Nemesis, Nightshade, Oberon, People's Heroes, Red Star, Rick Flag, Rocket Red #4, Rocket Red Brigade, Ronald Reagan, Sickle, Steve Leialoha, Suicide Squad, The People's Heroes, Todd Klein, Vixen

“Collision Course”

• Writers:  Keith Giffen & J.M. DeMatteis
• Pencils:  Keith Giffen
• Inks:  Al Gordon
• Colors:  Gene D’Angelo
• Letters:  Bob Lappan
• Cover Art:  Steve Leialoha & Al Gordon

It is the crossover we’ve all been waiting for.  Justice League International comes face to face with the Suicide Squad.  Part one hit the stands on January 12, 1988.  This had been building in the DC Universe, with Batman uncovering clues to the Suicide Squads existence for months.  Once he discovered what they truly were (supervillains used by the government for covert ops in exchange for reduced sentences), he vowed to Amanda Waller to bring them down.

Tom Tresser, a.k.a. Nemesis, has been captured in the Soviet Union and has been held prisoner there.  He’s been accused of attempting to kidnap a Russian dissident named Zoya Trigorin.  The news has gone public, and Batman follows the story while on monitor duty at the New York JLI embassy.  Batman knows Nemesis, and thinks he’s a “good man.”  While on monitor duty, the dark knight was talking to himself, explaining to Oberon that it helps his thinking process.  Oberon warns Black Canary to stay clear of Batman, as he’s acting a lot more weird than usual.

In a Washington, DC hotel room, Amanda Waller is shouting at Rick Flag via telephone.  Amanda is the creator of the Suicide Squad and Rick Flag is the mission leader.  Rick wants to take the Squad to the USSR to rescue Nemesis, but Waller warns him that the only reason the capture was publicized was to lure them to Russia.  She orders him to stay at Belle Reve and not to go after his teammate.  After Rick hangs up with Waller, Nightshade asks him what the plan is.  Despite the fact that they are fully aware that this is a trap, Rick and Nightshade agree to go ahead with a rescue effort.

Back in New York, Batman is pumping Rocket Red #4 for information (his armor is mislabeled with a “13”).  Dmitri says that just because he’s a Soviet citizen, that doesn’t mean he knows anything about Nemesis.  He says if Batman’s friend is in prison there then he must have done something wrong.

At Belle Reve, Flag has assembled his team (Vixen, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, Javelin, Nightshade, and Duchess).  There is a gratuitous and unnecessary shot of Nightshade’s buttcheek.

Flag takes the Squad to an airfield and briefs them on a plane bound for Russia.  When Amanda Waller finds out what Rick has done, she goes immediately to meet with President Reagan in the White House.  She suggests he sends the JLI to Russia to retrieve Nemesis.  He agrees and Waller goes off to meet with Maxwell Lord.

At the JLI New York embassy, Batman is trying to convince Martian Manhunter, Booster Gold, Oberon, Captain Atom, Black Canary, Mr. Miracle, Guy Gardner, Blue Beetle, and Rocket Red #4 to go after Nemesis (invade Russia – again).  Oberon is upset that J’onn (Martian Manhunter, leader of the JLI) would even entertain the notion.  His argument is interrupted by a call from Max, however, sending the JLI to Russia.

On the JLI shuttle en route to Russia, it is revealed that a team of super villains has banded together to attack the very prison that is holding Nemesis.  The JLI all agree it is an unusual coincidence.

J’onn is on the video-phone with Boris Razumihin, the Russian bureau chief for the JLI.  Martian Manhunter assures him the situation – and Guy Gardner – are under control.  Guy has had problems in the Soviet Union in the past.  When he hangs up with Martian Manhunter, Razumihin calls Gorbachev, reminded that Russia has super-heroes of their own.

In New York, at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Amanda Waller pays a visit to Max Lord.  Lord is recovering from the events of the previous issue.  She warns him that the JLI had better maintain the secrecy of the Suicide Squad and she hints that if Max doesn’t play along he might end up dead.

On the other side of the world, the Rocket Red Brigade is training when they receive orders and move out.  Meanwhile, in Moscow, Red Star of the People’s Heroes meets with a Russian government official who warns him of the approaching heroes and villains.  Red Star steals his car and drives off.

When the JLI reaches the prison, they enter the warden’s office and Batman gets right to bullying the warden, demanding to see Nemesis.

The warden says he’s under orders that no one is to see Nemesis.  He also says he thought the Justice League was there to protect them from the villains.  The warden receives a call and then agrees to take the JLI to Nemesis.  Rocket Red #4 reveals that he radioed his government connections and convinced them to allow the JLI access.  As they head to Nemesis’ cell (with Batman griping about J’onn’s leadership abilities), the Suicide is slipping into the prison via the loading docks.  Upon reaching the cell, the JLI finds Nemesis unconscious on the floor.  Batman suggests he was beaten and demands that the cell be opened.  Rocket Red #4 says there’s no way he was beaten and he will not open the cell.  J’onn warns Batman if he doesn’t cease his arrogant, juvenile behavior, he’ll be booted out of Russia and the League.  Batman agrees (after a dramatic pause) and asks Martian Manhunter what their next step should be.  This is when the Suicide Squad appears, facing the JLI.

In New York, Max warns Amanda that even though the situation is bad for the Suicide Squad, it can always get worse.  The Rocket Red Brigade is 60 minutes away from the prison and Red Star is ten miles away.  To be continued (erroneously, it says the story is to be picked up in the pages of Suicide Squad #10 but it was actually continued in #13)…

At the time, I was reading both Justice League International and Suicide Squad, so I was super excited about this crossover.  Not a lot happened in this issue, as it was merely setting up the conflict that would happen in the next issue of Suicide Squad.  I give this an A- for story and a B for art (after all these years, I still go back and forth on what I think about Keith Giffen’s talent).

“Battle Lines”

• Writer:  John Ostrander
• Pencils:  Luke McDonnell
• Inks:  Bob Lewis
• Colors:  Carl Gafford
• Letters:  Todd Klein
• Cover Art:  Steve Leialoha & Al Gordon

Part two of this crossover, cover dated the same month as Justice League International #13, was released to the public on February 2, 1988.  It picks up where Justice League International #13 left off, with the Justice League face-to-face with the Suicide Squad in the corridors of a Russian prison.  Ostrander really seemed to have a thing for Russia.  He introduced Mikhail Arkadin (Pozhar) when he was writing The Fury of Firestorm, and Soviet-era hero-team Rocket Red Brigade were featured in the Ostrander-written Doom Patrol and Suicide Squad Special #1.  With the Suicide Squad blundering beyond the iron curtain (not for the first time, either), it looks like John Ostrander was DC’s go-to guy for Russian super-hero stories.  At the time these were published, I didn’t really care for the Russian stories so much.  Looking back now, I really like them.  They serve as a reminder of how it was growing up during the Cold War and being afraid of the Communists, building them up in my mind as something far more efficient and sinister than they really were.  As much as I disliked the Russian angle, I was a huge John Ostrander fan in the mid-80s.  I just about exploded with joy when he started writing Captain Atom, but that joy was short-lived (the series was cancelled just a few issues into Ostrander’s run).  Although I still don’t like some of the stuff he’s written, I think it is safe to say I’m still a John Ostrander fan.

Rick Flag warns his people that they will push through the Justice League if they have to.  Rocket Red #4 (Dmitri Pushkin) warns everyone that he’s gotten word that the People’s Heroes, Red Star, and the Rocket Red Brigade are on their way.  Duchess recognizes Mr. Miracle but doesn’t know from where she knows him (Duchess is actually Lashina – one of the Female Furies – with amnesia).  When she approaches Miracle, Blue Beetle intercepts and flips her.  She begins tearing the prison apart (tearing down the door to Nemesis’ cell) and using the pieces as weapons.

Batman shames Deadshot, who turns his back on the dark knight.  Martian Manhunter confronts Vixen – a former member of the Justice League.  He is surprised to find her hanging out with super-villains.  After some heated words, he hugs her.  Captain Boomerang attempts to burst Guy Gardner’s protective energy bubble.  Captain Atom and Nightshade exchange some unfortunate dialogue.

“We’re supposed to be boyfriend/girlfriend,” Cap says.  What is he, a junior high student?  “Stick close to me in this rhubarb.”  Rhubarb?  Why did he…? Who calls super hero fights “rhubarbs?”  Is it supposed to make him sound hokey and old-fashioned?  That makes sense, actually.  He’s displaced from his own time.  Like DC Comic’s own Captain America.  Still, I’ve never heard “rhubarb” used this way.

Flag confronts Batman, asking him if his team can just get Nemesis and get out, before things get out of hand.  Batman refuses.  He tells Flag that he warned Amanda Waller against using villains.   Bats also says that if Nemesis truly is a member of the Suicide Squad, he’s not the Nemesis Bats once knew.  When Batman begins to walk away, Flag grabs him to stop him.  Bats punches him and they begin to brawl.  Meanwhile, Blue Beetle and Duchess are still facing off, but Beetle refuses to hit her.  Mr. Miracle dodges Deadshot’s attack while Black Canary wonders why these villains and heroes have teamed up again (she faced the Suicide Squad once before).  She pauses trading jabs with Bronze Tiger long enough to learn he won’t explain his team to her.

Dmitri enters Nemesis’ cell to question him (he is incorrectly drawn with a number 7 on his armor again).  Nemesis explains that he was attempting to help the author Zoya Trigorin escape Russia (defect, I guess).  Javelin and Booster Gold face off against each other.  This is particularly interesting because of the similarity in their costumes.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, Amanda Waller is still visiting Max Lord’s hospital room.  Waller is upset because the JLI is supposed to be in Russia only as backup for the Suicide Squad, the existence of which they are unaware of (most of them at least; clearly Captain Atom and Batman know of the Suicide Squad).  But the JLI is butting heads with her team.  She tries to convince Max to pull them out, but Max Lord reveals he knows a lot of Amanda Waller’s dirty secrets.  She threatens to break his foot and Max calls for his nurse.

Back in the USSR, the People’s Heroes, the Rocket Red Brigade, and Red Star are closing in on the JLI/Suicide Squad fast.  Back at the prison, Blue Beetle is doing his level best to bring down Duchess while Captain Atom and Nightshade take part in a little foreplay.  Seriously, get a room you two.

In another secluded corner (does this prison have no guards?), J’onn and Vixen are still making peace with each other.  Dmitri approaches them with Nemesis and says the JLI and Suicide Squad must work together to save Nemesis.  While Dmitri feels Nemesis’ jailing was warranted, he knows the Russian government will treat the prisoner unfairly and have him killed.

The two teams stop fighting each other.  Deadshot was apparently about to blow Mr. Miracle’s head off.  He actually pulls the triggers when Bronze Tiger tells him to stand down.  Luckily, Mr. Miracle seems to have the ability to dodge bullets.  Now, that’s miraculous.

Batman and Rick Flag are still working out their differences with their fists when the truce is called.  Justice Leaguers and Suicide Squaders alike tell the men to stand down, but no one steps between Flag and Bats.  Would you?  Finally, after Batman loses a bat-ear, Bronze Tiger and Blue Beetle pull them apart.  Flag is well beaten, and can barely walk.  Nightshade opens one of her portal thingies and the Suicide Squad leaves.  Before they leave, Nightshade plants a kiss on Nemesis, which bugs Cap.

*

When the People’s Heroes, Red Star, and the Rocket Red Brigade show up at the prison, the Justice League informs them they’ll be taking Nemesis into custody.  Martian Manhunter explains that the JLI’s charter and agreement with the Russian government gives them the right to take Nemesis with them.  Back in the U.S., Max is threatening to sue Amanda (for her assault on him a few pages back).  They are interrupted by a special news report explaining what has happened in Russia.  Max’s only concern is that J’onn granted a (brief) interview with the press.  Later, at the “JLI vehicle hangar,”  Batman expresses his displeasure with the current incarnation of the Justice League and quits.  No surprise there; Batman really doesn’t fit in with them anyway.

At Belle Reve, Flag is taken off to the infirmary.  Captain Boomerang is happy that for once two people he hates beat the hell out of each other instead of himself.

*

This two-parter did a thing that happens in comics that I really dislike.  After all that set-up, while we’re getting ready for an all-out throw-down between all these super powers, something happens at the last second and the fight is avoided.  Aside from that, it was fairly well-written (even if Cap was mostly just in the background) and well-drawn.  I am a fan of Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and John Ostrander as writers, and Luke McDonnell did a fine job as well.  I give these two issues a combined A-.

Captain Atom #14 (April 1988)

Tags

Captain Atom, General Eiling, Jeffrey "Goz" Goslin, Margaret Eiling/Peggy Adam, Martin Lockleed, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nightshade, Ronald Reagan, The Ghost

“Down Time”

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

Well, it is just like the old Charlton days in this issue.  Captain Atom teams up with Nightshade to fight the Ghost.  This issue, cover dated April, 1988, was gracing the shelves of comic shops on January 5, 1988.  In continuity, it has only been five days since Eve Eden and Cameron Scott met at Smitty’s Bar.

In his DC apartment, Nate receives a video message from President Reagan (delivered by two Secret Servicemen).  Reagan says he’s disappointed that Adam has severed his ties with the military “so soon after the first anniversary of [his] arrival from the quantum field.”  Reagan says he’s leaving Adam’s “re-recruitment” in Eiling’s hands, but he personally asks that Captain Atom continue spying on the Justice League.

Eve enters Adam’s apartment as the two Secret Servicemen leave.  She knows who they are and why they were there.  Meanwhile, back at the Base, Eiling is briefing his men on Eve Eden’s mission to spy on Cameron Scott (a fact she has not kept from Scott/Adam).  Eve Eden (aka Nightshade) is on loan to Eiling from Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad.

Back in DC, Nate tells Eve he has to go to California to check out some job prospects.  They begin to have an argument (he was supposed to spend the remainder of the holidays with her) when they are approached by some street toughs.  The thugs, armed with knives, make clear their intentions to take Nate and Eve’s money.  The two super hero/secret agents continue to argue as they beat the hell out of their would-be assailants.

The fight ends with the thugs unconscious and Eve and Nate going their separate ways angrily.  The whole altercation took seconds, and neither of them used super powers.

Peggy and Goz see Nate off at the airport for his California trip.  Of course, the use of the airport is just a pretense for Peggy and Goz.  After parting with them, Nate changes to Captain Atom and flies west, still fuming over Eve’s words.

Nate visits Ferris Air (sometime workplace of Green Lantern Hal Jordan), but is turned down (even though they are impressed with his résumé).  At Lockleed Aircraft, he comes across the same problem.  Martin Lockleed thinks to himself that he dare not hire Cameron Scott after a call he got from General Eiling.  He’s allowing Scott to use the simulator even though he knows if Lockleed Aircraft hires the man, they’ll lose their government contracts.

There is an explosion on the site which results in a power outage while Nate is in the simulator.  Martin tells him to sit tight and stay out of their way.  He’s concerned about some secret “stealthray.”  Nate leaves the room and transforms into Captain Atom.  He goes to Lockleed’s R&D department and finds passed-out technicians on the floor (having been tasered.  or is it tased?).  He absorbs the remaining electrical current from the taser darts and the techs come to.  They tell Cap there were two assailants who were looking for the “stealthray” prototype.

The two intruders (Teresa and Durang) are on the roof.  They are discussing their failure to obtain the stealthray for their master, “the Faceless One.”  Die-hard Captain Atom fans will remember that the “Faceless One” from Steve Ditko’s Charlton Captain Atom era was also one Alec Rois, aka The Ghost.  The two are discussing their options when they begin to be surrounded by a black fog.  Out of the fog emerges Nightshade, who punches Durang.  When Teresa takes a swing at Eve, she finds that Nightshade has become intangible.  She then becomes tangible and knocks Teresa out cold like Durang.  As the fog clears, Nightshade discovers Captain Atom has been watching her.

As the two argue over their reasons for being there and Nate’s inability to open up, the two intruders kill themselves with poison pellets in their teeth.  Martin Lockleed makes it to the rooftop and invites the two heroes to meet him in Hangar 7 at midnight so he can explain what the two dead spies were looking for.  Cap flies off without a word.  Unknown to all of them, a third spy is monitoring them from a nearby rooftop.  His name is Eil, and he returns his secret mountain base to report the goings-on to his boss, the “Faceless One.”

The Faceless One takes matters into his own hands and teleports to Lockleed Aircraft.  He reveals in his inner monologue that he created the stealthray and he feels Lockleed stole it from him.

Nightshade and Captain Atom meet up in Hangar 7 at midnight, where Nate confesses that some of the things Nightshade said to him were true (she accused him of turning his back on his duties).  Lockleed appears but is interrupted by a call from his secretary.  General Eiling is on the phone again.  Nate overhears this and is angered when he hears Lockleed’s assurances that Cameron Scott will not be hired.  Nightshade convinces him to play it cool.

Lockleed tells the heroes that a former scientist working for him, Alec Rois, was perfecting a teleportation device called “stealthray” when he fell in with a weird fringe group/religious cult.  Rois was let go by Lockleed, but believed the stealthray was his alone and not company property.  Just as Martin reveals that the stealthray is in his own pocket, the Faceless One appears and attacks (he is flying and shooting energy blasts out of his belt).

When Cap throws a quantum blast at the Faceless One, it is absorbed and thrown back (his cape reflects energy).  Martin tries to reason with the villain (who is, of course, Alec Rois).  Martin gives Rois the stealthray, but Rois isn’t satisfied and tries to impale his former boss on the spikey nosecone of a plane.  Cap melts the spike and Nightshade distracts Rois with a burst of black light.  Captain Atom takes advantage of Rois’ momentary confusion and snatches Martin Lockleed to safety.  Rois begins to teleport out.  Nightshade warns Cap that Rois still has the prototype stealthray.  Cap aims carefully and destroys it with a precise quantum blast.

The next day, Martin Lockleed is telling “Cameron Scott” that he won’t be hiring him.  Eve is waiting outside.  Nate is still bitter, but not with Lockleed.  He knows it is Eiling preventing him from getting a job.  Eve has bad news of her own.  Amanda Waller has called her in for a Suicide Squad mission.  They part ways, unsure if their romance will continue.

When I first read this in 1988, I was not entirely impressed.  I didn’t know about Charlton Comics or Cap’s history at all.  I didn’t understand why this particular character, Nightshade, was being teamed up with Captain Atom (I was unaware they were both created by Steve Ditko, as was the Ghost).  And the Ghost seemed cool, but too easily defeated.  Of course, now that I’m more familiar with Cap’s history, I love this issue.  Nightshade is back (and still in her old costume).  And Alec Rois never reached his full potential in the Charlton days.  This issue, although not a lot happened in it, is one of my favorites of the series.  It further bridges the gap between the 60s Cap and the 80s Cap.  One thing bugs me, though.  Why did the Ghost give up trying to kill Lockleed?  Sure, Cap melted the pointy end of the plane, but wouldn’t the hot molten metal do as much (if not more) damage if a person were shoved onto it?  Still, Bates, Weisman, and Broderick all brought their “A” game.

Captain Atom and Nightshade by Sean Stannard

Tags

Bronze Age Captain Atom, Nightshade, Sean Stannard

I found this guy on tumblr.  He doesn’t say anything about himself aside from being a “freelance artist and lover of comics.”  He’s got a really great drawing of the Bronze Age (Charlton) Captain Atom, as well as Nightshade and Silk Spectre.  There’s lots of great Marvel and DC characters on his blog.  Check it out!

*Since I first posted these pics, Mr. Stannard has removed them from his blog. They really were beautiful drawings, though! (7/10/2016)*