Having all the power in the universes is meaningless, unless you have the will to use it, Cybotron. Just look at France after WWI. When Germany was late with repairations payment, France occupied the Ruhr (Rhur?). But when Germany defied the V Treaty by rebuilding its armed forces, France did nothing, and that pattern repeated again and again, resulting in WWII. How could they build U boats secretly? They did not. The French had to have some provision for verifying compliance with the treaty, but were apathetic.
Which is least respectible? Two guys are mugged and beaten, one had the physical abilty to defend himself, but lacked the will to use it. The other guy had the will, but lacked the ability.
David was not supposed to fly, shoot bullets from his backside, etc. Why should you expect him to do so? Tenma's desire to recreate his son became overshadowed by his desire to create a powerful robot. Thus, Atom became more than a cute little robot boy, he became the littlest super hero. His honoring his father/creator's contract with the Ringmaster was dependant upon his devaluing himself from a person to an object. He knew he could crush the Ringmaster, he knew he could walk away, but chose to remain. Thus, he admitted that he was subject to ownership by a human. This was likely a lingering from the shock and depression from being rejected and sold. In the 60s the circus caught fire, he saved everybody, but was rewarded with neither thanks nor freedom. Likewise, in the 80s, he saves everybody after the other robots go beserk, and his status remains unchanged. He was
helpless to employ his power for his own needs. In the 80s as Alvin is assulting Atom's papa, Atom appears to be on the verge of attaking Alvin. Papa reminds him of his duty. Is his inabilty to act for his own benefits the result of programming or learning?
In the new series, he is falling to his doom, unaware of his power, until the desire to save himself translates into flight. He in later episodes indirectly attacks humans by causing rocks to fall on their location, thus they flee. His self-restraint in this delemma is obvious. The robots wanted nothing more than to live in Robotia peacefully, but the humans would have none of it. Just as Pharoah wanted the Ch. Heston as Moses and the other Hebrews returned to servitude, and the Roman Emperor wanted Kirk Douglas as Sparticus and the other escaped slaves returned to slavery, so the humans wanted the robots returned to servitude and subjection to arbitrary cruelty.
He points his fingers at some overhanging rocks, fully aware that if the humans do not move quickly they will be crushed. Yet he sweeps the rock with a laser beam, violating his own conscience. It matters not that he was ready to rescue any humans who moved too slowly to save themselves. This action distinguishes him from other robots, who are incapable of such actions. Thus, he has become human in that the black and white, binary ones and zeroes have been circumvented by fuzzy logic. As long as no humans are harmed, he may act against them.
So, as far as Atom and David are concerned, we must ask, which Atom? There is no one Atom, there are many. Atom evolved on the many pages of manga and over fifty years all told. Yet, several things were constant:
Judging by his actions, we can say that
- He could not harm or allow humans to come to harm*
- He believed in justice: one law for all intelligent beings, biological and electro-mechanical*
*Atom's adherance to these changed over time, especailly in the new series. Yet, he did adhere, but his ideas of what that involved changed. In the manga & 80s anime, he allows a human to die. But because mr greedy was intent upon taking Ivan's diamonds, and resisted Atom's attempts to get him to flee. Atom, thus can allow human to come to harm, if their wills are thus involved. He would not force the man into the rescue ship.
The White Planet and Fight the Aliens come immediately to my mind, but I remember thinking many times "again out of energy???" 
Astro was sold to the circus and so at that time was not owned by the State, but was a circus performer. The 80's Astro was never shown in the United States so we speak here of the 60's original and '03 interpretation. Astro was used as a gladiator,fighting other robots, and refused to destroy his defeated foes.
h34r: 