The much-anticipated “Crisis on Earth-X” crossover kicks off tonight, giving Arrowverse fans plenty to take in. Aside from uniting over 20 of The CW‘s heroes onscreen, the crossover also gave fans a look at a new hero: The Ray.
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Hailing from the Nazi-ruled Earth-X, Ray Terrill/The Ray (Russell Tovey) joined the Arrowverse’s heroes in their crusade after Earth-X soldiers crashed the wedding of Barry Allen/The Flash (Grant Gustin) and Iris West (Candice Patton).
So, who is The Ray? Arrowverse fans have heard the name for quite some time, with the Freedom Fighters: The Ray animated series being in development for years. But for those unfamiliar with Ray Terrill’s DC Comics history, here are some highlights.
The Ray has the ability to absorb and process light, which gives him the powers of flight, light rays, and even invisibility.
Ray is actually a DC legacy character, with his father Lanford “Happy” Terrill serving as the original The Ray. On his deathbed, Happy tells his young son that his powers will activate in exposure to direct sunlight. Fearing that he won’t be able to control the power, Ray is kept in darkness.
Ray is later visited by a younger version of his father, who convinces him to take on the mantle. Ray accepts, but his story is only beginning.
Ray’s comic appearances are fairly scattered, with him serving as a member of the Justice League, Young Justice, and the Forgotten Heroes. He eventually creates the first incarnation of the Freedom Fighters, who are tasked with saving imprisoned Daxamites.
But most notably, Ray appeared in his own monthly comic from 1994 to 1996. The series saw Ray wrestling with the dynamic with his young father, Happy, as well as fighting various villains, including the Death Masque.
Ray eventually seeks help from Vandal Savage, who mentors him in multiple ways. This is eventually ended by the appearance of a woman from the future who claims to be Ray’s girlfriend, whose goal is to show Vandal Savage’s true nature. Ray eventually cuts ties with Savage.
Eventually, Ray helps form a new government-sponsored Freedom Fighters, which is built out of the remaining members of the Justice Society of America.
The team is eventually ambushed by the Secret Society, with Ray being among the few Freedom Fighters to survive. Ray is taken hostage by Alex Luthor, who believes that Ray’s powers will help restore the multiverse.
The most recent incarnation of Ray has been seen in the DC Rebirth relaunch. Ray had the same grasp on his powers as a child, but discovered them after running away from home.
Ray settles in the town of Vanity, Portland, where he helps save a childhood friend. This eventually motivates him to join Batman’s Justice League of America.
“Crisis on Earth-X” is a four-hour event that will air on November 27th and 28th beginning at 8 p.m. and running for two hours each day; Supergirl (8 p.m. Monday), The Flash (8 p.m. Tuesday) and Legends of Tomorrow (9 p.m. Tuesday) will remain in their normal time slots but Arrow will move from Thursday to a 9 p.m. Monday placement for the week.
