Ray Palmer, the Atom, was once poised to become an A-List classic Silver Age characters, the Atom has never achieved the level of name recognition that his contemporaries the Flash and Green Lantern enjoy. However, throughout the 2000s, the Atom had an amazing character arc that should have made him one of DC’s greatest characters, but for some inexplicable reason it never happened.
In the 1950’s, DC Comics relaunched the Flash in Showcase #4, which kicked off the Silver Age of comics. Inspired by the success of the Flash’s revival, DC next brought back Green Lantern, giving him a more science-fiction-oriented origin. In 1961, DC gave the Atom a similar treatment in Showcase #34. Keeping with the spirit of the Silver Age, this new incarnation of the Atom used science to shrink himself and become a hero. He was given a ing cast, including a love interest, Jean Loring. Like other DC Silver Age characters, the Atom would the Justice League, serving as a member in good standing for years. In 2004, DC began breathing new life into their Silver Age icons, such as Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, to great acclaim. While the Atom did not receive a Rebirth miniseries, he still had a character arc that could have positioned him for greatness... but DC blew it.
In a convoluted scheme to fix their relationship, Jean Loring used the Atom’s technology to murder Sue Dibny and Jack Drake of the reborn multiverse, and had been traveling through it, flitting from world to world to stave off the Great Disaster.
The Atom’s story picks up again in 2009’s Blackest Night. The Atom, along with Green Lantern, the Flash and Mera, finds himself at the forefront of the battle between the various Lantern Corps and the evil Black Lanterns. During the course of the event, the Atom had still not processed his grief over losing Jean Loring, leading to an exchange where the Flash chides the Atom, telling him to “grow the hell up and be the Atom again.” The four were integral to turning back Nekron’s plans, and at one point, the Atom was deputized into the Indigo Lanterns.
The conclusion of Blackest Night set the Atom up for greatness, but DC failed to capitalize on the character’s epic and heartbreaking arc over the preceding five years. with longtime friend Hawkman. However, a year later, DC’s New 52 initiative kicked in, and Ray Palmer’s time as the Atom was completely retconned away, erasing decades of character development. Ray’s time as the Atom returned during the Rebirth era, but his appearances have been few and far between.
The Atom is one of DC’s most underrated characters - one who plays second fiddle to Green Lantern and the Flash. Like his two Justice League allies, Atom had the potential for a great comeback, with stories that took him to his lowest moment then restored his heroic nature, but thanks to a lack of follow-through, that build-up went to waste.
