Strange Suspense Stories is a comic book that was published in two volumes by Fawcett Comics and Charlton Comics in the 1950s and 1960s. Starting out as a horror / suspense title, the first volume gradually moved toward eerie fantasy and weird science fiction , before ending as a vehicle for the superhero Captain Atom . The title's second volume was more in the horror/suspense vein. Altogether, 72 issues of Strange Suspense Stories were published.
155-529: Notable contributors included Steve Ditko , Vince Alascia , Jim Aparo , Pat Boyette , George Evans , Joe Gill , Frank McLaughlin , Bill Molno, Rocke Mastroserio , Sheldon Moldoff , Charles Nicholas , Denny O'Neil , Joe Shuster , and Steve Skeates . Fawcett Comics debuted Strange Suspense Stories in June 1952, featuring artwork by (among others) George Evans and Sheldon Moldoff . The title ran for five issues under Fawcett. In 1954–55, Charlton acquired
310-648: A tabloid -sized comic-book insert in Sunday newspapers. Ditko in junior high school was part of a group of students who crafted wooden models of German airplanes to aid civilian World War II aircraft-spotters. Upon graduating from Greater Johnstown High School in 1945, he enlisted in the U.S. Army on October 26, 1945, and did military service in Allied-occupied Germany , where he drew comics for an Army newspaper. Following his discharge, Ditko learned that his idol, Batman artist Jerry Robinson ,
465-471: A 2010 deposition , recalled that Lee and Ditko "ended up not being able to work together because they disagreed on almost everything, cultural, social, historically, everything, they disagreed on characters. ..." A friendly farewell was given to Ditko in the " Bullpen Bulletins " of comics cover-dated July 1966, including Fantastic Four #52: "Steve recently told us he was leaving for personal reasons. After all these years, we're sorry to see him go, and we wish
620-820: A 32-page essay publication featuring several pages of new artwork; and Ditko, Etc... , a 32-page comic book composed of brief vignettes and editorial cartoons. Releases have continued in that format, with stories introducing such characters as the Hero, Miss Eerie, the Cape, the Madman, the Grey Negotiator, the !? and the Outline. He said in 2012 of his self-published efforts, "I do those because that's all they'll let me do". Captain Atom Captain Atom
775-437: A Kirby-drawn monster story, followed by one or two twist-ending thrillers or sci-fi tales drawn by Don Heck , Paul Reinman , or Joe Sinnott , all capped by an often-surreal, sometimes self-reflective short by Ditko and Stan Lee. The first collaboration between Ditko and Lee was 2-Gun Western #4 (May 1956), which was also Ditko's only non-fantasy story. These Lee-Ditko short stories proved so popular that Amazing Adventures
930-470: A boy's sensibility because there was so much raw power, Ditko's work was really delicate and cartoony. There was a sense of design to it. You can always recognize anything that Ditko designed because it's always flowery. There is a lot of embroidered detail in the art, which is almost psychedelic. In addition to Dr. Strange, Ditko in the 1960s also drew comics starring the Hulk and Iron Man. He penciled and inked
1085-570: A character with the power to turn invisible in a 3-D comic, in 1990. Substance also had the ability to project his voice away from himself, which Ditko demonstrated through the placement of word balloons. In the early 1990s Ditko worked for Jim Shooter's newly founded company Valiant Comics , drawing, among others, issues of Magnus, Robot Fighter , Solar, Man of the Atom and X-O-Manowar . In 1992 Ditko worked with writer Will Murray to produce one of his last original characters for Marvel Comics,
1240-586: 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
1395-857: A decision which garnered a mixed reaction from the title's readership. Ditko also drew the Prince Gavyn version of Starman in Adventure Comics #467–478 (1980). He then decamped to do work for a variety of publishers, briefly contributing to DC again in the mid-1980s, with four pinups of his characters for Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe and a pinup for Superman #400 (Oct. 1984) and its companion portfolio. Ditko returned to Marvel in 1979, taking over Jack Kirby's Machine Man , drawing The Micronauts and Captain Universe , and continuing to freelance for
1550-546: 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
1705-640: A few extra pages to fill", as "odd fantasy tales that I'd dream up with O. Henry -type endings." Giving an early example of what would later be known as the " Marvel Method " of writer-artist collaboration, Lee said, "All I had to do was give Steve a one-line description of the plot and he'd be off and running. He'd take those skeleton outlines I had given him and turn them into classic little works of art that ended up being far cooler than I had any right to expect." After Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Stan Lee obtained permission from publisher Martin Goodman to create
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#17327868910791860-473: 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
2015-684: 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
2170-635: A great opportunity to show everyone a whole new range of ideas, unlimited types of stories and styles—why FLUB it!" From 1958 to 1968, Ditko shared a Manhattan studio at 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue with noted fetish artist Eric Stanton , an art-school classmate. When either artist was under deadline pressure, it was not uncommon for them to pitch in and help the other with his assignment. Ditko biographer Blake Bell, without citing sources, said, "At one time in history, Ditko denied ever touching Stanton's work, even though Stanton himself said they would each dabble in each other's art; mainly spot-inking", and
2325-668: A handful of the Fly , Flygirl and Jaguar stories for The Fly #2–8 (July 1983 – Aug. 1984), for Archie Comics ' short-lived 1980s superhero line; in a rare latter-day instance of Ditko inking another artist, he inked penciler Dick Ayers on the Jaguar story in The Fly #9 (Oct. 1984). Western Publishing in 1982 announced a series by Ditko and Harris would appear in a new science-fiction comic, Astral Frontiers , but that title never materialized. Ditko and Harris created 3-D Substance ,
2480-489: A hero reflecting the influence of Ayn Rand 's philosophy of Objectivism . Ditko largely declined to give interviews, saying he preferred to communicate through his work. He responded to fan mail, sending thousands of handwritten letters during his lifetime. Ditko was inducted into the comics industry's Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1990 and into the Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 1994. In 2024, Ditko
2635-423: A homemaker. The second-oldest child in a working-class family, he was preceded by sister Anna Marie, and followed by sister Elizabeth and brother Patrick. Inspired by his father's love of newspaper comic strips , particularly Hal Foster 's Prince Valiant , Ditko found his interest in comics accelerated by the introduction of the superhero Batman in 1939, and by Will Eisner 's The Spirit , which appeared in
2790-522: A low-budget division of a company best known for song-lyric magazines. Beginning with the cover of The Thing! #12 (Feb. 1954) and the eight-page vampire story "Cinderella" in that issue, Ditko would continue to work intermittently for Charlton until the company's demise in 1986, producing science fiction, horror and mystery stories, as well as co-creating Captain Atom , with writer Joe Gill , in Space Adventures #33 (March 1960). Ditko
2945-517: 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
3100-472: 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
3255-498: A more straight-ahead horror focus. Stories were written by Steve Skeates and Denny O'Neil , and the book was edited by Sal Gentile. Strange Suspense Stories vol. 2 lasted nine issues until Sept. 1969. Steve Ditko Stephen John Ditko ( / ˈ d ɪ t k oʊ / ; November 2, 1927 – June 29, 2018) was an American comic book writer best known for being the co-creator of Marvel superhero Spider-Man and creator of Doctor Strange . He also made notable contributions to
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#17327868910793410-551: 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
3565-500: A new "ordinary teen" superhero named "Spider-Man", Lee originally approached his leading artist, Jack Kirby . Kirby told Lee about his own 1950s character conception, variously called the Silver Spider and Spiderman, in which an orphaned boy finds a magic ring that gives him super powers. Comics historian Greg Theakston says Lee and Kirby "immediately sat down for a story conference" and Lee afterward directed Kirby to flesh out
3720-556: 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
3875-403: 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
4030-477: 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
4185-422: 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
4340-415: A poll of "Best Liked" fan-created comics, "It seems a shame, since comics themselves have so little variety of stories and styles that you would deliberately restrict your own creative efforts to professional comics['] shallow range. What is 'Best Liked' by most readers is what they are most familiar in seeing and any policy based on readers likes has to end up with a lot of look-a-like ( sic ) strips. You have
4495-457: A rare contemporaneous account, Ditko described his and Lee's contributions in a mail interview with Gary Martin published in Comic Fan #2 (Summer 1965): "Stan Lee thought the name up. I did costume, web gimmick on wrist & spider signal". He added he would continue drawing Spider-Man "[i]f nothing better comes along." That same year, he expressed to the fanzine Voice of Comicdom , regarding
4650-561: A scholarship for the following year. "He was in my class for two years, four or five days a week, five hours a night. It was very intense." Robinson, who invited artists and editors to speak with his class, once brought in Stan Lee , then editor of Marvel Comics ' 1950s precursor Atlas Comics and, "I think that was when Stan first saw Steve's work." Ditko began professionally illustrating comic books in early 1953, drawing writer Bruce Hamilton's science-fiction story "Stretching Things" for
4805-533: 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
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4960-533: 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
5115-405: A stable of comic book properties from Fawcett Publications , which was shutting down its comics division. Charlton continued publishing two of Fawcett's horror books— This Magazine Is Haunted and Strange Suspense Stories , initially using unpublished material from Fawcett's inventory. In a quirk common to the publisher, Charlton's Strange Suspense Stories started not with issue #6 (continuing
5270-466: 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
5425-638: 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
5580-427: 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
5735-472: 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
5890-437: 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
6045-450: 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
6200-436: Is Suspense! After four issues under that name, the title reverted to Strange Suspense Stories , picking up with issue #27 (Oct. 1955). Artwork from Strange Suspense Stories was used as inspiration for artist Roy Lichtenstein 's 1965/1966 Brushstroke series, including Brushstroke and Big Painting No. 6 . The panels in question came from the story "The Painting", with art by Dick Giordano , in issue #72 (Oct. 1964). As
6355-423: 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
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6510-529: 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
6665-523: 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
6820-559: 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
6975-520: 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
7130-620: 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
7285-558: 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
7440-523: 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
7595-699: 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 ,
7750-596: 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
7905-481: 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
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#17327868910798060-629: 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
8215-583: The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers . The last mainstream character he created was Marvel's Longarm in Shadows & Light #1 (Feb. 1998), in a self-inked, 12-page Iron Man story "A Man's Reach....", scripted by Len Wein . His final mainstream work was a five-page New Gods story for DC Comics, "Infinitely Gentle Infinitely Suffering", inked by Mick Gray and believed to be intended for the 2000–2002 Orion series but not published until
8370-424: The Blue Beetle (1967–1968), the Question (1967–1968), and Captain Atom (1965–1967), returning to the character he had co-created in 1960. In addition, in 1966 and 1967, he drew 16 stories, most of them written by Archie Goodwin , for Warren Publishing 's horror-comic magazines Creepy and Eerie , generally using an ink-wash technique. In 1967, Ditko gave his Objectivist ideas ultimate expression in
8525-566: The Creeper stories made "them look unlike anything else being published by DC at the time." Ditko co-created the team Hawk and Dove in Showcase #75 (June 1968), with writer Steve Skeates . Around this time, he penciled the lead story, written and inked by Wally Wood, in Wood's early mature-audience, independent-comics publication Heroes, Inc. Presents Cannon (1969). Ditko's stay at DC
8680-609: The Iron Man feature in Tales of Suspense #47–49 (Nov. 1963 – Jan. 1964), with various inkers. The first of these debuted the initial version of Iron Man's modern red-and-golden armor. Whichever feature he drew, Ditko's idiosyncratic, cleanly detailed, instantly recognizable art style, emphasizing mood and anxiety , found great favor with readers. The character of Spider-Man and his troubled personal life meshed well with Ditko's own interests, which Lee eventually acknowledged by giving
8835-646: The Key Publications imprint Stanmor Publications , which sold the story to Ajax/Farrell , where it finally found publication in Fantastic Fears #5 ( cover-dated February 1954). Ditko's first published work was his second professional story, the six-page "Paper Romance" in Daring Love #1 (October 1953), published by the Key imprint Gillmor Magazines . Shortly afterward, Ditko found work at
8990-637: The Sandman in #4 (Sept. 1963); the Lizard in #6 (Nov. 1963); Electro in #9 (March 1964); and the Green Goblin in #14 (July 1964). Increasingly irritated by his perception that he was not receiving his due or proper compensation, Ditko demanded credit for the plotting he was contributing under the Marvel Method . Lee acquiesced, and starting with #25 (June 1965), Ditko received plot credit for
9145-604: 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
9300-400: The (eventually) published character. In fact, the only drawings of Spider-Man were on the splash [i.e., page 1] and at the end [where] Kirby had the guy leaping at you with a web gun... Anyway, the first five pages took place in the home, and the kid finds a ring and turns into Spider-Man." Ditko also recalled that, "One of the first things I did was to work up a costume. A vital, visual part of
9455-540: 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
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#17327868910799610-796: The 1950s precursor of Marvel Comics , beginning with the four-page "There'll Be Some Changes Made" in Journey into Mystery #33 (April 1956); this debut tale would be reprinted in Marvel's Curse of the Weird #4 (March 1994). In 1957, Atlas switched distributors to the American News Company , which shortly afterward lost a Justice Department lawsuit and discontinued its business, leading to Atlas's entire staff being laid off. Ditko returned to Charlton afterward and experimented with various drawing styles and genres in series such as Tales of
9765-606: The 2008 trade paperback Tales of the New Gods . Thereafter, Ditko's solo work was published intermittently by Robin Snyder, who was his editor at Charlton, Archie Comics, and Renegade Press in the 1980s. The Snyder publications have included a number of original books as well as reprints such as Static , The Missing Man , The Mocker and, in 2002, Avenging World , a collection of stories and essays spanning 30 years. In 2008, Ditko and Snyder released The Avenging Mind ,
9920-479: 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
10075-624: 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
10230-666: 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
10385-445: The Comics Code. Ditko's hard line against criminals was controversial and he continued to produce Mr. A stories and one-pagers until the end of the 1970s. Ditko returned to Mr. A in 2000 and in 2009. Ditko moved to DC Comics in 1968, where he co-created the Creeper in Showcase #73 (April 1968) with Don Segall, under editor Murray Boltinoff . DC Comics writer and executive Paul Levitz observed that Ditko's art on
10540-493: 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
10695-656: 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
10850-462: 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
11005-614: The Fawcett numbering) nor with issue #1, but with issue #16, continuing the numbering of a cancelled crime / horror series, Lawbreakers Suspense Stories , which itself had continued the numbering of the crime comic Lawbreakers . Both of those earlier titles were decidedly pre- Comics Code books, featuring murders, gruesome covers, and scantily-clad women. Artistic chores were then handed to Steve Ditko , whose moody, individualistic touch came to dominate Charlton's supernatural line. Charlton's Strange Suspense Stories ran seven issues to #22 (Nov. 1954) before being temporarily retitled This
11160-628: The Jack Kirby pencil work of Harvey Comics ' Captain 3-D #1 (December 1953). For his own third published story, Ditko penciled and inked the six-page "A Hole in His Head" in Black Magic vol. 4, #3 (December 1953), published by Simon & Kirby's Crestwood Publications imprint Prize Comics . Ditko then began a long association with the Derby, Connecticut , publisher Charlton Comics ,
11315-547: 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
11470-491: The Mysterious Traveler and This Magazine is Haunted . During the summer of 1958, writer-editor Stan Lee invited Ditko back to Atlas. Ditko would go on to contribute a large number of stories, many considered classic, to Atlas/Marvel's Strange Tales and the newly launched Amazing Adventures , Strange Worlds , Tales of Suspense and Tales to Astonish , issues of which would typically open with
11625-641: 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 –
11780-408: 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
11935-547: 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
12090-415: 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 ,
12245-432: 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
12400-402: 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
12555-439: The artist plotting credits on the latter part of their 38-issue run. But after four years on the title, Ditko left Marvel; he and Lee had not been on speaking terms for some time, with art and editorial changes handled through intermediaries. The details of the rift remain uncertain, even to Lee, who confessed in 2003, "I never really knew Steve on a personal level." Ditko later claimed it was Lee who broke off contact and disputed
12710-423: 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
12865-516: The business about the webs coming out of his hands". Spider-Man debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), the final issue of that science-fiction/fantasy anthology series. When the issue proved to be a top seller, Spider-Man was given his own series, The Amazing Spider-Man . Lee and Ditko's collaboration on the series saw the creation of many of the character's best known antagonists including Doctor Octopus in issue #3 (July 1963);
13020-470: The character and draw some pages. "A day or two later", Kirby showed Lee the first six pages, and, as Lee recalled, "I hated the way he was doing it. Not that he did it badly — it just wasn't the character I wanted; it was too heroic". Lee turned to Ditko, who developed a visual motif Lee found satisfactory, although Lee would later replace Ditko's original cover with one penciled by Kirby. Ditko said, "The Spider-Man pages Stan showed me were nothing like
13175-589: 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
13330-585: The character of Iron Man , introducing the character's red and yellow design. Ditko studied under Batman artist Jerry Robinson at the Cartoonist and Illustrators School in New York City. He began his professional career in 1953, working in the studio of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby , beginning as an inker and coming under the influence of artist Mort Meskin . During this time, he began his long association with Charlton Comics , where he did work in
13485-402: The character. I had to know how he looked ... before I did any breakdowns. For example: A clinging power so he wouldn't have hard shoes or boots, a hidden wrist-shooter versus a web gun and holster, etc. ... I wasn't sure Stan would like the idea of covering the character's face but I did it because it hid an obviously boyish face. It would also add mystery to the character...." Much earlier, in
13640-658: The company into the late 1990s. Starting in 1984, he penciled the last two years of the space-robot series Rom . A Godzilla story by Ditko and Marv Wolfman was changed into a Dragon Lord story published in Marvel Spotlight . Ditko and writer Tom DeFalco introduced the Speedball character in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #22 (1988) and Ditko drew a ten-issue series based on the character. In 1982, he also began freelancing for
13795-449: The cosmos. As historian Bradford W. Wright describes, Steve Ditko contributed some of his most surrealistic work to the comic book and gave it a disorienting, hallucinogenic quality. Dr. Strange's adventures take place in bizarre worlds and twisting dimensions that resembled Salvador Dalí paintings. ... Inspired by the pulp-fiction magicians of Stan Lee's childhood as well as by contemporary Beat culture. Dr. Strange remarkably predicted
13950-560: The crabbed Objectivist screeds he published with tiny presses. And boy, could Ditko hack: seeing samples of his Transformers coloring book and his Big Boy comic is like hearing Orson Welles sell frozen peas." Ditko retired from mainstream comics in 1998. His later work for Marvel and DC included such established superheroes as the Sub-Mariner (in Marvel Comics Presents ) and newer, licensed characters such as
14105-539: 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
14260-602: The early independent comics label Pacific Comics , beginning with Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers #6 (Sept. 1982), in which he introduced the superhero Missing Man, with Mark Evanier scripting to Ditko's plot and art. Subsequent Missing Man stories appeared in Pacific Presents #1–3 (Oct. 1982 – March 1984), with Ditko scripting the former and collaborating with longtime friend Robin Snyder on
14415-597: 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
14570-424: 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
14725-552: 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
14880-585: 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
15035-408: The feature a favorite of college students. "People who read 'Doctor Strange' thought people at Marvel must be heads [i.e. drug users]," recalled then-associate editor and former Doctor Strange writer Roy Thomas in 1971, "because they had had similar experiences high on mushrooms . But ... I don't use hallucinogens, nor do I think any artists do." Ditko, "always the most straight-laced man in comics",
15190-432: 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
15345-454: The final issue of The Incredible Hulk (#6, March 1963), then continued to collaborate with writer-editor Lee on a relaunched Hulk feature in the omnibus Tales to Astonish , beginning with issue #60 (Oct. 1964). Ditko, inked by George Roussos , penciled the feature through #67 (May 1965). Ditko designed the Hulk's primary antagonist, the Leader , in #63 (Jan. 1965). Ditko also penciled
15500-540: The first few pages of this Lee story included what would become one of the most iconic scenes in Spider-Man's history." The story was chosen as #15 in the 100 Greatest Marvels of All Time poll of Marvel's readers in 2001. Editor Robert Greenberger wrote in his introduction to the story, "These first five pages are a modern-day equivalent to Shakespeare as Parker's soliloquy sets the stage for his next action. And with dramatic pacing and storytelling, Ditko delivers one of
15655-626: The form of Mr. A , published in Wally Wood 's independent title witzend # 3, an underground anthology comic in black and white that avoided the Comics Code Authority by being published in magazine format and only being available by subscription, and whose editorial policy was to allow artistic freedom without any editorial interference. Mr. A is a similar character to the Question, but without being restricted by
15810-448: The genres of science fiction, horror, and mystery. He also co-created the superhero Captain Atom in 1960. During the 1950s, Ditko also drew for Atlas Comics , a forerunner of Marvel Comics. He went on to contribute much significant work to Marvel. Ditko was the artist for the first 38 issues of The Amazing Spider-Man , co-creating much of the Spider-Man supporting characters and villains with Stan Lee . Beginning with issue #25, Ditko
15965-488: 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
16120-420: The great sequences in all comics." In this series, Ditko also had a lasting effect on Marvel's branding when he inserted a small box on the upper left-hand corner of issue #2 that featured a picture of Spider-Man's face along with the company name and price. Stan Lee approved of this visual motif and soon made it a standard feature on all of Marvel's subsequent comic books that would last for decades. Two of
16275-426: 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
16430-475: The industry moved into the Silver Age , Charlton shifted Strange Suspense Stories to a more heroic vein, reprinting short Captain Atom adventures beginning with issue #75 (June 1965). With issue #78 (Dec. 1965), Charlton renamed the title Captain Atom . The Captain Atom title lasted until issue #89 (Dec. 1967) before being cancelled. In Oct. 1967, Charlton revived the title for another run, this time with
16585-457: The introduction to one book of Stanton's work says, "Eric Stanton drew his pictures in India ink , and they were then hand-coloured by Ditko". In a 1988 interview with Theakston, Stanton recalled that although his contribution to Spider-Man was "almost nil", he and Ditko had "worked on storyboards together and I added a few ideas. But the whole thing was created by Steve on his own... I think I added
16740-400: 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
16895-417: 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
17050-538: The long-held belief that the disagreement was over the true identity of the Green Goblin : "Stan never knew what he was getting in my Spider-Man stories and covers until after [production manager] Sol Brodsky took the material from me ... so there couldn't have been any disagreement or agreement, no exchanges ... no problems between us concerning the Green Goblin or anything else from before issue #25 to my final issues". Spider-Man successor artist John Romita , in
17205-552: 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
17360-736: The mid-1970s, Ditko worked exclusively for Charlton and various small press/independent publishers. Frank McLaughlin , Charlton's art director during this period, describes Ditko as living "in a local hotel in Derby for a while. He was a very happy-go-lucky guy with a great sense of humor at that time, and always supplied the [female] color separators with candy and other little gifts". For Charlton in 1974 he did Liberty Belle backup stories in E-Man and conceived Killjoy. Ditko produced much work for Charlton's science-fiction and horror titles, as well as for former Marvel publisher Martin Goodman 's start-up line Atlas/Seaboard Comics , where he co-created
17515-434: 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
17670-532: 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
17825-666: The most sought-after Spider-Man collectibles during Ditko's time on the series were mail-away items ordered through comic book ads. Ditko art was featured on a very popular t-shirt and on a 6' tall poster. Ditko created the supernatural hero Doctor Strange in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963). Ditko in the 2000s told a visiting fan that Lee gave Dr. Strange the first name "Stephen". Though often overshadowed by his Spider-Man work, Ditko's Doctor Strange artwork has been equally acclaimed for its surrealistic mystical landscapes and increasingly psychedelic visuals that helped make
17980-448: 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
18135-596: 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
18290-434: 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
18445-462: 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
18600-554: 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
18755-475: 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
18910-552: 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
19065-528: 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
19220-692: The same feelings for the character that he once had. In 1993, he did the Dark Horse Comics one-shot The Safest Place in the World . For the Defiant Comics series Dark Dominion , he drew issue #0, which was released as a set of trading cards . In 1995, he pencilled a four-issue series for Marvel based on the Phantom 2040 animated TV series. This included a poster that was inked by John Romita Sr. Steve Ditko's Strange Avenging Tales
19375-447: 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
19530-761: The script for the latter two. Ditko also created The Mocker for Pacific, in Silver Star #2 (April 1983). For Eclipse Comics , he contributed a story featuring his character Static (no relation to the later Milestone Comics character) in Eclipse Monthly #1–3 (Aug.–Oct. 1983), introducing supervillain the Exploder in #2. With writer Jack C. Harris, Ditko drew the backup feature "The Faceless Ones" in First Comics ' Warp #2–4 (April–June 1983). Working with that same writer and others, Ditko drew
19685-492: 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
19840-627: 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
19995-492: The stories. One of the most celebrated issues of the Lee-Ditko run is #33 (Feb. 1966), the third part of the story arc " If This Be My Destiny...! ", and featuring the dramatic scene of Spider-Man, through force of will and thoughts of family, escaping from being pinned by heavy machinery. Comics historian Les Daniels noted, "Steve Ditko squeezes every ounce of anguish out of Spider-Man's predicament, complete with visions of
20150-567: 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
20305-560: The studio of writer-artists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby , who had created Captain America and other characters. Beginning as an inker on backgrounds, Ditko was soon working with and learning from Mort Meskin , an artist whose work he had long admired. "Meskin was fabulous," Ditko once recalled. "I couldn't believe the ease with which he drew: strong compositions, loose pencils, yet complete; detail without clutter. I loved his stuff". Ditko's known assistant work includes aiding inker Meskin on
20460-539: 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
20615-546: The superhero the Destructor with writer Archie Goodwin, and penciled all four issues of the namesake series (Feb.–Aug. 1975), the first two of which were inked by Wally Wood. Ditko worked on the second and third issues of Tiger-Man and the third issue of Morlock 2001 , with Bernie Wrightson inking. Ditko returned to DC Comics in 1975, creating a short-lived title, Shade, the Changing Man (1977–1978). Shade
20770-549: The superheroine Squirrel Girl , who debuted in Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2, #8, a.k.a. Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special (Jan. 1992). In 1992 he had a meeting with Stan Lee, who wanted to work with Ditko on a comic project about a "garbageman superhero from the future", but he declined because he didn't like the future portrayed in the concept. When Lee then suggested the should do a Spider-Man graphic novel together, he declined that too, claiming he no longer had
20925-469: The talented guy success with his future endeavors." Regardless, said Lee in 2007, "Quite a few years ago I met him up at the Marvel offices when I was last in New York. And we spoke; he's a hell of a nice guy and it was very pleasant. ... I haven't heard from him since that meeting." Back at Charlton—where the page rate was low but creators were allowed greater freedom—Ditko worked on such characters as
21080-552: The uncle he failed and the aunt he has sworn to save." Peter David observed, "After his origin, this two-page sequence from Amazing Spider-Man #33 is perhaps the best-loved sequence from the Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era." Steve Saffel stated the "full page Ditko image from The Amazing Spider-Man #33 is one of the most powerful ever to appear in the series and influenced writers and artists for many years to come." Matthew K. Manning wrote that "Ditko's illustrations for
21235-550: 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
21390-529: 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
21545-425: The youth counterculture 's fascination with Eastern mysticism and psychedelia . Never among Marvel's more popular or accessible characters, Dr. Strange still found a niche among an audience seeking a challenging alternative to more conventional superhero fare. The cartoonist and fine artist Seth in 2003 described Ditko's style as: ...oddball for mainstream comics. Whereas Kirby's stuff clearly appealed to
21700-496: 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
21855-912: Was allowed a great deal of creative freedom at Charlton due to very little editorial interference. However, the Comics Code Authority was imposed on the comics industry in 1954 due to public concern over graphic violence and horror imagery in comic books, and would prevent Ditko from further developing as a horror artist. He first went on hiatus from the company, and comics altogether, in mid-1954, when he contracted tuberculosis and returned to his parents' home in Johnstown to recuperate. After he recovered, Ditko had originally intended to return to Charlton, but Charlton's office had been flooded by Hurricane Diane and operations wouldn't resume until months later. Ditko instead moved back to New York City in late 1955 and began drawing for Atlas Comics ,
22010-514: Was also credited as the plotter. In 1966, after being the exclusive artist on The Amazing Spider-Man and the "Doctor Strange" feature in Strange Tales , Ditko left Marvel. He continued to work for Charlton and also DC Comics , including a revamp of the long-running character the Blue Beetle and creating or co-creating The Question , The Creeper , Shade, the Changing Man , Nightshade , and Hawk and Dove . Ditko also began contributing to small independent publishers, where he created Mr. A ,
22165-486: Was announced as a quarterly series from Fantagraphics Books , although it only ran one issue (Feb. 1997) due to publicly unspecified disagreements between Ditko and the publisher. The New York Times assessed in 2008 that, "By the '70s he was regarded as a slightly old-fashioned odd-ball; by the '80s he was a commercial has-been, picking up wretched work-for-hire gigs. ...following the example of [Ayn] Rand's John Galt, Ditko hacked out moneymaking work, saving his care for
22320-420: 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
22475-434: 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
22630-487: Was deeply offended by the suggestion that he used psychedelic drugs to create the worlds of Dr. Strange . Eventually Lee & Ditko would take Strange into ever-more-abstract realms. In an epic 17-issue story arc in Strange Tales #130–146 (March 1965 – July 1966), Lee and Ditko introduced the cosmic character Eternity , who personified the universe and was depicted as a silhouette whose outlines are filled with
22785-413: 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
22940-468: 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
23095-636: Was later revived, without Ditko's involvement, in DC's mature-audience imprint Vertigo . With writer Paul Levitz , he co-created the four-issue sword and sorcery series Stalker (1975–1976). Ditko and writer Gerry Conway produced the first issue of a two-issue Man-Bat series. He also revived the Creeper and did such various other jobs as a short Demon backup series in 1979, created The Odd Man and stories in DC's horror and science-fiction anthologies. Editor Jack C. Harris hired Ditko as guest artist on several issues of The Legion of Super-Heroes ,
23250-503: Was named a Disney Legend for his contributions to Publishing. Stephen John Ditko was born on November 2, 1927, in Johnstown, Pennsylvania . His parents were second-generation Americans: children of Rusyn Byzantine Catholic immigrants from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Slovakia ). His father, Stefan ("Stephen"), was an artistically talented master carpenter at a steel mill and his mother, Anna ( née Balaschak),
23405-422: Was reformatted to feature such stories exclusively beginning with issue #7 (Dec. 1961), when the comic was rechristened Amazing Adult Fantasy , a name intended to reflect its more "sophisticated" nature, as likewise the new tagline "The magazine that respects your intelligence". Lee in 2009 described these "short, five-page filler strips that Steve and I did together", originally "placed in any of our comics that had
23560-402: 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,
23715-478: 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
23870-426: Was short—he would work on all six issues of the Creeper's own title, Beware the Creeper (June 1968 – April 1969), though leaving midway through the final one—and the reasons for his departure uncertain. But while at DC, Ditko recommended Charlton staffer Dick Giordano to the company, who would go on to become a top DC penciller, inker, editor, and ultimately, in 1981, the managing editor. From this time up through
24025-532: Was teaching at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School (later the School of Visual Arts ) in New York City. Moving there in 1950, he enrolled in the art school under the G.I. Bill . Robinson found the young student "a very hard worker who really focused on his drawing" and someone who "could work well with other writers as well as write his own stories and create his own characters", and he helped Ditko acquire
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