Summary
The iconicJustice Leaguehero, theAtom,doesn’t always get a chance to shine, but on one Earth in the multiverse, he’s his world’sSuperman. Whether it’s Ray Palmer or Ryan Choi,the Atom legacy doesn’talways get the respect it deserves. But on Earth-9, the Atom finally gets his due by becoming a hero as powerful as the Man of Steel.
Tangent Comics: Atom #1by Dan Jurgens introduces a radically different Atom to readers.The Tangent Universe’s versionof the Atom is the third hero to bear this moniker and the grandson of Earth-9’s first superhero. This hero uses his ability to alter the molecular density of objects,making Atom one of the world’s strongest superhumans.
The world fawns over the Atom, ecstatic to see him carry on the legacy set by his father and grandfather. However, while pursuing an escaped villain, Atom discovers dark secrets about his family that make him question the legacy he’s carrying.
Atom is Literally Another Earth’s Version of Superman
The Earth-9 was the subject of DC Comics' Tangent Comics imprint. While the Earth is indeed one of the DCU’s many alternate worlds, it hardly resembles any other world in the multiverse. The Tangent Earth only keeps the names of its heroes, villains, and organizations and completely overhauls them. Earth-9’s Green Lantern is a mystical hero who can revive people with a magic lantern. The Joker is a free-wheeling freedom fighter. And Superman is a powerful psychic who eventually took control of his world. Though Tangent Comics was brief, itradically redefined iconic DC Comics characters in unexpected ways.
Nearly every world in the DC multiverse has a Superman looking after it. But while Earth-9’s premier hero may favor the Man of Steel, it gives the Atom mantle a chance to shine. Of course, Earth-9’s Atom and the standard Atom are quite different (especially their powers). However, the Tangent Comics version of Atom focuses on legacy which doesn’t fit Superman as much as it does Atom. It would have been easy to reinvent Superman on Earth-9 so that another DC world is still protected by its trademark hero. Butthe Superman-inspired Atom helped lift a seriously underutilized character.
The Atom Got to Be a Superman-Level Hero
DC Comics has a lot of amazing heroes, but more often than not, it’s always the top dogs that get to shine. But Tangent Comics stripped away everything and started fresh and gave more opportunities to other heroes. Granted, one could argue that the Earth-9 version of Atom is more of a Superman than he is an Atom, but it’s the closest Atom’s come to being the biggest hero on any other Earth.Supermanmight be the premierJustice Leaguehero, but in the Tangent Universe, it’s theAtomwho truly shines.
Superman
The icon who launched the entire world of superheroes, the last son of Krypton escaped his dying world to crash land on Earth and be raised as Clark Kent. The world knows him better as Superman, the Man of Steel, the leader of the Justice League, and the most well-known hero in the DC Comics Universe. Blessed with the powers of a demigod, Kal-El of Krypton fights enemies both small and cosmic in his endless pursuit of truth, justice, and a better tomorrow.
