Ray Palmer foi a primeira encarnação do Atom com poderes de encolhimento. Como você pode ver nesta página de Superman # 302, agosto de 1976, Ray costumava viajar chamando alguém em seu local de destino, encolhendo-se até o tamanho (subatômico) de um elétron e pegando carona em um elétron até ele. destino.
Em DC Rebirth , Ray Palmer vai abaixo da subatômica no Microverse .
Subsequently, in the DC Rebirth reboot, on Earth-0, Ray Palmer is by day, a professor at an Ivy League college , and by night, the experienced crime fighter The Atom. He reveals his secret identity to his friend and apprentice Ryan Choi, and enlists him for tech support during his adventures. After many adventures together, Ray disappears and Ryan is scolded when Ray cancels classes for the fifth day in a row. When Ryan goes to get Ray from his workshop where he has seemingly been confined for a week, he instead finds a video recording from Ray. In it he reveals he discovered a universe beyond the subatomic, a so-called Microverse while investigating a disruption in space and time, and within he found something that posed an existential threat to their universe. He asks Ryan, the only other person who knows how to use the Atom's technology and whom Ray trusts, to go into it, rescue him, and finish his work. Ray informs Ryan that upon arrival he will also meet with someone who he himself has encountered. He tries to warn Ryan about something, but the footage cuts out abruptly before he can finish. When Batman begins recruiting for his new Justice League of America, he chooses Ray as one the members of the new league, however when he enters Ray's office he finds Ryan instead. Ryan explains to Batman about Ray's situation so he takes Ryan as Ray's successor.