Interview: Lunar Ray of the PeaceKeepers

Lunar Ray. The Myth, The Legend. As I sat in the presence of this hero villains have cowered before for over 60 years, I was awestruck by the sheer size of the man. BIG simply doesn't do the man justice. Still appearing to be a fresh, chiseled, vibrant man in his late 20s as the result of his powers, When he appeared early for our interview in full uniform, I was more than impressed. I found him a humble, gentle and balanced man wise beyond his years (which is saying something) Lunar Ray has watched Pearl Harbor bombed, has witnessed soldiers storm Normandy's beaches, passed through Vietnam and the popular deaths of 60s heroes like both Kennedy Brothers and the Rev. Martin Luther King Junior. While he was largely inactive in the 70s, 80s and 90s, he emerged like a phoenix at the millennium, and the world is a better place for it.

1. Your Service for your country as a member of "Project Hero" is well documented. How was it you came to be a member of the Peacekeepers?

Some time after making a name for myself in this modern time I was approached by a pair of heroes wishing to form a team that could band together across the globe to combat crime and villainy wherever it might spring up.

2. What's the location of the Peacekeepers new base of operations in Metropolis? Or is it a closely guarded secret?

While our base is in Metropolis the exact location is a top secret and highly guarded piece of intel after the destruction of our former headquarters. There are many villains that would love to get their hands on that piece of information.

3. Throughout your history your abilities have made people compare you to The Man of Steel, how has he influenced you?

We are two separate individuals and our powers reflect this in many ways. On one hand he is an alien being that gains his abilities from the sun. All his senses are heightened far beyond superhuman levels. On the other hand my powers are still a mystery even to me in regards to how they work. I may be stronger and faster under moonlight but I'm still plenty strong during the day. I've also come to learn that I derive my powers from a mystical connection and that alone is enough to distance me from him, or at least that's how I see it. All that being said I am very honored to be compared to a hero of his caliber.

4. You've displayed flight, super-strength and resistance as abilities over the years, what other powers do you possess?

During my worldly travels I have begun to focus my inner power in the arcane arts and have gained many spells. The most important of these is the ability to heal the wounds of others. As you can imagine it comes in handy when The Peacekeepers face off against our more dangerous opponents.

5. You're one of the few heroes who has a history predating WWII (despite a decades-long hiatus) how has the world changed in your eyes in relation to Supers and in general?

Originally we were viewed as costumed crime fighters working to bring criminals to justice here in America but after the war many of us decided to go into retirement. You see, war can change the way you look at life. In time I did plan to re-enter the world of heroics but the opinions and views of masked vigilantes at the time were just horrid and frankly misguided. It took years for the populace to recover but when they did I was honored to take up the cause once again. Like all things, how the world looks at heroics may change over time but the people know that good will always triumph over evil, even if they lose hope from time to time.

6. It's been said that superheroes are the "new celebrity elite" and while much of the public is enamored with your larger-than-life personas, some view you as Gods or even Angels, whats your response to that line of thinking?

We're just men and women. None of us view ourselves as "gods" but the general public will always label that which they don't understand. At one time we were super-humans, then we were freaks, and then we were simply Superheroes but no matter the name the simple fact remains that most of us were at one point or another just ordinary men and women.

7. The Peacekeeper Website also shows you, Tremor, Thor's Assassin and Overdrive as the Founders, what made you decide to form an elite team of superheroes?

With the rise in villainy and heroics we decided that in order to better combat the forces of evil, a team of heroes should be made. It allows us to better organize our efforts and deal with threats in a timely manner. To better accomplish this task we aim for the cream of the crop as it were. We need those heroes that are willing to go above and beyond no matter the risk.

8. The public is enamored with superheroes, How was it you gained your super-abilities? were you born with them, are you a mutant? or were you bitten by a radioactive spider or something?

A long time ago I saved a man from getting run down by a truck of all things. He rewarded me with amazing abilities unlike anything the world had seen at that time. As time went on I was cursed with longevity but I've managed to make the most of it. For instance, as I stated earlier I've begun to study the arcane arts.

9. What's the ultimate goal of the Peacekeepers?

I believe the ultimate goal of The Peacekeepers is to keep the world safe and bring peace to everyone whenever possible. I think it's the goal of all heroes but we strive to make it happen. Big or Small we do what we can when we can.

10. Are you Lunar Ray all the time, or do you lead the life of a civilian as well?

Like many heroes I do have a Secret Identity. In my other life I try to make use of my intellect more so then my abilities and it allows me to stay connected to my fellow man.

11. How does a person manage balancing a "real life" with that of a superhero?

In my case it's not too hard. Since I spend most of my time in costume my "real life" had to be centered around that. The way I structured my alternate identity enables me to fufil my obligations as a hero and member of The Peacekeepers. That being said not all heroes manage to maintain that unique kind of balance in their alternate lives and in some ways they begin to suffer for it. Some heroes break down and retire while others go head first into heroics and let their "real life" fall by the wayside. Many of us envy those that can walk the line between the two and make it work.

12. What motivated Lunar Ray to lead the life of a super-powered hero?

Growing up I was always proud of how my father served this great country and worked hard to protect it. Being an academic I was unable to fulfill a similar role but when I was gifted these amazing abilities I took it as a sign to go forth and live up to my legacy as it were.

13. Some superhero teams have been critical of the Peacekeepers coming to Metropolis and invading their "turf", so to speak, care to comment?

As a hub for heroics and villainy we came to Metropolis to work with all heroes in the fight against evil. Yes some do act rather critical but we try and rise above it and work with them in any way we can. We're not here to "take over" we're here to to help.

14. You've obviously come to Metropolis to put away some of the super-powered criminals here. Are there any criminal organizations the public needs to be on the lookout for?

One that we've had our eyes on for some time is The Warbringers. These fiends have made it their goal to undermine all that The Peacekeepers have tried to accomplish. We ask that all heroes work together to bring these madmen to justice.

15. Many critics have said that masked superheroes shouldn't have police powers, whats your response?

I agree in some ways but disagree in others. I think that no hero should be sanctioned by a particular law enforcement agency but rather be regarded as a global, and forgive the term, peacekeeper. We're here to combat those that are too powerful for ordinary cops and military personel and without the ability to retain and deliver these criminals to the proper authorities for due process I fear that the world would be in peril.

16. Reports have shown that a new generation of individuals with super abilities have appeared in larger numbers than ever before, how does this make you feel as a Veteran superhero? Does it concern you that many of these "newer-breed" may be undisciplined?

I'm pleased that there are more of us to join the fight against evil but yes it does concern me that many of these new heroes are undisciplined. The efforts that the JLA have undertaken to train this new breed of superhero is greatly appreciated and as such The Peacekeepers have agreed to work alongside the JLA to take on many of the larger threats and help them to focus their efforts.

17. What's your opinion on the numerous unsanctioned super-powered vigilantes? particularly those who take the law into their hands with lethal force?

Lethal force is never a good thing. All life is sacred and while I was forced to take lives in the war I never condone it. Those who regard themselves as heroes should know that the purpose of a true hero is to bring the criminal to justice and let the law do the rest. We are not judge, jury and executioner and those that think so are no better then the scum we bring to justice. In fact The Peacekeepers have a few members who have atoned for past deeds like those mentioned and are working to become a better hero for all of us.

18. Who's you're biggest supervillain nemesis, and why?

My "nemesis" would have to be Doctor Extinction, leader of The Organization. His efforts are very misguided and his never ending schemes are always a constant threat I must face. In fact one of his underlings, The Weed, has been linked to dealings with The Warbringers.

19. With years as a superhero, what are some of your biggest regrets?

I don't have many, but since becoming a Superhero, I do have some. The most prominent is my actions during the war. If I could take many of that time back and redo it I would but I've tried to make amends for it over the years.

20. Many have often called you the Strongest Man in the World, just how much can you lift?

I've registered my top strength limit at 675 tons. As you can surmise that places me at a far distance from strongest man in the world.

21. What are the limits of your Invulnerability? Some say you can't be injured.

Oh I can be injured by many things, but it's my regenerative capabilities that make me truly invulnerable. You see I've learned that I can recover from any injury sustained when under the right circumstances. I won't go into too much detail, but suffice to say it's quite amazing when you think about it.

22. News Reports and clippings have shown you in your physical prime for over 50 years, do you age at all? Is this eternal life the result of your super abilities?

Since the war I've been cursed with a spell of longevity that causes me to age only during the night. When day comes I revert to the age at which I was cursed and begin the cycle all over again. All efforts to break the curse have been in vain and as such I've begun to use this ability to my advantage and focus on being a better hero.

23. Known supervillains like Braniac and Lex Luthor have known strongholds in Metropolis, is it your duty as a Peacekeeper to address threats like these?

It is, but we must work alongside the JLA since they are the veterans here in Metropolis. As such we try not to overstep and focus more on our own threats and only assist the JLA with they're enemies when requested.

24. What's your relationship with the JLA?

If I had to put it into words I'd best describe us as allies. In truth we work together to fight evil and the cooperation between out two teams was been nothing short of outstanding.

25. You were largely inactive for the period after WWII until your reappearance almost 60 years later. Where were you? Did you think society wasn't in need of heroes?

After I was cursed in WWII my views as a superhero were somewhat shaken, so I felt it necessary to travel the world and gain perspective before returning to my home country and take up the mantle of Lunar Ray once again. The time it took to gain this perspective was lengthened by the need to alter the limitations placed upon me by said curse. Luckily I've found a way to overcome this and thus return to my life as a hero. Somewhere in the back of my mind I always knew that the world needed a better class of hero and it was my goal to make it happen.

26. How does an immortal lead a normal life with family and loved ones he will ultimately outlive? is there a life outside of your superhero persona?

I've tried to come to terms with that very question and in all my years I have yet to do so. I believe that when the time comes I will be ready to lead a somewhat normal life but until then I've decided to focus on being a hero. What little I do in my "real life" is nothing compared to what I can accomplish as Lunar Ray and so I've chosen to keep all "personal" ties to a minimum.