| Lightray | |
|---|---|
 Lightray as depicted inNew Gods #2 (April 1971). Art byJack Kirby | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | New Gods #1 (February 1971) |
| Created by | Jack Kirby (writer/artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Solis |
| Species | New God |
| Place of origin | New Genesis |
| Team affiliations | New Gods Justice League Justice League International |
| Abilities |
|
Lightray (Solis) is aDC Comicssuperhero. Created byJack Kirby for theJack Kirby's Fourth World meta-series, he first appeared inNew Gods #1 (February 1971).[1] Lightray was a major character inNew 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 withOrion in theCosmic Odyssey limited series (1988–1989),Jack Kirby's Fourth World (1997–1998) andOrion (2000–2002).
Seven years after the character's creation, Lightray's origin story was revealed inDC Special Series #10, aSecret Origins of Super-Heroes issue published in January 1978.[3]
The version of the character in current DC continuity was introduced inGreen Lantern/New Gods: Godhead #1 (December 2014).[1]
For the fourth volume ofNew Gods created in 1995,Rachel Pollack andTom Peyer discussed withBack Issue! magazine how Lightray changed after Orion killsDarkseid 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 tellsBack 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 writerWalt Simonson said that his conception of Lightray and Orion was based on the relationship that Kirby established inNew 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]
InSuperheroes of the Round Table, Jason Tondro characterizes Lightray's place in Kirby'sNew Gods work: "We have characters like... the amazing Lightray, a denizen ofNew 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 ofNew Genesis and a high-spiritedNew God. Unlike his grim friendOrion, 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.
Lightray joins theJustice League with Orion when a membership drive fails to find other new recruits.[5] InJLA (1999),Superman disbands the Justice League, thus ending Lightray's membership.[6]
InCountdown #48, Lightray falls to Earth after a fight with an unknown entity, who is later revealed to beInfinity-Man. He dies holdingJimmy Olsen's hand, repeating the word "infinite" and glowing brighter.[7] InFinal Crisis #7, Lightray is resurrected after New Genesis is restored.[8]
In post-Rebirth continuity, Solis was assumed to have been born without powers.Highfather encouraged him and Orion to become friends, ensuring that Orion would have somebody who saw him for who he was rather than as a god or demon. One day, Orion and Solis encountered a group of warriors fromApokolips who had infiltrated New Genesis. Solis was gravely wounded in the ensuing battle, but refused to die and healed himself through his will to live.[9]
InNew Gods (vol. 5), Lightray is killed by Karok Ator, a claimant to the throne of Apokolips followingDarkseid's death. TheBlack Racer takes his spirit into theSource.[10][11]
As a New God, Lightray is nigh-immortal and possesses superhuman physical abilities. He possesses the ability to fly atlight speed and generate bursts of solar energy.
Jack Kirby's 1971 design for Lightray's costume influenced artistAl Milgrom's creation ofFirestorm in 1978. In a 2019 interview, 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!"[12]
A July 1971New 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 inUncanny Bodies: Superhero Comics and Disability that the story "suggests a racial dichotomy... in which blackness presents as a threatening force".[13]
An alternate universe variant of Lightray appears inJustice League: Gods and Monsters.[14]
Lightray appears as a character summon inScribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.[17]
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