Pitch A Direction: Captain Atom

[Agent Z]

-- 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.

For clarity, do you mean this costume?

-- 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.

I agree.

-- 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.

Should he be able to shift between human and Captain Atom form? That might solve the issue of the "cracked shell, gets blown up". He won't just be living energy in a containment suit.

[Riv86672]

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.

That'd be a great storyline.

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

Gen. Lane would be great, and create another layer of Superman intrigue.
Waller trying and failing to ingratiate herself w. CA is almost a given.
Eiling is CA’s Red Skull, so I’d def. love to see him show up.
Emil Hamilton? Definitely!
Magog is a good one. I’d love a story where the two characters end up in the (earth 22? 96?) Kingdom Come reality. Their CA was after all, the guy who was killed and destroyed most of Kansas.

[PCN24454]

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.

That's not a bad idea, but I'd still have Eiling be a villain. It's just annoying when his character archetype is overused.

[j9ac9k]

For clarity, do you mean this costume?

Oops - you got me. I shouldn't have been lazy and just grabbed an image. I meant this one:
171541_s0.jpg

[Riv86672]

Oops - you got me. I shouldn't have been lazy and just grabbed an image. I meant this one:
171541_s0.jpg

^^^That’s my favorite design for CA, too.

Still, he’s had his fair share of different looks, and I love when writers (like Waid, Busiek, Johns) can tie stuff like that together into a cool story.

[K. Jones]

The circular nature of Captain Atom ostensibly becoming an in-continuity Doctor Manhattan appeals to me ... but within that appeal I frankly just want, because of his origins as a space adventure flying powerhouse for Charlton, that to be the nature of the Earth-4 Captain Atom - that world's Superman - but NOT the prime continuity DC Captain Atom.

No, I want our main guy to be something different. Something different from Manhattan, something different from the plethora of nuclear powered characters like Firestorm, or Firestorm, or the other Firestorm, or Firestorm ... or the twenty-six Nuclear Villains that Superman constantly faces ... or Major Force, his own plaid out cheesy knock-off ... or other Ace Pilots who now have energy powers like Hal Jordan or Negative Man.

I'd depower him to the point of being street level like the other Charlton characters. The nature of that depowering could be a fine McGuffin for a Private Eye / Shadow Conspiracy comic storyline. Let somebody else be the "NOT SUPERMAN" guy that shows up in various comic books to challenge bad guys but gets punched or Worfed or blown up so that Superman can save the day later. Well, "DEPOWER" has this implication. I mean I'd leave the time jumping / dimension hopping / reality rewriting Doctor Manhattan level stuff out. The GOD stuff.

His origin from the very beginning included the power to reform, though ... and the shiny metal skin was to keep people from being irradiated. So I'd key in on the notion that his super-power is actually to DRAIN nuclear energy, making him the perfect agent to call to clean up after all these NUCLEAR VILLAINS run amok. This could even explain a function of the DCU where there's all these atomic-powered things happening but the entire world isn't a nuclear wasteland. Captain Atom comes in and absorbs the radiation. Of course it probably has a psychological effect on him, but it plays up that "B-List" status as second-tier because that's literally his job ... and while Superman stopping Nuclear Man or Reactron or Metallo is important ... somebody cleaning up all the radioactive fallout is JUST as important ... but less showy. But his job would of course also involve investigating and detecting these kinds of radiations and emanations, giving him more of that government gig, maybe as an agent of whichever agency is top dog at handling these things at the moment. A Checkmate or more likely the D.E.O.

Then on top of that I'd make it so that he's an isolated guy because he can't touch or interact with anyone, so I'd make Captain Atom into DC's Rogue ... and then I'd immediately make Nightshade into DC's Gambit.

[Lightning Rider]

The circular nature of Captain Atom ostensibly becoming an in-continuity Doctor Manhattan appeals to me ... but within that appeal I frankly just want, because of his origins as a space adventure flying powerhouse for Charlton, that to be the nature of the Earth-4 Captain Atom - that world's Superman - but NOT the prime continuity DC Captain Atom.

No, I want our main guy to be something different. Something different from Manhattan, something different from the plethora of nuclear powered characters like Firestorm, or Firestorm, or the other Firestorm, or Firestorm ... or the twenty-six Nuclear Villains that Superman constantly faces ... or Major Force, his own plaid out cheesy knock-off ... or other Ace Pilots who now have energy powers like Hal Jordan or Negative Man.

I'd depower him to the point of being street level like the other Charlton characters. The nature of that depowering could be a fine McGuffin for a Private Eye / Shadow Conspiracy comic storyline. Let somebody else be the "NOT SUPERMAN" guy that shows up in various comic books to challenge bad guys but gets punched or Worfed or blown up so that Superman can save the day later. Well, "DEPOWER" has this implication. I mean I'd leave the time jumping / dimension hopping / reality rewriting Doctor Manhattan level stuff out. The GOD stuff.

His origin from the very beginning included the power to reform, though ... and the shiny metal skin was to keep people from being irradiated. So I'd key in on the notion that his super-power is actually to DRAIN nuclear energy, making him the perfect agent to call to clean up after all these NUCLEAR VILLAINS run amok. This could even explain a function of the DCU where there's all these atomic-powered things happening but the entire world isn't a nuclear wasteland. Captain Atom comes in and absorbs the radiation. Of course it probably has a psychological effect on him, but it plays up that "B-List" status as second-tier because that's literally his job ... and while Superman stopping Nuclear Man or Reactron or Metallo is important ... somebody cleaning up all the radioactive fallout is JUST as important ... but less showy. But his job would of course also involve investigating and detecting these kinds of radiations and emanations, giving him more of that government gig, maybe as an agent of whichever agency is top dog at handling these things at the moment. A Checkmate or more likely the D.E.O.

Then on top of that I'd make it so that he's an isolated guy because he can't touch or interact with anyone, so I'd make Captain Atom into DC's Rogue ... and then I'd immediately make Nightshade into DC's Gambit.

I like this angle. It shows a different unglamorous side of super-heroing, gives him some pathos, but still reinforces his core nature as a government soldier and nuclear powerhouse.

I don't mind him as the guy that leads a team to keep the JLA in check either, but I feel that could pigeonhole him.

[achilles]

Just go unabashedly Silver Age, in optimism as well as the funk. Give him his friends in the Giffen Leagues from time to time, and just let him be fun. Doesn't have to be funny as in said Giffen Leagues, at least not all the time, but certainly optimistic and fun.

[Riv86672]

Re-reading this thread, I’m really surprised at how many ppl seem to like CA.
A lot of these pitches overlap, and or could could easily integrate major aspects to produce one heck of a good book imo.

Speaking of, who would anyone want to see on art chores for a CA book. I mean, I’m a Broderick guy, but i know there’s a whole lot of artists out there who could do great things w. CA.

[A Small Talent For War]

Re-reading this thread, I’m really surprised at how many ppl seem to like CA.
A lot of these pitches overlap, and or could could easily integrate major aspects to produce one heck of a good book imo.

Speaking of, who would anyone want to see on art chores for a CA book. I mean, I’m a Broderick guy, but i know there’s a whole lot of artists out there who could do great things w. CA.

Captain Atom is an interesting character and probably the best example of the nuclear heroes coming out of the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis. I liked his original run and then his DC run as well. Major Force was a good addition to the title when it rebooted just after Crisis.

Another less iconic but still interesting hero - and the one much more like Dr. Manhattan - is Dr. Solar from Gold Key comics and later Valiant. He is the idea of what would have happened if Bruce Banner turned into Captain Atom instead of the Hulk after the Gamma Bomb accident. The Valiant mini-series by Jim Shooter and Barry Windsor-Smith would have made a nice superhero film.

I think a reboot of Captain Atom - as long as he didn't have to fit into an ongoing continuity - would need something like an arms race and the threat of nuclear war to really bring out the potential. Some people have touched on that and the idea that a superhuman arms race is in progress is a good one- but I think it deserves its own book... and that book was called SUPERGOD by Warren Ellis and Garrie Gastonny. Though a few decades ago, Rick Vietch put out the terrific mini-series THE ONE with almost the same idea but much weirder.

Even though nuclear armageddon is not at all top of mind in the culture today - despite the fact that it really is just as likely, or unlikely, as it ever has been even back when there was a Soviet Union - that would mean either set the origin in the 60's or in the near future when war is likely between nuclear powers. I also think is should not be an accident - not only is the idea that radiation gives people superpowers instead of disease kinda old but it is also kinda boring. Unless you use it in a story where there is a nuclear war and all the survivors suddenly have superpowers.

Instead, I like that his powers may appear accidental, but are part of a program. The powers-that-be are engaged in a program to create a new kind of human that can survive and continue to fight even if the world as we know it is destroyed - and they aren't the only players in the game. Each one is sure that there will be war and 99% of the human race will be destroyed. Their goal isn't to save the world, but to be in charge of the 1% who survive, and they have created their own teams of monsters to play for their sides.

However, the twist is that their perfect new Adam still believes the world can be saved and now they've given him the power to do just that.

[Zero Hunter]

I would make sure to get rid of the "if you puncture him he explodes" troupe first of all. He is not just energy in a containment suit. I would also give him back the ability to transform back to human so he is not always silver. I would definitely go with the 80's look. I would also bring back General Wade Eiling with his mind in the body of the Shaggy Man too.

[Riv86672]

I think a reboot of Captain Atom - as long as he didn't have to fit into an ongoing continuity - would need something like an arms race and the threat of nuclear war to really bring out the potential. Some people have touched on that and the idea that a superhuman arms race is in progress is a good one- but I think it deserves its own book... and that book was called SUPERGOD by Warren Ellis and Garrie Gastonny. Though a few decades ago, Rick Vietch put out the terrific mini-series THE ONE with almost the same idea but much weirder.

Even though nuclear armageddon is not at all top of mind in the culture today - despite the fact that it really is just as likely, or unlikely, as it ever has been even back when there was a Soviet Union - that would mean either set the origin in the 60's or in the near future when war is likely between nuclear powers. I also think is should not be an accident - not only is the idea that radiation gives people superpowers instead of disease kinda old but it is also kinda boring. Unless you use it in a story where there is a nuclear war and all the survivors suddenly have superpowers.

^^^I'm going to check out those books, ty!

I would make sure to get rid of the "if you puncture him he explodes" troupe first of all. He is not just energy in a containment suit. I would also give him back the ability to transform back to human so he is not always silver. I would definitely go with the 80's look. I would also bring back General Wade Eiling with his mind in the body of the Shaggy Man too.

^^^Someone posted earlier how he would be punctured and nothing would happen; i think thats a great idea and could really be played for one of those fun moments ppl remember from a book.
I myself am an Eiling as CA's Red Skull guy, so i agree w. that, too.

[Agent Z]

Would anyone be interested in his relationship with Plastique being brought back?

[SJNeal]

I'm one of the few that actually like the New 52 version. Sure, it came across as Doctor Manhattan-lite on the surface, but I think there was so much unmined potential there as well!

His antagonistic relationship with Wonder Woman in the 90's was also fun, even if it went a bit overboard at times. Their dueling ideologies made for interesting conflict, though it wasn't always handled in the best way possible (i.e. he was a full fledged ********* at times).

[Agent Z]

I'm one of the few that actually like the New 52 version. Sure, it came across as Doctor Manhattan-lite on the surface, but I think there was so much unmined potential there as well!

His antagonistic relationship with Wonder Woman in the 90's was also fun, even if it went a bit overboard at times. Their dueling ideologies made for interesting conflict, though it wasn't always handled in the best way possible (i.e. he was a full fledged ********* at times).

What did they clash over? Apparently, they met in the Perez WW run and got along fine.

What was the potential in the New 52 version?