WARNING! Spoilers for Justice League: The Atom Project #2DC Comics' most powerful hero,Captain Atom, has decided he no longer wants his superpowers in a massive change to his status quo. Despite surpassingSupermanwhen he uses them, Captain Atom is giving up his quantum abilities and will stop at nothing to be rid of them for good - even if it means betraying the Justice League.
The recently announcedJustice League: The Atom Projectseries by John Ridley, Ryan Parrott, and Mike Perkins follows three atomic heroes - Captain Atom, Ray Palmer’s Atom, and Ryan Choi’s Atom - as they run the Atom Project and aim to restoreheroes' powers that have been switched. However, according to DC’s February solicitations, Captain Atom has other plans.

February 5th, 2025
Variant Covers:
Leirix, Kevin Wada, Carmine Di Giandomenico
As Nathaniel Adam makes a desperate attempt to escape the return of his atomic superpowers…another strange transformation within the hero known as Captain Atom begins! And this time, the good captain’s powers will change the trajectory of the Justice League forever! Plus: dissent brews in the ranks among the science team at the heart of the Atom Project on the Watchtower…so why is Ryan Choi leading the mutiny?
Captain Atom is doing whatever he can to avoid regaining his superpowers, even as he faces the emergence of a new form.The Atom Project - and the entire hero community - hangs in the balance as Captain Atom rejects his Superman-level powers.

Captain Atom Is Officially Getting Rid of His God-Tier Abilities
Justice League’s Powerhouse No Longer Wants His Powers, With Good Reason
Nathaniel Adam made his DC Comics debut in 1986’sCaptain Atom#1 by Cary Bates and Pat Broderick, in which he was subjected to experimentation that sent him eighteen years into the future. When he emerged, hisnewfound quantum powersmade him unrecognizable, but that was far from the worst tragedy he faced. His wife had died within those years, and his children grew up and moved on with their lives.While Captain Atom’s powers are enviable on a surface level, the story of how he obtained them unearths a layer of tragedy that continues to underscore his superhero career.
DC’s Most Powerful Hero Reveals His Greatest Power, & It Makes Superman Look Pointless
The strongest hero in the DC Universe just unveiled a shocking new ability that puts Superman to shame, proving he has what it takes to become a god.
The heartbreaking loss of his family is enough to fuel Captain Atom’s disdain towards his superhuman abilities, but a certain deadly side effect proves that their downsides extend beyond emotional baggage. His powers allow him to charge up quantum energy and release it in blasts, achieving a level of power that’sstronger than Superman.The caveat here is that storing this much quantum energy causes Captain Atom to frequently explode with the force of an atomic bomb.As a result, he hasdied from his own powerful explosionsin multiple continuities, making his powers a safety hazard for himself and others.

Our Take on Captain Atom Defying the Justice League to Avoid Regaining His Powers
DC’s Heroes Need Their Powers Restored - At Captain Atom’s Expense
It isn’t difficult to understand whyCaptain Atom is willing to waste his powersafter the hardships he’s endured because of them. At the end of the day, though, the DC Universe is relying on him to help restore balance via the Atom Project. If Captain Atom prevents superpowers from returning to their rightful owners, the world will plunge further into chaos, and no true hero should stand by while that happens. Like it or not, Captain Atom is doomed to beDC Comics' strongest superhero, and it’s only a matter of time before he reclaims that status with his quantum powers.
Justice League: The Atom Project#2will be available February 5th, 2025 from DC Comics.
