Major Force ( Clifford Zmeck ) is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics . Major Force is the evil foil personality of the superhero Captain Atom . In recent years, he also serves as an enemy to Green Lantern ( Kyle Rayner , Guy Gardner , and Hal Jordan ).
161-716: Major Force first appeared in Captain Atom (vol. 3) #12 (February 1988) and was created by Cary Bates , Greg Weisman , and Pat Broderick . Major Force is a criminal who is serving a life sentence when the government offers to use him in experiments with Dilustel metal. He becomes an arch-enemy of Captain Atom and occasionally battles the Green Lantern Corps as well. In Green Lantern (vol. 3) #54 (August 1994), Major Force kills Alexandra DeWitt , girlfriend of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner , and leaves her body in
322-508: A Ph.D. in atomic physics. In early 1959, he moves to a research base at Gila Flats, where experiments are being performed on the "intrinsic fields" of physical objects which, if tampered with, result in their disintegration. Here he meets Janey Slater, a fellow researcher; they eventually become lovers. During a visit to an amusement park in New Jersey , Janey's wristwatch breaks and Jon promises to fix it. A month later, Jon realizes he left
483-514: A "flare of ultraviolet." Jon gradually becomes a pawn of the U.S. government. It gives him the code name "Doctor Manhattan"—a reference to the Manhattan Project —and a costume that he begrudgingly accepts. Doctor Manhattan chooses a representation of a hydrogen atom as his emblem. He declares that its simplicity kindles his respect; accordingly, he painlessly burns the mark into his forehead. This preference for material mechanisms marks
644-417: A Legion Flight Ring that once belonged to Ferro Lad , Doctor Manhattan contemplates the events where Ferro Lad sacrificed his life to save Earth's sun and thereby caused his ring to careen through time, the events in which he moved Alan Scott's lantern and thereby caused the ring never to have existed, and his confrontation with Superman set one week from then. On Earth, Batman and Superman are recovering from
805-411: A black leotard, which presumably he created. As time progressed the costume shrank progressively to a pair of shorts, then a brief, then a thong; he eventually went on to wear nothing at all, since he had become indifferent to the need for clothing. The only purpose his original costume served was to make those around him (including the general public) more comfortable. Before the experiment, Jon Osterman
966-586: A co-feature in Action Comics #879 and appears in his normal costume instead of the Monarch armor he was last seen wearing. He is shown to reside in a mystical, medieval-reminiscent realm, attacking a highly fortified castle for unknown reasons other than, as he states, "his mission". After obliterating the castle's defenses, he has a brief flashback to a moment with the Justice League, then falls to
1127-513: A collision course with a man of action (Superman), and to this universe of hope, he has become the villain. After arriving on Earth, Manhattan meets Superman in person during Black Adam 's invasion of the White House, with Ozymandias watching. Manhattan witnesses Superman's fight with Black Adam and Russia's superhero team called the People's Heroes. He eventually reveals to Superman that he
1288-583: A commentary on American exceptionalism on the world stage in the late 20th century. Doctor Manhattan later appeared in the Before Watchmen comic book prequel. In 2016, as part of DC Comics' Rebirth relaunch , Manhattan became a major character in the DC Universe . It was revealed that he was responsible for the Flashpoint event, creating The New 52 timeline/universe in the process,
1449-546: A device undergo a form of mantling taking on properties very similar to the extra-dimensional biometal belonging to the Silver Shield entity. After DC Rebirth , Captain Atom is restored to his Post- Crisis powers. His New 52 powers have seemingly disappeared. His former drastically altered New 52 powers are a being whose atoms are constantly splitting and then reforming just as quickly, releasing massive amounts of energy. This surplus of power can be manipulated in
1610-521: A factor that removed 10 years of DC characters' history. That led him to become one of the main characters in the Doomsday Clock miniseries, published from 2017 to 2019. Doctor Manhattan made his first live-action debut in the 2009 film Watchmen , played by Billy Crudup . He also appeared in the 2019 limited television series Watchmen , played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II , with his original form played by Darrell Snedeger. Doctor Manhattan
1771-473: A foe using their own powers, such as the Ray and Firestorm . If Atom absorbs too much energy at once, the energy transports him uncontrollably through time. Depending on the type of energy absorbed, he either goes forward or backward in time, though he also possesses the ability to voluntarily move forward in the time-stream. Captain Atom states that through concentration, he can briefly travel ahead in time ("about
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#17327831642311932-684: A friendly rivalry with Firestorm , becomes involved with and eventually marries Plastique, learns basic heroics from Batman after briefly losing access to the Quantum Field, and commands the metahuman forces during the "Invasion" storyline where Earth was under attack by an alliance of alien forces. Captain Atom was canceled as of issue #57 in 1991 because Atom was slated to become the hero-turned-villain Monarch in DC's Armageddon 2001 crossover event; however, when word of this leaked out, DC changed
2093-404: A massive explosion, which has produced a fog of tachyon particles that obscures the immediate past and future to Doctor Manhattan. Meanwhile, after tracing the energy signature of the explosion to Mars, many of Earth's superheroes travel in several spaceships to Mars for a confrontation with the suspected perpetrator. However, Batman believes that they are being "played," as he is unsure if they have
2254-406: A matter of seconds and remains unharmed. He is capable of altering his size depending on his needs, for example, reconstructing himself in a much bigger form. He can hurl huge objects effortlessly with his hands. He is also unable to exhaust himself. Jon has complete awareness of and control over atomic and subatomic particles. He is also an omnikinetic. He does not need air, water, food, or sleep, and
2415-517: A mere bluff when he is killed in a confrontation with the Ghost a.k.a. Alec Rois, but Captain Atom decides to become the actual whistleblower and discloses the truth on national television. Captain Atom joins the Justice League at the request of the U.S. government, eventually serving as leader of Justice League Europe . During his career, he has a brief romance with Catherine Cobert, develops
2576-500: A mere thought (seen when he did so to fleeing soldiers during the Vietnam War) and generate impenetrable force fields. He can transmute, create, and destroy matter as well as transmute his body to any of a vast array of elemental compounds and form them to his will. He can alter the shapes and consistencies of these elements and combine them to form complex compounds. Additionally, he can shape parts and portions of his body instead of
2737-472: A military rank he has actually held. He is especially skilled in combat piloting, is trained in military weaponry, strategy, and hand-to-hand combat and speaks multiple languages, including Russian . Adam also has strong survival instincts derived from his experiences during the Vietnam War. Captain Atom's metallic shell, or "skin", is composed of a portion of the alien being known as Silver Shield, and
2898-551: A mutual attraction. The superhero the Blue Beetle starred in the initial back-up feature, later replaced by a Nightshade back-up series. Captain Atom was cancelled with issue #89 (December 1967). In 1975, the unfinished Ditko art for issue #90 was inked by John Byrne and published in the first two issues of the official Charlton fanzine, Charlton Bullseye , as the 10-page "Showdown in Sunuria" (writer: Jon G. Michels) and
3059-553: A mysterious man who lifted a car over his head, Doctor Manhattan leaves and witnesses the first appearance of the Golden Age Superman. From there, he witnesses the beginnings of Alan Scott/Green Lantern, Jay Garrick /The Flash, Hawkman , Atom , Doctor Fate , Sandman , Spectre , and Hourman , and the formation of the Justice Society of America . Doctor Manhattan then sees a different timeline where Superman
3220-556: A new nanovirus version of the OMACs and one by one become OMACs themselves. As a dying Power Girl tells him that the catalyst for all this was the death of Wonder Woman by Max's hands, Captain Atom is returned into the present but not before Batman orders him to terminate the OMAC project to stop Max's plan. During the final battle against the new OMAC known as OMAC Prime, Captain Atom allows OMAC Prime to absorb his energy, before reabsorbing
3381-403: A number of ways such as flight and the ability to transmute physical matter. Captain Atom has been seen to transform lava into snow by willing it and has been able to remove cancer from a human being. He can also absorb massive amounts of energy. Captain Atom's abilities are largely nuclear in nature and involve tapping into the strong nuclear force , the energy that binds protons and neutrons in
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#17327831642313542-477: A pair of gloves invented by the Blue Beetle to do so, but he has since learned to do so without them. He is capable of manipulating matter on an atomic or sub-atomic level at a limited scale. He has used his atomic transmutation powers to turn both Maul and the Engineer back to their human forms. This power can be used instinctively or through concentration, though Atom has conceded he is not very good at it. In
3703-535: A place among those people and start a new life. But at some point, his visions showed him an arms race among metahumans that caused an incoming " World War III ", leading Manhattan to have a confrontation with Superman , and then he saw "nothing". This revelation led Manhattan to modify the DC Universe's mainstream timeline to fix the fissures caused by the several Crises across the Multiverse ; unaware it
3864-422: A point where he asked Captain Atom for help and attempted to use his atomic energy to neutralize the life-threatening disease he is suffering from, but becomes blinded as a side effect. Fearing that Eiling would eventually turn on him, Megala claims that he intends to set up a contingency plan which would make public all of Project Atom's classified secrets once his heart ceased to function. Megala's plan proved to be
4025-402: A refrigerator for Kyle to find. Guy Gardner kills Major Force, but he proves to be nigh-immortal due to his nature as an energy being and returns on multiple occasions, gaining shapeshifting abilities after being enhanced with Vuldarian DNA. In Superman/Batman , Major Force joins a government task force led by Captain Atom alongside Power Girl , Starfire , Katana , and Black Lightning . He
4186-645: A result of these capabilities, Jon becomes central to the United States Cold War strategy of deterrence. He is also capable of manipulating reality as he sees fit through the use of time manipulation, as seen when he erased ten years from the DC Universe when Barry Allen tried to bring his original universe back to normal. Jon's intervention caused The New 52 timeline to be formed, within which most superheroes are younger and less experienced, and most of them lose their most important relationships before they begin. However, despite his immense power, he
4347-533: A secret government funded group that used new experimental machines to harness powerful energies had repeated the same process and created the supervillain Major Force , a bloodthirsty madman lacking Captain Atom's morality and classic military/A.F. discipline. Atom/Adam serves under Eiling reluctantly while befriending research scientist Doctor Heinrich Megala of Project Atom, who had previously helped to create an elaborate cover story for Atom/Adam. Doctor Megala
4508-533: A silvery-white. Later, in his own title, he replaced his original red and gold costume with a liquid-metal outfit that was under his skin and which transformed when he powered up. Captain Atom's powers were similar to such other nuclear-powered superheroes as Gold Key 's Doctor Solar and Dell Comics ' Nukla . Captain Atom was first published in a series of short stories in the anthology series Space Adventures #33–40 (March 1960 – June 1961) and #42 (October 1961). Charlton began reprinting his short adventures in
4669-466: A statement onto the internet exonerating Captain Atom of the deaths in Chicago, saying far worse would have happened if he had not intervened. In The New 52 reboot of DC's continuity, Captain Atom is reintroduced with altered powers, appearance and origin. He is still USAF pilot Nathaniel Adam. In the new reality, Adam volunteers to participate in an experiment conducted by a research facility called
4830-638: A story teaming the Charlton "Action Heroes" the Blue Beetle, Captain Atom, Nightshade and the Question as the Sentinels of Justice . This last story had originally been done for Charlton before the company folded. The actual Charlton characters made their first reappearance in DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths , which introduced Earth-Four as the native reality of Captain Atom and the world where all
4991-462: A stylized image of a hydrogen atom. He did this during preparations by the military for his unveiling to the general public. They presented him with a hat as a part of his uniform that had a group of crossed ellipses on it, intended to look like an atom but Jon did not see the resemblance. He replaced it with a symbol of his own, saying that if he were to have a symbol it should at least be one that he respects. As Doctor Manhattan, his costume started as
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5152-427: A technician in a special experimental rocket when it accidentally launched with him trapped inside. Adam was atomized when the rocket exploded while entering the upper atmosphere. However, he somehow gained superpowers that included the ability to reform his body safely on the ground. He was outfitted in a red and yellow costume that was designed to shield people from his radiation. When he powered up, his hair changed to
5313-472: A way that it became superdense and compact. This, in effect, makes the object nearly indestructible. Also, any edge on an X-Ionized object would attain the sharpness of a monofilament , enabling both it and its user to cut finer and cleaner than the most advanced blade or laser. Once transformed, the object would then be able to cut through virtually any material, including the Dilustel (quantum metal) skin of
5474-437: A week or so"). The process is exhausting and the period he can interact in the future appears to be limited to a few minutes before he returns to the present. In the case of involuntary quantum jumping, he is typically shown as being stuck in the time-stream for as long as it takes his body to process any absorbed energy. Captain Atom can also convert energy to matter in the same manner he manipulates energy. Originally, he needed
5635-450: A woman elderly and grotesque, who turned out to be an aged Power Girl , telling him it was Maxwell Lord who was responsible for all of this. Atom is then pulled back into the present, and tells the rest of the team that the world needs them to stop the instigated Max. After discovering that the OMACs had dismembered a droid, Captain Atom was struck by Magog who simply scoffs at the notion and states that he has come to kill Captain Atom at
5796-523: Is a fictional DC Comics character created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons . He debuted in the limited series graphic novel, Watchmen . Following a laboratory accident, atomic physicist Jon Osterman develops the ability to observe and manipulate matter at a subatomic level. He is later given the tongue-in-cheek moniker Doctor Manhattan by the United States government, due to his limitless destructive potential. As he explores
5957-423: Is about to explode with energy. Captain Atom tries to absorb as much as he can, thrusting him into the time stream again as a crater is left behind. Captain Atom is propelled through time again to 112 years in the future, where a metahuman war against the OMACs had devastated the planet. Captain Atom battled for survival alongside the future versions of the Justice League, but they all are eventually contaminated by
6118-529: Is called Dilustel. Pieces of the alien's metal body were used in Project Atom , and on later subjects like Major Force and Bombshell . Nathaniel is able to coat himself with the metal, either partially or totally. Atom's symbiosis with the metal is such that even partially armored he is able to access the Quantum Field. The metal is almost indestructible, resistant to various degrees of damage from energy, heat, lasers, etc. Only X-Ionizer technology can cut
6279-508: Is coated with the same Dilustel alien alloy that covers Captain Atom . This enables him to access the Quantum Field and use its energies for a variety of powers. He possesses superhuman physical abilities and is virtually immortal. Cracking or rupturing his skin causes Major Force to leak radiation at an uncontrollable rate, to which he runs the risk of atomic detonation. Major Force's energy manipulation enables him to generate dark matter , which he uses to propel himself due to initially lacking
6440-411: Is demonstrated when the relationship ends, and Doctor Manhattan leaves Earth. This is also due to evidence coming to light that a number of those who were once close to him, including his former girlfriend Janey Slater, have come down with terminal cancer. Manhattan feels that he poses a threat to others, and he exiles himself to Mars, stating "I am tired of Earth, these people. I'm tired of being caught in
6601-661: Is discovered that Veidt framed Manhattan. It was part of his plot to avert World War III by attacking New York with an engineered monster, killing half of the city in the process. Although Manhattan and Laurie return too late to stop Veidt, they teleport to his base in Antarctica to confront him. Veidt tries to disintegrate Manhattan, only to have Manhattan restore himself more quickly than Veidt expected. Upon seeing that Veidt's plan has averted war, Manhattan realizes that exposing him would be too dangerous for life on Earth and agrees to remain silent. Rorschach leaves intending to expose
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6762-523: Is forced to absorb a massive amount of energy released which splits his molecules apart into the timestream. One of these pieces is found in the 31st Century, where he names himself Nathaniel Adym. Adym had become an agent of Echo, a covert branch of the Science Police assigned to monitor the timestream. As part of his duties, he had interacted with members of the Legion of Super-Heroes stranded in
6923-559: Is his brainwashed accomplice and that he has lured his 51 counterparts to murder them and absorb their power. With his team of Eve of Shadows (Earth-13), Vampire Batman ( Earth-43 ), Ray "the Ray" Palmer (Earth-6), the monstrous Scarab ( Earth-26 ), Hal Jordan Jr. ( Earth-12 ), Starwoman (Earth-7), Johnny Quick (Earth-3), Wonder Woman ( Earth-34 ), Red Son Superman ( Earth-30 ), and himself—the sum power of 52 Captain Atoms—Monarch believes he
7084-478: Is immortal. He can teleport himself and others over limitless distances. He is capable of true flight, although he uses only levitation in most of his appearances. Due to his perception of time, he sees the past, present, and future simultaneously. Jon can phase any part of his body through solid objects without damaging them, produce multiple copies of himself that function independently of each other, project destructive energy, instantaneously disintegrate people with
7245-451: Is killed with Atom absorbs his energy. In Green Lantern (vol. 3) #180 (October 2004), Major Force apparently kills Kyle Rayner's mother Maura. Kyle decapitates him and takes his head into space before learning that Maura is alive. Major Force reappears in Battle for Blüdhaven as the leader of project S.H.A.D.E. before Captain Atom kills him. However, he is later resurrected and joins
7406-520: Is learned that these ruptures were caused as part of a greater plan by Solomon the Monitor, in his plans to "recreate the Monarch" as part of a larger scheme to force the assimilation of the other Monitors. After being fitted with an updated version of the Monarch armor ( Armageddon 2001 ) to contain his radiation, the Captain awakens. Seeming to be mentally unstable, he breaks free, apparently kills
7567-620: Is made clear that Captain Atom survived the collision with the kryptonite meteor, but has absorbed massive amounts of radiation and become a super villain described as a " Kryptonite Man ". However, Hiro Okamura creates a device that siphons Captain Atom's energy and returns him to normal. In 2005/2006, Captain Atom appears in a nine-part limited series entitled Captain Atom: Armageddon under DC's Wildstorm imprint. Captain Atom's sacrifice in Superman/Batman sends him to
7728-558: Is now paranoid, and unwilling to share details of his past to his "subordinates", but the Red Son Superman and Liberty Files Batman discern that under the Monarch armor lies another Captain Atom, and so they employ his other counterparts— Breach (Tim Zanetti) and Quantum-Storm (Ronnie Raymond) —to assemble an army of Captain Atoms from the different dimensions to fight back. In Arena' s conclusion, Monarch reveals that Breach
7889-523: Is part of his conditioning. Later, he is attacked by Major Force , an enemy believed to have been destroyed by Captain Atom himself when he first became Monarch. Mon-El appears and helps Captain Atom escape, taking him to the Justice League's satellite, where the League members declare that they are going to bring him to justice for his actions as Monarch. After a struggle with the League, Captain Atom tells them what he can remember. The League reminds him he
8050-420: Is partially based on DC Comics ' Captain Atom , although he has more in common with Gold Key Comics ' Solar . In Moore's original proposal, Captain Atom was surrounded by the shadow of a nuclear threat. However, Moore found he could do more with Manhattan as "a supreme super-hero" than he ever could have done with Captain Atom. Moore sought to delve into nuclear physics and quantum mechanics in constructing
8211-646: Is pulled away. Superman acknowledges Jor-El's warnings even as he rejects his misanthropy. All of which was to test the will and hope of the two major heroes of the DC Universes. During the events of Heroes in Crisis , Batman suspects that the massacre in Sanctuary might be related to Manhattan's actions. This theory was later proven to be partially true, as Wally gets in contact with Metron 's Mobius Chair, which grants him part of Manhattan's powers. During
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#17327831642318372-699: Is ready to confront the Monitors, and does so, finally launching his war on Earth-51 against the exposed Monitors. In a protracted fight against Superman-Prime , his suit is damaged, releasing a chain reaction that apparently destroys the entire universe of Earth-51 aside from its Monitor. It was later learned that the Monitor Solomon had attacked Captain Atom in Blüdhaven, rupturing his skin and setting into motion his transformation into Monarch. During Jimmy Olsen 's investigation about Project 7734 ,
8533-596: Is responsible for creating the X-Ionizer technology capable of cutting the skin of most invulnerable metahumans . In spite of his disabilities and poor health, he helped Atom/Adam learn about the Quantum Field as well as about his powers. Captain Atom later succeeds in clearing his name of the original treason charge and eventually rebels against Eiling, resigning from the Air Force and becoming an actual superhero. By Captain Atom #39, Megala's health would deteriorate to
8694-468: Is studying a blood-stained smiley face button left embedded within the wall of the Batcave . When Thawne picks up the button, he is briefly teleported away, returning with the left half of his body charred to the bone. Just before his death, he claims to have seen "God." Using the cosmic treadmill to chase after the radiation emitted from the button in the timestream, Batman and Barry discover Thawne as he
8855-546: Is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books , initially owned by Charlton Comics before being acquired in the 1980s by DC Comics . All possess some form of energy-manipulating abilities. Captain Atom was created by writer Joe Gill and artist/co-writer Steve Ditko , and first appeared in Space Adventures #33 (March 1960). Captain Atom was initially created for Charlton Comics , but
9016-575: Is the one who has been tampering with reality and that he also caused the death of Jonathan and Martha Kent. Manhattan expects Superman to attack him, but Superman instead protects him from Pozhar and then tells him that he should use his powers for good. Manhattan is inspired by Superman's heroism and his pivotal role in the fabric of reality; he undoes part of his actions, restoring much of the pre-New 52 timelines. Many characters are brought back into existence, including Superman's parents. Manhattan also goes back in time and changes Carver Colman's future for
9177-629: Is to cause a Multiversal war that will leave him the ruler of the unified Earth remaining in its wake. Monarch creates an army of foot soldiers, including the Extremists of Earth-8, the JL-Axis of Earth-10, and the Crime Society of Earth-3, and disposes of Forerunner when he reveals his plans for a multiversal arena tournament. The four-issue miniseries Countdown: Arena features Monarch battling alternate versions of characters throughout
9338-564: Is unlikely, Doctor Manhattan's teleportation abilities seemingly could be achieved through quantum tunnelling , should Doctor Manhattan have control over his probability wave functions. The character of Doctor Manhattan invokes thought on the philosophy of metaphysics. There are various themes addressed throughout the Watchmen series from philosophy of time and eternalism , to determinism and its relationship to ethics , to addressing questions such as "What does it mean to be human?" and "Do
9499-602: The Injustice: Gods Among Us prequel comic. He joins Batman's Insurgency to combat Superman's growing Regime before being mortally wounded by Wonder Woman while retrieving an enhancement pill from the Fortress of Solitude . Captain Atom then drags Superman to the atmosphere in an attempt to kill him, with the resulting explosion leaving the former dead and Wonder Woman comatose. Doctor Manhattan Doctor Manhattan ( Dr. Jonathan " Jon " Osterman )
9660-710: The Bohr model ) of hydrogen , which he put on himself, declining a helmet with the atom symbol . Jonathan Osterman is born in 1929 to a Jewish-American family of German descent. He plans to follow in his father's footsteps as a watchmaker, but when the U.S. drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima , his father declares his profession outdated and forces Jon to work toward a career studying nuclear physics . This turning point foreshadows Doctor Manhattan's "exterior" perception of time as predetermined and all things within it as so determined, including Manhattan's reactions and emotions. Jon attends Princeton University and graduates with
9821-592: The Convergence caused by Brainiac and Telos restored the Multiverse, bringing back the pre-Flashpoint timeline. Doctor Manhattan used Abra Kadabra to trap Wally West within the Speed Force, and this modification in the timeline also caused the other speedsters Jesse Quick , Bart Allen , Jay Garrick , and Max Mercury to be removed from history and trapped in the Speed Force. However Wally West
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#17327831642319982-656: The Golden Age by preventing Alan Scott from getting his powers and helping form the JSA , in the process erasing the Legion of Super-Heroes as well. He remained indifferent to a survivor who avoided erasure. In the last Watchmen issue, Manhattan claimed that "nothing ends" despite Ozymandias succeeding in his plan for world peace. But in Doomsday Clock , Manhattan withdrew from what he previously said after witnessing
10143-604: The Silver Shield which was used to empower Captain Atom, Major Force, and Bombshell. A mercenary known as the Cambodian wore a suit of X-Ionized armor, and uses an X-ionized katana to cut through Captain Atom's skin in Captain Atom #7. A famous physicist and former C.I.A operative, turned dangerous cult leader and quantum powered supervillain called 'The Ghost' theorized that properties hardened and honed by such
10304-490: The Vietnam War , which allows Nixon to repeal the 22nd Amendment and serve up to five terms. Far from solving underlying international tensions, Manhattan's presence exacerbates them while stifling their expression, which inevitably builds toward disaster. The entire plot of Watchmen occurs during the countdown to a nuclear war. Manhattan spends much of his time conducting research. He is single-handedly responsible for
10465-418: The film and the comic . Kakalios explained that the intrinsic field has a basis in reality in that it is a representation of a collection of electromagnetic , and strong and weak nuclear forces . Kakalios explained that if a being were able to manipulate matter, such a being would have complete control over these three forces; hence, the "intrinsic field" would exist. Kakalios also explained that while it
10626-540: The 11-page "Two Against Sunuria" (writer: Roger Stern ). Captain Atom next appeared in issue #7 (May 1982) of the new-talent showcase comic also called Charlton Bullseye , in a story by writer Benjamin Smith and artist/co-writer Dan Reed, which for some reason returned him to his original red and yellow outfit. The character's last pre-DC appearance was in AC Comics ' one-shot issue Americomics Special #1 (August 1983), in
10787-479: The Authority , Captain Atom reminisces about his short marriage with Plastique, and attributes their divorce to their irreconcilable views about world and politics, since Nathaniel, even in his spousal life, could not stop being a loyal soldier of the U.S., and Plastique could not simply put aside her life as a terrorist. Later in 2003, writer Jeph Loeb returns Captain Atom to his roots as he went back to work for
10948-527: The Batman Who Laughs to transplant himself into the body, transforming the villain into "The Darkest Knight" to create a Multiverse consisting of chaos. Doctor Manhattan's body is humanoid, and his build is tall and muscular. His height and relative size vary depending on his needs but generally remain above 1.83 m (6.0 ft) tall. He is completely blue (altering his shade and luminosity at will) and has no hair. On his forehead, he has etched
11109-624: The Captain Atom Brigade his powers and abilities were increased to such a level that he was capable of effortlessly containing several versions of powerful heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman and several Green Lanterns. Atom has shown the capacity to absorb matter, as well as energy – typified by his absorption of the Captain Atom Brigade. As Monarch he possessed all of his inherent abilities – at much higher levels – as well as teleportation, and awareness of and access to different realities. He
11270-666: The Charlton Comics adventures had taken place. By story's end, Earth-Four (and the Charlton characters) had been incorporated into the Post- Crisis DC Universe, its history merging with that of the mainstream reality. The last appearance of this Charlton-era Captain Atom was in DC Comics Presents #90 (February 1986). A new Post- Crisis version of the character was introduced in March 1987 with
11431-479: The Connective and Crisis Energies to create an "Anti-Crisis". The event also features the "Final Bruce Wayne," an amalgamated version of Batman and Doctor Manhattan created when an alternate-universe Batman recreates the accident that transformed Doctor Manhattan into a god-like being. The Batman Who Laughs was able to capture this alternate and extract his brain before he could properly harness his powers, allowing
11592-550: The Continuum. At this facility, Dr. Megala's research is focused on the quantum field and on "dimensional transfer through M Theory ". Adam is asked to pilot the dimensional-transfer vessel by Dr. Megala, who is now presented as a particle physicist working out of Colorado, but is seemingly atomized during the experiment. Soon afterwards, he reappears, now an energy-based life form. According to Dr. Megala, Captain Atom's abilities are largely nuclear in nature and involve tapping into
11753-792: The DC Heroes Roleplaying Game – defines his level of strength second only to Superman's among the heroes of the DC Universe, though as Monarch he was capable of effortlessly overwhelming three versions of Superman), durability (he has survived exploding nuclear weapons, and even energy sufficient to wipe out all life within the Universe of Earth 51 – although this was his own energy), self-sustenance and life support (allowing him to live and even speak in space), and controlling energy of any form. In addition to high speed flight he has been shown to possess enhanced reflexes. Atom's abilities stem from his link to
11914-462: The DC Universe in the miniseries Doomsday Clock . Throughout the years, the character has been featured in several moderate-to-short-lived eponymous series, and has been a member of several different versions of DC's flagship superhero team, the Justice League . In all incarnations, the character initially served for the military . In the Charlton Comics continuity, he was a scientist named Allen Adam and gained his abilities by accident when he
12075-518: The DC Universe looking for a place among them, but that he saw a vision of "the most hopeful among them. Heading toward [him]. Now hopeless," and then nothing in the future thereafter. Doctor Manhattan returns the team to the funhouse. He returns to Mars, reflecting on a vision set one month in his future: a confrontation with Superman that may result in Superman destroying Doctor Manhattan or Doctor Manhattan destroying everything. On Mars, looking at
12236-420: The DC Universe's citizens losing their faith in their heroes, now affirming that "everything ends". His sole interest was in the moment Superman was to punch at him; a moment he couldn't see past. In irony, Manhattan was the antithesis of Superman, being a human who had lost all senses of humanity; while Superman was an alien who embodied the best of humanity. When the foretold moment came, Manhattan revealed he
12397-603: The Green Lantern and the formation of the JSA, to see how the changes affect Superman. In doing this, Doctor Manhattan realizes that this universe is not part of the Multiverse, but is the Metaverse, with the Multiverse reacting to the changes within this universe (hence why there have been endless parallel worlds, none at all, 52 universes, and a Dark Multiverse). Having changed history in the Metaverse, Doctor Manhattan created
12558-488: The Multiverse to compile the strike team for his new Multiverse army, specifically one Superman , one Batman , a Wonder Woman , a Green Lantern , a Flash , a Blue Beetle , a Nightshade , a Starman , and a Ray . Monarch's behavior becomes increasingly violent, notably in the form of his killing all residents of the Eve of Shadows' country in retribution for her attempt to violate the Monarch's rule of "no escaping". Monarch
12719-540: The New 52 Universe, and as he witnesses the first appearance of the New 52 Superman, he is confronted by Wally West of the Pre-Flashpoint Universe, who briefly escapes the Speed Force to warn him that he knows what Doctor Manhattan did and that the heroes of the DC Universe will stop him, before being dragged back into the Speed Force. Doctor Manhattan likens Wally's appearance to the Metaverse fighting back at
12880-621: The Owlship to the quantum tunnel, accompanied by Rorschach II, Marionette, and Mime, Veidt follows the electron trail left by Doctor Manhattan to the DC Universe where they land in Gotham City . Later, it is revealed that Doctor Manhattan is responsible for preventing the Comedian's death by teleporting him to the DC Universe. Doctor Manhattan recalls various events in which he indirectly killed Alan Scott and thus brought about changes in
13041-641: The Post- Crisis DC Comics Universe, Captain Atom's Dilustel skin is tied into the Quantum Field, which enables him to absorb and manipulate theoretically infinite amounts of energy, limited by only his willpower and imagination. This energy can be used for flight (which is generally faster than the speed of sound in Earth's atmosphere and up to half-light speed in the vacuum of space), super strength (shown at times to be on par with Martian Manhunter , though another source –
13202-408: The Quantum Field, which provides a virtually infinite source of Quantum Energy, which can be used for a vast number of effects. He commonly manipulates his energy into force field bubbles, or explosive "bombs", but the most common form is a simple energy blast. Atom has been shown to be capable of manipulating even exotic energies such as magic, and has a high degree of resistance to such attacks. Over
13363-496: The Secret Society of Super Villains. In The New 52 continuity reboot, Major Force is a government agent working under General Wade Eiling , with a special rank that allows him to represent all branches of the military. He seeks to protect Firestorm from villains and convince him to work for the government. However, Major Force comes to view Firestorm as a threat to national security and becomes his enemy. Major Force
13524-564: The Watchmen group away, separating them from Batman and Joker . He tells Ozymandias that he isn't returning to their world as he's in the middle of something. He reveals that he didn't kill Marionette in the robbery years back, because he saw what her child would do and that she is pregnant again. He also reveals that Ozymandias lied to Rorschach about having cancer, so Ozymandias admits to Rorschach that he deceived him and used him for his help. Doctor Manhattan then tells everyone that he came to
13685-547: The WildStorm universe for the duration of the series. In this title, he wears a yellow/red outfit that was first seen in the 1996 Kingdom Come limited series. At the moment of his apparent death, Captain Atom experiences a time-shift coinciding with his 2005 appearance in Superman/Batman , resulting in his arrival in the Wildstorm Universe. He quickly gets into a fight with an overzealous Mister Majestic and
13846-604: The ability to fly. Clifford Zmeck is a military-trained United States Air Force operative. He has vast military connections with the government, Checkmate , Task Force X , and Quorum. Q-Ranger , a heroic, alternate universe variant of Major Force from the antimatter universe, appears in JLA Secret Files as a member of the Justice Underground . Captain Atom Captain Atom
14007-415: The alias Cameron Scott , an Air Force intelligence operative. During this time he meets the superpowered terrorist, Plastique , a recurring part of Nathaniel's life. Early conflicts involve him coming to terms with the lost time he missed with his now grown children, the death of his wife, her marriage to Eiling, and the overall ramifications of his newly acquired powers. Later, he learns that Project Atom ,
14168-432: The amount of energy obtained. Flung into the year 1986, Adam becomes literally a "man out of time". Wade Eiling is now a military general and the second husband of Adam's now-deceased wife Angela. Everyone had assumed that Nathaniel Adam died the day of the experiment, so his presidential pardon was never issued and the current government refused to acknowledge the previous pardon. Seizing the opportunity at hand, Eiling uses
14329-402: The anthology Strange Suspense Stories beginning with issue #75 (June 1965), renaming the title Captain Atom with issue #78 (December 1965) and giving the hero full-length stories and supervillain antagonists such as Dr. Spectro (previous stories involved Cold War anti-Communist missions or dealing with aliens). Captain Atom later teamed with the superhero Nightshade , with whom he shared
14490-413: The area is haunted. After a series of partial bodily appearances, it becomes apparent that Jon is progressively re-forming himself. Each time, the appearance lasts for only a few seconds: first a disembodied nervous system including the brain and eyes; then a circulatory system; and then a partially muscled skeleton. Jon eventually reappears as a tall, muscular, hairless, naked, blue-skinned man, glowing with
14651-457: The argument after the shocking realization that her father is Blake, a man she despised for sexually assaulting her mother. Manhattan is amazed by the improbable events that occurred to result in the birth of Laurie, a chain of events he sees as a stunning "thermodynamic miracle." Realizing that such a miracle can apply to any living thing on Earth, Manhattan is persuaded to return to protect humanity, rather than disregarding it as insignificant. It
14812-513: The beginning of his declining humanity. Over time, he sheds uniform bit by bit. By the end of the 1970s, he refuses to wear anything at all except during mandatory public appearances. Dr. Manhattan's presence tips the balance of the Cold War in the West's favor, and as a result, U.S. foreign policy becomes more militaristic. At President Richard Nixon 's request, he secures an American victory in
14973-423: The behest of Max. In their battle, Captain Atom manages to convince Magog he is being manipulated by Max. Magog stops the attacks as he remembers Max's existence and Captain Atom is prepared to help him. However, Max is on hand and forces Magog to kill himself with his spear. Max uses his powers to manipulate everyone into believing that Captain Atom has killed Magog before leaving. Captain Atom realizes Magog's spear
15134-459: The better. He then goes back to the Watchmen universe, bringing Rorschach and Ozymandias with him. Manhattan saves his Earth by making all nuclear weapons disappear. Afterward, he takes Mime and Marionette's infant son with him and proceeds to raise him on his own, so he will become their planet's equivalent to Superman. His final thought wanders to what his life could have been if he had not become Doctor Manhattan: Janey convinces him to not retrieve
15295-424: The blue character Rogue Trooper , and reused the blue skin motif for Doctor Manhattan as it visualised electrical or atomic energy while still resembling human skin tonally and "reading as Jon Osterman’s skin would’ve read, but in a different hue." Moore incorporated color into the story, and Gibbons noted the rest of the comic's color scheme made Manhattan unique. Moore recalled that he was unsure if DC would allow
15456-484: The boy—whom he has named Clark—to be adopted by the former Nite Owl and Silk Spectre. During the events of Dark Nights: Death Metal , Wally West reveals Doctor Manhattan's energy is Connective Energy, and after he restored the DC Universe, the Quintessence's members used that same energy against Perpetua. The Batman Who Laughs takes Wally prisoner to get Manhattan's powers, but Wonder Woman suggests using both
15617-414: The changes done to it, an innate hope that fights back to the surface. He returns to Carver Colman on June 8, 1954, 10 seconds before he is killed by his mother, and he thinks about the future he sees where Superman attacks him, believing that he will either die by Superman's hands or destroy the Metaverse. Back to the present day, Doctor Manhattan returns to Earth and ponders that he is a being of inaction on
15778-589: The character assumed the mantle of the supervillain Monarch , and in 2005 DC attempted to retell the Captain Atom story with an entirely new character, Breach , who was subsequently discarded. In the new continuity following DC's 2011 relaunch , Captain Atom has never been a member of the Justice League and the team views him with distrust; his character origin and abilities were also revised. Captain Atom has appeared in several animated television and film adaptations of Justice League and other DC storylines since
15939-438: The character of Doctor Manhattan. He believed a character living in a quantum universe would not perceive time from a linear perspective, which would influence the character's perception of human affairs. Moore also wanted to avoid creating an emotionless character like Spock from Star Trek , so he allowed Doctor Manhattan to retain "human habits", but eventually grow away from them and humanity in general. Gibbons had created
16100-413: The creators to depict the character as fully nude, which partially influenced how they portrayed the character. Gibbons wanted to tastefully depict Manhattan's nudity, selecting carefully when full frontal shots would occur and giving him "understated" genitals—like a classical sculpture—so the reader would not initially notice it. Dr. Manhattan's forehead is marked with the atomic structure (specifically
16261-521: The destruction of the last of the Flashpoint timeline, prompting Bruce not to respond to the Bat-Signal the following night. Manhattan also saves Jor-El from the destruction of Krypton before conditioning him to see only the very worst of humanity. Jor-El assumes the identity of Mister Oz and tries to convince his son Kal-El, or Superman , to abandon Earth. However, when Jor-El begins to realize that he has been pushing against his son too far, he
16422-539: The devastated Blüdhaven . A year later , Captain Atom is revealed to be contained inside Blüdhaven and used to administer radiation treatments to metahumans . Apparently Void, able to finally let him go home, is unable to ensure his safety, and multiple damages to his radiation-shielding skin had left him comatose and unable to keep down his body radiation to safe levels; this forces the Atomic Knights to keep him constantly contained. In 2008's Countdown #8, it
16583-597: The ending at the last minute. Atom and the Monarch character continue battling through time in Armageddon: The Alien Agenda limited series , until he is returned to his own time at the conclusion. Captain Atom then returns to the League, involved in the Zero Hour Crisis in 1994, founding an offshoot team, Extreme Justice in 1995. While leading Extreme Justice, Captain Atom comes across another version of Monarch, this one claiming to be
16744-424: The energy and overloading his powers, resulting in him being thrown into the time stream once again. Just before this occurred, Captain Atom grabbed Max and threatened to pull him into the time stream as well, unless Max undid the global mindwipe of his existence. Max complied and everyone on the planet had their memories of him restored before Captain Atom was pulled away to a time and space unknown. Max later released
16905-552: The energy of certain molecules, such as when he notes the energy signature of the Flash and remarks that his molecules seem to be sparking with fire or lightning. He also does not need air, food or water to survive. Captain Atom has his own enemies: The Allen Adam and Nathaniel Adam incarnations of Captain Atom appear as character summons in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure . Captain Atom appears in
17066-585: The essence of the Void, to reclaim her whole power (partially lodged in his own body, and cause of his altered appearance) and use it to trigger the reboot of the WildStorm universe, in the WorldStorm event. Captain Atom returns to the DC Universe in Infinite Crisis #7 when Superboy-Prime punctured Breach , who wields similar energy-manipulating abilities. The end of Armageddon has him reappear in
17227-468: The events of Doomsday Clock , seven years after the events set in the Watchmen universe, Ozymandias (Adrian Veidt) is determined to find Doctor Manhattan to restore the world from the chaos after his previous plan for world peace was exposed by Rorschach 's journal. Veidt narrates that he can track Doctor Manhattan because Doctor Manhattan leaks electrons as his intrinsic field were stripped during his initial accident and an event caused by Veidt. Using
17388-404: The extent of his powers, Jon grows increasingly distant in his personal life, as well as his understanding of the human experience. Jon's de-humanization as a function of his newfound omnipotence has led many to liken him to a post-human god. Media analysts consider his characterization within the novel to be a key exploration of the tension between absolute power and the morality of its usage, and
17549-432: The fight ends with Majestic soundly defeated. Seeing the frightened reactions of onlookers, and puzzling over his own altered appearance, he realizes that he has somehow become trapped on an alternate Earth , one where superheroes are feared by the general populace. Mistaken by the local superheroes as the force destined to destroy their universe, he is in fact an instrument used ultimately by Nikola Hanssen, new host for half
17710-488: The government, this time for President Lex Luthor in the first story arc of the Superman/Batman series. Atom seemingly sacrifices his life to save Superman and Earth by piloting a starship to destroy a kryptonite meteor, but as it had previously been established that this type of accident could not kill him, he soon returns to life and to the background of the DC Universe. In a 2005 issue of Superman/Batman , it
17871-426: The ground disoriented. No explanation is given for his return to his original appearance, his whereabouts since Countdown to Final Crisis , or why he has reverted to his heroic persona rather than that of the conquest-seeking Monarch. In Action Comics #880 it is revealed that Captain Atom has little or no memory of who he is other than his name. It is revealed that this mysterious realm is connected to Project 7734 and
18032-497: The heroes realize that Doctor Manhattan is not invulnerable and destroy him. However, the superheroes watch in shock as Doctor Manhattan reconstitutes himself before he attacks and incapacitates them. As he incapacitates the remaining heroes, Doctor Manhattan recounts the first time he arrived in the DC Universe on April 18, 1938. He meets Carver Colman. As they talk in a diner, Doctor Manhattan sees all moments of Carver's future until his death before April 19, 1955. Overhearing news of
18193-446: The hope personified in the heroes of the DC Universe and that they will "prove [him] wrong". His meddling with the DC Universe to satisfy his curiosity shows extreme apathy. He has altered the timeline so much, that several events and people were altered or wiped out. However, thanks to the Convergence , Wally West and Superman , much of the damage was undone, though Manhattan wasn't deterred from continuing his experiment. He erased
18354-400: The last panel of Countdown #45, Monarch is shown observing Forerunner . The following issue, Countdown #44, bears a cover by Ed Benes with the Monarch armor and features Monarch swaying Forerunner to his side, turning her against the Monitors. Monarch argues that the Monitors are genocidal overlords who must be defeated; however, the Monitors assert that Monarch is a supervillain whose plan
18515-417: The launch of a monthly comic written by Cary Bates (long-time writer of The Flash and Superman ), co-written by Greg Weisman and drawn by Pat Broderick . This modern captain's name is established as Nathaniel Christopher Adam , a United States Air Force officer and Vietnam War veteran. Adam had been framed for a crime and was, under military justice, condemned to death; this taking place under
18676-560: The magic used by the Justice League Dark is from the "scraps of Creation." To prove the point that even hope decays, he shows Ronnie Raymond that Professor Martin Stein purposely caused the circumstances where Raymond and Stein merged into Firestorm to learn more about metahumans from the inside. Back on Mars, refusing to believe the events of the past that were shown, Firestorm attacks and harms Doctor Manhattan upon which
18837-552: The metal, as established when the Captain Atom Project uses it to remove the Silver Shield's skin. The katana wielded by the "Cambodian" that once sliced through Atom's side was also X-Ionized. The magical guns of the Crimson Avenger were able to crack his skin. Breaking through it causes Captain Atom to Quantum Jump as if he has absorbed too much energy. The X-Ionizer is a hardening technology invented by
18998-434: The mid-2000s, where he is depicted as a powerful member of the Justice League whose abilities place him roughly on par with the franchise's flagship character Superman . In several animated depictions, he has served the role as a government stooge when the government has brought itself into conflict with the Justice League. The Charlton Comics version of Captain Atom was Allen Adam . The character's origin had Adam working as
19159-532: The minds of every single human on the planet, save for those present at the embassy. and the others. Afterwards, Captain Atom discovers that Max has mentally influenced the US army into believing that he had betrayed them. Captain Atom shares with the group that when he absorbed a nuclear bomb Max had set off, he found himself thrown through time to the future of 24th century, an Earth that had fallen into chaos through metahuman wars and backward in technology. Atom found
19320-448: The nature of his abilities. Some fear that he is leaking radiation and potentially poisoning those he comes into contact with. Several have remarked that the Justice League may have rejected Captain Atom for membership due to suspicion of how dangerous he is. Despite this, Nathaniel chooses to try and use his powers to help others on Earth, clandestinely if need be. During a fight with Megala, who had taken control of Firestorm 's body, Atom
19481-539: The new reality, Nathaniel Adam has been only Captain Atom for a few months and is still exploring his abilities, constantly learning new facets to them such as his ability to perceive wireless transmissions from cell phones and computers. He frequently returns to the Continuum so that Dr. Megala and the staff can help him further understand his abilities and occasionally so they can stabilize his body when he seems to be having problems. The world at large looks on Captain Atom with suspicion due to uncertainty about his agenda and
19642-434: The nucleus. Excessive or intense use of his abilities has resulted in Captain Atom temporarily losing his own molecular stability. It is not yet known if he will be able to conquer this weakness with practice. As an energy-based life form, Captain Atom's senses now operate on different levels than a normal person. He is able to sense and perceive radio signals, cell phone signals and other similar transmissions. He can also see
19803-462: The outstanding murder/treason charges against Adam to blackmail him into acting as a military-controlled, government-sanctioned superhero codenamed Captain Atom. The events of the Charlton stories are used cleverly by Bates as a readymade, fabricated past to convince the world that Adam had secretly been a superhero for years enabling him to quickly gain the trust and reputation as an unsung patriot and hero. For his non-superhero activities, Nathaniel uses
19964-554: The past, in Legion Lost , along with his subordinates Agent Jocelyn Lure and Agent Yera Allon . Adym is last seen escaping the threat of his own singularity bomb, launching himself into the past. Captain Atom (Nathaniel Adam) lost control of his powers and caused a devastating accident in this six-issue series set in 2012. Needing to contain his unstable abilities, he went into Dr. Megala's Subterranean Suppression Dome but seemingly exploded. The world believed Nathaniel Adam
20125-475: The purview of Col. Wade Eiling in the year 1968. As an alternative to execution, Adam was "asked" to participate in 'Project: Captain Atom', a military experiment with a slim chance of survival. He agreed to this in exchange for an unconditional presidential pardon. The experiment involved testing the hull of a crashed alien ship's durability by placing a human being (Adam) within the metal craft and then exploding an atomic weapon under it. The weapon went off and Adam
20286-552: The rampaging Major Force , and then releases a vast amount of energy, obliterating what was left of Blüdhaven. He remains missing until Kyle Rayner , then known as Ion , discovers him in The Bleed, a place between dimensions. The Captain indicates that he is traveling through The Bleed to operate outside the gaze of the Monitors . He discusses his time in the Wildstorm Universe, and his desire to visit other alternate worlds. In
20447-528: The real Nathaniel Adam. Later in 1999, he is a member of the poorly received team known as the Living Assault Weapons or L.A.W. , the members of whom are all previously Charlton Comics characters. In 2003, he again teams up with several former members of the Justice League as the " Super Buddies " in the humorous limited series Formerly Known as the Justice League . Around this time, various stories reintroduce Atom's conflict between his role in
20608-409: The repaired watch in his lab coat that's inside a test chamber. When he goes inside to retrieve it the test chamber door closes behind him locking him inside. Researchers outside are unable to open the door or override the countdown, and the force of the generator tears Jon to pieces. A series of strange events and ghostly appearances occur over the next few months, leading researchers to speculate that
20769-471: The reverted universe, which not only reversed the age of its inhabitants by ten years but also caused the multiple resurrections of several deceased characters. In the new timeline, Manhattan prevents the last wizard of the Council of Eternity from revealing to Pandora how to open the skull-shaped box , and kills Owlman and Metron after the former tries to access the secrets of the universe. However,
20930-479: The right person. With the heroes surrounding Doctor Manhattan, Martian Manhunter telepathically broadcasts Doctor Manhattan's final vision of Superman to everyone. The heroes believe that Doctor Manhattan is trying to destroy Superman and all of them before Superman destroys him. As Doctor Manhattan easily deals with the attacks by the heroes, he curiously examines and discloses the nature of the emotional spectrum by dissecting Guy Gardner 's power ring and stating that
21091-447: The same way, he learned to access weak force energy. As a consequence of his energy manipulation abilities, he is able to telepathically interface with computer networks. He has on occasion used this to repel telepathic intrusions by downloading information directly into other telepaths. With focus and effort, Captain Atom can increase any of his abilities to match his current willpower, up to an unknown level. As Monarch prior to absorbing
21252-692: The second Nite Owl. A short time later, Manhattan attends Blake's funeral with Veidt and Dreiberg. He reflects on his association with Blake during the Vietnam War, and senses the presence of former villain, Moloch . During a talk show appearance, a reporter ambushes Manhattan with allegations that he caused cancer in his former associates, including Janey. Seeking solitude, Manhattan transports himself to Mars . The Soviet Union exploits his absence by invading Afghanistan , sparking an international crisis. Eventually, Manhattan brings Laurie to Mars to discuss why he should aid humanity. Laurie inadvertently wins
21413-492: The secret black-op commanded by Sam Lane to fight extraterrestrial menaces on Earth (including Kryptonians ), it is discovered that an amnesiac and brainwashed Captain Atom is now one of the prized possessions of Sam Lane. Project Breach refers to his capture and brainwashing into a weapon (with Lane wanting to stress the similarities between Adam and Tim Zanetti ) or Planet Breaker . Captain Atom refers to his name and rank as "Codename: Captain Atom". Captain Atom returns in
21574-522: The shift to electric-powered vehicles, and Adrian Veidt credits him with causing a huge leap forward in a myriad of science and technology sectors. As a result, the technology of the alternative 1985 of the Watchmen universe is far more advanced. During the only meeting of the Crimebusters group, Manhattan becomes attracted to Laurie Juspeczyk , the second Silk Spectre. His relationship with Janey ends acrimoniously and he begins dating Laurie. At
21735-627: The specialists of Project Atom , introduced in the Cary Bates run of the DC Comics published Captain Atom . Because of the nearly invulnerable nature of the alien metal discovered, the scientists needed some way to cut it to perform experiments. Doctor Heinrich Megala, one of the lead researchers of the Project, developed a device that would make the molecular lattices of an object by knitting together positive & negative ion particles in such
21896-587: The start of Watchmen , Manhattan works at the Rockefeller Military Research Center, where he lives with Laurie. Rorschach informs them of the murder of Edward Blake, aka the Comedian, and warns them that all former costumed adventurers are being targeted by a "mask killer." Because he works for the U.S. government, Manhattan is exempt from a federal law outlawing costumed heroes. Manhattan dismisses Rorschach by teleporting him outside and encourages Laurie to go out with Dan Dreiberg,
22057-567: The strong nuclear force, the energy that binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Adam's physical atoms are constantly splitting apart, giving him incredible power. His body maintains integrity by instantly re-merging these atoms, but extreme use of his powers can interfere with this process and cause Captain Atom's form to become unstable. This leads to a fear that at some point Captain Atom's brain might lose its molecular stability and he will not be able to fix it before it impairs his consciousness or causes him to suffer some form of brain death. In
22218-539: The superhero community and his responsibilities as a government agent. At some point, Atom's marriage to Plastique ends in divorce. Apart from a brief mention of her at the beginning of L.A.W., the marriage appears to be forgotten. Plastique has reappeared in 2006 as a villainess again, undoing her reformation into a heroine. A later confirmation is brought in by the Captain Atom: Armageddon miniseries in which, after falling in love with Angela Spica of
22379-578: The tangle of their lives." His interest in humanity is revived after he witnesses Laurie's epiphany that she is the daughter of the Comedian. It causes him to reflect on the sheer chance that life should come to be in any form, but after the Watchmen fail to prevent Ozymandias's destruction of New York, he departs Earth, commenting that he may explore new life in other parts of the galaxy. In DC Rebirth #1, Pandora accuses her killer — currently thought to be Doctor Manhattan — of believing in skepticism, doubt, and corruption, proclaiming that he cannot understand
22540-554: The timeline. On July 16, 1940, Alan Scott was riding on a train over a collapsing bridge, but he survived by grabbing onto a green lantern. He continues his life, eventually " sitting at a round table wearing a mask " and later testifying before the House Un-American Activities Committee but refusing to implicate anyone in his employ. On July 16, 1940, again, Doctor Manhattan moves the green lantern six inches out of his reach so that Alan Scott dies in
22701-418: The train accident and leaves no family behind, as the green lantern is passed through different locations. At a fun house in the present time, Bubastis II begins glowing, so Ozymandias moves him closer to the lantern to let him feed on Doctor Manhattan's temporal energies left on the lantern and thereby force Doctor Manhattan to their current location. Doctor Manhattan immediately proceeds to transport himself and
22862-444: The truth, causing Manhattan to vaporize him. Manhattan decides to depart Earth again, suggesting that he desires to find a galaxy "less complicated than this one." When Veidt asks if his plan worked out in the end, Manhattan replies, "In the end? Nothing ends, Adrian. Nothing ever ends." After departing from the Watchmen universe, Manhattan was aware of the DC Universe being filled with hope inside humanity and traveled there to find
23023-484: The watch so he is not involved in the incident that would have given him his powers; he marries Janey and they start a family together, having two daughters and a son, living a life without any worry of time. He smiles one last time, believing it to be a nice daydream to live in. Doctor Manhattan then erases himself from existence, transferring his life force to the Planet and his powers to Mime and Marionette's son. He leaves
23184-441: The whole. He can move objects without physically touching them (telekinesis), reverse entropy, repair anything, no matter how damaged. In addition, he has the ability to create life, or so he claims. He also attests to have walked on the surface of the sun. At one point it is stated that, in the event of a nuclear war, he would be capable of destroying Soviet nuclear missiles while at the same time 'destroying' large areas of Russia. As
23345-550: The wider Brightest Day event. At the start of the series, Captain Atom is recruited as part of a massive group of superheroes tasked with hunting down the JLI's founder and Ted Kord 's murderer, Maxwell Lord . During an encounter with Max at the Justice League's former New York headquarters, Captain Atom is rendered unconscious alongside Fire , Ice , and Booster Gold . The former Justice League members awake to discover that Lord has used his mental abilities to erase his existence from
23506-529: The years, Captain Atom has become an expert at energy manipulation and he can fire energy blasts from any point on his body, although he usually uses his hands for better aim. He can fire in multiple directions at once or from every point of his body at once. Several times he has "detonated", releasing a massive amount of energy at once, destroying objects within a certain radius, as demonstrated by his destruction of Bludhaven. On more than one occasion, he has used his ability to manipulate all forms of energy to prevent
23667-496: Was a hero who once saved the planet. He feels he has changed from the man he once was, and that he needs to go back to the magic world to make right what he has done. The Shadowpact are called on to join him on his quest and provide a way for him to reach Sorcerers' World. Captain Atom appears as one of the central characters in Justice League: Generation Lost , a maxi-series that takes place during
23828-508: Was a human of average height. He had brown hair and brown eyes. As a physicist, he often wore a suit. Dr. Manhattan, though supremely powerful, suffers from a decreasing ability to relate to normal humans. Perhaps due to his perception of time and realization of the deterministic universe, he begins to show symptoms of apathy. From his radically altered perspective, almost all human concerns appear pointless and without obvious merit. He describes Laurie as his only remaining link to humanity. This
23989-420: Was capable of storing enough energy, that upon its release, was capable of wiping all life from the alternate Earth 51 – except for its Monitor and a single plant. Later writers and editors have introduced a radioactive aspect of Captain Atom's physical makeup. This seems to contradict the quantum nature of Atom's powers as originally introduced, as he previously did not emit radiation when his skin
24150-434: Was cut open. Towards the end of his series' run, it was speculated that Captain Atom is an Elemental (Quantum Elemental) along with Swamp Thing (Earth), Red Tornado (Air), Firestorm (Fire), and Naiad (Water). In addition to his superhuman abilities, Nathaniel Adam is also an experienced United States Air Force pilot. It is notable that he is one of the few superheroes with a " Captain " appellation that corresponds to
24311-413: Was killed in a blast; However, Adam took a subatomic trip through time and ended up without powers, 20 years in the past. It is revealed that the quantum blowback sent him back in time to 1994 as a normal man. Adam's wound distorted after being shot during an attempted car robbery, and his body was encased in liquid metal. As a result of the time stream correcting itself, he was thrown back to 2017. In
24472-468: Was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for DC's post- Crisis continuity . In 2011, DC Comics relaunched its superhero comics and rewrote the histories of some characters from scratch, including Captain Atom, giving him a new origin, appearance and slightly altered powers. Captain Atom was the character inspiration for Doctor Manhattan , who was featured in the miniseries (and later live-action film adaptation) Watchmen , which would be connected to
24633-411: Was never a member of the JSA and first appeared in 1956 instead (Silver Age/ Earth-1 ). Doctor Manhattan witnesses several variations of the death of Superman's foster parents: Jonathan and Martha Kent , the origins of Superman, and also when a young Superboy met the Legion of Super-Heroes . To appease his curiosity, Doctor Manhattan moves the Green Lantern away from Alan Scott, preventing the creation of
24794-489: Was responsible for erasing Superman's loved ones; however, he was shocked that the punch was meant to knock away a villain behind him. Superman sought only to help and be better, which Manhattan saw as the answer; the entire DC multiverse created new worlds for Superman to be born in every era until the 31st century, when his ideals brought peace. After resorting to the JSA and Legion, Manhattan decided his world and multiverse could use someone like Superman, but Manhattan himself
24955-549: Was saved by Barry, therefore initiating the events of DC Rebirth . Doctor Manhattan then kills Pandora after she finally realizes that he was the one responsible for all of the sins for which she had been blamed. Barry and Batman later began investigating the unknown force behind these changes, learning from Lilith Clay that "Manhattan" was a prominent thought in Kadabra's mind when he claimed responsibility for removing Wally from history. Eobard Thawne attacks Batman as he
25116-402: Was seemingly "atomized" and then reformed himself as an atomic-powered being. In both DC Comics incarnations, he is an Air Force pilot named Nathaniel Adam , who was a test subject in a scientific experiment who seemingly disintegrated in the process, only to reappear later as the super-powered Captain Atom. Over the years, DC has attempted to reinvent the character several times. For a period,
25277-478: Was seemingly disintegrated. Eighteen years later, Adam suddenly reappeared. The alien metal, now bonded around his body, afforded him incredible abilities far beyond that of a mere mortal. Bonded with the metal, Nathaniel Adam now had powers that resulted from the metal's ability to tap into the "Quantum Field". It was revealed that the alien metal could absorb energy but only past a certain threshold, any excess absorption would force it to jump forward in time based on
25438-508: Was the doing of Perpetua to free herself from the Source Wall . However, those actions would not get the expected result and would lead to the creation of The New 52 . During the events of Flashpoint , Manhattan deceived Pandora into convincing Barry Allen to merge three separate timelines (the DC Universe , the Wildstorm Universe, and select Vertigo titles) to create Prime Earth. The merger enabled him to erase ten years from
25599-440: Was too detached from his humanity; so, he would need to raise a child and impart his powers to him. To this end, he raises Clark Maez, Mime, and Marionette's son, before leaving him to be adopted by his former teammates. Jon is the only character in Watchmen to possess superpowers. Throughout Watchmen , he is shown to be absolutely powerful and invulnerable to all harm; even when his body is disintegrated, he can reconstruct it in
25760-480: Was trying to reach "God." Upon reaching the unseen figure, Thawne boosted his ability to exist as a paradox before he was vaporized by Manhattan, leaving only the button behind. Sometime later, Manhattan picks up the button as he recalls his dialogue with Laurie. Manhattan puts Bruce Wayne in contact with the Flashpoint Thomas Wayne , who tells his son not to become Batman before his "death" and
25921-546: Was unable to erase or permanently kill Eobard Thawne , the Reverse-Flash. In the DC Universe, Manhattan's power is revealed to be Connective Energy, the opposite of Crisis Energy. In the 2009 film adaptation Watchmen , physics professor James Kakalios of the University of Minnesota was used as a scientific consultant, and shed light on the potential scientific explanations of Doctor Manhattan's powers both in
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