![[The Atom]](Atom.jpg)
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Character DataAl Pratt. Husband of Mary James Pratt. Godfather of Albert Rothstein/Nuklon. Cousin of Stacy Hogan. Residence: Calvin City |
Al Pratt was probably born around 1920; nothing is known of his family or early life. Pratt was a sophomore at Calvin College in 1940 and suffered the indignity of stunted growth, being a mere 5'1" tall. Ever the target of harassment, Pratt was often referred to as "Atom Al" by his tormentors. During those college days, he had a crush on a local debutante, Mary James. In early 1940, Pratt happened upon Mary James on a street corner in Calvin City and struck up a casual conversation. While trying to negotiate a date for the prom, the couple was accosted by a mugger who trampled the diminutive Pratt and absconded with James's purse and jewelry. James belittled Pratt's weakness in the fray, humiliating him. Dejected, Pratt made his way home and was approached by a panhandler. Feeling sympathetic, Pratt bought dinner for the old beggar. In the course of conversation, it was revealed that the beggar was Joe Morgan, a former heavyweight boxer and trainer. Pratt shared the events of earlier in the evening with Morgan and told of how he craved greater strength and fighting ability. Morgan seized on the youth's obsession by offering his services as a trainer. Pratt had inherited some property from a deceased uncle, so he provided Morgan with housing in exchange for his services as trainer. Using weekends and study breaks, Pratt trained intensively with Morgan.
In a few months' time, Morgan decided the training was complete, and the two moved back to Calvin City. Morgan even provided Pratt with a calling card that said "The Atom," in reference to the word's former meaning of "small" and its new meaning of "powerful." Upon his and Morgan's return to Calvin City, Pratt determined to pay a call on Mary James. When he arrived near her home, he witnessed her abduction by a group of criminals and leapt onto the rear of their departing automobile. Mary James had been kidnapped for ransom, and upon hearing the terms, Pratt leapt through a nearby window and thrashed the criminals. As James was blindfolded, she had no clue as to the identity of her savior. Before departing, Pratt dropped one his calling cards as "The Atom" (All-American Comics #19). Later, Mary James was attending a debutante ball and Pratt made sure to attend. When the party was crashed by some would-be jewel thieves, Pratt slipped out and donned a new costume he had made for himself. After thwarting the thieves, he announced himself to James and departed (All-American Comics #20). For several months thereafter, Pratt lived with Morgan. The two later parted ways and Morgan moved to a rural area outside of Calvin City to start a health camp, a popular recreational retreat in the 1940s (revealed in All-American Comics #30). The camp apparently fell on hard times, as Pratt lost track of Morgan shortly thereafter.
Within a few weeks of donning a costume, the Atom was selected by Doctor Fate to aid in the struggle against Valkyries summoned by Adolph Hitler's use of the Spear of Destiny. This case led to the formation of the Justice Society of America, and the Atom was a charter member (DC Special #29). The Atom went on to become a member in good standing for the World War II duration of the JSA and was a charter member of the All-Star Squadron (All-Star Squadron #3).
For roughly a year after meeting Mary James at Calvin College, Pratt wooed the wealthy debutante. The vain girl cared little for Pratt with his smallish frame and homespun upbringing, latching on to more glamorous men such as star football player "Truck" Tarbell. The popular Tarbell, the son of a freight magnate once aided by the Atom (All-American Comics #22), was a popular figure around campus as well as ring leader of a gang of guys who routinely harassed Pratt. The appearance of the Atom was a source of great thrill to James, who considered the masked hero an unattainable treasure. As time passed however, James softened toward Pratt, and eventually consented to a date. To Pratt's chagrin, their first date was disrupted by a run-in with some fur hijackers, further infatuating James with the Atom rather than Pratt (All-American Comics #28).
In the summer of 1941, the Justice Society was involved in a plot to disturb the fabric of American history by executing eight individuals destined to occupy the White House over the next five decades. Ian Karkull, an enemy of Doctor Fate, was behind the plot and was ultimately defeated. As Karkull was destroyed, chronal energy accumulated in Karkull's body was passed onto the JSA, imbuing them with increased longevity and vitality. The Atom was among those to receive this boon. While many of the JSA's loved ones were also there, Mary James was not (All-Star Squadron Annual #3).
Shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, most of the JSA members enlisted in the armed forces in their civilian identities (All-Star Comics vol. 1 #11). Al Pratt joined the Army and was trained as a tank corpsman in Virginia (All-Star Squadron vol. 1 #13). In time, however, the government decided against having the heroes abandon their costumed identities and the Atom returned to active service as a "mystery-man."
In the early months of 1942, The Atom again encountered Joe Morgan. Evil magic concentrated and expelled by the Guardians of the Universe had encountered a embittered Joe Morgan and seized upon him as a vessel for its will. Morgan had trained Ted Grant (Wildcat) and Jim Harper (The Guardian), as well as Pratt, only to see the three abandon any hopes he had for greatness in the boxing ring. The magic empowered Joe to act out a subconscious vengeance against the three, but ultimately he was defeated by the three heroes and their All-Star Squadron colleagues. As the magic fled his body, Morgan died, asking forgiveness for the selfishness he exhibited from the heroes he had trained (All-Star Squadron Annual #1).
Later that same year, the Ultra-Humanite began a campaign to extort the U.S. government and take revenge on Superman, his original adversary, using three sources of power: the alien Powerstone, the hammer of Thor, and the body of Robotman. To assist him, the Ultra-Humanite kidnapped physicist Terrence "Terry" Curtis (nee Kurtzburger), a conscientious man who cooperated out of fear for the safety of his infant daughter, Terri. Both Curtises suffered from intense radiation exposure due to experiments with radioactive thorium. As the Ultra-Humanite's scheme began to crumble under the onslaught of the All-Star Squadron, Curtis (now the costumed Cyclotron, due to the powers he had acquired upon thorium exposure) rebelled and pursued his former captor. The Atom's attempt to stop the perceived flight of Cyclotron resulted in a fist fight with the former scientist. During the fight, Cyclotron exposed the Atom to the thorium radiation building in his body, disabling the hero and returned to the pursuit. In an attempt to slay the Ultra-Humanite, Curtis's body was destroyed and Terri Curtis was left an orphan. Danette Reilly (Firebrand), Curtis's former lover, adopted the infant, and Pratt declared himself willing to help (All-Star Squadron Annual #2).
The Atom again returned to Calvin College and spent the remainder of the war years as an active member of the Justice Society. What his courses of study were is unknown. It is known that, as an adult, he lectured in physical sciences at Calvin College (The Atom #36), but he also had aspirations to journalism and tried in multiple years to get a job as a summer reporter at various newspapers (All-American Comics #46, 71). It most likely that Pratt ended up with a very general education that accounts for his lack of a very clear career in later life.
In 1948, the Atom had an encounter with the Huntress, an adversary of Wildcat's, as part of a JSA case. During this case, he exhibited remarkable strength, which was later shown to be due to the thorium exposure years earlier (All-Star Comics vol. 1 #41). Pratt later redesigned his costume to reflect these new powers, deriving it from Terry Curtis's original cyclotron uniform (Flash Comics #98). The Atom was an active member of the JSA during its final Golden Age case in 1951. Along with the six other active members, he was summoned before the HUAC and instructed to reveal his identity to the panel. They declined and the Atom retired from active duty (Adventure Comics #466).
The Atom's activities during the intervening years are unknown. Presumably he finished graduate school and had become a lecturer in physical sciences at Calvin College (The Atom #29). Most likely his research activities, if any, were minor. It is known that he ultimately wed Mary James, but is also known that he was a bachelor in 1965 (The Atom #36), implying that he had not yet married or that the marriage had in some way ended. It can probably be safely assumed however that his wife of later years (DC Comics Presents #30) was in fact, the former Mary James.
When the JSA was captured by Vandal Savage, the Atom again returned to active service (The Flash vol. 1 #137). When the JSA had its first encounter with the Justice League of America, the Atom made the acquaintance of Ray Palmer, the Atom of Earth-1 (Justice League of America #21-22). The two made contact on a number of occasions, including the apprehension of the Thinker, an Earth-2 criminal working on Earth-1 (The Atom #29).
During the 1970s and 80s, the Atom entered a phase of semi-retirement, making few public appearances. He invested heavily in his godson, Albert Rothstein, spending a summer physically training him (Infinity Inc. #48). He answered the call to defeat the Master Summoner in 1978 (All-Star Comics vol. 1 #74) and responded to a summons from Superman that led to the riverbed of Koehaha, the Stream of Ruthlessness, wherein he and his fellow JSA members were "drowned." After a battle with Infinity Incorporated, including his godson Nuklon, the Atom was restored to normal (Infinity Inc. #1-10). The Atom stood with the rest of the Justice Society during the congressional hearings on the "Batman Diaries" (America vs. the Justice Society #1-4) and fought the minions of the Anti-Monitor during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
After the Crisis passed,
Multiversity
Earth- 0/New Earth - The history of Al Pratt was largely similar to his Earth-2 counterpart up until the Crisis on Infinite Earths. When the JSA was sent to Limbo to forestall the coming of Ragnarok, the Atom went as well (Last Days of the Justice Society #1). During the years in Limbo, Mary Pratt died, and the Atom emerged a widower. When the JSA returned to Earth in 1992 (Armageddon: Inferno #3-4), the Atom rejoined the Justice Society full-time (Justice Society of America #1-10, Justice League Europe #47-50). He also redesigned his costume to be more similar in appearance to the one he wore in the early days of his career (Justice Society of America #1). When Extant threatened the timeline during the crisis known as Zero Hour, the JSA led the battle against them. The Atom was the first of the original super-team slain in the battle, felled by a blast of chronal energy (Zero Hour #3). His body was later returned to Earth and laid to rest alongside fellow JSA members Hourman and Doctor Mid-Nite. After his death, it was revealed that Grant Emerson, the hero known as Damage, was the "son" of Al and Mary Pratt, albeit one derived from an experiment by Vandal Savage in which the DNA of several other meta-humans was intermixed with the Pratts. Damage current serves as a member of the Justice Society with a costume reminiscent of his father's.
The code-name Atom was also assumed by a series of heroes with the ability to shrink, including Ray Palmer and Ryan Choi. Besides the nom du guerre, the second generation Atom has nothing in common with Pratt.
Earth-21 - The Atom of Earth-21 has a history virtually identical to his Earth-2 counterpart up to the dissolution of the JSA. His history after this point is unknown. (The New Frontier LS)
Earth-22 - The history of Earth-22's version of Al Pratt is largely similar to that of Earth-2's version until the late 1940's. The divergence at this point was that Al Pratt fell under the sway of charismatic Senator Tex Thompson, becoming little more than a pawn in his plans. When it was revealed that Thompson was actually the Ultra-Humanite working to bring America under the sway of a resuscitated Adolph Hitler, the Atom showed his heroic true colors and joined the battle to stop Dyna-Man, the host body for Hitler's brain. He returned to civilian life in the 1950's and as the JSA did not reform, his activities remain unknown. (The Golden Age LS).
Earth-40 - The Atom of Earth-40 is not known to be Al Pratt, though his general costume was similar and he operated the JSA analog of this earth, a team of exotic government agents. The primary difference is that the irradiation that ultimately powered him is much more intensive, rendering his flesh "hot" and translucent. His sole recorded exploit was the team's final stand against the renegade Kryptonian super-agent Zod, in which he was killed in action, decapitated by Zod. (JSA: The Unholy Three LS)
The Atom's abilities were a combination of his fighter training and exposure to a dose of radiation in 1942. In 1948, Pratt developed limited super-strength as a result of the radiation exposure several years earlier.
The Atom's weaknesses, like those of many other JSA members, stemmed from his humanity. He could be slain by things that would slay any other mortal of his age and condition.
List of Appearances for the Golden Age Atom (Alphabetical 1939-2003)
List of Golden Age Appearances (Detailed, 1939-1955)
Golden Age Atom Merchandise/Memorabilia (Pics and Links)