Who's This? The first atom-splitter.
The facts: Even though the entry sets his first appearance as All-Star Squadron #21 (see below), a non-powered Terry Curtis actually first appeared in Action Comics #21 (February 1940), which is ALSO an Ultra-Humanite-as-Dolores-Winters story. She kidnaps this atomic scientist and forces him to build her a disintegrator weapon; he's rescued by the end. Jump to 1983 and Roy Thomas turns him into a superhuman working for the Humanite, one who once had a relationship with the new Firebrand, Dannette Reilly. He had a number of All-Star Squadron/Infinity Inc. appearances, first as an antagonist, and then as an ally.
How you could have heard of him: Though he doesn't show up outside of Thomas' run on the Earth-2 heroes (and very little beyond that first arc), he remains important to DC's legacies. He's cited as the reason the Golden Age Atom developed delayed powers from his radiation, and his daughter with Dannette passed on his powers to HER son, movie star Atom-Smasher (AKA Nuklon).
Example story: All-Star Squadron #21 (May 1983) "A Tale of Three Citadels" by Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway and Mike Machlan
So Hawkman, the Atom, Firebrand and half-mask Doctor Fate respond to a fire at the old JSA HQ building. They save some kids trapped by the flames (I guess the JSA only rents part of it) and Firebrand learns she can fly after absorbing the inferno into herself. While looking in the ruins for "Thor's hammer", an artifact too dangerous to be left for clearing crews to find, Cyclotron strikes - out of nowhere. And he also wants the Hammer of Thor.
Mayor Laguardia is on site saying that in New York, they don't make deals, but the All-Stars don't think the mallet is worth the price of a man's life. There doesn't seem to be much transference on show, but this is supposedly where the Al Pratt contracts a power-giving dose of radiation. It just takes years to develop. A likely story. Cyclotron throws tha Atom back at his friends, but is engaged by Dr. Fate.
Fate is immediately outclassed and maybe regrets giving up the Helmet of Nabu. Radiation saps his strength with no visible effect (by which I mean the glowy stuff), so maybe the Atom DID get dosed. The first hint that Cyclotron may be acting under duress occurs as the heroes try for him again.
Dr. Fate saves Laguardia, but Mack the Cop dies as a wall collapses on him. Cyclo-Terry feels guilty, but believes it's the All-Stars' fault as well for prolonging this unnecessary battle. Letting the green "creepy-crawlies" delay the team, Cyclotron escapes to rejoin the Ultra-Humanite who is busy grabbing other artifacts for her nefarious plans.
At this point, there is no acknowledgment that Terry and Dannette know each other, their masks keeping their identities intact. I suppose the interesting thing about Cyclotron, in CONCEPT, is that he's filled with atomic power and no one knows what that means yet. He's the near future come to stymie these heroes of the past (in particular, guys like Hawkman and Dr. Fate, who represent antiquity). But since he's not his own man (perhaps in a story that DOESN'T have him hunt down magical items), it's hard to gauge Cyclotron's usefulness in the DCU, on EITHER side of the fence.
Who's Next? The paper of record.
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