Lightray (Solis) is a DC Comicssuperhero. 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]
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]
Lightray is the shining star of New Genesis and a high-spirited New God. He is a friend of Orion, whose grim personality contrasts with his own. Furthermore, Lightray briefly joins the Justice League before Superman disbands the group.[5][6][7]
As a New God, Lightray is nigh-immortal and possesses superhuman physical abilities. He possesses the ability to fly at light speed and generate bursts of solar energy.
Other versions
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
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]
Lightray makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Destroyer". Lex Luthor and the Secret Society encounter him after Darkseid destroys their base, subsequently stealing his Mother Box to return to Earth and stop Darkseid's invasion.
Lightray was originally planned to appear in the Harley Quinn episode "Inner (Para) Demons", where Darkseid would have killed him for his incompetence, but DC Comics objected and his cameo was replaced by Forager.[11]
^ abCowsill, 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. ISBN978-1-4654-5357-0.
^Sacks, Jason; Dallas, Keith (2014). American Comic Book Chronicles: The 1970s. TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 39. ISBN978-1605490564.
^Tondro, Jason (2011). Superheroes of the Round Table: Comics Connections to Medieval and Renaissance Literature. McFarland & Co. p. 77. ISBN978-0786460687.
^ abc"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 credits or other reliable sources of information.
^(2020). "Harley Quinn EPS Talk the Evolution of Harlivy and Plans for Season 3". SYFY. Retrieved 27 June 2020
