"My name is Captain Atom. As in A-bomb...as in nuclear fission...as in...the end of the world." ― Atom lamenting the gravity of his powers
Summary
Nathaniel Adam was a captain in the USAF, court-martialled for a crime he didn't commit. He was given a choice: a death sentence, or participation in a potentially fatal experiment sitting at ground zero of a nuclear explosion encased in an alien metal, in the hope of testing the metal's properties. Survival would mean freedom. Nathaniel chose the experiment. The explosion didn't kill him; what it did do was bond the alien metal to his flesh, giving him superpowers, and throwing him twenty-odd years forward into the present day. He found himself able to access the 'Quantum Field' that underpins reality to produce a variety of effects.
Where Captain Atom diverged was that Nathaniel had been a member of military intelligence, and was pressed once more into service for them as a deep-cover agent, as the new government refused to fulfill the promise of the previous government. His cover identity was that of a superhero, the Charlton adventures presented as his fake backstory, but in reality, he was working for the government. The course of the ongoing saw Nathaniel try to discover the truth behind his original frame-up, attempt to establish his freedom from his superiors, and slowly become the hero he pretended to be. He also joined up with Justice League International, initially as an agent, but going on to serve as a hero.
Powers and Stats
Tier: 4-B | Low 2-C | 2-C
Name: Nathaniel Christopher Adam, Captain Atom, Monarch
Origin: DC Comics
Gender: Male
Age: In his 30s
Classification: Radioactively-enhanced Metahuman
Powers and Abilities: Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Immortality (Type 1), Flight, Matter Manipulation, Energy Manipulation, Time Manipulation, Energy Absorption, Telepathy, Spatial Manipulation, Quantum Manipulation, Forcefield Creation, Time Travel, Resistance to Absolute Zero, Magic and Mind Manipulation, control of the Quantum Field
Attack Potency: Solar System level (He is comparable to other high-tier DC Comics superheroes) | Universe level+ (Can cause a new Big Bang, created a universe within the Quantum Field and later destroyed it) | Low Multiverse level (Stronger than an Unrestricted Atom. Fought with Superboy-Prime. Easily defeated the Captain Atom Brigade, a team composed by multiple versions of Atom, before absorbing them. Created an explosion powerful enough to destroy a universal space-time continuum)
Speed: Massively FTL+ | Massively FTL+ | Massively FTL+ (Could keep up with an amplified Superboy-Prime)
Lifting Strength: Class T+ (It was stated that he is strong enough to move around mountains), probably much higher | Unknown | Unknown
Striking Strength: Solar System Class | Universal+ | Low Multiversal
Durability: Solar System level | Universe level+ | Low Multiverse level
Stamina: Massive. He has not been shown to ever be exhausted at all.
Range: Unknown | Universal+ range with Quantum Field and Big Bang energies | Universal+
Standard Equipment: His special armor, and the Quantum Field. | Monarch Armor (The updated Monarch armor worn by Captain Atom throughout Countdown, contains a "nanoweave" designed to contain radiation leaking from a breach in his chest. It also contained instruments for monitoring his vital signs, through a direct neural interface)
Intelligence: In addition to his superhuman abilities, Nathaniel Adam is also an experienced United States Air Force pilot. It is notable that he is one of the few superheroes with a "Captain" appellation that corresponds to a military rank he has actually held. He is especially skilled in combat piloting and is also trained in military weaponry, strategy, and hand-to-hand combat. Adam also has strong survival instincts derived from his experiences during the Vietnam War.
Weaknesses: If Atom absorbs too much energy at once, he will be sent hurtling through time. Depending on the type of energy absorbed, he either goes forward or backwards | If his Armor get breached it can accidentaly release enough energy to destroy an entire Universal space-time continuum
Notable Attacks/Techniques
- Quantum Field: By manipulating the Quantum Field, Captain Atom is able to control time, space, energy, and matter at will. His energy absorption is potent enough to overcome foes significantly more powerful than himself, such as Nekron.
- Big Bang: Captain Atom is also able to control incredible amounts of energy, being able to catalyze another Big Bang if he so wished.
- Dilustel Armor: Captain Atom's metallic shell, or "skin", is composed of a portion of the alien being known as Silver Shield, and is called Dilustel. Pieces of the alien's metal body were used in the Captain Atom Project, Project Major Force and similar projects thereafter. Nathaniel is able to coat himself with the metal, either partially or totally. Atom's symbiosis with the metal is such that even partially armored, he is able to access the Quantum Field.
- Quantum Field Manipulation: Captain Atom's metal skin is tied into the Quantum Field, which enables him to absorb and manipulate incredible amounts of energy for a wide variety of applications. As a result, he is able to create an exact replica of Earth, complete with life, with a thought, as well as duplicates of Superman, Flash, Firestorm and even the Spectre with ease. His power is such, that he went even further, and by simply thinking of it, he was able to instantaneously create an entire universe out of nothing, and just as easily destroyed an entire universe, but he has never used this level of power again as a result of him mentally limiting himself. Captain Atom is also able to absorb potentially harmful energy into himself, but absorbing too much can overload him and send him hurtling through time. Captain Atom can fire and control energy of any form. He commonly manipulates his energy into forcefield bubbles, or explosive 'bombs', as well as simple blasts of kinetic force. While he usually aims with his hands, he is able to emit energy from any point on his body. Several times he has "detonated", releasing a massive amount of energy at once, destroying objects within an certain radius. On more than one occasion, he has used his ability to manipulate all forms of energy to prevent a foe using their own powers, such as the Ray and Firestorm.
Key: Base | Unrestricted | Monarch
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Others
Notable Victories:
Notable Losses:
Alien X (Ben 10) Alien X's Profile (Both were Low 2-C, bloodlusted, and speed was equalized)
Inconclusive Matches: