Honey, where you see a dead body, I hear a story. He's telling it to me right now. A juicy one. A crime story. As a forensic scientist, I'm one of the few who can hear it. And trust me, Carlie, dead men... tell the best stories. 
- —Ray Cooper[src]
History
Ray Cooper was a forensic scientist for the NYPD. He instilled in his daughter Carlie Cooper a respect for a profession at a young age.[1] Despite his reputation as a honorable officer,[2] Ray eventually got involved with the Maggia after his wife Ruthie Cooper got ill and he needed more money. With Ray's help, the Maggia employed the services of Mysterio to fake the death of several prolific Maggia mobsters. Once Ruthie passed away, Ray felt his family didn't owe the system any loyalty, and fully switched his loyalty to Mysterio.[3] Ray eventually faked his death as a drunk driving accident.[2] Carlie, who held her father in high steem and was unaware of his true intentions, decided to follow his steps and eventually became a forensic scientist herself when she grew up.[1]
Many years later, when the Maggia employed Mysterio again to fake the return to life of Maggia head Silvermane, he instead used this scheme to amass power for himself. Ray resurfaced to reunite with Carlie, collect his cut of Mysterio's profits from their partnership, and escape together.[3] Carlie became disillusioned with Ray, though she was also doubtful that he wasn't an impostor, but played along and tagged him with a Spider-Tracer that later helped Spider-Man track down Mysterio's base of operations.[3]
When Ray met up with Carlie to escape with the money, she locked herself up with him and dispersed a knockout gas while wearing a gas mask herself. Before the gas took effect, Carlie claimed it was a version of Devil's Breath coded to her DNA, meaning it would kill Ray if he was truly her father, to gauge his response. Ray lashed out at Carlie before losing consciousness, confirming that he was Carlie's father. Afterward, Carlie called her superior, Captain Yuri Watanabe, to have Ray arrested.[4]See Also
- 5 appearance(s) of Ray Cooper (Earth-616)
- 2 minor appearance(s) of Ray Cooper (Earth-616)
- 3 mention(s) of Ray Cooper (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Ray Cooper (Earth-616)
- 3 image(s) of Ray Cooper (Earth-616)
- 1 quotation(s) by or about Ray Cooper (Earth-616)