Real Name: Ray Palmer
Occupation: Physics Professor at Ivy Town University
Marital Status: Divorced
Known Relatives: Jean Loring (ex-wife)
Group Affiliation: Inactive member of JLA
Base of Operations: Ivy Town, somewhere in New England.
First FDC Appearance: Hawkman #34
Height/Weight: Variable
Eyes/Hair: Blue/Redish-Brown
History: The Atom was one of the first mystery men of the
Silver Age. After he and his friends were stuck in a cave-in,
Ray Palmer used an unstable shrinking device in order to shrink
himself down in order to save the others. Unlike all of the other
things that he had previously used the ray on, Dr. Palmer didn't
explode.
After rescuing his friends, he decided to continue on as the Atom
in order to help his fiance, Jean Loring, who was a lawyer with
the DA's office. Ray would join the Justice League of America
as it's second recruit, where he would become friends with the
original Hawkman. (In pre-Crisis continuity, this was the second
Hawkman, Katar Hol.) Ray ultimately became discouraged with his
career as a hero, and assumed a more inactive status with the
League after he married Jean Loring.
Ultimately, Ray discovered that Jean was having an affair with
her boss, and their marriage began to disentigrate. When Ray discovered
a primitive race in the Amazon around six inches in height, he
fell in love with the Princess of this community and ultimately
went to live with them. This lasted until the CIA destroyed the
aliens, at which point Ray went out for revenge. He ultimately
brought all of these men to justice, but he was forced to fake
his own death. A new Atom, his protege took the role, but was
killed by the villain Blacksnake. In revenge, Ray shrunk him to
six inches in height permenantly.
Ray was recently deaged to the age of 16 and founded the new Teen
Titans. Eventually, he was returned to his proper age, and is
still a professor of Physics at Ivy Town University, and has became
friendly, at least, with his ex-wife, Jean Loring.
Powers: The Atom can shrink down to any size and regrow
himself. This power allows him to teleport through phone lines,
attack things at a molecular level, and many other stunts. Other
objects that he shrinks explode. He can also control his density.
All powers are triggered by a belt designed of extraterrestrial
material.
