Pitch A Direction: Captain Atom

[WonderScott]

While I don’t think CA should belong to any one agency, he should deal w. many of them as missions dictate. The DEO, ARGUS, Checkmate, Squad K, even Project Cadmus, STAR Labe and SHADE.
CA could literally have carte blanche among all these agencies. He could access their resources and they in turn can run situations past him (and whoever’s designated to handle his affairs/do his paperwork, a 4-6 person support group) and ask for his participation.

That could be interesting, in it being a world tour of the DCU military complex via Captain Atom.

[WonderScott]

The "being in conflict with JLA" is way too cliche IMO.

I said sometimes and literally every metahuman has to come into conflict with different heroes and villains for DRAMAZ. I wouldn’t leave out the Justice League if there’s an interesting story to play put.

[Gaius]

Set up a Charleston comics line that takes place in it's own universe with just those characters. He's their world's Superman. Dealing with extraterrestrial threats and super science things.

This, take advantage of having a multiverse.

[DrNewGod]

One thing I really liked about the Capt. Atom reboot in the late-1980s was the idea of his superhero status being manufactured PR, and his status as a government agent being covert. As for the his powerset, I'd like to see that go back to Ditko's original concept, including the idea that his powers wane with use, and need time to recharge.

[achilles]

Wouldn't that basically be like the Suicide Squad? Not necessarily complaining. It might be something I'd have to see in execution first.

And a bit like a less Ennis-y The Boys.

[achilles]

Good thread idea, BTW; there's a lot of characters who could use a brainstorm revamp and a direction. Lack of a direction has been holding some of them back, like Cap or PG.

[SecretWarrior]

And a bit like a less Ennis-y The Boys.

Or a less Millar-y Ultimates.

[Riv86672]

That could be interesting, in it being a world tour of the DCU military complex via Captain Atom.

^^^ty. Yeah, DC’s built up a huge military/govt/covert hierarchy dating back to WWII. Lots of toys in that chest.

Set up a Charleston comics line that takes place in it's own universe with just those characters. He's their world's Superman. Dealing with extraterrestrial threats and super science things.

^^^I’d like to see that. A less self destructive/Moore-ish look at what these characters would be like on their own.

[j9ac9k]

-- Firstly, I'd return him to his red/silver/blue look that he had during his old series -- it's just his best look, imo.
-- Having him as "the US government's superhero" can be great, as long as he's not a stooge who always just does what he's told and that the government can't be shown as corrupt all the time - that's too easy and it would undermine Cap as a character if he continued to work for an organization that was secretly evil or immoral. This isn't "Suicide Squad." Emphasize that he's essentially a soldier - a good man, serving the people and trying to do good.
-- In the first issue, end with someone cracking his shell.... and he doesn't explode! Maybe it was "Kingdom Come's" fault, but people seem to love using Cap just to have him blow up - he's like the new Red Tornado. No more of that.
-- Bring in an element of crazy silver age super-science stuff so that it's not too serious.
-- Give him a supporting cast of soldiers in his platoon or unit under his command, that he uses sometimes. It would ground him and his adventures, and raise the stakes because while he's invulnerable, his comrades aren't.

[Riv86672]

-- Firstly, I'd return him to his red/silver/blue look that he had during his old series -- it's just his best look, imo.
-- Having him as "the US government's superhero" can be great, as long as he's not a stooge who always just does what he's told and that the government can't be shown as corrupt all the time - that's too easy and it would undermine Cap as a character if he continued to work for an organization that was secretly evil or immoral. This isn't "Suicide Squad." Emphasize that he's essentially a soldier - a good man, serving the people and trying to do good.
-- In the first issue, end with someone cracking his shell.... and he doesn't explode! Maybe it was "Kingdom Come's" fault, but people seem to love using Cap just to have him blow up - he's like the new Red Tornado. No more of that.
-- Bring in an element of crazy silver age super-science stuff so that it's not too serious.
-- Give him a supporting cast of soldiers in his platoon or unit under his command, that he uses sometimes. It would ground him and his adventures, and raise the stakes because while he's invulnerable, his comrades aren't.

Sounds a lot like another Captain. America.
And i mean that as a compliment.

[j9ac9k]

Sounds a lot like another Captain. America.
And i mean that as a compliment.

Yeah, nothing wrong with that basic idea. But I think Capt Atom is more flawed than Capt America - he's not the paradigm of virtue that Rogers is and his powerset brings him into a different arena - different kinds of adventures. Capt America also hasn't worked for the government in a long time. I'm thinking of Capt Atom as more of a lifer and won't be as willing to walk away if he feels his superiors aren't living up to his ideals.

[Riv86672]

Yeah, nothing wrong with that basic idea. But I think Capt Atom is more flawed than Capt America - he's not the paradigm of virtue that Rogers is and his powerset brings him into a different arena - different kinds of adventures. Capt America also hasn't worked for the government in a long time. I'm thinking of Capt Atom as more of a lifer and won't be as willing to walk away if he feels his superiors aren't living up to his ideals.

And that’s a great way on your part to take the same basic premise and make it fresh/something that can’t be done w. the source material. Like Marvel Cap, CA is a Military man, who fought in a decades old war, was part of an experiment, and is now a man out of time and a superhero.
The differences though...CA wasn’t 4F he was a combat pilot. His war was Vietnam, he didn’t volunteer for a chance to be a super soldier he was set to be executed on trumped up charges and took a chance on a risky experiment in hopes of a pardon. And yeah his powerset puts him on a whole other level. SOOOO much to play w. there.

[Sutekh]

It would be neat to see a patriotic team that aren't stooges or caricatures like the Force of July or People's Heroes.

Captain Atom could fit well on such a team, since he's still got military ties/rank, which can lead to some fun internal conflict between following orders and doing what's right (hopefully without filling the government heirarchy with a host of two-dimensional bad-guys or corrupt warmongers or whatever to the point of absurdity). Too much of that begs the question of why every Admiral in Starfleet is a super-villain, yanno?

But it does also seem like he'd have more room to move splintered off into his own little corner of the multiverse, where other Charlton heroes (like Nightshade and Peacemaker), and some new faces, could be the 'big team' and not just one of a half dozen 'not as important as the Justice League' teams cluttering the main DCU.

[SecretWarrior]

I like the idea of a superhuman arms race with countries like North Korea creating giant atomic robots to keep up with the metahuman presence across the world. Captain Atom being tangled up in that sort of thing would be interesting.

Would also love to see him work alongside General Lane, General Eiling, Amanda Waller, Emil Hamilton, and Magog.

[Jon Clark]

I'd make Captain Atom into his 1960's self with some of the 1980's set-up but re-imagined for the 2020's. It sounds more pretentious that I intend- bit that's the one line summary

Nathaniel Adam is a hero. A real hero, not a punching bag or strawman for a writer's problems with governments. And as such he is neither a mindless soldier who blindly follows orders nor a rebel who spends more time fighting his military superiors than his opponents. Captain Atom represents the public side of the same government that has a Suicide Squad, but he wouldn't be aware of that. He's not stupid, so part of the trick to handling this is NOT to have a bunch of interaction with that side of the government.

Atom is sort of a cross between a freelance hero and a military asset. Part of his PR value is the fact Captain Atom isn't a covert operative or officially in the military. Understand, that this isn't true of Nathaniel Adam (or Cameron Scott). The key difference is that if a mission is big and flashy- Captain Atom flies in and deals with it largely the same way Superman or Wonder Woman might, If it is a more covert thing Cameron Scott is (in Nate's own thoughts) a regular guy doing the same sort of job Steve Trevor or James Bind would do. By deliberate intent no one ever seems to send Cameron on the real black ops stuff that Amanda Waller would handle. In fact Cameron would likely be sent to deal with the "rogue operatives" of task Force X, if there was ever a need to whitewash official involvement. And while captain Atom might not buy the cover story as long as he believed he'd truly ended the program he'd keep his mouth shut. he might even look the other way if he saw the greater good of some shady government activities as long as his rep isn't damaged and he wasn't asked to participate in such dealings himself.

I find General Eiling to be a guy I love to hate, so I'd remove him from Captain Atom's chain of command. He'd be a thorn in Adam's side, but at the end of the day part of the loyal opposition. Eiling is the guy who is tied to things like Task Force X and prefers that side of the fence. He might even be right at points. He won't sabotage Atom, but he also won't miss a chance to undercut him.