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!”

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DC Universe: Legacies #5 (November 2010) and #10 (April 2011)

Tags

Allen Passalaqua, Blue Beetle, Brad Anderson, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Firestorm, Gary Frank, George Pérez, Jesus Saiz, Jon Sibal, Judomaster, Karl Story, L.A.W. Captain Atom, Len Wein, Modern Age Captain Atom, Nightshade, Oracle, Peacemaker, Red Tornado, Rob Leigh, Scott Koblish, The Question, Thunderbolt, Tom Chu

DC Universe: Legacies was a ten-part history of the DC Universe that spanned five generations, starting with the dawn of the Mystery Men to the modern era.  With the rebooting of the DC Universe and the advent of the New 52, it has become moot.  The Bronze Age Captain Atom and his old pals from the Sentinels of Justice (along with Judomaster, Thunderbolt, and Peacemaker) make an appearance in issue 5.  This panel was penciled by George Pérez, inked by Scott Koblish, and colored by Allen Passalaqua with text lettered by Rob Leigh.

DCU: Legacies #5

In DC Universe: Legacies #10, the Modern Age Captain Atom is seen at Sue Dibny’s funeral (his pals Red Tornado, Blue Beetle, and Firestorm are there along with many others).  This page was penciled by Jesus Saiz with inks by Karl Story and colors by Tom Chu.

DCU: Legacies #10

Later in this issue is a back-up story entitled “Snapshot: Redemption!”  Written by Len Wein with pencils by Gary Frank, inks by Jon Sibal, colors by Brad Anderson, and letters by Rob Leigh, this story is labeled “From the super-secret blog of Ted Kord, a.k.a. the Blue Beetle.”  In the telling of the history of the Blue Beetle, the rarely-seen L.A.W. Captain Atom pops up, along with Oracle, Judomaster, and Peacemaker.

DCU: Legacies #10

Crisis on Infinite Earths #6 (September 1985)

Tags

Alexander Luthor, Anti-Monitor, Aquagirl, Aqualad, Aquaman, Azrael, Black Canary, Black Condor, Black Manta, Blok, Blue Beetle, Brainiac, Bronze Age Captain Atom, Captain Atom, Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Jr., Changeling, Dawnstar, Deathbolt, Doctor Light, Doll Man, Dolphin, Green Lantern, Harbinger, Hawkman, Human Bomb, Johnny Quick, Judomaster, Katana, Kole, Lex Luthor, Lori Lemaris, Martian Manhunter, Mary Marvel, Nightshade, Northwind, Ocean Master, Pariah, Peacemaker, Per Degaton, Phantom Lady, Power Girl, Psycho-Pirate, Star Sapphire, Starfire, Steel, Supergirl, Teen Titans, The Atom, The Flash, The Question, The Ray, Thunderbolt, Uncle Sam, Wildcat, Wonder Woman

“3 Earths! 3 Deaths!”

• Writer: Marv Wolfman
• Pencils: George Pérez
• Inks: Jerry Ordway
• Colors: Anthony Tollin
• Letters: John Costanza

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-part maxi-series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify their 50-year-old continuity.  The series was written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated primarily by George Pérez. The series did away with the old “multiverse” in the DC Universe, and featured the deaths of some DC mainstays (like the Barry Allen Flash). It was ambitious, gigantic, and a huge whopping mess that I personally have never been able to fully wrap my head around.

At this point in the story, Azrael, Flash of Earth-2, Blok, Katana, and J’onn J’onzz (Martian Manhunter) materialize on Earth-4 before an anti-matter curtain in the American Midwest.  Captain Atom blasts Azrael, but is not fully in control of himself.

The Blue Beetle and the Question realize that they are being forced to attack the other heroes, but are unable to stop.  Katana, Blok, and J’onn J’onzz end up in a stalemate with the Blue Beetle, Judomaster, and Question.  Harbinger, existing simultaneously in Earths S, X, and 4, suddenly draws their universes away from the anti-matter and pulls them through her focused image.  Back at the lair of the Anti-Monitor, the Psycho Pirate suffers feedback from losing control over the people of those three Earths.  Harbinger manages to link Earths S, X, and 4 with the merging Earths 1 and 2.  Doing so, she ceases to exist as Harbinger, reverting to the identity of Lyla.

Not much to say about this one.  It was epic.  Cap only appeared on one panel of one page.  But I really like the way George Pérez drew him.  He’s the most down-to-Earth “humanistic” looking Captain Atom I’ve seen up to this point.  Because Marv Wolfman’s task was so sweeping and huge, I give an A for story and definitely an A for art.

Peter Cannon… Thunderbolt #53 (August 1966)

Tags

Captain Atom, Frank McLaughlin, Peter Cannon, Silver Age Captain Atom, Thunderbolt

“Captain Atom’s Secret”

• Writer: ??? (possibly Pete Morisi)
• Pencils/Inks: Frank McLaughlin

Thunderbolt was another of Charlton’s heroes from the 1960s.  This two-page story appeared in the back.  Despite the intriguing title, the story is basically a science lesson.  Cap tells us about Einstein’s theory that mass is a form of energy and energy cannot be created or destroyed. He tells us that Enrico Fermi bombarded uranium with neutrons to produce an atomic reaction.  He tells us about the first atomic bomb used in warfare in Hiroshima and that atomic energy was used to power submarines and merchant ships.  Not to mention, of course, the first nuclear-powered man, Captain Atom, “performing mightily in his Charlton comic… now on sale at your newsstand!”

McLaughlin’s take on the Captain is nice (he missed Cap’s chest symbol in the first panel).  There really wasn’t anything for Cap to do in this issue. I’d like to think Captain Atom’s inclusion in this book was to help boost Thunderbolt’s sales or something, but they made no mention of his appearance on the cover.

The story is what it is — just facts — so I give it a D.  The art was pretty good but nothing fantastic, maybe a C+.  Overall, “Captain Atom’s Secret” is a C.

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