Seen In: Final Crisis: Revelations #1 Doctor Light was initially introduced as a villain who nearly took down the entire Justice League, using his light-based powers in creative ways to exploit their various weaknesses. Following that grand beginning, however, Doctor Light was quickly reduced to a joke villain, becoming little more than an annoyance for the Teen Titans. However, that all changed in the Identity Crisis mini-series. At some point in recent years, the Powers That Be at DC apparently decided that the excesses of "grim 'n' gritty" or "edgy" comics of the early 90s got a bad rap and felt that this is what DC needed to make itself hip again. Identity Crisis was one of these attempts, where it revealed that Doctor Light was a serial rapist and one of his victims was Sue Dibney, wife of the Elongated Man (thus perpetuating the "Women in Refrigerators" trope where female characters are brutalised, raped, or killed solely to motivate a male character to do something extreme). Because apparently nothing says "mature storytelling" like promoting rape culture. The series revealed that Doctor Light was lobotomised by the Justice League. Doctor Light regained his memories and intellect and then embarked on a new existence with a whole lot more rape. But after Doctor Light took part in the murder of the Martian Manhunter, Crispus Allen, the current Spectre, had decided he'd had enough. When Doctor Light was in the middle of a mock superhero rape orgy with prostitutes dressed as Teen Titans (because why start exhibiting some semblance of good taste at this point?), the Spectre transformed Doctor Light into a human candle, with his head being the wick and then lit him on fire.
Percival Constantine is the author of several novels and short stories, including the Vanguard superhero series, and regularly writes and comments on movies, comics, and other pop culture. More information can be found at his website, PercivalConstantine.com
