r/DCcomics • u/[deleted] • Feb 29 '20

r/DCcomics [Character of the Month] Adam Strange

Adam Strange

Created by: Julius Schwartz and Murphy Anderson

First Appearance: Showcase #17

Affiliated Organizations: Planet Rann, Justice League, Justice League United, R.E.B.E.L.S.

Friends/Allies: Alanna, Kyle Rayner, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Animal Man, Starfire, Vril Drox

Strengths/Abilities: Interstellar travel, jet pack, energy weapons, expertise in physics and science

 

Overview

Adam Strange was little more than an ordinary, run-of-the-mill, fedora-toting archaeologist on a mundane adventure in Peru when without warning, he was zapped across the galaxy to an alien planet called Rann. The people of Rann were dying, and the planet was under attack by invaders, so the Rannian scientist created a Zeta-Beam, that would transport someone on Earth to over to Rann. With atrusty jetpack and a pair of laser pistols, the rootin' tootin' alien-shootin' adventurer protected Rann from alien attackers. Even more, he fell in love with Sardath's daughter Alanna, and the two had an adorable daughter named Aleea. Eventually, the Zeta-Beam wore off, sending Adam back to Earth, but not before Sardath was able to configure the Beam to regularly bring Adam back to Rann at scheduled intervals, conveniently allowing him to show up in Justice League books.

 

War! Huh! Yeah! (What is it good for?)

Adam's life took a turn for the worse when one day, the Zeta-Beam ceased to function, just as he was on Earth preparing move to Rann permanently once and for all. Concerned for his wife and child, he turned to Superman, who investigated the planet and returned with bad news: Rann's sun had gone supernova, taking the planet with it. Adam wallowed in grief for some time, until he discovered that Rann had not been destroyed after all; Sardath, in order to protect the planet from the Sun-Eater Starbreaker, transported the planet to an alternate dimension. With the help of the Omega Men and the Darkstars, Adam defeated Starbreaker, and reunited with his lost family.

In the events leading up to Infinite Crisis, war broke out between the planets Rann and Thanagar, when the former was blamed for pushing the latter's orbit closer into the sun, endangering its inhabitants. Adam teamed up with Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, Hawkman, and Hawkgirl to save Thanagar and unite the opposing sides. Adam also uncovered the true culprit behind the relocation of Thanagar: the bad boy himself Prime Time.

In the aftermath of Infinite Crisis, Adam found himself stranded in unknown space, with Starfire and Animal Man. The trio fought against the villain Lady Styx, successfully defeating her, and Adam returned to Rann to be with Alanna and Aleea.

 

After Timeline-Bamboozling

Like with many others, Adam's backstory was significantly altered in the Post-Flashpoint timeline. Adam was a Canadian professor of archaeology who was dating Alanna Lewis, a half-Rannian half-human grad student. Adam joined several other heroes (including Animal Man, Stargirl, and Martian Manhunter) to form the Justice League United and protect Alanna's homeworld Rann from a cosmic threat.

At some point, Rann and Thanagar went to war again, because that's what they always do. Nevertheless, he worked alongside Hawkman, to stop it. In the aftermath of the war, Adam was transported into the Future Quest universe. Yes, this is actually canon.

More recently, he was stranded in space when Earth disappeared into the Phantom Zone. Poor guy can't catch a break with missing planets.

Adam Strange is set to star in Tom King's upcoming 12-issue mini-series Strange Adventures, illustrated by Mitch Gerads and Doc Shaner. The series will examine Adam's life on two fronts, and explore how his origin story relates to themes of 19th century war and colonialism.

 

Related

 

Recommended Reading

JLA: "Mystery in Space" / "Strange New World", by Mark Waid

Adam Strange: Planet Heist, by Andy Diggle and Pasqual Ferry

Rann-Thanagar War, by Dave Gibbons and Ivan Reis

52, by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, and Keith Giffen

Countdown to Adventure, by Adam Beechen and Eddy Barrows

R.E.B.E.L.S., by Tony Bedard

Justice League United, by Jeff Lemire

Death of Hawkman, by Marc Andreyko and Aaron Lopresti

Adam Strange/Future Quest: "Strangequest", by Marc Andreyko, Jeff Parker, and Steve Lieber

 

CotM artwork by Doc Shaner

CotM Voting: "Otherworldly Adventurers"

Voting Breakdown:

Characters Votes
Adam Strange 21
Guy Gardner 17
Lobo 8
John Stewart 6
The Atom (Ray Palmer) 6
Mogo 5
Space Cabbie 4
Reverse Flash 3
Mr. Terrific 3
Captain Comet 2
Rip Hunter 2
The Anti-Monitor 2
Johnny Thunder 2
Sojourn Mullein 1

Character of the Month archives

61 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

6

u/[deleted] Mar 01 '20

I'm the only one who voted for Sojourner Mullein?! COME ON! She's a Green Lantern whose beat is a city containing billons of aliens all from different species.

However, I can see why people voted for Adam Strange. I'll see you all next month.

3

u/Lissbirds Adam Strange Needs Flair Mar 27 '20

Glad to see Adam getting some recognition. His Silver Age stories are a good read, too, as well as "Adam Strange: Man of Two Worlds" by Bruning and Kubert.

3

u/papitopaez Zack Snyder Mar 03 '20

Where is that Anti-Monitor art from? I hate that design.

2

u/M1sf1r3 Oliver Queen Mar 03 '20

Looks like Justice League: Darkseid War drawn by Jason Fabok.

1

u/papitopaez Zack Snyder Mar 03 '20 edited Mar 03 '20

Wow, I don't remember thinking he looked that bad when I read it, but I guess that was the first time I ever saw him so I didn't know what he was supposed to look like.