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Quote1 Seems like nothing is ever going to work out for me! It should have been a great life but it was just... unique. Quote2
Atom src

Grandson of the original Atom (Arthur Thompson), Adam Thompson took up the mantle when the second Atom, his father, died. One of the most powerful beings on the Tangent Earth, he fought the forces of evil trying to restore honor to the tainted name.

Early Years

Adam Thompson was the third in a generation of heroes that called themselves the Atom. He was raised on the moon by his father (Atom II) and mother, an actress. He was expected to learn all the latest on technology and be a role model. Secretly, he preferred his stash of print to reading off a computer screen. Because his father was a hero/celebrity, he and his family attended presidential dinners and other important events. When he was a young boy, his father was murdered by a group called the Fatal Five, led by a villain called Shadow Thief. He swore to avenge his father's death by apprehending the Fatal Five, even if it took his whole life. Adam's mother moved him to a quiet suburb where no one knew who they were and raised him out of the spotlight.

New Atom for a New Age

In his early 20s, Adam decided to take up the costume when he found out about the New York hideout of the Fatal Five. As the new Atom, he showed great control of his powers and defeated the Fatal Five during his first time out. Only Shadow Thief escaped with a stolen teleporter. Before Shadow Thief escaped, he taunted the Atom about knowing his (Adam's) family dirty secret and asked why the first Atom never came after him for murdering his son. The Atom tracked down his grandfather and together they took down the Shadow Thief. Before Arthur Thompson could kill the Shadow Thief, Atom got the truth and realized that his grandfather was the reason for millions of deaths in the Cuban Missile Exchange. Arthur still saved some lives that day from the remaining nukes but the damage was done. A government cover-up turned him from the black piece of history into a government sponsored hero. Shadow Thief threatened to reveal all that he knew if he was not set free but the Atom didn't care. He decided to redeem the family name and convinced his grandfather to go public with the damning information. The Atom felt great guilt for his family's part in it and swore to make up for his grandfather's mistakes.

Joining the Secret Six

The mutated animals of the Atlantic called the Sea Devils were murdered and their bodies thrown to the shore leading a group of heroes to investigate the disturbance individually. The Atom, Flash, Plastic Man, the Spectre, Manhunter, and the Joker found the source of the disturbance to be the work of Dr. Aquadus, aka Aquaman. His plan involved destroying the moon so that his control over the planet's water would be complete. The ragtag group of heroes defeated the mad doctor and saved the moon. The Atom suggested that although none of them could be together openly, they worked well and could be a team; creating the Secret Six.[1]

Superman's Reign

The Atom was as powerless as the rest of the world when the Ultra-Humanite became active. When the Superman apparently killed the Ultra-Humanite, and made himself the only world power, Thompson and the Secret Six tried to stop him - and failed.

He remained in a state of inactivity for the next decade, but during the Infinite Crisis, he sought safety in the Green Lantern's magic lantern, trapping him there when the Crisis was over.[2] Some time later, he emerged on New Earth, where he fought the Justice League of America on New Earth.[3] Afterwards he was teleported back to Earth-9, where he was swiftly captured by the forces of the Superman.[4] His old teammates in the Secret Six have tried to rescue him. But, Superman had anticipated this in which he had his lover Powergirl impersonated Thompson in order to track down and subdue the Secret Six and their new allies from New Earth while Thompson was actually imprisoned within Superman's fortress in Switzerland.[5] Eventually, Thompson and along with his allies were freed and traveled to New Earth to confront Superman from conquering that universe. In the end, Thompson and the heroes defeated Superman and returned to Earth-9 to repair the damages Superman had caused.[6]

Powers


  • Adam and his predecessors were created as being the Tangent Universe's hero equivalent to Superman. Although Adam's costume design bears similarities to Superman's, the Atom is very different from Superman in which Dan Jurgens explained that "both are powerful and majestic but the Atom is a recluse...something of a social misfit who's uncomfortable with his status and heritage."[7]

Related

Footnotes


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Outsiders member
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This character is or was a member of one or more of the teams known as the Outsiders. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Outsiders members" category.

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