Ray Palmer's Second Chance!!

The Atom is fighting some crooks, when he's struck by some mysterious radiation, and...

Fortunately, the Earth-2 Atom has come to visit, and he's able to help Ray. Or is he?

Ray has been de-aged--mentally and physically--to an 18 year old college sophomore!!

But...

Ray hasn't had his first date with Jean yet...?

Ray...this is your chance...you don't know her; in fact, you're put off by her aggressiveness!! You aren't engaged yet!!

RUN, Ray Palmer--RUN!!! Run as fast as you can and never look back!! Run as if you life and future happiness depended on it. Run...

D'oh!! Damn you, Silver Age, for returning everything back to normal at the end of every story! Damn you!! Ray could have escaped, and lived a normal, happy life!!

 I guess some things just aren't meant to be...

From Atom #36 (1968)

Tales From The Quarter Bin--Superhero Wife Swap?

Be careful of your trips to the Quarter Bin...or you might end up reading a story with Jean Loring.

How bad was Jean Loring?

She, Iris Allen and Linda Danvers were kidnapped to an other-dimensional world, a "living planet."

Jean has only recently recovered from a nervous breakdown, and this ordeal isn't doing her sanity any favors...

...and...

Well, Flash, the Atom and Supergirl settle T.O. Morrow's hash, but something pretty significant happened off-panel while that was going on (terrible comic book, by the way. Just bad on several levels...):

Jean Loring...so obnoxious, actual planets rebel against her presence and send her away. So hated that, as you can tell by the next issue blurb, Flash and Supergirl can't even be bothered to help hunt for her.

You know, I can't help but thin that two comic book universes would have been better off if somehow the Watcher or the Guardians or someone intervened and moved to Wasp to DC to be with Ray Palmer and Jean Loring to Marvel to enjoy blissful mental instability with Hank Pym...

Yes, the big twist and inciting incident for the next 2 issues actually happens off-panel. Good gravy, Super-Team Family #11 (1977) is a terrible, terrible comic book.

Manic Monday--Great Moments In Comic Book Prognostication!!

Perhaps we should have seen it coming, 30 years early...


Ray Palmer's just driving down the road trying to loosen his load, when...

Once more, with feeling?!?!?

Too true, Jean. Far, far too true.

From Action Comics #453 (1975)