Titans: Villains For Hire Special #1 (July, 2010)

Ivy Town, Massachusetts. Patriot Park. Inspired by the catastrophic reforestation of Star City in Brightest Day, the Floronic Man had decided to try making his old stomping grounds live up to its namesake. "A real Ivy Town-- and I am its messiah."

"I'm an atheist, Woodrue."

Ryan Choi had a long term, long distance relationship with the famed scientist Ray Palmer, better known as the Atom (or so he thought.) This led the Hong Kong native to assume the role of World's Smallest Super-Hero when Palmer abandoned this world for a time. Now, both Atoms were active, but only Ryan was present to flash fry the Floronic Man with the aid of a ruptured gas line and a butane lighter. Clearly, Choi didn't shy away from violent resolutions any more than his mentor, though Ryan had a sarcastic and self-deprecating humor Ray lacked.

"Another school night, another psycho. All in a day's work for ivy league physics professor Ryan Choi. But the worst psycho of the bunch is still free. Dwarfstar. And I've got to find him before more bodies turn up. Some hero I turned out to be. I failed to save my best friend, Panda Potter. His death was my fault. Then I fell in love with Panda's girlfriend, Amanda. Talk about a betrayal of trust. Then there's my greatest challenge: living up to the legacy of Ray Palmer. The plan was to make a difference. Just like Ray did. I've got a lot of work to do, Ray."

Returning home, the All-New Atom was greeted by the business end of Deathstroke the Terminator's assault shotgun. "Sorry, kid. It's not personal. It's business."

Both men shrank thereafter, Ryan literally, and Slade Wilson into his wooden chair. The mercenary assassin was not alone, and the Atom would be a test subject for the newly villainous Titans team.



First on target was the ridiculously endowed Cheshire, who had gone "soft" following the death of her daughter amidst the destruction in Star City. Faced with the prospect of dying from her sorrow-induced carelessness in a dangerous line of work, Cheshire accepted Wilson's proposal to join his merc team. None of this helped the solid martial artist with poisonous claws to make contact with a shrinking super-hero, but he landed a nice love tap in their skirmish.

The Atom summoned his flying baton, but he was thrown off when it was caught by the Tattooed Man. Ryan tried to bring out the good side of the anti-hero, but since the murder of his son by Slipknot, it was no longer evident. Deathstroke played on "Ink's" need for revenge to bring him onto the team, and a double team against the Atom finally saw Cheshire strike with her claws.

Meanwhile, Amanda was worried about Ryan, whom she hadn't seen all day. Her mother wished Amanda would date someone normal, but lost the argument over taking care of her grandson Ichiro while Amanda went to check on her beau.

Deathstroke used microsonics to flush out a shrunken Atom, who sprang up unannounced to land blows on his foes. However, he was almost singed by a new plater, the flaming Cinder. In fact, Carla Moetti had just finished incinerating a pedophilic power player while they were engaged in intercourse in Rome when she made Deathstroke's acquaintance. Wilson offered Cinder access to more corrupt "untouchables" in exchange for her participation on his team, which included melting Ryan Choi's baton (not metaphorically, like that other guy.) Not an experienced team player, Cinder accidentally lobbed molten balls from the tips of Ryan's baton (still, no) at Cheshire, while the Atom snuck up the assassin's nose to deliver such a headache.

A knock on the door saw Deathstroke order his force to stand down. "Your move, hero."
"I don't get it."
"I told you. It's just business."



The Atom blew enough smoke up Amanda's butt to send her back home with the promise of full disclosure over mimosas the next day. Ryan thanked Deathstroke for his considerate gesture, but was made aware that the Terminator fully intended to follow through on his name. Choi fell through the wooden floor of his home into the basement, where he was confronted by Osiris. The younger brother of Isis and in-law of Black Adam had worked in vain to release his kin from a curse that left them statues. Osiris had been refused help by the Justice League, Teen Titans and Captain Marvel, leaving him easy prey to the promises of Slade Wilson.

The entire "Titans" group set upon the Atom, unto Choi was briefly able to shrink Deathstroke and himself to a microscopic degree. "Round two, @#$%!" Or, not so much. "Think about it, kid. I fought Ray Palmer, which means... I know moves you haven't even thought of. You never had a chance." Wilson beat Choi until both combatants were restored to their normal heights, then prepared his killing blow. "I'm impressed. You seem like the kind who'd beg." Bloodied and broken, a gloves hand clutching him by the throat, Ryan Choi cursed Wilson one last time. Then, the Terminator buried a sword in the All-New Atom's abdomen. Blood dripping from his mouth and seeping into his costume, Ryan Choi's final thought was of "Amanda."

The next morning, Slade Wilson met Sylbert Rundine in Patriot Park. The All-New Atom's primary foe, Dwarfstar, had paid for the hit. The Terminator presented Rundine with a matchbox containing Ryan Choi's corpse. Deathstroke was set to meet his new Titans in twelve hours, to discuss their poor performance, and their future...



"The Best Laid Plans" was written by Eric Wallace. All of the present day pages were drawn by Mike Mayhew. Aside from the Cheshire cheesecake and some occasional stiff photo referencing, these pages looked great. Each villain was given their own splash page, the team got a two page spread, and the same spectacle was afforded Choi's murder. Ryan's death sequence and the gut punch that was the reveal of his resting place were horrifyingly effective. Fabrizio Fiorentino, Sergio Ariño and Walden Wong provided the flashback sequences to the team's formation, and aside from their clarity seeming better suited for the present than Mayhew's washed out colored pencil look, the variance in art style served the story.

I'm only just becoming familiar with Ryan Choi after his death, but I found his characterization consistent, and due respect was paid to his prior adventures. Obviously, the tone and storytelling technique was completely different here than in The All-New Atom, but Choi is the ill-fated guest, not the star. I personally enjoyed this issue for what it was, and while I'm sure Choi's fans would have preferred him left alive, or to have perished in a more glorious fashion, I believe he acquitted himself well as a hero. I'm not opposed to dark stories where appropriate, and though it seems a waste not to move Choi into a new heroic identity rather than kill him outright, a Titans book is the right vehicle for this type of sensationalism.

The Top Ten Chronos Covers

Chronos is among the worst dressed super-villains in comic book history, and attempts to make him more fashionable have tended to fail miserably. Still, the guy is the closest thing the Atom has ever had to an arch-villain, so prepare your eyes for motion sickness at the sight of those leggings and color combinations.

10) Legends of the DC Universe #40 (May, 2001)

Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting yourself? Why are you hitting...

9) Chronos #6 (August, 1998)

I know they're shooting for somber, but it still looks like the anti-heroic Walker Gabriel is mourning his favorite luchador, El Timexico.

8) Super Friends #22 (July, 1979)

Laying the Time-Net on the Man of Steel! Impressive!

7) Blue Beetle #10 (March, 1987)

Fist-fighting with an acrobatic pugilist is stupid, but evoking Dali makes up for it.

6) The Atom #3 (November, 1962)

Chronos debuts with a clever cover, but he's just a watch-themed crook at this point.

5) The All New Atom #24 (August, 2008)

Lady Chronos has a fistful of Choi!

4) Justice League Adventures #6 (June, 2002)

You’re face to face with the man who sold the League. A get-up like that fares so much better in animation.

3) World's Finest Comics #321 (November, 1985)

Menacing Superman and Batman together in one of the final issues of their legendary team-up book is impressive. Pulling off such a feat in those tights is phenomenal.

2) The Atom #28 (January, 1967)

Has Chronos ever been so maniacal? This cover was swiped for an issue of Power of the Atom linked below, but both characters are in their then-current crappy costumes.

1) The Atom #13 (July, 1964)

Chronos seems extra creepy with that earlier model mask, plus his using a timepiece as a weapon recalls his original conception.

Honorable Mentions:
DC Universe Special: Justice League of America #1
Legion of Super-Heroes #75
Legionnaires #32
Power of the Atom #6
Silver Age: Challengers Of The Unknown #1
Team Titans #14
Wonder Woman #220

The Top 5 Damage Covers

I followed Grant Emerson's solo series for nearly a year, so I have some misguided nostalgia for this asinine character. The son of Al Pratt, whose genes were toyed with by Vandal Savage, and also made ties with the Young All-Stars/All-Star Squadron.

5) Damage #12 (April, 1995)
Not as cool as the Ray photo cover, and that guy is clearly not in his mid-teens, but still neat.

4) Justice League Task Force #25 (July, 1995)
A nuke powered hero coming out of a nuclear sign with his nemesis Vandal Savage worked into a slot for good measure... and this was just a friggin' guest shot.

3) The Titans #18 (August, 2000)
Stepdaddy dealt you the bad touch, Grant. Just cry it out.

By the way, I'm reading a Ryan Choi Atom trade paperback for familiarization and future posting, but the recent DC death that really bothers me is Lian Harper. That poor sweet kid should have been untouchable, and Arsenal will always be a lesser character for her passing.

2) Damage #5 (August, 1994)
A good view at Damage's original costume, plus his primary supporting cast and foe from the first year.

1) Justice Society of America #6 (July, 2007)
What is the deal with Damage getting so many interesting costume designs? They all wore him, y'know?

The Top 5 Atom Smasher Covers

Due to being in a medium profile super team buoyed by great artists (Ordway, Bair, McFarlane,) Albert Julian Rothstein (Al Pratt's godson) has some fairly nice cover appearances for a confirmed D-list hanger-on. I never really liked the guy, being one of two Mohawk sporting non-punks in Infinity Incorporated, the boy band of metahuman groups. Still, Al was a good-natured kid, so I can't quite hate him, either.

Honorable Mentions: All-Star Squadron #25, Infinity, Inc. #48 and Justice League America #0.

5) JSA #2 (September, 1999)


Hulking muscle, soon to carry such shame he had to mask it materially. This foreshadows Atom Smasher's role for the duration of JSA

4) Infinity, Inc. #20 (November, 1985)


Al holding a wounded body in the midst of a crossover crisis. This is what Al did, and what Al continues to do.

3) Infinity, Inc. #1 (March, 1984)


The memorable team shot from their debut issue, Nuklon serving the role of Colossus as "team strongman whose appeal is initially way overestimated."

2) JSA #58 (May, 2004)


Howling angrily into the air. That's Al's characterization of the past decade in a nutshell right there.

1) JSA #12 (July, 2000)

Nothing like punching Kobra troops in their entire bodies to sell how big this guy gets, eh?

Check out more spotlight countdowns of great art from the past 75 years of DC Comics Covers at DC75: Top Character Covers of the Dodranscentennial

DC Comics 75th Anniversary Golden Age Atom Variant Cover Suggestions

Last year, Brian Cronin at CBR's Comics Should Be Good came up with his list of The Most Iconic Covers for thirty different characters. Some I felt were stronger than others, and took enough exception to his list for the Martian Manhunter that I compiled an extension. Meanwhile, DC is revving up for a year's worth of 75th Anniversary variant covers, which I commented on at length at my new Wonder Woman blog. However, it wasn't until Anj at Supergirl Comic Box Commentary offered his choices for a potential Supergirl 75th Anniversary Variant Cover that it occurred to me I'd like to throw my hat into the ring in a fairly big way. Over the course of this week, I'll try to offer cover suggestions for the various characters I cover on my blogs.

Here at the Atom blog, I've got three bearers of the name I plan to cover. Al Pratt was the first, and he's reasonably well regarded today thanks to his role as a member of the Justice Society of America, but he's never been a headliner. Pratt was just another feature in the '40s, vanished throughout the '50s, and only popped up sporadically until the '80s before dying midway through the '90s. These selections are the result of his marginalization...

Dishonorable Mention: All-Star Comics #28 (April, 1946)


Al Pratt is the closest figure in a group shot on a period cover. This is the sad state of the "iconic" Golden Age Atom image.

10)Secret Origins #25 (April, 1988)


"This is the Atom, who had little man's disease. That was his motivation and his sole 'power.' Remember that the next time you mock Arms-Fall-Off Boy or Matter-Eater Lad."


9) All-Star Comics #54 (August, 1950)


Big points here to Pratt for getting cover featured after most super-heroes had bitten the dust, and balancing bigger stars on his arms to boot! Big demerits for getting upstaged by a circus elephant and clowns.

8) Infinity, Inc. #8 (November, 1984)


Those of you upset by the recent death of Ryan Choi would do well to remember that strife amongst the very tenuous Atom family is one of its defining characteristics. For instance, here's Pratt trying to bash in the brains of his godson, Albert Rothstein, then known as Nuklon. Don't get used to Pratt being on the dealing end of such in-family confrontations.

7) All-Star Squadron #21 (May, 1983)


For instance, here's Al getting his unusually well drawn ass handed to him by Cyclotron, from whom Pratt would later swipe a costume and powers.

6) JSA #71 (May, 2005)


See, it's a lot more impressive when a Cyclotron-styled Atom pounds a size-increasing Al "Atom Smasher" Rothstein, but still, are you really all that excited?

5) The Atom #29 (March, 1967)


Ray Palmer makes the scene, as his very body, diminutive though it may be, is used to bludgeon Al Pratt. Worse, it was C-list Silver Age villain the Thinker doing the beating. This was the kind of moment instant replays were made for. At least Pratt had sense enough to immediately hang his head in shame.

4) Adventure Comics #1 (May, 1999)


This was the single best Pratt-starring cover I could find, but a forgotten fifth week event does not "iconic" make.

3) All-Star Squadron #1 (September, 1981)


These final three covers are the only 75th anniversary suggestions that are not only serious, but mighty damned likely to see print. Brad Meltzer wasted half his time on the Justice League of America having the DC Trinity conveying what Al, Dr. Mid-Nite and Hawkman got through in this singular striking image. This is so a JSA All Stars variant in the waiting.

2) The Atom #36 (May, 1968)


Images like this really reveal the idiocy of Ray Palmer haters. How can you call the Silver Age Atom boring when, while his contemporaries were having charity foot races with their predecessors and generally fawning over the Golden Age/Earth-2 crowd, Ray was making Al his bitch on this cover. Further, this isn't one of those '70s Marvel bait-and-switch jobs where a dynamic Gil Kane cover masks hack interiors, but the man himself continuing his fantastic three year run on the title! The reason I don't mind Ryan Choi dying at Deathstroke's hands is because it was only a matter of time before Ray beaten the hell out of the poor kid for trademark infringement. Ray Palmer will straight up cut a bitch, yo.

1) All-Star Comics #3 (November, 1940)


This is a lock, considering it's not just the most recognizable Al Pratt image, but among the most famous and oft-imitated in comic book history!

Tomorrow, we'll look at the sons of Al Pratt...

Check out more spotlight countdowns of great art from the past 75 years of DC Comics Covers at DC75: Top Character Covers of the Dodranscentennial

2010 Justice Society of America #41 variant cover by George Pérez

Click To Enlarge


What we have here is a metaphor, at least as this post relates to this blog. I haven't been the greatest Atom blogger, especially in light of my focusing on the Ray Palmer incarnation to the exclusion of all others. In fact, that's part of the reason I wanted to redefine Power of the Atom as a separate entity from the more inclusive Tiny Titan. See, Damian was working off the daily format, so he had plenty of time and space to work in other Atoms and pals, but if I'm only knocking out a few posts a week, I'm rolling with Ray. Still, I do have plans to broaden this blog, and just as George Pérez brought Golden Age Atom Al Pratt further into the spotlight than in Frank Harry's original 1943 cover to All-Star Comics #16, I'll make more of an effort to work in a similar vein.

Silver Age Gold

I'm still huffing and puffing to get back up to speed on all my blogging, and I apologize for that. I've also been less than considerate of Ryan Choi fans, and have decided to begin covering more of his stories in the coming weeks, if only to better educate myself about the character. None of this will happen today.

Instead, I'll take advantage of a link from The Aquaman Shrine that offered a blurb about Silver Age Gold's Not-So-Secret Origins of the JLA Week. Amongst the lot is the origin story of the very white, but at least (lapsed retconned) Jewish Ray Palmer.

Now, I personally refuse to scan whole stories of copyrighted material and offer them publicly, but I'm perfectly willing to link to those who do. Besides, with the dismissive attitude toward Palmer from the blogosphere of late, I think some of these sons of bitches (Jean?) could use a shot of Vitamin K(ane) in the form of "Birth of the Atom"! You know, from 1961's Showcase #34, as opposed to "Hong Kong Scientist Handed Another Dude's Identity" from four years ago.