Ion



Real Name: Kyle Rayner

Nicknames: Torch Bearer; Guardian of the Universe; (Formerly) The Last Green Lantern

Former Aliases: Green Lantern

Other Current Aliases: No other current aliases

Status
Occupation: Adventurer and Artist

Legal Status: Kyle Rayner is a citizen of the United States, with no criminal record.

Identity: Secret

Marital Status: Single

Group Affiliation: Green Lantern Corps; Formerly Justice League of America, Teen Titans

Base of Operations: Outer Space; Formerly New York City, Los Angeles

Origin
Artist Kyle Rayner was found by Ganthet to become Green Lantern.

Place of Birth: Place of birth unknown

Known Relatives: Aaron Rayner (father), Maura Rayner (mother), Zachary Rayner (uncle, deceased), Roderick "Snowy" Rayner (grandfather, deceased), unnamed maternal great-grandfather (deceased)

First Appearance: (as Rayner) GREEN LANTERN Vol.2 #48 (January, 1994); (as Green Lantern) GREEN LANTERN Vol.2 #50 (March, 1994); (as Ion) GREEN LANTERN Vol.2 #149 (May, 2002)

History
Before he acquired a Green Lantern ring, Kyle Rayner was a struggling-but-gifted freelance graphic artist. He lived and worked in Los Angeles initially. After Hal Jordan, grief-stricken over the destruction of his home town of Coast City, went on a mad rampage, killing the entire Green Lantern Corps, including most of the Guardians of the Universe, who oversee the Corps, Rayner was found by Ganthet, the last surviving Guardian, and given the last GL power ring, the powerful weapon wielded by each Green Lantern that allows them to conjure any form of matter or energy solely with their willpower. Ganthet's reasons for choosing Kyle to bear the ring have never been made completely apparent, aside from Rayner having been in the right place at the right time. Kyle decided to redesign his costume in order to distinguish himself from Hal Jordan. That did not stop Mongul from trying to tear him apart during his first week as GL, however, when Mongul came looking for revenge against Green Lantern and decided any Green Lantern would do. With some help from Superman, one of his hereos, Kyle defeated Mongul. Superman was shocked when Kyle knew virtually nothing about Hal Jordan or the Green Lantern Corp. His girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt, helped Kyle train for his new role as a superhero, but was soon murdered by the supervillain Major Force, giving rise to the expression Woman in Refrigerator Syndrome. Kyle stopped just short of killing Major Force when the authorities arrived. Kyle was then approached by Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern, who told him a little about thehistory of the Corp. He also told him about Hal Jordan's madness and warned that they would all have to confront Hal soon.

That day would come sooner than later, when Hal Jordan (now the villain Parallax) joined with Extant and used his awesome powers to try and reshape the universe itself. After a massive battle that nearly destroyed all of space and time, Hal was defeated by a coalition of heroes. In the battle, he disappeared with Kyle. (see Zero Hour for more details). Kyle and Hal ended up on Oa, where Parallax attempted to absorb even more energy from the planet itself. Kyle was forced to detonate the planet to stop Hal's madness. Lost in space, Kyle soon managed to make his way home.

Back on Earth, Kyle briefly joined up with another former Green Lantern, Guy Gardener, for a second shot at Major Force. This time, Kyle actively chose not to kill the villain, but Guy had no such hesitation (although Major Force turned up alive and well later). Parallax would soon return to Earth, demanding the last power ring, but Kyle soon provd that he was more than worthy to bear the name Green Lantern.

During a battle against Sonar, Kyle would meet Flash (Wally West). Wally, having grown up with Hal and his uncle Barry Allen as Green Lantern and Flash, did not think very highly of the new GL at first. They quickly overcame their differences, however, and would go on to become good friends.

Kyle settled into New York City and began a relationship with Donna Troy. She briefly broke up with him, as she was still in the aftermath of her divorce at the time, but they eventually got back together.

After Underworld Unleashed, Kyle began to question his abilities and what it truly meant to be a superhero. This lead him to seek out other heroes for advice, including Batman, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman. Kyle learned a lot from them, and rededicated himself to his new role. Kyle barely was able to rest after this quest when Donna Troy asked him to come with her to Rann where another former Green Lantern, John Stewart, and what was left of the Darkstars were rallied, preparing for an invasion by Grayven, the son of Darkseid. GL managed to hold the line, defeating Grayven, although John Stewart was gravely injured in the battle (and left paralyzed from it).

Once returned to Earth, GL met the new Green Arrow (Conner Hawke) and the two easily became friends (as they were both in the same situation, recently thrust into the life of a superhero and trying to fill the shoes of someone with a long history).

Kyle grew up enamored with Superman and Batman, though had only a passing knowledge of Earth's various Green Lanterns. This soon changed, and he found that the Green Lantern ring was the ultimate expression of his imagination. While in battle, he often used the ring's power to create constructs of just about anything his artistic mind could imagine—other superheroes, anime characters, mystical characters, mechas, futuristic weapons and original characters from his comic books. While some questioned the practicality of those constructs, they often made Kyle an unpredictable opponent.

Justice League
Rayner joined the superhero group, the Titans for a brief time, during which he dated Donna Troy, but eventually became a member of the Justice League (JLA). He initially clashed with the Flash (Wally West) early in his career. West had grown up with Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern and he had reservations about Kyle replacing Jordan, but he eventually became one of Rayner's best friends and biggest supporters. Rayner also formed friendships with the Golden Age Green Lantern, Alan Scott, Scott's daughter Jade, Green Arrow Connor Hawke, and Green Lantern John Stewart.

Oblivion
During the 5 Week Event "Circle of Fire," it was discovered that a cosmic entity named Oblivion was the embodiment of Kyle's fear, unknowingly created when he first received the ring. It wasn't until later did Oblivion come to "merge" with Kyle. The Justice League tried to stop Oblivion, but during the battle, Kyle was sent back to Earth to get reinforcements. When he reached Earth, Kyle recruited Power Girl, The Atom, Firestorm, Adam Strange, and the Circle of Fire — ostensibly a group of Green Lanterns from alternate realities and different time periods. In reality, Kyle created all of these Green Lanterns. The Circle of Fire consisted of Kyle's late girlfriend Alex, a pair of juvenile siblings, a descendant of Wally West and Kyle Rayner who possessed both the Flash and Green Lantern's powers but could only use one of those powers a day, a reprogrammed Manhunter robot, and a Green Lantern from the Middle Ages.

This group was split up to handle different crises caused by Oblivion, or in some cases to search for a way to defeat him. Eventually they all realized that Kyle had created the Circle of Fire because he needed help. When they realized this, they decided that the created Green Lanterns should return to Kyle's mind. Doing so made Kyle unlock more power from the ring that he hadn't used before. In a confrontation with Kyle, Oblivion revealed that he was a distillation of Kyle's doubts and darker impulses, made manifest through the power of the ring. After facing up to this, Kyle was able to defeat Oblivion and restore the Justice League.

Ion
For a brief period Kyle achieved godhood as Ion, when he absorbed the leftover energy in the sun after Hal Jordan sacrificed his life during the Final Night event, energy which had merged and grown with energies released after Oblivion's defeat. With his new powers Kyle could bend time, space, and reality. Kyle could even be in many places at once. Kyle's trans-godlike powers had drawbacks however: Ion was one with everything, but Kyle Rayner could no longer sleep or separate himself from the overwhelming responsibilities. Rather than sacrifice his humanity, Kyle abandoned omnipotence, bleeding off the vast power, recharging the Central Power Battery on the planet Oa (the headquarters of the Guardians), and helping to create a new group of Guardians in the process. Before he purged all of the power though, he modified his ring. Once again limited only by his willpower and imagination, Rayner's ring can still affect yellow, does not have a set time limit on its power, and is keyed directly to him. Kyle modified the ring so that it would always return to him, and so that it would always have a lifeline of power available (although the ring still required charging to get up to full power).

After the brutal beating of his young assistant and friend Terry Berg, Kyle went on a lengthy self-imposed exile into space. Before leaving, he placed John Stewart, recently revived from his paraplegia and given a new power ring, into his spot in the JLA. Upon returning to Earth, he discovered that Jade had begun seeing someone new, and was doing so in his own apartment. He left New York and spent some time trying once again to find his place on Earth, and ended up staying with his mother for a brief time.

Green Lantern: Rebirth
After being tricked into believing his mother had been murdered by Major Force, Kyle fought with the villain. Knowing Major Force was essentially immortal, Kyle decapitated him and sent his head off into outer space. Feeling that he was a danger to those he cared for, Rayner once again left for the far reaches of space. Soon after, the Guardians of the Universe sent Kyle on a special mission to retrieve the corpse of Hal Jordan and he developed insight into the true nature of the Parallax entity. Following which, he ceased to operate solely on Earth. He was given his first official Green Lantern Corps assignment from Kilowog, and met with the Guardians, along with Guy Gardner, about his role in the Corps. There, he was given special status amongst the Guardians, who consider him the "Torch-Bearer," the Green Lantern who carried the legacy through the Corps' darkest period.

Infinite Crisis: Return of Ion
Main article: Infinite Crisis

Jade died during a mission in the Rann-Thanagar War. Her power (the inherited starheart-come-green-lantern power) was transferred to Kyle Rayner, vastly increasing his power, and instigated Kyle's second metamorphosis into Ion.

One year after Jade's death, Green Lantern Torquemada and his rookie partner, Garmin Vid, are investigating Sector 3521 and discover Kyle amidst the wreckage of an evacuation fleet from the Quinilon System. An incoherent Kyle blames himself for the fleet's destruction, but repeatedly admits that he didn't mean for it to happen. The two fellow Lanterns attempt to aid Kyle and bring him back to Oa but Kyle violently lashes out, nearly killing Garmin Vid before fleeing the scene.

Torquemada returns to Oa with his wounded ally and informs Kilowog that "something is terribly wrong". Meanwhile, Kyle awakens on Earth in Kaaterskill's Notch, a secluded village refuge for artists. Kyle has no memory of the incident with Torquemada or Vid, nor does he remember the destruction of the evacuation fleet. While staying at Kaaterskill's Notch, Kyle is greeted by his landlord, an old man named Schuyler, and attempts to introduce himself to the newest tenant, a reclusive mute girl name Marissa Rochelle.

Later, Kyle is attacked by a Thanagarian bounty hunter named Tarra Karn and is forced to defend himself. Kyle eventually forces her to reveal why she has chosen him as her prey and Kyle learns of the evacuation fleet's destruction and his apparent role in it.

On Oa, the Guardians have forbidden Kilowog and the other Lanterns from aiding Kyle, apparently wanting him to fight whatever it is that has possessed him. Indeed, it seems that something or someone is manipulating Kyle, causing memory lapses, bouts of violent anger and a lack of control over his actions and powers.

After visiting the wreckage of the evacuation fleet, Kyle loses control again and ends up on a world called Alytt where he impacts with a gladiator arena, unintentionally rescuing a warrior woman from a ferocious alien opponent via collateral damage. There, he freaks out again, nearly breaking her arm before flying off again and then finding himself in orbit over Mogo, the sentient Green Lantern planet.



Confronted by his own delusions and inner demons, in the form of his former girlfriends Alex, Donna, and Jade giving aid and suggestions, and Major Force as the embodiment of all his fears, Kyle ultimately realized the meaning of his "new life". He acknowledges, thanks to "Jade," that the Ion entity is a living conduit able to channel and harness both the Starheart and the Central Battery green energy. In space, Ariana, the mysterious alien girl, still angered for the massive devastation Rayner laid on her planet is encountered by Hal Jordan, who was sent to check on Kyle by Kilowog. The guardians forbid anyone to leave Oa to help, but did not say anything about off-worlders going after him. It helps that Hal Jordan has gone through changes in his past, and would be the best to help

Upon finding Ion decimating yet another world, Hal chooses to step in and speak with Kyle. The conversation is short lived and Ion lashes out at Hal Jordan. The battle continues on until Hal defeats Kyle. However, upon requesting his ring to scan for any mental abnormalities that might explain Kyles erratic behaviour, the ring instead reveals the rampaging Ion to in fact be Nero. Meanwhile, on Mogo, Kyle exits a green cocoon and heads out into space.

Animated
Kyle Rayner first appeared in animation in the 1996 Superman: The Animated Series episode, "Brightest Day". He would only later appear in a cameo in Justice Leagues episode, Hereafter, and as a supporting role in Justice League Unlimited episode, The Return.

Working as an artist for the Daily Planet, Kyle Rayner was chosen by the ring of Abin Sur to become the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814. With the help of Superman, Kyle defeated rogue Green Lantern, Sinestro.

Sometime afterwards, Kyle was transferred off planet to be trained by Katma Tui by John Stewarts request as John took over the sector for him. As time went by, Kyle would be part of Oas defensive squadron of Green Lanterns.

During a transmission which determined if Kyle would trade places with John for a short time due to recent events in Stewarts personal life, the android, Amazo, shot towards Oa with amazing speed. Kyle and the defensive team were unable to stop the android before it slammed into the planets surface, seemingly destroying it.

After recovering from injuries, Kyle and the team headed for Earth, Amazo's destination, to find the wreckage of dozens of Justice League javelins, and injured Justice League members, such as John Stewart and Superman.

John Stewart led the rest of the Green Lanterns to Lex Luthors hideout, built specially in case of the androids return, due to their history, only to be stopped by Dr. Fate (Kent Nelson). Luthor was able to calm the android and walk away unharmed. It was discovered that Amazo did not destroy Oa but simply moved it to another dimension, which was quickly moved back. It is presumed that Kyle Rayner returned to Oa.

Characteristics
Height: 5'11"

Weight: 156 lbs (xxx kg)

Eyes: Hazel

Hair: Brown

Unusual Features: No unusual features

Powers
Known Powers: No known powers. Kyle uses the power of his ring for a variety of effects.

Known Abilities: Skilled and creative artist.

Strength Level: Strength level unknown

Miscellaneous
Equipment: Green Lantern Power Battery.

Transportation: No known transportation.

Weapons: Green Lantern Ring; Kyle's was originally unique, but in light of recent events newer rings have the same capabilities.

Trivia

 * In Infinite Crisis, it was also revealed that if the Multiverse had continued to exist after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Rayner would have been a native of Earth-Eight.

Recommended Readings

 * Green Lantern: Emerald Knights
 * JLA: Trial by Fire
 * Ion #1-12

Related Articles

 * Ion/Appearances
 * JLA
 * Jade
 * Green Lantern Ring