View source for Atom (Ryan Choi)

{{Short description|Fictional superhero in DC Comics}}
{{redirect|Ryan Choi|the musician|Ryan Choi (musician)|the Hong Kong fencer|Ryan Choi (fencer)}}
{{Infobox comics character
|image=AllNewAtom.jpg
|caption=Ryan Choi as Atom as depicted in ''The All New Atom'' #4 (December 2006). Art by [[Eddy Barrows]].
|imagesize= <!-- numeral only, defaults to 250 -->
|converted = y
|character_name= The Atom
|alter_ego= Dr. Ryan Choi
|publisher=[[DC Comics]]
|debut= ''DCU: Brave New World'' #1 (August 2006)
|creators=[[Gail Simone]]<br>[[Grant Morrison]]
|species=[[Human]]
|alliances=[[Justice League]]<br>[[Teen Titans]]<br>Justice Foundation
|aliases=Lun Lun
|supports=
|powers=
*Size and mass alteration via belt
*[[Genius]]-level intellect
*Combat experience
}}
'''The Atom''' '''(Dr. Ryan Choi)''' is a <!--Do not add "fictional" as it is tautological; superheroes (and characters in general) are by definition implied to be fictionalized to some extent.-->[[superhero]] appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[DC Comics]]. Created by [[Gail Simone]] and [[Grant Morrison]], the character first appeared in ''DCU: Brave New World'' #1 (August 2006) as the third superhero character to use the '''[[Atom (comics)|Atom]]''' name in the [[DC Universe]]. He emigrated to the [[United States]] following the death of his mother, to take up his idol [[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Ray Palmer]]'s former position at [[Ivy University]]. He went on to become a member of the [[Justice League]].

In the [[DC Extended Universe]] film ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]'' (2017), Ryan Choi was portrayed by [[Zheng Kai]], but his scenes were cut from the theatrical version. His appearance was restored for the 2021 [[director's cut]] of the film, ''[[Zack Snyder's Justice League]]''. [[Osric Chau]] portrayed Ryan Choi in the [[Arrowverse]] crossover "[[Crisis on Infinite Earths (Arrowverse)|Crisis on Infinite Earths]]" and ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]'''s eighth season.

{{TOC limit|3}}

==Publication history==
Ryan Choi first appeared in ''DCU: Brave New World'' and was created by [[Gail Simone]] and [[Grant Morrison]]. Choi, as described by DC solicitations, is "a young hotshot professor who's filling the extra spot on Ivy University's teaching staff... and who inadvertently ends up filling the old [[Atom (comics)|Atom's]] super-heroic shoes".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dccomics.com/comics/?cm=5536 |title=DC Comics |publisher=DC Comics |date=2010-04-21 |access-date=2011-01-15}}</ref>

In a [[Facebook]] post from 2017, Simone claimed that Ryan Choi was entirely her creation: "Grant Morrison did NOT create Ryan Choi. I envisioned him, developed him and named him. I was given some rough story ideas by Grant, I am sure they were brilliant, but I didn’t read them. My entire Atom pitch was lifted from a pitch I wrote for [[Impulse (DC Comics)|Impulse]] that did not get used".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/atom-ryan-choi-creator-gail-simone-grant-morrison/ |title=Comic Book Legends Revealed: Who Really Created the Ryan Choi Atom? |date=14 December 2019 |publisher=Comic Book Resources |access-date=2020-11-26}}</ref>

Choi makes his first appearance in the new Rebirth continuity in the ''Justice League of America: The Atom'' one-shot, by Steve Orlando and Andrew MacDonald. His suit is redesigned to resemble [[Atom (Ray Palmer)#Arrowverse|Ray Palmer's in the Arrowverse TV shows]].

==Fictional character biography==
Born in [[Hong Kong]], Ryan Choi was a longtime protégé of [[Atom (Ray Palmer)|Ray Palmer]] who had been corresponding with him through letters. After Palmer's disappearance, Ryan moved to Ivy Town in America to assume his mentor's place on the staff of Ivy University. Following clues left by Palmer, Ryan discovered a "bio-belt", allegedly the size and density-manipulating device used by his predecessor, and became the new Atom with Palmer's apparent blessing. Though taken with the superhero lifestyle, Ryan is a scientist first and foremost and approaches many of his adventures from the perspective of scientific discovery and investigation.

Since taking his mentor's place, Ryan has found himself at the center of a conflict between the forces of science and magic. It has been claimed that the impossible feats performed by Ray Palmer during his superheroic career caused the very fabric of reality to warp in Ivy Town's vicinity, making it a nexus of paranormal activity. Many parties, including the ancient "Cancer God" [[Cthulhu Mythos deities#Great Old Ones|M'Nagalah]] and the microscopic aliens known as "the Waiting", consider Ryan a key player in the war and have made attempts to recruit, capture, or kill him. He is advised by, among others, [[Ivy Town]] Police Chief Liza Warner (a.k.a. [[Lady Cop]]).<ref>''The All-New Atom'' #6 and 11</ref>

As the Atom, Ryan has faced numerous challenges, including the shrinking serial killer [[Dwarfstar]], his strict and disapproving father, and being seduced, kidnapped, and even swallowed alive by the size-changing villainess, [[Giganta]]. Through it all, his ingenuity and keen deductive mind have served him in good stead.

Ryan Choi was involved in the search for the missing Ray Palmer, traveling into the restored Multiverse along with [[Donna Troy]], [[Jason Todd]] and a [[Monitors (comics)|Monitor]] nicknamed "Bob". Literally plucked back to New Earth, he leaves his role of dimension-hopper to [[Kyle Rayner]], returning to defend Ivy Town from a monster invasion. Later he is led to a mistaken belief that Ray Palmer has become an egocentric madman, and Ryan himself may be only a pawn of his mad fantasies. This is later revealed to be a ploy by Ray's old nemesis, [[Chronos (character)|Chronos]]. ''The All New Atom'' series ended with issue #25,<ref name="dc-ency">{{Cite book|last = Beatty, Scott|first = Wallace, Dan|contribution = Atom I, II and III|editor-last = Dougall|editor-first = Alastair | title = The DC Comics Encyclopedia|page = 30|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|place = London|year = 2008|isbn = 978-0-7566-4119-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://dccomics.com/comics/?cm=9717 |title=DCU &#124; Comics |publisher=Dccomics.com |date=2010-04-21 |access-date=2011-01-15}}</ref> when Ryan, with some help from the returned Ray Palmer, is able to discern between the truth and the lies fed by Chronos and his new assistant, Lady Chronos, a former sweetheart of Ryan turned to crime. Ryan eventually discovers that Ray Palmer never knew of Choi: instead the bio-belt was a tainted gift from Jia, and the Ray Palmer letters a clever forging by Chronos, meant to force Ryan into accepting the Atom mantle, and taking the blame for the staging menaces sent against the city. However, due to Ryan's ability into sorting out the mess, besting the Chronos couple and restoring Ivy to normalcy, Ray finally gives him his blessing.<ref name="auto">''The All-New Atom'' #25</ref>

Ryan expresses his desire to find a new identity for himself, since Ray, despite giving him his blessing earlier, had resumed using regularly his Atom identity.<ref>''Final Crisis'' #6</ref> In ''[[Justice League: Cry for Justice]]'' #1, Ray and Ryan are seen fighting [[Killer Moth]] together, and at the end of the battle both of them show respect towards each other, with Ray asking Ryan to continue using the Atom name.

===''Brightest Day''===
In ''[[Brightest Day]]'', Ryan is killed by [[Deathstroke]], who uses his bio-belt to revive his son [[Jericho (DC Comics)|Jericho]].<ref>{{multiref2|''Titans: Villains For Hire''|''Titans'' (vol. 2) #24|''Titans'' (vol. 2) #28 (October 2010)|''Secret Six'' (vol. 3) #28 (December 2010)|''Titans'' (vol. 2) #32 (February 2011)|''Titans'' (vol. 2) #33 (March 2011)|''Titans'' (vol. 2) #36 - #38 (June - August 2011)|''Titans'' (vol. 2) Annual 2011 (July 2011)
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Wallace Responds to Hero's Death in ''Titans: Villains for Hire'' |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=26207 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515192131/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=26207 |archive-date=May 15, 2010 |access-date=January 15, 2011 |website=Comic Book Resources |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.newsarama.com/2010/05/20/too-many-words-on-the-weirdness-of-the-all-new-atoms-weird-weird-death/ |title=Too many words on the weirdness of the All-New Atom's weird, weird death |publisher=Blog.newsarama.com |date=2010-05-20 |access-date=2011-01-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529015544/http://blog.newsarama.com/2010/05/20/too-many-words-on-the-weirdness-of-the-all-new-atoms-weird-weird-death/ |archive-date=2010-05-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SDCC Notebook: The Fan Diaspora & Eric Wallace on diversity in DC Comics &#124; Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture |url=http://www.racialicious.com/2010/08/02/sdcc-notebook-the-fan-diaspora-eric-wallace-on-diversity-in-dc-comics/#comment-2078089 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100906072133/http://www.racialicious.com/2010/08/02/sdcc-notebook-the-fan-diaspora-eric-wallace-on-diversity-in-dc-comics/ |archive-date=2010-09-06 |access-date=2011-01-15 |publisher=Racialicious}}</ref> In ''[[Convergence (comics)|Convergence]]'', Ryan is revealed to have survived by entering the microscopic universe and is resurrected after transferring into a clone body.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://insidepulse.com/2011/07/25/dc-comics-relaunch-jim-lee-reveals-the-atom-to-be-ryan-choi/|title=DC Comics Relaunch: Jim Lee Reveals The Atom To Be Ryan Choi|date=July 26, 2011}}</ref><ref>''Justice League'' (vol. 2) #4</ref><ref>''Convergence: The Atom'' #1 (April 2015)</ref><ref>''Convergence: The Atom'' #2 (May 2015)</ref>

===''DC Rebirth''===
Ryan makes his official debut in the new ''[[DC Rebirth]]'' continuity as a teenage genius Ivy League college student tutored by Ray Palmer.<ref>''DCU: Rebirth'' #1 (July 2016)</ref> Palmer reveals his identity as the Atom and enlists Ryan's help in fighting crime, talking to Ray from his lab in a tech support role.<ref>''Justice League of America: Atom - Rebirth'' #1 (January 2017)</ref> One day, after many adventures together, Ray goes missing. A week later, Ryan finds a message from Palmer along with one of his size-changing belts, asking the youth to come find him in the Microverse because he got stuck there when exploring a change in time and space.<ref>''DC Rebirth'' #1</ref> After receiving another scolding from Dean Plumm, Ryan heads back to the lab, using the bio-belt that Ray gave him to travel there through the Wi-Fi. When he arrives, he is met by Batman and Lobo who are there to recruit Ray Palmer into the new Justice League of America. Discovering that Ray is missing, Batman decides to leave until Lobo asks Ryan if he wrote down various equations to update the bio-belt on a blackboard. Impressed, Lobo decides that Batman should recruit Ryan, despite Batman not wanting to put him in danger. Lobo says it is Ryan's choice, and Ryan joins the JLA and sometime later, heads to the City of Vanity, Oregon, to recruit the Ray into the team.<ref>''Justice League of America: Rebirth'' #1 (February 2017)</ref>

==Powers and abilities==
Ryan Choi's abilities stand identical to that of his mentor and friend Ray Palmer, the original Atom. Having the capability to change size, mass, and weight at will through a [[dwarf star]] powered device known as the Quantum Bio-Belt, he can shrink down beyond the particle scale. This enables Ryan, in his own words, to miniaturize himself while retaining full physique at this level. Initially, he could only do so due to the belt his predecessor's enemy, Lady Chronos had made for him.<ref>''The All-New Atom'' #1 and 24</ref> But after time of using the senior physicist's invention, he eventually contracted odd microorganisms that bonded to his blood cells on a genetic level. These small matter-devouring creatures allowed him similar 100% bodily control over the molecular physiological structure as his science teacher. Essentially letting him grow or shrink without the need of a belt under his own willpower.<ref name="auto"/> As Ryan, he possesses expertise in [[physics]].

==Collected editions==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
!width=25"| Title
!width=50%| Material collected
!width=5%| Pages
!width=20%| ISBN
|-
|'''''My Life in Miniature'''''
|''The All-New Atom'' #1-6
|160
|{{ISBN|1-4012-1325-1}}
|-
|'''''Future/Past'''''
|''The All-New Atom'' #7-11
|128
|{{ISBN|1-4012-1568-8}}
|-
|'''''The Hunt for Ray Palmer'''''
|''The All-New Atom'' #12-16
|128
|{{ISBN|978-1-4012-1782-2}}
|-
|'''''Small Wonder'''''
|''The All-New Atom'' #17-18 and 20-25
|192
|{{ISBN|978-1-4012-1996-3}}
|}

==In other media==
===Television===
* Ryan Choi / Atom appears in ''[[Batman: The Brave and the Bold]]'', voiced by [[James Sie]].<ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=Atom / Ryan Choi Voices (DC Universe) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/DC-Universe/Atom-Ryan-Choi/ |access-date=July 20, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref> Additionally, an alternate universe version named '''Dyna-Mite''' (also voiced by Sie) appears in the episode "Deep Cover for Batman!" as a member of the [[Crime Syndicate of America|Injustice Syndicate]].<ref name="btva2">{{cite web |title=Dyna-Mite Voice - ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' (TV Show) |url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/tv-shows/Batman-The-Brave-and-the-Bold/Dyna-Mite/ |access-date=July 20, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref>
* Ryan Choi appears in media set in the [[Arrowverse]], portrayed by [[Osric Chau]].
** Choi first appears in the crossover event "[[Crisis on Infinite Earths (Arrowverse)|Crisis on Infinite Earths]]", in which he is recruited to combat the [[Anti-Monitor (Arrowverse)|Anti-Monitor]] due to his status as the Paragon of Humanity.<ref name="Chau">{{cite magazine |last=Bucksbaum |first=Sydney |date=September 26, 2019 |title=Supernatural alum Osric Chau joins Arrowverse's 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' as new Atom |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926235446/https://ew.com/tv/2019/09/26/supernatural-osric-chau-arrowverse-crisis-on-infinite-earths-ryan-choi-atom/amp |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>
** An alternate timeline variant of Choi who became the Atom appears in the [[The Flash season 8|eighth season]] of ''[[The Flash (2014 TV series)|The Flash]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=Jenna |title=The Flash: "Armageddon, Part 4" Finally Gives SPOILER a Comic-Accurate Costume |url=https://comicbook.com/dc/news/the-flash-armageddon-part-4-ryan-choi-comic-accurate-costume/ |website=ComicBook |access-date=December 8, 2021 |date=December 7, 2021}}</ref>

===Film===
* An alternate universe variant of Ryan Choi appears in ''[[Justice League: Gods and Monsters]]'', voiced by [[Eric Bauza]].<ref name="btva" />
* ''[[Justice League (film)|Justice League]]'' director [[Zack Snyder]] revealed via his personal [[Vero (app)|Vero]] account that he intended to include Ryan Choi in the film, having cast [[Zheng Kai]] in the role and filmed several scenes for him. While Kai's appearance was cut from the final film during post-production, photos were publicly released online.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/justice-league-movie-atom-ryan-choi-cameo/|title=Zack Snyder Confirms ATOM Was In His Justice League|last=Dyce|first=Andrew|website=Screen Rant|date=September 17, 2018|access-date=September 17, 2018}}</ref> His scenes were later included in the [[director's cut]], ''[[Zack Snyder's Justice League]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/justice-league-snyder-cut-image-ryan-choi-dc/|title=Justice League Snyder Cut Image Shows DC Comics Ryan Choi|last=Hood|first=Cooper|website=Screen Rant|date=May 22, 2020|access-date=August 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Collis |first1=Clark |date=March 18, 2021 |title=Zack Snyder breaks down the ending of 'Justice League' |url=https://ew.com/movies/justice-league-zack-snyder-ending-interview/ |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>
* Ryan Choi / Atom appears in ''[[Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash]]'', voiced again by Eric Bauza.<ref name="btva" />
* Ryan Choi / Atom appears in ''[[Injustice (2021 film)|Injustice]]'', voiced by an uncredited [[Yuri Lowenthal]].

===Video games===
* Ryan Choi / Atom appears in ''[[Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Eisen |first=Andrew |date=October 2, 2013 |title=DC Characters and Objects - ''Scribblenauts Unmasked'' Guide |url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/scribblenauts-unmasked/DC_Characters_and_Objects |access-date=July 20, 2024 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref>
* Ryan Choi / Atom appears as a downloadable playable character in ''[[Injustice 2]]'', voiced by [[Matthew Yang King]]. He appears as part of the "Fighter Pack 3" DLC.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=915407662656790528|user=InjusticeGame|title=Coming soon to the #injustice2 roster... Atom!<!-- full text of tweet that Twitter returned to the bot (excluding links) added by TweetCiteBot. This may be better truncated or may need expanding (TW limits responses to 140 characters) or case changes. --> |date=4 October 2017}}</ref>
* Ryan Choi / Atom appears as a playable character in ''[[Lego DC Super-Villains]]'', voiced by [[Jason Marsden]].

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{The Atom}}
{{Justice League characters}}
{{Grant Morrison}}

[[Category:Characters created by Gail Simone]]
[[Category:Characters created by Grant Morrison]]
[[Category:Chinese superheroes]]
[[Category:Comics characters introduced in 2006]]
[[Category:DC Comics male superheroes]]
[[Category:DC Comics shapeshifters]]
[[Category:DC Comics scientists]]
[[Category:Fictional academics]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who can change size]]
[[Category:Fictional Hong Kong people]]
[[Category:Fictional immigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Fictional physicists]]