Adam Strange is a fictional science-fiction character published by DC Comics. His first appearance was in Showcase #17 (Nov.-Dec. 1958).

Adam Strange is an archeologist who was suddenly teleported an astronomical distance to the fictional planet Rann orbiting the nearest star to the Earth, Alpha Centauri, through a Rannian device called a Zeta Beam. Once there, he was called upon to stop a menace on the planet and was successful. Although he grew to enjoy the planet and its inhabitants, especially a blue-haired woman named Alanna, Adam learned that he would be automatically returned to Earth when the effects of the beam wore off. However, he learned that the beam was used regularly and was provided with a schedule as to times and strike locations so as to use the teleporter. Because Alpha Centauri is visible only in the southern hemisphere, these locations were all located there, usually at archeologically or touristically interesting sites. On Earth, Adam Strange was, like so many other comic protagonists, an independently wealthy American, so having to go to all these places on the other side of the world and having a ladylove on another planet was no loss to him.

Adam Strange was invented as a character by Gardner Fox as being reminiscent of Edgar Rice Burroughs's Barsoom series, though there wasn't the swordplay, physical strain, unclothedness, and bloodletting, merely the looking up to the sky - to Alpha Centauri, though, not Mars - and the longing to return to a strange world with alien opponents to fight and to his beloved woman.

Like most other (non-EC) comic book science fiction stories of the 1950s, the problems and their stories were contrived. After the initial run in Showcase, they moved to (the appropriately-named, but not eponymous) Strange Adventures, drawn superbly with pencils by Carmine Infantino and inks by Murray Anderson.

One spectacular, even award-winning story, however, resulted from a continuity gaffe in the Justice League of America comic book, in which the Flash mentioned him as a possible new member for the Justice League. That group and he had not met, and when a letter to the editor reported this, Gardner Fox wrote a story showing how the JLA came to Rann and how Adam Strange got them out of the traps that Kanjar Ro set for them there.

For years, the character was a regular presence in the DC Universe. By the 1980s, the acclaimed author Alan Moore provided a more cynical reason for his visits to Rann. Apparently, the population of the planet--the majority of whom viewed the Terran with contempt--is sterile, and the real reason for Adam's presence is to be a breeding stud. This new situation was further illustrated in a 1990 mini series where Adam learned of the population's opinion of him and Alanna was killed off; however, this series was later retconned, and Alanna is currently alive and well, albeit separated from Adam by countless light years.

External Link

• Toonopedia Entry (http://www.toonopedia.com/adamstr.htm)