Atomic Dreams – – Nuclear Nightmares!
Infinity Inc #8
Cover Date: November 1984
Released:16th August 1984
We start with a bit of a double-dip as we get a (nice) full-page splash of the group of the heroes over the, apparently, unconscious form of Steve Trevor. We then go through how Diana wanted to gift him with immortality as she was watching him get older whilst she aged much, much slower. They then have a spat about whether to take him to a nearby hospital or to Paradise Island, Wonder Woman still being under the influence and all. After a quick scuffle, she flees in her invisible jet with Steve to get him looked after.
Then talking of hospitals we visit Jay Garrick (Flash) recovering in hospital and talking with the Mayor from earlier in the story. Dr Mid-nite and Shiera rock up to find out what’s happening, which helpfully means we can get an update in the story so far and Infinity Inc’s involvement in the whole thing. The Alan Scott (Green Lantern) hijacks the signal, spoiling Expositional New Network report, saying he’s shutting all television down unless it’s to what he wants to show, which is mostly him!
Jade and Obsidian decide to go and stop Alan before someone else does, being as they may or may not be his kids. And leave the story for it to be picked up next issue. Meanwhile, Nuklon figures out that the Atom is probably going to get himself irradiated to get back some of the power he’s lost over the decades, helpful only one reactor has the radioactive material that he needs. Wildcat, who was with them by the way, says they have a jet and offers to help him out.
When the fight breaks out, at said Nuclear Power Plant, Wildcat is alas quickly taken out and we get an extended fight between Nuklon and Atom. Things start out well for our hero Nuklon but he gets a burst of the radiation that Atom was after, potentially harmful to the young hero, before being crushed beneath a massive chunk of Kirby tech.
Watching this with a nice bottle of wine is Ulta-Humanite, who right now is riding pretty high as he’s almost certainly winning right now. We then have a check-in between him and a mysterious benefactor called The Monitor, though I’m sure it’ll have no effect on things whatsoever…
As a final moment, we get Dr Mid-nite and Shiera up in the mountains, where Star-Spangled kid and Brainwave were seen last, finding something that might be helpful in winning the fight!
This is a middle story issue fights are happening and the heroes are all on the back foot, but things are on the edge of turning around. Not that it’s a bad thing and this is a solid comic, I’m less interested in the characters we have here (Power girl just gets a call out and Huntress a single panel, at least we have Shiera for a few panels). It sounds like I’m damming with faint praise, but there’s nothing objectable about this issue, I’m just looking forward to what the next one has to offer.
⋅ Writer: Roy Thomas / Dann Thomas ⋅ Penciler: Jerry Ordway ⋅
⋅ Inker: Mike Machlan / Tony DeZungia ⋅ Colourist: Anthony Tollin / Adrienne Roy ⋅
⋅ Letterer: David Cody Weiss ⋅ Editors: Roy Thomas ⋅
⋅ Writer: Roy Thomas / Dann Thomas ⋅ Penciler: Jerry Ordway ⋅
⋅ Inker: Mike Machlan / Tony DeZungia ⋅ Colourist: Anthony Tollin / Adrienne Roy ⋅
⋅ Letterer: David Cody Weiss ⋅ Editors: Roy Thomas ⋅