Ray Palmer (comics)
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The Atom introduced during the Silver Age of comic books in Showcase # 34 (Sep-Oct 1961) is physicist and university professor Ray Palmer (named for real-life science-fiction writer Raymond A. Palmer, who was himself quite short).
History
Using a mass of white dwarf star matter, he fashioned a lens that enabled him to shrink any object to any degree he wished. However, any object so treated soon exploded as a side effect, which obviously precluded any practical use of the lens.
During a spelunking expedition, Palmer and his friends found themselves trapped in the cave when the entrance collapsed. In desperation, Palmer secretly used the lens he carried with him to shrink himself down in order to be able to climb to a small hole high in the wall that led to the outside, knowing full well he would likely explode himself being so treated. Using a diamond engagement ring, he enlarged the hole sufficiently and descended to the floor to try alert the others of the escape route before dying. However, upon entering the lens' beam, he found himself returned to normal size. As the lens was covered with cave moisture, Palmer thought it altered the beam to allow this strange effect. When subsequent experiments showed no change with the explosions, Palmer concluded that there must be some mysterious force in his own body that allowed him to be shrunk safely and later returned to normal. He decided to use this effect to become a superhero.
Ray Palmer created a belt tool, from what was initially depicted as white dwarf star matter, which allows him to shrink down to subatomic size. Furthermore, he developed a special costume that he can wear at most times that only became visible when he shrunk signficantly. In addition, he developed new equipment that allowed him to instantly alter his molecular density to whatever degree he desired. This allowed him to glide on air currents on a low setting, while a high setting allowed him to handle or strike objects with the equivalent strength of his normal size and build. However, a favourite travel method he had was to call some location on the telephone and when the intended phone answered, Palmer could shrink down enough to literally travel through the phone lines in seconds to emerge out of the answering phone.
Originally, his size and molecular density abilities derived from mechanisms in his belt with a back up device in his gloves. He carried out the bulk of his early superheroic adventures in his home of Ivytown where he often helped his girlfriend, lawyer Jean Loring, win her cases. Much later, he gained the innate equivalent powers with his own body.
He has been a member of several incarnations of the Justice League, and the team was gracious enough to supply a special chair scaled to his default size which could elevate to whatever height needed so he could easily partake in team meetings without having to go out of costume. There, he met Hawkman (Carter Hall), one of his closest friends in the superhero community. Neither character appears regularly in comics, and even in their heyday were mostly supporting characters, often with Palmer as a specialist who was needed to access extremely confined areas only he could access although he has had several short-lived series.
One of them was a four-issue limited series and three subsequent specials all entitled Sword of the Atom, in which he abandoned civilization and became a Conan-like figure, hero of a tribe of six-inch tall yellow-skinned humanoid aliens in the jungles of Central America).
Eventually the colony was destroyed by loggers despite Palmer's attempts to stop, and he was forced to escape via the telephone to North America. In the attempt, he failed to anticipate that the connection would involve satellite relay and the unexpectedly ardous trip caused him to internalize his equipment's powers.
Later, during the events of Zero Hour, Palmer was rejuvenated to a teenage state, and became a mentor of the Titans. He subsequently regained his original age and memories.
The most recent appearance of the Atom was in the 2004 seven-issue limited series Identity Crisis, which had major consequences for him and especially for his ex-wife Jean Loring. At the end, Atom, having committed Jean to Arkham Asylum, despairs, and shrinks continuously until he vanishes completely into the microscopic or subatomic.
However, Palmer's legacy lives on with Ryan Choi finding a copy of his costume and shrinking device to become the current Atom.
Other versions
- Frank Miller portrayed Ray Palmer as a major player in . He was taken prisoner by Lex Luthor and made to live in one of his own petri dishes for a period of months until his rescue by Catgirl. He was then instrumental in the liberation of Kandor.
- Some other re-imaginings of the Atom include an appearance in League Of Justice, an Elseworlds story portraying the Justice League in a Lord Of The Rings-type story where the Atom was recast as a wizard/fortune teller called "Atomus The Palmer".
- Another was an appearance in where Ray Palmer worked with a science consortium whose numbers at one point included Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.
Other media
- Ray Palmer appeared in his own episodes in the The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure
- Besides making occasional appearances on the Super Friends shows, the Atom (Ray Palmer) appeared in Justice League Unlimited to help Lex Luthor defend himself against Amazo and disable a grey goo like alien weapon known as the Dark Heart (in an episode written by Warren Ellis). Both of the devices utilized nanotechnology, a field in which he is an expert. He is voiced by John C. McGinley. In the second episode, Wonder Woman allows the Atom to ride in her bustier, one of the most well-remembered scenes from JLU. Previously, he was mentioned in the Justice League episode "Hereafter," by Vandal Savage. A future version of Savage mentions that a younger version of himself stole a piece of dwarf star matter from a scientist called Ray Palmer. The mention of dwarf star matter fits in with the Atom's original comic book origin.
- The Atom also appeared in the 1997 live action made-for-TV movie pilot, Justice League of America. He was played by John Kassir
External links
- [JLResource.com entry for the animated Atom]
- [Index to the Atom's Earth-1 adventures]
- [Article on the history/legacy of The Atom] from the Comics 101 article series by Scott Tipton.
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