ATOM SMASHER

Real Name: Ronald English

Identity/Class: Human mutate

Occupation: Professional Criminal

Group Membership: former employee of Cross Technological Enterprises (CTE)

Affiliations: Led band of agents

Enemies: Atom Smasher (Michael English), Black Goliath, Connors, Warhawk

Known Relatives: Michael English (Atom Smasher, brother, deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Los Angeles, California, USA

First Appearance: Black Goliath#1 (February, 1976)

Powers: Atom-Smasher could generate and project radiation for a variety of effects. He could amplify his powers vastly by temporarily transforming into pure energy. In human form, he had the same vulnerabilities as a normal human. He wore a suit which allowed him to utilize his radiation powers without killing himself.

Atom-Smasher also utilized a gang of henchmen to assist him in his missions. These men appeared to have some fighting experience, but no formal training.

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 175 lbs. (negligible as pure energy)
Eyes: Red pupils, apparently white iris (original color unrevealed)
Hair: Apparently bald

History:
(Marvel Fanfare I#3/2 (fb) - BTS/ Marvel Two-In-One#85 (fb) - BTS) - Working with his brother Michael, Ronald English designed a prototype Nucleonic Radiator while employed by Cross Technological Enterprises (CTE). When Ronald refused to let CTE cheat him out of the patent rights to the Radiator, his supervisor, Connors has him fired. English took his plans with him and built a new device which he used to become the super-villain Atom-Smasher.

(Black Goliath#1-2) - Atom-Smasher was raiding a series of scientific installations in an effort to accumulate a large store of radioactive material, such as radium. He was opposed by the superhero Black Goliath, whom he overpowered, but was forced to flee before succeeding in obtaining the radium.

(Black Goliath#2-3) - Atom-Smasher's next planned theft was similarly opposed by Black Goliath. Black Goliath succeeded in temporarily trapping Atom-Smasher, but a sniper (Warhawk)'s bullet creased Goliath's skull. Atom-Smasher took advantage of the confusion to break free, but was then executed by a bullet to the head from Warhawk.

(Marvel Two-In-One#55) - Atom-Smasher's corpse was brought to Project: PEGASUS for study and containment.

Comments: Created by Tony Isabella and George Tuska.

    In Marvel Two-In-One#85, another Atom Smasher, brother of the original, appeared and claimed responsibility for his brother's death. The guy giving the orders to the assassin looks a lot like the Kingpin from behind the scenes. Maybe the energy power sped up his metabolism dramatically, or the man seen was an intermediary for Atom Smasher.
The "Final Answer" as revealed by "the Continental Op":
    The mystery behind Warhawk's employer in the Black Goliath series was actually resolved in, of all places, a Hawkeye story in the back of MARVEL FANFARE I#3.  Hawkeye and el Aguila defeat a Cross Technological Enterprises executive named Connors, who STRONGLY resembles the Kingpin (at least from behind; Connors has a moustache, but is bald, hugely fat/muscular, wears rings and a fancy suit complete with scarf and diamond stickpin, etc.). Connors reveals to them that Crosstech has a working model of a "nucleonic radiator" that "was developed by a former employee. He had to be… released when he got—ERR—huffy about patent rights." The device "emits killing radiation at short range" that can be blocked by an insulated suit worn by the user; Connors intends to sell the weapon to third-world dictatorships. Reading between the lines, it's obvious that the original Atom-Smasherw as the scientist who created the nucleonic radiator and used it to become a criminal when Crosstech tried to cheat him out of the patent, or something. And Connors "released" him by hiring Warhawk to whack the guy. The shadowy "Kingpin" figure calling the shots in the earlier story was Connors. (How to explain the Atom-Smasher's brother taking the credit? Well, either he was used as a third party by Connors to hire Warhawk without being directly connected, or maybe he just hated his brother enough to claim the credit anyway).