The most challenging aspect of being a hero is continuing to act heroically even when the world at large despises you. It might seem ridiculous to consider that a hero, one that could be considered a superhero no less, would ever be hated for who they are and what they do, but that is the sad reality for one of DC’s most enduring science fiction characters. Adam Strange, the wayward Earthman flung far out into a distant star system, did his very best to not only take care of himself and the woman he fell in love with, but also the alien planet he came to call home. Adam’s altruism came at a cost, however: the people of this planet came to resent him, hate him, and eventually rallied against him. In many ways, Adam Strange exists as the realistic foil to DC’s other resident wayward alien, Superman. Where Superman is revered and loved for his incredible feats and powers, Adam Strange is shunned and looked down upon.Adam Strange debuted in 1958’s Showcase #17 (by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky.) It was here that Adam’s origins were revealed, details that would continue to define his character for decades to come. Adam, an archeologist, was exploring ancient ruins deep within Peru when a bizarre beam of energy struck him. Coming back to his senses, Adam found himself on the alien planet of Rann, deep within the Alpha Centauri star system. It was on Rann that Adam met the alien scientist Sardath, who explained the beam that struck Adam was his own invention, the Zeta-Beam, a means to communicate with alien lifeforms. The radiation of deep space altered the Zeta-Beam and turned it into a teleportation beam, hence why it stole Adam away from Earth. Adam then met Alanna, Sardath’s daughter, and the two quickly found themselves swept up in excitement and danger. The story concluded with Adam suddenly disappearing from Rann, the Zeta-Beam’s effects wearing off, finding himself back on Earth. Determined to return to Alanna and Rann, Adam began to calculate when and were the Zeta-Beam would strike next.These social and civil complications came to a violent and catastrophic head when Adam, having experienced a corrupted version of the Zeta-Beam, attacked Sardath out of confusion, nearly killing him. Believing Adam to finally have shown his true feral nature, the guards of the city of Ranagar chased him off, leaving Sardath on death’s door and a very pregnant Alanna alone. To make matters worse, a civil uprising occurred and deposed the council that guided Ranagar. When Adam finally returned, he found the city destroyed, its council dead, and a rival city launching a full-scale invasion. Sardath, unstable after Adam’s attack, encased Ranagar in a protective dome and lauched the city into space, leaving Rann far behind. The worst blow to all, however, was Alanna’s death during childbirth. Truly lost in space with no home and the love of his life gone, Adam Strange found himself adrift in a sea of despair. The story ended on a positive note, though: a wake-up call snapped Adam out of his depression and brought him to his feet, ready to become a hero to those that needed him, and most importantly, a father to his newborn daughter.
The most challenging aspect of being a hero is continuing to act heroically even when the world at large despises you. It might seem ridiculous to consider that a hero, one that could be considered a superhero no less, would ever be hated for who they are and what they do, but that is the sad reality for one of DC’s most enduring science fiction characters. Adam Strange, the wayward Earthman flung far out into a distant star system, did his very best to not only take care of himself and the woman he fell in love with, but also the alien planet he came to call home. Adam’s altruism came at a cost, however: the people of this planet came to resent him, hate him, and eventually rallied against him. In many ways, Adam Strange exists as the realistic foil to DC’s other resident wayward alien, Superman. Where Superman is revered and loved for his incredible feats and powers, Adam Strange is shunned and looked down upon.
Adam Strange debuted in 1958’s Showcase #17 (by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky.) It was here that Adam’s origins were revealed, details that would continue to define his character for decades to come. Adam, an archeologist, was exploring ancient ruins deep within Peru when a bizarre beam of energy struck him. Coming back to his senses, Adam found himself on the alien planet of Rann, deep within the Alpha Centauri star system. It was on Rann that Adam met the alien scientist Sardath, who explained the beam that struck Adam was his own invention, the Zeta-Beam, a means to communicate with alien lifeforms. The radiation of deep space altered the Zeta-Beam and turned it into a teleportation beam, hence why it stole Adam away from Earth. Adam then met Alanna, Sardath’s daughter, and the two quickly found themselves swept up in excitement and danger. The story concluded with Adam suddenly disappearing from Rann, the Zeta-Beam’s effects wearing off, finding himself back on Earth. Determined to return to Alanna and Rann, Adam began to calculate when and were the Zeta-Beam would strike next.
These social and civil complications came to a violent and catastrophic head when Adam, having experienced a corrupted version of the Zeta-Beam, attacked Sardath out of confusion, nearly killing him. Believing Adam to finally have shown his true feral nature, the guards of the city of Ranagar chased him off, leaving Sardath on death’s door and a very pregnant Alanna alone. To make matters worse, a civil uprising occurred and deposed the council that guided Ranagar. When Adam finally returned, he found the city destroyed, its council dead, and a rival city launching a full-scale invasion. Sardath, unstable after Adam’s attack, encased Ranagar in a protective dome and lauched the city into space, leaving Rann far behind. The worst blow to all, however, was Alanna’s death during childbirth. Truly lost in space with no home and the love of his life gone, Adam Strange found himself adrift in a sea of despair. The story ended on a positive note, though: a wake-up call snapped Adam out of his depression and brought him to his feet, ready to become a hero to those that needed him, and most importantly, a father to his newborn daughter.
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