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When Ray Palmer, Ivy University physics student
discovered a piece of white dwarf star material, it completely changed his life.
He managed to use it to construct a belt that would allow him to control his own
size and density.
The Atom's early adventures mostly took place with the original Justice League
of America. He was the seventh member to join the team and fought along their
side for many years. Most of his solo adventures were efforts on his part to
help his girlfriend, Jean Loring, out. Ray had proposed to Jean and before Jean
would accept, she wanted to have her career as a lawyer established before she
would marry Ray. As the Atom, Ray would help her to ensure her happiness and
eventually his own.
Jean and Ray got married, but the two quickly became estranged. Jean was once
again putting her career ahead of Ray leading Ray to spend more and more time as
the Atom. Eventually, Ray caught Jean with Paul Hoben, a partner of hers. Ray
and Jean still wanted to work things out, but Ray felt he needed some time on
his own. He took a trip to South America where his plane crashed and he was
presumed dead for a brief period of time. He was in fact not dead, but had been
found by the Katarthans, a six inch tall alien culture who had settled in the
South American jungle.
Ray eventually decided to live among those people after he fell in love with
Princess Laethwen. He gave his belt to Paul Hoben and was forced to stay at his
six inch height. He also vowed never to return and co-wrote a book about his
life that revealed his identity to the world.
The Atom had many adventures among the Katarthans. He learned about them and
discovered that they were once six feet tall, but their star drive was powered
by a white dwarf star and that caused them to shrink.
His time among them was cut short when the CIA's Operation: Slash and Burn
destroyed the jungle and killed all of the Katarthans. Ray absorbed the white
dwarf material and came back to Ivytown. He discovered that Jean and Paul were
married and that life without a secret identity was not easy. Ray led a
directionless life for a time as he dealt with new abilities he received by
absorbing the white dwarf star material. The Atom eventually discovered that the
CIA was behind the death of his alien friends and had his vengeance. He also
disappeared for a time.
The Atom resurfaced as part of the Suicide Squad for a time. That Atom was in
fact not Ray Palmer but a kid by the name of Adam Cray. Cray was killed and Ray
returned to the role of the Atom. It was right after that when Ray's life
intersected with the JLA again briefly. He hung around the JLA right before and
right after Superman's death, but he moved on again and went back to Ivytown for
awhile.
After Superman's return, during the "Zero Hour Crisis," Extant shot the Atom
with a beam that caused him to de-age. Ray was 16 and had forgotten everything
he had known. Gone was all of his knowledge about physics and other sciences as
well as his experience. The Atom briefly went solo but wound up leading a new
group of Teen Titans.
It was during this time that Ray eventually regained his years and knowledge
back and returned to being 35. At that time, Ray went back to Ivytown, became a
physics professor, and retired from the super hero business.
Well, he tried to anyway. The current JLA convinced him to
return to duty and he now occasionally goes on missions with them and also
teacher the younger, less experienced heroes.
Notes:
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Ray Palmer met and later married Jean Loring, an attorney. They separated,
reconciled, then separated again. At this point the pair remain close
friends-- the romance has not been renewed.
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