Origin
The character follows an established pattern of men from the planet Earth who are summoned to the cosmos. He is teleported from Earth to the planet Rann by the Zeta Beam where he discovers the iconic helmet and red suit and which he uses to pursue a superhero career on this planet. It is revealed that a Rannian scientist by the name of Sardath had created the Zeta Beam as a means of communicating with Earth but had accidentally created a teleportation machine instead. It was also revealed that the effects of the beam were temporary and that Adam would eventually be sent back. It was also through Sardath that Adam would meet his future romantic interest, Alanna.
Creation
Adam Strange was introduced in Showcase, a comic book series from the 1950s and 1960s which served the purpose of introducing a character to see if they might be a popular addition to the DC lineup. This featured such additions as the creation of the silver age Flash (Barry Allen). Adam Strange was introduced in issue 17 and featured in a story that ran through until issue 19. After his introduction he was mostly ignored until later in the 1960s when DC decided to launch on a new direction in its titles focusing more on science fiction than on fantasy or mystical elements. Adam Strange came to be featured in the series Mystery in Space, where he gained the greatest deal of his popularity.
Character Evolution
Only occasionally headlining his own series, Adam Strange has more often been reduced to that of a secondary or supporting character in the history of the DC universe. The majority of the time which he spent headlining his own series was in the 1960s where continuity in character development was not a staple of writing form. Even so he did experience some development in that he came to be more attracted to Alanna and the two eventually married. In addition although his character development was mostly ignored afterwards as he was mostly assigned a guest role in comic book titles, he became to be regarded as an experienced and trustworthy hero. As a guest character he is most commonly seen with either Hawkman, Swamp Thing or the Justice League of America. Some time later in an attempt to make him appear more mature, his daughter Aleea was introduced to continuity. Adam also has two pets, Stranger and Strangest.
Major Story Arcs
Adam Strangeâs early stories were mostly one shots, in that there was little continuity from one story to the next as each story was self contained in an issue. These stories typically started with Adam Strange on Earth from where he would be transported to Rann by the Zeta Beam and where he would usually be met by Alanna who informed him of some planetary threat. At the end of such an issue he would routinely be returned to Earth (although the Zeta beam would later be modified so that Adam could stay on Rann.)
Following the cancellation of Mystery in Space, Adam began to show up periodically in various publications, most notably in Hawkman and the Justice League of America, with whom he was made an honorary member.
The next major appearances of Adam Strange were in the pages of the Swamp Thing after the writer (Alan Moore) decided to set the title characterâs stories in space. The character in this case was given some more depth as questions pertaining to him were answered (involving such topics as his relationship with Alanna, Rannian technology, and Rannian society.) After a nuclear war Swamp Thing helped the planet to be remade (by terraforming it) but the inhabitants, including Adam Strange were left to decide how to proceed with their future. Building on this appearance Adam Strange would soon after appear in his own miniseries.
His next appearance was in the pages of Mark Waidâs JLA though this is generally regarded as not a part of continuity, as the depiction here ignored some vital parts of the characterâs history. Another short lived series appeared in 2004.
In terms of his relevance to modern DC continuity his most important contributions were to the Rann-Thanagarian War. Adam Strange is one the planetâs leaders against the Thanagarians although it is later revealed that both planets have been set up to battle another. Adam would later join R.E.B.E.L.S. a loose group of freedom fighters led by Vril Dox.
DC New 52
When the DC Relaunch of most of DC Comics’ stories happened in September of 2011, Adam Strange is yet to re-appear. Adam Strange was mentioned that he will be a Canadian superhero with other superhero’s such as Booster Gold. In 2013 some of the members will be from Canada in the New Justice League of America series as part of the DC New 52 Series.
Island of No Return/ War Zone
Towards the end of Justice League United, the team is investigating an anomaly they have called the Breakers, something left over from the Convergence. While trapped inside a Breaker, Adam uses the Zeta Beam to teleport the team out but he gets trapped in the Zeta Beam itself.
Being trapped, Adam can see all the breakers and knows just how to destroy them. He uses this knowledge to form a team that is specifically suited to stop each individual breaker.
Powers and Abilities
Wears a suit with built in jet pack and protected for survival in space. Carries an energy gun in a holster. Also a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, a skilled scientist and a battle tested leader. After being blinded during the events of Infinite Crisis and during most of 52 he has his eyesight returned to him after Sardath cloned eyes from his daughter. These new eyes were enhanced to see across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Character Profile
- Height: 6’0″
- Weight: 175 lbs
- Eye Color: Blue
- Hair Color: Blond
- Citizenship: Canadian
- Marital Status: Married
- Occupation: Professor, Archaeologist
- Known Relatives: Alanna Strange (wife), Sardath (father-in-law)
- Base of Operations: Canada
Character Appearances
Other Media
Television
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Adam Strange appears in the episodes “Mystery in Space” and “Four Star Spectacular!“
Young Justice
Adam Strange makes his first appearance in the season premier of Young Justice: Invasion, titled “Happy New Years!” Adam is a scientist that works for S.T.A.R. Labs, and is responsible for the maintaining of the Justice League and Young Justice’s zeta beam teleportation technology. Through Martian Manhunter’s mind linking ability, he told the team the story of how he went to the planet Rann. While he was working on a zeta tube, he found himself halfway across the galaxy on the planet Rann, where he met the alien scientist Sardath. While there for weeks, he learned of Sardath’s enhanced zeta beam technology, and figured out that some of the tech was stolen. It was revealed that when Sardath was attempting to trace where his tech went, he accidentally teleported Adam to his world. Before leaving Rann, Adam was given a piece of technology capable of showing the locations of where the Kroloteans teleported themselves to earth. Strange also revealed that the unaccounted members from five years ago (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, John Stewart and Hawkwoman) are wanted criminals in Rann’s area of the galaxy, also that humans aren’t welcome. So as not to cause trouble, a team consisting of Strange, Miss Martian, Superboy and Beast Boy are sent to investigate Rann to figure out what happened during the unaccounted sixteen hours.
Krypton
Adam Strange (played by Shaun Sipos) is one of the main characters in the Krypton tv series. He is a superhero from 200 years in the future, travels to Krypton using the Zeta-Beam before Superman was born to find Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El, to give him a message that someone from the future is coming to destroy Krypton so that Superman will never born. So, Seg-El and Adam work together to find that man and prevent him from erasing Superman from existence.
Film
Adam Strange makes a brief appearance in Justice League: The New Frontier.
DC Showcase: Adam Strange is an animated short that was included in the film Justice League Dark: Apokolips War.