The Atom I
Created by Ben Flinton & Bill O'Conner
+ History
Al Pratt was a kind-hearted
man, but small, weak, and often bullied. One day he bought dinner for a
vagrant who turned out to be Joe Morgan, former boxing champ. Morgan promised
Pratt he could be made into a he-man with the right training. In under one
year Pratt became a skilled and strong fighter, and he decided to use his new
ability to protect the oppressed as the mysteryman Atom.
(All-American Comics #19)
Atom joined the Justice Society of America, and would serve on the All-Star Squadron during WWII. During the war he fought an atomic-powered man named Cyclotron, and would later gain superhuman powers from this encounter. After the JSA breakup in the 1950s, Al Pratt retired the Atom from full active duty and only donned his costume on special occasions. He devoted most of his time to teaching at Calvin College and spending time with his wife Mary James.
Al Pratt married his college girlfriend, Mary James, sometime after the JSA disbanded in 1951. They had one child, who, unbeknownst to Al, became the subject of an experiment in genetic engineering conducted by Vandal Savage. Mary Pratt was murdered by Savage shortly after the child's birth. Al was led to believe that she and the baby died in childbirth. In fact, the boy was raised by two of Savage's employees and grew up under the name Grant Emerson (now the neophyte hero Damage, a member of the Titans). Al never remarried and never knew of his son. Grant did not discover his true parentage until after Al's death during Zero Hour. Al did, however, become the godfather of Albert Rothstein (Nuklon/Atom-Smasher), the grand son of the reluctant super-villain Cyclotron.
Mary give birth to a child, but Vandal Savage killed Mary and abducted the child. Al was heartbroken, and he assumed that his child was dead.
During Zero Hour the villainous Extant advanced the ages of the JSA, including Atom. Atom's body could not take the shock, and he passed away. (Zero Hour #3)
Atom befriended Starman VI in the afterlife. Starman brought his brother Starman VIII to a banquet in limbo attended by Atom and several other deceased mystery men. (Starman vol. 2 #37)
In the pre-Crisis DC Universe Atom I lived on Earth-2.
+ Powers
Atom possesses superhuman strength and agility, and was a well-versed boxer.
Appearances + References
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All-Star
Comics #3-57