Ray (Ray Terrill)
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Ray Terrill is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He is the second character to use the codename "The Ray." Ray Terrill first appeared in The Ray #1 (February 1992), and was created by Jack C. Harris and Joe Quesada.
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[edit] Publication history
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.[1]
[edit] Fictional character biography
[edit] Origins
Placed into foster care at a young age, Raymond Terrill is told that exposure to direct sunlight will kill him. Privately tutored in his window-darkened home, he is dubbed "Night Boy" by the media.
At the age of eighteen, Ray learns the truth about his heritage while at the supposed deathbed of the Golden Age Ray, Lanford "Happy" Terrill. The young Raymond learns that "Happy" Terrill is his real father, and that exposure to light will activate his own light-based super powers.
At the fake funeral for "Happy" Terrill, Ray meets his cousin, Hank, who urges him to become a super-hero like his father. When he refuses, "Happy" returns to meet his son, telling him that he faked his death in an effort to pressure Ray into becoming a hero.
Raymond eventually decides to take up the mantle of "The Ray," and succeeds in stopping a powerful light-entity from destroying Earth.
[edit] Justice League
Ray's adventures continue, bringing him to battle with villians such as Brimstone, Dr. Polaris, Neron, and Vandal Savage. Following the death of Superman, Ray is recruited into the Justice League for roughly a year of service. During this time, Ray has a brief romance with Black Canary. Ray is then asked to join the ranks of the Justice League Task Force, led by Martian Manhunter. After the disbanding of the JLTF to make way for the newly formed JLA, Ray keeps a Justice League reserve-member status. Ray also joins another team, the Forgotten Heroes, led by Resurrection Man. Brought together to take down Vandal Savage, the team eventually disbands and Ray continues a solo hero career.
Ray later takes part in saving the universe against the might of an ancient ultra-powerful weapon called Mageddon. Following this, Ray appears at a Titans West recruitment drive party in Los Angeles. Although he joins Green Lantern's Justice League of Air during the "Justice Leagues" crisis (wherein each member forms his or her own minor league), he soon is back adventuring on his own.
In the fight against Imperiex during DC's Our Worlds at War crossover, Ray is called upon as a reserve member of the JSA. On their mission, Ray, along with several other modern-day "Freedom Fighters", fight to release the captured Daxamite people from imprisonment. Although Ray is severely injusted in battle, the team succeeds in their mission and Ray quickly heals.
[edit] Young Justice
At one point, 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.
[edit] Freedom Fighters and Infinite Crisis
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 was being dragged away by the Psycho Pirate, the barely-conscious Terrill was told that Luthor (Alexander Luthor, Jr. of Earth 3) needed him alive. Ray was captured for Alex's masterplan, but later escaped during a battle.
[edit] One Year Later
Ray was missing, his fate unknown, when One Year Later began. There was a flashback in the 'One Year Later' story "Up Up and Away" from the Superman books that features Ray and other heroes trying to repower Superman, but it's unclear how soon after 52 #1 this incident takes place.
Ray finally returns to action in Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #7 to fight the traitorous Stan Silver, who has taken the Ray name for himself. Ray then joins the new Freedom Fighters. He has a newly redesigned and streamlined suit.
[edit] Powers and abilities
- Absorbs, stores and processes light, and uses the energy to fly and create bursts of light.
- Capable of manipulating light externally to create illusions and even solid light constructs, as well as render himself and others invisible.
- 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 through his skull[2]). 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 Head[3]" 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 is also one of the most skilled computer programmers in the DCU, and stories set in the future of the DC universe suggest he has the ability to develop into an accomplished businessman.
[edit] Other media
- Terrill has made background appearances in Justice League Unlimited
[edit] References
- ^ As detailed on Priest's website - http://www.digital-priest.com/comics/the_ray.htm
- ^ The Ray vol 2, #8
- ^ The Ray vol 2, #16
