Ray Palmer: Why the Arrowverse Hero was More than a Man in A Suit
By Louis Skye
A Legend in the Making
After two years on-and-off of Arrow, a new spin-off featuring The Atom was announced, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. The show was introduced during a crossover between Arrow and The Flash, and took off from there a few months later.
In Legends of Tomorrow, Ray Palmer, alongside other heroes and villains from Star City and Central City, were brought together by time-traveler Rip Hunter (Arthur Darvill) to stop the immortal tyrant, Vandal Savage (Casper Crump).
The Atom was an essential cog in the team, but so was Ray. His scientific knowhow and peppy optimism weren’t always appreciated. He was described as annoying more than once, but it was nonetheless necessary to keep the team going even in the most difficult of circumstances.
One could say that Ray Palmer’s characterization was hindered by an ill-conceived romance with Kendra Saunders (Ciara Renée), which severely curtailed Saunders’ growth on the show.
The moment Legends of Tomorrow moved away from the romance angle for its characters, the storylines and personalities thrived.
While the Ray Palmer of season one was love-lorn and mopey, the version we saw in successive seasons was multi-faceted. Alongside his unbridled optimism, Ray was also empathetic, kind, and brimming with ideas.
But what really made Ray Palmer memorable among the Legends —especially since they all have their own kind of sparkling personality —was his propensity for making friends.