Flash Comics #83

In "Twelve Jurors on Trial!", the Atom—still drained from a recent fight with thugs—finds himself pulled into an unexpected evening when Mary James, the newly crowned most popular senior at Calvin College, insists on using her prize money for a date. As they dance, the peace is shattered when two armed thugs storm the venue, forcing the exhausted Atom to summon his final strength to protect the crowd. Written by Joseph Greene and illustrated by Jon Chester Kozlak, this 1947 tale captures a rare moment of vulnerability for the hero, ending with Al Pratt asleep at a table after his heroic effort. The cover, by Joe Kubert, perfectly captures the tension of the scene.