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August 25, 2015
Vixen
Launches on CW Seed

The Ray

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Real Identity: Ray Terrill
Affiliations: Tulsa Fair Housing and Freedom Fighters
Appearances (Freedom Fighters: The Ray): Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11, Episode 12, and The Movie
Powers/Skills: Solar Absorption, Photokinesis, Flight, and Knowledge of Law
Voiced By: Russell Tovey

Ray Terrill was born in March 1995 and graduated from Central State University in 2017. He fought injustice all his life but he dreamed of making a real difference like his older brother Michael, a Marine who was killed by an IED in Afghanistan in 2009 when he was just 22 years old. He was inspired to devote his life to make a difference by ensuring that everyone, regardless of race, religion, or gender, has a safe place to live. Eight years later, Terrill was now the same age when his brother died and worked as a public interest lawyer for Tulsa Fair Housing who helped people who were in the minority, in the margins, and were struggling to get accommodations. Work was the most important thing in his life but it also left him closed off and lonely. On a Wednesday, after helping a Muslim women with an eviction because of her religion, Terrill started practicing a speech in the break room. He decided to use the story of his brother's death. Terrill and his co-workers John Trujillo and Jenny Knight were going to ask politicians to vote to expand fair housing laws so their department could help more people like military veterans and those in the LGBT community.

Trujillo, who was also a friend, advised him to loosen up and don't sweat it. Terrill wanted it to be perfect. Knight entered the room and informed them the politicians arrived. Just as Terrill began, the lead politician, Donald, stopped him and announced they were shutting down the whole department. Terrill stood there in shock while Trujillo and Knight questioned the decision. Donald revealed he needed funding for his promised tax cuts and the people who they helped didn't vote to elect him anyway. Terrill and Trujillo went to a bar. He tried to get Terrill to slow down with the drinks but Terrill felt guilty for just standing around in shock during the presentation. Trujillo concluded there were some fights that couldn't be won. Terrill showed him a text from his mother announcing meat loaf dinner. Trujillo couldn't decide what was more pathetic, Mrs. Terrill's use of emojis or that he was 22 years old and still living with his parents. He then remembered Terrill still hadn't told them he was gay.

Ray Terrill reminded him his parents were conservative and he had to go about it the right way. Trujillo concluded waiting until he figured out the perfect way was just an excuse to procrastinate and called him a "procrastor-faker." Terrill countered if he was, it was for a good reason since they were disappointed he didn't go into the military like Michael. Trujillo asked him why he hasn't just moved out. Terrill pointed out he was unemployed. Trujillo suggested Sweden. Terrill brought up his trust fund. Trujillo stated he counted his blessings every day and asked not to judge him. He noticed a man across the bar, Jacob, was checking out Terrill for the past 10 minutes. He passed. Trujillo implored Terrill to talk to him or would make weird squawking sounds again like last time. Terrill tried to talk to Jacob but choked and said he forgot to park his car. Trujillo couldn't believe it. Terrill returned home for dinner. After Mrs. Terrill noted she wanted to look for a girl like Jenny Knight, he told them he lost his job.

Mr. Terrill reckoned it was a blessing in disguise and could be the push he needed to get a real job like when Michael lost his football scholarship and joined the military. Terrill went to the backyard and called Trujillo to tell him about the disaster. Suddenly, a breach appeared and the fatally wounded Ray from Earth-X stumbled through. Terrill tried to call 911 but Ray stopped him. He placed Red Tornado's Neuro-Cortex in Terrill's hands then revealed his face, showing he was a version of him from another dimension. The Ray transferred his photokinetic energy into Terrill then dispersed. Terrill was unharmed and he called up Trujillo then went to his apartment. He explained what happened and Trujillo was speechless for once. Terrill got annoyed and pushed the center of the cortex. It levitated in mid-air then a hologram of Red Tornado was projected. He explained the nature of the multiverse containing thousands of different realities and explained he was an artificial life form from a world designated Earth-X where the Axis Powers won World War II. He showed an image of the team he belonged to, the Freedom Fighters.

Terrill recognized his counterpart, the Ray, then noticed Black Condor looked like Trujillo. Tornado told them the cortex contained vital information like the location of the Freedom Fighters' base of operations and asked them to destroy it to save the world. Terrill realized doing so would kill him. Tornado asserted his reserve power was already being depleted. He repeated they had to destroy the cortex to save the world then bid Terrill goodbye. The cortex shut down. While Trujillo speculated how they could even destroy it, Terrill was ecstatic to have technology from another Earth and thought it was too cool to destroy. Trujillo insisted they listen to Tornado. Terrill promised to do it later. He soon realized he was glowing and levitating off the floor. The Ray's costume formed over his body. Trujillo deduced what the Ray did and he became a metahuman instead of getting cancer from the radiation exposure. Terrill stated he was no superhero. Trying to get down, Ray turned into a beam of light and zipped around then landed flat on his back.

Trujillo suggested some practice. Terrill remembered there was a certain chair Trujillo didn't like and took aim. Instead of the chair, Terrill's light blast shattered his TV. Terrill promised to buy him a new one when he got a new job. Trujillo suggested they continue testing his powers somewhere that wasn't his apartment. They drove out of the city to more rural accommodations. Terrill tried firing another light blast from his hand and almost hit a flock of geese. He tried flying next and caught up with the geese. After looking down at Tulsa, Terrill lost focus and plummeted. He regained flight just before he fell onto some power lines. After zipping around as pure light, he landed and demonstrated the ability to vibrate his atoms. Trujillo got an idea of what to do next. They returned to the same bar they visited earlier. Trujillo believed super powers gave Terrill the boost in confidence he needed to talk to his admirer. Terrill formed his hand into a gun and shot the admirer's drink.

After he walked to the bar, Terrill introduced himself and learned the man's name was Jacob. They went for a walk outside and overheard a mugging in a nearby park. Terrill told Jacob to get help while he stayed behind. He changed into the Ray and confronted the mugger but he held one of the women at knife point. Ray blasted a trash bin. While the mugger was distracted, Ray shot the knife out of his hand and the woman ran to her girlfriend. Ray collared the mugger and told him to apologize. After the mugger complied, Ray shoved the trash bin over him then hung him from a light pole. The Ray started to gain acclaim in Tulsa as he was sighted more often and he made record rescues like saving a ship from being capsized, saving a couple from driving off a road to avoid a boulder, stopping a daytime mugging, rescuing a mother and son from a burning building, and catching a falling worker.

Terrill's relationship with Jacob continued to grow. However, he kept their relationship a secret from his parents and sneaked out. While walking to the Tulsa Expo Center, Jacob talked about the Ray. Terrill feigned ignorance and thought he was just an urban legend. Jacob contended he was real and seemed like a real hottie. Terrill wondered how he saw him if he was so fast. Jacob teased him he was jealous. Terrill took a photo in front of the Golden Driller statue. Jacob used his three years of pharmacy school to win a game of Scrabble with "Oxyphenbutazone." One night, Ray passed by a storefront and saw Donald, the councilman, on the television sets. He got annoyed and flew on. Terrill and Jacob went to the Oklahoma Aquarium. Terrill rambled on and admitted the sea horse was his favorite fish. Jacob held his hand for the first time and told him he talked too much. One night, they watched Casablanca in Jacob's apartment. Jacob recited the final lines then kissed Terrill.

Terrill got an idea to use his alter ego to get make a difference in local politics after seeing Donald on television. Trujillo thought it was a terrible plan. He couldn't believe Terrill went with "The Ray" instead of "The Laser" and found it thoughtless. Ray broke into Donald's office. Ray apologized for breaking some glass and hovered above his desk. Donald was confused. Ray told him to fully fund Tulsa Fair Housing then changed the request to triple the funding. Donald finally realized he was the Ray. Ray pointed and zapped a stack of his papers. Donald swatted at it then agreed to triple the funding. The Ray was about to leave but stopped and made some suggestions for the next city council meeting. The next day, at a press conference, Donald announced laws to strengthen protection religious minorities, prevent firing or eviction of such, and protecting the rights of LGBT workers and renters. Trujillo was disappointed when he realized Ray threatened Councilman Donald into fully funding Tulsa Fair Housing and introducing the new legislation.

Trujillo asked about the cortex and discovered it wasn't destroyed. Terrill contended nothing, not even his rays, could destroy it. Trujillo pointed out he didn't really do anything about it but instead busted up a few crimes, improved his love life, and threatened a politician. Terrill sarcastically apologized for enjoying his life then pulled the dead brother card and stated he finally felt like he was making a real difference. The Ray responded to a bank robbery in progress. He zipped forward and decked one of the masked robbers. A third rose up behind him and shot him in the shoulder. At the last second, he vibrated and the two robbers shot each other. With the police approaching, the Ray zipped out of the bank unnoticed. In Earth-X, the New Reichsmen discovered Red Tornado's cortex and the Ray ended up on Earth-1. Terrill returned home and tended to his gunshot wound. Mr. Terrill wanted to use the bathroom and noticed all the bandages, blood, scissors, and peroxide. He believed his son's story about getting hurt during a game of pick up basketball with some friends from work.

Terrill went outside to take a phone call from Jacob to confirm their date that night. Terrill realized there was a flechette in his neck and he lost consciousness as Curtis Holt and Cisco Ramon approached him. They took him back to S.T.A.R. Labs. Just as Terrill started to regain consciousness, Holt remarked to Ramon it would suck if they kidnapped the wrong person. Ramon claimed they were recruiting. Terrill transformed into the Ray and demanded answers. Green Arrow and the Flash entered the room, whom he recongized. Arrow asked if it was the masks or colorful outfits that gave it away. Holt explained they kept an eye on emerging heroes and metahumans. Ramon felt it was time to meet. Arrow translated it was because he was using his powers in public a lot. Ray was surprised they knew about him. Holt read off their research on him - birth date, college, relatives, and hobbies. They were interrupted by an alert from Vixen. The Flash ran Green Arrow, Mr. Terrific, and The Ray to Detroit. Ray was overcome by motion sickness.

They discovered the threat was a giant robot. Mr. Terrific couldn't hold back his excitement. Vixen landed and remarked that was one way to put it. Everyone took off but Ray. He stood there until Arrow asked him if he was waiting for an invitation. Ray blasted the robot then asked Flash if they ran head first into danger all the time. Flash admitted it was their first robot. Their individual attacks failed to slow it down. Arrow fired several cables between buildings to form a web. Terrific insisted it would hold because he built them. Arrow directed them to heard the robot into the web. Vixen asked how. Ray got an idea. He flew to the robot and rematerialized on the other side. The robot followed and became entangled in the web. Vixen decked it with the gorilla spirit, Arrow fired exploding arrows, and Terrific tossed T-Spheres then Ray knocked it on its back with a powerful blast. Flash ripped some wires out of its head and deactivated it.

Arrow told Ray to aim his blasts in tighter groupings next time. Vixen suggested a "Nice job, kid" but Terrific informed her that was his version of the phrase. Vixen introduced herself to Ray and shook his hand. He admitted "Ray" was his real name and codename. She was amused he didn't really get the concept of a secret identity. Flash congratulated him. Ray was concerned with Terrific's implication there could be more robots. Arrow admitted he did some quick thinking in the field but still needed to hone his skills. Flash predicted Arrow was going to offer to train him. Ray immediately accepted but took off for home. He found Jacob waiting in a bar and apologized for being late. Jacob asked if he was caught up again in his secret life. Terrill contended his parents were conservative. Jacob revealed his parents were, too, and they got over his homosexuality then told Terrill he couldn't stay in the closet forever. Jacob even speculated his parents already figured it out. Terrill suspected his mother did and was terrified about it.

Jacob shook his head and told Terrill he wouldn't be his dirty little secret waiting in a bar. Jacob told him they wouldn't work out until he was honest about who he was and broke up with him. Ray returned home and threw the Neuro-Cortex at a wall in frustration then laid down. Ray trained under Green Arrow at S.T.A.R. Labs but he was still distracted from Jacob breaking up with him and missed the majority of the targets. Arrow yelled at him repeatedly to focus then shot an arrow at him to get his attention. Ray dematerialized to avoid it. Arrow reminded him getting distracted in the field meant the difference between life and death. Ray made up an excuse that his ability was more complicated than aiming arrows but Arrow knew it was something in his head holding him back. Ray told him the truth about the break up. Arrow reminded him his poweres were a part of him and to master them, he had to accept who he was then accept his powers. Back home, Mrs. Terrill asked him where he was. Ray replied he was out with new friends and lost track of time. She inquired what kind. He insisted they weren't the bad kind.

Mrs. Terrill reminded him he could tell her anything and she loved him completely without conditions. The house suddenly felt a rumble. Ray told her to stay put while he ran upstairs. Mr. Terrill left a room and asked if there was an earthquake. Ray told him to head downstairs. He entered his room and found Overgirl with the Neuro-Cortex. She asked if Earth-1 was devoid of Aryan perfection. He zipped outside with the cortex. Overgirl followed and stomped him in mid-flight. She demanded to cortex but he powered up and blew her away. Ray ran to a tree and dialed his phone but Overgirl fried it with heat vision. She beat up Ray with several punches and took the cortex. She proclaimed it was the means for her to tear out the Resistance's root and branches. Ray vanished before she could finish him off. The next day, Trujillo found Terrill inside Tulsa Fair Housing icing his bruises. He regretted not destroying the cortex or asking heroes for help and was filled with guilt.

Trujillo reminded him he always picked himself up and figured something out and that he did the right thing because that was the kind of person he was, not because of his brother. Terrill returned home and told his parents he was going to leave town for a little while. They wondered if he was attacked because of his new friends. He denied getting jumped because he was gay but admitted he was gay. Mrs. Terrill spoke for both of them that they were happy as long as he was. Mr. Terrill added they were proud of him because he grew up right. He asked if they wished he grew up to be like Michael. Mrs. Terrill countered they were both exceptional and never wanted him to be anyone other than himself. They hugged. Ray thanked them and told them he loved them. Ray returned to S.T.A.R. Labs and asked Cisco Ramon for help in finding a way to Earth-X, a world overrun with Nazis and a Nazi Supergirl. Ray confirmed. Ramon realized his life was so weird sometimes.

As he assembled a gauntlet, Ramon advised him against going without backup but Ray was adamant about not getting anyone else hurt. Ramon knew Flash was going to be upset. Ray suggested he not tell Flash. Ramon thought that was fair and admitted he was bummed he was missing out on Nazi Earth. Ramon used the vibrational remnants left by Ray of Earth-X to attenuate the proper breach and informed Ray he would still be in Central City then asked what his plan was. Ray simply stated he was going to find the Resistance before he got killed by Super Nazis. Ramon told Ray to be careful and asked to tell his doppelganger he was awesome and to never go Nazi. Ray crossed over to Earth-X. He left Central City and flew to New York City, observing a world in ruins. Resistance soldiers discovered Ray inside headquarters, the former Grand Central Terminal. Phantom Lady revealed her presence and ordered the soldiers to stand down. Condor was relieved to see him but Ray explained he was from another Earth in a different dimension then explained how he ended up with their Ray's powers and how Overgirl recovered Tornado's Neuro-Cortex.

Phantom Lady wasn't pleased to learn about the Cortex. Ray wanted to make things right. Condor pointed out they were short handed but believed they had to abandon the base. Some of the Resistance were against splitting up because it would end the organization and there was nowhere else to go while some favored it as a way to stay alive. Phantom Lady tried to rally them for a last stand but it was pointed out the New Reich outgunned and outpowered them. Condor tried to appeal to them and remind them their parents and grandparents started the Resistance but to no avail. They broke out into arguing. Ray moved everyone with a speech about freedom and fighting for a better world. A sentry alerted them of incoming forces. The New Reich made their move on the headquarters. The Freedom Fighters faced the New Reichsmen on the roof. Overgirl stated Ray didn't belong. Ray begged to differ and charged her. The Reichsmen took the first round but Ray vowed they wouldn't stop. Overgirl had an officer bring them the captive Vibe. She revealed the Reich's plan to exploit his powers to invade and conquer infinite Earths of the Multiverse.

Ray refused to comply. Overgirl ordered everyone to be killed. Vibe tossed the officer over the edge of the roof and jumped to the Freedom Fighters. The Reich began to parachute over the city. Overgirl and Ray contined exchanging blows in the sky. Overgirl wondered why Ray was fighting for a world that wasn't his. Ray reformed behind her and blasted her into the pavement then unleashed a salvo but she nailed him in the chest with heat vision then decked him into a building. Overgirl grabbed him and stated he was only prolonging the suffering of the Resistance. Ray stated he spent his whole life trying to make the world a better place and Earth-X needed him the most. A gunner blasted Overgirl away. Overgirl kept punching Ray but he kept standing up in defiance. She fired her heat vision and he countered with a light blast but entered a deadlock. Ray started losing ground rapidly but steeled himself and released a massive amount of power. Overgirl was set across the city into the bay. Several soldiers, Arrow, and Blitzkrieg were arrested while the rest retreated.

Vibe, Phantom Lady, and Black Condor found Ray victorious. Phantom Lady was at a loss for words. Condor was impressed. Ray realized they won. She contended not entirely. Ray still blamed himself for not destroying the cortex. Phantom Lady informed him no one was ever ready to be a hero but he was one now. Condor believed their Ray would be proud. Vibe remarked their Ray would be a little grossed out by the sentimentality then asked Ray if he was ready to return home. Ray turned him and down and explained he was still needed more on Earth-X. Ray revealed he worked with their counterparts on his Earth. He was pretty sure Condor's counterpart, John Trujillo, had a crush on Phantom Lady's counterpart, Jenny Knight. Phantom Lady was amused and hinted some things were different on their Earth. Condor admitted he was gay. A soldier delivered the interrogation report from the captured Reichsmen. They departed to make a move for the Chancellor, the leader of the New Reich.