Comic Title: DC Super Stars #2
Publisher: DC (National Periodical Publications, Inc.)
Address: 75 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY
Cover Date: April 1976
On Sale Date: January 15, 1976 Newsstand Date January 15, 1976
Source: Direct Currents, Amazing World of DC Comics #9

Newsstand Date January 15, 1976
Source: Comic Reader, #126

Copyright Date January 20, 1976
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1976

Frequency: Monthly
Cover Price: $0.50
Page Count: 64
Editor: E. Nelson Bridwell

See Also: The Guide to DC Giants

Title: "The Origin of the Atomic Knights"
Pages: 16

Feature(s):
Atomic Knights

Writer: John Broome
Artist: Murphy Anderson

Reprinted From:
Strange Adventures #117 (1960)

Feature Character(s)

• Atomic Knights (origin; next appearance in Strange Adventures #120)
• Atomic Knight (Sgt. Gardner Grayle; an ex-soldier; next appearance in Strange Adventures #120)
• Douglas Herald (a school teacher; next appearance in Strange Adventures #120)
• Marene Herald (Doug's brother; next appearance in Strange Adventures #120)
• Hollis Hobard (an ex-soldier; next appearance in Strange Adventures #120)
• Wayne Hobard (an ex-soldier; next appearance in Strange Adventures #120)
• Bryndon Smith (a scientist; next appearance in Strange Adventures #120)

Villain(s)

• The Black Baron and his henchmen (no further appearances)
• A gang of looters (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Various survivors of post-World War III America (no further appearances)

Comments:
This story reveals that World War III took place from October 9, 1986 to October 29, 1986, lasting just 20 days.

As revealed in DC Comics Presents #57, the post-World War III reality within the Atomic Knights series is a computer simulation run by the real Gardner Grayle. However, Hercules Unbound #10 links the Atomic Knights to Kamandi, Omac, and Hercules. Therefore the events depicted in the series must have happened outside the simulation, but probably at some future time, rather than 1986 as shown in this story. How exactly the events depicted here are tied in with Earth-One continuity has never been explained.

Synopsis:
Gardner Grayle, a man who is statistically the average soldier, has survived World War III, which lasted only 20 days. In the post-holocaust world, all plant and animal life has been destroyed. The only remaining food supplies are being hoarded by a tyrant called the Black Baron.

Grayle is attacked by looters trying to rob him. He escapes, then helps another man, Douglas Herald, fend off the attackers. Grayle and Herald discover a set of six medieval suits of armor that have become resistant to radiation. The two men decide to use the suits to attack the Baron's stronghold. They recruit three other men to join the fight, leaving the last suit of armor behind because it is too small.

The five men assault the Baron's stronghold wearing the armor which resists the tyrant's raguns. The Baron nearly kills Grayle, but he is rescued by an unknown person wearing the sixth suit of armor. After the Baron is defeated, the sixth knight is revealed to be Marene, Herald's sister. The six knights agree to stay together to fight for justice in the post-apocalyptic world.