Atom

The Atom is a fictional super-hero code name typically used by the character of Ray Palmer. Ray Palmer is a scientist who has appeared in animated programs and live-action TV projects based on the comic book character The Atom as seen in comic books published by DC Comics. He made his small-screen debut in a series of four 7-minute animated shorts in 1967 which were part of the Superman-Aquaman Hour of Adventure. He made appearances in the Super Friends family of programs by Hanna-Barbera Productions in the 1970s, as well as episodes of Justice League Unlimited in the 2000s. He was voiced by John C. McGinley in these episodes. In 2014, the Atom made the leap to live-action as a recurring character on the CW Network television series Arrow, where he was played by Brandon Routh. This version of the character spun-out into another series where he took on a larger role in Legends of Tomorrow.

The Atom first appeared in Showcase #34 in September-October, 1961 in a story called "Birth of the Atom!". The character went on to helm his own ongoing series, The Atom, which eventually spun-out into a team-up book, Atom and Hawkman. He was also featured in a four-issue mini-series, Sword of the Atom, as well another ongoing series Power of the Atom. The character has been a member of the Justice League of America and the leader of the second iteration of the Teen Titans. He was also a pivotal character in the DC crossover event known as "Countdown".

Ray Palmer discovered fragments of a white dwarf star. He fashioned the pieces into lenses and discovered that they could shrink matter. However, the matter only remained stable for an hour before exploding. While taking some children on a hiking trip, a cave-in trapped them all underground. Ray was forced to turn the radiation from the lenses on himself to shrink down small enough to find and opening and save them. He discovered that something about his own biology kept the white dwarf material stable.

Ray Palmer fashioned the white-dwarf lenses into a belt. He created a blue and red costume for himself and became the Atom for the first time.