Power of the Atom #16 is an issue of the series Power of the Atom (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1989.
Synopsis for "Renegades"
Enrichetta approaches Ray Palmer in his darkened lab, but he is in a foul mood and scares her away. Enrichetta runs outside; but is intercepted by rogue C.I.A. Agents Sheppard and Fields, who believe that the Atom framed them for desertion. Agent Ginsberg watches calmly from his own surveillance van, and pursues them.
At Langley, Agent Stevens is trying to blindly hack Agent Bailey's computer, and finds "Operation Fireball", but is interupted by Bailey. Before there are consequences for Stevens, the phone rings and the Atom blasts out of it. He wants to join the C.I.A.
Bailey's joy is short-lived, as another Agent bursts in -- without seeing the diminutive Atom -- and reveals that they are surveilling him! Further, he tells the Atom that two rogue agents have just kidnapped Enrichetta. The Atom demands that Bailey phone the surveillance team.
For the first time, the Atom travels by cell phone and bursts from Ginsberg's phone onto the dashboard of the van. They drive past the rogue agents and the Atom miniaturizes and leaps from the van through the windscreen behind. Ray jumps into Agent Sheppard's right ear and threatens to dig deeper if he doesn't pull over. The confused agents argue, and the Atom grows and knocks them out.
The Atom frees Enrichetta, and corners Agent Sheppard for an interogation. Agent Ginsberg tries to silence him with a bullet before escaping; but now Ray knows the truth: the C.I.A. destroyed New Morlaidh. With Enrichetta safe and the rogue agents in police custody; the Atom imagines his princess dying in flames, and swears revenge.
Appearing in "Renegades"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Agent Fields
- Agent Shepperd
Other Characters:
- Albert Einstein (In picture only)
- Dr. Anton Kraft (Cameo) (Flashback only)
- Central Intelligence Agency
- Agent Bailey
- Agent Kevin Stevens
- Agent Ginsburg
- Agent Hubbard
- Agent Bill
- Princess Laethwen (Dies in flashback)
- Hawkman (Mentioned only)
- Hawkwoman (Mentioned only)
- Connecticut State Police
Locations:
- Connecticut
- Ivy Town
- Normal Brawler's Residence
- Ivy Town
- Amazon Rainforest (Mentioned only)
- Morlaidh (Flashback only)
- Virginia
- Langley
- Central Intelligence Agency Headquarters
- Langley
Items:
- Cell Phone
- Firearms
- Enrichetta's Keychain
Vehicles:
- Ford Bronco
- Surveillance Van
Notes
- The Atom learns of the CIA's Operation Fireball which destroyed New Morlaidh and his Katarthan Princess.
- For the first time, the Atom makes a planned trip through the cell phone network. His electrons are broken down into microwaves and back into electrons before he appears at the other end. The Atom has previously travelled by microwave radiation through a satellite network in Power of the Atom #1, but that was unplanned and nearly fatal.
- An earlier adventure with Hawkman and Hawkwoman is mentioned by Ray Palmer, though the specific identity of the Hawks is unknown. Katar and Shayera only existed in Earth-85 at this time, so Ray Palmer must have been referring to Fel Andar and Sharon Parker. Events the Atom refers to may be similar to Power of the Atom #4, which occurred in Earth-85, but cannot be exactly the same.
- Hawkman is confusing.
Trivia
This is the third issue in a series featuring The Atom shrinking from his standard size next to the logo; in subsequent issues, artist Graham Nolan has him shrink until disappearing entirely in Power of the Atom #18.[1]