Atomos

Created by: André Caroff (pseudonym of André Carpouzis) (1924- )

THE "SKULL IN THE CASTLE" LOGO OF THE "ANGOISSE" IMPRINT OF FLEUVE NOIR

The deadly Madame Atomos (real name: Kanoto Yoshimuta) is a brilliant but twisted middle-aged female Japanese scientist who is out to revenge herself against the United States for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- where she was born.

A sample plot had the title character unleash a deadly new threat, such as radioactive zombies, deasly giant mushrooms, a madness-inducing ray, flaming tormadoes, etc.

The heroes opposing Madame Atomos are: Smith Beffort of the FBI, Dr. Alan Soblen, and Yosho Akamatsu of the Japanese Secret Police. Dr. Soblen was killed by Madame Atomos in No. 11. With the help of former master criminal Owen Bernitz, Beffort also created the "Green Dragon" squad to fight Madame Atomos.

An interesting development was the creation by Madame Atomos of a younger version of herself, Mie Azusa, dubbed Miss Atomos, groomed to continue the fight should Madame Atomos came to die. Mie eventually fell in love with Beffort, married him and joined forces with him to fight her evil progenitrix. They had a son, Bob, who was killed by Madame Atomos.

Madame Atomos herself regenerated into a younger self in No. 13, but remained as revenge-bent as ever. The series was left somewhat unfinished by the cancellation of the "Angoisse" imprint.

The Novels

André Caroff wrote seventeen novels featuring Madame Atomos for "Angoisse", the horror imprint of French publisher, Fleuve Noir.

1. La Sinistre Mme Atomos [The Sinister Mrs. Atomos] (FNA No. 109, 1964)
2. Mme Atomos Sème la Terreur [Mrs. Atomos Spreads Terror] (FNA No. 115, 1965)
3. Mme Atomos Frappe à la Tête [Mrs. Atomos Strikes At The Head] (FNA No. 120, 1965)
4. Miss Atomos (FNA No. 124, 1965)
5. Miss Atomos contre KKK [Miss Atomos vs. KKK] (FNA No. 130, 1966)
6. Le Retour de Mme Atomos [The Return Of Mrs. Atomos] (FNA No. 134, 1966)
7. L'Erreur de Mme Atomos [The Mistake Of Mrs. Atomos] (FNA No. 136, 1966)
8. Mme Atomos Prolonge la Vie [Mrs. Atomos Prolongs Life] (FNA No. 140, 1967)
9. Les Monstres de Mme Atomos [The Monsters Of Mrs. Atomos] (FNA No. 143, 1967)
10. Mme Atomos Crache des Flammes [Mrs. Atomos Spits Fire] (FNA No. 146, 1967)
11. Mme Atomos Croque le Marmot [Mrs. Atomos Eats A Child] (FNA No. 147, 1967)
12. La Ténébreuse Mme Atomos [Dark Mrs. Atomos] (FNA No. 152, 1968)
13. Mme Atomos Change de Peau [Mrs. Atomos Sheds Her Skin] (FNA No. 156, 1968)
14. Mme Atomos Fait Du Charme [Mrs. Atomos Charms Her Way] (No. 160, 1969)
15. L'Empreinte de Mme Atomos [The Mark Of Mrs. Atomos] (FNA No. 169, 1969)
16. Mme Atomos Jette Un Froid [Mrs. Atomos Throws A Cold] (FNA No. 173, 1969)
17. Mme Atomos Cherche la Petite Bête [Mrs. Atomos Seeks Small Creatures] (FNA No. 177, 1970)
18. Les Sphères Attaquent [Attack of the Spheres] (FN Anticipation No. 950, 1979)
(Note: In this book, Mme Atomos was renamed "Mme Cosmos")

MISS ATOMOS

HIROSHIMA... NAGAZAKI...
WITH THE COMPLIMENTS OF MADAME ATOMOS!
MADAME ATOMOS SHEDS HER SKIN

The Comics

Starting in November 1968, French comics publisher Aredit (which also published translations of DC and Marvel material, as well as "Hallucinations" and "Meteor") published twenty-four issues of a digest-sized "Atomos" comic magazine adapting Caroff's novels. After they ran out of Madame Atomos novels, Aredit adapted other, unrelated science fiction novels by Caroff.

1. La Sinistre Mme. Atomos [The Sinister Mrs. Atomos] (Book 1)
2. Mme. Atomos Sème la Terreur [Mrs. Atomos Spreads Terror] (Book 2)
3. Mme. Atomos Frappe à la Tête [Mrs. Atomos Strikes At The Head]
4. Un Linceul pour Mme Atomos [A Shroud For Mrs. Atomos] (3 + 4 = Book 3)
5. Miss Atomos
6. La Défaite de Mme. Atomos [The Defeat Of Mrs. Atomos] (5 + 6 = Book 4)
7. Miss Atomos vs. KKK (Book 5)
8. Le Retour de Mme. Atomos [The Return Of Mrs. Atomos]
9. Traquenard pour Mme. Atomos [Ambush For Mrs. Atomos] (8 + 9 = Book 6)
10. L'Erreur de Mme. Atomos [The Mistake Of Mrs. Atomos] (Book 7)
11. Mme. Atomos Prolonge la Vie [Mrs. Atomos Prolongs Life] (Book 8)
12. Les Monstres de Mme. Atomos [The Monsters Of Mrs. Atomos] (Book 9)
13. Mme. Atomos Crache des Flammes [Mrs. Atomos Spits Fire] (Book 10)
14. Mme. Atomos Croque le Marmot [Mrs. Atomos Eats A Child] (Book 11)
15. La Ténébreuse Mme. Atomos [The Dark Mrs. Atomos] (Book 12)
16-17. Mme. Atomos Change de Peau [Mrs. Atomos Sheds Her Skin] (Book 13)
18. Mme. Atomos Fait du Charme [Mrs. Atomos Charms Her Way] (Book 14)
19-20. L'Empreinte de Mme. Atomos [The Mark Of Mrs. Atomos] (Book 15)
21-22. Mme. Atomos Jette un Froid [Mrs. Atomos Catches A Cold] (Book 16)
23-24. Mme. Atomos Cherche la Petite Bête [Mrs. Atomos Seeks Small Creatures] (Book 17)

MADAME ATOMOS HAS RETURNED IN A NEW SERIES OF FRENCH BOOKS PUBLISHED BY RIVIERE BLANCHE:

Thanks to Dominik Vallet - PIMPF