AGENTS OF ATLAS: Jimmy Woo & Department Zero (1947-2006)

I love an oddball super-team and team. And balls don't get much odder than the ones bouncing around as Agents of Atlas. 

Jimmy Woo, Gorilla-Man, the Human Robot, Marvel Boy, Namora and Venus all made their respective debuts between 1947 and 1956, in the period when Timely Comics became Atlas Comics (the company would rebrand as Marvel Comics in 1961). They first appeared as a group of heroes in another universe in 1978 (see the 'Alternates' section below), banding together in a tale set in the 1950s under that world's Jimmy Woo to rescue the kidnapped President Eisenhower as the Avengers. They were largely forgotten until they appeared in a couple of issues of Avengers Forever in 1999, then were introduced as a team in Marvel's mainstream continuity (largely referred to as Earth-616) in the Agents of Atlas series which jiggled their histories about until things made sense!

The series reveals how the team actually did come together on Earth-616 many years earlier as Department Zero. I'm a huge fan of the characters and think they're deserving of their own reading order, starting right here with their original appearances with retconned stories of their early adventures in Department Zero added in order, all before they became Agents of Atlas...

MCG Notes:

• Issue listings in blue & black: The must-read these characters' stories from this time period, along with any key related stories and often-forgotten tales that are worth a read.
• Issue listings in grey: Part of these characters' chronology, cameo appearances or stories of note that non-essential or no longer considered 'required reading'.
• Chronology: Every appearance of Gorilla-Man, M-11, Marvel Boy, Namora, Venus and, Jimmy Woo, from this period is included in chronological order - mapping out the timeline rather than just the order the issues were released.
• Spoilers: The issue/story overviews may include spoilers, so be warned!

Sub-Mariner Comics #39[2/4] (1955)

Fifteen-year-old Namor the Sub-Mariner is introduced to his cousin, Namora; Namor refuses to play with Namora so she plays a trick on him to teach him a lesson.

Sub-Mariner Comics #40[2/4] (1955)

The teenage Namor, Namora and Byrrah explore an abandoned scientific outpost, but become trapped by fire when Namora knocks over a canister of kerosene.

Namora #1 (1948)

Namora encounters criminal archaeologist Big Jim Derry, teams up with Namor to defend Pearl Harbour from the rival undersea nation of Mu led by Karlak and captures diamond thief Paul West.

Venus #1[1/5] (1949)

First appearance of Venus/Aphrodite Ourania; after relocating to the planet Venus, the Olympian goddess Venus (the true Venus) returned to Earth.

Blonde Phantom #19[3/3] (1949)

Namora and Namor uncover a plot to murder the bride and groom at a wedding.

Captain America Comics #68[3/4] (1948)

Namora and Namor try to convince Frank Carver's son to leave the Waterfront Gang, but soon learn he's an undercover cop who's infiltrated the gang.

Marvel Mystery Comics #88[2/5] (1948)

Namora and Namor investigate oil thieves.

Namora #2[1/4], [3/4], [4/4] (1948)
Namora #3[1/4], [2/4], [4/4] (1948)

Namora stops terrorist activity in Turkey, stops Tut-Ak-Mun from invading Cairo and heads out to a gala with Namor; Namora then tackles a band of pirates, the Last of the Vikings and masked criminal the Hood.

Captain America Comics #70[3/3] (1949)

Namor and Namora take on the Squire Bones pirates.

Sub-Mariner Comics #30[1/4] (1949)

Namora and Namor battle the cyborg Iron Brain and his genetically engineered dinosaur Aquasaurus Rex.

Marvel Boy #1[1/4] (1950)

First appearance of Marvel Boy/Bob Grayson, Matthew Grayson and the Uranians; the Uranian hero Marvel Boy saves the Fish People from the dastardly plans of the pirate Count Varron; the Uranians will later be retconned as Uranian Eternals; Marvel Boy's origins and early appearances will later be considered to be 'fictional accounts'.

Marvel Boy: The Uranian #1[1/3] (2010)

The true origin of the Uranian/Marvel Boy is revealed; Bob Grayson and his father leave Earth to escape Nazi Germany and discover the existence of the Uranian Eternals; Matthew Grayson sends his son back to Earth as Marvel Boy, the Uranian ambassador to Earth.

Marvel Mystery Comics #82[2/5] (1947)

First appearance of Namora/Aquaria Nautica Neptunia; Namor accompanies Namora to the surface when she goes in search of the gangster Scoop Richards, the man who killed her father; Namor takes Namora to live with Betty Dean and learn the ways of the surface world.

Marvel Boy #1[3/3] (1950)

Marvel Boy #2[1/4], [2/4], [4/4] (1951)

Marvel Boy faces his first super-criminal, the Great Video; Marvel Boy defends America from invading Astro-Men and Communist spies and stops dubious circus performer Marvo the Magnificent from carrying out his kidnapping plot.

Astonishing #3[1/4], [2/4], [4/4] (1951)

Astonishing #4[1/4], [2/4], [4/4] (1951)

Astonishing #5[1/5], [2/5], [5/5] (1951)

Astonishing #6[1/4], [2/4], [4/4] (1951)

Marvel Boy battles super-criminals (including Mister Death & the Serpent), supernatural beings (including Madame la Morte), aliens (including the Satanians, Orion Rex, Professor Diminuito & Uranian criminals) and Communists.

Men's Adventures #26[4/4] (1954)

First appearance of Gorilla-Man/Ken Hale; in an attempt to cure his nightmares of a Gorilla-Man, Ken Hale heads to Africa where he confronts the very creature he's been dreaming about; when Hale kills the Gorilla-Man, he's cursed and becomes a Gorilla-Man himself.

Young Men #27[3/3] (1954)

Namora and Namor bring down the pirate Cap'n Derelict.

Men's Adventures #37[3/3] (1954)

Namor and Namora rescue Betty Dean when she's kidnapped by Russian operative Zuko.

Menace #11[1/5] (1954)

First appearance of M-11 (unnamed); Cyrus Virro creates a robot that can follow his commands, but the robot M-11 kills its creator under orders from Virro's greedy business manager (though this origin for M-11 will later be changed tied into the Atlas Foundation).

Human Torch Comics #37[3/4] (1954)

Namora and Namor encounter two deep-sea divers who discover they can breathe underwater.

Sub-Mariner Comics #34[2/4] (1955)

Namora and Namor rescue Betty Dean when she's taken by octopuses. 

Men's Adventures #28[3/3] (1954)

Namora and Namor discover a Communist submarine disguised as a killer whale.

Sub-Mariner Comics #35[1/4]-36[1/4], [4/4] (1954)

First appearance of Lord Byrrah; Byrrah convinces Emperor Thakorr to allow him to lead an attack on the surface world; Namor is surprised to see Namora among Byrrah's forces; the surface world blames Namor for the Atlantean attack on the surface world; Namora straightens things out for Namor in Atlantis, allowing him to return home but he decides to stay on the surface; Byrrah and Namora suspect Namor is more loyal to the surface world.

Sub-Mariner Comics #37[1/4]-38[1/4] (1954-1955)

Namora and Namor battle the alien Unseen who ally with the Communists; Namor encourages Namor to return to Atlantis.

Sub-Mariner Comics #40[4/4] (1955)

Sub-Mariner Comics #41[1/4] (1955)

Sub-Mariner Comics #42[1/4] (1955)

Namor, Namora and Byrrah confront ships sailing too close to Atlantis, but Byrrah takes things a step too far; an earthquake rips through Atlantis; Byrrah allies with Communists against Namor, but is defeated by Namor and Namora; Namor and Namora battle more attacking Communists.

Yellow Claw #1[1/4], [2/4], [4/4] (1956)

First appearance of Jimmy Woo, Suwan, Yellow Claw/Plan Chu and Fritz Voltzmann/Karl von Horstbadden; the Chinese Communist High Command hire the century-old mystic known as the Yellow Claw as part of a plan to take over the world; the Yellow Claw sets up base in San Francisco; the FBI send Agent Jimmy Woo to investigate; Woo is soon captured the Claw, his great-great-grandniece Suwan and his former Nazi servant Fritz Voltzmann; Suwan secretly helps Jimmy Woo escape.

Yellow Claw #2[1-3/5], [5/5] (1956)

Yellow Claw #3[1-3/5], [5/5] (1957)

Yellow Claw #4[1-3/5], [5/5] (1957)

First appearance of Gene Bitner, Craig Farnsmorth and Simon Lestron; Suwan continues to secretly aid Jimmy Woo against the Yellow Claw; Woo encounters various agents of the Claw including reality-altering mutants, the android Temujai the Golden Goliath, the alien UFO the Lightning Man, the other-dimensional Living Shadows, the genetically-mutated Screamies, the hypnotic powers of Sleepy Eyes, the Thought Master and the various gadgets and inventions of Fritz Voltzmann.

Marvel: The Lost Generation #2 (2000)

The super-team known as the First Line join forces with Namora and her fellow Monster Hunters to stop the Skrull called Chimera from recovering his lost spaceship during THE LOST GENERATION.

Marvel Boy: The Uranian #2[1/3]-3[1/4] (2010)

Marvel Boy brings down terrorist Oscar Koepnik; Jimmy Woo offers Marvel Boy a place on a secret government team.

Atlas #3[2/2] (2010)

Jimmy Woo is now the head of a special government unit called Department Zero, consisting of Marvel Boy, Gorilla-Man and 'Venus'; Woo calls on Namora to get to the M-11 robot before Plan Chu's Atlas Foundation do; M-11 opts to disobey his programming and choose his own direction.

Enter the Heroic Age #1[2/5] (2010)

Flashback sequence: With M-11 (now dubbed the Human Robot) having joined their ranks, Department Zero take on a Sentinel creature sent to Earth by the Kree during THE RETURN OF THE THREE DIMENSIONAL MAN / THE HEROIC AGE.

Atlas #1[2/2]-2[2/2] (2010)

Department Zero uncover Plan Chu's plot to raise an army of the undead.

Wolverine: Agent of Atlas #1-3 (2009) (digital comic)

Jimmy Woo and Department Zero ally with a Canadian special agent called Logan to stop mind-controlling super-bugs from falling into Communist hands during THE DRAGON'S CORRIDOR.

New Avengers #10-12 (2011)

Flashback sequences: Nick Fury gathers a team of superhumans as part of his Avengers Initiative; Namora joins the 'Avengers' alongside Ulysses Bloodstone, Victor Creed, Dum-Dum Dugan, Dominic Fortune, Kraven the Hunter and Silver Sable (Ernst Sablinova) to stop a new Red Skull.

Avengers 1959 #1-5 (2011-2012)

Nick Fury's Avengers are joined by the Blonde Phantom and briefly team up with Gorilla-Man to stop the criminal organisation ICON formed by General Skul and Geoffrey Sydenham and made up of super-human former-Nazis.

Marvel: The Lost Generation #3 (2000)

Namora cameo; Namora reluctantly stands by Byrrah who has seized the throne of Atlantis since the death of Emperor Thakorr during THE LOST GENERATION.

Marvel: The Lost Generation #5 (2000)

'Venus' is manipulated by Nazi war criminal the Rumour in his plot to take over the US Government; Rumour is defeated by the Front Line and Thor who free Venus from the Rumour's control during THE LOST GENERATION.

Strange Tales #160[1/2]-163[1/2] (1967-1968)

Strange Tales #166[2/2]-167[1/2] (1968)

Strange Tales #168[1/2] (1968)

First modern appearance of Jimmy Woo; now an agent of SHIELD, Jimmy Woo gives his expert advice when the Yellow Claw attacks America, with Suwan and Fritz Voltzmann by his side; Suwan betrays the Yellow Claw to Jimmy Woo again; both Suwan and the Yellow Claw turn out to be robots controlled by Doctor Doom.

Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #2 (1968)

First appearance of Brad Carter and Centurius/Noah Black; Jimmy Woo becomes a fully-fledged agent of SHIELD; Woo and Nick Fury discover the secret island headquarters of self-proclaimed saviour of the world, Centurius, who plans to wipe out humanity and introduce his own superior species.

Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #7-9, 12 (1968-1969)

Jimmy Woo accompanies the primary SHIELD team on missions to stop the 'Enemy Agents', the insane geneticist Supremus, the Adolf Hitler clone who calls himself the Hate Monger and Hydra's Agent U.

Avengers #72 (1970)

Jimmy Woo cameo; SHIELD ask the Avengers to investigate the apparent death of Nick Fury and the return of Scorpio during THE ASSASSINATION OF NICK FURY.

Sub-Mariner #50-51 (1972)

First appearance of Namorita; Namor is shown Namora's corpse in a coffin of ice and meets her daughter, Namorita; Namor learns Namora and her daughter escaped Atlantis under Byrrah's rule and headed to Lemuria where she fell in love with Prince Merro; Namora was murdered by Llyra who wanted Merro for herself; Namor rescues Namorita from Llyra's clutches.

Fantastic Four #164-165 (1975)

No actual Marvel Boy appearance; first appearance of the Crusader/Thelius/'Bob Grayson' and Frankie Raye; driven mad by the death of the Uranians, 'Bob Grayson' comes to Earth as the Crusader in search of vengeance; while clashing with the Fantastic Four, the Crusader's Quantum Bands overload and obliterate him; while it appears the Crusader was meant to be the original Marvel Boy, his existence is later reimagined to make him a Uranian Eternal who looked like Bob Grayson and was intended as a 'back-up' Marvel Boy if something should ever happen to the real Grayson; Thelius and was driven mad by the death of the Uranian Eternals.

Godzilla #1-2 (1977)

First appearance of Godzilla, Tamara Hashioka, Robert Takiguchi, Yuriko Takiguchi and the Godzilla Squad; Nick Fury assigns Jimmy Woo and Dum-Dum Dugan to the Godzilla Squad, a special SHIELD task force charged with ending the threat of the rampaging monster.

Godzilla #3-4, 6-8, 10 (1977-1978)

First appearance of Doctor Demonicus/Douglas Birely, Hugh Howards, Red Ronin/SJ3RX and Yetrigar; Jimmy Woo and the Godzilla Squad repeatedly come into conflict with the monster, assisted on occasion by Red Ronin and the Champions.

Godzilla #13-15, 17-22 (1978-1979)

First appearance of Gladstone Hawkins; Jimmy Woo and the Godzilla Squad continue their mission to bring down Godzilla with assistance from Hank Pym and the Fantastic Four while encountering the alien Mega-Monsters, Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy.

Godzilla #24 (1979)

Jimmy Woo and the rest of the Godzilla Squad join forces with the Avengers and Fantastic Four in an effort to halt the monster's rampage through New York City; ultimately Robert Takiguchi pleads with Godzilla to stop and return to the sea, which he does; with the threat over, the Godzilla Squad disband.

Hulk Comic #17[4/7] (1979, Marvel UK)

Jimmy Woo gets a lead on the possible location of the sinister organisation Sept and summons Nick Fury to Hong Kong.

Marvel Fanfare #12-13 (1984)

First appearance of Snapdragon/Sheoke Sanada; Jimmy Woo comes to the aid of the Black Widow when agents of Damon Dran are sent to kill her.

Marvel Holiday Special #1[2/6] (1993)

Jimmy Woo cameo; the agents of SHIELD prepare for Christmas.

Nick Fury vs. SHIELD #1-6 (1988)

No actual Jimmy Woo appearance; first appearance of 'Commander James Woo' (Life Model Decoy); 'Jimmy Woo' is revealed to be working for the secret SHIELD Executive Board in conjunction with the Roxxon Corporation; when Nick Fury discovers Roxxon's involvement with SHIELD, Woo is among the agents assigned the job of killing him; 'Woo' and a number of other agents are revealed to be LMDs created by Roxxon's Project: Delta and chooses an honorable death when Fury ends Roxxon's plans, destroys the Deltite and disbands SHIELD.

Namor the Sub-Mariner #20 (1991)

No Namora appearance, other than flashbacks: Namorita learns she's actually a clone of Namora, created by Vyrra and birthed by Namora herself as Namora could not have children.

Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #44, 47 (1993)

First appearance of President Bill Clinton; Nick Fury discovers Jimmy Woo is still alive and, alongside Jasper Sitwell and Sidney Levine, has been running the new SHIELD Executive Board while brainwashed by Hydra; Fury frees Woo and the others from Hydra's control and they return to active duty with SHIELD.

Silver Sable & the Wild Pack #17[1/2] (1993)

Jimmy Woo cameo; SHIELD come to the aid of Silver Sable and the Wild Pack when Hydra attack Symkaria during THE INFINITY CRUSADE.

Captain America #420 (1993)

Jimmy Woo cameo; SHIELD join Captain America in a raid on one of the Red Skull's bases.

Nick Fury's Howling Commandos #1-2 (2005)

First appearance of the Howling Commandos (including Frank, Warwolf/Vic Marcus & the Zombie) and Area 13; Gorilla-Man is revealed to have been assigned to SHIELD's supernatural Howling Commandos unit; the Howling Commandos take on the Lords of the Living Lightning and Merlin during HOWLING COMMANDOS.

Secret War #1 (2004)

First appearance of Lucia von Bardas and Jack O'Lantern; Jimmy Woo and Jasper Sitwell interrogate Killer Shrike over the source of his technological upgrades during SECRET WAR.

Nick Fury's Howling Commandos #4-6 (2006)

Gorilla-Man and the Howling Commandos uncover an alliance between Merlin (or an imposter) and Daimon Hellstrom and their plan to transform Earth into a fantasy world during HOWLING COMMANDOS.

The Agents of Atlas reading order continues:

• 2006-2015: Jimmy Woo & the Atlas Foundation

Notable multiversal versions of Jimmy Woo, Marvel Boy, Venus, Gorilla-Man, Human Robot and Namora in relation to this time period:

What If #9 (1978)

Avengers Forever #4-5 (1999)

On Earth-9904 in the 1950s, Jimmy Woo recruits Gorilla-Man, the Human Robot, Marvel Boy, Venus and the 3-D Man to form a team of Avengers to rescue the kidnapped President Eisenhower; Namora helps Jimmy recover the Human Robot; their timeline is later erased by Immortus; this team later provides the real-world inspiration of the Agents of Atlas series.

Fantastic Four Unlimited #6 (1994)

The Fantastic Four of Earth-616 end on on Earth-9966 where Namora wasn't 'murdered ' by Llyra and there was no Fantastic Four; Namora kills Byrrah when he murders Namor.

Ultimate Spider-Man #16 (2002)

On Earth-1610, we're introduced to SHIELD agent Jimmy Woo who appears to be the right-hand man of fellow agent Sharon Carter; this Jimmy Woo goes on to make a number of appearances.

Exiles #46-48 (2004)

Namora of Earth-2189 is selected to join the reality-hopping Exiles; this Namora is more of a female version of Namor during X-MEN RELOAD.

X-Men: First Class #8 (2007)

In the X-Men's early days, they meet Gorilla-Man who helps them on a mission through the one of the world's deadliest jungles; these stories are meant to be in-continuity, but numerous continuity contradictions make it impossible so I consider them alternate universe stories.

Agents of Atlas

Agents of Atlas: The Complete Collection vol.1

Include Marvel Boy #1, Marvel Mystery Comics #82, Menace #11, Men's Adventures #26, Venus #1, What If #9 and Yellow Claw #1.