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Warning: contains spoilers for Justice League: The Atom Project #1!
It took decades, but DC now knows what to do with one of its most powerful characters. Captain Atom may not be a household name like Superman or Wonder Woman, but he is equally powerful, if not moreso, than those heroes. Despite his power, DC has struggled to make Captain Atom interesting, but as seen in Justice League: The Atom Project #1, that might be changing.
Justice League: The Atom Project #1 is written by Ryan Parrott and John Ridley and drawn by Mike Perkins. In Absolute Power, Amanda Waller stole powers from the heroes, including Captain Atom. Unlike many, Captain Atom still has not gotten them back yet. Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi, the Atoms, offer to help Captain Atom with his dilemma. He is reluctant, but goes with them to the Watchtower anyway. Later, Captain Atom flees the Watchtower, forcing Ray and Ryan to take action, and during the confrontation, his powers seem to return.
Who is Captain Atom? Only One of DC’s Most Powerful Heroes
After DC Obtained Captain Atom, They Tried to Make Him Work
Captain Atom is one of the most underrated powerhouses in the DC Universe. Co-created by Steve Ditko for Charlton Comics in the early 1960s, Captain Atom was later incorporated into the mainstream DC Universe during the Crisis On Infinite Earths. Captain Atom is Nathaniel Adam, a career military man who volunteers for an experiment that fundamentally alters him. Captain Atom accesses his powers by tapping into the “quantum field.” Just exactly how powerful he is has never been established, but many believe he could take Superman easily in a fight.
Captain Atom’s powers essentially make him a god, and like most characters in that vein, DC has trouble making him work.
Captain Atom’s powers essentially make him a god, and like most characters in that vein, DC has trouble making him work. After Crisis, Captain Atom received his own ongoing title, lasting for 57 issues. During the book’s run, Captain Atom joined the Justice League, heading up the team’s European branch. It would seem that the future was bright for Captain Atom, but it never materialized. Instead, Captain Atom would spend the next 30 years bouncing around the DC Universe, guest starring in various titles and appearing in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon.
Not Even Making Captain Atom Like Doctor Manhattan Helped
DC has tried several times to reintroduce Captain Atom to a new generation, but each time has met with failure. In the 2000s, Captain Atom was sent to the Wildstorm Universe, and upon his return to the DC Universe, became the villainous Monarch. In this role, he kidnapped heroes from across the multiverse, as seen in 2007’s Countdown: Arena. Monarch/Captain Atom then forced them to fight in gladiator-style combat to find the strongest to serve in his army. Monarch was defeated, and eventually Captain Atom returned, with seemingly no recollection of his villain turn.
The Captain Atom of Earth-4 succesfully mixes the character with Doctor Manhattan’s personality.
Captain Atom, as most fans know, was the inspiration for Doctor Manhattan in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon’s Watchmen. Some creators, most notably JT Krul in the New 52 era, tried to make Captain Atom “Doctor Manhattan-lite.” Captain Atom’s New 52 book showed the character grappling with not only his powers, but also his humanity. Captain Atom’s vast powers put him above both humanity and his heroic peers, and it was starting to negatively impact his mental health. This phase mercifully came to an end after 12 issues.
DC At Last Knows How to Handle Captain Atom–But Will It Last?
Captain Atom Deserves Better Than the Last 30 Years
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Ironically, now that Captain Atom has lost his powers, he is a far more interesting character. His powers had caused him a great deal of misery, and now he is free of them. Captain Atom will inevitably get his powers back, and DC will hopefully realize he works best when he is portrayed as an ordinary man who receives god-like powers. Captain Atom is not Doctor Manhattan, and he is not Monarch. Captain Atom is his own hero, with a compelling and tragic backstory. Captain Atom deserves better than he has gotten, and now his fortunes may be changing.
Justice League: The Atom Project #1 is on sale now from DC Comics!
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