Doctor Light (Arthur Light)
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Doctor Arthur Light is the name of one of several fictional characters known as Doctor Light in the DC Comics universe. The most prominent character to go by this name, Arthur Light is a supervillain, a long-time enemy of the Teen Titans and Justice League and, until recently, a bit of a company in-joke for incompetent supervillains. The other characters to have used the name were an unrelated superheroine and two other minor supervillains (a Golden Age foe of Doctor Mid-Nite and an associate of his, both of whom made only a few appearances before disappearing).
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[edit] Character history
[edit] Origins
The first Silver Age Doctor Light was a criminal physicist named Dr. Arthur Light, who first appeared in Justice League of America #12. A retcon introduced in Secret Origins #37 revealed that this character was actually the second Dr. Light. His predecessor was his partner at STAR Labs, a scientist named Jacob Finlay. Finlay had used a technically advanced suit to control light as a minor superhero, but was accidentally killed by Arthur Light near the beginning of his heroic career. Light took the suit and the "Doctor Light" codename, using them for selfish, criminal means. He was periodically haunted by Finlay's ghost through the years, but could use the light generated by the suit to drive off this spirit.
Doctor Arthur Light was a minor but persistent foe of a number of heroes. He first fought the Justice League and, when he failed to defeat that group, he fought their sidekicks and former sidekicks, the Teen Titans. He then founded the Fearsome Five, but they were defeated by the Titans, and Light was violently expelled from the Five by his teammates. Each criminal caper led to Light's defeat, often humiliating him in the process. Light's most ignominious defeat was likely his defeat by Little Boy Blue and his Blue Boys - a group of non-superpowered children.
[edit] Suicide Squad
Driven by self-doubt and guilt, thanks in part to Finlay's ghostly presence, he volunteered for the Suicide Squad, a group of incarcerated supervillains who performed dangerous missions for the US government in exchange for clemency. On a mission against the patriotism-themed super-team called the "Force of July", he killed Sparkler, the Force's youngest member, who was only a child.
Finally, Finlay's ghost convinced Light to attempt a heroic turn, and was consequently killed by Parademons on Apokolips. Light was thus sent to Hell, where he was physically reunited with Finlay. Both men were released from Hell and returned to life, only to soon die again: Arthur Light suffocated while still inside his grave, while the desiccated Finlay clawed his way out of his own grave but was killed by a family of religious vigilantes. Arthur Light was again returned to life, and barely survived a great fall that his demonic tormentors may have intended to be fatal.
Dr. Light, freed of his ex-partner's hauntings, attempted to rejoin the Suicide Squad, but his appeal was summarily rejected by Amanda Waller. He was briefly trapped in the Green Lantern's power battery, and as a consequence was temporarily transformed into living light. He later joined a short-lived incarnation of the Injustice Gang, in which he assisted Lex Luthor in building holographic duplicates of the JLA.
[edit] Identity Crisis
The controversial 2004 miniseries Identity Crisis revealed that Doctor Light had, at some point in the past, brutally raped Sue Dibny, the wife of the superhero Elongated Man (subsequently, later issues in the DCU have revealed that he was a serial rapist, and Light has stated that Dibny was not his first victim). After taking a vote, the League resolved to alter his mind through the use of Zatanna's magic so that Light would no longer pose a threat to their loved ones. In the process, they accidentally gave him a partial lobotomy (thus explaining how he fell from being a plausible foe of the Justice League to a punching bag for the Teen Titans). He later recovered his memories and intellect, and vowed revenge against the Justice League.
[edit] Revenge against the Titans to Infinite Crisis
First he kidnapped Green Arrow, using him as bait so he could initiate his revenge on the Teen Titans. When the Titans responded to his call and landed at Light's position, he attacked savagely and nearly killed them all. However, when every available hero who had ever been a Titan appeared, he suffered another defeat, however narrow. Batman and Batgirl appeared to take him to prison, but revealed themselves to be Deathstroke and Ravager, who offered him a place in the new Secret Society of Super Villains, a large villainous organization headed by Lex Luthor. Dr. Light, hungry for vengeance and power, readily accepted.
As a Society member, he was able to help Merlyn and Deathstroke defeat Green Arrow in Star City. Dr. Light then attacked and absorbed a great deal of the other Doctor Light's power, later referring to his treatment of her as raping her (Green Arrow #54). However, she eventually regained the powers he drained from her. He hired Killer Frost and Mirror Master to distract Green Arrow and Black Lightning while he attacked Green Arrow's family, Speedy and his son Connor Hawke, killing a large number of students at Mia's high school in the process. When Black Lightning and Green Arrow caught up to Dr. Light, he trapped Black Lightning, Speedy and Conner inside their new apartment building after Deathstroke blew up the last one (in Green Arrow #50). Dr Light then led Green Arrow on a chase through Star City until they both ended up in the park and Green Arrow faced off against Merlyn in a duel with bows and arrows (Green Arrow #59).
[edit] Powers and Abilities
Light is a photokinetic, with the ability to control light for a variety of purposes. He can bend the light around him to become invisible, generate blasts of energy, create force fields and fly. By mentally repulsing photons, Light can create areas of complete darkness. Teen Titans #23 implied that Light could 'power up' by draining the ambient light in the area. The limits of his powers are unclear, but he seems to be able to wrest control of anything that emits light. Such things have included Green Lantern constructs, Superboy's heat vision, and magic lightning from Wonder Girl's lasso. He was also able to take the "internal" light away from the light powered charcters, Doctor Light III and the Ray.
Originally, Doctor Light derived his powers from his suit, but over time he has internalised this ability, and can use his powers without having to use his costume.
Originally, Arthur Light was intellectually brilliant, a genius in the field of physics. However, his mindwipe by the Justice League reduced his intelligence substantially. Light's recent recovery of his memories seems to have brought his mental brilliance back with them.
[edit] Other media
Dr. Light appeared in an episode of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, albeit with the first name Harold. He was a scientist who had invented an ultraviolet light beam that would blind Superman. He was played by David Bowe (not David Bowie).
[edit] Teen Titans animated series
In the Teen Titans animated series, Dr. Light is a fairly minor villain voiced by Rodger Bumpass. An almost direct pre-Identity Crisis opposite he is a capable fighter, but unlike his character in the comics, he lacks the brains to go with it. His powers, which are derived from his suit, include light energy blasts, and in the Season Four episode "Birthmark", a light whip even capable of cutting through metal.
In his first appearance, the Season One episode "Nevermore", he got Raven angry, which unleashed her demonic side. He was nearly killed by her dark powers, and has never really recovered, remaining permanently unstable and in fear of Raven ever since.
In "Birthmark", he was back at it with a light whip, but made the mistake of hitting an oil rig visible from the Titans Tower. He put up a good fight until Raven, using an exact appearance from the Season 1 episode "Nevermore", appeared and sardonically asked "Remember me?"; in response he promptly declared, "I'd like to go to jail now, please." He later appeared as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil.
In "Kole", he then tried to harness the power of the Aurora Borealis with a crystal until the Teen Titans attack and an accident sends them to an underground prehistoric land where he plotted to use Kole as a power source. The Titans and Gnarrk defeated him. He is seen in the giant villain pan in "Homecoming: Part 2" but is not seen taking down a Titan in "Calling All Titans". He is also not present in the final battle in the Brotherhood's base, but he is seen robbing a bank with all the thirty Titans about to attack him.
Due to his involvement in Identity Crisis, he did not make an appearance in Teen Titans Go until issue #30, wherein he tried to steal Cyborg's battery to power his new lightsuit.
[edit] External links
- Golden Age Doctor Light biography
- Dr. Light in Teen Titans — ties into Infinite Crisis
