- "I'm no hero. I'm a husband, and if this is the end then I have to be with my wife and kid. I'm sorry."
- —Ryan Choi [src]
On the Earth of Earth-1, Dr. Ryan Choi was a former physics professor, the husband of Amanda, and the father of Simone. On the Earth of Earth-Prime, he is the father of Simone. He is the Paragon of Humanity, and was one of the seven known living individuals to have survived the destruction of the original multiverse, along with Barry Allen, Kate Kane, Kara Danvers, Sara Lance, J'onn J'onzz, and Lex Luthor, until they recreated the multiverse with the help of Oliver Queen.
Biography
Original multiverse
Early life
At some point, he married Amanda and together, and they would conceive a daughter named Simone.[1]
Anti-Monitor Crisis
On December 10, 2019, six months after Simone birth, Ryan was in Ivy Town on the phone with his wife when he was approached by Ralph Dibny, Iris West-Allen, and Dr. Ray Palmer (who Ryan was a big fan of). The three explained that they were there because Ryan was meant to be the Paragon of Humanity, one of seven heroes who could save the multiverse from being destroyed by the Anti-Monitor. Ryan does not believe them at first and decides to leave to be with his wife and daughter. Iris eventually convinces him to help, and he is brought aboard the Waverider. Once back on the waverider, the heroes are greeted by Harbinger, who has returned after mysteriously disappearing. Pariah also appears and the heroes realize that Harbinger's return is a trap by the Anti-Monitor, who proceeds to kill Mar Novu and destroy Earth-1. Knowing what must be done, Pariah sends the 7 Paragons to the Vanishing Point where the Anti-Monitor can't reach them as the waverider is destroyed and remaining heroes killed by the antimatter wave. At the vanishing point, the paragons witness Superman disappear and be replaced by Lex Luthor who used the Book of Destiny to make himself the Paragon of Truth.[1]
Erased future
Sometime between 2018 and 2024, Ryan Choi designed Barry Allen a suit that fits inside a ring, which was donned by Barry as the sixteenth iteration of his suit.[2][3]
New multiverse
Personality
Initially, Ryan had a lot of doubt in himself. He did not want to believe he was a paragon of anything. However, after spending a month stuck with the other paragons, and receiving a few pep-talks, he began believing in himself. He begins opening up and trusting of his new friends.
He is also open to trying new things. He was excited at the opportunity of walking on an alien planet and was excited when Barry Allen showed off his speed.
Abilities
- Genius-level intellect: Ryan Choi has the intellect to understand Dr. Ray Palmer's research and teach physics.[1]
- Expert tailor: According to Nora he was the one who made Barry's sixteenth suit.[2]
- Expert Technician/Engineer: He and Lex Luthor were able to build and re-engineer some of the Time Masters tech from the Vanishing Point.[4]
Appearances
The Flash
Season 5
- "Nora" (mentioned)
Season 6
Arrow
Season 8
DC's Legends of Tomorrow
Season 5
Trivia
- Ryan is most likely the founder of Choi Enterprises, although it's unconfirmed.
- Ryan is the only human civilian to be chosen as a paragon while everyone else is a vigilante, a trained assassin, a terrorist, a meta-human, or a powered alien.
- Ryan's daughter, Simone, might be named after one of Choi's comic book creators, Gail Simone.
- Ryan shares his last name with Grace Choi, the girlfriend of Anissa Pierce. It's unclear if they're related.
Behind the scenes
- In the DC Comics, Ryan Choi was a student of Ray Palmer and his successor to the identity of the Atom. His first appearance in the comics was Brave New World #1 (August, 2006).