RAY
COFFIN
RAY
COFFIN
Real Name: Raymond "Ray" Coffin
Identity/Class: Human (temporary mutate)
Occupation: Former astronaut
Group Membership: Formerly NASA
Affiliations: Micronauts (Acroyear, Biotron, Bug,
Marionette, Microtron, Arcturus Rann), Muffin (pet dog), Time Traveler/Enigma
Force, unidentified pet cat;
formerly Phillip Prometheus
Enemies: Baron Karza, Mister E, Professor Prometheus and his Humanoids
Known Relatives: Elaine Coffin (wife, deceased), Steve Coffin (son)
Aliases: Formerly Captain Universe, Orbiting Coffin
Base of Operations: Currently unknown
formerly Daytona, Florida;
briefly the Microverse
First Appearance: (Mentioned) Micronauts I#2 (February,
1979)
(seen and named) Micronauts I#3 (March, 1979)
Powers/Abilities: Ray Coffin was an experienced astronaut, though retired. He had knowledge and training in astrophysics, etc.
As Captain Universe, he tapped into the vast power of the Enigma Force. He had superhuman strength and durability, and he could fly and project energy blasts.
History:
(Micronauts I#4 (fb) - BTS / Micronauts I#8 (fb)) - Ray was a NASA astronaut,
though he retired shortly after the death of his wife, Elaine.
(Micronauts I#8 (fb) - BTS) - Following Elaine's death, Ray closed up emotionally, shutting out his son, Steve.
(Micronauts I#2 - BTS) - After Ray's backyard was demolished in an encounter with the dimension-hopping Micronauts, Steve Coffin worried about his his dad would react upon seeing it.
(Micronauts
I#3) - Ray initially blamed Steve for what had happened to the yard and
disbelieved his explanations of the encounter with the tiny aliens until finding
a small crashed ship with a tiny pilot in it.
Ray later contacted his colleague at NASA, Professor Phillip
Prometheus, and asked to meet him to discuss this discovery.
(Micronauts I#4) - Ray told Steve to turn on the sprinklers to make sure that all of the grass fires started by their visitors were fully extinguished. Ray then brought Steve and their dog Muffin--who had been zapped by one of the aliens--to Cape Canaveral, though they ignored Muffin's warnings that the Micronaut Bug had stowed away in their truck. Entering NASA, they went to H.E.L.L. (Human Engineering Life Laboratories), the institute run by Professor Prometheus. Leaving Muffin behind in the truck--a big no-no in the Florida heat, Ray and Steve (who unwittingly carried the stowaway Bug in his pants cuff) met with Prometheus. The professor was happy to see Ray and initially dismissed his story as having been brought on by science fiction movies until the Coffins showed him the alien and ship they had found, at which point he became intrigued.
(Micronauts I#5) - Seeking Bug, other Micronauts (Acroyear,
Marionette, Microtron, Rann) traveled to HELL labs, where they found Muffin and
set her free so they could follow her to her master.
Meanwhile, Professor Prometheus showed the Coffins his
Prometheus Pit, revealing that he had known about the Microverse for some time,
though the barrier between the Earth dimension and the Microverse had frustrated
his efforts to learn more. When Steve mentioned that he had met live
"sub-aliens"--who had survived passing through the spacewall--Prometheus grabbed
Steve and demanded further information. Ray tried to calm Prometheus down, but
Prometheus had his Humanoid servants restrain Ray while he explained his
experiences with the Microverse. Bug came to the Coffins' defense, and Muffin
arrived as well, leading the Micronauts to them. Professor Prometheus decided to
use the Micronauts (and the Coffins) to test his Prometheus Pit (a portal into
the Microverse), causing the floor to shift to make everyone else slide towards
the Pit. Microtron saved Steve from falling into the Pit, but as Prometheus
continued to threaten them all, Ray tackled Prometheus into the Pit, though
which they vanished.
(Micronauts I#6) - Ray and Prometheus fell through the
Prometheus Pit, which transported them into the Microverse. However, the Pit
caused a relative size distortion, and the two emerged close to the size of the
Micronauts' Homeworld. Ray was pulled away from Prometheus and confronted by the
Time Traveler.
Prometheus' arrival was noted by one of Baron Karza's drone
satellites.
(Micronauts I#7 (fb) - BTS) - The Time Traveler telepathically explained to Ray about Baron Karza and how Karza would carry his war to Earth.
(Micronauts I#7) - The Traveler then told Ray that Earth
needed a champion to oppose Karza and asked Ray if he would fight for his
planet. Ray felt that his glory days were long past, but the Time Traveler
recognized the hero within him.
Karza possessed Prometheus immense relative form, transformed
it to match his own appearance and power, and then traveled through the
Prometheus Pit to Earth, enabling him to walk the Earth at human size.
(Micronauts I#8) - Wishing to save Steve from Karza, Ray
agreed to the Traveler's request, and the Traveler imbued him with the Unipower
(a manifestation of its own Enigma Force) and transported him back to the
Prometheus Pit portal. Ray emerged from the portal on Earth, confronting Karza
as Captain Universe. The two fought a fierce struggle, and Ray drew on his love
of his people and his son to oppose the would-be conquering. Karza recognized
the great power of the Enigma Force and wished to tap into it for himself. When
the Micronauts fled back to the Microverse via the Pit, threatening to strand
Karza on Earth, Karza abandoned Prometheus' form and flew back into the
Microverse. After the Micronauts and Karza returned to the Microverse, the Time
Travelers sealed the Prometheus Pit and reclaimed their power from Ray,
returning him to normal.
Ray realized how important his son was to him, and he vowed
to make up for years of shutting Steve out.
(Micronauts I#12) - Ray, Steve, and Muffin enjoyed a night of recreation on Daytona Beach.
(Marvel Spotlight II#9 (fb) - BTS) - Ray settled back into his routine, enjoying watching his son grow up.
(Marvel Spotlight II#9) - The Unipower came to Ray again, but his body was unable to take the strain and he had a heart attack. Steve drove him to Kennedy hospital at Cape Canaveral, where he was treated. Steve quickly learned that something was wrong with the hospital staff, but he was too late to stop one of the nurses from injecting Ray with something that began to cover his body in shadow. The Uni-Power then chose Steve to become the next Captain Universe, and he purged the shadows from Ray's form. Ray uncovered and defeated the threat of Mister E and his shadow-warriors, purging the shadows from everyone at Cape Canaveral, after which the Enigma Force reclaimed the Unipower, telling Steve that there were now others who must have their chance for the power. The Uni-Power healed Ray as it departed, allowing a rapid and complete recovery from his heart attack.
Comments: Created by Bill Mantlo, Michael Golden, and Josef Rubinstein.
I would ASSUME that the "Coffin" in Division U from Cosmic Powers Unlimited#5 is Steve, but it is not 100% clarified.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:
images:
Micronauts I#3, p2, panel 2 (face close-up)
#4, p9, panel 6 (face)
#5, p8, panel 5 (main picture)
#7, p9, panel 2 (in Microverse)
#8 cover (Captain Universe)
Micronauts I#2-7 (February-July, 1979) - by Bill Mantlo
(writer), Michael Golden (penciler), Josef Rubinstein (inker), Al Milgrom
(editor).
Micronauts I#8 (August, 1979) - by Bill Mantlo (writer), Michael Golden (penciler),
Bob McLeod (inker), Al Milgrom (editor).
Micronauts I#12 (December, 1979) - by Bill Mantlo (writer), Michael Golden (penciler),
Al Milgrom (editor, inker).
Marvel Spotlight II#9 (November, 1980) - by Bill Mantlo (writer), Steve Ditko
(artist), Al Milgrom (editor)
Last updated: 10/09/05
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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