During the early 40s, Langford “Happy” Terrill was a reporter for a New York newspaper called The Star. His life was forever changed on the day he covered the ascent of Professor Styne’s “strato-balloon” into the upper atmosphere. When a powerful electrical storm arose, Terrill bravely left the cabin of the balloon to close its outer airlock. The balloon swung into the storm by a sudden gust of air turbulence. Terrill was struck by a large amount of electrical energy and ambient sunlight, giving him super-powers. Calling himself the Ray, Terrill became a crimefighter and fought Nazis, Saboteurs and Fifth Columnist.