Comic Title: Sword of the Atom Special #3
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: 1988
On Sale Date: February 2, 1988 Shipping Date February 2, 1988
Source: DC Releases, #48

Shipping Date February 2, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #135

Newsstand Date February 28, 1988
Source: Amazing Heroes, #135

Copyright Date February 2, 1988
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1988

Cover Price: $1.50
Page Count: 48
Editor: Mike Carlin

Title: (No Title)
Pages: 40

Feature(s):
Atom (Ray Palmer Post-Crisis)

Writer: Jan S. Strnad
Penciller: Patrick R. Broderick
Inker: Dennis Janke
Letterer: Albert Tobias De Guzman
Colorist: Petra Scotese (Goldberg)

Reprinted In:
Sword of the Atom TPB (2007)

Feature Character(s)

• Atom (Ray Palmer; first post-Crisis appearance; last appearance in Secret Origins #29; next appearance in Secret Origins #29)

Supporting Character(s)

• Laethwen (first post-Crisis appearance; next appearance in Secret Origins #29)

Villain(s)

• Drogo and his council (all die in this story; no further appearances)
• The Skul-Riders (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• Ylaan (a medical doctor; dies in this story; no further appearances)
• Benn, Meira, and Jarrik (a married couple and their son; all die in this story; no further appearances)
• Residents of the city of the Skul-Riders (no further appearances)

Comments:
This issue is the first appearance of the post-Crisis Atom. Though his adventures appear to continue from pre-Crisis continuity, the post-Crisis Atom is considered to be entirely independent from his Earth-1 counterpart.

Synopsis:
The Atom and Laethwen are diplomatic guests in the city of the Skul-Riders following the downfall of the tyrant Torbul. The new leader of the city Drogo gives the Atom permission to enter Torbul's laboratory which contains alien technology. After breaking into the lab, the Laethwen discovers a booby-trap. They exit before the lab explodes.

Drogo is angry and forces the Atom to wait before exploring other labs in the city. While waiting Drogo and hundreds of people in the city fall ill. The illness is thought to be caused by a virus unleashed from the destroyed lab. The Atom is blamed. He and Laethwen try to leave the city, but they are imprisoned.

Before Drogo can rule on the punishment of the prisoners he dies. Hundreds of others perish from the plague as well and are buried in a pit just outside the city. Drogo himself is burned on a funeral pyre. While burning, Drogo rises from the dead, but his body is consumed by the fire.

The Atom and Laethwen use the confusion to try to make their escape. The townpeople blame them for the plague and give chase. When they reach the city gates, the Atom and Laethwen find that the dead outside the gates have risen from the dead. The zombies fight their way into the city, forcing the Atom to retreat. He and Laethwen escape by air by hitching a ride on a Skul. The city below them burns and falls to the zombie horde.

After taking refuge for the night in the jungle, the Atom and Laethwen return to the city. The zombies are all dead having burned themselves out after several hours. Most of the city is destroyed, and the few survivors that remain are burning the corpses. The Atom and Laethwen then reutrn to the jungle to ensure that they are not infected. Once they can be certain that they pose no threat to others, the couple plans to return to Morlaidh.