Two men have taken the identity of
the Ray. The Ray is
a hero published by
DC Comics.
The first man to use the identity of the Ray is "Happy" Terrill.
Terrill was a reporter working on a story about a new experiment
involving a high-altitude balloon. Unbeknownst to Terrill,
the team of scientists were members of RONOL or Research
on the Nature of Light. The group was headed by Doctor
Dayzl who believed that the Earth was in danger from a being
composed of pure light, which he called the Light Entity. The
experiment exposed Terrill to a "light bomb" that changed his
DNA and gave him light-based powers including flight and the
ability to fire light blasts. Terrill decided that he should
use his powers for the good of others and became the Ray.
Terrill adventured for many years as the Ray, serving as a member
of both the All-Star Squadron and the Freedom Fighters. He
eventually decided to retire from heroing and settle down
with his wife Nadine. However, Terrill soon discovered the
actual goal of Dayzd's experiment. When Nadine gave birth to
a son, the boy crackled with light, and Terrill realized that
the boy had inherited his powers. Terrill gave his son, who
he named Raymond in to the care of his brother Thomas and
told Nadine that their child had died.
Raymond was raised by Thomas as his son and told that he
had a unique genetic condition that would kill him if he was
exposed to direct sunlight. For years, Raymond, or Ray, lived
indoors, educated by tutors, and cut off from normal contact.
It wasn't until the death of Thomas that Raymond discovered
he had been living a lie and that he possessed extrodinary powers.
He was soon contacted by his father and manipulated into
fufilling his destiny of battling the Light Entity and protecting
the earth. Ray adopted the identity of the Ray and began
a career as a super-hero. This second Ray was even a member
of the Justice League of America for a time.
The original Ray first appeared in Smash Comics #14 and his
son was introduced in The Ray #1 in 1992.