Captain Atom: Armageddon #9 (August, 2006)

"Listen, Atom. You're a nice guy. Tough, honest, pure of heart. But I'm afraid there's no other solution to this little problem of ours. You have to die. Sorry. No hard feelings."

With that last bit of arrogance and monumental hubris, Jack Hawksmoor turned on the meat grinder. Apollo tried to kill Captain Atom, and instead started the reaction that would end everything. Apollo tried to absorb Atom's rising energy output, and talked just a little bit more crap before being flash fried into a skeleton. Hostile idiot Midnighter reacted as one would expect to the death of his lover, and was swiftly roasted. Hawksmoor had the Doctor rouse
Mr. Majestic, who understandably wanted to kill Hawksmoor. Jenny Quantum returned from Reality 440 to chastise Hawksmoor for his poor leadership and deal with Captain Atom. The preteens's eyes and teeth flew out of her head as she died.

Nikola Hanssen finally (and conveniently) transcended her humanity to become Void, and removed the splinter of her being from Captain Atom to make herself whole again. Captain Atom returned to his familiar silver and red appearance, and was sent back to the DC Universe. However, it was now Void who was set to explode.



"This world... it's gone wrong. Too wrong to continue. And we're to blame. We tried to save it, but we destroyed it instead. We reshaped it into our own twisted image. It's not a sane place to live anymore. Not if you're a normal person, just struggling to get through the day... It's all going to start again. Like it has a million times before.

After the World Storm, the Wildstorm Universe started over again with a page drawn by Jim Lee. He'd draw about twenty-two more story pages for the first and only issue of a "relaunched" Wildcats title, and Gene Ha would manage two issues of a new Authority "series," before this bold new beginning would start unraveling. Seeing as this entire series seemed to drift from fight scene to contradictory story point before petering out halfway through and phoning in a final few issues, the reboot didn't fall far from the initiating event mini-series.

Captain Atom fell back to his Earth, which looked really trashed and post-apocalyptic. As it turned it, it was just a craphole where the closing moments of Infinite Crisis was taking place. That's a set of editorially mandated plot points strung together into a "story" for another time...

"The End" couldn't come soon enough for Will Pfeifer, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Sandra Hope, Jim Lee and Scott Williams.

DCnÜ Year's Wildstormin' Eve

• Demon Knights #2 (December, 2011) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Justice League #1 (October, 2011) @ Justice League Detroit
• DC/WS DreamWar #6 (November, 2008) @ DC Bloodlines

Captain Atom: Armageddon #8 (July, 2006)

"As strange as my line of work may seem, it's a lot like any other job in one way... you tend to end up dating people you meet at the workplace. At least that's what I did. Bette Sans Souci. Called herself 'Plastique.' She was a villain when we met, but she reformed. Happens more often than you'd think... at least on my Earth. We fell in love. Eventually, we got married. In the end, it didn't work out. American military man, Canadian separatist terrorist? Should have seen the split coming. Still hurts, though."

Lacking ties to Earth, Captain Atom volunteered for the suicide mission that blew him into the Wildstorm universe he was now fated to destroy, even as he had found a new love. Ah well, didn't matter, as Apollo and Midnighter had arrived to kill his ass. Apollo took Captain Atom to the sun to die, but Atom once again jacked with someone's atoms and caused Apollo to have a meltdown. Midnighter broke Grifter's arm, then kicked Nikola Hanssen in the ovaries, until a door opened and the roasted Apollo landed on the queen bitch.



Mr. Majestic showed back up at The Authority's ship again to once more argue against killing Captain Atom with Jack Hawksmoor yet another time, only to be belittled and brushed off by the smug prick.

Midnighter recovered enough to nail Grifter in the back with three shuriken, so Grifter talked some more instead of shooting his gun, and got his damn fool head blown off by Apollo's heat vision. Apollo and Midnighter then rushed Captain Atom and forced him through a wormhole door.

"Lessons In Nuclear Physics" was another irrelevant title that took longer to read than the story by Will Pfeifer, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Sandra Hope.

New 52's Day featuring Wildstorm

• Aquaman #3 (January, 2012) @ Justice League Detroit
• The Huntress #2 (January, 2011) @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Stormwatch #3 (January, 2012) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• DC/Wildstorm DreamWar #1-5 (2008) @ DC Bloodlines

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Mark Buckingham

Click To Expand & Enlarge


An outstanding piece with such few, specific, and underappreciated characters, you know Buckingham must have love for Aquaman and the Atom (and maybe their various team-up stories?)

Also, here's an extra by Gordon Purcell featuring a Flash/Superman race covered by Jimmy Olsen (with the Atom on his shoulder!) Most of the super-spectators are teeny, but they include Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Red Tornado, Plastic Man, Green Lantern, Batman, Black Canary, Aquaman, Booster Gold, Doctor Fate, Firestorm and the Manhunter from Mars.



Hero's JLA 100 Project Friday

• JLA by Alex Ross @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Martian Manhunter by Jeff Lemerie @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Zatanna by Chrissy Zullo @ Justice League Detroit

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Atomic acCount for March, 2012

Little Links
The Atom & Hawkman

• Art for Absolute Identity Crisis: BOO-YAH!!
• Awesome Art Picks: Aquaman, Iron Man, Judge Dredd & More

Hawkman & Hawkgirl

• Hawkman in The Brave and the Bold #44, 1962
• Hawkman in "The Invisible thief of Bleakhill Manor!" from Detective Comics #428 (July 1972)
• Read: Hawkman v.2:no.5
• Best Art Ever (This Week) - 12.09.11 featuring Hawkgirl by Bruce Timm
• Read: Hawkman v.3:no.6

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #1
Written by ADAM BEECHEN, DEREK FRIDOLFS and DUSTIN NGUYEN
Art by NORM BREYFOGLE, DUSTIN NGUYEN and DEREK FRIDOLFS
Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
On sale FEBRUARY 29 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
A new era begins with the debut of the oversized, monthly BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED, featuring the print debut of the new Justice League Beyond!
In the Batman Beyond chapter, legendary Batman artist Norm Breyfogle returns to draw the Dark Knight of the future with best-selling writer Adam Beechen. In “10,000 Clowns,” an onslaught of new Jokerz is plaguing Gotham City – and the implications of this chaotic clown menace could have disastrous consequences for Terry McGinnis and Bruce Wayne!
And the debut of the Justice League Beyond is here, courtesy of the BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM art team of Dustin Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs, as the first two digital-first chapters are available in print for the first time! Batman Beyond is a new recruit in the mighty Justice League, but the team will be immediately tested by a very Neo Gotham-related enemy! How will the team work together to combat this threat?

Sorry! I totally missed the debut of Micron's ongoing series last month.

BATMAN BEYOND UNLIMITED #2
Written by ADAM BEECHEN, DEREK FRIDOLFS and DUSTIN NGUYEN
Art by NORM BREYFOGLE, DUSTIN NGUYEN and DEREK FRIDOLFS
Cover by DUSTIN NGUYEN
On sale MARCH 21 • 48 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T
The excitement continues in this oversized title chronicling the adventures in the Beyond Universe and making their print debut here!
One of Batman’s most explosive villains is back! In an effort to regain his status in the criminal underworld, however, he loses the one thing he loves best...and now all of Gotham may pay the price!
The new Justice League Beyond adventure continues, as the League goes in search of AWOL member Micron – who may or may not have gone native while investigating Kobra! A larger, darker secret is about to be revealed...and it could spell doom for Earth!

Hey cool-- Micron's fighting Batman or something.

SHOWCASE PRESENTS: ALL-STAR SQUADRON VOL. 1 TP
Written by ROY THOMAS and GERRY CONWAY
Art by RICH BUCKLER, DICK GIORDANO, JERRY ORDWAY, ADRIAN GONZALES and DON HECK
Cover by JOE KUBERT
On sale APRIL 18 • 528 pg, B&W, $19.99 US
In these stories from JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #193 and ALL-STAR SQUADRON #1-18, the All-Star Squadron has been founded on Earth II by the lost heroes from the JSA to stop Per Degaton from delivering mystic weapons to the Axis powers!

Golden Age Atom Al Pratt in action!

TINY TITANS #50
Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR
On sale MARCH 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED E • FINAL ISSUE

In this awesome 50th issue, questions are answered! Mysteries are solved! The Tiny Titans may be one step closer to becoming Super Heroes! This issue may change your life! Plus, it’s highly recommended by Franco’s mom!

Goodbye, Atom family, who I never really acknowledged because I never bought a second issue.

SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS VOL. 2 HC
Written by GERRY CONWAY and BOB ROZAKIS
Art by MIKE VOSBURG, RICH BUCKLER, DICK DILLIN, ALEX SAVIUK, JOE ORLANDO and others
Cover by RICH BUCKLER
On sale MAY 16 • 208 pg, FC, $24.99 US
Don’t miss this second helping of tales of villainy from SECRET SOCIETY OF SUPER-VILLAINS #11-15, DC SPECIAL #27, DC SPECIAL SERIES #6, SUPER-TEAM FAMILY #13-14, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #166-167 and a story from CANCELLED COMICS CAVALCADE #2.

I bought the first volume based on solicitation copy recycled from an aborted Showcase Presents volume that stated all these issues were to have been included there. Obviously they were not, including the previously unpublished final story. I've got to decide whether I want to punish DC fir screwing me, while punishing myself by not getting a rare story finally completed (?) in full color...

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS #25-26
Written by MARV WOLFMAN
Art by MIKE S. MILLER, HOWARD PORTER and LIVESAY
Cover #25 by MIKE S. MILLER
Cover #26 by HOWARD PORTER and LIVESAY
#25 on sale MARCH 7
#26 on sale MARCH 21 • FINAL ISSUE
32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
Lex Luthor and the remaining super powered heroes on Earth have sprung their trap on Brainiac...and the real war begins! The events in this issue will be talked about for years to come!
The battle that DCUO Legends has been building to for over a year is finally here: Brainiac versus The Man of Steel! But will even Superman be powerful enough to stop this universal evil? And what stunning role will Lex Luthor play in the events? Find out in the stunning series conclusion!

Good Christ it's about time! And I'm not even Christian!

FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. #7
Written by JEFF LEMIRE
Art by ALBERTO PONTICELLI
Cover by J.G. JONES
On sale MARCH 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
The siege on S.H.A.D.E. City comes to a bloody conclusion, and it may mean the end of the Creature Commandos! With the Hub under Humanid control and Nina’s evil monsters staging a coup, S.H.A.D.E. headquarters is in total disarray. But nothing can prepare Frankenstein for the terrible secret that lies beneath it all!

Captain Atom

CAPTAIN ATOM #7
Written by J.T. KRUL
Art by FREDDIE WILLIAMS II
Cover by MIKE CHOI
On sale MARCH 21 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T
This issue’s got all the answers! Why did Nathaniel Adam sign up for Megala’s experiment? How did he become Captain Atom? Do his powers have any limits? And what’s the deal with those numbers? It’s time to explore the past, present, and future of Captain Atom as he tries to stop a catastrophic event even though he’s already too late!

Does it involve Ozymandias?

The Top 10 Atom Covers of the 1980s

The eighties were not a kind ten years to Ray Palmer. He started out the decade as a bland back-up strip in a Superman comic, and ended it with the swift cancellation of a second ongoing series that was so negligible, it didn't feel like it was even a product of its time. In between, his wife cheated on him, he got divorced, he became trapped at six inches, spent years battling creatures in the Amazon, and saw his rebound girlfriend burned alive. On the plus side, Gil Kane returned to the character for a fun genre-bending sword and sorcery mini-series, even if the premise overstayed its welcome through three follow-up specials. As a result, the Atom passed on inclusion in multiple line-ups of the Justice League, his lifeline to fandom throughout the seventies, and sank from the b-list to less notoriety than G'nort. In fact, I don't think the Atom has ever recovered from the mistakes made in this decade, and perhaps never will.

10) Sword of the Atom #4 (December, 1983)

The one fault in Gil Kane's covers is that they are of such consistently high quality, it is difficult to choose between them. That, and they are also of consistent subject matter, and there are only so many variations to be played out. For instance, this is the second SOTA cover featuring Atom riding a frog, the fourth with his swinging a sword at an enemy taking up the majority of the cover, and the second in a row on which he defends Princess Laethwen.The main difference here is a mob of humanoid menaces, but its still better than 17/18ths of Power of the Atom.


9) Power of the Atom #18 (November, 1989)

The most dynamic cover from this series landed on the final issue, and is dependent on stock draws like a prominent central figure, fire, and the threat of violence. There is nothing on this cover to establish scale, so this could be any hero with a sword and be just as effective, if not more so. Can I also take this opportunity to point out how stupid and ugly the alterations to the Atom costume were in this series? I can live without the skullcap, but why switch to trunks after a quarter century of vastly superior and obviously more contemporary pants?


8) Sword of the Atom #3 (November, 1983)

This cover illustrates one of the central problems of the series. If you have a large enough threat, the Atom is either obscured or forced into a dubious perspective. If the threat isn't large enough, it fails to impress. Thanks to the jungle setting, backgrounds tend to be repetitive, and even the large creature menaces fail to be more than a momentary distraction for a Tarzan type. In the event of more intelligent threats, like the tiny alien savages the Atom fought for much of the series, there's little to differentiate the book from any other barbarian story of the time.


7) Secret Origins #29 (August, 1988)

The debut cover to the Power of the Atom series was terrible, and a harbinger of thinks to come. DC wisely opted to use the proud central Atom figure seen here for their advertisement of the book, which ended up being a more memorable campaign than the actual series. Unfortunately, the Atom figure doesn't work as well in this context, seemingly floating in space rather than standing between the shoulders of Martian Manhunter and Batman. Why would they be so close together, anyway? Maybe if the Atom were jumping across multiple shoulders in a hopscotch, it would work better. As it stands, the main figure has no weight and the composition is perplexing.


6) Sword of the Atom #2 (October, 1983)

Rats! On pure technique, I feel that this was the best of Kane's SOTA covers. However, the threat isn't much of one, and the weakness is compounded by the Atom's cowering posture.


5) Sword of the Atom #1 (September, 1983)

The classic SOTA frog-riding image, but it loses points because of the weird looking snake, dull background and unadventurous perspective.


4) Justice League of America #215 (June, 1983)

George Perez is always pleasing to the eye, but the Gulliver angle doesn't work quite as well as it should. This is possibly due to the other heroes lacking prominence because they're too spaced out and overwhelmed by the primary colors of Ray's costume. The eye processes a waist up shot of an angry Atom tearing at cables, rather than a group of normal sized heroes pinning down a giant one.


3) DC Comics Presents #51 (November, 1982)

I've never been an Alex Saviuk fan, and you'll note the absence from this list of his Atom-as-afterthought inclusions at the bottom sixth of early eighties Action Comics covers during the Mighty Mite's run as a back-up. Still, there's something compelling about the World's Smallest Super-Hero swearing vengeance on the gravestone of Superman, the greatest of them all. It's a Samson and Goliath situation where perhaps one of the most unappreciated super-heroes is the best man to succeed at finding justice where others fail.


2) Sword of the Atom Special #1 (1984)

The Tiny Titan looking fierce with his hot jungle princess over his shoulder and a credible threat in the downed thug, who also serves as a proportional grounding. This very nearly sums up the best of the Sword series.


1) Justice League of America #216 (July, 1983)

It was really rough not having a Gil Kane or George Perez cover at the top spot, but Ed Hannigan outdid himself on this one. Great perspective that flips the usual Atom paradigm, along with well drawn figures in dynamic poses. Both a great Atom and JLofA piece, a rare intersection.

Their Top Covers of the 1980s

• Doom Patrol @ DC Bloodlines
• Wonder Woman @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Aquaman @ Justice League Detroit
• Martian Manhunter @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• DC75: Top Character Covers of the Dodranscentennial

2010-2011 The Justice League of America 100 Project charity art by Andy Smith

Click To Expand & Enlarge


Thanks to his scale, there's really no reason why the Atom couldn't appear on pretty much any of these charity JLA covers. He could literally just be a millimeter square stick figure in the upper left hand corner of any drawing and be kosher. While this deference to the Mighty Mite was still uncommon, there were plenty of inclusions, ironic for especially being the case in the more crowded scenes. Even more curious, the Tiny Titan is often fairly prominent, as in this piece where he pretty much has a starring role. The largest and most prominent figure is Wonder Woman, who is staring intently at Ray Palmer's ass, directly below the logo. A scale Atom rarely gets better visibility than that, and that scale meant that he was the only other featured hero shown in his entirety. I'll take a small but dynamic Atom over half a Flash, three-quarters of an Aquaman, or a Martian Manhunter bust! Even the World's Finest due are partial amputees...

Hero's JLA 100 Project Friday

• Vixen & Black Canary by John McCrea @ Justice League Detroit
• Donna Troy by Gene Ha @ Diana Prince is the New Wonder Woman
• Despero by Dean Haspiel @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu

In late 2000, a consortium of comic publishers came up with the idea to create a financial safety net for comic creators, much in the same fashion that exists in almost any other trade from plumbing to pottery. By March of 2001, the federal government approved The Hero Initiative as a publicly supported not-for-profit corporation under section 501 (c) (3).

Since its inception, The Hero Initiative (Formerly known as A.C.T.O.R., A Commitment To Our Roots) has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today.

The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterdays' creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It's a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.


ALL 104 JUSTICE LEAGUE #50 ORIGINALS…NOW ON DISPLAY!

Please enjoy this gallery of ALL 104 original Justice League of America #50 Hero Initiative covers!

Hardcover and softcover versions of a book collecting all the covers will be available in December, 2011. AND all the originals will be auctioned off according to the following schedule:

• December 3, 2011, Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles, CA: Display of all 104 covers and auction of first one-third
• Jan. 20-22, 2012, Tate's Comics, Lauderhill, FL (Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area): Display of remaining covers and auction of second one-third.
• Feb. 17-19, 2012: Orlando MegaCon, Orlando, FL: Display and auction of final one-third.

All covers will be sold via LIVE AUCTION on-site at the venues above. If you cannot attend but wish to bid, proxy bidding is available.
Contact Joe Davidson at: yensid4disney@gmail.com
Deadlines for each grouping are below, and each cover carries a minimum bid of $100.

Special thanks to Firestorm Fan for the notice!

Captain Atom: Armageddon #4-7 (2006)

Captain Atom: Armageddon #4 (March, 2006)

The WildCats were totally pissed off at Captain Atom for no apparent reason, and played Six Degrees of William Shatner "to decide who gets to kick your ass." Maul "won," even though Atom had been repeatedly filmed fighting the Wildstorm Universe's Superman, and easily handled the chump (by manipulating his atoms back to human form, another magical first time power use.)

Grifter and Nikola Hanssen were still hanging out at a burger joint, discussing her new Void powers.

The remaining WildCats talked about triple-teaming Captain Atom, but ended up falling by numbers. Since I stopped reading Wildcats comics in 1998, I was unaware Voodoo had all of Jean Grey's old powers. Get this-- Captain Atom overloaded her telepathy by "giving" her all of his memories at once and overloading her brain. How does that even work? That makes about as much sense as a magnet to a juggalo. Next, we all try to pretend Warblade is more keen than Wolverine with blades can could literally slice atoms. We know this because Warblade stood there and explained how boss he was while Captain Atom was down, before getting hit by a geyser of energy for being slow.



Katana Zealot deflected more of that energy with her katana oh right katana, which could "shave the rough edges off an electron." See, the writer remembered electrons from grade school science, and thought referencing them in a nonsensical context would make him sound mind-bending like Grant Morrison, instead of mind-thwarting like Sarah Palin quotes. The only way I could mock this more is if Captain Atom hadn't actually fought a samurai with an X-Ionizer katana that cut his shell open back in 1987. However, that guy took two issues to deal with, not three credibility-straining pages of Zealot running around in a bathing suit.

Grifter and Nikola Hanssen were held back by security forces at the monument trying to keep people away from the "meta-human trouble." I've been dancing around the DC Comics term "metahuman" for four synopsizes now because I thought Wildstorm called them "suprahuman" or "post-human" or some such. Anyway, Grifter taught Nikola how to teleport them both to the monument, where he drew down on Captain Atom. Supposedly, Grifter had a secret weapon beyond a friggin' gun, but he couldn't seem to fire it before Captain Atom finished debating stepping through wormhole to the moon generated by The Engineer. Would this comic book please just shut up?

"Fight Scene" was drummed up by Will Pfeifer, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Sandra Hope.



Captain Atom: Armageddon #5 (April, 2006)

While still being bitchy enough to come from this interpretation of the Wildstorm universe, The Engineer was still a hell of a lot more pleasant to Captain Atom than most as she escorted him onto The Authority's ship. The DC hero was introduced to Swift, the Doctor, and Jenny Quantum, "as in quantum theory. You know... the idea that replaced atomic theory." Yeah, we know what you're getting at, you precocious little brat, but Captain Atom's power set was replaced by quantum origins before Warren Ellis left college.

Captain Atom and the Engineer were joined by Jack Hawksmoor in a tour of hundreds of alternate dimensions, none the DCU. In one of the many instances of alternate realities where the Nazis won, the Authority members were happy to mow down goose steppers while Captain Atom hung back. Atom wouldn't even kill an aged Hitler in cold blood, making him one of the wussiest super-heroes of his type, so Hawksmoor did the Fuhrer in.



The WildCats were studying Nikola Hanssen when Mr. Majestic showed up to explain that they couldn't kill Captain Atom after all, because it would be like clipping the wrong wire on a ticking time bomb. There was only one "infinitesimal discrepancy" offering "a slight glimmer" of hope, because there always is, and it lay with Hanssen's new Void powers.

The Authority dropped Captain Atom off at a remote snowy mountaintop on Wildstorm Earth until they could figure out how to dispose of him if they couldn't get him home. However, the Engineer soon paid his a visit...

"No Exit" relented on the stupidity usually served by Will Pfeifer, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Sandra Hope.



Captain Atom: Armageddon #6 (May, 2006)

Mr. Majestic showed up at The Authority's ship, and was assured Jack Hawksmoor already had a plan in motion.

Captain Atom finally let loose of some power when The Engineer talked him into killing time dismantling a "bargain-basement Stalin" and his regime. "Back home, it was all about maintaining the status quo. Keeping the ship on course. But what if the status quo needs changing? What if the ship needs to be sunk? I'm not saying I agree with her methods... but they do get results."

Afterward, the Engineer was allowed to send her nanites into Captain Atom and fish out the problem. The Doctor checked to make sure everything was still intact a year in advance, and gave Captain Atom the all clear. Atom started making the sexy time with the Engineer, claiming that he had never had such an intimate relationship with a woman, even if he didn't like her resentful attitude toward saving humans.



Jeremy Stone had continued his studies, and explained to Grifter what a disaster it would be in Captain Atom ever came into close contact with Nikola Hanssen.

Separately visiting the site of the destroyed apartment where the story sort of began, Captain Atom touched Nikola Hanssen, who turned into Void while he collapsed.

"Sometimes, When We Touch..." allowed Will Pfeifer, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Sandra Hope & Trevor Scott to take up maybe five minutes of my time.



Captain Atom: Armageddon #7 (June, 2006)

Nikola Hanssen couldn't handle becoming Void, and started unleashing large amounts of energy. Captain Atom embraced her, calming Void down.

On that snowy mountaintop when they first started dating, The Engineer pouted, while Jack Hawksmoor claimed that a) Captain Atom going kablooey was back on and b) "He's cheating on you." Can I take a moment to point out how contemptibly Hawksmoor and all the Wildstorm characters have been handled. They're nothing but smug, cynical, kill-happy a-holes, per this comic. Also, dumb as rocks, since the Engineer responds to Atom helping Void to chill out by trying to kill him... again. This was even after Captain Atom willed himself a week into the future (not how that usually works) to immediately find Nikola Hanssen (really?) and borrow her newspaper (oldest cliché in the time travel book, and never a deal maker.)

Grifter shot the Engineer with a super-rifle, and rather than killing her ("Wildstorm" must be an anagram for some form of murder,) the Captain rearranged her atoms until she was powerless. The WSU couldn't abide such a peaceful solution though, so Apollo and Midnighter were dispatched to dispatch him.



You know, this is why Wildstorm closed down at the end of last year. First it was an artists' company like the rest of Image, and then they hired British writers and became a contender. Next, the art started to slip, and they couldn't keep the writers, both of which probably had something to do with being purchased and micromanaged by DC. This was the point where there was enough of a vote of no confidence that a reboot of the entire universe was imminent, and the up n' coming writer than never came up was assigned, and the art was... yeah. Americans trying to write like the British can't get the balance right, so all the characters come across as awful people with lousy attitudes you actively root against, like the kids in slasher movies. Just terrible, hateful slogs to read.

"Who Says The World Needs Saving?" expertly combined the stupidity and viciousness of previous issues with the more recent welcome brevity by Will Pfeifer, Giuseppe Camuncoli and Sandra Hope.

Wildstorm & the New 52

• Grifter #1 (November, 2011) @ DC Bloodlines
• Demon Knights #1 (November, 2011) @ The Idol-Head of Diabolu
• Rejected DCnÜ Aquaman design by Jim Lee @ Justice League Detroit
• DCnÜ Wonder Woman design by Jim Lee @ Diana Prince