Earth, the 1950s. The dream of atomic science is a reality; not only does atomic power provides cheap, plentiful energy, but the splitting of the atom has revealed a cornucopia of strange new particles and energies to be exploited for the advancement of humankind.

Atomic science has turned Manhattan into a utopia of gleaming spires, busy with cars and air vehicles running on atomic power. The power of the atom has also been turned inwards, to unlock superhuman abilities; those brave few who have volunteered for the process are dubbed ‘Atomic Men’, or simply ‘Atomics’.

These all-American heroes are at the forefront of a fight against extraterrestrial invaders, whose infiltration of the US became public knowledge following the Roswell incident. Influence of these aliens, known as ‘Xeds’, is investigated by the House Extraterrestrial Activities Committee led by Senator McCarthy, and citizens are advised to be vigilant for ‘Xeds under the bed’.

Xeds aren’t the only threat to Manhattan, the Atomic City. Below the spires, in the old streets of New York, crime runs rampant. Mobsters not only make use of advanced technology and alien weapons, but also magic; a power that manipulates the same strange energies and particles that atomic science taps into. The threat posed by magic is less well understood by the public, and mostly dismissed as urban legend and folklore.

If Xeds and magic mobsters weren’t enough, the Atomic City is also threatened by it’s supposed guardian; the computer system known as Metropolitation Automated Logistics. This vast mind is meant to oversee the day-to-day running of the city, but MAL is completely insane, yet smart enough to hide that insanity from it’s creators. Through fake messages and phone calls, and by rerouting supplies and power, MAL gets others to do its bidding, conducting unethical experiments and muscling in on the criminal underworld. MAL is building an army of robots and grotesque abominations for the day it decides to take over the world.

Joining the Atomics in the defence of Manhattan are Legionnaires, mostly war veterans who don costumes in imitation of the Atomic Men. There are also the ‘Tin Men’, sentient robots powered by atomic technology, and some Xeds that can pass for human, who have defected to work secretly for the US Government. Magicians are also on Uncle Sam’s payroll, adding magic to the arsenal of America’s defenders.

Welcome to the Atomic City, where things could go critical at any moment…