COMIC DETAILS
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Comic Description:
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Atom 18 Universal
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Grade:
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9.8
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Page Quality:
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WHITE
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Pedigree:
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Twin Cities
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Certification #:
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0915033003
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Owner:
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Mississippi Mudcats
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SET DETAILS
Owner's Description
In “The Hole in the Wall Lawman”, Atom has a feeling of deja-vu when he is hiding out in a safe that he hid in previously while fighting the Hyper-Thief. When crooks crack the safe again, he springs out and knocks out the two thugs that are in the room. While the Atom is knocking these crooks out and signaling the police, the real thief -- a costumed crook named the Black Phantom -- is robbing the safe of it's contents and leaving his calling card: A single thumb print linking himself to the crime.
Back at police headquarters, Atom and the police compare notes about the Black Phantoms activities. Studying the Phantom's routine, they know that he robs three locations in a given city before moving on and that he has successfully robbed two locations in Ivy Town already. They then decide to set up a trap for him, by guarding all the potential spots for theft except for one which Atom will hide out in. However, the Black Phantom has anticipated this move and while the police and Atom are staking out various safes around the city, the Phantom has broken into a scientific lab and stolen a powerful new experimental bomb. When they realize what's happened, they are informed by Professor Morton Oldham that the bomb has power enough to completely destroy Ivy Town.
When Atom is planted in another safe in another attempt to apprehend the Black Phantom, he suddenly suffers a dizzy spell and finds himself transported back in time 24 hours into the past. Coming to the conclusion that residual energy from the Time Pool has caused this twist of fate, Atom finds that strange vibrations prevent him from doing more than reliving the last 24 hours over exactly as they had happened, including failing to stop the Black Phantom from robbing the safe he and stealing the bomb. There is only one minor difference: When reliving a date that he had with Jean as Ray Palmer, Atom notices that the vibrations strangely ceased when they arrived at a restaurant called the Blue Door.
That night when placed back in the safe where he previously was shunted back in time, Atom instead finds that time continues to go forward and the Black Phantom arrives to rob the bank. Although the Phantom has prepared by having a vial of tear-gas handy, Atom manages to escape its effect by shrinking small enough to hide within the carpet. Using his size changing powers, Atom manages to defeat and capture the Black Phantom.
Unmasked and taken into police custody, the Phantom gloats that the bomb that he had stolen is his ace in the hole: If the police do not let him free, the bomb will go off at 2:00 in the afternoon killing them all. Knowing that he stole the bomb, the police are hard pressed and are about to let him go when Atom realizes that the strange vibrations of chronal energy stopped vibrating due to his proximity to the radioactive materials of the bomb. Using this as a guide, Atom leads the police to the Phantom's hideout, which is not far from the Blue Door Restaurant and disarms the bomb with a minute to spare.
Our WP 9.8 comes from the Twin Cities Collection and is one of three highest graded copies, We acquired the book in the 8/30/2020 Heritage Auction.
2024 Update: There are now four 9.8s atop the Census.
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