Originally presented at the height of the Cold War, the adventures of the Atomic Knights begin in 1986, after the U.S. has been devastated by a "hydrogen war." The survivors were protected by Sgt. Gardner Grayle and his band of Atomic Knights, who wore suits of armor that had been treated with radiation, rendering them impervious to futuristic threats. The Knights traveled the country, helping citizens rebuild their lives while battling menaces including the would-be tyrant the Black Baron, the cavemen of New York, giant mutant plants and more.