Mister Atom
Mister Atom is a robotic comic supervillain who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Pre-Crisis
Mister Atom was a mechanical being who had been created by Dr. Charles Langley where he was one of the world's leading scientists that aimed to create life through artificial means. The experiment stemmed from recent experiments in atomic energy with Dr. Langley aiming to prove his theory correct in using energy to create life. After constructing a robot body, he looked to instil it life with atomic energy only for an accident to emerge resulting in an explosion. The robotic body survived and escaped the rubble where a gradual transformation saw him gaining intelligence. Wandering around the city, he deemed that it was his destiny to rule over mankind. Meanwhile, his creator Dr. Langley survived and taken to hospital where he would ask Captain Marvel to find the robot. Travelling to the United Nations, he demanded humanity surrender to him and ended up killing one of the delegates for laughing at him. It was then that he was confronted by Captain Marvel where Mister Atom's great strength knocked the hero out of the building. The robotic villain then warned the world to surrender to him or face destruction before escaping the scene. He would later attack the U.N. building again here he was easily able to overcome the military forces assembled to stop him. However, Captain Marvel once arrived leading to an intense battle between the two opponents. Noting the hero's strength, Mister Atom attempted to put all his strength into one final blow against Captain Marvel but ultimately was defeated. Though defeated, he could not be destroyed and was instead imprisoned where he promised to escape one day and take his revenge against the world. (Captain Marvel Adventures v1 #78)
Later he was freed by aliens called the Comet Men who hoped to employ his power in the conquest of Earth, though they told him he would rule Earth, and told him to destroy Fawcett City to show his power. But they fell to fighting among themselves when Mr Atom realized they planned to destroy him and they were all apparently destroyed in a giant explosion. (Captain Marvel Adventures v1 #81) However, the blast had actually thrown Mr. Atom forward in time, to 2053, a world where almost everything was run by atomic power, which Mr Atom found out from an inhabitant, and he decided it would be the perfect conquest for him. Captain Marvel travelled to this future after being told by Shazam of the danger which threatened it and battled Atom again, who forced Marvel off by threatening to cause the destruction of the world using the machinery. By now the world officials had decided to give in to Mr Atom and sent a delegation. Once again he was apparently destroyed, this time in an atomic furnace when the engines were turned on after Marvel disguised himself as part of the delegation to block Mister Atom from the machinery. (Captain Marvel Adventures v1 #90)
King Kull would use his advanced scientific acumen to bring Atom back to the 20th century and employed his help battling Shazam's Squadron of Justice. Atom's first appearance in a DC comic was in Justice League of America #137, a crossover issue depicting Captain Marvel's first meeting with Superman. With Brainiac of Earth-One projecting a force field around him a much larger Mr Atom attempts to wreck a futuristic city on Earth-One called Tomorrow. Destroying the city meant the three super-speedsters had to repair it, which was causing increased rotation of the Earth. Atom easily withstood the efforts of Green Lantern of Earth-Two, Green Lantern of Earth-One, Flash of Earth-Two, Flash of Earth-One, the god Mercury, and Ibis the Invincible to subdue him, even when Brainiac's forcefield around him was turned off and Brainiac had been defeated, but when he tried to use Ibis's Ibistick to send Ibis to a faraway star, having stunned Ibis from an energy blast, he found the stick had a failsafe that caused any commands that would harm Ibis to backfire on the user, and Atom was the one propelled far into space. (Jusice League of America v1 #137)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Mister Atom was a robot created by nuclear engineer Dr. Charles Langley and his assistant Susan Rodriguez for the purpose of processing nuclear waste back into inert material. When Rodriguez had a falling out with Langley and left the project, the elderly Langley was left unable to take care for himself. The decommissioned nuclear silo where Mister Atom was built suddenly lost power and the facility lost its heat, causing Langley to slowly die from the cold before inadvertently commanding Mister Atom that he needed a good woman to take care of him. Mister Atom interpreted Mary Marvel as a suitable woman and kidnapped her, until Captain Marvel found Dr. Langley's assistant to watch over the robot. (The Power of Shazam! v1 #23)
While under DOMA custody, Mister Atom came tobe modified with military applications. The Venusian worm Mister Mind took possession of Sarge Steel and compelled Steel to send Mister Atom to the Fawcett City suburb of Fairfield, where the robot detonated a nuclear bomb, destroying the town and killing thousands, in an attempt to eliminate the Marvel Family. Fortunately, the radioactive fallout was contained by Ibis. (The Power of Shazam! v1 #38)
Mister Atom was one of the villains who helped Prometheus plant explosive devices in various cities across the U.S., which led to Mister Atom and several other villains making an attempt to flee the country. Before they can cross the border, the group is attacked by the Justice League, and Mister Atom was defeated and captured by Starman and Congorilla. (Justice League of America v2 #43)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events. Mister Atom was a mechanical being who was said to be from the Gamelands that were one of the realms of the Magiclands. At some point, he was defeated and imprisoned within the Dungeon of Eternity located within the Monsterlands. (Shazam! v3 #11)
Mister Mind came to arrange for Mister Atom's release with this being carried out by Doctor Sivana who was instructed on the means of freeing the villain. Upon being freed, he came to join the ranks of the Monster Society of Evil that rallied behind Mister Mind in his quest to defeat the Marvel Family. (Shazam! v3 #11) As Shazam fought a Mister Mind-possessed C.C. Batson, Pedro ends in a strength battle with Mister Atom where he states to Pedro that he'll win this game. When Pedro asks what game he's talking about, Mister Atom calls it "Man vs. Machine". While still pinning Pedro down, Mister Atom watches the skies when Mister Mind has Shazam read the spell from the Book of Champions that unites the Seven Magiclands. (Shazam! v3 #13) When Shazam defeats Mister Mind, the resulting magical energy knocked out Mister Atom and the rest of the Monster Society of Evil. The Monster Society of Evil was mentioned to have been remanded to Rock Falls Penitentiary where the Shazam Family built a special section to contain magical threats. (Shazam! v3 #14)
Overview
Personality and attributes
He did not consider himself to be a mere metal robot. Mister Atom did not believe he was destined for inglorious serfdom and did not think he was weak like ordinary mortals. Instead, he believed his destiny to be to rule over mankind where he promised death and destruction to those that opposed him. (Captain Marvel Adventures v1 #78)
Powers and abilities
The original incarnation of Mister Atom was a atomic-powered robot who was imparted life through atomic energy being flooded into his body. Not only did this impart him sentience but also the invincible power of the universe itself. Similar to the atom itself, he claimed that he was capable of existing forever. (Captain Marvel Adventures v1 #78)
He was noted for possessing incredible strength where he could easily catch a falling safe from a building and throw it back. With his bare hands, he was capable of stopping a moving train. In addition, his endurance was able to survive blows from superhuman foes like Captain Marvel. He was also invulnerable to ordinary weapon fire that was unable to harm his metallic body. Such was his power that Captain Marvel came to claim that Mister Atom was among the toughest foes that he had ever faced in his life. (Captain Marvel Adventures v1 #78)
It was shown that he could project energy blasts from his hands capable of killing a human. (Captain Marvel Adventures v1 #78)
Through the Machinovirus, the machine was able to pull together a form and grow a body for himself even if his current one was destroyed. (Convergence: Shazam! v1 #2)
Notes
- Mister Atom was created by Otto Binder and C. C. Beck where he made his first appearance in Fawcett Comics Captain Marvel Adventures v1 #78 (November, 1947) and debuted in DC Comics in The Power of Shazam! v1 #23 (February, 1997).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Mister Atom appeared in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "The Malicious Mr. Mind" where he was voiced by actor Dee Bradley Baker. He was seen as a member of the Monster Society of Evil where they battle the Marvel Family and Batman.
Appearances
- Captain Marvel Adventures v1: (1947)
- Justice League of America v1:
- Power of Shazam! v1:
- Justice League of America v2:
- Shazam! v3:
External Links
This article is a stub. You can help Multiversal Omnipedia by expanding it.
