Arthur Thompson (Earth-9)

Atom
Tangent Comics‎
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Real Name	Arthur Harrison Thompson
Main Alias	Atom
Relatives	Adam Thompson (grandson)
Status
Alignment	Good
Identity	Public Identity
Citizenship	American
Marital Status	Married
Characteristics
Gender	Male
Origin
Universe	Earth-9
Creators	Dan Jurgens
First Appearance	Tangent Comics: Atom #1 (December, 1997)

Arthur Thompson was the first superhero, the radiation powered Atom.

History

During the 1960s, the American government began a program of research, exposing human test subjects to radiation. All died, except one - Arthur Thompson, who gained atomic powers. He entered the public eye in 1962, when he intervened in the Cuban Missile Crisis, saving untold millions of lives. He became famous as the world's first superhero, but he was never close to the public eye. He refused to get involved in world affairs, especially during the Czech war of 1968. The following year he moved his family to the Moon before retiring from heroics for good.

He had at least two children, one of whom carried on as Arthur's successor in bearing the mantle of the Atom. Arthur's grandson, Adam, became the third incarnation of the Atom following the death of Arthur's son at the hands of the Fatal Five.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Unique Physiology
  • Flight: Footage of him from during the Cuban Missile Crisis shows him flying between two rockets trying to disarm the missiles.
  • Interstellar Travel: He is shown surviving in space (albeit with a gas mask).
    • Superhuman Speed: Fast enough to escape a nuclear explosion.
  • Atomic Manipulation: He's capable of manipulating atoms at his disposal such as energy blasts.
  • Density Control
    • Superhuman Strength
    • Superhuman Durability
  • Atomic Projection: He's capable of firing atomic energies, such as beam.
  • Enhanced Intellect

Notes

• Arthur Thompson and the Atom dynasty were created as a parallel to Superman. Arthur's early costume was conceived with a government "committee mentality" in which parts of the costume are a stylized version of an astronaut's suit, but limited by the technology of contemporary time. According to Dan Jurgens' notes, the costume was a bulked up suit to make Arthur look bigger and to disguise his gaunt physique.
  

Trivia

• Arthur Thompson's origins in radiation experiments on human beings committed by the U.S. military is based on real nuclear experiments performed on human beings in the 1950s, such as the Desert Rock exercises.

Related

• 8 Appearances of Arthur Thompson (Earth-9)
• 2 Images featuring Arthur Thompson (Earth-9)
• Quotations by or about Arthur Thompson (Earth-9)
• Character Gallery: Arthur Thompson (Earth-9)