The first wave of the DC K.O. event is over. 16 DC heroes and villains have survived to compete for the power of Darkseid and the title of King Omega. For obvious reasons, this tournament does not sit right with the Man of Steel or his personal ban against lethal force. Despite this, the events of DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom #1 will see Superman pushed to new limits and beyond.
Written by Joshua Williamson, with art by Sean Izaakse, DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom #1 centers around the contest between the two heroes. This contest takes the form of a simple fight, with the winner of two out of three rounds moving on.
Captain Atom poses an interesting challenge for the Man of Steel, as one of the few heroes who can potentially hurt him. His energy powers allow him to generate specific radiation signatures, like Kryptonite or red sunlight. He can also drain the solar energy out of Superman’s body. All this allows Captain Atom to handily win the first round.
(Image Source: DC Comics / Sean Izaakse)
The second round introduces a new wrinkle. Both heroes are allowed to take on a form from somewhere in their personal timeline. Captain Atom chooses the form of Monarch, a future version of himself who became a tyrant. Contrastingly, Superman chooses the form of Superman-Prime, his future self from the 853rd century in DC One Million.
How Superman just became even more powerful
(Image Source: DC Comics / Sean Izaakse)
Seemingly made of living golden metal, Superman-Prime is near invincible after several centuries living inside Earth’s sun. However, Superman returns to his current body for the final round, fearful of losing himself in such power. Conversely, Captain Atom tries to absorb the power of all his incarnations and challenges the Heart of Apokolips managing the contest.
(Image Source: DC Comics / Sean Izaakse)
Whether as a punishment for breaking the rules or as a side effect of the energy unleashed, Superman gains Captain Atom’s powers. This allows him to win the final round. It also potentially makes him invincible against most of his classic weaknesses. He could negate the radiation of Kryptonite and draw power from all forms of stellar radiation beyond yellow sunlight. Apart from magic, there is seemingly little that can harm the Man of Steel now.
DC K.O.: Superman vs. Captain Atom #1 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
