What ideas would you propose for Nathaniel Adam aka Captain Atom?
What ideas would you propose for Nathaniel Adam aka Captain Atom?
Leader of a super team sponsored by the United States that sometimes comes into conflict with the Justice League, Titans, non-U.S. super teams, and super-led countries/city states; e.g. Kahndaq, Zandia, Bialya, Vlatava, Atlantis, Themyscira, Gorilla City.
Yes, this-- Leading a government sanctioned team like the JLA to oppose the JL.
Backstory-wise, it's essentially Con-Air or a darker version of Captain America.
He's got to be a genuine good guy, but patriotic beyond reason. Would be an excellent foil to an essentially rogue Superman.
Possible Team Mates: Ted Kord, Booster Gold, Maxima, and the Martian Manhunter.
I'm not a Captain Atom fan, and I know this because the only version I enjoyed is the one when he was Dr. Manhattan with humanity. Naturally if I were pitching a direction it would be Dr. ManhAtom. He'd be a lost lonely touring American in space for a nice fish out of water element, forced to slowly build new relationships across the cosmos so he can lead a ragtag militia of mighty aliens against multiversal threats only he believes in. It would start silver surfer-ish, but end up like an Atom centered R.E.B.E.L.S. or Annihilation.
I like the idea, minus the team. The team takes away from Captain Atom imo.
I’ve seen it debated at different sites how Superman doesn’t actually need/carries the JLA he's just that powerful. CA should be the same/built up to be that powerful. His presence in any country a game changer. Him opposite any other team a genuine oh shit moment (for the team). If he’s going to be a foil for Superman (and I like that idea) he needs to be his equal physically as well as in an ideological sense. Also play up that his powers work differently than Superman’s, because they do.
No team doesn’t mean no support though. There’s plenty of Govt agencies and characters that could be brought in to coordinate CA’s activities and mined for drama.
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.
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.
Assassinate Putin!
Since Captain Atom is a quantum-powered being, I would like to see Captain Atom exploring dimensions and realities, making his theme as super sci-fi similar to Blue Marvel and Silver Surfer. Captain Atom is known to work with/for government agencies so maybe he can be in an agency (D.E.O or ARGUS) where he is in a group which specifically deals with protecting Earth from alternate reality and inter-dimensional incursions, also he does some superhero work whether it is from the Justice League as a reserve member or from the government.
While Captain Atom is an ally to the Justice League I would like to see from the Justice League's viewpoint to be a little bit eerily towards him because of his immense power and him being connected to the government. Captain Atom should be seen as 'What if Superman works for the government?'. He should be one of the most powerful beings on the planet, and one of the few people who could go toe-to-toe with Superman and Wonder Woman and potentially win.