Nathaniel Adam (Prime Earth)

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As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page.

Nathaniel Adam is Captain Atom, a Quantum-powered superhero, former soldier, and member of the Justice League.

Origins

Nathaniel Adam volunteered to participate in an experiment conducted by a research facility called the Continuum. At this facility, Dr. Megala's research was focused on the quantum field and on "dimensional transfer through M Theory." Adam was asked to pilot the dimensional-transfer vessel but is seemingly atomized during the experiment. Soon afterwards, he reappeared, now an energy-based life form.

During the Alien Alliance's invasion of Earth, Captain Atom served with the Justice League International on the front lines of the defending forces.^[2]

Captain Atom

According to Dr. Megala, Captain Atom's abilities are largely nuclear in nature and involve tapping into the strong nuclear force, the energy that binds protons and neutrons in the nucleus. Adam's physical atoms are constantly splitting apart, giving him incredible power. His body maintains integrity by instantly re-merging these atoms, but extreme use of his powers can interfere with this process and cause Captain Atom's form to become unstable. This leads to a fear that at some point Captain Atom's brain might lose its molecular stability and he won't be able to fix it before it impairs his consciousness or causes him to suffer some form of brain death.^[3]

Nathaniel Adam had only been Captain Atom for a few months and was still exploring his abilities, constantly learning new facets to them such as his ability to perceive wireless transmissions from cell phones and computers.^[4] He frequently returned to the Continuum so that Dr. Megala and the staff could help him further understand his abilities and occasionally so they could stabilize his body when he seemed to be having problems. The world at large looked on Captain Atom with suspicion due to uncertainty about his agenda and the nature of his abilities. Some fear that he was leaking radiation and potentially poisoning those he came into contact with. Several have remarked that the Justice League may have rejected Captain Atom for membership due to suspicion of how dangerous he was.^[5] Despite this, Nathaniel chose to try and use his powers to help others on Earth, clandestinely if needed be.

Fall and Rise

 Main article: The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom Vol 1

Crises

Though he questioned its safety after Wally West's breakdown, Atom attended the rebuilt Sanctuary superhero therapy center.^[6] Captain Atom was one of many metahumans whose creation was linked to the Department of Metahuman Affairs by the villain-turned-whistleblower Killer Frost,^[7] and, after Superman was framed and rendered comatose, he joined the group of heroes heading towards Mars in Blue Beetle's Bug to confront their mysterious enemy. The heroes met and engaged Doctor Manhattan, but they were easily defeated.^[8] Captain Atom was dispatched to LexCorp Tower by the Justice League^[9] to arrest Lex Luthor for an attack on the White House, but the villain seemingly killed himself before he could be taken in.^[10]

In violation of a presidential order, Atom entered Gotham City only to be handily defeated by the tyrannical superhero Gotham Girl, who threw him into the Gotham River. Recovered and detained with LexCorp technology for violating the order, the Captain warned Tim Drake, Robin, of her power and the state of the city.^[11] As a Justice League reservist, Captain Atom joined the League in battle against Perpetua.^[12] The Captain was later killed by the invading Batmen of the Dark Multiverse, the fallout from his explosive death turning the West Coast of the United States of America into the irradiated "Arkham Wasteland."^[13] At the crisis' conclusion, the damage was undone and Atom was resurrected by the Hands of the Omniverse.^[14]

He was replaced, however, by his counterpart from another world, who accepted a retirement offer from the United States Air Force on his behalf, only to commit suicide to escape the Department of Extranormal Operations, exploding and destroying a Metropolis military base in the process.^[15] Captain Atom was eventually returned to his own Earth, and responded to Batman's call for Leaguers to combat Synmar Utopica.^[16] After the threat was imprisoned within the Phantom Zone, Atom backed Superman when he refused the alien United Order's demand for custody of him.^[17] Later, he attended a celebration of Wonder Woman's return to the Justice League at the Hall of Justice that was interrupted by the sudden materialization of the time-traveler OMAC.^[18]

During the Dark Crisis, he was among the heroes gathered by Nightwing to fight Pariah's Dark Army.^[19] Atom was captured during the Fraction's time-slowed invasion and held in a tank later stolen by Flash Family,^[20] who freed and defended the frozen hero during the conflict.^[21] When Amanda Waller's Bureau of Sovereignty launched a campaign against the world's superheroes, Captain Atom was among those depowered and incarcerated at the metahuman detention facility on Gamorra Island.^[22]

The Atom Project

When his stolen powers failed to return after Waller's defeat, he was found by Ryan Choi, the Atom and selected to serve as a test subject for his and fellow Atom Ray Palmer's "Atom Project," an initiative of the newly-reformed Justice League Unlimited to locate missing powers and restore them to their original hosts. At the League's satellite heaquarters, the Atoms bombarded Nathaniel Adam with metahuman energies in an attempt to reactivate his metagene, a procedure that was both physically painful for Adam and led him into despondency at its continued lack of success.^[23]

After weeks of testing,^[23] Choi and Palmer tracked his powers to a host in northern Quebec. Arriving amidst considerable destruction, they found that Adam's powers had not bonded with a human being, but a territorial grizzly bear, which Palmer was able to subdue while Adam used the Project's power stabilizer to retake his abilities, though the stabilizer overloaded and exploded in the process.^[24] When a botched attempt to replicate the restoration of Adam's powers led all those of the Atom Project's subjects to rage out of control, he absorbed their energy, gaining the abilities of them all. Believing no one should possess the power he know had—to take and amplify the abilities of any metahuman he came in contact with—he went on the run to keep them out of the hands of others.^[25]

Pursued by the Atoms and the United States Air Force, Adam nevertheless made his way to Washington, D.C. and Doctor Elsworth, a scientist for the United States Government and the last living member of the team responsible for his origin. Disguising himself as a soldier to access her lab, he revealed himself to Elsworth and recruited her help in destroying the powers he possessed.^[24] Her untested and hastily-conceived-of procedure to do so was hijacked by the Atoms, who arrived and used it against Captain Atom. That, and Palmer's use of the "neutron poison" boron to inhibit his powers, failed to hold him, though he was ultimately won over by Choi's argument that his ability could be replicated even if destroyed. Just as he stood down, however, they were attacked by Adam's old foe Major Force, dispatched by US General Wade Eiling.^[25]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Superpower Manipulation: After regaining his abilities, Captain Nathaniel Adam found he could use them in new and interesting ways. Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi discovered to the titular atomic superheroes detriment that he has the inherent skill of alternating various superpowers which he comes in contact with them. Either keeping them for himself or divisting them amongst others at will.^[25]
  • Power Absorption^[25]
  • Electrokinesis^[23]
  • Phasing^[24]
  • Shape-shifting^[24]
  • Speed Force Conduit: Captain Atom can access the speed force, allowing him to run at speeds of hundreds of miles per hour.^[24]
• Quantum Field Manipulation^[3]
  • Chronokinesis (possibly formerly)^[26]
  • Disintegration
  • Molecular Reconstruction^[5]
  • Healing
  • Size Alteration
  • Density Control
    • Intangibility
  • Bio-Fission^[27] (Formerly)
  • Energy Projection^[28][29]: Captain Atom can draw upon the quantum field and use it as an inexhaustible power source to fuel devastating energy blasts.^[30]
  • Flight^[4][31]
  • Self-Sustenance^[32][25]
  • Power Distribution^[27][25]
  • Teleportation (possibly formerly)^[33]
  • Quantum Armor: Ever since regaining his human body, Captain Atom acquired the ability to materialize organic metal armor that covers his skin.^[30] This armor stabilizes Atom's powers in addition to granting additional abilities such as;
    • Superhuman Strength: Atom can easily lift a stone slab several times larger than himself, one-handed.^[30]
    • Superhuman Speed: Atom can move so fast time appears to stand still around him, he can even keep up with individuals like The Flash with relative ease.^[5]
    • Invulnerability: Atom's armor is durable enough to withstand four hellfire missiles armed with thermobaric warheads without suffering any damage.^[30]
    • Energy Manipulation: Atom's skill with energy projection has been enhanced to such an extent, that he can now fire multiple energy blasts simultaneously with pinpoint accuracy.^[30]
    • Energy Construct Creation
      • Force Field: Captain Atom can generate a shield capable of protecting both himself and Wade Eiling from Ultramax's sustained attacks.^[34]
    • Energy Absorption: Captain Atom can absorb the explosion of a 100 kiloton nuke without effort.^[35]

Abilities

• Military Protocol
  • Aviation: Nathaniel can pilot helicopters^[36] and other attack aircrafts.^[37]

Weaknesses

• Power Instability (Formerly): Due to being an unstable energy-based life form, Captain Atom had poor control over his powers. This also meant he couldn't touch anything without destroying it, including people. Due to his time-jump to the 1990's and back, and his subsequent transformation, Atom regained his human form. He now has complete control over his abilities as well as the ability to touch.

• Captain Atom was created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko, first appearing in Space Adventures (Volume 2) #33. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, Captain Atom first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Captain Atom (Volume 3) #1 by J.T. Krul and Freddie E. Williams II.

• 66 Appearances of Nathaniel Adam (Prime Earth)
• 67 Images featuring Nathaniel Adam (Prime Earth)
• 10 Quotations by or about Nathaniel Adam (Prime Earth)
• Character Gallery: Nathaniel Adam (Prime Earth)

Footnotes