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The Ray is the name of three fictional characters, all superheroes in the DC Comics universe. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Louis Kenneth Fine (born 1914, New York City; died July 24, 1971) is an American comic book artist known for his work during the 1940s Golden Age of comic books, where his quality draftsmanship became a highly influential model to a generation of fellow comics artists. ... James Jimmy Palmiotti is an Italian American writer of various comics, games and film. ... Ray Terrill is a fictional character within the DC Comics universe, the second superhero to use the codename The Ray. ... Freedom Fighters is the name of a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. ... The All-Star Squadron was an American comic book (1981-1987) created by Roy Thomas and published by DC Comics about the adventures of a large team of superheroes which comprised of most of the feature characters owned by the company that appeared in the Golden Age of Comic Books... All comic book fictional universes depict their own versions of our reality except with the added complication of men and women who exhibit superhuman abilities. ... A fictional character is any person who appears in a work of fiction. ... Batman and Superman, two of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Cover to the History of the DC Universe trade paperback. ...

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, and Stan Silver, the third, were created by DC. Crack Comics #1 (May, 1940), featuring the Clock, previously introduced as the first masked comic book superhero. ... Retroactive continuity – commonly contracted to the portmanteau word retcon – refers to the act of changing previously established details of a fictional setting, often without providing an explanation for the changes within the context of that setting. ... Freedom Fighters is the name of a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. ...

Fictional 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 original Ray on the cover of Smash Comics #25. (Aug 1941). Art by Gill Fox.

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. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Gilbert T. Gill Fox (November 29, 1919-May 15, 2004) was an American political cartoonist, comic book artist and editor, and animator. ...

In 1950, after learning the truth, Terrill vowed to quit his Ray identity. "Happy" and his first wife, had a child named Joshua. For a time Joshua accompanied Ray on missions as his sidekic "Spitfire". However Joshua was prone to violent outbursts, he was place in suspended animation in the 1950's only to wake up again in the future, still only 10 years old. 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). Freedom Fighters is the name of a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. ...

Ray Terrill

Main article: Ray (Ray Terrill)

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. Ray Terrill is a fictional character within the DC Comics universe, the second superhero to use the codename The Ray. ... Superman, catalyst of the Golden Age: Superman #14 (Feb. ...

Stan Silver

The reformed Freedom Fighters have a member called the Ray, who has similar powers to the Terrills. The new Ray is Stan Silver, and he was described by Justin Gray as being "capable of turning his body into a living laser light" and "the playboy of the group".^[1] Stan likes to show off in front of the media.

Working as a foreign correspondent for the Washington Sun, Silver was exposed to upper atmosphere radiation while covering a story, thus gaining power over various forms of light. Recruited by S.H.A.D.E., Silver begins using his powers in the service of his government. He is, however, something of a womanizing egomaniac in his civilian persona. Silver later defects from S.H.A.D.E. to join Uncle Sam's new group of Freedom Fighters. Foreign Correspondent is a 1940 film which tells the story of an American reporter who becomes involved in espionage in England during the onset of World War II. It stars Joel McCrea, George Sanders, Laraine Day, Herbert Marshall, Albert Bassermann and Robert Benchley. ... All comic book fictional universes depict their own versions of our reality except with the added complication of men and women who exhibit superhuman abilities. ... In the Golden Age of Comic Books of the 1940s, Will Eisner created a superhero version of Uncle Sam for Quality Comics. ...

In Uncle Sam and Freedom Fighters # 6, Silver reveals that he is a double agent still loyal to S.H.A.D.E. He turns on his teammates and seemingly kills the Invisible Hood. Immediately after, the colors of his "costume" were inverted, becoming blue instead of yellow. The Invisible Hood is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe. ...

In Uncle Sam and Freedom Fighters # 7, he battles and is defeated by Ray Terrill, and is sent back to Father Time. He later is seen outside the White House with S.H.A.D.E.'s other super-soldiers Father Time is a morally ambiguous figure in the post-Infinite Crisis DC Universe. ...

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. In his Golden Age appearances, Happy Terrill was able to manipulate other forms of energy such as electricity and magnetism.
• 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. (Main article)
• Stan Silver's full abilities are largely undocumented. As noted above, he is apparently "capable of turning his body into a living laser light."

Ray Terrill is a fictional character within the DC Comics universe, the second superhero to use the codename The Ray. ...

Alternate versions

• In the final issue of 52, a new Multiverse is revealed, originally consisting of 52 identical realities. Among the parallel realities shown is one designated "Earth-10". As a result of Mister Mind "eating" aspects of this reality, it takes on visual aspects similar to the pre-Crisis Earth-X, including the Quality characters. The names of the characters and the team are not mentioned in the panel in which they appear, but a character visually similar to the "Happy" Terrill Ray appears.^[2] Based on comments by Grant Morrison, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-X.^[3]

• A version of The Ray appears in the book Kingdom Come as one of the heroes loyal to Superman. He is also mentioned in being instrumental in stripping the radiation out of the Kansas soil both for the construction of the Gulag and Superman's reclamation of the land at the end of the story. It is not specified which incarnation of the Ray this is, although in promo art he is referred to as Ray II.

• In the Amalgam Comics universe, The Ray is combined with Marvel Comics' Cyclops to create Apollo.

52 is the title of a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. ... Prominent members of the Monster Society Of Evil. ... Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ... Kingdom Come is an informal phrase meaning the next world or the end of time, derived from Thy kingdom come in the Christian Lords Prayer; e. ... Amalgam Comics was a metafictional American comic book publisher, and part of a collaboration between Marvel Comics and DC Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters to create new ones (e. ... This article is about the comic book company. ... For other uses, see Cyclops (disambiguation). ...

References

1. ^ "MEETING THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS WITH GRAY & PAMIOTTI". Newsarama (2006-05-11). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
2. ^  52,  #52 May 2, 2007  DC Comics (12/1)
3. ^ Brady, Matt (2007-05-08). "THE 52 EXIT INTERVIEWS: GRANT MORRISON". Newsarama. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 52 is the title of a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 132nd day of the year (133rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• DCU Guide: Langford Terrill
• DCU Guide: Raymond Terrill
• Toonopedia: Ray profile