Physicist and university professor Ray Palmer using a mass of white dwarf star matter, he fashioned a lens that enabled him to shrink any object to any degree he wished. However, any object so treated soon exploded as a side effect, which obviously precluded any practical use of the lens.

During a spelunking expedition, Palmer and his friends found themselves trapped in the cave when the entrance collapsed. In desperation, Palmer secretly used the lens he carried with him to shrink himself down in order to be able to climb to a small hole high in the wall that led to the outside, knowing full well he would likely explode himself being so treated. Using a diamond engagement ring, he enlarged the hole sufficiently and descended to the floor to try alert the others of the escape route before dying. However, upon entering the lens' beam, he found himself returned to normal size. As the lens was covered with cave moisture, Palmer thought it altered the beam to allow this strange effect. When subsequent experiments showed no change with the explosions, Palmer concluded that there must be some mysterious force in his own body that allowed him to be shrunk safely and later returned to normal. He decided to use this effect to become a superhero.

Ray Palmer created a costume from what was initially depicted as white dwarf star matter, which allows him to shrink down to subatomic size. Originally, his size and molecular density abilities derived from mechanisms in his belt with a back up device in his gloves. He carried out the bulk of his early superheroic adventures in his home of Ivytown. Much later, he gained the innate equivalent powers with his own body.

He has been a backup member of the Justice Lords since it's incarnation only coming to the foreground after the stripping of the Powers of the founding members. His powers are not the most powerful so he remains a low-level Lord but his mind makes up for his lack of power.