Devlin O'Ryan

Origin

Devlin grew up in an upper-middle class New Killarney district on Xanthu, where he nursed a dream of someday becoming a reporter. His mother, Megan, was the Xanthu bureau chief for the Daily Planet, and she delegated most of the domestic authority to her star columnist (and husband), Ethan, and Devlin's four older sisters. At age ten, Devlin talked his way into a copy boy's position at the Planet. He excelled at that job, raced through his required studies, and began digging up and reporting stories in what passed for his spare time. Within four years, the remarkable boy had accumulated enough credits and experience to earn himself a Journalism degree from Xanthu's prestigious Inishmurray University, and a cub reporter tryout at the Planet's home office on Earth.

As soon as he was old enough, he applied for an internship at the Interstellar Press's Earth office, based in the Metropolis offices of the Daily Planet, where the Planet's star reporter Iris West noticed the young man's enthusiasm and took him under her wing. O'Ryan and West were the first to acquire elusive information that exposed the Dominion's covert takeover of Earthgov.

Creation

Devlin O'Ryan created by Keith Giffen, Tom Bierbaum, and Mary Bierbaum

Character Evolution

Five Years Later

The story led him to a closer look at detective Celeste Rockfish, who had been hired by Earthgov to quiet the public's fears. Devlin elbowed his way into her investigation and he found himself on Winath where the re-forming Legion was on the trail of Earthgov's agent, Roxxas the Butcher. His on-scene presence gave him and Iris the inside scoop when Roxxas was captured and revealed the Dominion control of Earthgov. Devlin returned to Earth, now a trusted ally of the Legion. Soon civil government completely collapsed and he found himself hunted down by the Dominators. His escape led him into first contact with an odd group of experimental Dominator subjects—replicas of the teen Legionnaires!

O'Ryan was on Earth when the Dominator Triple Strike operation detonated fusion powerspheres all over the globe. This released null radiation, a catalyst for triggering metahuman powers. Indeed, he found his own metahuman gene activated. When the young "SW6" Legionnaire, Lightning Lad blasted him, Devlin's powers completely reflected the energy. He also became enamored of the young Shrinking Violet, who nicknamed him "Reflecto," after Stig Ah, a Rimborian hero of similar powers, but the name didn't stick.

Major Story Arcs

Devlin Joins the Adult Legion

When the war to liberate Earth ended, Devlin accepted Rokk Krinn's invitation to join the adult Legion, making the false assumption that Violet would agree to go with him. While she did love him, she decided she'd rather stay with her friends on New Earth, and the two have agreed to a long-distance relationship. Devlin, ever a man of his word, kept his commitment to the older Legion, and served with them. He has recently proven his value to the team by facing down Mordru at the height of his powers... and winning, saving the Legion from suffocation at Mordru's hands. During this battle, however, the Khund Legionnaire, Firefist was accidentally killed by Devlin's powers.

A Younger Devlin

A similar circumstance resulted in defeat against Glorith, but turned him several years younger, removing him from active duty with the team. He was called back into service when Rokk Krinn was kidnaped by Mordru and Glorith, but his role in this mission was aborted when, amid flucuations in the space/time, he disappeared from existence.

Powers and Abilities

Energy Shield

Devlin O'Ryan had the power to reflect attacks, both energy and projectile, back toward his attacker. However, his powers suffered from Deux ex Machina symptoms: He was the ultimate, fix-all solution in many cases. His powers also seemed a bit ill-defined; would they always reflect back to the attacker? In any event, his powers were naturally defensive. He never went on the attack and often seemed modest or apologetic, even with villains.

Intellect

Devlin was also a talented journalist who at 14 was already reporting for a great metropolitan newspaper. Besides helping break the story of the Dominion's influence in Earth's affairs, Devlin also wrote a moving story about the destruction of Earth.