Now that I am able to turn myself into a human Atom -- who knows what strange and wonderful things may happen? 
Showcase #34 is an issue of the series Showcase (Volume 1) with a cover date of October, 1961.
Synopsis for The Atom: "Birth of the Atom!"
When physics graduate student Ray Palmer finds a White Dwarf Star Fragment, he creates a lens out of it. When ultraviolet light is shone through the lens, it becomes a shrinking device. However, all of his tests find that every object he shrinks with the lens explode after several minutes.
One day while taking out his fiancée Jean Loring and a hiking club to a cave, they get trapped by an avalanche. Going on his own to find a way out, Ray decides to use his Dwarf Star lens to shrink himself down in size to climb up to an opening and make it larger, using an engagement ring he has for Jean.
After succeeding in making an opening, Ray returns to his original size, and believes that he survived the experience when drippings from the cave landed on the lens. However, after everyone is safe, Ray still finds that his lens still cause items to explode after an hour, leaving Ray to realize that perhaps something in his own body prevents him from being destroyed when staying at a small size for an extended period of time.
Appearing in The Atom: "Birth of the Atom!"
Featured Characters:
- Ray Palmer (First appearance) (Origin)
Supporting Characters:
- Jean Loring (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Ivy Town Nature Club
Locations:
- Ivy Town
- Ivy University
- Giant Caverns
Items:
- Diamond Ring
- Stalagmites
- Stalactites
- Ultraviolet Beam
- White Dwarf Star Lens
Vehicles:
- 1960 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Synopsis for The Atom: "Battle of the Tiny Titans!"
When one of Jean Loring's friend Alma Wilson is accused of stealing money from the bank where she works as a teller, Alma explains that a little man appeared and stole the money. When Jean tells Ray that her friend Alma is a trustworthy person, Ray decides to see what he can do with his shrinking powers.
Having created a costume and dubbing himself the Atom, Ray springs into action, however before he can investigate he finds the strange little man appearing in his laboratory.
After a battle against the little man, he learns that his opponent is an alien named Kulan Dar. Dar is from Julnar, where the inhabitants can teleport across the universe when they injest the element Europium. However, arriving on Earth, he became prisoner of a crook who took control of his will bending device, the Dominator, and has been using him to commit robberies on his behalf.
With the help of Kulan, the Atom tracks the criminal down and after a battle against Dar, who is back under the crook's control, the Atom manages to defeat him and turn him over to the authorities. Kulan Dar literally appears in court and clears Jean's friend Alma of all charges before returning to his home planet.
Appearing in The Atom: "Battle of the Tiny Titans!"
Featured Characters:
- The Atom/Ray Palmer (First appearance as the Atom)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Kulan Dar (First appearance)
- Carl Ballard (First appearance)
Other Characters:
- Alma Wilson
- Judge
- Jury
- Prosecuting Attorney
- Simmons (a banker)
Locations:
- Ivy Town
- Ivy Town Bank
- Ivy Town Police 73 Precinct
- Ivy Town University
- Ray Palmer's Lab
- Lake
- Metronome
Items:
- Bio-Belt (First appearance)
- Europium (First appearance)
- Dominator Device
- Ionized Bottle
- Police Mug Book
- White Dwarf Fragment
Notes
- This issue also features a two-page text piece, "Inside the Atom!", which gives a brief publication history of the Atom, including the Golden Age version of the Atom and the Justice Society of America.
- The whole issue is reprinted in The Atom Archives Vol. 1.
- "Battle of the Tiny Titans!" is reprinted in DC 100-Page Super Spectacular #14.
- "Birth of the Atom!" is reprinted in Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes.
Trivia
- Ray Palmer explains to a student: "Stalactite has a C in it. Let it stand for Ceiling! Stalagmite has a G. Let that stand for Ground! Stalactites from the Ceiling. Stalagmites from the Ground!"