River City History: Atom City

As Dell and Hannigan took control of the city’s mobs, River City started down a new financial path. New mayor Paul O’Halloran worked with the federal government to set up the installation of two atomic power plants near the city. While the project started in late 1951, it wasn’t until nearly three years later that the structures, dubbed “Atom City” were completed.

Keith Spencer was a professor in the area that taught the young college students being brought on site for the new facility. During one test, Spencer was exposed to deadly amounts of radiation, but miraculously survived.

It wasn’t until Spencer returned home from an extensive physical that he discovered he might be alive, but he was changed. With a clap of his hands, he became faster, stronger and tougher. A fan of the mystery men of the 1940s, Spencer made the decision to use his powers for good. He donned a garish red-and-blue costume and named himself Captain Flash. In his very first mission as a costumed crimefighter, he would save the entire city from an atomic bomb dropped by a former Nazi scientist at Atom City. It would instantly make him hugely popular citywide.