#...okay I think I'm done with the comicsposting for the night

[isfjmel-phleg]

Damage ends with Grant managing to arrange a meeting with his father's godson, Albert* Rothstein, and making an important request:

(Damage #20)

*Albert also goes by Al sometimes, as seen here, but I am going to consistently refer to him by his full name to distinguish him from his namesake Al Pratt.

And of course, we don't get to see their conversation, but what does Albert tell him? Grant could easily access facts and statistics about Al Pratt from the JSA databases (and probably has--he's a good researcher), but in this case he's asking for a view of his father from someone who knew him well and was close to him--had the nearest thing to the relationship that Grant should have had with Al.

So what could Albert tell him? Well, perhaps he tells the story of Al's mentorship of him, as related in flashback in Infinity Inc. 1984 #48.

Story time!

The framing device of this issue is Albert's traveling to visit an old friend (with the intention of making a chivalrous proposal...long story), and wishing Al were around to talk to about it--which leads to reflection on his relationship with his "godfather."

As a child, Albert is little for his age, which makes him a target for bullying. One day, when the taunts go too far, he starts a fight and comes home with a black eye. His mother is appalled, but his "godfather," whom he calls Uncle Al, takes him aside to talk about it. Al (who's 5'1") of course can relate to being bullied for being small.

Since Albert's father died in the Vietnam War, Al has been the boy's father figure, as he was for Albert's mother after her father's death, and he considers the Rothsteins family even if they're not related by birth or adoption. And to cheer Albert up, he decides to let him in on a secret.

Al reveals that he is the Atom, one of the original members of the Justice Society of America. Albert of course is thrilled to learn that his godfather is a superhero--and that Al has invited him to spend the summer with him.

The Pratt home has a private gym, which Albert is eager to try, but his childish expectations of acquiring great strength in a single evening leave him disappointed when obviously that doesn't work out. Al offers to train him.

Cue the training montage! Al is a patient and encouraging teacher, but strict about discipline and hard work. Albert makes a lot of progress--and proceeds to shoot up eight inches over the summer. This is abnormal even for a prepubescent child, so Al brings the boy to his teammate Doctor Mid-Nite. While there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with Albert physically, there's some concern about the possibility of effects from the radiation that his grandfather was exposed to, which has inexplicably skipped a generation. The most they can do at this point is continue to monitor him. Doctor Mid-Nite jokes that he should take up basketball. Albert admits he's not really into that, but Al proceeds to project some frustrated aspirations of his own onto him and urges him to try anyway.

And Albert's a good dutiful boy, so he agrees.

A year later, he has his bar mitzvah and makes a point of thanking Al alongside his parents.

At the party afterward, Al and his wife Mary give Albert their gift--a signed basketball, suitable for his future career in the NBA. Albert thanks them politely, concealing the expression that reveals that this isn't his dream.

Al is the one most invested in Albert's basketball, and he is not happy when an injury from a reckless accident keeps Albert away from practice for weeks. Albert quietly accepts the rebuke...

...but uses the time off the court to discover that he has an interest in mechanics...

...and in aviation, like his father, who was a pilot. This is exciting for him, but Al sees this as another distraction.

Nevertheless, by the time Albert is in his senior year of high school, he's working in a garage--and playing basketball for his school. He's good at it, even if he doesn't love it, and this earns him a scholarship to a university.

And he's a good dutiful boy, so he accepts. He becomes, at his full 7'6" height, an asset to the university team, but his heart isn't in it. He wants to give it up, but he's afraid of disappointing everyone, especially Al.

So he sticks with it--but he jumps at the chance to take some time off to spend with a visiting friend...and ends up missing an important alumni dinner that he as part of the team was supposed to attend.

By the time he arrives, it's over, and everyone has gone--except Al, who is angry at him for his lack of responsibility. Albert is frustrated enough to get snarky in return and finally lets it slip that he's not interested in a basketball career after all. Sure that he's destroyed his relationship with his godfather, he walks away, only for Al to call him back...

...and apologize for pushing him so hard to do something that didn't even challenge him. Albert tries to apologize for not speaking up sooner, but Al insists that he himself bears the blame here. They affirm their respect and affection for each other, with Al assuring Albert that he will be proud of him no matter what he chooses to do.

(Which happens to be transferring schools to study mechanical engineering and joining a superhero team as Nuklon. And getting a regrettable mohawk. Al actually isn't thrilled about that, but it's a vague homage to the crest on the cowl of his costume, and he can't argue against it too much.)

So we see that Albert's relationship with Al had its issues but ultimately proved to be warm and supportive, with Al able to recognize and correct his failings and unashamedly express love toward the closest thing he had to a son. (Quite a contrast from some of the other Golden Age heroes as fathers--the Ray, for instance.)

And it gives us a glimpse into what Al probably would have been like as a father to Grant if he had known about him. Which makes it even more tragic that Grant ended up raised by such horrible people.