Crisis On Earth-Blog: The DC Challenge

Welcome to The Atom's "The Tiny Titan" blog, launched on Monday, November 19, 2007 by the actor Damian Maffei. While stabs were taken at covering the Golden Age Atom Al Pratt, Red Tornado and other heroes, the blog was really concerned with the stories and merchandise produced for shrinking super-hero Ray Palmer, his successor Ryan Choi, and their avian buddy Hawkman. I discussed here how that blog went on a two year hiatus, before I asked its creator if I could resurrect it as part of a blog crossover event, Crisis On Earth-Blog: The DC Challenge

"The DC Challenge" was a rambling mid-80s mini-series where different creative teams would craft a chapter in a twelve part story, each ladling on plot complications with few bothering to resolve anything. I thought that sort of contrivance could also apply well to blogging, which makes me kind of an idiot, because that stinkin' thinkin' set me up as the guy trying to negotiate all these shenanigans. You see, there's a group of bloggers who throw together comic book style "events" to connect one another's wares, and I decided this tomfoolery would be my contribution to the irregular shindig.

Not being completely mental, my original notion was to just have everyone come up with some kind of puzzle or quiz for their readers, with answers linking to other blogs. That never came together, and after a couple months and much gnashing of teeth, the result is a jumble of interactive fan fiction bouncing between authors, characters and blogs, interspersed with random leftover puzzles and other such trivial pursuits. If you stick with it long enough, you'll find some sort of resolution, and maybe some nice scans.

The Atom seemed to me the perfect character to launch my story stream, with a direct connection to the DC Challenge mini-series as a major plot device. I'll be writing a bunch of other heroes and streams, usually with an introduction to the characters for new readers. However, since I just covered an article about Atom comics from 1961-1989, plus Damian posted The Atom: Who's Who Entry from years ago, let's just get started...

The year is 1982. Ray Palmer is a happily married scientist, working on projects in his Ivy Town laboratory, when not stepping out occasionally with the Justice League of America as the Atom. Today though, Palmer is busy studying a piece of unbelievably sophisticated machinery sent to him by an anonymous party. Almost magical in nature, the 3" X 4" brick is capable of opening access to the Plane of Holes, a dimension of connective tissue between a seemingly limitless number of wormholes extending to various points in space and time. However, the longer the device is active, the more directly the "holes" integrate into our reality, contaminating all related points in space-time. Also, the device only offers access to the holes, not a means of determining where they led.

That's where Ray's own brilliance came in. Partially disassembling the "warp-box," Palmer extracted some seemingly non-essentially elements and married them to other super-sophisticated technology he'd encountered in his super hero adventures. This allowed him to form a sort of "key," which would help guide passage through the wormholes and quickly re- & de- activate access. That way, an explorer could reasonably guide their self and minimize damage to the space-time continuum while doing so.

Of course, the liability associated with the very existence of such a devise is staggering to consider. This would explain the extraordinarily elaborate security system put in place around Palmer's lab when he began work on this project. This would also explain the sickening lurch in Ray's stomach when the claxon alerted him to the presence of a fast approaching super-human intruder.

Ray had to think fast. The warp-box couldn't fall into villainous hands, but there was no time and, most likely, no earthly means of destroying the devise. It could not be shrunk by the process through which the Atom was conceived, and there was no way Ray could escape on foot from whatever could surmount his security measures. Ray thought he could perhaps turn over the devise while secreting the "key," which he could then use to track the warp-box, and insure some complication in its immediate use.

There were three problems with this notion. The first was Ray's considering the amount of damage even limited use of the warp-box could have, the so-called butterfly effect ravaging history and even reality as we knew it. The second was the unreasonable assumption Ray would be left alive to do anything with the key. The third and most immediate was that, impossibly, the "key" was nowhere to be found.

What should Ray Palmer do next?

• Use the warp-box to escape?
• Stay and search for "the key?"

For More Challenges, visit these fine blogs!

The Anti-DiDio League
The Continuity Blog
The Aquaman Shrine
The Atom: Tiny Titan
Being Carter Hall
Comics Make Me Happy
Crimson Lightning
Dispatches from the Arrow Cave
El Jacone's Comic Book Bunker
Firestorm Fan
Girls Gone Geek
I Am The Phantom Stranger
The Idol-Head of Diabolu
Justice League Detroit
...nurgh...
Once Upon a Geek
Pretty, Fizzy Paradise
random picture day
Reilly2040's Blog
Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Toyriffic
when is evil cool?

The Atom in "Decisions, Decisions!"

The year is 1960. Physicist Ray Palmer has come to regret taking on development work for Heywood Defense Industries. Palmer had been working from the plans of a scientist out of Gotham City named Hugo to create a device to control the minds of synthetic troops Heywood had developed. Hugo had taken seemingly mad leaps in logic with his designs, which was part of why Heywood had dismissed him, and now put pressure on Palmer to make up for the lost time. As Palmer toiled in his Detroit lab, the building was surrounded by F.B.I. agents and uniformed police officers, demanding anyone inside surrender themselves. Though Palmer had questioned the ethics of his assignment, he was supposed to be working on a government authorized project, and had no desire to find himself in jail because someone had misled him. While Palmer debated his impulses to run, hide, fight or negotiate, a phone call came through to his office. Startled, Palmer bumped his head on a counter before answering. It was Heywood, demanding Palmer release the synthetic troops to fight off the authorities. Heywood seemed a bit mad himself, and Ray wasn't the kind of man inclined to let himself get fooled twice.

What should Ray Palmer do?

Surrender himself to authorities?
Release the synthetic men?

"The Mighty Mite Returns... Again... and Again... and Again"

I'd feel bad about the gaps between posts here, but I'm my own only follower right now, so I figure I'm sharing the construction of an actually blog with nobody. It ain't built yet, so nobody's came. Anyway, inspired by the Amazing Heroes #162 article "The Tiny Titan Returns... Again," I gave a history of Ray Palmer from the 1960s-80s. Since I'm not quite ready to properly relaunch this blog, and I wanted to get a full history to date up, hypothetical ya'all's gotta wait.

Ray Palmer's second ongoing series, Power of the Atom got canceled at #18 in 1989, and our little guy had no place to go. An Atom named Adam Cray had been enlisted to help Palmer bust the Micro-Squad, and joined the Suicide Squad, where he died. Ray got a one-shot special, and flirted with rejoining the Justice League, but even with Superman on board that team was still a mess. Dan Jurgens had taken over the League and was still trying to write them halfway funny, and failing that, brought the Atom and other Satellite era members back for a grim & gritty revival. Jurgens left the book to do the big event mini-series Zero Hour in 1995. There he de-aged Ray into a teenager, made him wear a stupid Marty McFly-cut leather vest, and had him lead the least popular incarnation of the Teen Titans ever. They got canned after two years in 1998, though somewhere along the line, the teen Atom got himself another special (1995.)

Aside from guest appearances, Ray's life was lived through reprints of his old adventures for years. The Atom did get to become a grown-up again, and through sporadic JLA appearances, showed a new generation of readers how bad ass he could be. He even sorta kinda rejoined for a bit. Then Identity Crisis happened in 2004, where just as Ray had begun cozying back up with his ex-wife Jean Loring, he learned she'd "accidentally" murdered their mutual friend Sue Dibny in order to facilitate their reunion. Jean got tossed into Arkham Asylum, while Ray pulled his usual avoidance act, and found himself a nostalgic world in the Multiverse far from the modern DC Universe to live on. While Ray was away, Jean Loring got possessed by the god of vengeance Eclipso, and wrecked all kinds of havoc before getting un-possessed and eaten by sharks.

As usual, some super-heroes had to ruin Ray's vacation, tracking the Atom down and dragging him into the quagmire of the Countdown and Final Crisis events. By that time, a fella named Ryan Choi had become the All-New Atom, and Ray seemed cool with that. Yet, Ray Palmer has since raised his profile in modern comics by joining a new Justice League team led by Green Lantern Hal Jordan, and mixing it up with zombie Black Lanterns, including Jean Loring, as part of the very popular mini-series Blackest Night.

That brings us up to date, so I finally feel like I can get this blog moving, since I can jump around in this timeline however I please. Look for more frequent posting now, and also shorter, for God's sake!

Amazing Heroes #162: "The Tiny Titan Returns... Again"

I've been trying to figure out where I want to start with this blog. Do I do a week of posts to get things started? Should I make sure to spread the love to Al Pratt, Ryan Choi, and/or a random DC C/D-lister or two? Should I offer posts over decades of publishing, or do a bunch of #1s? Do I prime the pump, or just throw folks in the pool to sink or swim, or maybe just sit here mixing metaphors?

Six days later, and I've read this article from a 1989 magazine about the then-current Power of the Atom series and go "yeah-- okay-- that."

Okay, so the article is called "Never Underestimate the Power of the Atom-- The Tiny Titan Returns... Again" by Darwin McPherson. It explains that Ray Palmer is a scientist super-hero who shrinks, and that he got his start in a three issue Showcase run in 1961 before doing 38 issues in his own series and another seven co-starring Hawkman before finally getting canceled. In the 70s, he mostly appeared in Justice League of America, and even got married to lawyer Jean Loring in #157. Besides that, he had a back-up in Action Comics,  did some issues of Super-Team Family and occasional guest spots.

In 1983, the Sword of the Atom 4 issue mini-series busted up Ray's marriage, but he got a new girlfriend when he got trapped at six inches and joined a tribe of tiny yellow-skinned barbarians from a lost civilization of Littles, or really fit but jaundiced Smurfs, or whatever. Starting in 1984, Ray got three Sword extra length specials, where he stayed shacked up with Laethwen, while his ex Jean remarried the guy she was cheating with, fellow shyster Paul Hoben. It just occurred to me she'd been a ho,  but never took the name Hoben, or Palmer, for that matter. Should I make a palm her crack? Just did.

In '88, an issue of Secret Origins queered Ray sword and sorcery gig, so he returned to civilization and more straightforward super-heroing in the new Power ongoing. A big deal was made of the revival by DC in ads, comparing it to the hot revamps of Superman (John Byrne,) Wonder Woman (George Pérez,) the Flash (Baron & Guice,) and Justice League International. The Atom got Roger Stern, Dwayne Turner, and a wet slap across the cheek. Turner, who hadn't developed his style beyond "bland" yet, left after just five issues. He was followed by Graham Nolan, who you may remember as the more cartoony and boring artist on Knightfall/quest/end, when Bane broke Batman's back and left him to get replaced by Azrael. Nolan held on to Detective Comics with Chuck Dixon for years until he was pried loose with a crowbar.

Meanwhile, Roger Stern had written a bunch of great Spider-Man and Avengers stories, but nobody cared about writers back then, so Power sold limp. The book was edited by Mike Carlin, whose idea it was to bring Atom back to super-hero life, and then saddle him with lame art. Yay Carlin. Stern decided that since Palmer had written this bestselling autobiography then booked it to the jungle boogie, he'd return as a celebrity, but his life in the real world would now be a wreck. Little details like Atom's costume disappearing when he returned to normal size were discarded, so he could be another hero in crowd scenes during event books, instead of being the little guy sitting whimsically on the shoulder of one of those guys. Stern somehow thought making Atom just like everybody else would make him more visually interesting, which is probably why he's a writer.

The Atom's biggest villain was Chronos, who seriously had the ugliest costume of all time. He could travel through time, and ended up seven years in the past, giving him time to amass a fortune, buy one of the dullest super-villain costumes of all time, and fail to concoct a plan to defeat a foe standing half a foot tall.

Power of the Atom #7 was dubbed the "official re-launching" of the book, with Nolan on pencils, and Atom a more x-teme hero who would fire himself like a bullet through the chest of disposable aliens in a crossover event, but not asshats like Chronos. Somehow, and I know you can't believe this, but readers were not impressed. So much for grim n' gritty gremlins.

The article promised the creative team would take advantage of Atom's "tight ties" to the DC Comics super-hero community, a.k.a. use guest stars to up sales. This failed though, since Atom's ties were mostly to other DC Silver Age properties that hadn't sold in years, though he did take time to take a poop on JLI, one of the best-selling team books of the day. It was kind of like when a serious news show takes a look at "sensational" news shows, making sure to reference as many lewd aspects of those shows as possible. Sure Ray, you're totally above that. *snicker*

Stern promised to bring Jean Loring more heavily into the series, thinking she was an "interesting, positive character" who'd been given a bad rap. They noted all the letters that were coming in trying to explain to them that Jean was no good, and everybody hated her, but they ignored the consensus opinion anyway. Stern loved all the strong female supporting characters Julie Schwartz used to edit, like Carol Ferris, Iris West and Shiera Hall, who'd been much maligned in later years. Unfortunately, Jean actually was an awful human being from the very beginning, so that defense doesn't really fly.

The staff went on to warn that new husband Paul Hoben had his own size-changing belt (also: a mustache,) which would make him a threat in future issues. Nothing sells comics like treating a guy who looks like Dabney Coleman, with no special abilities or powers of his own, and putting him up against your veteran hero. It's not like he's got a miniature flamethrower and a mad sparkle in his eye, y'know.

It's also good to undercut your femisist cred by referring to Ray's "hot-looking" new Italian associate/love interest, Enrica Negrini. I can't believe spell-check let half that name go without objection. Oh, Ray's friend and confidant Norman Brawler would also be on hand, and how's that for two names that don't sit right together. Ray's teacher and occasional back-up feature Professor Hyatt would be back, and with back-up like that, it's inevitable you yourself will become somebody else's occasional back-up. Finally, there's surrogate father Ted Ralston, a "Theodore Roosevelt type." I'm sure children of the 80s ate references to U.S. presidents serving from 1901–1909 right up.

The best part, and obviously there was so many to choose from, was editor Mike Carlin's sales pitch to readers not already onboard his poor-to-middling series, to be cancelled within the year. He talks about how much readers could relate to their thirtysomething domestic soap crap, how his new artist was "good, reliable, and cares," plus the book was "a good read." With that kind of superlative laden hype, how could anyone this side of Frank Miller meet those elevated expectations?

The magazine then segued into an interview with artist Graham Nolan, and both articles were peppered with his uninked pictures, doing only slightly less favor then offering a finished Gil Kane masterpiece for contrast. In "The Nolan No One Knows" (still so true,) Graham talked about his love of Batman, and his admiration of John Romita Sr. and Curt Swan. He was a Kubert school drop-out who'd done work for Eclipse's Skywolf and The Prowler. Nolan suffered through some work on Transformers and Psi-Force before jumping ship to do fill-ins on Doom Patrol.

In the "one to talk" column, Nolan described Dwayne Turner's Power of the Atom art as "really [makes rude noise] atrocious." I don't know how to get brackets into my own conversations, so kudos to Nolan on that skill. Anyhow, Nolan aspired to replace Turner in private, only to have editor Carlin call up and offer him just that. Providence? Synchronicity? Serendipity? Lower expectations from life and art on everyone's part? Who am I to say?

Yadda yadda Roger Stern a favorite writer yadda yadda K.S. Wilson his best inker yadda yadda his father was a detective yadda yadda spec western writing proposal yadda yadda loves Batman hates DC's take on Doc Savage yadda yadda. Oh, and he keeps a normal working schedule to be with his loving wife and live a vanilla life.

The End.

The search for Ray Palmer... blogging.

Friday, October 13, 2006
Rob Kelly started The Aquaman Shrine, a daily blog about a DC Comics super-hero who talks to fish.

Saturday, September 1, 2007
Frank Lee Delano ripped off The Aquaman Shrine's basic format, applying it to an even less interesting DC Comics super-hero, who acts as a cell phone between Justice League of America members when he's not too boring to live.

Monday, November 19, 2007
Damian Maffei also ripped off The Aquaman Shrine's basic format, but applied it to a DC Comics character billed as "The World's Smallest Super-Hero!" That misapplied exclamation mark managed to appear on dozens of comic book covers and some other merchandise.

Thursday, March 6, 2008
In no way dispelling the truism about the staying power of a "Tiny Titan," Maffei offers his last post about the Mighty Mite. Kelly and Delano in no way dispel the truism about bloggers having no lives by continuing to post about a "Sea King" and "Alien Atlas."

Friday, January 1, 2010
After getting the consent of Maffei and with numerous ulterior motives not limited to being sick of seeing the same "Hombre Atomico card" for nearly two freakin' years, Delano resurrects the Atom blog at a new address.

Fact: Delano's main blog is titled The Idol-Head of Diabolu, a blog for J'Onn J'Onzz, the Manhunter from Mars. He's reviving The Tiny Titan. Clearly, there's a difference in writing styles, so adjustments will have to be made.

Introduction: I'm going to try to write in a lighter, more humorous style along the lines of Damian Maffei, but I'm a human being with my own thoughts and feelings, so don't try to make me be somebody I'm not! Since Damian later branched out into fellow D-List DC Heroes like Hawkman (a close Atom associate) and Red Tornado ('cause Damian had crappy taste,) I'll do that too (even for Mr. Miracle, who no one on Earth ever liked all that much.) I'm less concise than Damian, so my posts will be longer, and I run multiple blogs, so my output will be more sporadic.  Stop by once a week or so, and we'll bring you a six-inch atomic punch of posting, or y'know, just slip innuendo your way.

DC Holiday Special '09 #1 (February 2010)

No Atom this year, but here's a holiday treat starring Red Tornado!

John Smith had searched fourteen toy stores across three states for Ecko Geckos, and at the latest, he could barely get a clerk off his cell phone long enough to utter the familiar, "We're out." Smith needed the doll as a Christmas present for his adopted daughter Traya, and a little old woman offered him hers-- for just $200. Even at a 345% mark-up, a fellow customer was willing to one up the quoted price and pay $250. "If you really cared about your kid, maybe you would've tried harder. Disturbed by the desperation, avarice and indifference of the jerks in this store, Smith used his tornado powers to trap everyone inside by depositing mounds of snow at all exits. In the face of this turn, some customers began reconsidering whether rampant consumerism reflected the true spirit of Christmas, and Smith suggested everyone sing along with the holiday music piped over the sound system. However, the cell phone obsessed clerk had already called the fire department, so that in short order, everyone would be free to blow off any actual meaning to the holiday. "My fellow shoppers learned nothing from the experience."

The next morning, Smith and his wife were roused by Traya. Though Smith had finally procured an Ecko Gecko, his child wasn't in any particular rush to unwrap it. "--I have all day to find out what I got. Right now, I just want to be thankful for what I have." Ah, orphans of war torn countries lend perspective to us lousy Yankees. "On Christmas, I bought my daughter a present... but she gave me a gift."

"A Night Before Christmas Story" was far better than Red Tornado deserves, as written by David Tischman, with charmingly emotive art by Adam Archer and Sandra Hope.

The Tiny Titan Master Index

Editorial
The search for Ray Palmer... stuff.
The Martian march towards death row...
M.O.T.A
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Merchandise
Defenders of Freedom shirt and the usual business
The All New Atom Heroclix
Justice League party loot bags!
Atom switchplate
The Search for Ray Palmer: The T-shirt!
DC Super Heroes Super Healthy Cookbook
Atom transfer
Atom switch plate: Part 2

Toys
Al Pratt
DC Direct's JSA Atom action figure
Atom Pocket Super Hero
Ryan Choi
First Appearance - DC Direct: Ryan Choi
Ray Palmer
Justice League Unlimited action figure
Justice League Unlimited Atom 10"
DC Super Heroes from Hasbro
Model and Toy Collector #24
JLA Pocket Heroes: Day 1 - Box set
JLA Pocket heroes: Day 2 - Martian Manhunter with JLA Conference Table and Chairs
Justice League Unlimited Atom 10 inch #2

Chronos
Chronos Heroclix figurine

Cards
Comic book foldees 1966: Atom
Atomo- Super Amigos trading card!
Atomo trading card (a.k.a. The lil Captain)
Another (Power of the) Atom card?
The Atom and Hawkman "Great Teams" trading card (1989)
Skybox card - 1994
DC vs. Marvel impact cards
VS Card: Ray Palmer * The Atom
Hombre Atomico card!
VS Card * Chronos
VS*Chronos - Injustice Gang card
The Atom "Legacy" card

Comics
The All New Atom #1
The All New Atom #2
The All New Atom #3
The All New Atom #4
The All New Atom #5
Sword of the All New Atom #13
The All New Atom #14
The All New Atom #15
The All New Atom #16
The All New Atom #17
The All New Atom #18
The All New Atom #19
The All New Atom #20
The All New Atom #
The Brave and the Bold #9
Brave and Bold #73: Crisis on Earth B-List!
Countdown Special: The Atom #1
Countdown Special: The Atom #2
Green Lantern #24 (2007)
Hembeck Atom
Hembeck Comic Reader #197 Back Cover (1981)
JLA #27
JLA Classified #
JLA Classified #47
JLA Classified #48
JLA Classified #50
JLA Classified #51: First Contact
JLA Classified #52 - The Truth Hurts
JSA #54:Thanksgiving
Justice League of America #110- DC 100 SUPER SPECTACULAR PAGES: The Man Who Murdered Santa Claus!
Sword of the Atom - Book One: Stormy Passage
Sword of the Atom - Book Two: A Choice of Dooms
Sword of the Atom - Book 3: Mourning's End
Sword of the Atom - Book 4: Look Homeward, Atom

Art
JLU Atom sketch double header!
Norm Breyfogle sketch
Model and Toy Collector #24
Fred Hembeck sketch
Michael Netzer Atom and The Martian Manhunter sketch
Michael Netzer Atom and The Martian Manhunter sketch #2: We will not go quietly into the night...
Atom vs. Ant-man: #1 - Gary Gretsky
Atom vs. Ant-man: #2 - Gary Gretsky

Pin-Ups
The Atom: Who's Who Entry
The Atom (Golden Age): Who's Who entry
Sword of the Atom: Action Pin-up No.1!
Sword of the Atom: Action pin-up Part 2!
DC Comics Super Heroes coloring book: Atom page
DC Comics Super Heroes Coloring Book: Atom page #2
Bug-Eyed Bandit Who's Who entry



Media
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure animation cel
Justice League tv pilot 1997
Justice League tv pilot continued...
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure production drawing

Ads
Comic Cavalcade ad
Debut of The Atom ad!
Debut of the Atom ad Part 2
Meet Chronos: Atom #2 ad
The Atom #10 ad
Aquaman and the Atom: The Brave and the Bold ad
The Atom team-up ad
The Atom subscription offer!
DC favorites subscription ad
Mystery in Space and The Atom ad
DC on TV Ad!
Comic Books price guide ad - 1983
Sword of the Atom insert (1984)
Power of the Atom ad poster
JLA vs. Teen Titans ad poster

Animal Man
Animal Man #1 ad!

Hawkman
Super Amigos: Hawkman!
Hawkman transfer
Hawkman Brave and Bold ad
Hombre Halcon bottle cap - 1978
El Halcon - the Super Amigos card!
Hembeck Hawk-heroes
Hembeck Hawkman #2
Hawkman patch
DC Official Licensee display
Hembeck Hawkman #3
Hawkman Super Powers stamp set

Mister Miracle
Super Powers: Mister Miracle

The Red Tornado
The Red Tornado Shrine: Minimates!
Red Tornado Shrine: Custom Red Tornado Lego!