Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Captain Atom and U.S.Agent



I really liked the redesign that Pat Broderick gave to Captain Atom's costume when DC brought the Charlton heroes into the DCU.  It's simple and effective - you just know the guy is powerful by looking at him.  There have been a few attempts to redesign his look since, but that always looked a little busy to me and didn't really work.  He looked great in animation as well, always a good test of a costumes effectiveness.

21 comments:

  1. Reading Captain Atom, he seems a lot like Firestorm - almost too powerful! Great stories though. I read the one where he crossed over to the Wildstorm Universe, I think it was...

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  2. I'm compelled to agree with you, Ross. Maybe it's a form of jadedness. But, while I loved the Charlton-era stories, I thought the good captain's Silver Age look was one of the few instances where Steve Ditko had artistically failed.

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  3. For me, the best test of how well a costume works is live action. If a movie/TV costumer, or at least a cosplayer, can make it look right, then you've got a winner. These put the costume on an actual human frame and shows what the other characters would actually see.

    I did a quick image search (via Bing) for Captain Atom cosplayers, and the ones I found need some tips on SFX makeup; they all have single-tone looks, making them appear (literally) two-dimensional. Otherwise I think they at least have a good Proof of Concept: it works.

    (One of them, by the way, is from a Marvel vs. DC montage, and has Captain Atom going up against red-jacketed Wonder Man. I think that should happen on this blog.)

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  4. With the turn-around in status of innocence in recent covers, maybe one cover could have Magnus, Robot Fighter being charged with destroying human-minded robot bodies from Nextlyfe(?), a division(?) of Cogwell's Cogs from "the Jetsons" (2017).

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  5. Nice on Ross. With this cover in mind, how about a team up with US Agent and Agent Liberty?

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  6. Nice idea here; but I can see this leading to a new team of patriotic /military heroes. Capt. Atom, US Agent, Deathstroke, Liberty Belle (Jesse that is) Agent Liberty, Uncle Sam, for starters. Any thoughts?

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  7. For Cav's suggestion, I'd hope that the team might include American Maid.

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  8. Bob... I've no problem w/ her. She's from the Tick right? I'm thinking Uncle Sam assembles all those who are loyal to the United States- I'm also thinking the Force of July. I always liked them. Considering we've seen those of the light and dark join forces, the robotic heroes, and my personal favorites the Roustabouts (who I've story ideas for) I think a group of patriots/soldiers would work. And I know Deathstroke might not fit for some but he was a solider and even though he's a professional, I still think he's loyal to the USA

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  9. Simon Williams(Marvel West Coast Avengers) knows stunts, let him be the judge.

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  10. Nice adds fellas but I can't believe you left out Mr. America, Miss America, The Shield and the Fighting American! For shame! ;-)

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  11. If we are thinking red jacket Wonder Man, how about a team up with Blue Devil as they go against Mysterio and Clay Face in...Set for Destruction!

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  12. reader from outside the USAJanuary 31, 2019 at 4:01 AM

    Would you also include that one who fought for truth, justice and the American way (at least on radio)?

    Or is he more of a hero and less of a "patriotic hero"?

    P.S. What about adding the All-American and Slugger?

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  13. @Tim: you forgot Stunt Master and the Golden Age Stunt Man (who is now public domain)!

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  14. Oh! Almost forgot; the Golden Age Black Cat, from Harvey Comics, was secretly stuntwoman Linda Turner. So, she'd qualify, too!

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  15. All of these on-screen heroes (actors and stunt people) together need a name. How about The Cast of Heroes?

    I favor Mysterio as their first villain.

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  16. If why are talking stunts, how about the late, great Super-Dave? (He did everything else, he must have at least made a cameo in a comic!)

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  17. @Bob: why not?

    @Jay: for all I know, he could have been the man behind the mask of the (non-genetically mutated) Human Fly! At least, if that short-lived 1970's comic had lasted a little longer, that might have wound up the illustrated case.

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  18. "...Stunts dare devil you're an angel..." - Stunts Movie Theme Song. (1977)

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  19. Sounds like you guys have the makings of another interesting team of Hollywood-ish heroes w/ a couple bad guys brought in maybe for their skills. I think I've a name; the Blockbusters. Wonderman, Blue Devil, the Human-Fly, the Stunt Master, the original Black Cat, the 1st Clayface, Mystero. I can already 'see' an origin of maybe Clayface or the Black Cat learning something in Hollywood/ the film industry is wrong or theres a dark force and only those who truly are linked to the town whether good or bad can stop it. Just some food for thought.

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  20. That'd make a great superhero flick in its own right, Cav. :-)

    "They banded together to keep the Dream Factory from becoming one big nightmare. Coming soon, to a theater near you..."

    "BLOCKBUSTERS: THE MOVIE!
    Rated PG-13."

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