El Ray

Lieutenant El Ray with Harpoon

### Observed abilities

Breathes underwater and on land, Bio-electricity bolts projected through weapons (“Lightning Storm attack"), Tail Spine, Swims approx. 80 kph (appox. 50 mph)

## Appearances

### Debut

GK Delta: El Ray #1

El Ray is an aquatic human-hybrid and the leader of GK Delta, the primary protagonists of Alter Nation.

## History

El Ray was created by Dr. Kim Mera in the Delta phase of the Generation Kymera Program. He was genetically engineered to specialize in GK Delta's ocean maneuvers and assaults.

### Early Life

After earlier iterations of Generation Kymera, concerns over disloyalty and psychological development arose with both military command and Dr. Mera. In an both an attempt to avoid this going forward, and as a psychological experiment, as the GK Delta phase was enacted, each hybrid-human was to be released into the wild at an early age. While being secretly monitored by agents of the Generation Kymera program, they'd be free to develop outside the confines of a military base and believe themselves to be freaks of nature.

El Ray was released into the Amazon rainforest. Locals created a mythology around him, believing him to be the child of the river god M’Boi and claimed the sight of him was a bad omen. He had enough interaction with locals locals to learn Spanish. Generation Kymera agents appeared to him at a young age as he was playing in a lagoon. El Ray, having no recollection of life on Naval Base San Nicolas Island, the laboratory and training ground of Generation Kymera, accepted the opportunity to join the program after being convinced a life of service would lead to acceptance by humanity.

### GK Delta

El Ray's drive and natural ability toward leadership helped him to excel quickly to a position of commanding officer of GK Delta. He was often tasked with exploration and recovery in deep sea dives considered too risky for SCUBA divers. As the GK Delta team became more experienced, command began to use them as the strike team they were always intended to be.

#### Bomber's Defection

The story of Bomber's defection is spread over several Alter Nation comic books, both by Panda Mony Toy Brands and Dark Horse Comics. Unbeknownst to his fellow soldiers of GK Delta, Bomber had been communicating with Alpha, eventually leading Bomber to escape with him. In this and subsequent dealings with Alpha, Alpha speaks enigmatically, arousing El Ray's suspicions of his commanders.

#### Operation: 52-Pickup

Main article: *Beneath the Bermuda Triangle*

In the short story, *Beneath the Bermuda Triangle*, GK Delta is sent on a mission to recover a crashed experimental aircraft. El Ray is tasked with recovering parts that fell into the ocean. Inspired by the possibility of discovering his origin, he goes missing without a trace. The rest of GK Delta eventually discover he was captured by inhabitants of an underwater city.

#### Operation: Kid Gloves

Main article: *Black Ops*

El Ray led the team investigating Sham's disappearance after encountering the phenomena of Black-Eyed Children. He is the final member of GK Delta to succumbs to the influence of the Black-Eyed Children. While under it, uses his paralyzing electric powers to capture Daart.

#### Operation: Antidote & Operation: Gunrunner

Main article: *Enter the Dragonfly*

A major challenge to El Ray's leadership came from Lieutenant Hopper, who was a late addition to the team. Unbeknownst to GK Delta, she was actually an agent within Generation Kymera's spy and saboteur squad, GK Gamma. Hopper was tasked to keep tabs on GK Delta to ensure they didn't veer outside of command's bounds and discover more than they're supposed to. She ended up leading the squad briefly due to a botched mission, Operation: Antidote, for which El Ray took the fall.

During Operation: Gunrunner, El Ray disobeyed Hopper's orders in order to prevent them GK Delta from going on what amounted to a suicide mission against a robot army of Sabotage. El Ray and relinquishes command of GK Delta back to him

## Relationship with Other GK Delta Members

El Ray acts as a father-figure of GK Delta, encouraging lessons in wisdom and integrity. Because of this, his team rarely challenges his authority, save for the occasional practical jokes from Albert VII. He's also tasked with being a disciplinarian for the team's newest recruit, Daart, and with breaking up petty infighting among his team. While his team respects him, they find him to be a bit of a stick-in-the-mud and perhaps *too* responsible.

In spite of this, El Ray does have a history of disobeying orders and taking unauthorized absences; however, in keeping with his character, these circumstances stemmed from matters of conscience, not insolence. On one such occasion, El Ray and Daart snuck into the mysterious "Lab 4" on San Nicolas Island to discover a creature code named "Garbage." Sham, privately monitoring their actions, catches them in the act, and the three accidentally unleash Garbage. Sham convinces El Ray to keep Garbage a secret for fear of deadly reprisal from Dr. Mera. El Ray agrees on the condition Sham act as an informant for El Ray.

After the events of Operation: Gunrunner, Hopper comes to respect El Ray, going so far as to defy Dr. Mera's out of this respect. The two balance one another out as ranking members of GK Delta with El Ray being the progressive idealist, and Hopper being the traditional pragmatist.