Rai Theory

[lorddunlow]

I have started to think that Bloodshot may be Rai in the VEI universe. He definitely seems to be invulnerable. I see no reason why he wouldn't live until 4001. The reason is that VEI keeps having promo art with Bloodshot holding the sword and gun just like in the Rai teaser from 2012 FCBD.

The only negative I see to this, if I'm right is that it would be a slight detriment to the Bloodshot series' storytelling. If you know he lives to 4001, then you could never really worry about him dying (although, I admit, I don't worry much about it now - what would it take to kill this version of Bloodshot really?)

What do other's think?

[BugsySig]

Here's my theory on the Rai book based on various interviews, comments, tweets, podcasts, etc..

Rai was teased for Spring 2013. I think Josh Dysart may have been pegged to write it. Then Harbinger Wars came together, and the book/introduction got pushed back. One of the guys said as much (without naming the title) in the OTV WonderCon podcast. Perhaps it still would have happened this Summer, but Dysart wound up writing HW on his own due to DS's schedule. Now we may not get Rai until the Winter or even next Spring.

Either that, or I've been duped again by those tricky VEI devils and Dysart will be writing two books very shortly.

As for Rai himself? He's got to be tied to Bloodshot, PRS and the Bleeding Monk. It makes too much sense not to be so.

[Scott M Davis]

i am thinking Rai maybe a past form of Bloodshot. Tie him into the Bleeding Monk from the first Psiot purge.

[bygranddesign]

As for Rai himself? He's got to be tied to Bloodshot, PRS and the Bleeding Monk. It makes too much sense not to be so.

In Harbinger 11 - When Harada is visiting the monk in his mind he mentions the place as being the site of the slaughter of the Dzungar Buddhist the source of the never healing wound. The bleeding monk survived the slaughter but has never healed his wounds - forever bleeding. Bloodshot's chest wound also never heals. If P.R.S made a deal with Harada and traded secrets perhaps they gained access to the Bleeding Monk (and his blood) and that's what helped them create Bloodshot. (the chest wound perhaps a psycho-somatic manifestation of the past trauma - aka the blood remembers)

Rai might be a hero that gets infused with the blood in the future ... like the 2nd Rai in the original universe (but that seems too obvious .. so I would assume it will have a better twist then that)

[Spylocke]

It is plausible but I'm not keen on the idea. I prefer Rai not to have such a direct connection to Bloodshot and the idea of the spiritual defender of future Japan being a white guy is rather irksome. Power-wise I would prefer Rai to have the energy powers of the Nakadai family.

I think they should open up the mystical side of the Valiant Universe a bit more and connect Rai to the kami and the land of Japan itself. Like a combination of Shadowman and the Geomancer. If set in modern times we could have a Rai weakened by incidents like the recent earthquakes which damaged their nuclear reactor and low birth rates. Rentaro could be a bitter old man still recovering from Hiroshima and Nagasaki who longs for a return to the days of isolation and imperialism. Like Yukio Mishima with super powers.

I liked Takao Konishi as Rai but it was easy to see him as a less interesting Bloodshot since he had many of the same powers.

[FormerReader]

It is plausible but I'm not keen on the idea. I prefer Rai not to have such a direct connection to Bloodshot and the idea of the spiritual defender of future Japan being a white guy is rather irksome. Power-wise I would prefer Rai to have the energy powers of the Nakadai family.

I think they should open up the mystical side of the Valiant Universe a bit more and connect Rai to the kami and the land of Japan itself. Like a combination of Shadowman and the Geomancer.

This is what I want to see as well. Not everything needs to be inter-related. The character Rai should have ties to Japan and be set in the future. He has some connection to Bloodshot, but he should not be a replica of Bloodshot. That is what made the original Valiant so great. They had these characters with amazing back stories. I had never seem anything like them until that point. This is the magic they need to recapture. I think this is why they are taking their time to do it right.

[BugsySig]

It is plausible but I'm not keen on the idea. I prefer Rai not to have such a direct connection to Bloodshot and the idea of the spiritual defender of future Japan being a white guy is rather irksome. Power-wise I would prefer Rai to have the energy powers of the Nakadai family.

I think they should open up the mystical side of the Valiant Universe a bit more and connect Rai to the kami and the land of Japan itself. Like a combination of Shadowman and the Geomancer.

This is what I want to see as well. Not everything needs to be inter-related. The character Rai should have ties to Japan and be set in the future. He has some connection to Bloodshot, but he should not be a replica of Bloodshot. That is what made the original Valiant so great. They had these characters with amazing back stories. I had never seem anything like them until that point. This is the magic they need to recapture. I think this is why they are taking their time to do it right.

I agree, and love the idea of tying Rai into Japanese mythology, etc, but a connection with Bloodshot is unavoidable. I definitely don't think they should be the same person, though.

There are ways, such as Bloodshot being tied to the Monk and Rai being tied to the Monk, where they could be connected and explain the similar looks without one being a "replica".

[Dr. Solar]

Bloodshot was a legend among psiots. He was the "bogey man" that hunted them down.

Now he has changed that. He freed them from captivity, and is leading them on.

He is their Moses.

But where is he leading them? If he ends up bringing them to "Canaan", will he not be allowed to enter for some reason?

How long would that legend last? The legend of the bogey man that turned into the savior of the Psiots? Could it last 2,000 years?

Could it last long enough such that when the Psiots face a new threat 2,000 years from now, and they need a new savior, that they would model this new hero on their legendary savior, Bloodshot?

[Chiclo]

Bloodshot was a legend among psiots. He was the "bogey man" that hunted them down.

Now he has changed that. He freed them from captivity, and is leading them on.

He is their Moses.

But where is he leading them? If he ends up bringing them to "Canaan", will he not be allowed to enter for some reason?

How long would that legend last? The legend of the bogey man that turned into the savior of the Psiots? Could it last 2,000 years?

Could it last long enough such that when the Psiots face a new threat 2,000 years from now, and they need a new savior, that they would model this new hero on their legendary savior, Bloodshot?

The change, from prosecutor to leader, might better find a Biblical analogy to Paul than Moses.

[Dr. Solar]

The change, from prosecutor to leader, might better find a Biblical analogy to Paul than Moses.

It was the leading out of captivity into freedom that got me thinking. It's not a perfect analogy, it just came to mind.

[The Dirt Gang]

Bloodshot was a legend among psiots. He was the "bogey man" that hunted them down.

Now he has changed that. He freed them from captivity, and is leading them on.

He is their Moses.

But where is he leading them? If he ends up bringing them to "Canaan", will he not be allowed to enter for some reason?

How long would that legend last? The legend of the bogey man that turned into the savior of the Psiots? Could it last 2,000 years?

Could it last long enough such that when the Psiots face a new threat 2,000 years from now, and they need a new savior, that they would model this new hero on their legendary savior, Bloodshot?

I like this theory. I just hope whatever Rai we get it includes a dragon city that orbits earth.

[Paradigm38]

Maybe Gilad has a little something to do with this... one fist and steel for an entire planet? *shhh*

[lorddunlow]

I just hope whatever Rai we get it includes a dragon city that orbits earth.

Most definitely!

[Spylocke]

I like this theory. I just hope whatever Rai we get it includes a dragon city that orbits earth.

Not to mention a back-up of the erotic adventures of 1A and Grandmother.

[bygranddesign]

I'm glad they are taking their time in introducing Rai and the 4001 timeline

This is something that is not going to be easy with a lot of things that need to be worked out when you are creating a timeline 2000 years in the future. In the original universe everything took it's cue from Magnus which was a character that already had a rich history - they just needed to update some of the ideas and add some twists. But many of the characters and villains were already created ... and including the setting of NorthAm and the upper levels of society run by Robots and the lower level Gophs living hard lives on their own.

Rai will now have to be the lynch pin of this new 4001 timeline ... and i'm sure they will want to put their own twist on what the future will look like. Perhaps it will be more about a world run by Psiots then a world run by Robots.

And i'm sure they want to plan on what characters new and "classic" that could have their own titles in this timeline.

I have a feeling that if Dysart has his hands on creating this timeline and perhaps writing for Rai ... he will bring along generation zero (or some of the characters) into the future. All of these kids are like setting off a nuclear bomb in our time ... but perhaps in the future they are more a dime a dozen.

I think 2000 years from now if you don't have Psiot abilities ... you're pretty much screwed.

[Baramos]

I assume this time around Rai's ability to make weapons out of energy or travel through the internet or whatever, will just be some form of new advanced nanite created in the next 2000 years. I can't see them just settling for no connections to Bloodshot other than Grandmother wanting him to look like Bloodshot.

[Spylocke]

I assume this time around Rai's ability to make weapons out of energy or travel through the internet or whatever, will just be some form of new advanced nanite created in the next 2000 years. I can't see them just settling for no connections to Bloodshot other than Grandmother wanting him to look like Bloodshot.

Thanks, Baramos. Now I have images of a troll Rai popping up out of nowhere doing just enough damage to his enemies to annoy them with a stupid smirk and a: "U Mad, Bro?"

[400yrs]

Perhaps it will be more about a world run by Psiots then a world run by Robots.

That, I would like to see.

[bygranddesign]

Perhaps it will be more about a world run by Psiots then a world run by Robots.

That, I would like to see.

Yeah, Harada pretty much has huge influence over the world as it is NOW ... even if he were to be defeated ... some other all powerful Psiot will take his place. 2000 years from now I would have to believe Psiots would run the world completely and in the OPEN - they would run the biggest corporations and they would run the governments.

Maybe that's what Grandmother will be re-imagined to being - an all powerful Psiot running Japan. Similar to bloodshot, she could have nanite infused blood that courses through the veins of Japan - the mainframe, the power grid, wirelessly - always watching and judging and ruling the people. Also helping and keeping people safe which would put many of the people on her side. Similar to the original but with a twist of Psiot

I'm sure the sentient robot angle could also be played ... but which would be cooler is if they embrace the idea of the Technological Singularity that many "Futurists" believe in - a point in time when computers and Humans merge. Your body would just be a vessel and your consciousness would never die - constantly uploaded/updated to a mainframe or the cloud and then downloaded into a new vessel when needed. Not all classes of people would have this ability which could be another source of conflict to explore..

[JonesyAZ]

Not sure if this theory has been mentioned before, and I know it's a long shot...but I get the feeling from recent issues of A&a that Archer could end up being Rai someday. Who knows? Lol

[greg]

This theory is a bit out there as well...

On the OTV 100 podcast, Dinesh said that first appearances tend to match the original Valiant numbering, specifically #5 (first Rai in a story in Magnus #5).

VEI puts some emphasis on the new #5 issues...
X-O #5 was first Ninjak
A&A #5 was first (more than cameo) Eternal Warrior
Harbinger #5 has Livewire turning against Harada (surely the start of something else for Livewire)

...so... Bloodshot #5 has?

In Bloodshot #5, Bloodshot is meditating in a very "Rai-like" position and "talking" with the nanites.
Specifically mentioned is that the nanites (little boy visualization) want to know what "Waking up" and "Sleeping" are like.

Perhaps the nanites gain not only sentience but also a physical body at some point.
The importance of Bloodshot #5 would be that what/who eventually becomes Rai is first established by the "waking up" discussion.

Bloodshot #5 also has Chainsaw... which could be an imperfect version of creating/using a body for another protocol.
Rai could be the end result of that type of research, when a body separated from Bloodshot is created/used for the nanites' own sentience.
There's also a drop of blood in the Project Rising Spirit system... that one drop may be all that's needed to "grow" apart from Bloodshot.

As the little boy says in that panel, "Someday..."

[lorddunlow]

This theory is a bit out there as well...

On the OTV 100 podcast, Dinesh said that first appearances tend to match the original Valiant numbering, specifically #5 (first Rai in a story in Magnus #5).

VEI puts some emphasis on the new #5 issues...
X-O #5 was first Ninjak
A&A #5 was first (more than cameo) Eternal Warrior
Harbinger #5 has Livewire turning against Harada (surely the start of something else for Livewire)

...so... Bloodshot #5 has?

In Bloodshot #5, Bloodshot is meditating in a very "Rai-like" position and "talking" with the nanites.
Specifically mentioned is that the nanites (little boy visualization) want to know what "Waking up" and "Sleeping" are like.

Perhaps the nanites gain not only sentience but also a physical body at some point.
The importance of Bloodshot #5 would be that what/who eventually becomes Rai is first established by the "waking up" discussion.

Bloodshot #5 also has Chainsaw... which could be an imperfect version of creating/using a body for another protocol.
Rai could be the end result of that type of research, when a body separated from Bloodshot is created/used for the nanites' own sentience.
There's also a drop of blood in the Project Rising Spirit system... that one drop may be all that's needed to "grow" apart from Bloodshot.

As the little boy says in that panel, "Someday..."

I like it! I think you may be onto something.

[bygranddesign]

Cool, yeah, maybe the drop of blood in that issue that entered and infected the PRS mainframe could be the start of Rai or Grandmother or both

[BugsySig]

Cool, yeah, that drop of blood in that issue that entered and infected the PRS mainframe could be the start of Rai or Grandmother or both

And did all of that blood leave Kara? Or does she still have Nanites in her body?

I think a body made up of just Nanites would be a cool idea for Rai, and would explain the ability to create weapons out of "thin air" and move through electronic networks.

[lorddunlow]

And did all of that blood leave Kara? Or does she still have Nanites in her body?

I've been wondering this as well. Seemingly, they would be able to replicate if some remained in her body. I cant' imagine every single one could have worked their way into the drop of blood. I wonder if she'll develop any abilities from this?