The story of the Atom begins with Calvin College freshman Al Pratt. After he and his girlfriend were robbed, he resolved to become a costumed crimefighter. Trained by former boxing great Joe Morgan, he debuted in 1940, calling himself "The Atom" in reference to his relatively diminutive height. Later that same year, he became a founding member of the legendary Justice Society of America. The Atom fought crime and injustice through the war years, going into semi-retirement in the 1950's.

The Atom's legacy lived on when, in 1952, Atlanta resident Arthur Thompson gained radiation-based powers and became the Atom II. His heroic career was short-lived, ending a few years later when a mistake of Thompson's nearly led to the destruction of his home city. Atlanta was saved, but the near-miss so shocked him that he retired as a super-hero.

However, in 1961 scientist Ray Palmer became the Atom III after experimenting with white dwarf star material he had discovered. Palmer fought crime for many years, eventually becoming a member of the Justice League of America.

In 1978, Adam Thompson, son of Arthur, became the Atom IV, guardian of Atlanta. A few years later, in 1983, Albert Rothstein, godson of Al Pratt, began fighting crime as Nuklon, helping to found Infinity, Inc. In time, Albert would marry long-time X-Patrol member Kate "Shadowcat" Pryde, and the two would eventually join the JSA, with Albert changing his codename to "Atom-Smasher".

In 1992, Jill Athron, one of Palmer's students, began fighting crime as the Atom V. The next year, Adam Cray, using equipment based on pirated designs of Palmer's, became the Atom VI, joining the so-called Suicide Squad. In 1994, Grant Emerson, grandson of Al Pratt, became the teen hero known as Damage.

In 1998, Adam Thompson, Junior followed his family's tradition by becoming the Atom VII, joining several other Atlanta-based heroes to form the Secret Six. Four years later, Los Angeles gained a new protector as an orphan known only as "Robin" gained super-powers and became the Atom VIII, joining with several other fledgling heroes in founding an LA-based branch of the Justice League of America.

In 2006, another of Ray Palmer's students followed in his footsteps as Ryan Choi became the Atom IX. Subsequently, in 2013, Ray's grand-daughter Avril Palmer became the Atom X. Little is known of the legacy of the Atom after this point except that in the distant year 85,627, the star-spanning Justice Legion A welcomed the Atom XI as a member.

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  • Possibly Ray Palmer studied under Darrell Dane, the DOLL MAN.

  • Allow a conjecture:

    In 1957, Scott Carey is exposed to a radioactive cloud and begins to shrink gradually. Darrell Dane attempts to aid him but Carey becomes too small for even him to see.

    Dane later finds the remains of the cloud and studies it with three of his most prominent students: Ray Palmer, Henry Pym and the ironically named Sidney Martin Shrinker. Shrinker, however, has a dark secret as he has been trying to duplicate the experiments of the mad Doctor Alexander Thorkel and steals vital data and specimens.

    Fortunately the process was able to be refined into a more safer form of energy by Doctor Jan Benes and Professor Theodore Carter to help form the C.M.D.F (Combined Miniature Deterrent/Defense Forces) in 1966 in which a miro-ship Proteus was engaged to save Benes' life.

    In 1968, the C.M.D.F. was fully realized with the construction of the micro-ship Voyager and its crew of Commander Jonathan Kidd (whose mentor was Colonel Nick Fury), Guru the Master of Mysterious Powers (a former student of the Ancient One and possessor of one of the Rubies of Life), Doctor Erica Lane (granddaughter of Margo Lane and put through medical school and several disciplines by an unknown benefactor) and scientist/engineer Busby Birdwell (genius relative of Jughead Jones and the Cabots) Together they would go on many fantastic voyages.

    btw, Professor Carter (possibly not his real name) is the brother of the Chief of CONTROL.

    Two of Carter's protégés would be the Beecher Sisters, Christy and Karen who would both utilize some form of miniaturization.



  • Philip Portelli said:

    Possibly Ray Palmer studied under Darrell Dane, the DOLL MAN.

    Interesting. ever thought of that. Don't know much about Doll Man.



  • Philip Portelli said:

    Allow a conjecture:

    In 1957, Scott Carey is exposed to a radioactive cloud and begins to shrink gradually. Darrell Dane attempts to aid him but Carey becomes too small for even him to see.

    Dane later finds the remains of the cloud and studies it with three of his most prominent students: Ray Palmer, Henry Pym and the ironically named Sidney Martin Shrinker. Shrinker, however, has a dark secret as he has been trying to duplicate the experiments of the mad Doctor Alexander Thorkel and steals vital data and specimens.

    Fortunately the process was able to be refined into a more safer form of energy by Doctor Jan Benes and Professor Theodore Carter to help form the C.M.D.F (Combined Miniature Deterrent/Defense Forces) in 1966 in which a miro-ship Proteus was engaged to save Benes' life.

    In 1968, the C.M.D.F. was fully realized with the construction of the micro-ship Voyager and its crew of Commander Jonathan Kidd (whose mentor was Colonel Nick Fury), Guru the Master of Mysterious Powers (a former student of the Ancient One and possessor of one of the Rubies of Life), Doctor Erica Lane (granddaughter of Margo Lane and put through medical school and several disciplines by an unknown benefactor) and scientist/engineer Busby Birdwell (genius relative of Jughead Jones and the Cabots) Together they would go on many fantastic voyages.

    btw, Professor Carter (possibly not his real name) is the brother of the Chief of CONTROL.

    Two of Carter's protégés would be the Beecher Sisters, Christy and Karen who would both utilize some form of miniaturization.

    Interesting ideas. I'll have to look some of those characters up.  I love the fact that there's so much I don't know!

  • Little is known of the legacy of the Atom after this point except that in the distant year 85,627, the star-spanning Justice Legion A welcomed the Atom XI as a member

    Possibly, some time before the 30th century, a descendant or descendants of Ray Palmer are among emigrants from Earth who colonise the planet Imsk.

  • Darrell Dane first appeared in 1939.

    The cloud might have been an experiment on shrinking by Ray Palmer or Henry Pym that escaped from the lab. Or that guy that ended up with the flabby face that joined the Headmen.

    Mr. Franz seemed nice but turned out to be just as crazy as Dr. Thorkel. Or Shrinker who we eventually discovered was a mad man with an evil mind.



  • Peter Wrexham said:

    Little is known of the legacy of the Atom after this point except that in the distant year 85,627, the star-spanning Justice Legion A welcomed the Atom XI as a member

    Possibly, some time before the 30th century, a descendant or descendants of Ray Palmer are among emigrants from Earth who colonise the planet Imsk.

    Interesting idea.

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