Powers
Teleportation: Remarkable, through phone lines.
Shrinking: The Atom can shrink to the size of atomic particles
with Class 1000 ability
Density Manipulation: Excellent. Typically he uses this power to increase the damage of his punches 3 ranks to Remarkable damage.
Talents
Acrobatics, Detective, Martial Arts B, E, Blunt Weapons, Physics, Chemistry
Contacts
Justice League, Ivy Town University, Teen Titans
History
Ray Palmer was born and raised in Ivy Town. From a very young age Ray was raised by Ted Ralston, after the death of his Father. From early on in his life Ray had an interest in the sciences. He developed those interests further when he enrolled at Ivy University, in his hometown, and studied physics, with an emphasis on both sub-nuclear physics, and temporal physics, with an additional interest in sub-atomic theory. During Ray's Graduate studies at the University he discovered and analyzed specific properties of a white dwarf star. In the lab there was an accident involving Ray's white dwarf studies and refracted ultraviolet light that shrunk objects the affected beam of light struck. After the development of a lens that could replicate the size/mass changing process he observed in the lab accident. Ray used this process on himself, and ended up adopting a costume, and taking up the identity of the Atom, in the tradition of Al Pratt, and became a crime fighter.
Ray fought crime in his town for a time before being brought into the spotlight as a hero. The Atom faced colorful supervillains like Chronos, Dr. Light, and the Plant-Master. Often Ray would fight decidedly different battles than his fellow superheroes, and use his head rather than his fists, outsmarting his foes, and using his knowledge of sciences to his advantage. The Justice League asked Ray to become a member, and though he was hesitant to interact with other heroes without more experience as a crime fighter, he accepted. Ray's life as a hero and scientist was growing, as was his personal life with time. Ray and his longtime girlfriend Jean Loring finally tied the knot, right after Ray revealed to her his double life. Their relationship was strained, with Ray's "absent minded Professor" mentality; he would often become immersed in his research and would seem unavailable. Compounded with his duties as a member of the Justice League, Ray failed to give Jean the attention she desired. She eventually fell into the arms of a fellow lawyer, and left Ray after he suggested a separation. Ray's scientific research took him to the Amazon and to a tribe of miniature humanoids. He fell in love with the Princess of the tribe after he was temporarily frozen into his six-inch form. A conspiracy in the tiny community caused an explosion that destroyed the society, except for those the Atom was able to evacuate. After his return to the States Ray revealed his identity to the World in his autobiography. Ray and Jean made peace with each other, and Ray blessed her marriage to her lawyer friend. Overcome with physical problems from his size shifts, Ray once again became six inches tall again for a prolonged time and reunited with the survivors of the small jungle society. After the destruction of the last survivors of the shrunken people Ray repaired his lens and cured himself, being able to alter his size with ease again. Being chased after by a secret branch of the U.S. Government, Ray went into hiding. He came in and out of hiding periodically until his return to active heroics with the Zero Hour Crisis. Ray was called into action with all of Earth's heroes to attack the maniacal Hal Jordan, Ray's friend from his JLA days. He attempted to disorient the villain Extant by going into his brain, an old trick of Ray's, only to discover that Extant was a being of chronal entropy. Ray was affected by the energies that made up Extant's form and de-aged into a teenager.
Disoriented, having the latter half of his life seemingly erased, Ray returned to Ivy Town, and Ivy University. It was at Ivy U that Ray first met the young man who would be called Joto. He and the man became allies as members of the newly formed Teen Titans. The team shared a brief career as superheroes, and it suffered an untimely hiatus after Joto's tragic death. After the funeral the team temporarily disbanded, only to reconnect with a slightly changed line-up. With a life threatening injury Ray's physical age began to fluctuate, and Waverider, a time traveling and time controlling hero, restored his proper chronological age in order to save his life. The Atom then returned to his life at Ivy U as a Professor, having disbanded the Titans team he helped create. Ray was asked to rejoin the Justice League, and after a conflict with the villain Amazo, learned that the JLA could use his scientific mind for assistance. Ray declined the invitation, but accepted a position as the JLA's Science Advisor, and remained on their reserve list. Ray spends most of his time with his teaching and studies in Ivy Town, and has developed a relationship with Ronnie Raymond, Firestorm, who has become a student of his.
Despite his retirement the Atom was called upon for nearly every major world crisis, but he declined to return to full-time status with the League. Nevertheless, the return of Amazo did prompt him to agree to reserve status and to accept a position as the League's part-time science adviser. In that position he aided the League against the Quantum Mechanics and began a series of master-classes for younger heroes. He also served as a Presidential Adviser during the Imperiex War.
After the Imperiex War, the search for Aquaman resulted in the apparent death of the entire JLA. Contingency programs left by Batman called the Atom back into full-time action as part of a replacement team led by Nightwing. That team never fully jelled as unit, but a few of them (including the Atom) remained on after the original team returned from 3,000 years in the past. The Atom's expertise was essential in re-forming the shattered Plastic Man and in defeating the alien recording device Mnemon.
The Atom's future is unknown, but his position as a veteran member of the League is undisputed. He is one of the few heroes to survive the last decade relatively unscathed. Ray has been through more upheavals and traumas than most other heroes and one can expect him to be around for some time to come. And if time has proved anything, the world is happy to have him.
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