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| Erik Josten | |
|---|---|
 Erik Josten as Atlas seen on the cover ofNew Thunderbolts #12 (Nov. 2005). Art byTom Grummett. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | As Power Man: The Avengers #21 (Oct. 1965)[1] As Smuggler: Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #49 (Dec. 1980) As Goliath: Iron Man Annual #7 (Oct. 1984) As Atlas: The Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #449 (Jan. 1997) |
| Created by | Power Man: Stan Lee Don Heck Smuggler: Roger Stern Jim Mooney Atlas: Kurt Busiek Mark Bagley |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Erik Stephan Josten |
| Species | Human mutate |
| Team affiliations | Thunderbolts Lethal Legion Masters of Evil Emissaries of Evil Defenders Revengers |
| Partnerships | Swordsman |
| Notable aliases | Power Man,Smuggler,Goliath,Atlas |
| Abilities | Pym particle/Ionic-energy physiology
|
Erik Josten, also known asPower Man,Smuggler,Goliath andAtlas, is a fictional character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. The character has been a prominent member of both theMasters of Evil and theThunderbolts.
Created by writerStan Lee and artistDon Heck, the character first appeared inThe Avengers #21 (Oct. 1965) as Power Man, inPeter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #49 (Dec. 1980) as Smuggler, inIron Man Annual #7 (October 1984) as Goliath, and inThe Incredible Hulk vol. 2 #449 (Jan. 1997) as Atlas.[2]
Erik Josten was born inMilwaukee, Wisconsin. A former AWOL Marine turned mercenary, he is employed byHeinrich Zemo as head of his South American security/mercenary force. After Zemo's death, Josten is convinced by theEnchantress to undergo the same 'ionic-ray' treatment (from a machine invented by Zemo) asSimon Williams (Wonder Man), making Josten super-strong. Taking the name "Power Man", he becomes the Enchantress' partner and battles theAvengers at her request.[3] He later fights the Avengers again as a member of the firstLethal Legion.[4]
Eventually, Josten meetsLuke Cage, a hero who for a time has assumed the name Power Man.[5] The two fight over the right to use the name, and Cage wins.[6] Josten then joinsCount Nefaria's Lethal Legion under the promise that Nefaria would greatly increase Josten's powers. Nefaria complies, but later steals Josten's enhanced powers, which greatly reduces his strength.[7]
His strength fading, Josten changes his costume and becomes a smuggler, taking the unimaginative yet appropriate name of the "Smuggler". In his first and only appearance as Smuggler, he is defeated bySpider-Man.[8]
Later, he gains the ability to grow to giant size fromKarl Malus using a sample ofHank Pym's growth serum. He then takes on the name "Goliath", a name used previously bysuperheroes, and again changes his costume. He fightsJames Rhodes as Iron Man and theWest Coast Avengers, who defeat him.[9] Using his ability, he is sent byDoctor Doom to kill Spider-Man, but Goliath is defeated thanks to the hero's cosmic powers.
Josten joins a new fourth version of theMasters of Evil, founded byHelmut Zemo. During his time with this group, Josten is one of the villains who invades and capturesAvengers Mansion and beatsHercules severely.[10]
When Zemo later decides to disguise the Masters of Evil as a superhero team called theThunderbolts, Josten creates the original identity (and costume) of "Atlas".[11] During this time, he began dating the Thunderbolts' liaisonDallas Riordan.[12] However, like most of the Thunderbolts, Atlas begins to enjoy public admiration, and eventually reforms to attempt to be a genuine superhero, even after the Thunderbolts' criminal past is publicly revealed.[13]
After absorbing energy from Nefaria's "ionic bomb", Josten mutates into a gigantic ionic energy creature. He is dispersed byScourge and apparently killed.[14] Josten is later revaeled to have survived. Riordan absorbs Josten's ionic energy, leaving him powerless untilFixer gives him a new dose of Pym Particles.[15]
During a battle against theGrandmaster, Josten temporarily surrenders his powers to Zemo and is left stuck in a giant form, too heavy even to move and communicate.[16] Atlas is restored to normal size by scientists at Camp Hammond and registered as part of theInitiative, although his size-changing powers are considered too unreliable to place him on an Initiative team.[17]
Atlas is later recruited byWonder Man (whose ionic energy leaking problem was affecting his judgement) to join hisRevengers.[18] Atlas's reason for joining the Revengers was that his numerous requests to join the Initiative were denied.[19]
During theAvengers: Standoff! storyline, Atlas appears as an inmate of Pleasant Hill, a gated community established byS.H.I.E.L.D. He has had his memories altered byKobik, making him believe that he is a normal mailman.[20] After regaining his memories, Atlas joinsWinter Soldier's incarnation of the Thunderbolts to prevent S.H.I.E.L.D. from continuing the Kobik project.[21]
In theSecret Empire storyline, Atlas,Moonstone, and Fixer return to the Masters of Evil after Helmut Zemo uses Kobik's abilities to send Winter Soldier back in time. After Kobik is shattered, Atlas assists in searching for her fragments for Zemo to revive her.[22]
Similarly toWonder Man andCount Nefaria, Erik Josten is a virtually indestructible immortal made of "ionic energy", as a result of the application of mutagenic processes developed byHeinrich Zemo.[23] He possesses incredible superhuman dynamism regarding strength, coordination, stamina and durability. He is practically invulnerable even at normal size.[24]
After losing his ionic powers to Nefaria, Josten would gain new abilities as a result ofKarl Malus' experimentations, additionally gaining the power to increase his size and mass at will.[9] Originally he was limited to convert his normal 6-foot (1.8 m) height to his maximum 60-foot (18 m), but he later learned to increase this limit when he was angry.[25] His durability also increases with his height, and if his physical state were ever to be disrupted in any way, he would eventually physically reincorporate himself even from death if need be, giving him an expedient regenerative ability capable of reconstructing his body, if given enough time.[26]
After Nefaria had consolidated his ionic energy to be predominant, Josten gained access to the fullest effect of his latent abilities.[27] He is able to transform into pure ionic energy, fly, maintain his increased power while at normal height, and lacks the need for physical sustenance.[28]
Josten is a good hand-to-hand combatant, having received combat training in armed and unarmed offense when working both in the military and as a mercenary. He is an able pilot and aviation specialist, capable of flying most any kind of aerodynamic vehicle. And while preferring to serve rather than lead, Josten also excels as a combat strategist while on the field.
Oliver Queen/Goliath, a composite character based on Erik Josten andDC Comics characterGreen Arrow, appears in theAmalgam Comics imprint.[30]
Erik Josten as Goliath appears inJLA/Avengers as a brainwashed minion ofKrona.[31]
An alternate universe version of Erik Josten / Atlas makes a minor appearance inMarvel Zombies: Dead Days as a member of the Thunderbolts.[volume & issue needed]
An alternate universe version of Erik Josten / Goliath appears inMarvel Adventures: The Avengers #20. This version isHank Pym's research assistant and possesses a grudge against Pym and a crush onJanet van Dyne/Giant Girl.[32]
An alternate universe version of Erik Josten / Power Man appears inHouse of M.[33]
An alternate universe version of Erik Josten / Atlas appears inOld Man Hawkeye. This version is a member of the Thunderbolts who betrayedHawkeye and sided withRed Skull, resulting in the deaths of all of the other Avengers. Years later, Josten works as Atlas in a circus until Hawkeye hunts him down and challenges him to one final battle before killing him.[34]
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