Roy Raymond
Encyclopedia
Roy Raymond is a fiction
al character
that appears in comic book
s published by DC Comics
. He was introduced in "Impossible... But True!", a back-up strip in Detective Comics
, beginning with issue #153 (Nov. 1949).
In 1997, a new character appeared, Roy Raymond, Jr., the grandson of the original Roy Raymond.
In the Silver Age
, Aquaman
took over the back-up slot in Detective Comics. Raymond subsequently appeared in the Superman
titles, where it was revealed he had been kidnapped by a supervillain
and brainwashed into committing crimes. After being rescued by Superman, he resumed his television career at Metropolis
' Galaxy Broadcasting, which at the time was also the employer of Clark Kent.
(issues #67-68, 74, 81, and Annual #3 [1988]). He is portrayed as an avaricious media figure; surgery has made him appear much younger, and he wants to use Swamp Thing to further his career. He and his assistant, Lipschitz, are trapped for days in a limo being driven by a monstrous and insane failed earth elemental called "The Wild Thing". He spends the latter part of the ordeal, before being discovered by cops, hallucinating a business deal with Morgan Edge
, the head of the broadcasting company WGBS. Roy's hallucinatory conversation is over the concept of Swamp Thing.
Lipschitz died after having spent his last hours face down in filth at the bottom of the limo, injured and unable to move, pleading with Raymond to summon help. Raymond also ended up with severe facial damage, his plastic surgery having come undone during the trip. Raymond rebounds in issue #81 with a repaired and older face, recommitted to being an honest investigative reporter who will reveal society's corruptions.
#38 (March 1997) introduced Roy Raymond, Jr., the grandson of the original, who presented a tabloid television
series in Gotham City
called Roy Raymond: Manstalker. Raymond is portrayed as arrogant, inept, and a huge embarrassment to his grandfather.
There is mention of Raymond in Detective Comics #818 (June 2006), where Batman
describes Raymond as one of the few detectives he admires, but who "chooses to waste his talents on daytime television" and so is apparently still hosting his TV show.
In Superman #669, a flashback shows that Raymond did indeed have a show under WGBS years ago, during Superman's early years. It was advertised on a billboard Superman was passing.
Raymond, Jr., appeared in The Flash
vol. 2, #238 (May 2008), working for a news station in Keystone City
that was launching a smear campaign against the Flash
(based on an ill-thought remark by West, Raymond gives the hero the "Most Awful Human in the Universe" award). Unknown to him, his boss was the supervillain Spin, who uses media manipulation to control reality.
Following the death of Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth
approached Raymond in Outsiders Special #1 (Feb. 2009) to join the Outsiders
. He accepted the offer and became Owlman, with equipment left for that purpose by Batman.
As seen in the first issue of Blackest Night, Raymond has written a book on the murder of Sue Dibny
.
as a Hollywood celebrity who bravely refused to comply with McCarthy's Congressional Committee on Un-American Activities investigation into supposed communists in the entertainment and superhero worlds. He was blacklisted as a communist sympathizer for refusing to name communist celebrities or his own political position, thus presumably losing his TV and radio shows as well as his newspaper column.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
that appears in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. He was introduced in "Impossible... But True!", a back-up strip in Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
, beginning with issue #153 (Nov. 1949).
In 1997, a new character appeared, Roy Raymond, Jr., the grandson of the original Roy Raymond.
Fictional character biography
Roy Raymond was the host of a television show called Impossible... But True!, which bore a strong resemblance to Ripley's Believe It Or Not. The stories would involve Raymond and his assistant, Karen Duncan, investigating claims and exposing hoaxes, ensuring all the stories on the show were true. The strip was later retitled "Roy Raymond: TV Detective".In the Silver Age
Silver Age of Comic Books
The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those in the superhero genre. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an interregnum in the early to mid-1950s, the Silver Age is considered to cover the...
, Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
took over the back-up slot in Detective Comics. Raymond subsequently appeared in the Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
titles, where it was revealed he had been kidnapped by a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
and brainwashed into committing crimes. After being rescued by Superman, he resumed his television career at Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
' Galaxy Broadcasting, which at the time was also the employer of Clark Kent.
Trapped in a limo
Roy Raymond also appeared during Rick Veitch's tenure on Swamp ThingSwamp Thing
Swamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
(issues #67-68, 74, 81, and Annual #3 [1988]). He is portrayed as an avaricious media figure; surgery has made him appear much younger, and he wants to use Swamp Thing to further his career. He and his assistant, Lipschitz, are trapped for days in a limo being driven by a monstrous and insane failed earth elemental called "The Wild Thing". He spends the latter part of the ordeal, before being discovered by cops, hallucinating a business deal with Morgan Edge
Morgan Edge
Morgan Edge is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain, leader of the mob known as Intergang and one of Superman's enemies. He was created by Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #133 .-Pre-Crisis:...
, the head of the broadcasting company WGBS. Roy's hallucinatory conversation is over the concept of Swamp Thing.
Lipschitz died after having spent his last hours face down in filth at the bottom of the limo, injured and unable to move, pleading with Raymond to summon help. Raymond also ended up with severe facial damage, his plastic surgery having come undone during the trip. Raymond rebounds in issue #81 with a repaired and older face, recommitted to being an honest investigative reporter who will reveal society's corruptions.
Roy Raymond, Jr.
RobinRobin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
#38 (March 1997) introduced Roy Raymond, Jr., the grandson of the original, who presented a tabloid television
Tabloid television
Tabloid television, also known as Teletabloid, is a form of tabloid journalism. Tabloid television newscasts usually incorporate flashy graphics and sensationalized stories.Often, there is a heavy emphasis on crime, stories with good video, and celebrity news...
series in Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
called Roy Raymond: Manstalker. Raymond is portrayed as arrogant, inept, and a huge embarrassment to his grandfather.
There is mention of Raymond in Detective Comics #818 (June 2006), where Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
describes Raymond as one of the few detectives he admires, but who "chooses to waste his talents on daytime television" and so is apparently still hosting his TV show.
In Superman #669, a flashback shows that Raymond did indeed have a show under WGBS years ago, during Superman's early years. It was advertised on a billboard Superman was passing.
Raymond, Jr., appeared in The Flash
The Flash (comic book)
The Flash is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Jay Garrick, first appeared in Flash Comics #1...
vol. 2, #238 (May 2008), working for a news station in Keystone City
Keystone City
Keystone City is a fictional city in the . Specifically, it is the home of both the original Flash, Jay Garrick, and the third Flash, Wally West...
that was launching a smear campaign against the Flash
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
(based on an ill-thought remark by West, Raymond gives the hero the "Most Awful Human in the Universe" award). Unknown to him, his boss was the supervillain Spin, who uses media manipulation to control reality.
Following the death of Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
approached Raymond in Outsiders Special #1 (Feb. 2009) to join the Outsiders
Outsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
. He accepted the offer and became Owlman, with equipment left for that purpose by Batman.
As seen in the first issue of Blackest Night, Raymond has written a book on the murder of Sue Dibny
Sue Dibny
Susan "Sue" Dearbon Dibny is a fictional character from DC Comics associated with the Elongated Man. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in Flash vol. 1 #119...
.
Other versions
Raymond appeared in Darwyn Cooke's 2004 DC: The New FrontierDC: The New Frontier
DC: The New Frontier is an Eisner, Harvey, and Shuster Award-winning six-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Darwyn Cooke, published by DC Comics in 2003-2004. It was then collected into two trade paperback volumes from 2004–2005 and then an Absolute Edition in 2006...
as a Hollywood celebrity who bravely refused to comply with McCarthy's Congressional Committee on Un-American Activities investigation into supposed communists in the entertainment and superhero worlds. He was blacklisted as a communist sympathizer for refusing to name communist celebrities or his own political position, thus presumably losing his TV and radio shows as well as his newspaper column.