RICHARD DAVIS	BIOGRAPHY
Created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton

PERSONAL DATA

Occupation: Former Vice President at Ferris Aircraft, former Pilot
Status: Deceased
Citizenship: American
Base of Operation: Los Angeles, California
Gender: Male
Height: 6' (approx.)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Light blonde
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 2 #144 (September 1981): "The Last Picture Show!"
Creators: Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton

HISTORY

As a pilot in the United States Air Force, Captain Richard Davis was behind the controls of jet fighters as a test pilot as well as in combat. The commanding officer of Hal Jordan, over time Davis and Jordan became good friends. Davis trained and mentored Jordan until the young pilot left the service. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #144, #185

A decade later, Davis was unable to fly due to a problem with his inner ear. He was offered a job by Carl Ferris of Ferris Aircraft Corporation, the same company that had employed Hal Jordan as a test pilot a decade earlier. Davis resigned his commission, ending thirty years in the service. Davis took the position of Vice President at Ferris Aircraft, not knowing this was a position once held by Carol Ferris, daughter of Carl. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #144-146, #148

Unfortunately for Davis, his health problems grew worse. He told his friends it was heartburn or something minor so they wouldn't learn the truth, but Davis' medical bills had grown rapidly. Ferris Aircraft was plagued by sabotage and its lucrative government contracts were being canceled due to the machinations of Benjamin Bloch of Bloch Industries and his brother, Congressman Jason Bloch. The growing pressures at Ferris Aircraft were too much for Davis and he collapsed. Taken to the hospital, Davis would spend a few weeks as an inpatient, recovering from heart problems. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #145, #148

Following his release from the hospital, Davis returned to Ferris Aircraft to see its one hope of recovery, the solar jet, go up in smoke. Seeking to prove Benjamin Bloch's criminal activities, Davis assisted Carol Ferris and the solar jet's designer, Bruce Gordon, in a break in at Bloch Industries. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #150

Though they found proof that Ferris Aircraft was innocent of all charges leveled against it, their break in did not go unnoticed by Benjamin Bloch. They were captured by Bloch's henchmen and would have been killed but for the arrival of Green Lantern.

Though Ferris Aircraft had enough information to prove its innocence, the company's reputation was still badly damaged. Benjamin Bloch had been arrested, but hours later released on bail. There was not enough information to end the menace of the Bloch family for good. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #151

Carl Ferris was aggressively trying to get his company back on its feet. This meant leasing out space to other interests, such as psionics researcher Dr. Clay Kendall, but development of the solar jet was still Ferris Aircraft's number one priority.

After a year's absence, Hal Jordan returned to Ferris Aircraft. Though outwardly happy to see his old friend, inside Davis was angered by Jordan's reappearance. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #173

Ferris Aircraft was counting on the success of the solar jet to bring badly needed income to keep afloat. The solar jet was of particular interest to Davis. Chest pains still bothered him, a condition Davis was still keeping secret from his friends and coworkers. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #174, #176

Davis helped Bruce Gordon test the solar jet's cybernetic command helmet, knowing he would not be the pilot to test the aircraft itself. He secretly blamed Jordan for this turn of events.

When the Demolition Team threatened to level Ferris Aircraft, Davis tried to defend his friends. He was struck by Scoopshovel and was in the path of Steamroller, another of the Demolition Team, when Clay Kendall came to his rescue. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #178

Miraculously, the solar jet was one of the few pieces of Ferris equipment left intact after the Demolition Team had been routed by the mysterious Predator. Looking over the jet, Davis decided he would make the test flight, not Jordan. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #179-180

Ferris Aircraft was badly damaged, without the financial strength to afford to rebuild. Carl Ferris had no choice but to make a deal with Intercontinental Petroleum, better known as Con-trol, a company with an unusual interest in Ferris Aircraft. Mr. Smith of Con-trol was put in place as Ferris Aircraft's new Executive Administrator. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #181-182

The day finally came when the solar jet was ready for its first flight test. If Hal Jordan had not returned to Ferris Aircraft, it might have been Davis himself who flew the jet. Seeing Jordan get ready for the flight only reminded Davis of his problems. He struck Jordan with the cybernetic command helmet for the solar jet and took his friend's place. Davis knew the solar jet test would be his last chance to fly again and had to make the flight. The helmet hid his identity from his friends at Ferris and he took off in the jet. By the time Jordan recovered and came out of the hanger Davis was at cruising altitude.

Though Davis would probably be out of a job when he returned to the ground, he would not land until he had tested the jet. All was going well for the first thirty minutes until a column of black light blotted out the sun. Despite warnings from Bruce Gordon, Davis was unable to turn and he entered the darkness, to find himself in the clutches of Eclipso. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #185

The villain wanted to use the solar jet's power systems to separate himself from Bruce Gordon. Eclipso used Davis' life to force Gordon to do his bidding. Gordon tricked Eclipso, using the solar jet's wiring to create a momentary solar flare, enabling Davis to escape with the jet. The arrival of the Predator, followed by Green Lantern, distracted Eclipso long enough for Davis to fly free of the villain's so-called "Murder Moon."

The jet had been damaged and Davis was unable to fly back to Ferris Aircraft. He was forced to land in the desert. Though Davis' heart could not take the strain, the veteran pilot still held on. The plane came in for a perfect landing. Carol Ferris and Hal Jordan had been following Eclipso's Murder Moon out into the desert. It was Jordan that discovered his old friend had died, his weakened heart had given out but he had brought his plane home safe. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #186

The funeral was held a few days later, attended by his friends at Ferris Aircraft. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #187

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Richard Davis in chronological order click here