Saturday Showcase: Adam Strange

Adam Strange Vs Giant Robot

    With all the excitement from the 2nd Season of Krypton, I decided to share my love of the character that can be seen weekly on the show.  Of course those of you who are not die hard comic fans will not recognize Adam, but I assure you, they are the same person.  I realize the Adam Strange you see weekly is not in a fancy space outfit, but the heart of the character is there.

     I was first introduced to Adam Strange, in the DC Comics Presents series.  It was the 3rd issue of the series back in 1978.  I was in awe of this "space man" who was fighting along side Superman.  I thought to myself, " where can I see more of this guy?"  Well, I found out that Strange first appeared in the Showcase titles and then the Mysteries in Space run as well.  He was also know to appear via other titles like Justice League and Green Lantern.

Justice League #138

ORIGIN:
    In the comics, Strange is an archeologist suddenly teleported from Peru to the planet Rann through a "Zeta-Beam". Upon his arrival, he is attacked by one of the planet's predators and rescued by a dark-haired woman called Alanna. She takes him to her father Sardath, who explains that the Zeta-Beam was transmitted to Earth in the hopes that whatever form of intelligent life lived there would trace it back to Rann, and he also theorizes that in the 4.3 years it took the Zeta-Beam to reach Earth, it was altered by space radiation into a transportation beam. Called on to protect the planet from extraterrestrial threats using Rann's technology, Strange grew to care for the planet and its inhabitants, especially Alanna.
   Eventually, the effects of the beam's transportation wore off, automatically returning Strange to Earth at the exact point of departure -- but not before Sardath had given him a schedule of beam firings, allowing him to periodically return to the planet. Using mathematical calculations, he was able to determine the exact time and the precise locations at which the Zeta-Beams would arrive. He travels the world and intercepts them, to defend Rann and be with Alanna.

The Green Lantern #6

    In 1997, thanks to Grant Morrison and Mark Waid, Strange was brought back to the fold in a more productive manner.  Sure the suit had changed, but the man was the same.  A hero for 2 worlds.  His popularity grew from this period of time, in my opinion.  He was featured more often and eventually made his mark on the DC toy line as well as appearances on popular cartoons.

Adam Strange, Batman, and Aquaman from the Brave and the Bold series.

    Fast forward to 2017, when the now hit show Krypton was announced for 2018 and one of the characters was none other than Adam Strange played by Shaun Sipos.  There are some major differences between the comic Adam and the television Adam, but I think those changes made the character more believable and definitely more entertaining.  

Shaun Sipos as Adam Strange on SyFy's Krypton.

Just the Facts:

• First appearance: Showcase #17 (November 1958)
• Created by Julius Schwartz & Murphy Anderson

Abilities:
 - Wears a jet pack spacesuit that allows for sustained flight and interstellar travel
 - Carries energy blast guns
 - Generates solid-light equipment via spacesuit
 - Cloned eyes can see into the whole electromagnetic spectrum

Allies:
 - Superman
 - Hawkman
 - Green Lantern
 - Batman
 - Sardath

Well, that's all folks.  Until next time, get your READ on!