Action-Plus: Air-Wave and The Atom (AC524 – 1981)

Action-Plus: Air Wave and The Atom (October, 1981)
“Catastrophe by Calculation!”
Writer – Bob Rozakis
Pencils – Alex Saviuk
Inks – Vince Colletta
Colors – Tom Ziuko
Letters – Todd Klein
Edits – Julius Schwartz
From: Action Comics #524


Wasn’t planning on dipping back into the Action-Pluses just yet… but, have been bogged down in research for an upcoming piece that I’m really excited to be able to share.  Doin’ a ton of physical-media research on this one… my entire office floor is covered in early-80’s Comics Journals, Amazing Heroes, not to mention more contemporary comics history-focused mags like Back Issue!, Alter-Ego and what-not.  It’s gonna be a fun one… but, it’s also gonna be a lonnnnng one.


Til then, however, it’s time for some Action-Plus!  Please keep reading… ya boy is lonely!  Would it help if I said this one featured Hal Jordan?!


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Time for some Action-Plus, starring the Atom and Air-Wave!  We open during the trial of supervillain The Calculator.  A Professor Hyatt is on the witness stand, and states that the Calculator broke into his lab to steal his “Hurricane Harness”.

The Calculator sits by his attorney, and whispers “Where is the Hurricane Harness?”… which is picked up by the… get this… Micro-Speaker he’d planted in Hyatt’s ear… soooo, Hyatt answers the question, perhaps thinking the Prosecutor asked it?  I guess?

The court goes into disorder… and the Calculator releases a Computerized Cacophony… in the form of the Space Invaders video game… which causes enough of a distraction for him to escape.

Ray Palmer, who is also present, uses the opportunity to shrink down.  The Calculator throws him to the side on his way out… well, that was super-effective.  Anyhoo, the Atom decides to make a phone call to his pal Hal in Dal…las.  Hal Jordan that is… but not that one.  We’re talking Air Wave here folks!

After a pit-stop at the Watchtower, the two heroes confront the Calculator before he can swipe the Hurricane Harness… annnnd, it’s pretty academic.  Air Wave does his thing and shorts out the Calculator’s… er, calculator.  The end.

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This back-up strip… was a thing that happened… and a thing that I read.  Really, outside of the neat Space Invaders effects, not a whole lot to discuss here.  The Calculator is handily beaten by the super-team of the Atom and Air Wave.  Not bad… but not really much to say.


I feel like Hal and Ray might be a fun little tandem… and I bet I’d probably dig reading a collection of their team-ups, but this one-off really left me wanting!