Who was the first "Atom" (no rank/no adjective) you ever read in DC comic books?

[Gero4568]

Ray Palmer in Satellite Era JLA back issues.

[MajorHoy]

. . . My favorite Al Pratt appearance was in a story where a valkyrie attempts to assassinate the US President for Nazi Germany (comics!), and Al jumps in the way and blocks the energy blast from her spear. He rises up from this not-as-deadly-as-it-seemed blow and says, "Nah, Mr. President, don't you know? You can't split an atom!" which was hilarious in it's irony, since, by that time, the President would have known otherwise (even if it was reasonable that Al would believe that)...

That would have first been in DC Special #29 (August-September 1977)


(Yes, it took 37 years before the Justice Society of America got an "origin story". . . )

But that scene (and line) would also have been in Roy Thomas' post-CoIE retelling of the JSA's origin story (without Batman and Superman) in Secret Origins #31 (October 1988):

[Jim Kelly]

Wonder if Golden Age Al Pratt will start getting more votes since he was (briefly) in Doomsday Clock #10

Who're they trying to kid? Al Pratt was a young, red-haired college student when he first became the Atom.

[MajorHoy]

With 59 people having previously voted,

* Ray Palmer (Silver Age Atom) = 52 votes
* Golden Age Al Pratt = 4 votes
* Ryan Choi (from 2006) = 2 votes
* New52's Captain Al Pratt (in Earth 2) = 1 vote

[Multiverse]

Ray Palmer, followed by Ryan Choi

[MajorHoy]

With 64 people having now voted,

* Ray Palmer (Silver Age Atom) = 57 votes
* Golden Age Al Pratt = 4 votes
* Ryan Choi (from 2006) = 2 votes
* New52's Captain Al Pratt (in Earth 2) = 1 vote

[MajorHoy]

With 70 people having now voted,

* Ray Palmer (Silver Age Atom) = 62 votes
* Golden Age Al Pratt = 4 votes
* Ryan Choi (from 2006) = 3 votes
* New52's Captain Al Pratt (in Earth 2) = 1 vote

[DrNewGod]

That's a serious No Contest.

[Celgress]

Ray Palmer was the first Atom I read about.

[MajorHoy]

With 72 people having voted,

* Ray Palmer (Silver Age Atom) = 64 votes
* Golden Age Al Pratt = 4 votes
* Ryan Choi (from 2006) = 3 votes
* New52's Captain Al Pratt (in Earth 2) = 1 vote

[MajorHoy]

= bump! =

With 74 people having voted,

* Ray Palmer (Silver Age Atom) = 66 votes
* Golden Age Al Pratt = 4 votes
* Ryan Choi (from 2006) = 3 votes
* New52's Captain Al Pratt (in Earth 2) = 1 vote

[Falcon16]

Ray Palmer, of course, but I also like Rhonda Pineda.

[sifighter]

Al Pratt and his Godson Atomsmasher

[MajorHoy]

NOTE: Thread / poll started in January of 2018.

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With 78 people having voted,

* Ray Palmer (Silver Age Atom) = 70 votes
* Golden Age Al Pratt = 4 votes
* Ryan Choi (from 2006) = 3 votes
* New52's Captain Al Pratt (in Earth 2) = 1 vote

[BatmanJones]

I never correct grammar or spelling or whatever because I don’t think those things matter, especially in an informal setting, but since OP often corrects posts in various ways, I’m breaking my unofficial ‘policy’. “The” is not an adjective, it’s an article. I hope they’ll take this in the good spirit it’s intended. ;