The Unofficial Biography of...

Alter Ego: Albert "Al" Pratt
Occupation: student, later Physics professor, later gym instructor/co-owner
Marital Status: widowed
Known Relatives: unnamed uncle ( deceased ), Stacy ( cousin ), Mary ( wife, deceased ), Grant Emerson ( son ), Terri Kurtzberger Rothstein ( ward ), Albert Julian Rothstein ( godson )
Group Affiliation: Justice Society of America, All-Star Squadron
Base of Operations: Calvin City, CT, later Gotham City
Current Status: deceased
Height: 5'3" Weight:
Eye Color: Hair Color: orange/red
First Appearance: All-American Comics# 19, October, 1940

.....The first thing you noticed about Calvin College freshman Al Pratt was his height. While most of his contemporaries were nearing on six feet, young Al barely scrapped past five. Entering college in the fall of 1939, Al was a bright student, but his height was the center of taunting by his classmates, even bringing his self-esteem down. After scoring a date with the very pretty Mary James, all was going well unitl the two were mugged on the way home from their date. Mary was disgusted that Al couldn't protect them and blamed his height and puny build for their misfortune.

.....Later that night, Al met and befriended a panhandler, whom he discovered was former heavyweight boxing sensation Joe Morgan. Down on his luck ( and suffering from psychotic episodes ), Joe told Al he could train him to peak physical perfection. Al took him up on the offer and after a year of intense physical work, Al was now a pint-sized brawler, also trained in many forms of atheletics as part of Joe's holistic training.

.....After returning to school, Al became involved in rescuing Mary from a kidnap plot and rescuing her family jewels. Taking a cue from the other mystery-men of the time, Al began to adventure as The Atom. Only a few short weeks after he began, he was "recruited" by Doctor Fate and along with other mystery-men formed the Justice Society of America. Even though he was lacking in super-abilities like all the other founders, he made up for it in his bulldog-like spirit and tenacity.

.....Staying with the group, The Atom later was a founding member of the All-Star Squadron, while serving briefly in the US Army. While stopping the Ultra-Humanite and his minions from taking over the US in early 1942, The Atom was exposed to the radioactive element Thorium, which as it accumulated with other radioactive elements caused him to develop super-human strength and an "atomic punch" in 1948. He changed his costume to a more streamline and heroic tone.

..... After retiring with the other Justice Society members in 1951, Al Pratt finally graduated with his doctorate in Physics from Calvin College and went on to teach there for many years afterwards. When he and his wife, the former Mary James, found out that they were going to have a child at the late time in their lives, they were worried, but happy. Hours after the child was born, however, agents for Vandal Savage abducted the child and murdered Mary. Al never knew the truth and the child was raised by another couple.

.....About eleven years ago, with other members of the Justice Society started to adventure again on a semi-regular basis, Al Pratt struck up a friendship with Ray Palmer, a younger super-hero also called The Atom. On what was believed to be the last adventure of the Justice Society, The Atom, along with the rest of the group was cast into Limbo, to forever repeat a retelling of the end of the Norse Gods. Freed, however, and with no life left as Al Pratt, he joined his friend Ted Grant in opening and operati ng a gym in Gotham City.

.....Four years ago, during the crisis known as "Zero Hour", Al heroically lost his life, his essence spead throught the time-stream.

.....Originally, The Atom was just your average Olympic-plus level athelete, trained in several disiplines to be possibly one of the best atheletes of his generation. However, as is often the case with super-hero groups, he developed super-powers such as an "atomic punch" and increased to near-super-human levels of strength. These abilities were due to exposure to large amounts of radiation from the element Thorium.
.....After coming out of retirement, he briefly drove an "Atomobile", a souped-up sports coupe.