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Lightray (character)

From Wikipedia, in a visual modern way
Lightray
Lightray.png
As depicted in New Gods #2 (April 1971). Art by Jack Kirby
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceNew Gods #1 (February 1971)
Created byJack Kirby (writer/artist)
In-story information
Alter egoSolis
SpeciesNew God
Place of originNew Genesis
Team affiliationsNew Gods
Justice League
Justice League International
Abilities
  • Immortality
  • Superhuman physical attributes
  • Flight to the speed of light
  • Solar powers
  • Carries a Mother box

Lightray (Solis) is a DC Comics superhero. Created by Jack Kirby for the Jack Kirby's Fourth World meta-series, he first appeared in New Gods #1 (February 1971).[1] Lightray was a major character in New Gods volume 1 (1971–1978),[2] as well as volume 2 (1984), volume 3 (1989–1991) and volume 4 (1995–1997). He has also appeared with Orion in the Cosmic Odyssey limited series (1988–1989), Jack Kirby's Fourth World (1997–1998) and Orion (2000–2002).

Seven years after the character's creation, Lightray's origin story was revealed in DC Special Series #10, a Secret Origins of Super-Heroes issue that was published in January 1978.[3]

The version of the character in current DC continuity was introduced in Green Lantern/New Gods: Godhead #1 in December 2014.[1]

Discover more about Lightray (character) related topics

DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Superhero

Superhero

A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses superpowers, abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, or dedicating themselves to protecting the public and fighting crime. Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially, since the 1930s, in American comic books, as well as in Japanese media.

Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby

Jack Kirby was an American comic book artist, writer and editor, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew up in New York City and learned to draw cartoon figures by tracing characters from comic strips and editorial cartoons. He entered the nascent comics industry in the 1930s, drawing various comics features under different pen names, including Jack Curtiss, before ultimately settling on Jack Kirby. In 1940, he and writer-editor Joe Simon created the highly successful superhero character Captain America for Timely Comics, predecessor of Marvel Comics. During the 1940s, Kirby regularly teamed with Simon, creating numerous characters for that company and for National Comics Publications, later to become DC Comics.

New Gods

New Gods

The New Gods are a fictional extraterrestrial race appearing in the eponymous comic book series published by DC Comics, as well as selected other DC titles. Created and designed by Jack Kirby, they first appeared in February 1971 in New Gods #1.

Cosmic Odyssey (comics)

Cosmic Odyssey (comics)

Cosmic Odyssey is an American science fiction comic mini-series, first published in 1988 by DC Comics. It was a four-issue limited series written by Jim Starlin, penciled by Mike Mignola and lettered by John Workman. The story tells a story spanning the DC Universe involving a wide variety of major characters including Superman, Batman, and the New Gods.

DC Special Series

DC Special Series

DC Special Series was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. DC Special Series was published in four different formats: Dollar Comics, 48 page giants, digests, and treasury editions. Neither the umbrella title nor the numbering system appear on the cover; the title "DC Special Series" appeared only on the first page in the indicia. Most issues featured new material, but eight issues were reprints of previously published material.

DC Universe

DC Universe

The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Captain Marvel are from this universe, as well as teams such as the Justice League, Teen Titans and the Suicide Squad. It also contains well-known supervillains such as the Joker, Lex Luthor, the Cheetah, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Deathstroke, Deadshot, Black Adam, Professor Zoom, Black Manta, the Penguin, the Riddler, the Scarecrow, Two-Face, Ra’s al Ghul, Sinestro, Atrocitus, Brainiac, and Darkseid. In context, the term "DC Universe" usually refers to the main DC continuity.

Green Lantern

Green Lantern

Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, and the electromagnetic spectrum of emotional willpower. The characters are typically depicted as members of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic law enforcement agency.

Characterization

For the fourth volume of New Gods created by in 1995, Rachel Pollack and Tom Peyer discussed with Back Issue magazine how Lightray changed after Darkseid is killed by Orion in issue #2:

The most telling effect of this event is that it drives many of the residents of New Genesis slightly insane, none more so than Lightray, who becomes extremely violent and seems to enjoy cruelty. In their first issue, the writing duo had emphasized Lightray's... lightness, if you will, making him a very jovial, happy character. As it turns out, this was not an accident. "To me, Lightray is not so much childish as innocent. He sees only the light", Pollack tells Back Issue. "That's why he was so easily corrupted". Tom Peyer agrees, feeling: "I think the main purpose Kirby gave Lightray was to make Orion seem grim and dark by comparison. So we probably played Lightray's notes loudly to make the contrast obvious".[3]

Walt Simonson, who wrote the Orion series starting in 2000, says that his conception of Lightray and Orion was based on the relationship that Kirby established in New Gods volume 1. In 2018, Simonson said: "I saw Lightray as a strategist, whereas Orion is more a tactician. Jack actually had Orion refer to Lightray as a planner at the climax of the Deep Six story, "The Glory Boat!" (New Gods #6, Jan. 1972). I tried basing my notions of Lightray primarily on that story".[3]

In Superheroes of the Round Table, Jason Tondro characterizes Lightray's place in Kirby's New Gods work: "We have characters like... the amazing Lightray, a denizen of New Genesis who embodies light with all of its creativity, bright humor, and intelligence... Lightray embodies illumination". Tondro says Lightray "and other characters, both good and evil, hint at the full dimensions of Kirby's epic pantheon".[4]

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Rachel Pollack

Rachel Pollack

Rachel Grace Pollack is an American science fiction author, comic book writer, and expert on divinatory tarot. She is involved in the women's spirituality movement.

Tom Peyer

Tom Peyer

Tom Peyer is an American comic book creator and editor. He is known for his 1999 revisioning of Golden Age super-hero Hourman, as well as his work on the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 1990s. An editor at DC Comics/Vertigo from 1987 to 1993, he served as assistant editor on Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Peyer has also worked for Marvel Comics, Wildstorm, and Bongo Comics. With John Layman, he wrote the 2007–2009 Tek Jansen comic book, based on the Stephen Colbert character.

Darkseid

Darkseid

Darkseid is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World" metaseries, and was first seen briefly in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 in December 1970 before being officially introduced in the debut issue of Forever People in February 1971. Kirby modeled Darkseid's face on actor Jack Palance and based his personality on Adolf Hitler and Richard Nixon.

Walt Simonson

Walt Simonson

Walter Simonson is an American comic book writer and artist, best known for a run on Marvel Comics' Thor from 1983 to 1987, during which he created the character Beta Ray Bill. He is also known for the creator-owned work Star Slammers, which he inaugurated in 1972 as a Rhode Island School of Design thesis. He has also worked on other Marvel titles such as X-Factor and Fantastic Four, on DC Comics books including Detective Comics, Manhunter, Metal Men and Orion, and on licensed properties such as Star Wars, Alien, Battlestar Galactica and Robocop vs. Terminator.

Fictional character biography

Lightray is the shining star of New Genesis and a high-spirited New God. Unlike his grim friend Orion, Lightray is cheerful and optimistic and prefers to solve problems through compromise rather than combat. He uses the speed of light to his advantage in eluding foes.

Cover art for Countdown #48, art by Andy Kubert.
Cover art for Countdown #48, art by Andy Kubert.

Lightray has served one stint as a member of the Justice League. He joined the international branch along with Orion on the same night as a membership drive failed to find other new recruits.[5] The difference between the two was illustrated in battle. While Lightray desires a minimum of fuss in battle by dispatching his foe Crowbar with a simple expenditure of energy to the man's face, Orion preferred to destroy the pavement around Blackrock, only to then be angered when his opponent surrendered instead of fighting to the death.[6]

In this same issue, Lightray demonstrates his knowledge of chess. Lightray's long hair causes him to be mistaken for a girl by the old-fashioned General Glory. They stay with the team until just after the battle with General Glory's old foe the Evil Eye.[7]

As Solis his idea of fun is protecting New Genesis from Apokolips, Darkseid, and his minions. He resides on New Genesis and is active in adventuring. He returns to Earth briefly in JLA #27 (March 1999), as part of an emergency expansion of the Justice League. The team battles the android Amazo in the Florida Everglades. Most of them are subdued and their powers copied, Lightray included. Amazo loses his powers when Superman, as the chairman, officially disbands the League, thus ending Lightray's membership.

He would appear again to aid the League alongside Orion and Big Barda when the planet Qward attacked Earth with a giant ship.

In Countdown #48, Lightray falls to Earth after an off stage fight with the New Gods Killer (later revealed to be Infinity-Man). He dies holding Jimmy Olsen's hand, repeating the word "infinite" and glowing brighter.

In Final Crisis #7, Lightray is depicted standing alongside Barda and Mister Miracle following the reincarnation of New Genesis on the ruins of Apokolips.

Discover more about Fictional character biography related topics

New Genesis

New Genesis

New Genesis is a fictional planet appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A part of Jack Kirby's Fourth World mythos, the planet is home to the heroic New Gods led by the sage Highfather. New Genesis is the positive counterpart of Apokolips, home of the evil New Gods led by the tyrant Darkseid.

Andy Kubert

Andy Kubert

Andrew Kubert is an American comics artist, letterer, and writer. He is the son of Joe Kubert and brother of Adam Kubert, both of whom are also artists, and the uncle of comics editor Katie Kubert.

Justice League

Justice League

The Justice League is a team of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #28. The team was conceived by writer Gardner Fox as a revival of the Justice Society of America, a similar team from DC Comics from the 1940s which had been pulled out of print due to a decline in sales.

General Glory

General Glory

General Glory is the name of two DC Comics characters. The persona is mostly used by writers as a parody of Marvel's Captain America with exaggerated "patriotic values" and a sidekick called Ernie, who was similar to Bucky. General Glory first appeared in Justice League International #46 as a 1940s style hero placed in a modern world, resulting in cultural differences and personality issues. Whereas Captain America is patriotic, heroic, and rational, General Glory is so blindly patriotic that it approaches the point of fault, unwilling and psychologically unable to believe that his country or international peacekeeping organizations have a dark side. He was introduced as a comic foil for the jingoistic Green Lantern corps member Guy Gardner in the early 1990s.

Apokolips

Apokolips

Apokolips is a fictional planet that appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The planet is ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series, and is integral to many stories in the DC Universe. Apokolips is considered the opposite of the planet New Genesis.

Darkseid

Darkseid

Darkseid is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby to serve as the primary antagonist of his "Fourth World" metaseries, and was first seen briefly in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 in December 1970 before being officially introduced in the debut issue of Forever People in February 1971. Kirby modeled Darkseid's face on actor Jack Palance and based his personality on Adolf Hitler and Richard Nixon.

Amazo

Amazo

Amazo is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky and first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #30 as an adversary of the Justice League of America. Since debuting during the Silver Age of Comic Books, the character has appeared in comic books and other DC Comics-related products, including animated television series, trading cards and video games. Traditionally, Amazo is an android created by the villain scientist Professor Ivo and gifted with technology that allows him to mimic the abilities and powers of superheroes he fights, as well as make copies of their weapons. His default powers are often those of Flash, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. He is similar and often compared to the later created Marvel android villain Super-Adaptoid.

Big Barda

Big Barda

Big Barda is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Mister Miracle #4, and was created by Jack Kirby. Jack Kirby based Barda's physical appearance on Lainie Kazan, who had recently appeared topless in Playboy. Mark Evanier, Kirby's assistant on the Fourth World comics, has explained the genesis of the character: "Jack based some of his characters on people in his life or in the news... the characterization between Scott 'Mister Miracle' Free and Barda was based largely—though with tongue in cheek—on the interplay between Kirby and his wife Roz". In 2011, Big Barda was ranked 75th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.

Qward

Qward

Qward is a fictional world existing within an anti-matter universe that is part of the DC Comics Universe. It was first mentioned in Green Lantern #2.

Infinity-Man

Infinity-Man

Infinity-Man is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, in the Fourth World storyline.

Final Crisis

Final Crisis

"Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and Doug Mahnke later provided art for the series.

Mister Miracle

Mister Miracle

Mister Miracle is the name of three fictional superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Powers and abilities

Like all the New Gods, Lightray is functionally immortal and possesses great superhuman strength, endurance and reflexes. Lightray is able to lift several tons with ease. His reflexes and durability are also more than amazing and he has a limited degree of invulnerability. Lightray flies at the speed of light or even faster, and can generate and project solar energy. Thus, he can create brilliant light and extraordinarily high levels of heat. He can focus his solar energy into beams of laser-like intensity. Lightray can also use his powers of light to create life-like illusions. Using his power to the maximum, he can generate a huge sun or a nova explosion. Although Lightray has a pacifist personality and isn't a highly experienced warrior, he is well trained in hand-to-hand combat, but he prefers to use his solar powers in battle. In his headgear Lightray carries one of the powerful "living computers" called Mother Box.

Alternate versions

Seven Soldiers of Victory

Lightray makes several brief, non-speaking appearances in Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers of Victory series, where his human form is a frail man on crutches.

Captain Carrot

In the miniseries Captain Carrot and the Final Ark, Lightray's counterpart in the "New Dogs" is an anthropomorphic dog named Lightstray.

JLA: The Nail

In the 1998 Elseworlds JLA: The Nail, Lightray is depicted fighting in a war between New Genesis and Apokolips.

Influence

Jack Kirby's 1971 design for Lightray's costume influenced the look of artist Al Milgrom's creation of Firestorm in 1978. In an interview from 2019, Milgrom admitted: "The facemask on Firestorm, the way it comes around the chin, was probably inspired by Lightray more than anything... I liked the [Lightray] head-covering thing; I said, "I'm stealin' it!"[8]

A July 1971 New Gods story featuring Lightray has been noted as an example of racial bias in 1970s superhero storytelling. In "Death and the Black Racer" (New Gods #3), Lightray — a blond white man — is running desperately to escape the Black Racer, portrayed as a person of color. José Alaniz and Scott T. Smith noted in Uncanny Bodies: Superhero Comics and Disability that the story "suggests a racial dichotomy... in which blackness presents as a threatening force".[9]

In other media

Television

Film

Discover more about In other media related topics

DC Animated Universe

DC Animated Universe

The DC Animated Universe is a shared universe centered on a group of animated television series based on DC Comics and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It began with Batman: The Animated Series in 1992 and ended with Justice League Unlimited in 2006. Animated feature films and shorts, comic books, video games, and other multimedia adaptations are also in the continuity.

Justice League (TV series)

Justice League (TV series)

Justice League is an American animated television series which ran from November 17, 2001, to May 29, 2004, on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics. It serves as a follow up to Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series and is the seventh series of the DC Animated Universe. After two seasons, the series was rebranded as Justice League Unlimited, a successor series which aired for three seasons.

Batman

Batman

Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book Detective Comics on March 30, 1939. In the DC Universe continuity, Batman is the alias of Bruce Wayne, a wealthy American playboy, philanthropist, and industrialist who resides in Gotham City. Batman's origin story features him swearing vengeance against criminals after witnessing the murder of his parents Thomas and Martha as a child, a vendetta tempered with the ideal of justice. He trains himself physically and intellectually, crafts a bat-inspired persona, and monitors the Gotham streets at night. Kane, Finger, and other creators accompanied Batman with supporting characters, including his sidekicks Robin and Batgirl; allies Alfred Pennyworth, James Gordon, and Catwoman; and foes such as the Penguin, the Riddler, Two-Face, and his archenemy, the Joker.

Highfather

Highfather

Highfather is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. An integral part of Jack Kirby's Fourth World mythos, Highfather is a New God, leader of the planet New Genesis and the positive counterpart to the evil Darkseid.

Justice League Unlimited

Justice League Unlimited

Justice League Unlimited (JLU) is an American superhero animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the previous Justice League animated series and picks up around two years after it. JLU debuted on July 31, 2004, on Toonami and ended on May 13, 2006.

Lex Luthor

Lex Luthor

Alexander Joseph "Lex" Luthor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Lex Luthor originally appeared in Action Comics #23. He has since endured as the archnemesis of the superhero Superman.

Evil Star

Evil Star

Evil Star is the name of two supervillains appearing in DC Comics publications.

Mother Box

Mother Box

Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe.

Harley Quinn (TV series)

Harley Quinn (TV series)

Harley Quinn is an American adult animated dark comedy superhero streaming television series based on the DC Comics character of the same name created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm. The series is written and executive-produced by Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker and Dean Lorey, and follows the misadventures of Harley Quinn and her best friend, Poison Ivy, after leaving her boyfriend, the Joker. The show premiered on DC Universe to critical acclaim on November 29, 2019, with critics praising its animation, humor, dark tone, voice acting, and portrayal of the titular protagonist.

DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Forager (character)

Forager (character)

Forager is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Justice League: Gods and Monsters

Justice League: Gods and Monsters

Justice League: Gods and Monsters is a 2015 American animated superhero film and the 23rd film of the DC Universe Animated Original Movies. It features an alternate universe version of the DC Comics superhero team the Justice League. It was released as a download on July 21, 2015, and released on DVD and Blu-ray on July 28.

Source: "Lightray (character)", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 19th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightray_(character).

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Further Reading

Fourth World (comics)

Darkseid

New Gods

Mister Miracle

Highfather

Orion (character)

DeSaad

Apokolips

New Genesis

Forever People

Black Racer (DC Comics)

Big Barda

Metron (character)

Steppenwolf (character)

Mantis (DC Comics)

Mother Box

Lashina

Forager (character)
References
  1. ^ a b Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 180. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. ^ Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 39. ISBN 978-1605490564.
  3. ^ a b c Martin, Brian (June 2018). "The Return of the New Gods". Back Issue (#104): 5, 13, 23. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  4. ^ Tondro, Jason (2011). Superheroes of the Round Table: Comics Connections to Medieval and Renaissance Literature. McFarland & Co. p. 77. ISBN 978-0786460687.
  5. ^ Justice League America #42 (September 1990)
  6. ^ Ibid #44
  7. ^ Ibid #50 (May 1991)
  8. ^ Disharoon, Cecil (May 2019). "The Firestorm Interviews". Back Issue (#112): 8. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  9. ^ Alaniz, José; Smith, Scott T., eds. (2019). "Introduction". Uncanny Bodies: Superhero Comics and Disability. Penn State University Press. ISBN 978-0271084756. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  10. ^ (2020). "Harley Quinn EPS Talk the Evolution of Harlivy and Plans for Season 3". SYFY. Retrieved 27 June 2020
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