Captain Atom #2 (April, 1987)

After a few weeks of strategic immersion into the history that had passed him by, Nathaniel Adam was given the new cover identity of Cameron Scott, while "Captain Atom" was bandied about in the media. Batman was dismissive of another new super-hero following the G. Gordon Godfrey crusade, while Superman was ever optimistic. Blue Beetle felt a weird kinship with the new guy, while Firestorm saw competition. "From what I've seen and read about him so far, this chrome-plated 'Captain...' is nobody I couldn't burn atomic circles around any day of the week!"

Adam was letting Cameron Scott roll around in his brain as if it were "James Bond." Military intelligence had given him his first mission-- infiltrating a Quebec secessionist terrorist cell. Scott was initially accepted by the group's leader, a beautiful redhead, but ended up stripped nude and left in a death trap. Adam's sweat would trigger a bomb strapped around his waist, as he'd been informed by a video left by Plastique. Dig how the plot was pure Dr. Evil, but the medium was them newfangled VCRs Adam was just learning about.

Adam managed to turn into Captain Atom before triggering the bomb, and even managed to fly fast enough to grab some secret plans Plastique had left behind to get blowed-up. Très commode! In a twist almost as jarring as when it turns out the SWAT team isn't busting into Jame Gumb's house as Jodie Foster approaches the front door, Cameron Scott isn't surprised when Plastique is undercover as a reporter at a press conference with President Ronald Reagan and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He's not even there. Instead, he had run into his best friend, Sergeant Jeff Goslin, after eighteen years. Goz didn't recognize Adam at first (White hair? Sunglasses? Comic books.) but they were soon hugging in reunion. It was cut short when Captain Atom was needed elsewhere.

Atom finally figured out that the location designated on a map he'd seen related to a suicide bomber's planned position. Atom saved the guy, then tortured him for seven seconds with molecular heat to dope out the next target. It was a granny packing a bomb in the Statue of Liberty. The Captain saved the monument, but not the terrorist. Finally, Captain Atom confronted Plastique at the press conference, who must have been part anime heroine by managing to change into a skimpy costume between panels, but not kill the president or P.M. Captain Atom absorbed her energy blasts, then knocked her out with one punch for the cover of Life. Batman reconsidered his earlier criticisms, while Superman and Blue Beetle were validated. Firestorm? "I was the first one to fight Plastique! If I had been on the case-- she never would've gotten near that press conference! You're still a small-time hero, Captain Atom... and someday Firestorm will be the one to prove it! Maybe someday soon."

"A True American Hero?" was by Cary Bates, Pat Broderick and Bob Smith. The art was much better this time, but still not quite up to Broderick's usual standard. He clearly relished drawing Plastique and her cleavage again, but her appearance was a sticking point. The first super-villain the new Captain Atom fought was a minor Firestorm sparring partner whom he beat in seconds. That's not very respectful of the source, and makes Atom seem like a spin-off besides. Captain Atom's real foe at time was his own gullibility, and he's carried over Firestorm's signature underachievement by taking on generic bad guys he clearly outmatches. Also, his primary characterization remains a lame sense of humor, so the appeal of the new character is all in the visuals.