Raymond Terrill (New Earth)

Lanford "Happy" Terrill (Neon, father), Nadine Terrill (mother), Joshua Terrill (brother), Thomas Terrill (uncle/foster father, deceased), Hank Terrill (cousin)

Universe

New Earth

Base Of Operations

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Characteristics

Gender

Height

Weight

Eyes

Hair

Unusual Features

None

Status

Citizenship

American

Marital Status

Single

Occupation

Adventurer, Freelance Computer Programmer and Software Designer

Education

College Graduate

Origin

Ray is a Metahuman

Creators

Jack C. Harris, Joe Quesada

First appearance

Ray #1

History

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 and Infinite Crisis

Main article: 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.

One Year Later

At the beginning of DC's One Year Later event, Ray Terrill's whereabouts are unknown. In the Superman storyline "Up Up and Away", Ray tries to repower a weakened Superman.

Ray finally returns to action in Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters #7. Wearing a new costume, he encounters and soundly defeats the traitorous Stan Silver, who has taken the name "Ray" for himself. Ray Terrill then joins the new Freedom Fighters.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Light Absorption: Ray has the ability to absorb light, storing it for later uses. Once his body absorbs sunlight, he can direct the energy to rearrange molecules into any form, matter or energy.

Light Processing: He can also produce light from his own body which powers light projection and flight.

Flight: Ray has the ability to fly, without artificial means. Require only minimum power and subliminal thought.
Light Rays: The ability to project rays, beams, and bolts of destructive light. Require only minimum power and subliminal thought.

Hard Light Constructs: A power to create constructs out of pure light a la Green Lantern. Require only minimum power and subliminal thought. Larger and more complicated manipulations of energy and matter require extended meditation and more power.
Illusions: Ray can 'bend' light to create illusions.
Invisibility: The ability to 'bend' light around himself, rendering him invisible to the naked eye.

Light Energy Conversion: Capable of converting his body completely into light energy.

Light Energy Healing: No physical harm can come to him in this form (as demonstrated when Lobo punched Ray through his skull). 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" where a bullet was lodged at the base of his skull and he was told by doctors he would be paralyzed from the neck down. After turning to his energy form the damage was healed instantly).
Light Speed Flight: As pure energy, he can travel at the speed of light and cross space unassisted.

Abilities

Expert Computer Programmer: 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.

Weaknesses

Black Diffusion: The color black is most resistant to Ray's power.

Paraphernalia

Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.

Notes

No special notes.

Trivia

No trivia.

Links and References

Footnotes

Previous
Neon

The Ray

Next
n/a

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