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Lightray (character)

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Lightray
Lightray 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
  • Light-speed flight
  • 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 (December 2014).[1]

Characterization

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For the fourth volume of New Gods created in 1995, Rachel Pollack and Tom Peyer discussed with Back Issue magazine how Lightray changed after Orion kills Darkseid 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]

Orion writer Walt Simonson said 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]

Fictional character biography

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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.

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 blast of energy, Orion preferred to destroy the pavement around Blackrock, only to then be angered when his opponent surrendered instead of fighting to the death.[6][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.

During the Final Crisis event, Lightray is killed by Infinity-Man before being resurrected.

Powers and abilities

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Like all the New Gods, Lightray is functionally immortal and possesses superhuman physical abilities. He possesses the ability to fly at light speed and generate bursts of solar energy.

Other versions

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  • Lightstray, an alternate universe funny animal variant of Lightray, appears in Captain Carrot and the Final Ark.
  • An alternate universe variant of Lightray makes a cameo appearance in JLA: The Nail.
  • Bald'r, a fusion of Lightray and Marvel Comics character Balder, appears in the Amalgam Comics one-shot Thorion of the New Asgods.

Influence

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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

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Television

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Film

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An alternate universe variant of Lightray appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters, voiced by Trevor Devall.

Video games

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Lightray appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[13]

References

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  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. ^ a b "Lightray Voices (Superman)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved December 5, 2023. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
  11. ^ (2020). "Harley Quinn EPS Talk the Evolution of Harlivy and Plans for Season 3". SYFY. Retrieved 27 June 2020
  12. ^ Matadeen, Renaldo (April 16, 2022). "Young Justice: Phantoms Revealed a New God's Cosmic Hulk Problem". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
  13. ^ Eisen, Andrew (October 2, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
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