Captain Atom

Real Name: ? Rador

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Unknown

Affiliations: Princess Lais (Bikini/Larry's girlfriend), Vixen, Brainmaster

Enemies: The Wrecker, the Cobra (Wrecker's lieutenant), Fireball Arson, the Frogmen of the Antarctic, Dr. Lens, Rigor Mort

Known Relatives: Dr.Bikini Rador (a.k.a. Agent Larry Lockhart of the F.B.I., brother)

Aliases: The Atomic Warrior, the Atom Man, Atoman

Base of Operations: Active worldwide

First Appearance: Captain Atom #1 (Atlas Publications, January 1948)

Powers/Abilities: Able to fly at incredible speeds, superhuman strength, and invulnerability. He can generate tremendous heat from his body, fire bolts of atomic energy from his hands, and has "super-sensitive atomic-radar powers" that allow him to detect and listen to radio transmissions. He can also exhale incredible blasts of air due to his atomically powerful lungs.

History: After an A-Bomb blast fused Dr.Bikini Rador with his twin brother, the scientist discovered he could swap places with his now-superpowered sibling by exclaiming "Exenor!" Wanting to use this new ability for the greater good, Bikini would adventure under the alias Larry Lockhart, ace F.B.I. agent, then summon his brother, now using the name Captain Atom, when things got too hot for a normal man to handle.

Comments: Co-created and drawn by Arthur Mather at the request of his publisher Jack Ballieu (or maybe Bellew). The first sixteen or so issues were written by Jack under the pen name of John Welle. The Captain would ocasionally exclaim "Jumping Jovastats".

Captain Atom's original run lasted from 1948 to 1954 and ran at least sixty-three issues, the first sixteen or so issues in color. He was created during a period when Australia had banned imports from the US (to help the post-War economy recover), including both comics and reprints of same. He proved so popular that through much of the fifties, even after the import restriction was lifted, he continued to outsell Superman, selling as many as 180,000 copies an issue.

He cameoed in Cyclone Comics' Southern Squadron in the 1980s, shown alongside other heroes mentioned as having been active in the past, and has been revived in recent years by Gerald Carr in Vixen Magazine to adventure alongside fellow Australian heroes Brainmaster and the Vixen.

Thanks to Copper for additional info, and to Dennis Ray for the more recent images of the Captain.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

Back to Australian Superheroes Main Page

Home

All images and characters depicted on this site are copyright their respective holders, and are used for informational purposes only. No infringement is intended and copyrights remain at source.