Apollo is notable for being among the first openly gay superheroes in print, although several years behind Marvel Comics' Northstar.

In flashbacks, Apollo was introduced as a member of a "black ops" Stormwatch team so secret that no one but the first Weatherman, Henry Bendix, knew of its existence.

The new series picked up themes Ellis had explored in Stormwatch, including the political potential of a team more powerful than world governments and the United Nations.

Apollo featured prominently in early story arcs, producing a miles-long wall of flame to contain super clones attacking London, rescuing civilians from disaster zones, and shooting down invaders from a parallel universe.

He formed a friendship with leader Jenny Sparks, and his relationship with Midnighter was revealed in The Authority #8, written by Warren Ellis.

Apollo featured also in the Transfer of Power storyline, in which the Authority was defeated, captured and usurped by sadistic, government-controlled replacements.

To Apollo's initial horror she caused herself to jump in age to 14 years; after convincing him to support her, she set about rounding up the surviving members of the Authority, including Midnighter.

Countdown: Arena writer Keith Champagne described the Ray-Apollo relationship on his blog: Final Crisis #7 depicts Apollo and Mister Majestic as both being Superman analogues for their Earth.

The 2008 Number of the Beast Wildstorm miniseries described the devastation of Earth and set the scene for a new Authority ongoing series, World's End, by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.

In this series, Apollo is separated from Midnighter and the rest of the Authority when a thick layer of smog covers the Earth, preventing sunlight from reaching the surface.

Apollo is forced to remain in the photosphere to absorb the radiation he needs to survive, visiting the surface only briefly to help the team.

The Authority is forced to put Apollo in suspended animation, frozen and in an anaerobic room to keep the infection from spreading.

In the new universe, Apollo starts off as a superpowered young man who first comes to the attention of Stormwatch after he uses his abilities to murder a child molester.

Subsequently, a website uses Photoshop to create an image of Apollo battling Superman, the idea of which ultimately convinces Stormwatch to recruit him.

Jack Hawksmoor, the Projectionist, and Martian Manhunter hunt down Apollo and attempt to recruit him into the team, but he refuses, and a fight ensues.

Vaguely remembering a few weeks in an "alternate timeline" (Stormwatch #19-29), Apollo and Midnighter are nevertheless now a couple again, and Jenny Quantum is a team member again.

[5] Writer Steve Orlando told The Advocate that "I would say I feel pressure to showcase a realistic relationship, and that means neither an unattainable, idealized vision or an overly dysfunctional one.

[6] Apollo's powers include superhuman strength, flight, and near invulnerability (the character has been shown entering a lava flow to deactivate a volcano, and walking on the surface of the Sun).

He was shown in early issues of The Authority flying without protective equipment in space, explaining he could do so by the simple method of not breathing.

[7] In Wildstorm Winter Special 2005, a story called Apollo & Midnighter: Two Dangerous Ideas features their alternate reality analogues, Pluto and Daylighter, with inverted color schemes to match.