There are several DC Comics related films in the works, with many of them having production histories that are years long. One of these is the Dwayne Johnson vehicle Black Adam, which will not only feature the first chosen avatar of the wizard Shazam but a bevy of other DC characters as well.

Most notably appearing in some capacity in the film is the Justice Society of America, a team of superheroes that the initially villainous Black Adam actually joined in the Post-Crisis DC comic book continuity. Among the JSA members in the film will be Atom Smasher, a character who represents the multi-generational legacy within the JSA. Played by Noah Centineo, it's unknown how large of a role Atom Smasher or the JSA as a whole will have in the film. Given his history with Black Adam in the comics, however, there's potential for the two metahumans to clash on the big screen.

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The Atom's Family

Created by Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway, and Mike Machlan, Albert Rothstein first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 in 1983. The character was a member of Infinity, Inc., who were as essential to the Justice Society as the Teen Titans were to the Justice League. Representing the intermingling legacies of the JSA members, Rothstein was the godson of Golden Age Atom Al Pratt and the grandson of the villainous Cyclotron. Initially taking the name Nuklon, he had the power to change his molecular density, greatly changing his size and strength.

Despite the criminality in part of his ancestry and his being bullied in school, Al greatly respects the Justice Society legacy and tries his best to honor the heroes that have come before. He is also a deeply religious Jewish man, which initially caused friction when his friend Obsidian revealed that he was gay. Having been promoted to the Justice League in the early '90s, Nuklon was phased out once the team was reconfigured for Grant Morrison's acclaimed neo-classic run on the team. He would soon join the revitalized Justice Society, where he would ditch the Nuklon name. Using a new costume that combined elements of the Golden Age and Silver Age Atoms, he took the new title of Atom Smasher.

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Black Atom

Initially, the character would retain his sunny disposition and developed a close friendship with Al Pratt's son Damage. He would also act as a romantic interest for Stargirl, though the feeling was mostly unrequited. These good times would unfortunately not last, as Al's mother was killed in a plane crash orchestrated by terrorist organization Kobra. Taking a dark turn for vengeance and bloodshed, Al would eventually reverse the tragedy, but at the expense of the supervillain Extant's life. This darkened demeanor would only be egged on when Captain Marvel's reformed arch-nemesis Black Adam joined the JSA.

Black Adam and Atom Smasher developed a rather ironic brotherly bond, especially as they both grew weary of the JSA's soft-handed tactics toward villainy. They eventually left the team and formed their own strikeforce, issuing violent justice towards any who stood in their path. This would see Black Adam killing Kobra for Al, and Al reciprocating the favor when he killed the current dictator of Kahndaq. Atom Smasher would eventually return to the JSA, however, and grew distant toward his old friend's increasingly murderous ways.

Despite this, Atom Smasher would many times be instrumental in confronting Black Adam. The first time came when they fought against each other in the World War III storyline, a battle that Al ultimately lost. He would also be sent to track down the supposedly depowered Black Adam when he rejoined the JSA, who were skeptical given his previous temperament. Ultimately, he would convince Black Adam to give up his powers to repower the wizard Shazam. Since then, the character hasn't had much use, with his being kidnapped for most of JSA: All-Stars given him a somewhat minor role. He does finally make his triumphant return in Doomsday Clock, howeverwhen Doctor Manhattan restored the Justice Society into continuity.

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