Langford "Happy" Terrill was the first Ray, a member of the Freedom Fighters.
History
Before World War II, the US government established a secret group known as RONOL (Research on the Nature of Light). One RONOL member, Dr. Dayzl, theorized that the light that originated several millennia ago, where Earth now orbits, would eventually circumnavigate the universe and return as a dangerous, conscious entity.
The only way to stop the "Light Entity," Dayzl believed, was to talk to it. Tricking a reporter named "Happy" Terrill into joining them, Dayzl and his assistants staged an upper atmosphere ballooning "accident," making certain Terrill was exposed to a genetic "light bomb." Dayzl calculated that Terrill's offspring would be a unification of human and light energy, a potential liaison to the Light Entity. Unaware of the truth, Terrill used his resulting powers to become the super-heroic Ray. Simultaneously, RONOL lost government backing due to Dayzl's unorthodox beliefs. Dayzl's fate remains unknown.
Terrill and his first wife, had a child named Joshua. For a time Joshua accompanied him on missions as his sidekick "Spitfire." However, Joshua was prone to violent outbursts, he was placed in suspended animation in the 1950's only to wake up again in the future, still only 10 years old. It was during this time that Terrill learned the truth about his involvement with Dayzl's experimentation, and vowed to quit his Ray identity.
"Happy" Terrill as the Ray
In the 1970s, Terrill had a brief association with his old team, the Freedom Fighters. Later he would marry his second wife and settled down. Everything seemed normal until Terrill saw his newborn son glowing with crackling energy in the hospital nursery. Terrill was convinced Dayzl's theories were correct. He now knew his son would one day have the power to confront the Light Entity. Not wanting to put his wife through torment, Terrill told her that the baby had died, and then set up his son with a foster father (his brother Thomas).
Terrill sought Neon the Unknown, who was living in a magical oasis, for aid in saving his son. When Neon, completely detached from humanity, refused, Terrill drank from the waters of his oasis, becoming a "new" Neon the Unknown, and promptly changed his name to the simple Neon.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Photokinesis: Ray has the ability to absorb light, storing it for later uses. Once his body absorbs sunlight, he can direct the energy to rearrange molecules into any form, matter or energy. He can also produce light from his own body which powers light projection and flight.
- Energy Construct Creation: Ray has the power to create constructs out of pure light like a Green Lantern would with their rings.
- Energy Projection: Ray can project destructive rays or bolts of pure light. He can also convert and project sunlight.
- Flight: Ray has the ability to fly, without artificial means. As pure energy, he can travel at the speed of light and cross space unassisted.
- Illusion Casting: Ray can 'bend' light to create illusions.
- Invisibility: Ray can also 'bend' light around himself, rendering him invisible to the naked eye.
- Light Energy Healing: This process can also be used to heal damage that his physical form has already sustained.
- Invulnerability: Due to his "Light Energy Healing" ability, no physical harm can come to him in this form.
- Telepathy: Via "Solid Light Vibrations;" essentially resonating the target's inner ear, he was able to approximate telepathic communication.
Notes
- Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters (Volume 2) #5 (First appearance as Neon)
Related
- 48 Appearances of Langford Terrill (New Earth)
- 9 Images featuring Langford Terrill (New Earth)
- 1 Quotations by or about Langford Terrill (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Langford Terrill (New Earth)
Footnotes
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  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. |
 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. |