Public Domain Super Heroes
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Atlas
Atlaschoice1

Real Name

Jim Randall

First Appearance

Daring Adventures #18 (Jan. 1964)

Original Publisher

I.W. Publishing

Created by

Unknown, possibly George Tuska

Origin[]

Jim Randall, an office clerk, was recovering from injuries sustained by trying to protect Linda Thompson's brother Andy from being beaten up by a gang lead by mobster Duke Cazzini. He ends up not only getting himself punched in the face, but also losing Linda's respect because of his delay to act and inability to protect. While he was resting, however, he is visited by Atlas, the "Greek God of Strength." Atlas, feeling sorry for Randall, teaches him his "strange, secret exercises." Randall goes out to his Uncle Hank's ranch in Arizona, where he tries the exercises and gains super strength and agility. He then returns home, with a new costume and his new abilities and defeats Cazzini, who had continued to bother Linda and Andy in Randall's absence.

Public Domain Appearances[]

  • Daring Adventures #18
Daring18

Notes[]

  • Many online sources confuse him with the earlier Atlas, who also only had one appearance.
  • With his "secret exercises" and his transformation from bullied weakling into strongman, Atlas was possibly inspired by the legendary bodybuilder Charles Atlas, whose iconic ads for his "Dynamic Tension" method appeared in comics throughout the Gold and Silver Ages (but not in the one comic where Atlas appeared, whose back cover had an advertisement for Charles Atlas imitator Mike Marvel instead).
  • Atlas' leopard-skin briefs were probably inspired by the standard leopard-skin outfit of circus strongmen going back to the 19th century.
  • The cover to Daring Adventures #18 had Atlas wearing a different, slightly less garish costume. It also portrayed Jim Randall as a chemist rather than a clerk.

See Also[]

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