The Atlas Complex

Libby is a physicist: a medeian who can manipulate the elements. Alongside Nico, she is one of only two physicists in the novel. As in the previous books in the series, her character arc is the most central to the plot of the main characters. She also undergoes a significant character shift throughout the series. She begins as a compassionate but self-doubting person who prioritizes others’ needs over hers and serves as the moral compass of the group of protagonists. However, after Ezra traps her in the past, she transforms into a person who is more assertive but also more willing to take morally questionable actions and hurt the people around her as a means to an end. She makes the transition from protagonist to an antagonistic character. Her character arc can be summarized by the final conversation she has with Atlas, where he asks her, “What else are you willing to break, Miss Rhodes, and who will you betray to do it?” (19). In the prior book, she used Belen, triggered a nuclear explosion to return home, and murdered both Ezra and Atlas upon her return to the present. This trend in her character continues in The Atlas Complex.