The DC Comics crossover DC K.O. began with the death of Batman. Before he died, the Dark Knight told his friend and teammate to get his head in the game. With one of the heaviest hitters out of the tournament, people likely guessed that Superman is the favorite to win. This writer believes Booster Gold will win, but that’s a conversation for another time.
After making it to the next round, Superman had to fight Nathaniel Adam, better known as Captain Atom. He’s a character with the ability to produce things like Green Kryptonite and the rays of a red sun: Two of Supes’ weaknesses that Nathaniel used to defeat the Man of Steel in round one of their battle. However, as expected, Superman won the next two rounds and moved on to the next part of the tournament.
DC K.O.: Superman vs Captain Atom No. 1 creative team
- Writer: Joshua Williamson
- Artist: Sean Izaakse
- Colors: Trish Mulvihill and Hi-Fi
What could be next for Atom Man in DC Comics (and beyond)?
One of the things that made this issue special was how Joshua Williamson wrote the characters. He didn’t just write the winner of the fight and let artist Sean Izaakse take it from there. Williamson made it a point to highlight Superman and Captain Atom’s personalities. By doing that, we may have seen that Nathaniel is tired of being overlooked. Moments like this usually lead to heel turns.
Good people become villains in comic books more often than you think, and it’s usually the strongest heroes who turn. It’s a way for the heroes to get better by fighting someone stronger who also knows their moves. Doug Ramsey in the Marvel Comics crossover Age of Revelation is a good example of this. However, it’s more than that here. This could be leading to bigger things for Captain Atom.
Unless you’re a comic book or Justice League cartoon fan, you may not care about or know who Captain Atom is. But having him appear in a DC Universe movie to fight Superman would certainly make everyone notice him. Could that be the next step for Atom Man? Does James Gunn and Peter Safran's franchise have plans for him? A good way to get the momentum going on that is for it to happen in DC Comics. Is an Atom Man heel turn on the way?
It would certainly get people's attention, and lead to a lot of speculating. It would also lead to a lot more focus on Atom Man, and would end up being the character's most high-profile storyline yet, undoubtedly leading to him getting more exposure. And when people get talking, James Gunn could notice. It’s a theme that’s worked for years and will continue to do so. It's also not far-fetched for him to leave the Justice League to work for the U.S. Government full-time. Especially after the tournament ends and nothing has changed. It will further Nathaniel Adam’s belief that he should have won the Darkseid tournament.
We'll have to wait and see!
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