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"Just Like Starting Over": Despite the C.I.A.'s surveillance of The Atom, the agents did not know his identity until Norman revealed it in "The Atom's Farewell".

Quote1 That must be the White Dwarf Matter of my Atom suit -- it disappeared along with my extra mass after I came through Norm's phone. It's wherever the rest of me is! Quote2
Raymond Palmer

Power of the Atom #2 is an issue of the series Power of the Atom (Volume 1) with a cover date of September, 1988.

Synopsis for "Just Like Starting Over"

Despite the C.I.A.'s surveillance of The Atom, the agents did not know his identity until Norman revealed it in "The Atom's Farewell".[1]

The C.I.A. still spy on Ray, as Dr Jefferies finishes his exam of Ray Palmer. Apart from being three feet tall, the Doctor says that Ray is in good health.

Norman is amazed at the secret lab in the basement in Ray's old house, but the equipment inside still doesn't restore Ray. They move to the larger lab at Ivy University, where Ray Palmer's old lab assistant Enrichetta performs test after test; and finds that the White Dwarf Star Material is now inside him and tied to his emotions.

In order to return to full size, Ray Palmer has Norman and Enrichetta help him build a new suit from White Dwarf cloth with an encephalo-cybernetic control web, and it works. No sooner has the Atom returned, than the eavesdropping C.I.A. Agent set up a kidnapping in the Ivy University Library by Quraci agents, which the Atom has to respond to; and convinced the terrorists that his new powers made him a Djinn to force their surrender.

While Ray tries to keep his involvement a secret, the CIA leaks it to NBC, and the Atom's return has become public knowledge.

Appearing in "Just Like Starting Over"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Five Quraci Terrorists (Unnamed)

Other Characters:

  • Alvin Jeffries (First appearance)
  • Amir Lashgary (First appearance)
  • Central Intelligence Agency
    • Agent Bailey
    • Agent Kevin Stevens
    • Sylvia (Phone call only) (Behind the scenes)
  • Hawkman (Mentioned only) (In picture only)
  • Hawkwoman (Mentioned only)
  • Justice League of America (Mentioned only)
  • Justice League International (Mentioned only)
  • Ivy Town Police Department
    • SWAT
  • Allah (Mentioned only)
  • CNN (On a TV or computer screen)
    • CNN Daybreak
      • Sheryl Newman (On a TV or computer screen)
  • NBC (On a TV or computer screen)
    • Today
      • Brian Gumbel (On a TV or computer screen)

Locations:

Items:

Vehicles:

  • Bucket Boom Truck

Notes

  • The "Anti-Hero Riots" mentioned by Ray Palmer was a reference to the events in Legends.
  • The newspaper article revealing Hawkman's secret identity took place off-panel during Legends. This Hawkman was not Carter Hall, as Carter was battling an unending Ragnarok after the events of Last Days of the Justice Society Special #1 and did not return until Armageddon: Inferno #3. He is not Katar Hol, as Katar was retconned and only first arrived on New Earth after Hawkworld #3. This Hawkman was named "Carter Hall Jr". He was revealed to have always been Thanagarian agent Fel Andar in Hawkworld (Volume 2) #22. Hawkwoman -- his wife "Sharon Hall" -- was the brainwashed Sharon Parker. The Hawkman and Hawkwoman story in Power of the Atom #4 takes place in universe designate: Earth-85 and thus they are not the same characters as appear in this issue.
  • Amir Lashgary is the nephew of the former leader of Qurac. He used an assumed identity to attend Ivy University.
  • The Atom's new costume can increase to Ray's full height and be visible if Ray chooses. The previous costume could only be seen when the Atom was less than six inches tall.



See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

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