Omnipotent Artificial Intelligence went on a rampage in 1947, but luckily Captain Marvel was around to deal with it.
“Another notable story, this time written by William Woolfolk, appeared in Captain Marvel Adventures 78 (Nov. 1947),” noted the American Comic Book Chronicles. “The issue’s lead 15-page story introduces an atomic robot, dubbed Mr. Atom, that was created by a scientist named Dr. Langley.
“Mr. Atom springs full-blown into the world, wielding tremendous power. At first, it seems he might use his power for good, but then he has his evil epiphany: ‘I was not destined for an inglorious serfdom! I am not weak, like ordinary mortals! To rule over men… Yes! That is my destiny!’”
“It came to me with an explosion, and all the power of the atom itself surged into me! I was no mere metal robot, with only enough life to stagger about on mechanical legs. Mine was the invincible power of the universe itself. I was Mr. Atom!”
Clearly a metaphor for the treacherous doubled-edged nature of The Bomb, Mr. Atom is the “toughest opponent I’ve ever faced,” admits Captain Marvel, who is noticeably less sanguine in this adventure.
“The public developed a bad case of nerves (about the atomic bomb),” noted William W. Savage Jr. in his book Comic Books and America 1945-1954. “The gnawing question was, if we had possessed the Bomb and we had used it, what would keep our enemies from similarly doing unto us? We had known when to use it, or so we liked to think, and why — but could a godless Communist be relied upon to behave as responsibly as we had?
Thanks to our new views of our former wartime allies, the Russians, few doubted that the answer was uncompromisingly negative. There was a new reality, and culture had to make some adjustments. It had to make that new reality bearable.”
“We soon catch up with Mr. Atom at the United Nations, where he begins to threaten the world with force, but is interrupted by a confrontation with Captain Marvel,” wrote Jeff in his blog The World’s Mightiest Mortal. “In this first fight between Cap and Atom, Cap is a bit surprised that Mr. Atom can stand up to his punches. The fight ends when Mr. Atom punches Cap right out of the building!”
“No, Mr. Atom didn’t win the fight! Instead, Captain Marvel realized that he needed to develop a plan to deal with Mr. Atom, so he allowed him to think he had defeated Cap. Then, using the wisdom of Solomon, Cap devised a foolproof plan.”
The superhero is finally able to subdue the 10-foot-tall super-robot and contain him in a lead-lined prison. Then Billy Batson permits Mr. Atom to broadcast a warning: “After this broadcast, I will be allowed to speak no more! This is my last message to the world! You, who have made me your prisoner, beware lest I return to destroy my keepers! Beware!”
“The robot was stashed in a special lead cell — only to be freed, in time, by extraterrestrials who needed his help to conquer the earth,” noted comics historian Jeff Rovin. “As often happens with super villains, Mr. Atom and the aliens ended up battling among themselves. During one fracas, Mr. Atom was caught in an explosion which flung him to the year 2053. Trying to conquer that world, he was once again thwarted by Captain Marvel. Atom rarely fought alone after that and was a member of The Monster Society of Evil.”
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