The Atomic Skull

Albert Michaels, a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist afflicted with a neurological disorder, was cured by SKULL operatives who then coerced him into their service as the Atomic Skull, a radioactive villain capable of projecting atomic energy blasts against Superman.

Crackling out of the Bronze Age in Superman #323, The Atomic Skull is one of DC's more electrifyingly named villains, brought to life by the legendary Curt Swan in 1978. Nearly five decades of DC history have kept this character in the conversation, turning up across landmark reference works like Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe — the kind of canonical recognition that cements a character's place in the mythology. Sharing pages with titans like Superman, Green Lantern, and The Flash speaks to the company this figure keeps in the broader DC universe. For collectors with a taste for Bronze Age atmosphere and the deep cuts that make DC's rogues' gallery so richly textured, The Atomic Skull is absolutely worth a closer look.