Line #6 WesternAnimation/FreedomFightersTheRay


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/freedom_fighters_promo_600x905.jpg]]
2	''Freedom Fighters: The Ray'' is an animated web series that aired in 2017 on CW Seed. It's part of the Franchise/{{Arrowverse}} and it is the second animated series to be set in that universe, but unlike ''WesternAnimation/{{Vixen}}'', it takes place on a parallel world called Earth-X -- where the Nazis won WWII.
3
4	It focuses on Ray Terrill / ComicBook/TheRay (Creator/RussellTovey) who, while investigating a secret project of government officials attempting to use light as a weapon of mass destruction, got caught. The head of the project exposed Ray to a "genetic light bomb", hoping to kill him, but instead it gave him [[LightEmUp light-based powers]]. Realizing he could actually stop crime instead of just report about it, Ray joins Uncle Sam and the ComicBook/{{Freedom Fighters\|DCComics}} to fight crime and oppression. However their task isn't easy for they have to contend with the enforcers of the Nazi Regime -- the New Reichsmen, who bear a remarkable resemblance to the heroes of Earth-1 and one benevolent Kryptonian from Earth-38.
5
6	The series is also notable in that it's the first superhero series where the title character is a member of the LGBT community.
7
8	On September 22nd, 2017, it was announced that the Ray would be an essential part of the 2017-2018 four-part crossover -- ''Series/CrisisOnEarthX'', where he teams up with the heroes of Earth-1 to stop the New Reichsmen from invading their Earth.
9
10	----
11	!!''Freedom Fighters: The Ray'' contains examples of the following tropes:
12
13	* AdaptationalModesty: Phantom Lady. Aside from a bit of cleavage and some of her upper arms, her outfit is very conservative compared to her comic counterpart.
14	* AdaptationalSexuality: Zig-zagged. In the pre-''ComicBook/{{Flashpoint}}'' universe, Ray Terrill was straight. On the show he's gay. However, it has been stated that the series will be inspired by Creator/GrantMorrison's 2014-2015 limited series ''ComicBook/TheMultiversity'', which features an alternate universe Ray from Earth-10 who is gay. After the announcement of this series, DC introduced Ray Terrill into the ''Comicbook/DCRebirth'' universe, and he's gay there as well now.
15	* AlternateHistoryNaziVictory: As shown in the trailer, this is a world where the Nazis won WWII.
16	* BackupTwin: [[spoiler: Turns out there ''was'' an Earth-X version of the Ray. He got mortally wounded by the Reichsmen, then transferred his powers to his Earth-1 counterpart.]]
17	* BequeathedPower: Ray gets his powers [[spoiler:from his Earth-X counterpart, who was mortally wounded by Blitzkrieg and sent to Earth-1 by Cisco-X. Ray-X's body disintegrates during the power transfer]].
18	* BewareTheSuperman: Considering many of them work for the New Reichsmen regime, beware indeed.
19	* CallBack: Just like on Earth-38, Overgirl destroys Red Tornado with her heat vision while sporting an expression of blinding rage.
20	* CompositeCharacter: This Ray's named for Ray Terrill, the ComicBook/PostCrisis Ray, and his costume's based on the one comics Ray wore with the Freedom Fighters. However, he also has a lot of elements of various incarnations of Langford "Happy" Terrill, the original Golden Age Ray and his comic counterpart's father: Happy was a reporter, his post-Crisis origin involved a government project to research light, including its uses as a weapon, and as mentioned above, his Earth-10 counterpart is gay.
21	** This version of Phantom Lady is named Jennifer Knight like the ComicBook/{{New 52}} version. However, her costume is more similar to the Stormy Knight version albeit more modest and she serves on the Freedom Fighters unlike the comics version of Jennifer.
22	* ContinuityCameo: Caitlin and Cisco make an appearance, monitoring Ray's activity.
23	* DeadlyDodging: While stopping a gang of bank robbers, two of them have their guns aimed at Ray. He vibrates his body into intangibility, causing the two criminals to shoot one another.
24	* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: The creators admit that there are certain inconsistencies between the animated series and the crossover. They expressed their hope that Season 2 might be able to smooth out some of those rough edges, such as introducing Citizen Cold, who is missing from Season 1, despite playing a major role in the crossover. There's also Blitzkrieg and Dark Arrow saluting Overgirl and following her orders without question, even though the crossover establishes that [[spoiler:Oliver-X is the Fuhrer and Kara-X's husband. This is explained in Season Two by revealing Black Arrow isn't the Fuhrer, the mysterious "Chancellor" is.]]
25	** If anything, it's ''more'' egregious in Season Two, where Ray meets Barry, Oliver, Cisco, Mari, and Curtis (in the show, they won't know Earth X exists at all until the Reichsmen crash Barry and Iris's wedding and they won't meet the Ray until they get stuck on Earth X) and we find that Kara-X outranks Oliver-X and both serve the mysterious "Chancellor" who is the true leader of the reich; this is of course totally incompatible with Oliver-X being the Fuhrer. There's also no sign of Oliver-X and Kara-X being married. Also, nothing in it foreshadows any of the events of Crisis on Earth-X, so it's not very prequel-y. In short, it covers the same subject matter and has quite a few of the same players, so now that it's complete it's a must-see for anyone who enjoyed Crisis on Earth-X... but there's ''no way'' it's in direct continuity.
26	** Ray says "Eat your heart out, [[ComicBook/JusticeLeague Justice League]]" at one point, despite no such group existing on Earth-1 in the Arrowverse, at least for quite some time (it was implied early on that Barry Allen would be a founding member at some point in the future, or at least was in the original timeline.)
27	* EvilDoppelganger: Earth-X boasts evil alternate versions of [[Series/{{Arrow}} Green Arrow]] (Dark Arrow) and Series/{{Supergirl\|2015}} (Overgirl), who are of the New Reichsmen regime.
28	** Subverted with Blitzkrieg, who isn't a doppelgänger to Barry Allen, despite being voiced by the same actor.
29	* FacelessGoons: The Nazis, of course. Averted with the Reichsmen, who aren't wearing the masks they will wear in the ''Series/CrisisOnEarthX'' crossover.
30	* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: [[spoiler:Doll Man is gutted by Overgirl's EyeBeams, and we're shown his exposed chest cavity]].
31	* ForegoneConclusion: Season Two ends with Blitzkrieg and Black Arrow in the Freedom Fighter's custody, and the heroes leave to take down the Chancellor and free Earth-X from the Reich. We've already seen how it turns out in "Crisis on Earth-X": they fail miserably. Half the Freedom Fighters ends up dead or missing, Red Tornado is reduced to a mindless drone, and Ray ends up in a concentration camp. And worse of all, [[spoiler: the New Reichsmen escape custody and Black Arrow manages to take control of the Reich as the Fuhrer.]]
32	* HowDoIShotWeb: Ray has some problems with using his new powers precisely.
33	* IChooseToStay: At the end of season 2, Ray decides to stay on Earth-X with the Freedom Fighters.
34	* IdiotBall: Cisco-X is cornered by the Reichsmen. What does he do? Vibe himself to another Earth? No, just try to outrun Blitzkreig.
35	* InkSuitActor: Similarly to ''Vixen'' beforehand, the intention is to cast actors to voice the characters with the possibility of appearing in live-action later on. Averted with the Dark Arrow, who isn't voiced by Creator/StephenAmell (less noticeable).
36	* {{Intangibility}}: Ray learns that he can vibrate his atoms to make parts of his body (or all of it) temporarily intangible, similar to how a speedster is able to do the same. See DeadlyDodging.
37	* KilledOffForReal: The first battle with the Reichsmen results in the deaths of [[spoiler:Doll Man, Red Tornado, and Ray-X]].
38	* MarilynManeuver: A woman rescued by the Flash does this as he runs away.
39	* MythologyGag: Ray getting his powers from a "genetic light bomb" nods to Lucien Gates, the ComicBook/{{New 52}} Ray, having read about a reporter who got powers by being exposed to a light bomb.
40	* NeverTrustATrailer: The ''WesternAnimation/FreedomFightersTheRay'' trailer made it look like the Dark Flash would be an AlternateSelf of Barry. So it came as a big surprise that the Dark Flash in ''Series/CrisisOnEarthX'' was in fact Eobard Thawne from Earth-1 in his "Harrison Wells" guise (played by Creator/TomCavanagh). Turns out there's a different speedster who was around on Earth-X before Thawne showed up.
41	* OhCrap: The arrival of Overgirl, followed by the Dark Arrow and Blitzkrieg.
42	* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain:
43	** The mugger in the park, outright telling a girl that she wouldn't be in this situation if she weren't a lesbian. Fortunately, LaserGuidedKarma is in plan, and he ends up being beaten a humiliated by a gay superhero.
44	** Well, you know, Nazis.
45	* {{Prequel}}: The miniseries is essentially a prequel to the 2017-2018 crossover ''Crisis on Earth-X''.
46	* ShipperOnDeck: Ray's best friend John (Earth-1's version of Black Condor) is pretty adamant on getting Ray to speak to George.
47	* SleazyPolitician: The Mayor of Tulsa (Earth-1) has no qualms about shutting down a department that helps the lower-income citizens. When one of the employees complains, the Mayor simply says that the kind of people they help probably didn't vote for him anyway.
48	* TruerToTheText: Among the Freedom Fighters is a version of Red Tornado, who isn't a [[AdaptationalVillainy personality and development-lacking one-off villain]] like he was in Series/{{Supergirl\|2015}}.
49	* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler: Both Red Tornado and Doll Man bite it during the first fight with the Reichsmen. Earth-X's version of the Ray only lasts long enough to transfer his powers to the Earth-1 version.]]
50	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Ray's love interrest doesn't appear in season 2.
51	* WhatTheHellHero: John lays into Ray for practicing his {{Hand Blast}}s on a flock of geese. Ray later flies next to the flock and tries to apologize.

Context WesternAnimation / FreedomFightersTheRay