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| As a result of the New 52 in 2011, the entire line of DC characters was relaunched, incorporating properties belonging to the company's imprints: Wildstorm, Milestone, and Vertigo. As such, elements of this character's history have been altered in some way from the previous incarnation. For a complete list of all versions of this character, see our disambiguation page. |
Dr. Arthur Light is a ghostly criminal mastermind who could create light-based constructs.
History
Criminal Career
For much of his life, Arthur Light was a supervillain known as Doctor Light. Eventually, he would seemingly reform, marrying Kimiyo Hoshi, a hero that had also taken up the name Doctor Light. At some point, he was recruited by A.R.G.U.S..
A.R.G.U.S.
Dr. Arthur Light lived a surprisingly bland life as an A.R.G.U.S. scientist, until the day he was called in at midnight to investigate a communications device recovered from a secret. Exposed to strange radiation due to the villain who was communicating with him, he gained energy draining powers.
Discovering that he would drain energy from nearby artificial sources, he was locked in a small room in case this spread to humans. In this state of extremes, he was approached by Amanda Waller, who offered him a deal, remain in the cell for the rest of his natural life, or agree to join her super hero team and begin work on a cure.
While on the team, he was placed in close proximity to Superman, which given the tense situation and a super-villain plot, led to Arthur involuntarily triggering Superman's heat vision and dying.
Forever Evil
His corpse was examined by A.R.G.U.S., then used as an explosive device by the Secret Society, demolishing a large part of A.R.GU.S. main facility.[1]
However, not even death could give Light peace, and Artur was brought back to life by his photokinetic abilities. He tried to go back to his family but he accidentally killed an A.R.G.U.S. agent who was sent to protect them before accidentally teleporting away.[2] He was recruited by the Crimson Men, who claimed they could make him human again, and sent him out to kill Steve Trevor. However, Trevor made him realize that he was still dead, and he vanished, much as the Crimson Men had assumed he would.[3]
Radiant Men
Later on, when Defiance was attacked by light-based constructs called 'Radiant Men' in the Chetlan United Atlantic Islands, it was revealed that Doctor Light himself was behind their presence, who was now living in asylum on a remote island to himself in exchange for providing the dictator of Chetland Uai the Radiant Men's protection.
Deathstroke confronts Light, but instead of fighting, the two had coffee. It was revealed then that Doctor Light was once a villain before working with A.R.G.U.S, and had worked with Deathstroke at one point, and soon, also revealed that he was still dead, no longer human, but rather a reconstructed being of pure light. Slade tried to ask for a favor from Arthur, hoping that he would be able to help him after getting sent for by The Society. Light was unable to help, and once Terra arrived to help Defiance, Deathstroke left, but not without convincing Arthur to go back to his evil ways after his initial denial.
When Deathstroke was later killed, Light is the host of his funeral. When Jericho arrived to try and wreck the ceremony and capture the villains present, he tried to plead with Superman to help, who was watching from the skies, only for it to be revealed that he was only a construct of Light's, used to ensure that things would go peacefully.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Ghostly Physiology: After his death Arthur has become a reconstruced conciousness made of pure light, making him akin to a ghost of sort.[4]
- Intangibility
- Metamorphosis: Doctor Light can alter his appareance and clothing at will.[4]
- Teleportation: After his death Doctor Light aquired the ability to teleport himself. Although initially he could not control this power and teleported randomly and without deciding where[2] he eventually learned to control this ability.
- Photokinesis
- Energy Projection: Doctor Light can project photonic blasts capable of incinerating a normal human.[2]
- Illusion Casting: Doctor Light projected an illusion of Superman at Deathstroke's funeral to keep the mourners from causing troubles.[5]
- Energy Construct Creation: After his death Doctor Light gained the ability create solid hard-light constructs. He created copies of the Crime Syndicate to attack Killer Frost[3] and can create multiple humanoid constructs called Radiant Men, they are strong enough to knock out Power Girl. Others powers displayed by those constructs are Energy Projection, Flight and Intangibility. Still, those constructs are apparently vulnerable to the Ikon Suit.[4]
Notes
- Doctor Light was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky, first appearing in Justice League of America #12. However, Doctor Light first appeared as part of Prime Earth continuity in Justice League of America (Volume 3) #4 by Geoff Johns and Brett Booth.
Trivia
- In Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger #11, Arthur is shown to have three daughters. Despite this, in future issues his third daughter is replaced with his son Tommy.
Related
- 24 Appearances of Arthur Light (Prime Earth)
- 7 Images featuring Arthur Light (Prime Earth)
- Quotations by or about Arthur Light (Prime Earth)
- Character Gallery: Arthur Light (Prime Earth)
Footnotes
  This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or simply the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |
 A.R.G.U.S. member |
 Secret Society of Super-Villains member |
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