Martin Champion

Origin

Martin Champion had already obtained 3 degrees in Physics and three gold Olympic medals before becoming an astronaut, co-commanding a Lunar Colony mission. Champion joined Atari (Advanced Technology and Research Institute) as a top scientist. Two years later he was asked to take an experimental aircraft, Scanner One, and discover a new world - somewhere in the Multiverse - on which man could relocate.

Creation

Martin Character is a DC character based on the Atari trademark, created by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas. He first appeared in Atari Force #1.

Character Evolution

Martin Champion was very intelligent, well recognized in the field of physics and in the world athleticism. Once he became an astronaut, he became a hero by rescuing stranded colonists on the moon and was charged with seeking out parallel universes for a New Earth for humanity to live on as Old Earth was facing ecological disaster. After some tribulations, he married Lydia Perez (who had been in charge of the lunar rescue mission) and they both explored multiple universes together - battling and defeating the evil Dark Destroyer on two occasions before finding a New Earth for Old Earth's inhabitants to relocate to. Tragedy struck when Lydia died giving birth to their mutant powered son, convinced the Dark Destroyer had not been vanquished and was still alive. Grief-stricken, Martin's relationship with his son became strained however both father and son worked together to locate the Dark Destroyer.

Major Story Arcs

Champion with four companions, Li-San O'Rourke, Mohandas Singh, Lucas Orion and lover Lydia became Atari Force, along with a partially sentient alien life form named Hukka as they explored one parallel universe after another. During the course of that exploration, they encountered and defeated The Dark Destroyer. Finally a peaceful universe was discovered and the citizens of Earth relocated to a world dubbed New Earth. Champion and Perez married, only to have their union shattered when Perez died giving birth to their son Christopher, who demonstrated mutant powers and would be later be known as Tempest.

After more than 20 years of peace, Champion began a campaign to convince the government that some malevolent force was about to bring an unprecedented war to the galaxy, privately believing it was the Dark Destroyer about to return. Due to his stature and celebrity status of being a hero, they humoured him although no one believed him. When Champion got confirmation that his hunch was right, he decided on a bold course of action that would lead to him stealing Scanner One and reforming Atari Force in order to save the universe. Among the crew was his son Tempest (who was born with the mutant ability of transportation), Erin "Dart" Bia O'Rourke-Singh (daughter of Mohandas Singh and Li-San O'Rourke). Hukka, Morphea (who was an insectoid and empath, Babe (an alien toddler of extraordinary strength and size)and Pakrat (who was a half-human, half-rat thief). As the team went on adventure after adventure, new members were added ( Dart's human lover Blackjak, an alien warrior named Taz and Dark Destroyer's former second-in-command Kargg.

The Dark Destroyer made his presence known and it was to Champion's surprise that under his helmet, the Destroyer was a perfect duplicate of himself. After his second defeat at the hands of the original Atari Force, the Destroyer's life essence scoured the Galaxy until it found New Earth and, hungry for revenge, absorbed the life-force of Lydia Perez-Champion just as she was giving birth. At the same time, the Destroyer absorbed the genetic code information, which allowed him to reform on another planet as Martin Champion's double.

Martin finally confronted the Destroyer and the two had a climactic hand to hand battle that left the Destroyer beaten. As a Multiversal bomb exploded, Scanner One was on its way back to New Earth, leaving the Destroyer to be consumed once and for all.

Scanner One was lost throughout the Multiverse for some time until it finally found New Earth. Champion and Atari Force were immediately arrested and tried for crimes against the state. No one on New Earth believed his story about the Dark Destroyer and assumed Champion had gone insane. Frustrated,Champion and the rest of the Atari Force boarded a Multiversal shuttle of his own design and returned to "old" Earth in order to build a new world.

Powers and Abilities

Champion is extraordinarily intelligent, scientist obtaining degrees from Cal Tech, Princeton and M.I.T. In addition is an expert pilot and proficient in hand to hand combat. He possesses the strength and agility of a man who is extremely fit.

Characteristics

Citizenship: American

Marital Status: Widowed

Occupation: former astronaut and commander of Space Station One and presently Commander of Atari Force

Gender: Male

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Blonde