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"Challenge of the Computer Crooks!": Ray Palmer has invited his girlfriend Jean Loring to show off the "Stool Pigeon", a computer that he has built that can analyze the facts of a crime and determine, via punch cards identifying the Modus Operandi of a crime, be able to link to to a particular g

The Atom #20 is an issue of the series The Atom (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1965.

Synopsis for "Challenge of the Computer Crooks!"

Ray Palmer has invited his girlfriend Jean Loring to show off the "Stool Pigeon", a computer that he has built that can analyze the facts of a crime and determine, via punch cards identifying the Modus Operandi of a crime, be able to link to to a particular group of criminals. For fun, Jean asks Ray to program the computer to see if it agrees that they should get married. To their surprise, it says that they shouldn't get married no matter the cost, however Jean dismisses the notion and Ray decides that the machine needs to have some bugs worked out of it.

Staying late to fix the problem, Ray leaves that night only to be jumped by a bunch of masked crooks who knock him out and lock him up in his labs broom closet. The crooks turn out to be a gang who have learned of the computers existence and want to exploit it's ability to identify their M.O. in order to avoid making it in the future so that they are more difficult to catch. Overhearing their plans from the broom closet, Ray changes into the Atom and attacks them. Although he has the element of surprise, he is knocked out when he is almost crushed by a falling microscope and is forced to shrink down to microscopic size to avoid getting hit.

The crooks quickly recover and flee the scene, and are long gone when the Atom revives from the attack. Searching the lab, he finds no forensic evidence revealing their identities. However, he recalls how he was tied up, the crook who did so used a stevedore knot to tie his shoes, and that one of them had a tattoo of a bowling ball and pins on his slower arm. Deducing that one of the crooks must be a member of a local bowling club, he decides to stake them out as the Atom.

Staking out local bowling alleys gives him a lead when he notices one of the bowlers playing has the same tattoo and ties his shoes in the same fashion. Hitching a ride on the crooks body, Atom hides out in the mans apartment until he leaves to commit another crime.

Sure enough, when the crooks commit their next crime, a safe cracking, they inadvertently bring the Atom along for the ride, who easily smashes up the operation and holds the crooks at gun point until the police arrive.

Later, having repaired his machine, he once more runs it for Jean to see if they should be married and are happy when it gives them the desired answer: A resounding yes.

Appearing in "Challenge of the Computer Crooks!"

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  • Rod Mack (Single appearance)

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Synopsis for "The Night of the Little People!"

When the Atom attempts to stop a gang of crooks from robbing the Karver Discount Store, the crooks manage to make an escape even though they take a beating from the Mighty Mite. Rushing out to catch the crooks, the Atom arrives too late to stop them, however notices a man named Arthur Ennis had witnessed the get away. When the Atom asks him to come with him to the police to identify the crooks the man refuses thinking that doing so would have a negative impact on his interview for a job at a new bank branch. Atom is disappointed in the man's "don't care" attitude, but allows him to leave before the police arrive.

Later while relating the situation to a reporter, the reporter explains that Ennis is an up-and-coming banker whom he was friends with as a child. He explains to the Atom that Ennis had a belief in Leprechauns doing good deeds as a child. Inspired by this bit of information, the Atom gets the help of Queen Maya and the Dryads to help him stage an elaborate hoax on the young banker. Dressing up as Leprechauns, the Atom wakes Ennis up in the middle of the night and leads him out into the forest near his home where the other "Leprechauns" convince the superstitious Ennis to report the incident to the police.

Waking up the next morning Arthur thinks the entire experience was a dream, but decides to make good his promise to the Leprechauns and go to the police and fingers Sandy Shore. However, waiters at the Golden Slipper Club have also come to report that Sandy was at the Golden Slipper Club, forcing the police to let Sandy go. Suspicious of this, the Atom follows after "Sandy" and listens in when he pulls over to call someone from a payphone. Traveling across the phone line, the Atom learns that Sandy really has a previously unknown identical twin brother who was at the Golden Slipper to create an alibi for Sandy. When Sandy attempts to kill the Atom to keep his secret safe, the Mighty Mite easily defeats Sandy and turns him and his gang over to the police.

Later when Arthur goes for his big interview, his potential employer gives him the job given the news that he helped catch the crooks that were responsible for the robbery of Karver's store. Later, at his new job, the Atom pays a visit to Arthur to thank him for his help. Later when considering that Atom thanked him in an Irish accent makes him wonder if his experience with the Leprechauns was a dream or not, and if the Atom is in reality a Leprechaun.

Appearing in "The Night of the Little People!"

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Antagonists:

  • Mike & Sandy Shore (Single appearance)

Other Characters:

  • Arthur Ennis (Single appearance)

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See Also


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