Well look at this! The Atom appears on CW's "The Flash" and in the same year "Ant-Man" premiers! Sounds like people may be confused or upset over who's "cooler" or "better". Kind of a sad question, especially when you consider this is the most these characters have been talked about in decades. So if we really must compare them, I'll answer your question of "What's The Difference".
We'll start off with DC Comic's miniature master of science, The Atom! There have been four people in the comics to take the mantle: Al Pratt in 1940, Ray Palmer in 1961, Adam Cray in 1990, and Ryan Choi in 2006. For convenience, we'll be focussing on the longest standing Atom, Ray Palmer. Palmer was physicist and professor at Ivy Town's Pace University who specialized in matter compression, believing controlling matter could end famine and overpopulation. Palmer discovered a chunk of white dwarf star that landed on Earth and he build a special lens out of the space rock. By manipulating the lens, Palmer created a beam that could shrink matter. However, the compression of matter risks the objects destruction via explosion. During a spelunking exhibition with his girlfriend Jean Loring and his students, a cave-in trapped Palmer and the others involved. Desperate and in secret, Palmer used the lens on himself to shrink small enough to unclog a passage. Palmer enlarged a diamond engagement ring to open the passage and rushed off to tell the other before he died, but when passing by the lens again, Palmer returned to human size. He deduced that the unique moisture of the cave altered the lens' ray and after escaping this incident Palmer altered the lens and built a special suit that would allow him to shrink and grow at will. Placing the lens into his belt, Ray Palmer used his shrinking abilities to become The Atom. The Atom doesn't simply shrink, he has 100% control of his own molecules. The Atom can make himself light enough to fly, dense enough to punch through concrete, he can become small enough to surf on photons signals through fiber optic cables. What does that mean? It means all Atom has to do is dial a phone and he can shrink through the phone to wherever he is calling. The Atom can become small enough to rearrange molecules, once turning molecules in Superman's bloodstream into Kryptonite. Oh, and he grow giant too. The Atom is one of DC's many Silver Age crime-fighters, being one the of four second-tier Justice League members and one of the greatest mind in The DC Universe. He has ventured through South American jungles with miniature aliens, donned an Indigo Power Ring, and has even gotten divorced (ouch). Needless to say, The Atom is one tough cookie. Or breadcrumb, as it were.
Ant-Man isn't too dissimilar. There have been three Ant-Man that have mattered: Hank Pym in 1962, Scott Lang in 1979, and Eric O'Grady in 2006. I know Scott was the movie one, but we're focusing on Pym because he's the best known. Hank Pym was a biochemist who discovered an unusual set of subatomic particles during his studies. He deemed them "Pym Particles" and constructed two serums from them: one serum to shrink, and other to grow. After a horrific adventure among ants, Hank decides to destroy the serums, but reconsiders shortly after. Hank builds a special helmet to control the brainwaves of insects and takes the superhero name Ant-Man! Among his adventures, Hank falls in love with a woman named Janet Van Dyne and she becomes his partner The Wasp, then the pair joined the first roster of The Avengers. Throughout the years Hank has taken on many identities: Giant-Man was created from his insecurity, Goliath was the result of long-effect growth particles, Yellowjacket was a radically-different duel personality, and he was even The Wasp after his wife "died". Hank may be one of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe, but he is also one of the most dangerous minds there is. Some of his more notorious feats include building Ultron (which is a disaster by itself) and hitting his wife Janet when she tried to stop him from faking a heroic plot. Hank is mentally unstable, a mad scientist of old science fiction who's involvement in superhero exploits has almost always ended in misfortune. Hank can of course grow to the size of an ant, a microscopic size and to the size of a skyscraper. He can control insects using his special helmet, has sometimes used cybernetic wings and handheld laser pistols, and he can increase his own physical strength and speed by shrinking. He has also used Pym Particles to withhold objects like weapons, vehicles and people at toy-size. Achievements include building a microscopic prison to hold superpowered criminals, being partly involved in the creations of Avengers Vision and Jocasta, teaching young heroes at Avengers Academy, and being a member of The Avengers, The West Coast Avengers, The Mighty Avengers, The Secret Avengers, Avengers AI, The Defenders and The Illuminati. No, not that Illuminati, the actual Marvel Illuminati. Still....it's confirmed.
Yet again we see two similar characters with success rates that couldn't be more different. The Atom discovered shrinking tech and met his misfortunes because of other people. His wife cheated on him and he had to divorce her, he defended miniature aliens, but couldn't save them in the end. Hank Pym is often the cause of his own problems, his shaky relationship with other heroes is solely based on the creation of Ultron, the beating of Wasp, and the constant psychological spasms he has on a regular basis. Even when passing on their mantles, Ray gave The Atom suit to his competent student Ryan Chio. Hank on the other hand let a thief steal his suit and allowed him to be Ant-Man, then stood by as a morally disgusting SHIELD agent took the suit years later. Despite their differences, The Atom and Ant-Man both carry the reputation of being intelligent scientists and committed superheroes, both worthy of their places among their respective superhero communities. One of them just happens to be a psychopath.
Thanks for Reading and Happy Celebration September!
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