Purple Ray
Encyclopedia
The Purple Ray is a fictional healing device featured in the Wonder Woman
comics.
, Diana invented the Purple Ray in order to heal Steve Trevor
from injuries he sustained when his plane was shot down and he was left adrift in the sea for days.
The Purple Ray was an all-around healing device. Variations on the concept survived into Earth-1, post-Crisis
and post-Zero Hour
continuities. Once it was used to revive the JSA members, who had been killed by an insane wax museum guard who had disguised himself as historical villains.
The Purple Ray is noteworthy for restoring Steve Trevor to health, as well as being modified to transfer power from many of the Paradise Island Amazons
to Donna Troy
, so that she would have powers of her own similar to those of her sisters. Much later, the ray started having technical problems, which caused moments of weakness for Troy, forcing her to explain her past to the Teen Titans. However, the Amazons later contacted her to explain the problem and the fact that they solved it. On another occasion it was used to revive Changeling
of the New Titans, somehow increasing his powers in the process.
The Purple Ray was shown to have destructive power if allowed to overload. In Wonder Woman (vol. I) #322, an insane love-god Eros went on a rampage and set out to kill Steve Trevor. In the ensuing battle, the Purple Ray was damaged and overloaded, bursting into a destructive heat beam that caused a fire on Paradise Island. It was then repaired temporarily to heal Trevor of injuries he sustained at Eros's hands; when the mad god attempted to intervene, its healing powers cured Eros of his insanity by removing his memories of his time as Steve Trevor -- and transplanted them into Trevor. Later, in issue #328, the Purple Ray was intentionally engineered to fire its life-giving energies into a gigantic Shadow Monster sent by the Anti-Monitor to destroy the Amazon nation, resulting in the destruction of the Shadow Monster.
was used as the creator of the Purple Ray, the origin story also involved the use of the villain Dark Angel
as a reason for its creation. Once the Baroness was freed from the dark spirit's influence, she agreed to live on Themyscira
(also known as Paradise Island) with the Amazons. During her time there she has worked side-by-side with the Amazons perfecting the Purple Ray to help benefit the island's people.
In this Modern Age timeline, the Purple Ray is able to completely heal a vast array of injuries, except the most severe, because repeated exposure to the Purple Ray can overtax natural healing abilities. In cases of severe injury it's possible to expose the wounded to smaller doses of the Ray during a longer period. The Purple Ray is also unable to cure wounds inflicted by gods, or their agents, like the Gorgon
. It is revealed in Supergirl that the ray is also useless to cure cancer.
A "Purple Death Ray" was later introduced. After a rogue U.S. government agency attacked the island, the Amazons altered the Purple Ray to emit from a massive cannon. The Purple Ray was altered to destroy matter as opposed to heal it. On two separate occasions the U.S. government has tried to coerce the Amazons into handing over the plans on how to create their own Purple Ray technology, the latter of which included the illegal prison detainment and physical torture of Wonder Woman.
In the Secret Six
comic an Amazon was introduced who oversaw the maintenance of the Purple Ray. She began wounding herself to see how thorough the Purple Ray could heal, each time wounding herself more seriously. Eventually she was able to grow whole limbs back once severed. After many years she discovered she no longer needed to use the Purple Ray as her wounds began to heal themselves due to prolonged exposure to the ray.
The Amazons are shown to reside on the planet Venus in the 853rd century. There they use the Purple Ray to revive their warriors from temporary death brought about by brutal gladiatoral battles the Amazons engage in among one another.
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
comics.
Pre-Crisis
Prior to the comic book storyline Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, Diana invented the Purple Ray in order to heal Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor
Steve Trevor is a fictional character appearing in DC Comics, as the primary love interest of Wonder Woman. He first appeared in All Star Comics #8 .-Golden Age:...
from injuries he sustained when his plane was shot down and he was left adrift in the sea for days.
The Purple Ray was an all-around healing device. Variations on the concept survived into Earth-1, post-Crisis
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
and post-Zero Hour
Zero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
continuities. Once it was used to revive the JSA members, who had been killed by an insane wax museum guard who had disguised himself as historical villains.
The Purple Ray is noteworthy for restoring Steve Trevor to health, as well as being modified to transfer power from many of the Paradise Island Amazons
Amazons (comics)
The Amazons of DC Comics are a fictional all-female society of superhumans, based on the Amazons of Greek mythology. There have been three major incarnations of these Amazons, one before the Crisis, and two after. What two of these groups have in common is that they are the race which produced...
to Donna Troy
Donna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
, so that she would have powers of her own similar to those of her sisters. Much later, the ray started having technical problems, which caused moments of weakness for Troy, forcing her to explain her past to the Teen Titans. However, the Amazons later contacted her to explain the problem and the fact that they solved it. On another occasion it was used to revive Changeling
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
of the New Titans, somehow increasing his powers in the process.
The Purple Ray was shown to have destructive power if allowed to overload. In Wonder Woman (vol. I) #322, an insane love-god Eros went on a rampage and set out to kill Steve Trevor. In the ensuing battle, the Purple Ray was damaged and overloaded, bursting into a destructive heat beam that caused a fire on Paradise Island. It was then repaired temporarily to heal Trevor of injuries he sustained at Eros's hands; when the mad god attempted to intervene, its healing powers cured Eros of his insanity by removing his memories of his time as Steve Trevor -- and transplanted them into Trevor. Later, in issue #328, the Purple Ray was intentionally engineered to fire its life-giving energies into a gigantic Shadow Monster sent by the Anti-Monitor to destroy the Amazon nation, resulting in the destruction of the Shadow Monster.
Post-Crisis
After the storyline Crisis on Infinite Earths, the origin of the Purple Ray underwent another change. While the Baroness Paula von GuntherBaroness Paula Von Gunther
The Baroness Paula von Gunther is a fictional character, a DC Comics villain that battled Wonder Woman as her first recurring arch-nemesis and, eventually, her closest ally.Baroness Paula von Gunther originally debuted in Sensation Comics #4....
was used as the creator of the Purple Ray, the origin story also involved the use of the villain Dark Angel
Dark Angel (DC Comics)
Dark Angel is a fictional DC Comics villain who battled Wonder Woman. She is a wandering spirit who inhabited the body of Baroness Paula Von Gunther during World War II...
as a reason for its creation. Once the Baroness was freed from the dark spirit's influence, she agreed to live on Themyscira
Themyscira
Themyscira is a fictional island nation in the DC Comics universe that is the place of origin of Wonder Woman and her sister Amazons. Known as Paradise Island since Wonder Woman and the island's first appearance in All Star Comics #8 , it was renamed "Themyscira" with the character's February...
(also known as Paradise Island) with the Amazons. During her time there she has worked side-by-side with the Amazons perfecting the Purple Ray to help benefit the island's people.
In this Modern Age timeline, the Purple Ray is able to completely heal a vast array of injuries, except the most severe, because repeated exposure to the Purple Ray can overtax natural healing abilities. In cases of severe injury it's possible to expose the wounded to smaller doses of the Ray during a longer period. The Purple Ray is also unable to cure wounds inflicted by gods, or their agents, like the Gorgon
Gorgon
In Greek mythology, the Gorgon was a terrifying female creature. The name derives from the Greek word gorgós, which means "dreadful." While descriptions of Gorgons vary across Greek literature, the term commonly refers to any of three sisters who had hair of living, venomous snakes, and a...
. It is revealed in Supergirl that the ray is also useless to cure cancer.
A "Purple Death Ray" was later introduced. After a rogue U.S. government agency attacked the island, the Amazons altered the Purple Ray to emit from a massive cannon. The Purple Ray was altered to destroy matter as opposed to heal it. On two separate occasions the U.S. government has tried to coerce the Amazons into handing over the plans on how to create their own Purple Ray technology, the latter of which included the illegal prison detainment and physical torture of Wonder Woman.
In the Secret Six
Secret Six (comics)
The Secret Six is the name of three different fictional comic book teams in the , plus an alternate universe's fourth team. Each team has had six members, led by a mysterious figure named Mockingbird, whom the characters assume to be one of the other five members.-Original Secret Six:The Secret Six...
comic an Amazon was introduced who oversaw the maintenance of the Purple Ray. She began wounding herself to see how thorough the Purple Ray could heal, each time wounding herself more seriously. Eventually she was able to grow whole limbs back once severed. After many years she discovered she no longer needed to use the Purple Ray as her wounds began to heal themselves due to prolonged exposure to the ray.
The Amazons are shown to reside on the planet Venus in the 853rd century. There they use the Purple Ray to revive their warriors from temporary death brought about by brutal gladiatoral battles the Amazons engage in among one another.