Atlas is a

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

appearing an

American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'', ...

published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...

. It debuted in ''

1st Issue Special ''1st Issue Special'' was a comics anthology series from DC Comics, done in a similar style to their ''Showcase'' series. It was published from April 1975 to April 1976. The goal was to showcase a new possible first issue of an ongoing series ea ...

'' #1 (April 1975) and was created by

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He gre ...

Publication history

The first Golden Age version of a character named Atlas in DC Comics appeared in ''

Action Comics ''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications ...

'' #121 (June 1948). The second appearance of an Atlas was in ''Action Comics'' #320 (January 1965). The third was in ''Action Comics'' #353 (August 1967). The Jack Kirby Atlas' first and only appearance prior to ''

Superman Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...

'' #677 was in ''

'' #1.As seen in ''1st Issue Special'' #1 (April 1975). James Robinson brought Atlas back in ''Superman'' #678. According to Robinson, Atlas is going to save humanity: "The way I like to look at him is like in the

Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Super-teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardians o ...

Namor Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for comic book packager Funnies Inc ...

is a hero but he really skates the fine line between being a hero and a villain, but he stays on the side of the hero. Atlas, skates that line between hero and villain but he ultimately always falls on the villain side". He continued to say that Atlas will become a major player in the Superman mythos moving forward and there will be some real twists to the character. One of the earlier characters named Atlas re-appeared in

Grant Morrison Grant Morrison, MBE (born 31 January 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. Their work is known for its nonlinear narratives, humanist philosophy and countercultural leanings. Morrison has written extensively for th ...

's ''

All-Star Superman ''All-Star Superman'' is a twelve-issue American comic book series featuring Superman that was published by DC Comics. The series ran from November 2005 to October 2008. The series was written by Grant Morrison, drawn by Frank Quitely, and digita ...

'', where a version of Atlas appears in issue #3. This Atlas is more closely based on the mythological figure of

Atlas An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth. Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geogra ...

and competes with Superman and

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

to "win"

Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning journalist for ...

, similar to the story in ''Action Comics'' #320 from January 1965.

Fictional character biography

The Jack Kirby Atlas' family and people were slain by the raiders of Hyssa the Lizard King. Atlas was raised by a wise and mysterious traveller named Chagra. Because of an alien crystal carried by Atlas, Chagra theorized that Atlas was one of the people of the Crystal Mountain. Chagra agrees to help Atlas achieve his revenge, but only if Atlas leads him to the Crystal Mountain. Atlas grew up to become a protector of the innocent, but once King Hyssa was defeated, his petulance and darker nature came to the forefront. Atlas returns in ''Superman'' #677 as part of '' The Coming of Atlas'' storyline and his origin is retold in issue #678 where he is seen saving citizens of

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

he himself had endangered. He is currently working with a secret government project that intends to kill Superman. Atlas wants to defeat Superman and replace him as Metropolis' champion on his way to conquer the modern world. He fights the Science Police and Superman. He holds the upper hand on Superman for most of the battle, but is interfered with by his dog

Krypto Krypto, also known as Krypto the Superdog, is a fictional superhero dog appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the character Superman. In most continuities, Krypto is Superman's pet dog, usually dep ...

, who seems to be powered by magic. Atlas eventually defeats Krypto and prepares to kill him only for Superman to re-enter the fight and defeat him with some magical enhancement from Zachary Zatara. Atlas' return and fight with Superman was described as part of a ruse intended to test Project 7734, a governmental project that utilizes magic in an effort to kill Superman, who is vulnerable to magic. Atlas continues to work for this project. Atlas is later kidnapped and brainwashed into fighting the

Justice League The Justice League (also known as The Justice League of America) are a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). The team was conceived b ...

by an unknown party. After being defeated by the team, Atlas explains to

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

that he has no idea who captured him in the first place.''Justice League of America'' vol. 2 #42 (April 2010)

Other versions

Kingdom Come

* A character resembling Atlas appeared in '' Kingdom Come'' #2 (May 1996). This version of Atlas, was included in the series, wherein he is described as a "legendary demigod figure".

In other media

Films

* Atlas appears in ''

'', voiced by

Steven Blum Steven Jay Blum (; born April 29, 1960) is an American voice actor. Known for his distinctively deep voice, his most well-known roles include Spike Spiegel from the anime series '' Cowboy Bebop'', Garazeb Orrelios from the animated series ''S ...

Television

* Atlas appears in ''

Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to ...

'' episode "Only Human", voiced by

Keith David Keith David Williams (born June 4, 1956) is an American actor. He is known for his signature deep voice and commanding screen presence in over 300 roles across film, stage, television, and interactive media. He has starred in such films as '' T ...

. Here he's portrayed as a robot instead of a human.

References

External links

DCU Guide: Atlas

Comicvine: Atlas

CBR: James Robinson Interview
{{Jack Kirby DC Comics male superheroes Comics characters introduced in 1975 Fantasy comics DC Comics characters with superhuman strength Fictional kings Characters created by Jack Kirby Articles about multiple fictional characters