A/N The Destructor was a short-lived comic from the 70's from atlas comics. The story behind Atlas/Seaboard comics is far more interesting than the sorties they were publishing. From what I gathered Marvels Publisher Martin Goodman left marvel in the 70's after he sold Marvel. I guess some promises were made like his son would become publisher after the acquisition, but They went with Stan Lee instead. This rubbed Goodman the wrong way so he created Atlas Comics. alot of the characters published were marvel knockoffs. Goodman would also steal alot of talent form both Marvel and Dc. I believe atlas really had to ability to rival the big 2 but it really seemed liked Goodman was more interested in screwing marvel instead of selling comics. i see some of the Atas characters as real gems. So much so I'm going to be relaunching some characters. Think of this project almost as a Ultimate Atlas. Maybe Atlas Supreme yeah I'll be adding supreme to these titles. alright enough of my ranting. enjoy
Chapter 1: Tensions Rising
The alarm clock buzzed with an ear-piercing persistence that Jay Hunter hated. With a groan, he slapped the snooze button, rolling over and glaring at the time: 7:18 a.m. He had exactly twelve minutes to get ready before Kenny would start texting.
"Jay! You're going to be late!" his mom, Helen, shouted from the kitchen.
Jay sat up, rubbing his face. The penthouse, apartment was quiet except for the sounds of Helen bustling around the kitchen and the faint hum of the morning news on the TV. He could already smell the burnt toast—his mom's specialty.
Grabbing a hoodie off the back of his desk chair, Jay threw it on and shoved a notebook into his backpack. He made his way to the kitchen, running a hand through his messy blonde hair.
Helen turned as he entered, holding a mug of coffee in one hand and a piece of toast in the other. Her eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Good morning to you too," Jay said, snagging the toast out of her hand.
Helen sighed, leaning against the counter. She was still in her lab coat from the night before, her dark hair pulled into a loose bun. "You can't keep this up, Jay. You're already on thin ice with school. Missing first period isn't going to help."
Jay shrugged, biting into the toast. "It's gym. Not exactly the cornerstone of my academic career."
Helen gave him a look. "And what about chemistry? Or history? You're supposed to be taking this seriously. Your dad and I have been—"
"Don't bring Dad into this," Jay interrupted, his tone sharper than he intended.
Helen's expression softened, but she didn't push further. Instead, she handed him his backpack. "Just…try to stay out of trouble today, okay? For once."
Jay nodded, slipping the backpack over his shoulder. "I'll try."
-At School
Port Avalon High was a tired, aging building that had seen better days. The once-vibrant paint on the lockers had faded to a dull gray, and the ceiling tiles were dotted with water stains. The students moved through the halls like a pack of wolves, some pushing, others laughing, and a few trying to keep their heads down.
Jay spotted Kenny near their lockers, already juggling an armful of books. His best friend's lanky frame and thick glasses made him an easy target for the school's bullies, but Kenny was smart—too smart sometimes.
"Finally!" Kenny said as Jay approached. "You're late."
"Nice to see you too," Jay said, opening his locker.
Kenny adjusted his glasses. "I've been looking into the physics behind particle resonance for my STEM Expo project. If I can stabilize the vibrations, it could theoretically—"
Jay held up a hand. "Whoa, slow down. I haven't had enough caffeine for all that."
Kenny rolled his eyes. "One day, when I'm a billionaire inventor, you'll regret not paying attention."
Jay smirked, shutting his locker. "Until then, I'll stick to basketball. Speaking of which, are you coming to the game tonight?"
Before Kenny could answer, a loud voice boomed down the hallway. "Well, well. Look who it is—Kenny the Brain!"
Jay turned to see Duncan Mathers striding toward them, his red hair catching the fluorescent light. Flanked by his usual entourage of football players, Duncan was the epitome of arrogance.
Kenny froze, clutching his books closer. "Oh no."
Jay stepped in front of his friend. "What do you want, Duncan?"
Duncan smirked. "Relax, Hunter. I just wanted to see what Brainiac here is working on. Another useless science fair project?"
He snatched one of Kenny's books, flipping through it like a bored child.
"Give it back," Kenny muttered, his voice barely audible.
Duncan ignored him, holding the book just out of reach. "What's this, calculus? Come on, Kenny, live a little."
Jay grabbed the book from Duncan's hands, his jaw tightening. "He said give it back."
Duncan's smirk widened as he stepped closer, his tall frame towering over Jay. "You think you're tough, Hunter?"
Jay didn't flinch. "Why don't you find out?"
The hallway grew quiet as the two stared each other down. But before anything could happen, another voice broke the tension.
"Duncan, knock it off."
Melanie Parker walked up, her green eyes sharp as they locked onto Duncan. Her brunette hair framed her face perfectly, and her confident presence made even Duncan hesitate.
"Whatever," Duncan muttered, stepping back. "You're lucky your girlfriend fights your battles for you, Hunter."
As Duncan and his posse walked away, Melanie turned to Jay, crossing her arms. "You need to stop letting him get to you."
Jay sighed. "He was messing with Kenny. What was I supposed to do?"
"Maybe not throw yourself into another fight," she said, her tone softening. "You can't solve everything with your fists, Jay."
-Basketball Practice
The gym was a cacophony of sneakers squeaking on polished wood, Coach Davis barking orders, and the rhythmic thump of basketballs being dribbled. Jay thrived in this chaos, his mind focused solely on the game.
Today's scrimmage paired Jay's team against Duncan's, and the tension between them was palpable. From the moment the ball tipped off, it was clear this wasn't just practice—it was personal.
Jay moved with precision, weaving through defenders and landing a clean jump shot. His teammates cheered, but Duncan wasn't impressed.
"Lucky shot," Duncan called out as he grabbed the rebound and charged down the court.
The game turned into a battle of one-upmanship. Jay drove to the basket with a perfectly executed layup, only for Duncan to respond with a powerful dunk. Every point felt like a personal victory—or loss.
As the game neared its end, Jay saw an opening and sprinted toward the basket. He leapt for a layup, the ball arcing perfectly toward the hoop—until Duncan's elbow connected with his face.
Pain exploded across Jay's cheek as he hit the floor. The gym fell silent.
"What the hell, Duncan?" Jay shouted, scrambling to his feet.
Duncan smirked. "Oops. My bad."
Jay saw red. He lunged at Duncan, shoving him hard. Duncan retaliated, and chaos erupted. Teammates rushed to separate them as Coach Davis blew his whistle furiously.
"That's enough!" the coach roared. "Both of you—out!"
-Principal's Office
The room was stifling, the silence heavy. Jay sat in one chair, arms crossed, while Duncan lounged in another, looking smug. Helen sat beside Jay, her posture stiff with frustration.
"Your son has a temper problem," Principal Edwards said, looking directly at Helen.
Helen folded her arms. "And Duncan doesn't? My son isn't the one who threw an elbow."
Duncan smirked. "It was an accident."
Jay scoffed. "Yeah, right."
Principal Edwards raised a hand. "Enough. Jay, this is the third incident involving you and Duncan. If you can't control yourself, there will be consequences."
Helen sighed, glancing at her son. "We'll handle it at home."
As they left the office, Helen gave Jay a look. "We need to talk."
-At the Hunter House
The door to the penthouse apartment closed with a heavy thud. Helen tossed her keys onto the counter and exhaled sharply, running a hand through her dark hair. The walk from the school had been tense—silent except for Jay's occasional muttered excuse under his breath. Now, in the stillness of their home, the tension snapped.
"Sit," Helen said, pointing to the couch in the living room.
Jay hesitated but obeyed, slumping into the couch with his arms crossed. Helen remained standing, pacing back and forth in front of him.
"What were you thinking?" she demanded, her voice sharp. "Another fight, Jay? And this time during practice?"
Jay frowned, his blonde hair falling into his eyes. "He elbowed me in the face, Mom. What was I supposed to do? Just take it?"
"Yes!" Helen shot back, her voice rising. "Yes, that's exactly what you're supposed to do! You're supposed to let the coach or the principal handle it. Not throw yourself into another fight!"
Jay scoffed, sitting up straighter. "So I'm just supposed to let guys like Duncan walk all over me? Or my friends? Is that it?"
Helen stopped pacing and turned to face him, her expression a mixture of frustration and concern. "This isn't about Duncan, Jay. This is about you—and your temper. You can't keep letting it control you like this."
"I'm not—" Jay started, but Helen cut him off.
"You are!" she snapped, her voice breaking slightly. "Every time someone pushes your buttons, you explode. And one day, Jay, it's going to get you into trouble you can't walk away from."
Jay stood, his own temper flaring. "You don't get it. People like Duncan don't stop unless someone stands up to them!"
"And what happens when the next guy you stand up to isn't some high school bully?" Helen countered. "What happens when it's someone bigger? Someone with a gun, or a knife, or worse?"
Jay opened his mouth to argue but stopped. She was right, and he hated it.
Helen took a deep breath, running her hands through her hair. "Jay, I know you're a good kid. You've got so much potential. But if you keep letting your anger get the better of you, no one's going to see that potential. They're just going to see another hothead who can't control himself."
Jay sank back onto the couch, his shoulders slumping. "I wasn't trying to start a fight, Mom. I just…" He trailed off, shaking his head.
Helen's tone softened, but only slightly. "I know. But you've got to learn to control yourself, Jay. Otherwise, life is just going to keep getting harder."
There was a long silence between them. Finally, Helen crossed her arms. "You're grounded."
Jay's head shot up. "What? Come on, Mom—"
"No," she said firmly. "Two weeks. No basketball, no going out, no hanging out with Melanie. You're going to report to school on time, come straight home afterward, and spend the rest of your time here."
Jay stared at her, his mouth hanging open. "Two weeks? That's not fair!"
"It's more than fair," Helen said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You need to prove to me that you can take responsibility for yourself, Jay. Until then, you're grounded."
Jay groaned, running his hands through his hair. "This is so stupid."
"Stupid or not, that's the deal," Helen said. She turned and walked toward the kitchen, signaling that the conversation was over.
Jay sat on the couch, fuming silently. He wanted to argue more, to tell her that she didn't understand—but deep down, he knew she was only trying to protect him. Still, that didn't make the punishment any easier to swallow.