Atomic-Man is an American fictional

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

created by

Charles Voight Charles Anthony Voight (April 28, 1887 – February 10, 1947) was an American cartoonist, best known for his comic strip ''Betty''. Early life Born in Brooklyn, New York, Voight was 14 when he dropped out of school and became an art staffer at ...

who appeared in '' Headline Comics'' from issue #16 (Nov/Dec 1945) to #21 (Sept/Oct 1946) which were published by

Prize Comics A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

. He is often credited for being the first atomic superhero.

Origin story

Dr. Adam Mann is experimenting with

uranium-235 Uranium-235 ( or U-235) is an isotope of uranium making up about 0.72% of natural uranium. Unlike the predominant isotope uranium-238, it is fissile, i.e., it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. It is the only fissile isotope that exists in nat ...

in the aftermath of the first atomic bomb being used in

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui has b ...

. During the experiment he finds himself being subjected to a strange side effect which changes his body. He finds that he has been changed into a new type of being, a being who was not only immune to most lethal radiations but was also immune to electricity, flame and even bullets. In addition to the change in his body he also found he now possessed many different powers. These

superpowers Superpower describes a sovereign state or supranational union that holds a dominant position characterized by the ability to exert influence and project power on a global scale. This is done through the combined means of economic, military, tec ...

of his included the ability to see radiations which were previously invisible to normal humans. His right hand also now also emitted a large amount of Gamma radiation which allowed him to perform a number of superhuman deeds like punching through brick walls using energy blasts and controlling the minds of other people. When not using his powers he wore a lead glove in his hand to curtail the powers of radiation so as not to harm others. Knowing that the element that had given him his powers could and would be used by others for evil he took the identity of Atomic-Man and dedicated himself to fighting those who might who would try to pervert its use, along with any other criminals, mad scientists or communists who fell under the glow of his right hand.

References

Crestwood Publications characters Golden Age superheroes Comics characters introduced in 1945 {{Comics-char-stub