Origin Criminal physicist Doctor Arthur Light captures the League with light rays after first drawing them in by capturing
Aquaman, then sending the League to different planets based on their weaknesses. He then orders
Snapper Carr to write this down, before imprisoning him in a light field. He has not realized
Superman and
Batman impersonated each other, allowing Superman to escape the world he was sent to and rescue the other members. Light fools the League with three duplicates of himself that are apparently committing robberies of light-associated objects, though they are actually placing devices around the world.
Green Lantern realizes this trick and fakes his death to track Doctor Light, finally stopping him before he pulls the lever that would have set off the light impulses allowing him to take over the world. A
retcon in
Secret Origins #37 reveals that Light is the second Doctor Light. His predecessor was his partner at
S.T.A.R. Labs, a scientist named Jacob Finlay. Finlay created a technologically advanced suit to control light allowing him to be a minor superhero, but was accidentally killed by Light, who took the suit and the Doctor Light codename. Light is periodically haunted by Finlay's ghost through the years, but uses the light generated by the suit to drive him off. Light founds the supervillain team the
Fearsome Five, but they are defeated by the Titans and Light is expelled from the group.
Suicide Squad Driven by self-doubt and guilt, thanks in part to Finlay's ghostly presence, Light volunteers for the
Suicide Squad, a group of incarcerated supervillains who perform 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 encounters Sparkler, the Force's youngest member. The presence of a super-powered child reminds him of past defeats and he lashes out, killing Sparkler with a blast through the chest. Jacob Finlay's ghost convinces Light to attempt a heroic turn during a mission where multiple members of the team, some unwillingly, have traveled to
Apokolips. Light is shot dead by
Parademons and sent to
Hell, where he is reunited with Finlay. Under the watch of a lesser demon and its assistant, Light and Finlay are released from Hell and returned to life. Both soon die again: Light suffocates while still inside his grave, while Finlay claws his way out of his grave, only to be killed by a family of religious vigilantes. Light is again returned to life and attempts to rejoin the Suicide Squad, but is rejected by
Amanda Waller.
Identity Crisis onwards The 2004 miniseries
Identity Crisis retroactively reveals that Doctor Light had raped
Sue Dibny, wife of the superhero
Elongated Man, on the JLA Satellite. As a member of
Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains, he aids
Merlyn and Deathstroke in defeating Green Arrow in
Star City. Doctor Light then attacks and absorbs a great deal of power from Kimiyo Hoshi. He later participates in the Battle of
Metropolis in
Infinite Crisis #7, where he is defeated by the
Ray,
Black Canary,
Martian Manhunter, and Hoshi. In the
Justice League of America Wedding Special, Light appears as a member of the
Injustice League Unlimited. During a battle with the Justice League, fellow Injustice League member
Cheetah betrays Light and slashes him in the back because of her hatred of rapists. The entire Injustice League is captured and deported to the planet
Cygnus 4019 by the Suicide Squad; Light is consequently one of the villains featured in
Salvation Run. After returning to Earth, Doctor Light joins
Libra's Secret Society of Super Villains. In
Final Crisis #1, he and
Mirror Master are sent by Libra to recover
Metron's chair. They are briefly challenged by
Empress,
Sparx, and
Más y Menos, but defeat them by combining Light's beams with Mirror Master's mirrors. Light also aids the
Human Flame and Libra in killing Martian Manhunter. In
Final Crisis: Revelations #1, the
Spectre delivers final judgment on Doctor Light and burns him to death by turning him into a candle, using his head as the wick. During the "
Blackest Night" storyline, Doctor Light is entombed below the
Hall of Justice. His corpse is revived as a
Black Lantern. He devours the remains of
Gehenna and attacks Kimiyo Hoshi. Just as he is on the verge of victory, Light threatens Hoshi's children, enraging her to the point of incinerating him.
The New 52 In 2011, "
The New 52" rebooted the DC universe. Arthur Light is a scientist working with
A.R.G.U.S. and the Justice League. As he is studying a communicator used by the Secret Society of Super Villains, Light receives a "nasty call" and is engulfed in an explosion of light, leaving his body glowing on the floor. Director Amanda Waller finds him transformed. During the "
Trinity War" storyline, Light is a reluctant member of the new Justice League of America, and expresses disgust over being made to harm
Ronnie Raymond and
Jason Rusch. During his first mission with the team, he is seemingly killed by Superman. The
Phantom Stranger takes Batman,
Katana, and
Deadman to the afterlife to locate Light, but he does not remember anything about his death. The Phantom Stranger tells Light that he will try to free him from the afterlife, so he can be with his family. Light gives a piece of his soul to the Phantom Stranger in hopes that he can give it to his family as a final gift if he does not get out. It is later revealed that
Atomica is responsible for Light's death. During the "
Forever Evil" storyline, Light unleashes energy that destroys Washington, D.C.'s A.R.G.U.S. headquarters and exposes the A.R.G.U.S. agents to it.
Etta Candy is approached by an energy manifestation of Light. Light appears in Los Angeles and is found by the Crimson Men. The Crimson Men take Light to their secret location and promise to make him human again in exchange for information on
Steve Trevor. Light heads to Trevor's location and states he must kill him for him to live.
Killer Frost faces off against Light, holding him off so that Trevor can subdue him with the
Lasso of Truth. Compelled by its power, Light explains that he died and woke up confused. He was told what to do and where Trevor would be. The Crimson Men had told him the truth that Light is dead. Horrified by his own self-realization, Light disappears in a blast of energy. Doctor Light later resurfaces, now sporting his classic appearance. He states that his human body is dead and that he now exists as a construct of living light. Having been cut off from his wife and daughters, Light flees to the country of Chetland, where he is given asylum in exchange for his services. After a conversation with Deathstroke, Light contemplates returning to a life of villainy. ==Powers and abilities==