One of the Strongest Justice Leaguers Just Became Stronger Than Superman

Superman is one of the strongest superheroes around. He’s been around since the very start of the genre, and he’s consistently stood as the gold standard for power among his peers. No matter how dangerous the foe, the Man of Steel will rise to match and eventually overcome. However, as strong as Superman is, there are a few other heroes who can give him a run for his money. One of the frontrunners of that very short list is Captain Atom. His nuclear blasts and mastery of energy let him literally rewrite the building blocks of reality, and he can hit as hard as the Man of Steel. Unfortunately, if the Worf Effect had another name, it would be the Captain Atom Effect.

Because of how absurdly powerful he is, Captain Atom is the prime hero to get thrown into the dirt to establish how strong a villain is. He never gets the chance to shine, to the point that his constant need to prove himself feels more like meta commentary than a regular character trait. However, DC’s newest event is finally giving him the chance to shine. DC K.O.: Superman vs Captain Atom pitted the master of the atom against the Man of Steel and gave the already absurdly powerful hero an even bigger power boost, definitively making him stronger than Superman.

The Monarch of Time and Space

The second round of the tournament separated the remaining heroes and villains into one-on-one fights. Captain Atom and Superman were dropped into an empty recreation of Metropolis and instructed to fight in a three-round brawl. Captain Atom dominated the first round because Superman didn’t want to fight. At the start of the second, the Heart of Apokolips offered them the chance to become any version of themselves from the past or future. Captain Atom chose Monarch, a future version of himself whose powers evolved to the point that he could control time itself. Superman chose his golden future as Superman Prime One Million, and managed to outsmart Captain Atom, sneaking the win while still refusing to fight.

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For the final round, Captain Atom decided that he would do everything in his power to win. Instead of picking one version of himself, he combined all of them into a single form. This new form not only had all the reality-warping abilities of Monarch but was amplified to new heights. Superman, who chose to fight as his normal self, was utterly dominated. Captain Atom was so confident and powerful that he tried to take on the Heart of Apokolips itself. While Superman won in the end by merging with Captain Atom’s origin and gaining his powers, this enhanced version of the character is one of the strongest people DC has ever seen, and perfectly reflects his character.

A Man Cursed With Power and Inadequacy 

Captain Atom is definitively one of the most powerful heroes in all of DC. When he cuts loose, almost nobody can stop him, and his new form should have let him decimate Superman with almost no trouble. The problem is that he let himself become corrupted by the Omega Energy, which amplified his dark thoughts and selfish desires. Before the tournament, the Heart showed everyone how they could make the world in their own image if they won. Captain Atom saw his world and decided that he would sacrifice anyone and anything to achieve it. He was willing to eliminate Supergirl and embrace cruelty to advance in the tournament, all to save the world his way, to leave his impact.

Ultimately, this ties back to his biggest character flaw. Ever since he was a kid, Captain Atom has wanted to make an impact on the world. When he became a superhero, his biggest wish was to do something that would make him as beloved as Superman, Wonder Woman, or any of the A-tier heroes. However, he was always forgotten about, even when he gave his life repeatedly for the world. He saw this tournament as his chance to do something Superman couldn’t; be cruel to advance. He embraced hate and jealousy to make himself stronger in the way the tournament wanted. In the end, though, not even becoming a villain was enough to leave an impact.

Captain Atom’s story is one of tragedy as much as it is heroics. He saves the world, but nobody praises him for it, despite that being the only thing he wants. Perhaps that’s what makes him so angry at Superman, since the Man of Tomorrow never asked for praise, but has it heaped onto him. Captain Atom can be the strongest Justice Leaguer of all time, but he still doesn’t have the same presence as Superman.

DC K.O.: Superman vs Captain Atom is on sale now!

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