Rainbow Raider

Rainbow Raider
Interior artwork from Who's Who in the DC Universe 11 (July, 1991 DC Comics). Art by Ty Templeton.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	The Flash vol. 1 #286 (June 1980)
Created by	Cary Bates (writer) Don Heck (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Roy G. Bivolo
Team affiliations	Rogues Black Lantern Corps
Abilities	Special goggles allow projection of hard-light rainbows for travel or attack. Can alter people's emotions by coating them in certain colors.

Rainbow Raider (Roy G. Bivolo) is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books by DC Comics. His real name is a pun based on the acronym "ROYGBIV" (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, pronounced roy-gee-bihv), a mnemonic for the colors of a rainbow. He is a minor, though recurring, enemy of the Flash and other heroes.

Rainbow Raider first appeared in The Flash vol. 1 #286 June 1980, and was created by Cary Bates and Don Heck.

As a child, Roy G. Bivolo always dreamed of a career as an artist, a lofty goal considering he was completely colorblind. He would often paint what he thought were beautiful pieces of art, only to be told that it was made up of clashing colors. His father, an optometrist and genius in optical technology, swore he would find a cure for his son's disorder. Due to failing health, he was unable to complete his product, but instead created a sophisticated pair of goggles that would allow Roy to create beams of solid rainbow-colored light. On his death-bed, his father presents him with this gift, and it was not long before Roy found a sinister use for it.

Turning to crime because the world did not appreciate his art, Roy, now the Rainbow Raider, went on a crime spree focused mostly on art galleries, saying that if he could not appreciate the great works of art in them (due to his disability), no one else would. During this time he often clashes with the Flash, and sparks a rivalry that would last several years. Some years later he would fight Booster Gold as well. He is a central plot point in the first issue of the Underworld Unleashed storyline because Neron, the demonic antagonist, considered him pathetic, indeed even calling him a "paramecium".