Rainbow Raider
| Rainbow Raider | |
|---|---|
| File:Rainbowraider.jpg Rainbow Raider Anthony Tollin, artist | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | The Flash (Vol. 1) #286 (June 1980) |
| Created by | Cary Bates |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Roy G. Bivolo |
| Team affiliations | Rouges' Gallery |
| Abilities | Special goggles allow projection of hard-light rainbows for travel or attack. Can alter people's emotions by coating them in certain colors. |
Rainbow Raider (real name: Roy G. Bivolo) is a fictional supervillian in the DC comics universe. He first appeared in the pages of The Flash in 1980.
Character history
As child, Roy Bivolo always dreamed of a career as an artist, a lofty goal considering he was completely colorblind. He would often paint what he thought were beautiful pieces of art, only to be told that it was made up of clashing colors. His father, an optometrist and genious in optical technology, swore he would find a cure for his son's disorder. Due to failing health, he was unable to complete his product, but instead created a sophisticated pair of goggles that would allow Roy to created beams of solid rainbow-colored light. On his death-bed, his father presented him with this gift, and it wasn't long before Roy found a sinister use for them.
Turning to crime because the world didn't appreciate his art, Roy, now the Rainbow Raider, went on a crimespree focused mostly on art galleries, saying that if he couldn't appreciate the great workd of art in them, no one else could. During this time he often clashed with the Flash, and sparked a rivalry that would last several years.
Roy was later killed by Blacksmith when she impaled his lastest work of art through his chest. Since his death, a team of color-themed supervillians calling themselved the Rainbow Raiders appeared, naming themselves after the slain Raider.
Powers
Rainbow Raider's powers are derived entirely from the special goggles he wears, which allow him to project solid beams of rainbow-colored light he can either use offensively or as a slide for travel. In addition, he can coat people in certain colors of light to induce emotions (coating someone in blue light, for instance, would make them sad).
Trivia
- His real name, Roy G. Bivolo, is a pun of "roygbiv" (roy-gee-bihv), the acronym for the colors of a rainbow.
Links
Rainbow Raider at Seanbaby's Stupid Villian Showcase - A satirical look at the Rainbow Raider.