Langford Terrill (Prime Earth)

"Happy" Terrill was a mystery man with light-based powers who was known as the Ray in the Golden Age of superheroes.

History

During World War II, the Ray operated as a covert agent of the United States Government. With fellow hero the Flash, he was called on by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to recover the Spear of Destiny, a biblical artifact sought by the Nazi Party, from the Philippines' Cagsawa Ruins—though Terrill himself did not believe in the spear's purported magical properties, and was uncertain of his faith in God at all.^[1]

In the ruins, they were met by a group of Nazis that included the metahuman Parsifal, who had claimed the spear and used his own abilities to negate those of the heroes. The Ray and Flash were taken prisoner, and embarked on a weeks-long journey to Germany aboard the cruiser Kormoran, in which time they kept each other's spirits up in the face of torture by their captors. At their destination, the Flash's failing will led the Ray to pray for a miracle, just as the pair were freed by a bolt of lightning which struck the Flash and imbued him with the consciousness of his future successor, to Terrill's confusion. The heroes watched as Nazi Fuhrer Adolf Hitler took up the Spear of Destiny and was empowered both by its mind-controlling magic and a bolt of explosive energy, and, fleeing their cell, disguised themselves as Nazis to recover the spear and prevent the energy's detonation. Carrying the Flash, Terrill pursued and boarded the Fuhrer's plane in flight, confronting him and Parsifal. Though the Ray fell under the spear's control, the Flash resisted it, striking Hitler and breaking his hold over Terrill, who brought down Parsifal in turn. Though the heroes were able to lessen the energy's explosion by channeling its force into the spear, they were knocked unconscious and thrown from the plane. Awakening in mid-air, the Ray took flight and carried the injured Flash to safety.^[1]

With a number of his Golden Age peers, the Ray was brought forward in time by the Three Witches to recover their contemporary Captain Triumph from the 21st Century.^[2] He fathered a son, named Ray, with Nadine Terrill, who claimed that the boy's father had been killed by a "light allergy." Ray Terrill inherited his father's powers, and eventually became a superhero as the new Ray,^[3] a member of the modern-day Freedom Fighters.^[4]

Powers and Abilities

Powers

• Photokinesis: The Ray has the ability to project light from his own body.^[1]
  • Flight: In his light-projecting form, the Ray has the ability to fly.^[1]

Notes

• The Ray was created by Will Eisner and Lou Fine, first appearing in Smash Comics #14. However, in the Prime Earth continuity, The Ray first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Harley Quinn (Volume 3) #52 by Sam Humphries and Sami Basri.
  • Although he was first mentioned in Justice League of America: The Ray Rebirth #1.

Related

• 4 Appearances of Langford Terrill (Prime Earth)
• 2 Images featuring Langford Terrill (Prime Earth)
• Quotations by or about Langford Terrill (Prime Earth)
• Character Gallery: Langford Terrill (Prime Earth)

Footnotes

Freedom Fighters member This character is or was a member of the Freedom Fighters, a team of American super-heroes who fight threats to the nation and its ideals under the leadership of Uncle Sam. This template will automatically categorize articles that include it into the "Freedom Fighters members" category.

All-Star Squadron member This character is or was a member of the All-Star Squadron in any of its various incarnations. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "All-Star Squadron members" category.