The Atom's Farewell is a non-fiction book by Norman Brawler as told to him by Ray Palmer and Jean Loring, documenting Palmer's life as the Atom and focusing on his adventures in Morlaidh.
History
Chapter One summarizes Jean and Ray's relationship, how Ray's superheroics preoccupied him and how she inevitably fell into the arms of her new partner, Paul Hoben. Ray's discovery of her affair led to his taking an expedition to the Amazon Jungle.
Chapter Six involves the battle of Morlaidh from the Sword of the Atom.
Chapter Eight discusses how the aliens' spaceship engine, which used white dwarf star matter, the same material the Atom's powers derive from, causes Ray to return to his normal height. He lost consciousness and awoke in civilization. He reunited with Jean and decided to investigate the problems with his size control powers. Believing the belt may be the problem, He used his original device but experiences the same pain and blacks out. He awoke nearly an hour later, shortly before the timer was set to activate the reverse beam. Battling his cat in the process, he managed to reach the beam and return to his normal size, again accompanied by pain and a black out. He awoke almost two and half hours later, late for dinner with Jean, who spurned him and focused her attention on Paul. All ignore Paul's date who left in mid-dinner. Jean and Ray drove to the Overlook and discussed their feelings for each other and their respective new loves, Paul and Laethwen. Ray reminisced on how he met Laewthwen and the couple agreed they should move on with their lives.
Chapter Ten tells the story of how Ray and Norman returned to the Amazon jungle in search of Laethwen and her tribe. Norman financed the trip with the money from his book advance. Because the spaceship had used white dwarf star radiation, Ray intended to search for radiation signals. Eventually they found a signal and followed it into a camp run by cocaine smugglers. The smugglers captured the two men and tied them up. Ray had no choice but to turn into the Atom which knocked him out. Norman managed to hide Ray's unconscious body. The smugglers later returned to find Ray missing and decided to execute Norman. Ray came to the rescue. They found some gasoline drums and set the camp on fire. All the smugglers fled except the leader who was taken down by miniature poison arrows. Realizing the aliens were nearby, Ray bid Norman farewell and left to live with Laethwen and her tribe. Norman returned home and finished his book.
Notes
- Norm Brawler was contacted by Warner Books about re-releasing this book in a paperback format. Plus, adding new information of the Atom's return to the United States from the Amazon Rainforest and his role in the recently concluded Invasion![1]
See Also
- Appearances of The Atom's Farewell
- Item Gallery: The Atom's Farewell
- Images featuring The Atom's Farewell