A is for...

Although multiple heroes have gone by the Atom, my favorite is the Silver & Bronze Age version of the character. College professor Ray Palmer developed a way to use Dwarf Star matter to miniaturize and grow anything including himself. A staple of the Justice League of America, the Atom has occasionally earned his own series from time to time, but the bulk of his appearances have come in team comics and DC events.

Using the properties of the White Dwarf Star, the Atom can transform himself from giant-sized to microscopic size (while still allowing himself the strength of his full-sized version). He can surf telephone lines, alter his weight and mass at will whatever his current size, and enter the bloodstream of an injured party to repair damage or remove a threatening bacterial threat.

Along with his lengthy comic history the character has been featured in several episodes of DC animates series over the years including The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, Super Friends, Justice League Unlimited, and Young Justice. His appearance in Batman: The Brave and the Bold and the DC short Sword of the Atom focus on his adventures as a miniature hero living with the tiny race of Morlaidhans in the jungles of South America. Brandon Routh is current playing Ray Palmer in Arrow and is in discussions to spin-off the character into his own series next year (as The CW did with The Flash).