TITLE: Solar: Man of the Atom – Vol. 1, Issue #10
YEAR: June 1992
COMPANY: Valiant Comics
WRITER: Jim Shooter
PENCILER: D. David Perlin
INKERS: Stan Drake and John Dixon with Paul Autio
COLORIST: Mike Cavallaro
LETTERER: Joe Albello
EDITOR: Bob Layton
Back in 1992, prior to the big “UNITY” event, Valiant Comics featured an arc titled “The Man Who Killed the World”.
The story began with an introduction to an old man named Buck who took a young boy named Geoffrey, and opened up his Geomancer abilities.
Granted, Geoffrey was kidnapped, missing until he was found and brought back to his family. But Geoffrey would be able to talk to objects and see the future, which many felt was in due part to a traumatic experience he suffered from his kidnapping.
Meanwhile, Gilad (the Eternal Warrior) is assisting Toyo Harada in aiding the Harbinger Foundation’s Eggbreakers in capturing Solar, while Solar made a visit to Dr. Pierce, who has the same powers as her but refuses to use it and talks to her about how her baby had to die because he had powers like them and is unable to control or repress it and killed many people.
Meanwhile, as Solar tries to make an attempt to visit his girlfriend Gayle (who is being surveyed by the government and being used to get access to Solar), Dr. Pierce with the help of Phil/Solar’s friend John are trying to take him down.
As Dr. Pierce gives them the means of how to stop Solar, Solar manages to escape and literally swallow the sun from another solar system and is consumed with power.
As he goes back to Earth to quickly visit the love of his life, Gayle, he doesn’t realize that he took in so much power and radiation that it’s super lethal and sure enough, while with Gayle and hugging her, she blows up which then leave’s Solar about to explode with too much power.
But instead of exploding, he manages to go back during a time when Gayle was alive and he comes across Geoff who claims he will bring the end of the world. But is Solar responsible?
This issue features the first appearance of the Eternal Warrior and also the first appearance of Geoff McHenry and Buck McHenry.
I remember getting this issue for its sleek black cover. Granted, it was a second printing (as the cover had a II), but the issue is significant for its first appearance of characters but also be the pre-cursor to the UNITY event that changed the course of Valiant Comics and making it one of the most seeked out comic brand in the early ’90s known for its short print run.