Doctor Light (DC Comics)

Arthur Light first appeared in Justice League of America #12 and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky. During the 1980s, Doctor Light was transitioned from a serious menace to a comedic villain, a transformation which culminated in the DC Comics Bonus Book appearing in The Flash (vol. 2) #12 (May 1988). The second Doctor Light, Kimiyo Hoshi, would later first debut in Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.

Arthur Light

Arthur Light is the second Doctor Light. His predecessor was his partner at S.T.A.R. Labs, scientist 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. Through the Silver and Bronze Ages, Doctor Light is a minor but persistent foe for a number of heroes, including the Justice League and the Teen Titans. Light founds the supervillain team the Fearsome Five, but they are defeated by the Titans and Light is expelled from the group.

Driven by self-doubt and guilt, thanks in part to Finlay's presence, Light volunteers for the Suicide Squad, a group of incarcerated supervillains who perform dangerous missions for the U.S. government in exchange for clemency. During a mission on Apokolips, Light is killed by Parademons and sent to Hell, where he is reunited with Finlay. Light is resurrected 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. Later issues reveal that he was a serial rapist. The Justice League resolve to alter his mind with Zatanna's magic so that he will no longer pose a threat. In the process, they accidentally give him a partial lobotomy, thus explaining how he fell from a plausible foe of the Justice League to a punching bag. Light later recovers his memories and intellect when witnessing a fight between the League members responsible for his mind-wipe and Deathstroke, and vows revenge against the Justice League. To this end, he joins the Secret Society of Super Villains.

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. Light becomes a reluctant member of the new Justice League. 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 Chetland, where he is given asylum in exchange for his services. After a conversation with Deathstroke, Light contemplates returning to a life of villainy.

Kimiyo Hoshi

Kimiyo Hoshi is the supervising astronomer at an observatory in Japan during Crisis on Infinite Earths. The Monitor decides that he needs additional forces to turn the war against the Anti-Monitor in his favor. To this end, he sends a devastating beam of energy which strikes Hoshi, leaving massive destruction in its wake. Granted power over light, Hoshi is assigned by the Monitor to guard one of the vibrational forks needed to save Earth. Teen Titans member Starfire and Outsiders member Halo set out to destroy the machine. Since Doctor Light cannot speak to them in English, she resorts to blasting them away from the machine. Superman is the first to communicate with her, given his knowledge of most of Earth's languages. Doctor Light, granted the ability to understand English, accompanies several heroes to the anti-matter universe to confront the Anti-Monitor.

Doctor Light has joined the Justice League a few times over the years, most notably as a member of Justice League Europe during the latter half of its incarnation. She also joins the Doom Patrol for a time and enters a relationship with Global Guardians member Rising Sun. Despite resigning from active duty, Doctor Light appears as one of the numerous heroes assembled at Washington, D.C. to break an energy dome trapping the Justice League and the Crime Syndicate of America within the city.

The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light can 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. The limits of his powers are unclear, but he seems to be able to wrest control of anything that emits light. He also has the ability to create holographic images.

The Kimiyo Hoshi incarnation of Doctor Light can absorb and project energy, allowing her to shoot destructive laser beams and other blasts of energy. Light can transform into light, rendering her invisible to the naked eye. Her abilities also allow her to disperse radiation and holographic illusions, scan and "see" the electromagnetic spectrum, track ionized molecules, and convert her body to near light to minimize her mass and escape gravitational pull. She can sense the light around her, which is described as a "sixth sense".

• An unrelated Doctor Light, predating Arthur Light, was an enemy of Doctor Mid-Nite. The unnamed man who would become Doctor Light held a faculty position at Ivy League University until he was fired for conducting dangerous experiments on university grounds. In response, he became Doctor Light, a criminal who wields light-based technology.
• Jacob Finlay is a scientist and co-worker of Arthur Light who invented the Light Suit consisting of light technology. He became Doctor Light and stopped a spy that was sent by S.T.A.R. Labs. The next day, Finlay is repairing the light rig when Arthur Light accidentally activates it, killing Finlay. Haunted by Finlay's ghost, Light becomes Doctor Light.

Television

• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears in Teen Titans (2003), voiced by Rodger Bumpass.
• The Kimiyo Hoshi incarnation of Doctor Light appears in Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Lauren Tom. This version is a member of the Justice League.
• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears in Teen Titans Go! (2013), voiced primarily by Rodger Bumpass and by Scott Menville in the episode "Colors of Raven".
• The Kimiyo Hoshi incarnation of Doctor Light makes non-speaking appearances in Justice League Action.
• The Kimiyo Hoshi incarnation of Doctor Light appears in The Flash, portrayed by Emmie Nagata. This version is a metahuman assassin who works for Black Hole.
• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears in the second season of Titans, portrayed by Michael Mosley. This version is a former physicist at the California Institute of Technology who acquired powers from a failed experiment involving light manipulation, became a criminal, and fought the Titans before being incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. Four years later, Light escapes from prison and joins forces with Deathstroke to defeat the Titans, only to mistakenly believe their plan went awry and leave to fulfill it himself, leading to Deathstroke killing him.

Film

• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears in Justice League: The New Frontier.
• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears in Superman vs. The Elite.
• An alternate universe version of Kimiyo Hoshi appears in Justice League: Gods and Monsters. This version was a member of Lex Luthor's "Project Fair Play", a contingency program meant to destroy their universe's Justice League if necessary, until the Metal Men kill her and the other scientists involved.
• The Kimiyo Hoshi incarnation of Doctor Light appears in DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year.
• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.
• The Kimiyo Hoshi incarnation of Doctor Light appears in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, voiced by Erika Ishii.

Video games

• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears in Teen Titans (2005), voiced again by Rodger Bumpass.
• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears as an unlockable character in Teen Titans (2006) via the "Master of Games" mode.
• The Arthur Light and Kimiyo Hoshi incarnations of Doctor Light appear in DC Universe Online.
• The Arthur Light and Kimiyo Hoshi incarnations of Doctor Light appear as character summons in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.
• The Arthur Light incarnation of Doctor Light appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains, voiced again by Rodger Bumpass.

Miscellaneous

• A DC Animated Universe-inspired incarnation of Arthur Light / Doctor Light appears in Adventures in the DC Universe #1, Justice League Adventures, and DC Comics Presents: Wonder Woman Adventures #1.
• The Teen Titans (2003) incarnation of Arthur Light / Doctor Light appears in Teen Titans Go! (2004).
• The Kimiyo Hoshi incarnation of Doctor Light makes non-speaking appearances in DC Super Hero Girls.