Ray (comics)
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The Ray is the name of three fictional characters, all superheroes in the DC Comics universe.
The first Ray was a Quality Comics character who was one of those purchased by DC Comics. He was later retconned as a member of the Freedom Fighters. His son, the second Ray, was created by DC. (It's a common misconception that Ray Terrill was created by Christopher Priest and Howard Porter, who were the long-standing creative team on his solo book. While Priest did have a hand in Ray's creation as editor Jim Owsley, Ray's debut mini-series was created by Jack C. Harris and Joe Quesada.As detailed on Priest's website - http://www.digital-priest.com/comics/the_ray.htm)
Character biography
Lanford Terrill
Before World War II, the government established a secret group known as RONOL (Research on the Nature of Light). One RONOL member, Dr. Dayzl, theorized that the light that originated millennia ago where Earth now orbits would eventually circumnavigate the universe and return as a dangerous, conscious entity. The only way to stop the "Light Entity," Dayzl believed, was to talk to it. Tricking a reporter named "Happy" Terrill into joining them, Dayzl and his assistants staged an upper atmosphere ballooning "accident," making certain Terrill was exposed to a genetic "light bomb." Dayzl calculated that Terrill's offspring would be a unification of human and light energy, a potential liaison to the Light Entity. Unaware of the truth, Terrill used his resulting powers to become the super-heroic Ray. Simultaneously, RONOL lost government backing due to Dayzl's unorthodox beliefs. Dayzl's fate remains unknown.In 1950, after learning the truth, Terrill vowed to quit his Ray identity. After a brief association with his old team, the Freedom Fighters in the 70s, he had married and settled down. Everything seemed normal until "Happy" saw his newborn son glowing with crackling energy in the hospital nursery. "Happy" was convinced Dayzl's theories were correct. He now knew his son would one day have the power to confront the Light Entity. Not wanting to put his wife through torment, "Happy" told her that the baby had died and then set up his son with a foster father ("Happy's" brother Thomas).
Ray Terrill
Origins
Ray Terrill was told he was hyper-sensitive to light and exposure to sunlight would kill him. Privately tutored in his window-darkened home, Ray's most earnest wish was for normalcy. The media called him Night Boy. His only friend during his formative years was his neighbor, Jennifer Jurden. At eighteen, by his supposed father's deathbed, Ray learned his life was a lie. He was not allergic to light, nor did he have to live in darkness. Most disturbing of all, he discovered his true father was the 40s war-time super-hero, the Golden Age Ray.At his "father's" funeral, Ray met his cousin, Hank Terrill, who helped him first face sunlight and his resulting powers. Hank urged Ray to become a super-hero, but Ray refused. It was then that the first Ray reappeared, pressuring his son to take up the heroic role while revealing his true origin and the secret of RONOL. Learning of Thomas' death years later, "Happy" secretly reactivated his governmental status. Employing agents and people close to his son, the elder Terrill concocted an elaborate scheme forcing young Ray into facing responsibility and utilizing his new-found powers. Confronting the Light Entity in a realm only he could reach, young Ray successfully dissuaded its return, saving the Earth.
Justice League
Ray's adventures continued, bringing him to battle with the likes of Brimstone, Lobo, Dr. Polaris, Neron, and Vandal Savage. Ray had even worked for Vandal Savage's computer business for a short period of time. Following the death of Superman, Ray was recruited into the Justice League America for roughly a year of service. During this time in the JLA, Ray had a brief romance with Black Canary. Ray was then asked to join the ranks of the Justice League Task Force led by the Martian Manhunter. The JLTFs purpose was to train the next wave of leaguers, and while mildly successful, the death of a team member led to their downfall. After the unfortunate disbanding of the JLTF to make way for the newly formed JLA, Ray has kept a Justice League reserve-member status. Ray had also joined another team of heroes, the Forgotten Heroes, led by the Resurrection Man. They were brought together to take down Vandal Savage and his empire. While a mild success, the team disbanded and Ray continued a solo hero career.Things seemed to be going fine for Ray Terrill, but a crisis of incredible proportions took shape and Ray was caught in the middle of it. A young man named Jakeem Thunder had inherited the mystical Thunderbolt from Golden Age JSA member Johnny Thunder. Another thunderbolt fell into the hands of failed JLA/JLTF member Triumph. Triumph used its power to bring down the JLA, return his magnetic powers, and to control the minds of Ray and Gypsy. Ray being used as a pawn, was defeated easily by Batman and returned to normal. Even after this embarrassing situation, Ray was allowed to keep his JLA reserve status.
Mageddon
After Triumph's defeat, Ray took part in saving the universe against the might of an ancient ultra-powerful weapon called Mageddon. Following this, Ray appeared at a Titans West recruitment drive party in Los Angeles, which was quickly broken up by the appearance of older "limbo" Titans characters. The Ray then joined Green Lantern's Justice League of Air during the "Justice Leagues" crisis (when each JLAer split to form their own minor league). After the defeat of Advance Man, the JLA reformed back to its main team of seven, and Ray was off on his own yet again. In the war against Imperiex during the Our Worlds at War crisis, Ray was called upon as a reserve member of the JSA (along with many other "legacy" heroes). On their mission, Ray, along with several other modern-day "Freedom Fighters", fought to release the captured Daxamite people from imprisonment. Although Ray was taken down in battle, the team succeeded in their mission and Ray quickly healed.Young Justice
Recently, Ray caught the attention of Young Justice. The YJ team were on their way (via tram car) to an outdoor concert on F.D.R. Island with a large group of other teens (who they were blending in with). Suddenly, a fellow concert-goer bet another kid to surf the tram car, leading to him nearly falling into the river below. Out of nowhere, Ray swooped in and caught the kid, quickly enough so that the kids on the tram car couldn't tell Ray from Superman or Captain Comet. Wonder Girl instantly recognized Ray and once the YJ team got to the concert, they went looking for him to offer him YJ membership. After awhile, the de-aged Lobo (Slo-bo) just could not keep out of trouble and started to beat up a huge mosh-pit full of people. As Ray flew toward the scene, Superboy caught him by the ankle. Superboy, cutting to the chase, told Ray that Cassie and Empress "like the cut of his jib" and he then asked Ray if he wanted to join. Ray quickly accepted the offer and soon nominated himself in the elections for team leader, along with Robin, Wonder Girl, and Superboy. Wonder Girl was voted as team leader. (At the time, Ray was eighteen or nearly nineteen, much older than his fellow YJ members, who were high school sophomores at the most.)After the evil turn of their mysterious member Secret and her being depowered by Darkseid, Ray left the team. Soon afterward, he came across the Nowhere Men, deadly figments of a writers imagination accidentally brought to life. The mission of the Nowhere Men: to wipe out the individuality of the world, starting with superheroes. The beams these villains emit cause a type of "suspended animation." Ray is caught, along with Elongated Man and a new Major Victory. After a long battle with Superman, the beings are defeated and Ray and the others are freed.
Freedom Fighters
Ray was next seen, along with the other JSA reserves, helping to contain the damage caused by the villainous trio of Mordru, Obsidian and Eclipso. He was later shown as part of a new, government-sponsored Freedom Fighters team.The Freedom Fighters were ambushed and soundly trounced by the Secret Society in Infinite Crisis # 1. As he's being dragged away by the Psycho Pirate, the barely-conscious Terrill is told that Lex Luthor needs him alive.
The Lex Luthor in question turns out to be Alexander Luthor, Jr. of Earth 3. Ray was first captured for Alex's masterplan, but he later escaped during a battle and his whereabouts are currently unknown.
Ray was recently revealed to be alive, using his powers to try and super-charge Superman's body in an attempt to give him back his powers.
Stan Silver
The reformed Freedom Fighters have a member called the Ray, who has similar powers to Terrill. DC Comics Executive Editor Dan Didio has confirmed that this The Ray is not Ray Terrill. In a recent interview, Justin Gray revealed that the new Ray is Stan Silver, "capable of turning his body into a living laser light". Stan likes to show off in front of the media.Powers and abilities
All versions of the Ray can absorb, store and process light and use the energy to fly and create bursts of light.
The Terrills were also capable of manipulating light externally to create illusions and even solid light constructs, as well as render themselves invisible.
Later in Happy's career (while mentoring/antagonising his son), he was shown to have a greater mastery of his abilities. For example, by using "solid light vibrations," essentially resonating the target's inner ear, he was able to approximate telepathic communication.
Ray Terrill is capable of converting his body completely into light energy. No physical harm can come to him in this form (as demonstrated when Lobo punched Ray Terrill through his skullThe Ray vol 2, #8). This process can also be used to heal damage that his physical form has already sustained (seen in the story "Ray Gets Shot In The HeadThe Ray vol 2, #16" where a bullet was lodged at the base of his skull and he was told by doctors he would paralyzed from the neck down. After turning to his energy form the damage was healed instantly).
In addition to his super powers, Ray Terrill is also one of the most skilled computer programmers in the DCU, and an accomplished businessman.
Stan Silver's abilities are, as of July 2006, largely undocumented. As noted above, he is apparently "capable of turning his body into a living laser light."
Other Media
The second Ray has made background appearances in Justice League UnlimitedReferences
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