Halloween Costume Guide
Size-shifting JSA recruit, big heart, bigger fists, still figuring out the hero part
Atom Smasher shows up in Kahndaq as part of the Justice Society, tasked with stopping Black Adam, and spends most of the film working out whether he is actually cut out for this. He can grow to massive size, which the film uses to good effect in its action sequences. He is played by Noah Centineo in the 2022 DC film Black Adam, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Wikipedia). The costume is one of the more accessible superhero builds around: three items, no complicated fabrication, and a clear visual.
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The mask is the first thing people register. If it is sitting crooked or has shifted to one side, the costume reads as a person in a tracksuit wearing broken gear. Get the mask positioned correctly and secured before you leave the house. A thin strip of costume tape on the inner edge helps if the fit is slightly loose. The metallic belt matters more than it seems: without it, the blue and red suit looks like athletic wear. With it, the silhouette shifts into superhero territory.
There is a scene where Atom Smasher meets Black Adam for the first time and immediately tells him they are basically the same because they can both grow really big. Black Adam does not respond the way Albert was hoping. That is the character at most parties too: enthusiastic, slightly misjudging the room, good-natured about it. It is an easy energy to play.
Check the mask fit before the party
Masks that feel fine in a mirror at home tend to shift after an hour of talking, drinking, and moving around. Put the mask on and turn your head sharply a few times. If it moves, adjust the straps or add a small piece of costume tape at the bridge. Fixing a slipping mask mid-party in a dark venue is harder than it sounds.
The belt is not optional if you are using the tracksuit
If you are building from the tracksuit rather than the full costume, the belt is what makes the difference between a Halloween costume and a running outfit. A wide metallic or faux-leather belt positioned at the natural waist, not the hips, is the right placement. Too low and it looks wrong; too high and it looks like cosplay armour from a different film.
Group Idea: Justice Society of America
Excellent group for a comic book or DC crowd. All four characters appear together in the film and each costume has a distinct look, so there is no confusion about who is who. Black Adam is the visual anchor and everyone else arranges around him naturally. At a general Halloween party in 2026, recognition depends heavily on whether people watched the film when it came out.
Group Idea: Size-Shifting Superheroes
Strong group because the size-changing concept gives it a clear theme that people at any party will understand even if they do not know every character individually. The visual contrast between Ant-Man’s sleek suit, the Wasp’s winged costume, Hulk’s green bulk, and Atom Smasher’s blue and red uniform works well in photos. The Hulk costume is the most physically committed of the four.
Group Idea: Same Actor
Strong group for a crowd that follows Noah Centineo’s career. The contrast between a DC superhero and three rom-com leads is genuinely funny as a concept, and the costumes span a wide range so there is no visual overlap. This group requires everyone to commit to the specific source material, not just the actor. Someone who has not seen To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before will need their name tag to get through the night.
Group Idea: Same Name
Might work, but only at a party where people find the concept funny before they find it confusing. The shared-name theme does not communicate visually. Someone has to explain it, and the explanation is the joke, which means the group has to be comfortable with that. Al Bundy and Weird Al have strong recognition independently. Albert Wesker is niche. The group works best if someone makes a name-tag prop or sign.
Group Idea: DC Masked Muscle
Might work, but this group asks a lot of the crowd. Peacemaker has strong recognition after the HBO Max series. Bane from The Dark Knight Rises is well-known. Deathstroke is more niche outside comic book circles. Atom Smasher is the least recognisable of the four at a general party. The masked theme holds the group together visually, but do not expect everyone to get it unprompted.
This is one of the simpler superhero builds. Three items, no fabrication, no face paint. The only real decision is whether to buy the full set or piece it together from the tracksuit and mask separately.
Albert Rothstein is earnest about being a hero. Not ironically, not reluctantly. He genuinely wants to do the right thing and is figuring out what that means. That is a different energy from most DC characters and it is easy to play.
The full Atom Smasher costume is the easiest route. If you are building it yourself, start with the blue and red tracksuit as the base, add the Atom Smasher mask, and secure the look with a metallic belt. The costume reads clearly at any Halloween event because the superhero silhouette is distinct.
It works best at events where people know DC or comic book films. Black Adam had a wide theatrical release in 2022 but faded from the cultural conversation fairly quickly, so general party recognition is not guaranteed. The costume still reads as a superhero, which carries its own legibility.
Two lines stand out. The first is eager and slightly oblivious: “I’ve always wanted to meet you. We’re basically the same. We both have the power to grow really big.” The second shows his evolving resolve: “I used to think I wasn’t brave enough to be a hero. But I am.”
Atom Smasher is played by Noah Centineo, known for his roles in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and The Fosters. Black Adam was released in 2022 and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
Atom Smasher can grow to enormous size, proportionally increasing his strength and durability as he does. In the comics, Albert Rothstein is the grandson of the original Atom Smasher and inherits the size-shifting ability through his metahuman genes.
Yes. The blue and red tracksuit paired with the mask gets you most of the way there. Add a wide metallic belt at the waist and the costume reads clearly. The full costume set is more polished, but the individual pieces work fine.