Ray Palmer: The Atom Appreciation 2020

[Tzigone]

How do we all feal about Jean Loring? What is your preferred status for the character?

I kind of like Ray being a divorced hero simply because it's something that happens to real people and it's a rarity among superheroes, but it also makes sense given his characterization in Sword as someone so committed to the Atom. They can continue to have a type of relationship but not necessarily a stable romantic one.

I don't care for the divorce for two reasons - one , it came out nowhere with no buildup. Two, I dislike it because if you look at silver age comics, Jean is a rarity - the one who wasn't trying to get a wedding ring and cared about establishing her career before marriage. And she's the one that ends up a cheating divorcee. Terrible messaging. Made worse by the ghastliness of IC. At least if it had been a mutual parting of the ways... instead she was the villain of the piece.

Of course, I also don't like Sword of the Atom, and have a general preference that Ray not be "so committed to the Atom" - I mean, yes, he cares about being a superhero, as all do. But I like him very focused on his civilian career as well (he and Jean being similar in that regard early was appealing). And yes, very focused on his romance, too. As you say divorced heroes are a rarity, I'll chime in that Ray was a rarity in the silver age, too, in that it was the hero, not the love interest, that was more in pursuit of the wedding ring. I'd say it was a bit overboard for humor, but frankly it was incredibly low-key in comparison to Lois or Lana or Steve.

It's hard for me to imagine Jean Loring as anything but Ray's crazy ex-wife, but I'm admittedly coming at it from a more modern perspective on the character.

Character assassination on par with Heroes in Crisis, IMO. Just a less cared about character that it was inflicted on.

[Jekyll]

I didn’t really mind the divorce. I really loved Ray’s sci-fi adventures after that. I was NOT a fan of the character assassination that was Identity Crisis where they made Jean a bat **** crazy murderer.

[HunterX]

Hell be guest starring in there trying to get Carter back to his normal self and out of his Sky Tyrant persona together with Hawkwoman.

COOL thanks

[liwanag]

[Frontier]

Sword of the Atom .

[WallyWestFlash]

Was interesting that they added a fantasy aspect to Atom with Sword of the Atom when you would assume he would be more in the science genre.

Since Ray is best friends with Hawkman, who is a part of the fantasy genre as well, I would love to see them both go on a sword and sorcery adventure.

Would be a pretty cool image to see Carter bludgeoning with his mace and Aton slicing with his sword a horde of orces or goblins.

[liwanag]

Was interesting that they added a fantasy aspect to Atom with Sword of the Atom when you would assume he would be more in the science genre.

Since Ray is best friends with Hawkman, who is a part of the fantasy genre as well, I would love to see them both go on a sword and sorcery adventure.

Would be a pretty cool image to see Carter bludgeoning with his mace and Aton slicing with his sword a horde of orces or goblins.

is dc publishing any fantasy books right now?

i'd love to see some dungeons and dragons type of story.

maybe have ray and carter visit travis morgan in skartaris.

[liwanag]

goodbye dr. ray palmer

[WallyWestFlash]

Hes leaving the show?

[Jekyll]

goodbye dr. ray palmer

Brandon Routh, great actor , great Ray Palmer.

DC Legends of Tomorrow writers: Lets screw this up by writing Ray as an idiot and not even bothering shrinking anymore.

[Frontier]

Hes leaving the show?

Yeah. Apparently Routh was none too happy about it either.

[liwanag]

[DrNewGod]

I don't care for the divorce for two reasons - one , it came out nowhere with no buildup. Two, I dislike it because if you look at silver age comics, Jean is a rarity - the one who wasn't trying to get a wedding ring and cared about establishing her career before marriage. And she's the one that ends up a cheating divorcee. Terrible messaging. Made worse by the ghastliness of IC. At least if it had been a mutual parting of the ways... instead she was the villain of the piece.

Of course, I also don't like Sword of the Atom, and have a general preference that Ray not be "so committed to the Atom" - I mean, yes, he cares about being a superhero, as all do. But I like him very focused on his civilian career as well (he and Jean being similar in that regard early was appealing). And yes, very focused on his romance, too. As you say divorced heroes are a rarity, I'll chime in that Ray was a rarity in the silver age, too, in that it was the hero, not the love interest, that was more in pursuit of the wedding ring. I'd say it was a bit overboard for humor, but frankly it was incredibly low-key in comparison to Lois or Lana or Steve.

Character assassination on par with Heroes in Crisis, IMO. Just a less cared about character that it was inflicted on.

What Tzigone said.

[liwanag]

Yeah. Apparently Routh was none too happy about it either.

all i heard was brandon was leaving the show, i don't know the reason why though. was it creative differences?

[Frontier]

all i heard was brandon was leaving the show, i don't know the reason why though. was it creative differences?

I think the leading theory is it was budget issues.