Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. For a certain comic book hero, this greatness came after accidentally launching into space inside an experimental rocket. How much do you know about this superhero?

Created by Joe Gill and Steve Ditko, Captain Atom made his debut in Space Adventures #33 in 1960 from Charlton Comics. In his initial outing, Allen Adam was a technician working on a special experimental rocket. After being trapped inside the rocket during its accidental take off, Adam was atomized when the rocket entered the upper atmosphere. Somehow, this explosion gave him superpowers that included the ability to reform his body safely on the ground. Becoming the costumed superhero, Captain Atom, he wore a special costume designed to shield people from the radiation of his nuclear powers. When he powered up, his hair also changed to silver, almost white. 

Throughout his early issues, Captain Atom faced off against such supervillain antagonists as Dr. Spectro, while also dealing with Cold War anti-Communist missions and even aliens. Later stories saw him team with fellow superhero Nightshade, with whom he shared a mutual attraction. Both Captain Atom and Nightshade also paired with Blue Beetle and the Question to form the Sentinels of Justice. Following the close of Charlton Comics, Captain Atom was later acquired by DC Comics and revised for DC’s post-Crisis continuity. For DC, the character was introduced as an Air Force pilot and Vietnam veteran named Nathaniel Christopher Adam in the year 1968. After being framed for a crime, Adam was asked to participate in a military experiment with a slim chance of survival. 

During the experiment, an atomic weapon exploded and Adam was seemingly disintegrated. However, 18 years later, Adam reappeared as the super-powered Captain Atom. Bonded with the metal, Adam now had incredible abilities including the ability to tap into the Quantum Field. He could also absorb energy and jump forward in time. Eventually, Captain Atom joins the Justice League and even serves as leader of Justice League Europe. Across his six-decade career, Captain Atom enjoyed a brief romance with Catherine Cobert, developed a friendly rivalry with Firestorm, married Plastique and commanded the metahuman forces during DC’s Invasion storyline.  

In the new continuity following DC’s 2011 relaunch, Captain Atom was reintroduced with slightly altered powers, appearance and origin. In this new timeline, he was never a member of the Justice League and the team actually viewed him with distrust. This version was short-lived, as Captain Atom was restored to his Post-Crisis origin and powers after DC Rebirth. Over the years, the character has been featured in several comic book series, as well as animated television and film adaptations.