Sunday, February 19, 2017

Atom Facts

Let's see how much of an Atom Fan you are! Here are One Dozen Atom Facts!
1. Following Silver Age characters like The Flash and The Green Lantern-who were revisions of Golden Age heroes of the same names-DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz helped Gardner Fox and Gil Kane create a new version of The Atom inspired by Al Pratt (The Atom of The Golden Age) and another Golden Age hero named Dollman. After establishing his origin as a scientist and how his powers worked, they gave him the name Ray Palmer. Named after Raymond A. Palmer, an editor for a science-fiction magazine.

2. Ray's successors include Adam Cray in 1990 and Ryan Choi in 2006. In 2013, a female Atom named Rhonda Pineda appeared and joined The Justice League. However, this Atom was revealed to be an evil Atom from Earth-3 and almost killed Superman by planting a shard of Kryptonite inside his skull. Rhonda was also in a romantic relationship with an Earth-3 speedster named Johnny Quick. She was killed by Lex Luthor's boot by the end of "Forever Evil".

3. Ray Palmer's girlfriend was a lawyer named Jean Loring. After a bout of insanity and kidnapping by enemies of The Atom, she and Ray got married. However, they would later divorce due to Jean having an affair. She then re-married the man she was having an affair with. He would leave her as well and Jean would suffer a mental breakdown. She accidentally killed The Elongated Man's wife, sent death threats to The Justice League's loved ones, got Robin/Tim Drake's father murdered, and then pretended to commit suicide. She did all this to pressure Ray into sleeping with her. Jean was then sent to Arkham Asylum. She would also be possessed by the demonic being Eclipso and become a Black Lantern zombie.

4. During "Blackest Night", Ray Palmer aided The Indigo Tribe and became an honorary member, receiving an Indigo Power Ring. The Indigo Tribe is the most mysterious of the Lantern Corps and their abilities come from the emotion of Compassion. The Atom could use this ring to even mimic the properties of other Lantern rings.

5. Using his ability to shrink to atomic sizes, The Atom can rearrange molecules, surf on Photon signals (meaning he can travel across the Earth through a call on a landline phone), make himself dense enough to simulate super strength and durability, light enough to fly and phase through solid materials, and shrink other people so small they explode in two minutes. The Atom can even travel to other dimensions and time streams by shrinking into subatomic sizes.

6. Among his many allies on The Justice League, one of The Atom's best friends is Hawkman. In many team photos The Atom can seen in his doll-sized form sitting on Hawkman's shoulder. Hawkman can also fling The Atom at foes. Their friendship can be compared to Superman and Batman or Green Arrow and Green Lantern. Along with Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Green Arrow, and Black Canary, The Atom was one of the first five recruited members of The Justice League.

7. Ray Palmer's friend Norman Brawler wrote a book called "The Atom's Farewell" which chronicled the adventures of The Atom and revealed The Atom's secret identity.

8. After his divorce with Jean, Ray left his Atom Belt to Paul Hoben (Jean's new husband) and asked him to defend their home Ivy Town as The Atom. During that time, Ray spent the year in the jungles of South Africa where he met a tribe of 6-inch aliens called The Morlaidhans and became their defender in a series called "The Sword of The Atom".

9. As an aftereffect of the event "Zero Hour", Ray Palmer became a teenager and became the leader of an offshoot version of The Teen Titans. After being The Atom was turned back into an adult, a new Teen Titan named Molecule appeared and had similar powers to The Atom.

10. The Legion of Super-Heroes member Shrinking Violet has the exact same powers as The Atom and even used the name "Atom Girl" for a time. Ironically, her name is Salu Digby which is almost the same name as The Elongated Man's wife Sue Digby who was murdered by Jean Loring.

11. Ryan Choi was once asked by the staff of Arkham Asylum to prevent The Joker from having a brain aneurysm. He did this by shrinking into The Joker's head and during the process he was shocked by The Joker's brainwaves and relived some of The Joker's horrific childhood memories.

12. Actor Brandon Routh portrayed Ray Palmer on "Arrow", "The Flash", and later "Legends of Tomorrow". Before Routh played The Atom, he played another popular red-and-blue superhero in "Superman Returns". Even further before that film, actor John Kassir played The Atom in a live-action pilot episode for a Justice League TV show that never got launched as a show.
Thanks for reading!

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