Dr. Light
Issue One
"I Am Dr. Light"
Part One of Two
by Lamont Mallory
Kimiyo Hoshi created by Marv Wolfman and George Perez
"Come on, Mom. we can help you."
Kimiyo Hoshi made a final check of her all-white superhero costume in the mirror and sighed. Here we go again.
She adjusted the tiara on her forehead, then looked at the eager 14-year-old girl standing next to her. Kimiyo loved her, despite her annoying persistence. 'Like mother, like daughter', she thought, smiling slightly.
"We've been over this before, Imako. You don't have any powers or special abilities or any other way to protect yourself." Kimiyo floated off the ground slightly, and hovered out of the room.
Undaunted, Imako walked right beside her, continuing. "I even made costumes for me and Yasu. What's a hero without a sidekick or two? Right, little brother?" The girl peered towards the kitchen out of the corner of her eye.
No response came from inside. Imako's brow furrowed. She was in this fight alone. Alright then...
"This isn't a 'Costume play', Imako. Being a hero is dangerous. Heroes die all the time."
"But heroes come back all the time, too, right? Like Superman!"
Kimiyo glanced sideways at her daughter. "Superman is from the planet Krypton. Are you?"
"Well, no...," Imako admitted, looking away. But she quickly bounced back. "...but heroes from Earth have come back! Like... uh... like your friend Green Lantern!"
"You can't count on that, Imako-chan." She walked over to her daughter, gently caressing her cheeks, then firmly placing her gloved hands on the young girl's shoulders. "Look, I admire your enthusiaism, but it's far too dangerous for you to become a hero."
"But..." the girl pleaded desperately.
"NO." Her mother angrily stared deep into Imako's eyes, her voice direct, forceful and resolute. Imako broke the stare, her gaze withering to the floor in defeat. That was the end of that.
Kimiyo released Imako and turned to go. "I'll be back after this is finished," she promised. Then she called into the kitchen, "I'm leaving, Yasu-chan!"
"Bye!" a voice from the kitchen responded.
Imako scowled a bit in the voice's direction. NOW he says something.
Kimiyo opened the front door of the house, then stopped halfway through the doorway. She looked back at her dejected daughter, and her aggravation melted. She couldn't leave without saying something.
"Imako?"
The girl jerked her head up hopefully, towards her mother. "Yes?"
Kimiyo's words came out in a heartfelt, almost haunting whisper.
"I'm sorry. I love you."
She floated the rest of the way out the door and closed it behind her.
Imako sighed. Nice words, but not the ones she was looking for. "I know, Mom," she said, half to herself. "I know."
A 7-year old boy peered out from the kitchen, his mouth half-full. "See?" he murmured between chews. "I told you Mom wouldn't go for it."
Imako spun around to glare at him. "Well, it's better than not trying to convince her at all. Glad I can count on you for backup, by the way. I thought we were in this together!"
Yasu swallowed the food, then frowned. "What? No, I wasn't! But you decided to drag me into it, anyway, like you always do. I didn't help because it was a stupid idea from a stupid person."
"HEY!" she snapped at him, stamping her foot angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you... I am NOT stupid!"
The boy stuck out his tongue and laughed. "Coulda fooled me!"
"Oh, that is IT!" she shouted, racing toward him with clenched fists. Yasu ran off, laughing.
"This is the place, guys."
The leader, Hiragane, opened the door of the factory, toting a ring full of keys and a large suitcase. Several men followed him inside. Hiragane pointed at two of his crew. "You stay outside. Just in case."
The men strolled past several machines designed to create and package choclate drops. One of them sneezed from the dust. "Man!" he exclaimed, rubbing his nose. "How long has this place been shut down, anyway?"
"Shut up," hissed Hiragane.
Then they came to a second door. Hiragane singled out the necessary key, and unlocked this door as well. After entering, he set the suitcase down on a lone table. Plucking another key, this one smaller than the others, from his right pocket, he carefully unclasped the locks and opened the lid. He then inspected the contents: several packets of white powder - heroin.
One of his men, a bleached blonde sporting headphones and a Walkman, strolled up. He removed the headphones and asked, "So-- what are we doin' here again?"
Hiragane looked up, shooting an annoyed glance at the distracting music, then at the blonde. "What-- weren't you listening like everyone else?" The man shook his head. Hiragane rolled his eyes, then returned to his work. "The boss say we're gonna start this place up again like the old days. Drugs, gun running, the works."
Just then another man called, "Yo, Hiragane! What the #$ is this!"
"What!" he yelled, twirling around in frustration. "NOW what's--"
At that point, Hiragane caught a glimmer from behind the closed door, growing brighter and brighter. Suddenly, a hole began to melt in the door itself, unleashing a light that flooded the room, outshining the overhead lights. As the hole reached the floor, the light subsided. The two guards fell through and on the floor, unconscious. Then a feminine figure stepped into the room behind them.
"Hello, boys," Dr. Light greeted them, crossing her arms. "You aren't doing anything illegal, are you?"
Hiragane raised an eyebrow, then pointed to the tallest man in the room. "Yoshimura, take care of this." The selected man stepped forward, then broke into a run towards the woman...and right into an unexpected hard-light wall. He collapsed to the floor. "Anyone else want to try something?" the heroine asked with a smirk.
Hiragane's mind raced. 'Man, if they hadn't gotten rid of our guns, we'd have this problem in the bag by now!' Then, He reached for a nearby wall switch. "Yeah, well, you use light, right?" he mused, "So this oughtta shut you down!" One flick of the switch, and every inch of the room went dark.
But instead of the expected sounds of retreat, the room echoed with soft, mocking laughter. Laughter that ended in a pitying sigh.
"You boys don't know anything about light, do you?"
Hiragane was somewhat less amused. "She's bluffing! Get her!"
The floor squeaked with the sneakers of men rushing to where Dr. Light last stood.
The heroine's response was calm and authoritative. "Very well, then. I'll teach you."
A dramatic flood of light burst forth from the men's destination, temporarily blinding them and halting their attack. The voice continued: "First of all, what the typical person thinks of as light is merely the small band of wavelengths that one can see. In truth, light is electromagnetism, encompassing all wavelengths from radio waves to gamma rays."
As the crew's eyesight cleared, they could see the figure of Dr. Light, glowing a bright white that almost completely obscured most of her body and facial features. The black outline of the star symbol on her chest remained, as did her glaring eyes. Her hair and cape flared behind her, giving her the image of an avenging angel.
"So I gather power from several sources, not just visible light. For example..."
She directed her hand towards the source of the still-playing music.
"You're listening to the radio, aren't you? I derived this...", she said as she blasted one man in the stomach, "from not only the signals from that station, but every radio and TV station in the city, and every satellite signal beamed from space."
"Everything touched by sunlight absorbs at least some of the solar radiation. And the sky always contains traces of all types of EM radiation."
"Also, electromagnetism, by definition, also includes electricity..." A surge of power sprang from several electrical outlets, striking 5 men until they collapsed. "...and magnetism." She raised a hand toward the radio directed it into the forehead of a hulking figure, sending both man and machine to the ground.
"The entire Earth is electromagnetic. So is the Moon, the Sun, and all the other stars that appear in the sky." Here, she attracted three attackers to the ground... head first.
But the bleached blonde slowly and stealthily tiptoed his way behind her.
"Not only do I use light..." The assailant took a swing at the glowing figure, only to see his hand go right through. "... I turn into light, as this promising student just found out." Startled by this revelation, he almost didn't realize that his hand was starting to burn. Yelping, he instinctively pulled the hand away, only to be blasted into the wall.
"Anything that's made up of electrons can release photons of light. That includes almost every bit of matter in the universe... including yourselves, ironically enough..." And she drained a bit of light energy from the last man left, then swatted him down with it.
Realizing that there was no way to salvage the situation, Hiragane spun on his heels and made a dash for the door.
"And speaking of you..." Dr. Light raised her right arm and gestured in the direction of the fleeing figure, and the boy immediately flew backwards through the air. He landed roughly on his back, and skidded along the floor. Slowing down little by little, his body settled gently to a stop, his head at the heroine's feet. He stared upward at the bright figure towering over him. Involuntarily gulping, Hiragane tried to fight off his rising panic... with little success.
Dr. Light continued: "The human body is itself electromagnetic." The heroine gestured at him again. "Sit up straight," Dr. Light commanded, and Hiragane found his upper body yanked into position. "This energy also allows me to sense you in the dark. Not only do you seem to glow like paper lanterns, you attract my indirect attention as a power source. Think of it as a sixth sense. So, all in all, the only side you incapacitated when you turned off the lights..." Here, she placed a finger directly on the man's head: "...was yours.
"Now, which Yakuza clan are you working for?"
Hiragane spat out, "I- I can't! They'd kill me!"
Dr. Light's eyes narrowed angrily. "Then we'll continue. As I said, the human body is powered by electricity. And I can generate electricity." An electrical charge surged through her finger and into his head. Every inch of his body went into convulsions of pain, convulsions held tightly in check by his own body's unyielding electromagnetic field. His screams echoed though the room.
"That", Dr. Light added, her voice growing more insistent, "was the neurons in the pain center of your brain, all firing at once. So, do you have something to tell me NOW?"
Hiragane was a quivering, quavering wreck. "Okay! Okay! We're working for the Okamura clan!"
"Very good. Now..." She moved her finger to another part of the man's head. "This is the part of your brain that controls sleep. Good night." One bolt of electricity, and Hiragane fell to the ground.
Dr. Light took a final survey of the room, her "pupils" strewn around the floor, unconscious.
Satisfied, she folded her arms and grinned smugly.
"Class dismissed."
Her "charges" in tow in a glimmering net and the suitcase in her left hand, Dr. Light soared towards the Tokyo police station. Since she couldn't travel at light speed while carrying them, she had turned back into human form and took a moment to admire her view of the city. Then, gesturing with her hand, she sent out a radio call.
"Captain? I have a 'special delivery' for you. As we suspected, it looks like the Yakuza are starting up activities again. I picked up this crew at the Candy Works front.
"I'll arrive in about 15 seconds. Dr. Light, out."
At that, she cut off the signal. Then she scanned the area outside the station using her telescopic vision, she could see that a crowd of reporters and camera crews had congregated nearby.
Word had spread fast. She nodded with satisfaction.
Reaching the station, Dr. Light hovered overhead, and lowered the unconscious criminals and the case to the waiting officers. The news crews surged towards the scene, to be stopped short by the police. Dr. Light could feel the whirring cameras on her, but made a point not to directly address them yet. Still, she couldn't hide a slowly growing grin as the media beckoned.
"Any comments about this recent capture?"
"How closely have you coordinated this with the police?"
"Any reason why the Yakuza are resurfacing now?"
After dissolving the net, she slowly hovered into the midst of the parting crowd and descended, gracefully landing on the ball of her right foot before fully setting down. "Please," she began, beaming, "one at a time." She gestured at an eager female reporter. "Yes?"
"Kayo Yamaguchi, GNN. You must have heard of the recent reports from America on the villain who bears your name, the horrific attacks on heroes like Green Arrow and the Teen Titans. He even seems to be smarter and nastier than he has been in years. What do you plan to do about this resurgence of the other Dr. Light?" She held out her microphone expectantly.
The heroine's face reddened at this unexpected intrusion. Her eyes narrowed and her smile faded. "No comment," she growled, trying to retain her composure. She glanced out into the crowd. "Does anyone have any questions regarding the Yakuza capture?"
But the reporter persisted. "Surely you have to have some kind of response. The villainous Dr. Light has mentioned that he's carrying out a vendetta against those who have defeated him in the past. That has to include you. What if he comes back to Tokyo to attack you again?"
At that, the chorus roared to life again.
"How will you respond to this?"
"Do you have any contingency plans?"
"Will you be changing your name?"
Dr. Light's body quickly turned bright, temporarily overwhelming the late-afternoon Sun as well as the reporters and camera crews surrounding her. Some turned away, dazed; others instinctively backed off and shielded their eyes.
"ENOUGH!" the still-glowing, furious figure yelled. "If you don't have a RELEVANT question..." She extended a hand, causing the electrical power from every camera and microphone in the area to congregate in her palm. "...this interview is OVER!"
With that, she immediately blasted off into the distance at light speed.
There was a moment of shocked silence. Then everyone regained their senses.
"Wha-- What the heck was THAT all about!"
"Hey! Our camera's dead!"
"She's got some nerve!"
Kayo tried to shake off the remaining spots before her eyes, then glared at the quickly-fading extra star in the sky. "Sorry, Doctor," she said. "I won't let you get off that easily."
Dr. Light soared above the city, headed for home with her mood completely ruined.
I don't get it, she fumed. Yakuza activity had been declining until recently. The news programs themselves were running stories about shady loan companies and the like being shut down. Now, here's this recent resurge in activity. Wasn't this more newsworthy than the villain Dr. Light? Why did that Yamaguchi woman have to derail the whole thing?
Just then, she saw a strange shimmering about 200 meters ahead of her. Having the negligible mass of light, Dr. Light immediately stopped in place and began to brighten, physically and mentally preparing for a battle.
The shimmering took the form of a tall, shapely woman. As the image cleared, Dr. Light recognized a good friend and ally.
"Wonder Woman!", she called, reverting to human form and extending a friendly hand.
"Doctor Light," the Amazon answered, meeting her hand and shaking it.
But Dr. Light suddenly remembered; the Justice League only contacts reserve members like her when a potential threat has gotten well out of hand. She tensed a bit. "Is there some emergency?"
"There's no emergency, Doctor," Diana assured. "But I would like a word with you. Shall we land and talk?"
Dr. Light nodded, and the two descended into a nearby park.
Wonder Woman spoke carefully and deliberately, "As you may know, the villainous Dr. Light has re-emerged as a effective, serious threat to the world."
HIM again. Dr. Light's expression darkened.
Diana continued, "Also, previous League members have recently revealed that he raped our friend Sue Dibny prior to them rendering him ineffectual. In light of all this, the League feels that we need to disassociate ourselves from him.
"Therefore, we'd like to officially request that you change your name."
Dr. Light tried her best to temper the surging fury within, but the narrowed eyes, deep grimace, and rapidly rising voice told the whole story. "I see. Well, to be blunt, Diana..." She took a threatening step forward. "...MY name is none of the League's buisness!"
Wonder Woman was taken aback by the perceived offense. "We're simply asking you to think of what's best, for yourself as well as everyone else. You are a valued member of the League, after all. You always have been, and you always will be." She extended a friendly hand. "Wouldn't you agree?"
But Dr. Light's hand moved to the array of panels below the collar of her costume instead. "You want to play THAT card, Diana? FINE." Opening the center panel, she produced a small card with the JLA logo on it. She flung the item to the ground at Diana's feet. "Here's MY card. GO FISH."
Wasting no time, she converted into a dazzling flash of light and sped away. Wonder Woman's entreaties to come back were too far away and too slow to hear.
'I can't believe this!' Dr. Light huffed in her mind. '"Will you be changing your name?" "We'd like to officially request that you change your name,"' she mentally quoted the offenders, scowling. 'What do they think I should change it to, anyway? PHOTON?'
Just then she heard an explosion in the distance. A large building in downtown Shibuya was collapsing before her eyes. And before she knew it, she was breathing a sigh of relief.
'I can't believe you, either,' she berated herself. 'People are in danger, and here you are, grateful for the diversion from your own petty problems.'
She sped towards the destruction.
The scene was a disorienting chaos. Vast clouds of dust filled the air. Debris still rained down on the streets. Some people retreated in every direction; others could only stand still and gawk. Police were trying to handle the situation; directing traffic away, setting up a perimeter to hold people back. And with the Sun having set, the lost electrical service in the area and malfunctioning street lights were becoming an issue.
Still, Dr. Light needed to shut all this out, and concentrate on the problem. She landed just outside the clouded area, and attempted to scan it with infrared vision... but the light wasn't coming back to her eyes. She then tried x-ray vision; again, no return at all.
But then she could finally make out a bubble of light in the distance, and a figure inside it. The person was slowly making his way through the rubble.
"Who are you?" she called into the dust.
"You're here,"a male voice intoned in English. "Good. I was wondering how many buildings I'd have to level to make you show up. And please, speak in English. You know I don't understand Japanese."
Dr. Light lifted an eyebrow quizzically. "Who are you?" she repeated in English.
"Hmmm. Have you truly forgotten me? Well, considering that your fellow 'heroes' made me into a fool, I suppose you never knew the real me in the first place," the voice responded. "Very well, then. Allow me to reintroduce myself," he continued, walking towards Dr. Light through the dust created by the explosion.
The figure emerged, glowing. Everything from the black and white costume that mirrored hers to the fin on his head was now all too familiar.
"...My name is Arthur Light, and I am Doctor Light."
To be continued...