- Atari Force
"Atari Force" was the name of multiple comic books published by
DC Comics from 1982 to 1986. It was loosely based on trademarks ofAtari, Inc. Creation
In 1982 writers
Gerry Conway andRoy Thomas published the first Atari Force comics, which were created mainly to illustrate story lines forhome console games being released by fellowWarner Communications subsidiary Atari Inc. The comics were packed in with the games "Defender", "Berzerk ", "Star Raiders ", "Phoenix", and "Galaxian ". Artists includedRoss Andru ,Gil Kane ,Dick Giordano , andMike DeCarlo . The team name and Commander Martin Champion are also featured in the "Liberator" arcade game.The original Atari Force was a team of humans from different nations using the multi-dimensional starship "Scanner One" to search for a new planet for humanity to inhabit as the Earth was facing ecological devastation. The team consisted of Martin Champion as mission commander, Lydia Perez as pilot and executive officer, Li-San O'Rourke as security officer, Mohandas Singh as flight engineer, and Dr. Lucas Orion as medical officer. A semi-sentient alien creature named Hukka because of the noise he made later joined as team mascot.
Later series
The second series was released monthly, in conventional comic-book format. Gerry Conway returned as writer while
José Luis García-López became the main pencil artist. However, original series concept artist Ross Andru did draw issues 4-5. In issue #13,Eduardo Barreto took over as penciler and, in #14,Mike Baron became the regular writer through the final issue, #20. Issues 12-20 also featured backup stories by different writers and artists. In 1986, a "Special" issue was released with work by different creators, some of whom had done backup stories for volume II.This second team, formed approximately 25 years after the first, was also led by Martin Champion. He was convinced that the original team's nemesis, the Dark Destroyer, still existed. Although he was correct, most of the rest of humanity did not believe it, but humored him due to his heroic status in successfully leading the original Atari Force to find New Earth. Other team members included Chris "Tempest" Champion, son of Martin Champion and Lydia Perez; Erin "Dart" Bia O'Rourke-Singh, daughter of Mohandas Singh and Li-San O'Rourke; Hukka; Morphea, an
insectoid empath; Babe, an alientoddler of immense size and strength; andPakrat , a humanoid rodentthief . Later additions to the team wereBlackjak , Dart's human lover; Taz, a short alien warrior; and Kargg, the Dark Destroyer's former chief underling.External links
* [http://www.atariage.com/comics/index.html Atari Comic Books at the AtariAge.com] Featuring all pack-in issues of the series.
* [http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/comics/AtariForce/ Atari Force Headquarters] - a fan site that offers far more information on the series.
* [http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/165 Vintage Computing and Gaming] - Humorous in-depth review of "Atari Force" #1.
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