Atom Blake

**Real Name**: Atom Blake

**Identity/Class**: Human mutate

**Occupation**: School student

**Affiliations**: Janey Smart, Homer "Dusty" Davis, Mercurians, Princess, Stuart Blake

**Enemies:** Andy Grimm, Godfrey Calkins, the Mighty Adwahl ("Scarface" Louie), Queen Zirca

**Known Relatives**: Stuart Blake (father), unidentified mother, Nora Page (foster mother, "aunt"), Professor Joe Page (foster father, "uncle")

**Aliases**: The Boy Wizard, the Wonder Boy

**Base of Operations**: Collegetown

**First Appearance**: Wow Comics #1 (Fawcett)

**Powers/Abilities**: Thanks to his father's experiment Atom Blake has superstrength (he can crush rocks with his bare hands), invulnerability and superhuman stamina. He's also superhumanly fast, able to run 100 metres in 3.4 seconds.

The "sunergy" (sun-energy) of his ring allows him to manipulate reality simply by wishing for what he wants - he can make ropes vanish, doors and tunnels appear in solid rock, turn living creatures into stone, or even transit space, flying at interplanetary speeds, protected from the vacuum, radiation and other dangers. He can also split himself into two, though if either Atom were to die, the other would as well.

**History**: Scientist Stuart Blake created a machine capable of destroying atoms and releasing the energy stored within, and then developed a way to fuse atoms from all known elements (the first 93, based on other comments) together to create a single powerful super metal, "sun-metal," from which he hoped to derive limitless energy for mankind to use. However, when he directed the rays coming from the new metal at an orangutan, it was instantly burned to a cinder. Blake and his wife decided that the rays could give someone super-vitality (quite a leap from incinerating them!) if they were properly prepared for it, so they began experimenting on their infant son, Atom, intending to make him into a super-being capable of absorbing this new energy. However, before they could complete the process the Blakes decided to explore the solar system, and sent their young son to Stuart's best friend from college, Professor Joe Page, accompanied by a note from Stuart asking for Joe to raise the boy and give him a second letter from Stuart when he was old enough. The only other thing sent with Atom was a seal ring, which the boy held onto as a keepsake.

As Atom grew up, he proved to be a genius with superhuman strength, but luckily he also had a strong sense of morality and justice. Shortly after starting at Lincoln High School, where he befriended Dusty Davis, Atom finally received his father's letter, learning the origin of his physical superiority. However, since the second letter was incomplete, Atom was left without knowing what had finally happened to his parents, and, he thought, without the wonder metal. Later, Atom and Dusty were heading to the park when they spotted a bank robbery in progress. Atom was captured when he tried to intervene, as was Dusty too when he followed the villains hoping to rescue his friend. The crooks tied both boys up in a cellar, and one thug took a brief interest in Atom's ring, before throwing it back to the boy in disgust upon concluding it was worthless. However, when the ring struck the wall moments after the gangsters had departed the cellar, a secret compartment sprang open, exposing a glowing metal hidden in the top of the ring. Swiftly realising this must be his father's wonder metal, Atom shielded Dusty from the rays with his own body, and was able to read an inscription telling him the ring would grant his requests. This proved to be literally true, allowing Atom and Dusty to escape their bonds and the cellar, and he swiftly apprehended the crooks while they were robbing their next bank.

Atom used his newfound powers to fight crime, while also hunting for his missing parents, tracking them to Mercury and then into the future, where he located his father imprisoned by aliens, and learned that his mother had died soon after his parents had embarked on their exploration of the solar system. Rescuing his father, the pair continued to travel from world to world aiding those in need, soon picking up an alien princess as their travelling companion.

**Comments**: Though an unusual first name, Atom is apparently the boy's given name, as the letters Stuart Blake writes to introduce the boy to Joe Page and to tell Atom of the source of his powers both call him by that name.

Clearly Stuart Blake and his wife wouldn't win parent of the year awards, what with deciding to use their infant son as an experimental subject and deliberately exposing him to energies that flash fried the last creature unlucky enough to be irradiated by them.