This article relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (March 2008)

Viking Press is an American publishing company as of 2011^[update] owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim. The firm's name and logo—a Viking ship drawn by Rockwell Kent—were meant to evoke the ideas of exploration and enterprise implied by the word "Viking".

The house has been home to many prominent authors of fiction, non-fiction, and play scripts. Five Viking authors have been awarded Nobel Prizes for Literature and one received the Nobel Peace Prize; Viking books have also won numerous Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, and other important literary prizes.

As of 2011^[update] Viking published approximately 100 books a year. It is notable for publishing both successful commercial fiction and acclaimed literary fiction and non-fiction. Viking's literary paperbacks are published by Penguin Books, while its commercial paperbacks are published by Signet Books or Putnam Books. Viking's current president is Clare Ferraro.

The Viking Children's Book department was established in 1933; its founding editor was May Massee. Viking Kestrel was one of its imprints. Its books have won the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, and include such books as The Twenty-One Balloons, written and illustrated by William Pene du Bois, (1947, Newbery medal winner for 1948), Corduroy, Make Way for Ducklings, The Stinky Cheese Man By Jon Scieszka & Lane Smith 1993, The Outsiders, Pippi Longstocking, and The Story of Ferdinand. Its paperbacks are published by Puffin Books, which includes the Speak and Firebird imprints. Viking Children's current president and publisher is Regina Hayes.

Notable authors[link]

Viking Press has published books by the following writers and public figures:

• Abdullah II, King of Jordan
• Saul Bellow
• Ludwig Bemelmans
• T. C. Boyle
• William S. Burroughs
• Rosanne Cash
• Theodore Draper
• Kim Edwards
• Helen Fielding
• Elizabeth Gilbert
• Rumer Godden
• Graham Greene
• Martha Grimes
• Jan Karon
• Garrison Keillor
• William Kennedy
• Jack Kerouac
• Sue Monk Kidd
• Stephen King
• Terry McMillan
• Arthur Miller
• Thomas Pynchon
• Kate Seredy
• John Steinbeck
• Carl Van Doren
• Rebecca West
• Salman Rushdie

External links[link]

• Viking Press history at Penguin
• Viking Children's Books history at Penguin

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Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 3, #48 (1994), as part of the "Emerald Twilight" storyline, in which DC Comics replaced Green Lantern Hal Jordan with Rayner, who was the sole Green Lantern for years until the late 1990s. During this period he was also briefly known as Ion.^[1]

Following Jordan’s return to Green Lantern status in the 2004–2005 limited series Green Lantern: Rebirth, and the 2005 crossover event "Infinite Crisis", Rayner returned to his alias of Ion. After the events of the "Sinestro Corps War", Rayner returned to his original role as a Green Lantern officer, along with a promotion to Honor Guard Illustres of the Corps.

Fictional character biography[link]

The last Green Lantern[link]

Kyle Rayner's father is a Mexican-American CIA agent named Gabriel Vasquez (Green Lantern vol. 2, #150), who worked under various codenames including Aaron Rayner, and currently the identity of Raymond Hauser. When Gabriel's deep-cover work threatened his wife and infant son, he was forced to sever all traceable ties with them, and even conspired with Maura Rayner in fabricating a domestic violence incident to explain their abrupt separation. To Gabriel's regret, the resulting absence from his family's life and lack of his financial support forced Kyle and his mother into a rather modest lifestyle.

Before he acquired a Green Lantern power ring, Kyle Rayner was a struggling-but-gifted freelance graphic artist who was raised in North Hollywood and currently lived and worked in Los Angeles. After Hal Jordan, grief-stricken over the destruction of his home town of Coast City, went on a mad rampage killing various members of the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe, Rayner was found by the last surviving Guardian of the Universe, Ganthet. Ganthet gave Kyle the last working Green Lantern power ring that would allow him to conjure any form of matter or energy through sheer force of will.^[1] Ganthet's reasons for choosing Kyle to bear the ring have never been made completely apparent, aside from Rayner having been in the right place at the right time: prior to bequeathing the ring upon Rayner, Ganthet simply utters, "You will have to do." Ganthet later revealed that humans make great Green Lanterns(before Hal Jordan's mental breakdown he was the Corps' greatest Green Lantern and John Stewart became the first mortal Guardian of the Universe). Several sources however imply that Ganthet was following a deeper reason: Kyle Rayner was not chosen because he was fearless, but because he was able to feel and overcome fear,^[2][3] thus making him, and all the future Lanterns, less susceptible to Parallax's influence. The New Guardians retelling goes so far as to replace the scowling "You will have to do" with a smiling "It would seem I chose well".

At first Kyle took possession of the ring very lightly. His girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt, encouraged him to be more responsible, create his own version of the Green Lantern uniform and helped him train for his new role as a superhero, but was later murdered and stuffed in a refrigerator by the supervillain Major Force.^[4] The guilt over this event drove Rayner to take his role more seriously and as a result he strove to be the best Green Lantern he could be. Rayner then moved to New York City, as Los Angeles reminded him of Alex and he needed a fresh start.

Rayner grew up enamored with Superman and Batman, though he had only a passing knowledge of Earth's various Green Lanterns. This soon changed, and he found that the Green Lantern ring was the ultimate expression of his fertile imagination. While in battle, he often used the ring's power to create constructs of just about anything his artistic mind could imagine: other superheroes, anime characters, mystical characters, mechas, futuristic weapons, and original characters from his comic books. While other members of The Green Lantern Corps questioned the practicality of those constructs, they often made Rayner an unpredictable and formidable opponent.^{[citation needed]}

Justice League[link]

After relocating to New York City, Rayner joined the superhero group the Titans for a brief time, during which he dated Donna Troy, but eventually became a member of the Justice League (JLA).^[5] He initially clashed with the Flash (Wally West) early in his career. West had worked with Jordan since childhood and had reservations about Kyle as the new Green Lantern, but he eventually became one of Rayner's best friends and biggest supporters. Surprisingly, another of Kyle's biggest supporters amongst the League was Batman, who often treated him with more respect than he showed certain other League members (including his predecessors as Green Lantern; Jordan, Gardner, and Stewart), most likely due to the fact that Kyle was willing to learn from others where other Lanterns focused on their rings and pre-existing skills. Rayner also entered a romantic relationship with Jade and formed friendships with the Golden Age Green Lantern (Jade's father, Alan Scott), Green Arrow (Connor Hawke), Arsenal (Roy Harper), Warrior (Guy Gardner), and John Stewart (who at the time was a former Green Lantern).

During his superhero career Rayner accumulated a rogues gallery that included characters from his predecessors' pasts such as Dr. Polaris and Dr. Light.

Oblivion[link]

During the Fifth-week event "Circle of Fire", it is discovered that a cosmic entity named Oblivion is coming to Earth after he attacked the planet Rann. This shocked Rayner, because the villain is strikingly identical to the character of a story Rayner made when he was seven during his period of struggling his fear and anger of growing up without a father, as an arch-nemesis to the adventurer The Cannoneer. The Justice League tries to stop Oblivion and during the battle, Kyle is sent back to Earth to get reinforcements but the League is captured. On Earth, Kyle recruits Power Girl, The Atom, Firestorm, Adam Strange, and the Circle of Fire — a group of Green Lanterns from alternate realities and different time periods. The Circle of Fire consists of Rayner's late girlfriend Alexandra DeWitt from an alternate timeline (where she had received the power ring instead of Rayner); Hunter and Forest Rayner, cousins descended from Rayner who share one power ring; Ali Rayner-West, Green Lightning, a future descendant of Wally West and Kyle Rayner who possesses both the Flash and Green Lantern's powers but could only use one of those powers at a time; a reprogrammed Manhunter robot model G.L.7177.6; and Pel Tavin, the Emerald Knight, a Daxamite Green Lantern from the Middle Ages.

Finding himself in a role as a leader, Rayner split this group up to handle different crises caused by Oblivion, or in some cases to search for a way to defeat him. Eventually, in a confrontation, Oblivion reveals that he is a distillation of Rayner's doubts and darker impulses, made manifest through the power of the ring. The villain also reveals that Rayner has subconsciously created the Circle of Fire based on his positive aspects because he needed help; Alex is an embodiment of Rayner's capability for love, while Tavin represents his bravery, Ali represents hope, G.L.7177.6 represents logic, and Hunter and Forest represent his imagination. When they realize this, they decide that the created Green Lanterns should return to Rayner's mind. Doing so allows him to unlock more powers from the ring that had been previously unavailable to him, and also discovers an inner strength he never knew he possesses after his positive aspects return to him. Facing up to this, Rayner is able to defeat Oblivion in New York City, imprisoned the entity within his own mind, and free the Justice League.

Ion[link]

For a brief period, Rayner achieved godhood as Ion^[1] after absorbing the energy Hal Jordan had left in Earth's Sun during "The Final Night" storyline, which had merged and grown with energies released after Oblivion's defeat. With his new powers, Rayner could bend time, space and reality, allowing himself, for example, to be in many places at once. The drawback of being one with everything was that Rayner could no longer sleep or separate himself from the overwhelming responsibilities these abilities imposed upon him. Rather than sacrifice his humanity, Rayner abandoned omnipotence, bleeding off the vast power, recharging the Central Power Battery on the Guardians' home planet and headquarters, Oa, and helping to create a new group of Guardians in the process.^[1][6] Before he purged all of the power, though, he modified his ring and conjured a new Corps uniform to reflect his new maturity. Once again limited only by his willpower and imagination, Rayner's ring could still affect yellow, and would always harbor a lifeline of power without a time limit on its power, and is keyed directly to him, and would always return to him, though it still required charging to reach full power.

After the brutal gay bashing of his young assistant and friend Terry Berg, Rayner went on a lengthy self-imposed exile into space. Before leaving, he placed John Stewart, recently recovered from his paraplegia and given a new power ring, into his spot in the Justice League. On his return, he discovered that Jade had begun seeing someone new, and was doing so in his own apartment. He left New York and spent some time trying once again to find his place on Earth, and ended up staying with his mother for a brief time.

[edit] Green Lantern: Rebirth

After being tricked into believing his mother had been murdered by Major Force, Rayner fights with the villain, eventually dealing with the immortal by decapitating him and shooting his head into space.^[7] Feeling that he is a danger to those he cares for, Rayner once again leaves for the far reaches of space. During the events of the miniseries Green Lantern: Rebirth, he returns with Jordan's corpse and the discovery of the true nature of Parallax, which is revealed to actually be an alien parasitic entity, the non-corporeal embodiment of fear, that possessed Jordan and committed crimes in his name. Subsequent to this, Rayner is given special status amongst the Guardians, who consider him the "Torch-Bearer", the Green Lantern who carried the legacy through the Corps' darkest period.^[8]

[edit] Infinite Crisis and the Return of Ion

In Infinite Crisis, Alexander Luthor reveals that had the Multiverse continued to exist if the event of Crisis on Infinite Earths hadn't occurred, Rayner would have been a native of Earth-Eight.^[9] When Jade dies during the Infinite Crisis Rann/Thanagar War Special, she transfers her power to Rayner, catalyzing his transformation into Ion.^[10]

In the series Ion: Guardian of the Universe, Ion seemingly destroys a fleet of starships and violently attacks two Green Lanterns, but Kyle has no memory of the destruction and only learns of his possible role in it after being attacked by a bounty hunter. Upon visiting the fleet's wreckage, Rayner loses control and finds himself near the sentient planet Mogo, also a Green Lantern, who uses his Lantern abilities to help convalescing Lanterns gain insight into their problems, through the use of constructs conjured by the Lantern's own subconscious. On Mogo, Rayner converses with images of Alex, Donna, and Jade, and fights Major Force. Rayner realizes that as Ion, he is able to channel the green energy of both the Starheart and the Central Power Battery. This new energy is called the "Ion Power".

Later, Jordan finds Ion destroying a planet, but discovers that this is in fact Alexander Nero, who claims that his connection with Kyle and new powers are the result of a third party's interference. Jordan and Rayner then discover that the Guardians had placed Rayner through these events as a test of whether he could handle his power, in anticipation of their granting him an honored position among Green Lanterns as their Torchbearer, now that he harbors the ability to revive the Corps should it ever be destroyed again. They explain that he will not patrol a sector as other Lanterns do, but will be called upon for aid in situations that the Corps cannot handle alone. They also reveal that some unforeseen enemy manipulated Nero, who unleashes a massive amount of energy that Kyle dissipates into what is presumed to be a pocket universe. Rayner later learns that he was hunted by enemies such as Effigy, who was subliminally instructed to attack Rayner by Nero.^[11] After clearing his reputation on the planet that was scorched by Nero while using Rayner's identity, Rayner learns his mother is dying of an unknown cause. After being attacked by the Tangent Comics version of the Atom and the Flash, and being transported to the interdimensional realm known as the Bleed", where he encounters Captain Atom, he returns home to attempt to reanimate his now-dead mother's corpse with newly acquired powers, but after a tearful farewell, she declines resurrection, asking Rayner to allow her to die, a request that the grief-stricken Rayner grants.

"Sinestro Corps War"[link]

Sinestro abducts Rayner from Oa through one of his new yellow power rings. At the Sinestro Corps' base on Qward, he reveals to Kyle that he was responsible for his mother's death and infected her with the sentient virus Despotellis to kill her in a plot to break Rayner's will so that he could serve as Parallax's new host. Sinestro also reveals that Ion is actually a benevolent energy entity, similar to Parallax, that thrives on willpower and that Rayner was unknowingly its current host.

The Sinestro Corps confront Kyle, who has his powers drained out of him by Sinestro himself, and is immediately taken over by Parallax. Parallax then clothes itself in a new uniform which appears as a combination of the Sinestro Corps' uniform, Kyle's original Green Lantern costume, and the armor Hal Jordan wore as Parallax. Parallax's possession also turns the hair on top of Kyle's head gray, just as it turned the hair on Hal Jordan's temples. Parallax returns to Qward with the Sinestro Corps and is inducted into their ranks, becoming one of the Anti-Monitor's heralds.^[12]

In Kyle's body, Parallax captured Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart and brought them to Qward. Before bringing them, Parallax made Hal relive the only time he ever felt fear: when his father died. Parallax also elaborated that since invading Kyle's mind, he now has nearly infinite creativity to call upon in his deeds.^[13] During the battle with the Green Lantern Corps, who arrives to Qward to rescue the captured Lanterns, Parallax murders Jack T. Chance and crushes his Power Ring before it can find a replacement.^[14] During his fight with the Earth Green Lanterns, Parallax revealed that Kyle Rayner's "twisted desire" was to be the last Green Lantern again and thus "special". He is stopped from murdering Guy Gardner by the intervention of the surviving Lost Lanterns and the Ion entity. The Embodiment of Fear then led an advance group of the Sinestro Corps, readying to attack Coast City. It is also suggested by the Guardians of the Universe that Kyle is no longer destined to be Ion following his being taken over by Parallax.^[15]

As seen in the one shot Parallax (September 2007) Kyle was trapped within his own mind. He is able to witness all that Parallax says and does from a third person perspective, but is unable to stop it. Kyle's personality watches Parallax's actions from inside the prison that his own imagination has constructed: his mother's empty house. The only fixture in the house is an old painting of uncertain origin and authorship that had belonged to Kyle's mother. As Kyle watches Parallax battle Hal Jordan and the Lost Lanterns a manifestation of the fear entity comes to pay him a visit. In the realm of his imagination Kyle is able to "transform" into Ion, and engage the parasite in battle. After being blasted back by Parallax and losing his Ion form, Kyle forms a power ring, places it on his finger, and appears in his original costume. Although he puts up a valiant fight, Parallax is too much for him and Kyle is defeated. Parallax taunts Kyle with his deepest fear: failing the people who depend on him, especially the women in his life. Many of the women in Kyle's life have died or come to harm because of their association with him and this causes Kyle to struggle with feelings of guilt and responsibility. The latest to die was Kyle's mother, killed by the sentient virus Despotellis on the orders of Sinestro. It was the grief and guilt that this revelation caused Kyle that allowed the Parallax entity to possess him. Sneering, Parallax mocks Kyle's helplessness and turns to depart but the enraged artist grabs a pencil and stabs the creature in the eye with it. Parallax, unfazed and unhurt, taunts Kyle once more with the hopelessness of his position and disappears. Left alone, Kyle is about to smash the painting in frustration when he notices his mother's signature in the bottom corner and realizes that she secretly painted it years ago. This deep and unexpected connection with his mother gives Kyle hope, the very thing he most needs to overcome his fear. With renewed faith in himself, Kyle walks into the painting and ends up in a field walking towards a bright, green star.^[16]

Green Lantern again[link]

After threatening Hal's brother and family in Coast City, Parallax is confronted by Hal Jordan, who is enraged of the entity's attempt of taking James Jordan's life as well as the possession of Kyle. Surprisingly, Jordan actually manages to beat Parallax consistently in fury, but loses the charge in his ring before he's able to defeat him completely. While visibly weakened, Jordan becomes absorbed by Parallax in addition to Rayner, and Parallax takes a new physical form with a bright yellow costume, a sign that he is a creature capable of inducing great fear.

Meanwhile, fellow Lantern John Stewart orders Honor Guard Lantern Guy Gardner to retrieve the painting (Kyle had discussed the painting in the Sinestro Corps Special, as well as the Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Parallax one-shot) of a little boy in a field, which was hanging in Kyle's dead mother's house. As Guy returns and shows the painting to Parallax, it visibly shifts his demeanor. Jordan, the beacon of green light that had come to Kyle inside his mind, assists Rayner in fighting Parallax exhaustively until they finally break free from the fear embodiment's grip.

Just as the now-separated Parallax creature counterattacks the Lanterns, ousted Guardians Ganthet and Sayd arrive with four Lantern Power Batteries, and they proceed to entrap Parallax within them all. Ganthet explains that his final act as a Guardian is to give Rayner his power ring. The Guardian asks Rayner if he is willing to downgrade himself to a regulation Green Lantern after serving as host to Ion for so long. Kyle quickly agrees and the four officers then take their batteries, recite the oath, and recharge their rings.^[17]

The four Green Lanterns then split in two directions; Hal returns to Coast City in order prevent it from being destroyed again with Kyle by his side, and John and Guy head to New York City to battle the Anti-Monitor, Superboy-Prime, and the Cyborg Superman. As Hal and Kyle battle Sinestro, Sinestro momentarily gains the upperhand after one of the Manhunters absorbs their power ring's energies. After the Green Lantern Corps defeat the Cyborg Superman, the Manhunters immediately deactivate, with Hal able to take one of the robots' skulls to absorbs Sinestro's power. With three of them powerless, Hal and Kyle immediately engage Sinestro in combat, with the two Lanterns emerging as the victors against the despotic Korugarian.^[18]

After the war he is assigned to the Honor Guard as Guy Gardner's partner, and sent to counsel Sodam Yat, the new Ion.^[19] Kyle and Guy decide to move to Oa, giving them better access to performing their duties. Kyle places his mother's painting on the wall of his new Oan apartment.^[20] The Ion is now stated as unrelated to the Starheart Power given to him by Jade: such sudden spike in powers enabled the Guardians to temporarily bond the Ion entity with Kyle. With the loss of the Ion entity, Rayner again has the powers and abilities of a standard Green Lantern.^{[volume & issue needed]}

Since his promotion to Honor Guard, Rayner has acted as a troubleshooter for the Corps, participating in actions such as the defeat of Sinestro Corps member Mongul and the capture of Sinestro Corps member Krybb. Following this, Rayner and Lantern Soranik Natu began a romantic relationship.

[edit] Countdown and beyond

In Countdown, Weeks 49-47, Kyle Rayner is among those 'anomalies' listed by the Monitors as being dangerous to the Universe, and so he is on their list for termination. Also on the list are Duela Dent, Donna Troy, and Jason Todd.

Rayner briefly appears in All-New Atom #15, once again carrying a Green Lantern ring (through his narration, Rayner makes it clear that he is no longer Ion, stating that he "[has] to change [his] business cards"). He now joins Donna Troy, Jason Todd, Bob the Monitor, and the Jokester in the Countdown Presents the Search for Ray Palmer. This story takes place after the events of the "Sinestro Corps War", though it was started while the war was still ongoing in the Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps series. Rayner's new uniform is an amalgamation of his previous Lantern uniforms and elements of the traditional version, as well as his original mask.^[21]

When the challengers finally locate Ray Palmer (on Earth-51) Bob attacks him, revealing his acts of assistance to be a ruse.^[22] Kyle escapes with Ray, who reveals that it was the deceased Earth-51 Ray Palmer who was meant to stop the great disaster, not him. The two are then attacked by Power Ring and evil versions of Booster Gold and Supergirl.^[23][24] While the battle between Monarch and Superboy-Prime rages, the hand of the Source urges the Challengers to go to Apokolips. With the help of Earth-51's Monitor, Nix Uotan, the group manage to leave before Superboy-Prime tears open Monarch's armor, obliterating that entire universe.^[25][26]

After Darkseid's defeat, Rayner joins Donna, Ray, and Forager in becoming border guards to the Multiverse.^[27]

"Blackest Night"[link]

Continuing his duties as a Green Lantern Honor Guard member, Rayner moved to Oa, running a new version of the Warriors Bar with Guy Gardner, and continuing his relationship with Soranik Natu, secretly breaking one of the ten new laws in the book of Oa unveiled by the Guardians: No relationships between Green Lanterns.^[28][29] He had been involved in the lead up to "The Blackest Night", being one of the first to deal with a new Star Sapphires member, and fought on Oa after the Guardian Scar caused a mass prison break of Sinestro Corpsmen.^[30][31]

After the prison break, the Alpha Lanterns were ordered by the Guardians to execute all Sinestro Corps members and all other prisoners. Rayner and Guy opposed this, cautioning the Alphas and the Guardians to avoid the dark path such actions would lead, but the Guardians ignored this, reassigning Rayner and Guy to Earth for their opposition to their decree.^[32] After briefly returning to Earth, the two Lanterns returned Oa, encountering an immense a swarm of black rings, which reanimated all the deceased Lanterns in Oa's crypts, bringing Kyle face to face with the reanimated corpse of Jade.^[33][34] Having learned that these Black Lanterns are not truly the deceased persons they once were, but grotesque mockeries of them, Rayner tries to destroy, but the false Jade torments Rayner with images of people he has failed in the past.^[35] The false Jade is destroyed by Natu.^[36]

During the Black Lanterns' attack upon the Central Power Battery on Oa, Alpha Lantern Chaselon's internal power battery was breached. Anticipating its detonation, and after professing his love for Natu, Kyle sacrificed himself by grabbing it and using it to destroy as many Black Lanterns as he could.^[37] Black rings attempt to resurrect Rayner as a Black Lantern, but they are destroyed by the Corps, Munk of the Indigo Tribe, and Miri Riam of the Star Sapphires, whose power embodies love. Having sensed the love between Kyle and Soranik in jeopardy, she uses her power to connect Kyle's heart to Natu's, and restores Rayner to life.^[38] Journeying to Earth, Rayner battles a Black Lantern version of Alexandra DeWitt, where he helps defeat the Black Lantern Corps leader, Nekron.^[39] In the aftermath of some of the Black Lanterns are restored to life, including Jade.^[40]

[edit] War of the Green Lanterns

When the rogue Guardian Krona attacks Oa, he places Parallax back inside the Central Power Battery, enabling to control the Green Lanterns through fear. Due to his past experiences with Parallax, Kyle is able to resist the effects, but is forced to remove his ring to prevent himself losing control. Tasked by Ganthet to flee, Kyle and John Stewart make their way into Oa's underground.^[41] While there, they encounter Guy and Hal, who has the rings of the other Corps leaders. Kyle, taking Ganthet's earlier declaration that he was putting his "hopes" in him to heart, choses Saint Walker's ring, while Hal chooses Sinestro's, Guy chooses Atrocitus', and John chooses Indigo-1's.^[42] However, the blue ring has the effect of supercharging the attacking Green Lanterns' rings, severely impeding the Earthmen's defence.^[43] While Hal and Guy go to remove Parallax from the Central Power Battery, Kyle and John attempt to free Mogo from Krona's control. On the way, Kyle discovers the blue ring's ability to show a person their greatest hope can free the Lanterns from Krona's control. Unfortunately, it does not work on Mogo, due to the residual Black Lantern energy in his core. Kyle can only watch in horror as John absorbs the Black Lantern energy, along with all the Green Lantern energy, and uses it to destroy Mogo.^[44] In the fallout, the two regroup with Hal, Guy and Ganthet, using the full power of the emotional spectrum to crack open the Battery and release Parallax. Their job done, the Lanterns regain their original green rings, in preparation for the final confrontation with Krona.^[45] In the final battle, Hal takes Kyle to the Book of the Black and makes him draw a picture of Sinestro, Carol Ferris and the others Lanterns traped in the Book which effectively free them from their prison.^[46]

In the aftermath of the war, Kyle and Soranik are forced to deal with their relationship issues. Kyle talks with Tomar-Tu about his problems with Soranik, but they, along with Soranik, are teleported into an alien world ravaged by Star Sapphire Miri Riam. The Lanterns subdue Miri, who reveals them that she did not kill anyone on the planet and she only damaged property to force Kyle and Soranik to reunite and solve their problems, reminding them of the time when she used her crystal to reveal to them their respective true loves. However, Kyle reveals that when Miri showed him his true love, he saw Jade, not Soranik. He justified himself saying that although Jade was the love of his life, she was dead and he needed to move on. Angered, Soranik breaks up with Kyle, telling him not to enter her sector.^[47]

New 52[link]

After the War of the Green Lanterns, Kyle resumes his functions on Earth, using his signature creative constructs to save construction workers caught in a construction accident. Elsewhere in the universe, red, indigo, violet, and yellow power ring bearers are decommissioned, and their rings set out for Sector 2814 (Earth). After saving the construction workers, the four rings approach Kyle, each claiming him as their new bearer. Confused by the appearance of the rings, Kyle is soon ambushed by the decommissioned bearers' peers who have tracked the rings to Kyle and have come to retrieve them.^[3]

As Kyle fights the four lanterns, a blue ring appears claiming Kyle as its bearer. Soon afterwards Saint Walker appears having tracked the ring's trajectory and helps Kyle reach Oa to try to understand what is happening. On their way a orange ring reaches Kyle, with Saint Walker claiming if the orange ring had come to Kyle and since only one orange ring exists, it means that its former bearer must be dead. On Oa, Kyle tries to talk to Ganthet, only to discover that the Guardians have removed all emotion from him, and Ganthet now acts just like all the other Guardians of the Universe. When the Guardians try to capture Kyle and forcibly discover what turned the Green Lantern into a magnet for the different Corps' rings, the six rings impose themselves on Kyle, turning him into the first entity to bear all the seven Lantern Corps' rings.^[48] Despite some initial success, Kyle's body is eventually unable to keep up the strain of wielding all of his new rings, with five of the new rings destroyed after a few moments, leaving just the orange ring along with his green ring. Ganthet attempts to remove Kyle's green ring and dismiss him from the Corps, but the ring itself reacts violently to this attempt to remove it. The orange ring is revealed to be a construct of Glomulus who asks Kyle for help, with the other ring-bearers arriving to either assist or attack Kyle. When the Guardians forcefully strike down the lanterns save for Glomulus, Larfleeze himself shows up and attacks the Guardians.^[49] Accompanied by Sayd, Larfleeze attacks the Guardians, but when Kyle hears Sayd imply that there is a way to restore Ganthet to normal, he joins forces with the other ring-wielders and flees the Guardians, essentially resigning from the Corps while retaining his ring. Talking with Larfleeze, they learn that the rings were drawn to Kyle due to the actions of a mysterious space ship that has just entered this universe- Larfleeze sent Glommulus to investigate it as he was able to resist the 'compulsion' of the source that tried to remove his ring due to his prolonged contact with it-, and the new team resolve to investigate this new threat.^[50] When they are attacked by the mysterious and powerful 'Archangel Invictus', who claims that all who wield the rings are evil, Kyle sends out a message to the other ring-wielders by convincing his ring to tap into his own emotions of hope, fear and compassion to 'tune in' to the appropriate 'wavelength'.^[51] Learning of Invictus's past history with Larfleeze, Kyle is able to trick him into letting the ring-bearers go by claiming that they will kill Larfleeze for him.^[52] With his ring low on power, Kyle returns to Earth with Bleez to recharge his ring, Bleez suggesting that Kyle will need protection from the Guardians after his expulsion while retaining his ring.^[53]

Powers and abilities[link]

As a Green Lantern, Rayner is semi-invulnerable, capable of projecting hard light constructions, flight, and utilizing various other abilities through his power ring which are only limited by his imagination and willpower. Kyle's constructs are much more elaborate than those of any other Green Lanterns, often fading into view like a sketch refined into an illustration.^[54] Eventually, he is able to utilize his skill as an artist to manipulate the pigments and dimensions within his constructs, making them appear so realistic that even Alan Scott was amazed at what Kyle could do with his ring's creations.

Rayner's ring was constructed from what remained of Hal Jordan's ring by Ganthet. It is keyed to Rayner and Hal Jordan's DNA, making it only accessible to Rayner, Jordan, and anyone who is closely related to them unless the bearer willed the ring to another individual. This is done by Ganthet to prevent the last ring from being stolen, as there would be no other lantern to send to retrieve it. Unlike most of the Green Lanterns' rings, Kyle's did not require a twenty-four hour period of recharge, only when the ring's capacity was depleted; and it was not necessary to recite the Corps' oath when recharged. Rayner is the first Lantern not to suffer from a weakness to items colored yellow. Both Mongul and Superman are very surprised at this upon first encountering him. Kyle states that he didn't know about the weakness and never had any trouble with it. Originally, this was explained as his ring being a "new model", which also explained why it had slightly different abilities than those seen previously. Later, this was retconned with the explanation that rings can affect yellow if the user faces and overcomes their fear; as an artist, Kyle had faced his fear of rejection every time he showed his work, and this extended to his constructs, which he considered part of his artwork.

When bonded with the benevolent Ion symbiont, Rayner was capable of much more elaborate usage of his imagination which can extend to the manipulation of reality. In possession of the more sinister Parallax entity, Rayner was theoretically capable of similar feats.

During his relationship with Donna Troy, Rayner engaged in combat training with his then-girlfriend. During his first battle with Fatality, he proved to be a formidable fighter and was able to defeat her when his ring was drained. In nearly every encounter with Fatality since that incident, Kyle would use his combat skills to defeat her rather than his ring in order to maintain an element of surprise (she expected him to use his ring) or when his ring is drained or absent during battles. As a member of the Justice League, Kyle occasionally would train in the League's combat training systems on the Watchtower and under the tutelage of combat-experienced Leaguers, such as Batman. Even though Rayner is now a skilled hand-to-hand combatant, having been trained by the Dark Knight himself, he is not an expert in hand-to-hand; for example, while he initially held his own in a hand-to-hand fight with Sinestro, the villain proved to be a better fighter due to his greater experience.^[55]

As an Honor Guard Illustres, Rayner ranks only below Salaak, who holds the rank of Clarissi, and the Guardians in the new Corps chain of command.

During a brief period where he was turned into a 'magnet' for all rings, Kyle could briefly wield the power of the entire emotional spectrum, but the strain of doing so meant that the other six rings disintegrated after only a few moments, leaving him feeling significantly weakened by the effort.^[56] Despite all of the rings barring his own turning to dust, a measure of each ring's power resides in Kyle which he is able to channel in a combined burst of multicolored lights.^[57]

Other versions[link]

• In the Elseworlds tale Green Lantern: Evil's Might, which takes place in 1888, Kyle Rayner is a political cartoonist working under the pen name "Rain or Shine." Formerly an associate with Alan Scott and the Bowery Greens, Kyle broke off his ties with them when Alan killed a seventy-two year old shopkeeper named Angus Kelly. Kyle uses the magic ring he found inside the lantern for the benefit of the immigrant masses of New York. Kyle dies near the end in a showdown with Alan Scott, but not until he absorbs Alan into his ring and combines it with Alan's jewel piece. He then takes the bits and pieces of the Statue of Liberty and puts them together, and finally gives Carol his ring and dies in her arms. The story reuses Alan Scott's origin, with Kyle in the main role.
• Kyle Rayner is a member of the Green Lantern Marine Corps in Superman: Red Son.
• In the Elseworlds story 1001 Emerald Knights Ibn Rayner is a young sultan being led astray by his evil vizier, taught life lessons by hearing the tales of Al-Jor-Dhan.
• A female version of Kyle named Kylie Rayner resides on Earth-11 and is part of that world's Justice League.^[58]
• In Superman & Batman: Generations, he takes on the role of Green Lantern when Alan Scott decides to retire.^[59] He reappears in Generations 2, where he is viciously attacked by Sinestro, before fleeing to the White House. His ring is then used by President Hal Jordan.^[60]
• In JLA/Avengers, Kyle appears as the JLA's Green Lantern. He helps defeat Terminus by redirecting his staff's energy. During the battle in Metropolis, he attacks the Scarlet Witch and battles the Vision. Afterwards, he and Superman go to Santa Rico, but they are attacked by Ms. Marvel and Wonder Man. Wonder Man manages to break Kyle's restraints and nearly defeats him before Superman intervenes. He also joins up with Wonder Woman to find the Spear of Destiny and faces Photon and Quasar. They defeat the two, but Iron Man appears and blasts them. In the Savage Land, Photon finally absorbs Kyle's energy and drains his ring. He uses the Cosmic Cube as a power source, but Ms. Marvel takes it from him. When the two worlds are merged, Kyle is replaced with Hal Jordan as Green Lantern, but during the final battle with Krona, Kyle reappears and helps attack Krona's forces with a weapon created by his ring based on Iron Man's designs.

In other media[link]

Television[link]

Kyle Rayner appears in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "In Brightest Day." He was initially voiced by Michael P. Greco. This Kyle Rayner includes character elements of Hal Jordan. Rayner was a newspaper commercial artist for the Daily Planet (and an aspiring comic book artist; in the beginning of the episode he shows Jimmy Olsen a rejection letter from DC Comics as in-joke) when he was chosen by the Lantern ring. The ring had come from Abin Sur, who sent it off with his dying breath (having been shot down to Earth by Sinestro). Mere moments after receiving the ring, Rayner had to fight for his life against Sinestro. With Superman's help, the new Green Lantern defeated Sinestro and took his place amongst the Lantern Corps.

John Stewart was established in Justice League as having been a Lantern for 10–15 years, later explained that Stewart's time as a Lantern before the actual timeframe of Justice League was spent in a different sector than 2814, and that he had very recently returned to Earth. Rayner is seen amongst the mourners at Superman's funeral in "Hereafter", and finally returns with a speaking part in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Return", voiced by Will Friedle. Stewart is still stationed in 2814, and Rayner on Oa, with other Green Lanterns posted there.

Kyle Rayner appears in Mad where he tries to appeal to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman about being called "Super Friends."

Film[link]

An alternate version of Kyle Rayner from a parallel Earth appears briefly in the animated film Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, among the underlings of the Crime Syndicate, known as the Made Men. Additionally, instead of being a Green Lantern, he wears a yellow uniform, like the ones worn by the members of the Sinestro Corps.

Comics[link]

Kyle Rayner also made a guest appearance in Garth Ennis and John McCrea's Hitman series, during the "Local Hero" (issues #9 to #12) arc. Kyle arrives at Gotham City to apprehend killer-for-hire Tommy Monaghan, later finding himself involved, along Monaghan, in a struggle against a clandestine government agency dedicated to kill and control metahumans. Although Kyle displays heroic prowess during the events of the arc, he is portrayed mostly in a humorous fashion and he is often humiliated and ridiculed for comic relief.

Books[link]

Kyle Rayner is also featured in the Justice League of America book series by Dennis O'Neil called Hero's Quest, published by Pocket Star Books in 2005. The story takes place outside of both the JLA book series and the mainstream DCU storyline. It retells how Rayner came across the ring, changing the events surrounding it, and the origins of superheroes on Earth. Rather than Hal destroying the Corps, it was instead the Guardians abandoning the Corps to remake the Universe, and Rayner is chosen by Ganthet to be the one to stop them as the new Green Lantern.

Games[link]

Kyle Rayner makes an appearance in Justice League Heroes as an unlockable character.

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (November 2011)

• Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner) at the Comic Book DB
• Kyle Rayner at the Internet Movie Database
• Kyle Rayner at the DC Database Project
• Alan Kistler's Profile On: GREEN LANTERN - Comic book historian Alan Kistler gives this in-depth three-part article on the full general history of the Green Lanterns, from the original stories of Alan Scott all the way down through Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner, with discussions on their enemies, the characters that inspired them and the stories that were planned but never happened. Lots of image scans.
• ‘ION’ THE FUTURE With the final issue hitting stores this week, Ion: Guardian of the Universe writer Ron Marz sat down to talk about Kyle Rayner’s journey and how the series leads into other DCU projects

Svend Viking Karlsen
Born	Svend Ødegård Karlsen (1967-10-06) October 6, 1967 (age 44) Drammen, Norway
Occupation	Strongman, Bodybuilding, Powerlifting
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	302 pounds (137 kg) (2012)
Spouse	Lene Karlsen (deceased)
Partner	Sandra Rødland
Children	Svend Alexander Karlsen

Competition record
Strongman
Competitor for  Norway
World's Strongest Man
Qualified	1996 World's Strongest Man
8th	1997 World's Strongest Man
3rd	1999 World's Strongest Man
2nd	2000 World's Strongest Man
1st	2001 World's Strongest Man
5th	2002 World's Strongest Man
9th	2003 World's Strongest Man
5th	2004 World's Strongest Man
Arnold Strongman Classic
2nd	2002 Arnold Strongman Classic
2nd	2003 Arnold Strongman Classic
2nd	2004 Arnold Strongman Classic
6th	2005 Arnold Strongman Classic
IFSA Strongman World Championships
Qualified	2005
IFSA World Open
2nd	2005
IFSA Nordic Championships
1st	2005
World Strongman Challenge
3rd	1997
3rd	2000
3rd	2001
World Muscle Power Championships
2nd	2001
1st	2002
Europe's Strongest Man
3rd	1998
1st	2001
3rd	2002
6th	2003
Norway's Strongest Man
1st	2003
1st	2005
1st	2006
Powerlifting
Competitor for  Norway
IPF Junior World Championships[1]
3rd	1989	125kg
EPF European Powerlifting Championships[2]
4th	1989	110kg
EPF Junior European Championships[3]
3rd	1986	125kg
3rd	1989	125kg

Svend Viking Karlsen (born October 6, 1967) is a former Norwegian strongman, powerlifter, and IFBB professional bodybuilder.

Powerlifting/Bodybuilding[link]

Svend started out as a powerlifter in 1986, winning a number of titles and setting 30 Norwegian records, 3 European records, and 1 world record. Soon after, Svend began pursuing a career in bodybuilding. He traveled on the road doing posing exhibitions with some bodybuilding friends to help pay the bills. Svend won the Mr. Norway title, and took second place at the World Games. This victory earned him his IFBB pro card and he could now compete as a professional. Svend moved to California to focus on his bodybuilding career, and his first pro show was the IFBB Night of Champions. Svend suffered a severe muscle tear that forced him to retire from bodybuilding, and in 1996 he quickly moved on to strongman competitions.

Strongman career[link]

Svend competed in one of the 1996 World's Strongest Man qualifying heats and narrowly missed qualifying for the finals. In the 1997 World's Strongest Man contest, Svend qualified for his first of 7 consecutive finals from 1997, 1999-2004(did not compete in 1998). Svend was leading the finals on points, but during the warm-up for the squat event, he tore his hamstring and had to withdraw from the rest of the contest. Svend returned in 1999, finishing in third place, and finished in second place in 2000. Svend finally became victorious at the 2001 World's Strongest Man competition in Victoria Falls, Zambia.

Some of Svend's other notable strongman titles include Europe's Strongest Man 2001, 3 time runner-up at the Arnold Strongman Classic 2002-04, World Muscle Power Championships 2001 winner, and 3 time Norway's Strongest Man in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Svend was the second athlete inducted into the World's Strongest Man Hall of Fame in 2010 as voted by the fans. He has a larger than life personality, and is known for shouting his catchphrase "Viking Power".

Retirement[link]

Svend retired from competition in 2006, and began serving as presenter and producer of the Norwegian version of the World's Strongest Man contest.

After retirement[link]

Svend is the event organizer for the Norway's Strongest Man competition, introducing events and interviewing participants. Svend was a co-commentator for the final event at the 2010 Arnold Strongman Classic. Svend also runs the Viking Power Challenge event in Norway, which is part of the Giants Live tour for qualification into the World's Strongest Man event.

Other Competitions[link]

• Strongest Man in the North 1996 - 5
• World Series Strongman Challenge 1997 - 3
• European Hercules 1997 - 4
• Helsinki Grand Prix 1998 - 2
• Atlantic Giant 1998 - 3
• Helsinki Grand Prix 2000 - 3
• Ireland Grand Prix 2000 - 3
• Beauty & The Beast 2000 - 2
• Prague Grand Prix 2000 - 2
• Romania Grand Prix 2000 - 4
• China Grand Prix 2000 - 4
• Northeast Strongman Showdown 2001 - 1
• Polish Grand Prix 2001 - 3
• Europe's Strongest Man 2001 - 1
• Dutch Grand Prix 2001 - 3
• Beauty & The Beast 2001 - 3
• World Muscle Power 2001 - 2
• Prague Grand Prix 2001 - 2
• World Record Breakers 2001 - 1
• X-treme Strongman Challenge 2001 - 1
• Stockholm Grand Prix - 3
• Northeast Strongman Showdown 2002 - 2
• Arnold Classic strongman Contest 2002 - 2
• Vantaa Challenge 2002 - 2
• Atlantic Giants 2002 - 1
• Clash of Titans 2002 - 1
• Clash of the Celtic giants 2002 - 2
• Europe Strongest Man 2002 - 3
• China Grand Prix 2002 - 1
• Sweden Grand Prix Super Series 2002 - 2
• Team World vs. Poland 2002 - 1
• Super Series Final 2002 - 2
• Hawaii Grand Prix Super Series - 9
• Arnold Classic Strongman contest 2003 - 2
• Helsinki Grand Prix 2003 - 6
• World Muscle & Power 2003 - 6
• Holland Grand Prix Super Series 2003 - 5
• Europe Strongest Man 2003 - 6
• Canada Grand Prix Super Series 2003 - 3
• World Team Championship 2003 - 5
• Finland Grand Prix Super Series 2003 - 4
• World Record Breaker 2003 - 5
• Norway Strongest Man 2003 - 1
• MHP X-TREME STRONGMAN Championship 2003 - 2
• Norway Strongest Man 2006 - 1

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official web site
• Svend Karlsen pictures

Travis Ortmayer
Born	Travis Ortmayer (1981-08-09) August 9, 1981 (age 30)
Residence	Cypress, Texas
Other names	The Texas Stoneman
Occupation	Strongman
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	300 pounds (140 kg)

Competition record
Strongman
Competitor for  United States
World's Strongest Man
5th	2008 World's Strongest Man
5th	2009 World's Strongest Man
5th	2010 World's Strongest Man
Arnold Strongman Classic
10th	2007
3rd	2009
3rd	2010
Fortissimus
5th	2008
4th	2009
IFSA Strongman World Championships
10th	2005
10th	2006
Qualified	2007
IFSA Pan-American Championships
2nd	2005
IFSA Strongman World Team Championships
2nd	2005 Team Pan-America
All-American Strongman Challenge
2nd	2005
1st	2006
1st	2008
3rd	2009
Giants Live
2nd	2009 Mohegan Sun Grand Prix
1st	2009 Viking Power Challenge
Strongman Super Series
1st	2008 Madison Square Garden
1st	2009 Stavenger Grand Prix
Strongman Champions League
2nd	2008 Latvia
3rd	2008 Holland
3rd	2009 Serbia
2nd	2009 Ukraine
3rd	2010 Germany
3rd	2010 Finland
1st	2010 Holland
America's Strongest Man
3rd	2006
2nd	2009
1st	2011

Travis Ortmayer (born August 9, 1981) is an American Professional Strongman athlete from Cypress, Texas. Travis is the owner of Athletic Nation ^[1] gym. Travis is nicknamed the Texas Stoneman due to his many world records in the Atlas Stone event.

Travis's strongman training complex is called "The Unit" and his father, Roger Ortmayer, trains with him. Travis is supported by his mom, Sonja Ortmayer, his sister, Tara Ortmayer, and his wife Lucy Ortmayer. Travis was born in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Strength Sports[link]

Travis started out training Bodybuilding in his early teens and eventually decided to train and compete in Powerlifting. Travis then met Marshall White^[2] who introduced him to the Strongman sport. In 2002, Marshall and Travis formed "the Unit" strongman training grounds in Cypress, Texas. "The Unit" was also joined by World's Strongest Man competitor Josh Thigpen^[3] and professional strongman Jim Glassman.^[4][5] Travis earned his ASC (American Strongman Corporation) Professional Strongman card by winning the 2004 NAS (North American Strongman) Amateur USA National Heavyweight Championships.

IFSA (International Federation of Strength Athletes) split from the TWI (Trans World International) World's Strongest Man contest after the 2004 contest. IFSA is the official governing body for the Strongman sport. IFSA held the first ever Pan-American World Championship Qualifier in 2005 at Sao Paulo, Brazil. Travis Ortmayer competed in this qualifier and placed 2nd.^[6] Travis also set a World Record for the Atlas Stones : Light Set strength event. His placement qualified him to compete in the inaugural 2005 IFSA World Championship being held in Quebec, Canada.^[7] During the World Championship, Travis set another World Record in the Atlas Stones, this time with the Heavy Set. Travis ultimately placed 10th overall in the World Championships.^[8][9]

In 2006 Travis eventually won his first international competition in Cyprus at the IFSA Cyprus Grand Prix.^[10] This was one week after attaining a pectoralis injury at the 2006 World Strongman Challenge in Tulsa, Oklahoma.^[11] Travis went on to win all three National Championship Qualifiers.^[12]

At the 2006 USA National Championships, Travis was 1.5 points away from victory and took home 3rd place.^[13] His performance however earned him an invite ^[14] by strength sport historian Terry Todd to compete in his contest, the Arnold Strongman Classic^[15] Classic contest, 2007, in Columbus, Ohio.^[16] Travis also qualified to compete in the 2006 IFSA World Championship being held in Reykjavík, Iceland.

Travis attained a shoulder injury and a thyroid problem, and lost 25 lbs. Travis competed in the 2006 IFSA World Championships. He maintained his Atlas Stone : Light Set world record, but lost his Heavy Set world record to the 2006 Champion Zydrunas Savickas. Travis placed 10th overall.^[17][18][19]

Travis then went on to compete in the exclusive 2007 Arnold Strongest Man competition. During the Timber Frame Carry, he injured his right foot. The timber frame dropped on his foot when his heel made contact with the apparatus. During the Hummer Tire Deadlift, Travis injured his back. Travis was waived out of the competition by the attending doctor. Travis did come back to compete in the final event, the Circus Dumbbell press. Travis placed 10th overall.^[20]

Travis then went on to compete in the 2007 Fresno Pro-Am (USA National Championship Qualifier). Travis won this contest^[21] which qualified him to compete in the 2007 America's Strongest Man (USA National Championship). During the USA National Championship, Travis re-injured his back on the second event, the Tire Deadlift, and pulled out of the competition^[22]

Travis has since gone on to compete in two team contests. The USA vs. World contest put on by Al Thompson in June 2007^[23] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA was his first. Travis and his team (Derek Poundstone, Van Hatfield, Nick Best and Walt Gogola) pulled out a victory against the three of the top five European strongmen in the World, (Zydrunas Savickas, Vasyl Virastyuk and Andrus Murumets. The contest was a tie going into the final event, the Atlas Stones. Team USA pulled out a victory in Travis's signature event to capture the win overall.^[24] His next team contest was the World's Strongest Nation held in Ukraine in August 2007. This time Team USA consisted of Travis along with Derek Poundstone, Tom McClure and Brian Shaw. Team USA place 2nd overall.^[25]

Travis recently competed in the IFSA World Open Championships in Geumsan, South Korea. This contest consisted of three events and was a qualifier for the semifinals of the actual World Championship contest. Travis was victorious at the World Open. He competed in the semifinals held during the following two days. His 3rd place at the semifinals was not enough to qualify for entry into the IFSA World Championship.

Travis and his father Roger Ortmayer opened up the elite personal training gym Athletic Nation during early 2007. Travis worked the microphone at the Arnold Strongman contest in March 2008. Travis married Lucy Ashton on 3/8/2008 at his home in Cypress, Texas.

Travis took some time during late 2007 to let his body recover and to build up base strength levels. He achieved his goal of an 800 lb deadlift on December 1, 2007 in a powerlifting meet. Since then he has gone on to win every contest he's competed in to date, March 15, 2008. In doing so, he has qualified for the World's Strongest Man Super Series 2008 and America's Strongest Man 2008. Travis was invited to compete in the Fortissimus - Decathlon of Strength competition held in Canada the last weekend of June.

MC ORT
Travis on the mic at the 2008 Arnold Strongest Man demonstrating to the large crowd how to do the Circus Dumbbell event
Photo by Chris Chapman

Travis competed in the Strongman Champions League 2008 Latvia contest and finished a close second behind Zydrunas Savickas. He beat out champion competitors like Mikhail Koklyaev, Andrus Murumets, and Oleksandr Pekanov.

On April 2, 2008 Travis signed on to compete against Mariusz Pudzianowski and Derek Poundstone at the Madison Square Garden Super Series on June 21, 2008. On June 21, 2008 Travis won the Madison Square Garden Super Series by defeating Derek Poundstone.

In September 2008, Travis competed in his first World's Strongest Man competition. During the qualifiers, Travis took first overall in his qualifying group. Travis still finished in 5th place overall in the finals.

Personal Records - Strongman (Arnold Classic) (WSM/SS) (IFSA)[link]

Atlas ("Manhood") Stone

• 240 kg {529 lb 21.5" diameter to 48"} {2009 Arnold Strongman Classic, Columbus, Ohio}
• 243.5 kg {535 lb 21.5" diameter to 48" for 3 reps} {2010 Arnold Strongman Classic, Columbus, Ohio}

Ring of Stones: Light Set

• 25.5 Sec World Record (2005 Pan Am Championships, Sao Paulo, Brazil *broken- see below
• 19.20 Sec World Record (2006 IFSA World Championships, Iceland)^[26]

5 Stone Series

• Heaviest set ever- 275,308,330,407,474 lbs in 26.18 sec (May, 2009 Mohegan Sun) Connecticuit, USA*broken- see below
• Heaviest set ever- 265,315,385,435,480 lbs in 34.81 sec (August, 2009 Paragon Casino) Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• 12.8 Sec 114 – 182 kg {250 - 400 lb} Unofficial World Record (Cypress, Texas)

Overhead Log Press

• 137 kg * 13 reps (300 lb) All American Challenge (Fit Expo) (Los Angeles, California)

Timber Carry

• 393 kg {865 lb - 19.94 sec up 36' ramp} American Record, {Arnold's Strongest Man, Columbus, Ohio}

SUV Deadlift

• 555 kg * 3 reps {1200+ lb} {USA National Championship Qualifier, South Carolina, U.S.}^[27][28]

Personal Records - Powerlifting (USAPL)[link]

Squat

• 341 kg {751 lb} - December 1, 2007, {Cypress, Texas}

Bench Press

• 216 kg {474 lb} - December 1, 2007, {Cypress, Texas}

Deadlift

• 364 kg {801 lb} - December 1, 2007, {Cypress, Texas}
• 366 kg * 2 reps {805 lb} - April 19, 2008, Ronnie Coleman Classic, Arlington, Texas}
• 395 kg {870 lb} - June 21, 2008, Madison Square Garden Super Series, New York, New York}

Total

• 921 kg {2026 lb} - December 1, 2007, {Cypress, Texas}

Achievements[link]

Professional Competitive Record - [1st (13),2nd (6),3rd (8) - Out of Total(39)]
Performance Metric - .909 [American - .943 International - .875]

COMPLETED CONTESTS

• America's Strongest Man (USA National Championship) Morgantown, West Virginia USA - 2nd place (7/25-26/2009
• Fortissimus - Louis Cyr Strength Challenge -Montmagny, Quebec, Canada - 4th place (6/27-28/2009
• Viking Power Challenge (Giants Live WSM Qualifier) - Stavanger, Norway - Winner (6/6/2009)
• Mohegan Sun Grand Prix (Giants Live WSM Qualifier) - Uncasville, Connecticut, USA - 2nd place (5/17/2009)
• Strongman Champions League - Serbia - Subotica, Serbia - 2nd place (tie) (5/9/2009)
• FIBO Strongman Classic - Essen, Germany - Winner (4/25/2009)
• American Strongman - Show of Champions - - Orlando, Florida, USA - Winner (4/17-18/2009)
• Arnold's Strongest Man - Columbus, Ohio, USA - 3rd place (3/6-7/2009)
• All American Strongman Challenge / Fit Expo (World's Strongest Man Super Series Qualifier) - Los Angeles, California, USA - 3rd place (1/24-25/2009)
• World's Strongest Man - Charleston, West Virginia, USA - 5th place (9/12-14/2008)
• World's Strongest Man Qualifying Round - Charleston, West Virginia, USA - Winner group 5 (9/9/2008)
• World's Strongest Nation Team Competition - Crimea, Ukraine - 4th place (8/6-8/2008)
• Fortissimus - Louis Cyr Strength Challenge - Notre-Dame-Du-Rosaire, Quebec, Canada - 5th place (6/28-29/2008)
• Madison Square Garden Super Series (World's Strongest Man Qualifier) - New York, New York, USA - Winner (6/21/2008)
• Strongman Champions League - Holland - Varsseveld, Holland - 3rd place (6/1/2008)
• Strongman Champions League - Latvia - Riga, Latvia - 2nd place (3/22/2008)
• St. Patrick's Strongman (USA National Championship Qualifier) - Columbia, South Carolina, USA - Winner (3/15/2008)
• Nutrition Depot Strongman Expo - Cypress, Texas, USA - Winner (3/8/2008)
• All American Challenge / Fit Expo (World's Strongest Man Super Series Qualifier) - Los Angeles, California, USA - Winner (2/17/2008)^[29]
• IFSA World Championships-Qualifiers - Geumsan, South Korea - 3rd in heat (9/12/2007)
• IFSA World Open Championship - Geumsan, South Korea - Winner (9/10/2007)^[30]
• World's Strongest Nation Team Competition - Ukraine - 2nd place (8/6/2007)^[25]
• USA vs. World Team Competition - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - Winner (7/1/2007)^[24]
• America's Strongest Man (USA National Championship) - Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - injured (5/26/2007)^[22]
• Clovis/Fresno Pro-Am (USA National Championship Qualifier) - Fresno, California, USA - Winner (4/21/2007)^[21]
• Arnold's Strongest Man - Columbus, Ohio, USA - 10th place (3/4/2007)^[20]
• Ukraine Strongman Contest - Ukraine - 6th place (2006)
• IFSA World Championship - Reykjavik, Iceland - 10th place (11/25/2006)^[20]
• USA vs. Lithuania Team Competition - Lithuania - 2nd place (10/20/2006)^[31]
• Lithuania Grand Prix - Marijampole, Lithuania - 8th place (8/19/2006)
• World's Strongest Nation Team Competition - Kiev, Ukraine - 3rd place (8/3/2006)^[32]
• America's Strongest Man (USA National Championship) - Charlotte, North Carolina, USA - 3rd place (7/22/2006)^[13]
• Liberty City Strongman Classic (USA Nationals Qualifier) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - Winner (7/1/2006)^[12][33]
• Utah's Strongest Man (USA National Championship Qualifier) - Utah, USA - Winner (6/10/2006)^[34][35]
• Hungary Grand Prix - Eger, Hungary - 3rd place (6/5/2006)^[36]
• Cyprus Grand Prix - Island of Cyprus - Winner (5/28/2006)^[10]
• World Strongman Challenge (USA Grand Prix) - Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA - injured (5/21/2006)^[11]
• Dubai Grand Prix - Dubai, United Arab Emirates - 4th place (4/25/2006)^[37]
• St. Patrick's Strongman (USA National Championship Qualifier) - Columbia, South Carolina, USA - Winner (3/18/2006)^[28]
• Iron Man Fit Expo Strongman Championship - Pasadena, California, USA - Winner (2/19/2006)^[38]
• IFSA World Team Championships - St. Maarten Island - 2nd place (12/10/2005)^[39]
• World's Strongest Nation Team Competition - Sevestopol, Ukraine - 3rd place (10/21/2005)^[40]
• IFSA World Championship - Quebec, Canada - 10th place (9/24/2005)^[9]
• Pan-American Championship - São Paulo, Brazil - 2nd place (8/20/2005)^[6]
• Utah's Strongest Man - Mapleton, Utah, USA - Winner (7/23/2005)^[41]
• Liberty City Strongman Classic - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA 3rd place (7/2/2005)^[42]
• Hawaii's Strongest Man - Honolulu, Hawaii, USA - 3rd place (4/17/2005)
• Kansas City Pro-Am - Kansas City, Missouri, USA - Winner (2/26/2005)
• The Fit Expo Strongman Championship - Pasadena, California, USA - 2nd place (2/19/2005)^[43]

Amateur Competitive Record - [1st (7),2nd (1),3rd (2) - Out of Total(12)]
Performance Metric - .941

• USA Amateur National Championship - Heavyweight Division (NAS) (Amateur Platinum Plus Level Competition) - winner (10/10/2004) earned ASC Professional Strongman Card^[44]
• Midwest Open (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - Missouri, USA - 1st place tie (7/31/2004)
• Strongman Record Breakers (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - Illinois, USA - winner (7/03/2004)
• Music City Strongman (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - Tennessee, USA - winner (6/12/2004)
• Show Me Pro-Am (Amateur Platinum Plus Level Competition) - St. Louis, Missouri, USA - 3rd place (5/08/2004)
• Monster's of the Midwest (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - Missouri, USA - 3rd place (12/6/2003)
• USA Amateur National Championship - HW Division (Amateur Platinum Level Competition) - 12th place (10/4/2003)
• South Carolina's Strongest Man (Amateur Gold Level Competition) - South Carolina, USA - winner (8/16/2003)
• Texas's Strongest Man (Amateur Gold Level Competition) - Texas, USA - winner (7/12/2003)
• Texas's Summer Strongman (Amateur Gold Level Competition) - Texas, USA - 2nd place tie (5/10/2003)
• Pure Power Strongman Contest (Amateur Gold Level Competition^[45]) - winner (4/26/2003)
• Texas's Strongest Man (Amateur Gold Level Competition) - Texas, USA - 5th place (8/03/2002)

External links[link]

• Official Travis "Texas Stoneman" Ortmayer web site
• Official ASC Professional Strongman Profile of Travis Ortmayer
• Official IFSA Professional Strongman Profile of Travis Ortmayer
• Official YouTube web site of Travis Ortmayer
• ASC 2005 "A Year to Remember for Texas Stoneman" article
• Travis Ortmayer Interview courtesy of Mike Westerling

References[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Travis Ortmayer

Mark Felix
Born	Mark Felix (1966-04-17) April 17, 1966 (age 46) Grenada
Residence	England
Occupation	Strongman
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	294 pounds (133 kg)

Competition record
Strongman
Competitor for  United Kingdom
World's Strongest Man
Qualified	2004 World's Strongest Man
4th	2006 World's Strongest Man
7th	2007 World's Strongest Man
Qualified	2008 World's Strongest Man
Qualified	2009 World's Strongest Man
Qualified	2010 World's Strongest Man
Qualified	2011 World's Strongest Man
WSF World Strongmen Championships
7th	2012
Arnold Strongman Classic
6th	2011
Giants Live
2nd	2009 Poland
3rd	2010 London
4th	2011 London
3rd	2011 Ukraine
World Strongman Federation
3rd	2012 WSF World Cup Uzbekistan
IFSA World Team Championships
3rd	2005 IFSA World Team Championships
Jon Pall Sigmarsson Classic
3rd	2010
All-American Strongman Challenge
2nd	2010
3rd	2011
8th	2012
Rolling Thunder
Champion	Rolling Thunder 2008
Champion	Rolling Thunder 2009
Vice Grip Viking Challenge
Champion	2011
Champion	2012
WSM Super Series
3rd	2007 Mohegan Sun Grand Prix
Europe's Strongest Man
4th	2008 Europe's Strongest Man
3rd	2010 Europe's Strongest Man
Other Grand Prix & International Contests
2nd	2008 Ukraine Strongman Grand Prix
Competitor for  England
Britain's Strongest Man
2nd	Britain's Strongest Man 2006
2nd	Britain's Strongest Man 2007
3rd	Britain's Strongest Man 2008
IFSA British Championships
1st	IFSA British Championships 2005
England's Strongest Man
3rd	England's Strongest Man 2004
IFSA England's Strongest Man
2nd	IFSA England's Strongest Man 2005

During the Europe's Strongest Man 2009 contest.

Mark Felix (born April 17, 1966 in Grenada^[1]) is a strongman competitor and regular entrant to the World's Strongest Man competition. Felix has won numerous international grip contests, including the Rolling Thunder World Championships in 2008 & 2009, as well as the Vice Grip Viking Challenge in 2011 & 2012. Mark has also held the Rolling Thunder world record since 2008, as well as the Captains of Crush "COC" Silver Bullet world record. Due largely in part to his grip achievements, Mark is widely regarded as having the strongest grip in the world.

Early life[link]

Mark Felix was born in 1966 in Grenada. At the age of 23 he moved to Great Harwood, Lancashire, England.^[2] He was a dedicated body builder and turned his attention to strongman competitions in 2003 at the age of 37, comparatively late in relation to other strength athletes.^[2]

Strongman career[link]

Mark Felix turned pro as a strongman within a year when the IFSA Strongman Federation was launched in 2004.^[3]

Mark came third in England's Strongest Man in 2004, and in 2005 he went on to come second to Eddy Elwood in the IFSA version of England's Strongest Man (England's Strongest Man (IFSA)). This led him to the IFSA British Championships which he won in 2005. Of the five events, Felix won three (Deadlift, Farmer’s Walk and Atlas Stones).^[3] Aftwerwards Felix credited his victory to "Big hands, big heart"^[3]

In 2005, Felix was invited to compete in the IFSA World Open in Sao Paulo, Brazil which was a qualifier for the 2005 IFSA Strongman World Championships later in the year, but he failed to finish in the top 4 and did not qualify for the IFSA World Championships.

Mark also competed in the IFSA World Team Championships in 2005 as a part of Team World as a representative of Grenada, the team placed third overall.

In 2006 Mark placed second in the Britain's Strongest Man competition and this led to a place in the 2006 World's Strongest Man in which he placed fourth in the finals.^[2] In 2007 he repeated his second place finish in Britain's Strongest Man and finished seventh in the 2007 World's Strongest Man. In the same year he also finished third in the Strongman Super Series 2007 Mohegan Sun Grand Prix.

In 2008 he came fourth in Europe's Strongest Man^[2] and went on to finish third in Britain's Strongest Man, qualifying him for a third successive WSM appearance.^[2] Felix has said "Every year I gain more experience and learn more about what I am capable of."^[2]

Rolling Thunder/Grip[link]

Felix won the inaugeral 2008 Rolling Thunder World Championships which took place during the 2008 Fortissimus contest in Canada. He also set a new world record with a lift of 301 lb.

In June 2009, Felix successfully defended his Rolling Thunder World Championships title.^[4]

Felix won the inaugeral 2011 Vice Grip Viking Challenge^[5] which took place on Jan. 29, 30th 2011 at the LA Fitexpo.

Mark retained his Vice Grip title by winning the 2012 Vice Grip Viking Challenge, he also set a world record in the Captains of Crush "COC" Silver Bullet event (holding a suspended weight from within the handles of a Captains of Crush no. 3 gripper) with a time of 43.25 seconds.^[6]

Mark recently set a new Rolling Thunder world record at the 2012 Bodypower Expo in Birmingham, England with a lift of 323.5 pounds (146.7 kg), more than 20 lbs. heavier than his previous world record of 301 pounds (137 kg).^[7]

Personal life[link]

Felix continues to work as a self-employed plasterer out of season. He lives in Great Harwood with his wife Denny and three children.

References[link]