Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps were a police organization of superheroes that feature in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
The Green Lantern Corps were an interstellar law enforcement organization that was created by the Guardians of the Universe. The immortal inhabitants of the planet Oa embarked on a quest to bring order to the cosmos after Krona had unleashed evil on the universe through his experiments around 5 billion yeas ago. (Green Lantern v2 #40) Their first attempt at accomplishing this feat was around 3.5 billion years ago where they created an android force that was known as the Manhunters. These machines continued in their role for one and a half billion years until they rebelled against their creators. As a result, the Guardians stripped them of their power and position whereupon they turned to organic agents. (Millennium v1 #1) Forty thousand years ago, the Guardians employed organic based law enforcement operatives that were known as the Halla who made use of stun rays as they were dispatched to apprehend criminals and were given Power Batteries. (Green Lantern v2 #90) They eventually created the Green Lantern Corps who were a notable success that had lasted for three billion years. (Millennium v1 #1) The first Green Lantern recruited into the new Corps was a humanoid from the planet Rojira named Rori Dag. (Green Lantern v2 #67)
- Green Lantern v2 #90 states that the Halla had operated as predecessors to the Corps around 40,000 years ago but this contradicted Millennium stated that the Corps had been a success for 3 billion years.
Around 50,0000 to 40,000 years ago, the Guardians of the Universe encountered the Reach and with the Green Lantern Corps fighting a war with them that ended in a draw. In the aftermath, a treaty was established by both sides to establish boundaries of peace and quell the Reach's destructive expansion. (Blue Beetle v8 #14) By 954.09 years ago, Green Lantern Kendotha Kr'nek was dispatched to bring Oan law to the unknown world of Apokolips. Raker Qarrigat was dispatched to complete her mission where he fought off Apokolips forces leading to an eventual confrontation with Darkseid. Darkseid wounded Qarrigat effortlessly and had him return back to Oa to inform the Guardians of the Universe that Apokolips was beyond their rule. Under Qarrigat's advice, the Guardians initiated a mass recruitment program over two years gaining a new Green Lantern for each sector of space leading to the Corps growing 3600 in number. With this army, Raker Qarrigat led the large Green Lantern Corps against the forces of Apokolips but their foes had studied the Power Ring and learnt of its weakness to yellow thus leading to the coating their armor in it. The Green Lanterns suffered heavy losses till the Guardians of the Universe intervened and deemed that Darkseid in control of Apokolips was the best course for the universe. Thus, a treaty was established where the Oans would leave Apokolips in exchange for Darkseid not expanding his reach to the worlds under the Guardians custodianship. Darkseid agreed but under the caveat that Raker Qarrigat was left behind on Apokolips with the Guardians agreeing and they purged this incident from the Book of Oa. (Green Lantern 80-Page Giant v1 #3) Around a quarter million years ago, a Green Lantern encountered a powerful monster with the Corpsmen killed and his Power Ring taken by the creature. Developing an innate control over the Power Ring, the beast set a course through space towards the planet Oa with the Guardians dispatching the Corps to intercept it. Heading towards their homeworld, creature had slain hundreds of Green Lanterns and wounded thousands until it landed on top of the Central Power Battery. There, it was confronted by one of the Guardians who unleashed his power to stop the beast only for it to begin to adapt to his attacks. The Oan came to realise that he could not defeat the creature and thus sacrificed himself by unleashing his complete power which obliterated the site. It was believed that the monster was slain but unknown to them, the explosion tore a hole in reality which deposited the creature into a different region of space near Calaton allowing it to continue its rampage. (Doomsday Annual v1 #1)
Green Lantern's Light
The Guardian's came to summon the entire 3600 Green Lanterns to Oa in order to inform them of the threat of Krona who had been resurrected as a herald of Nekron the Lord of the Unliving. (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps v1 #1)
The Corps were on hand to watch Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner fight it out to determine who would be Earth's Green Lantern. The Corps held the Justice League back from interfering, but seeing the toll Hal and Guy's battle was taking on New York City they demanded they change the nature of the fight or take it to space. Hal and Guy fought man to man without power rings. Hal won, and the Corps celebrated. (Green Lantern v3 #25)
The Guardians called the Corps to Oa to defend the Guardians against Entropy. Entropy made the Corps question the Guardians, so Ganthet decided to rally them by revealing the final goal of the Guardians. Krona's terrible experiment ages ago used up a billion years of the universe's usable energy. Because of this, when the current universe collapsed it would not be able to create a new singularity, and from there a new universe. By creating a universe of order the Guardians hoped to preserve enough usable energy to one day ensure that a new universe would emerge from the old. With a new purpose the GLC defeated Entropy, preserving the Guardians' universe of order. The Guardians gave the Corps their new mission, each member must recruit twelve new Corps members. AA quit the Corps, and the Guardians replaced him with Percival of the Little Folk. (Green Lantern v3 #35)
The Darkstars tried to prevent the GLC from interfering with the Triarch, but the Corps' experience working as a team helped them defeat the Darkstars. As the Corps were about to deal with the Guardians, L.E.G.I.O.N. called in a fleet of ships to confront them. (Green Lantern v3 #45)
Hal Jordan went renegade after Coast City was destroyed, and sought to drain the central power battery. The Guardians put a number of Lanterns in his path, including Ke'Haan, Laira, Jack T. Chance, Hannu, Graf Toren, Kreon, Boodikka, Tomar-Tu and Kilowog, all of whom were maimed or seemingly killed by Hal. Hal absorbed the central power battery, depowering all the power rings in existence but one, and effectively disbanding the Green Lantern Corps. (Green Lantern v3 #49)
Rebirth
Around this time, the Spider Guild struck where they forced Oa's star to slowly transform into a black hole from which their forces attacked the planet. It was only the efforts of the Green Lanterns that overloaded the Guild's nest that was forming the black hole which ended the threat. (Green Lantern: Recharge v1 #5)
The Corps learnt of Evil Star being involved in extraterrestrial weapons trading on Earth and dispatched Lanterns Jordan along with Stewart to stop it. Evil Star's activities were in the region of China leading with the Great Ten who responded to the Green Lanterns with hostility for breaching their nation's airspace. (52 v1 #6)
During the Infinite Crisis, Superboy-Prime intended to smash through the planet Oa at the speed of light in order to initiate a new Big Bang to kill everyone whilst leaving himself the only survivor. The Corps confronted him in space where 32 of their number were slain by the mad Kryptonian. Superman and his Earth-1 counterpart managed to enter into the fight where they plunged Superboy-Prime through Krypton's red sun and to the surface of Mogo where the star had rid him of his protective armour. The three battled on the surface where Superboy-Prime fatally wounded the Earth-1 Superman thus killing him but had become exhausted in his fight leading to him collapsing. The Green Lantern Corps then encased him in a cell near a junior red Sun-Eater to deprive him of his powers whilst a detail of 50 Green Lanterns kept watch over him. (Infinite Crisis v1 #7)
Following the resurrection of Hal Jordan and the defeat of Parallax, the Guardians went about reforming the Green Lantern Corps resulting in them sending rings to the 3,600 sectors of space. This rings brought back recruits to Oa, and they chose Kilowog to train the new generation of Green Lanterns. Former ring-bearers Brokk and Larvox returned to action, but the Guardians decided most of their recruits would be new blood. Hal Jordan visited Kilowog and wanted to know what the Guardians wanted from him, and Kilowog admitted that they did not need his involvement aside from continuing to patrol his old sector. New recruits Bareer Wot, B’dg, Grumb, and Lok Neboora were taken aback because Hal was an Earthman, and Hal realized they had no idea he had destroyed the last Green Lantern Corps. Kilowog though reminded him that the universe was a big place, and in the big picture Hal was not that important. Hal told him he could live with that whereupon he had a mock combat with Kilowog for the new recruits until he was recalled to Earth on a mission. (Green Lantern v4 #4)
The Corps dispatched Targot and Venizz to take the Gremlins into custody from Hal Jordan. The Gremlins lived to tweak the evolutionary process of different alien races, and both the new recruits had previous bad experiences with them. (Green Lantern v4 #6) The Green Lantern Corps were present on Oa when Hal delivered Despero for prosecution for breaking over seven hundred laws in the Book of Oa. John Stewart warned Hal that Mongul had arrived in his space sector looking to conquer Earth. (Green Lantern v4 #7)
Hal Jordan went to Oa to replace his damaged power battery, and Salaak groaned that the cost of a power battery was over 170 million Earth dollars. He took Hal aside, and warned him that stories of his time as Parallax were spreading among the new recruits, and they feared and disliked him, so he should watch his back. At that moment several Lanterns passed the pair and looked on Hal with disgust. (Green Lantern v4 #9)
War of Light
In pursuit of a Sinestro Corpsmen into the Vega System, Stel came to encounter a previously unknown corps of Orange Lanterns. It was then that Larfleeze made his existence known where he made numerous demands of the Guardians over a perceived breach of a pact he made with them long ago. As a result, the Vega System was deemed no longer outside the jurisdiction of the Green Lantern Corps who were dispatched to deal with Agent Orange. (Green Lantern v4 #39) They accompanied their Green Lanterns who began a mass arrest of all felons in the system as they looked to crack down on illegal activities whilst also making their way to Okaara. Arriving on the planet, they were attacked by the Orange Lantern Corps that consisted of beings that had been consumed by the Orange Light of Avarice. Green Lantern Gretti fell prey to the constructs who killed him and made him a part of their corps. (Green Lantern v4 #40) Ultimately, the battle was ended when the Guardians decided to reinstitute their treaty with Larfleeze after seeing the danger posed by another unknown wielder gaining the Orange Lantern. Despite the disapproval of the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians agreed to a treaty where they offered him in secret the location of the planet Odym. (Green Lantern v4 #42)
Return
During their absence, a new group of law enforcers formed known as the Gray Agents who sought to replace the Corps in maintaining the peace which they did so their way. (Green Lantern v5 #43)
Despite returning to the universe, the Corps had suffered heavy casualties with them only number 399 instead of 7200 Lanterns. John Stewart was leading the Corps in this weak state whilst Hal Jordan was seeking to find them since their disappearance. By this time, the Sinestro Corps had supplanted the Green Lanterns as the universes new protectors. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1 #2) A number of Yellow Lanterns led by Soranik Natu refused to follow the more criminal actions of Sinestro and instead sought their own path. These Lanterns agreed to work with the Green Lantern Corps that were low on numbers with a single green and yellow Lantern assigned to a sector of space. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1 #14)
To combat the Darkstars, the Green Lanterns began to recruit allies from even among foes that could be threatened by this new threat. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1 #44)
A new threat emerged from Controller Mu and his creations the Blackstars that were being set up as a rival peacekeeping agency to the Corps. Around this time, the Guardians determined that there was an informant within their ranks that was feeding the Blackstars information. Thus, they tasked Green Lantern Hal Jordan with infiltrating the group in order to determine the identity of the traitor. To that end, he infiltrated Vorr which was the planet of the vampires in order to prove his worth to Countess Belzebeth. (The Green Lantern v1 #5)
After the Source Wall was shattered, the Green Lantern Corps was sent by the Guardians to investigate the damage this had caused to the universe. (Justice League: No Justice v1 #1)
The Corps led by Ganthet were recruited in the cosmic endeavour of repairing the Source Wall when Starman Will Payton offered a means of restoring it. Ganthet and the Green Lanterns were sent to recover one of the Omega Titans that was brought to the Wall alongside its compatriots brought by other cosmic groups. Once done, Payton sought to channel the power of the Totality in restoring the Source Wall. However, they came under attack from Brainiac and his army of self-replicating machines with the Corpsmen attempting to stop the mechanical supervillain. Despite their efforts, Brainiac succeeded in hijacking Starman's powers that were used to free the primordial cosmic being Perpetua thus shattering the Wall and exposing the cosmos to the void. With existence under threat, Ganthet recalled all the Green Lanterns to Oa to help maintain order and stem the tide of a collapsing universe. (Justice League Annual v4 #1)
Afterwards, the Corps was gathered to aid in a summit on Oa for the newly created United Planets where it was being discussed that they would induct the Green Lanterns as part of this interstellar alliance o worlds. However, some of the delegates opposed the addition of the Green Lanterns into their ranks with a vote first being conducted over the admittance of Oa into the United Planet's in the first place. After a speech from an Oan, it was decided that the planet would be allowed to join the United Planet's but delegates from Sorcerers' World were responsible for murdering a Guardian. (Green Lantern v6 #1) Despite this, the Corps formally became part of the interstellar alliance where as part of its new duties it saw 1200 Sectors being removed from their purview with jurisdiction given to the United Planets Brigade. In addition, the Corps hierarchy was erased in favor of a more simplified ranking system where all were equal. During this time, the Guardians gathered a large contingent of Green Lanterns being dispatched on a quest to investigate a disturbance in the Dark Sectors. (Green Lantern v6 #2)
Overview
Organization
One of the most important figures within the Corps is the living world Mogo who is vital for its continuation. This is because Mogo serves as the one who finds potential ring users and guides them in their use of the power ring. Without Mogo, the Corps would lose the ability to recruit new members which would spell the doom of the Green Lanterns and as such means Mogo serves as one of the most important individuals within the organization.
The Green Lanterns consisted of a large diverse set of different species who were all intelligent and adept at projecting their thoughts to overcoming the language barrier. (Green Lantern v1 #9) The purpose of the Green Lantern Corps was to right wrongs of galactic nature and to end threats to entire worlds over an entire Space Sector. It was held that mere crimes were to be resolved by the law officials on a planet as the Corps was intended to ensure that greater evils did not hold sway. (Green Lantern v2 #149) Green Lanterns were not to interfere with another races culture unless it was to protect the innocent. (Green Lantern 80-Page Giant v1 #1) Any investigation by local planetary law enforcement was not to be impeded by a Corpsman unless it was requested by the native police investigators. (Green Lanterns v1 #38) The Guardians served as celestial mentors to the Green Lanterns and tasked them with goal of maintaining order on a world. Concepts such as good and evil had no meaning to them with the Green Lantern allowed to determine for themselves how to best achieve that goal. (Legends of the DC Universe v1 #8) The Green Lantern Corps was noted for being a voluntary organisation with people capable of stepping down from service with a replacement being chosen for them. (Green Lantern v6 #2)
The rings could be commanded to dim their costumes for use in more stealth-based operations though many Green Lanterns were not aware of this ability. (Green Lantern v5 #3)
During times of importance, they gathered in an assemblage at a designated world where the conference attendees spoke of outbreaks of evil in the universe. (Green Lantern v1 #9) At times, the Guardians sometimes had an accused Green Lantern judged by a jury of their peers. (Green Lantern v2 #11) The Corps was noted to maintain a Green Lantern Cadet Program which saw a handful of young service children being chosen annually by the Guardians for training to one day join the ranks of the Green Lanterns. Part of the training program saw cadets being placed in juvenile detention facilities across the universe with minimal protection. Cadets had the choice of either finding a way to escape or simply survive with both options acceptable responses. This served as a test of the wits of the subject and their stamina. This part of the training allowed the cadet to learn more about themselves and what it took be a member of the Corps. (Adventures of the Super Sons v1 #8)
The Guardians had perfected mental probing to eliminate recruits that were corruptible or had self-interests whilst adding a system of training to ensure that each Green Lantern devoted all their energies to their duty. (Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II v1 #4)
When a Green Lantern was killed, their bodies were teleported to the headquarters of the Corps and they summoned the various Corpsmen to attend the funeral rites. (Green Lantern v2 #46) An everlasting reward given to Green Lanterns was being placed in Emerald Space which was given to those that had given all in service to the Corps. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1 #9) Resignation from the Corps was not considered a simple matter as time in training was infested in a Green Lantern which meant that they could not easily afford to lose their service. (Green Lantern v2 #149)
Many Green Lanterns had taken to building headquarters in space in order to manage their designated Space Sector so as to avoid favouring one world over another. (Green Lantern v2 #149)
An old Corps legend that predated the Book of Oa was the Emerald Sun that was an old ghost story. It involved a big, bold green star whose light shined strong, bright and clear but at times of fear the vision was clouded like a thick dense thunderstorm. This prevented the person from seeing far above their own head as they became scared but forget that the Emerald Sun was still out there and that it only took a person to look past the clouds to find it. The Emerald Sun was used as an example of willpower that was always present within a Green Lantern and that they simply needed to envision it in order to tap into its power for their ring. (Green Lanterns v1 #23)
Another group that crossed paths with the Corps were the Gray Agents that were sentients that banded together to be self-proclaimed lawmen. Teams were led by Marshals who administered the law according to their own means without any procedure. Thus, they beat up suspects and even murdered bounty's in an effort to increase their reputation so that they could be hired on other worlds. (Green Lantern v5 #52)
Particularly important locations were the Crux Worlds that were seven planets in each universe where wonders happen that stirred growth and evolution to help preserve the life of the cosmos. Another area was the Dark Sectors that were regions of space between known space and the Promethean galaxies where the Guardians could not see due to threads of hypertime, eruptions from the Bleed and Underspace cyclones. (Green Lantern v6 #2)
Ranks
- Lantern Sentinel : a newly created created rank made by the Guardians to be bestowed on seemingly the best Green Lantern who could then use their vast experience on the star fields of battle to inform and craft the Corps actions. (Green Lantern Corps v3 #13)
- Torchbearer : was an honorary title given to Kyle Rayner when he became host to the Ion entity. This was a prestigious position, one that every Green Lantern envied. It was also an experiment by the Guardians in increasing the power of the Green Lantern Corp making them even more powerful but for a time they were content with a single Torchbearer who served as one of their most powerful weapons.
- Clarissi : a position that was second only to the Guardians and was the title given to the individual that could command the Corps in case the Oans were ever missing. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #40)
- Illustres : a position below the Clarissi with these being held by leaders of the Green Lantern Honor Guard. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #40)
- Guardians Administrative Liaison : chief aid of the Guardians of the Universe and relayed their orders to the rest of the Green Lantern Corps. (Green Lantern: Recharge v1 #1)
- Chief Training Lantern :
- Cryptkeeper :
- Lantern Trainers :
- Honored Lantern :
- Senior Lantern : older more experienced members of the Green Lantern Corps. (Green Lantern: Recharge v1 #2)
- Rookie Lantern :
- Trainee Lantern : newly recruited Green Lanterns that were put through field training and given temporary badges until they qualified. (Green Lantern: Recharge v1 #2)
After joining the United Planets, the Green Lantern Corps hierarchy was disbanded to be replaced with new mission objectives and designations. All Lanterns were deemed to be of equal ranking with the only division being between the Outriders and those assigned on a Quest. Duties of the Outriders included assignments such as bodyguards and military escorts. (Green Lantern v6 #2)
Divisions
- Fist of the Guardians : mechanical humanoid enforcers that served the Guardians of the Universe and were dispatched as arresting officers to apprehend rogue Green Lanterns to bring them to Oa for trial. (Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II v1 #5)
- Green Lantern Honor Guard : elite Green Lanterns who served as the personal protection detail for the Guardians of the Universe. (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps v1 #1)
- Lost Lanterns : were a group within the Green Lantern Corps who were the last of their number that stood between Oa and Hal Jordan when Parallax took hold of him. Rather then be killed, the Lost Lanterns power rings were taken from them and they were left near dead in space but managed to survive. They would continue to live on and were given a place within the Green Lantern Corps once it was re-established by the newborn Guardians. Their experiences with Parallax made them somewhat hostile towards Hal Jordan due to his past actions and were quite defensive of their own members.
- The Corpse : a black ops division within the Corps that did covert assignments with no obvious ties to the Green Lanterns or the Guardians of the Universe. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #7) They were established originally by a rogue Guardian who had recruited a handful of Corpsmen to pursue his own agenda. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #8)
- Alpha Lanterns Corps : are one of the latest developments within the Green Lantern Corps which were created under the orders of the Guardians themselves. Their reason for doing so was to create an elite group of Green Lanterns that would serve as an internal affairs agency within the Corps that would be tasked with bringing in rogue Lanterns or those who had committed crimes and apprehend them so that they could be punished. Taking note on the effectiveness of the old Manhunters and the organic Green Lanterns, the Guardians created a fusion of the two. Cybernetic organisms that married the cold logic of the Manhunter androids with that of the initiative of sentient organic beings. In addition to this, the Alpha Lanterns have a device that links them directly to the Central Power Battery allowing them to use the green light without a power ring.
Corps Directives
The Green Lantern Corps dress code permitted for some level of customisation of their suits appearance to deviate from the traditional uniforms. (Green Lanterns Annual v1 #1)
All criminals were to be tried and sentenced under the Universal Criminal Code. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1 #45) Slavery and profit from slavery was illegal under Guardian jurisdiction with those involved facing grounds for arrest by the Green Lantern intergalactic police patrol. (The Green Lantern v1 #3)
There are several rules and regulations that members of the Corps are subject to which include:
- Being forbidden from entering the Vegan system as part of a pact with the Spider Guild.
- Corps members are forbidden from engaging in a transluminal exit maneuver too close to a planetary mass.
There appear to be several different alerts available to the Corps:
- Code Zero : the highest alert and an emergency which states that the Guardians homeworld of Oa was under attack. (Green Lantern: Recharge v1 #4)
- Code One-Zero-Nine : a warning to investigate an unknown spacecraft entering terrestrial atmosphere. (Green Lanterns: Rebirth v1 #1)
- Code Three Twelve : unauthorized alien presence. (Green Lanterns v1 #1)
- Code Fifty-Four : approves the use of excessive force against a dangerous target. (Infinite Crisis v1 #7)
- Code Six Zero Three : detecting an unlawful execution. (Green Lanterns v1 #1)
- Code Nineteen Sixty Three : suspect escaped into an extra-dimensional vortex to another dimension such as the Anti-Matter Universe. (Green Lantern: Rebirth v1 #5)
- Code Ten-Twelve : when initiated, the rings incinerated all extraterrestrial weapons and technology. (52 v1 #6)
- Code Eight-Nine-One-Two : expressively forbade the violation of indigenous religious beliefs in service to a rescue. (Green Lanterns v1 #33)
- Code One-Zero-Zero-One : deicide whereby a god had been murdered and required a vast expenditure of energy. (Final Crisis v1 #1)
- Red Twelve : detection of increased rage levels. (Green Lanterns v1 #1)
- Code Yellow One : an emergency created after the Sinestro Corps War which warns Green Lanterns of a sighting of a yellow power ring. (Rage of the Red Lanterns)
- Code Yellow Twelve : detection of a fear energy spike. (Green Lanterns v1 #17)
- Phalanx Directive : a command pattern where the Green Lanterns were tasked with blocking an escape over a grid area. (Green Lantern Corps v1 #37)
- Detection Protocol : an alert set up to warn the sighting of a threat that had disappeared and to notify a Corpsmen across several light years to keep a watch for the danger re-surfacing. (Blue Beetle v9 #1)
- Stasis Protocol : a command that prevented Power Rings from being sent to recruit new members and confined them to a set location until the order was rescinded. (Green Lantern Corps v3 #14)
- Krona Protocol : a command given if the Central Power Battery on Oa faced an ultimate threat whereupon it was hidden until the danger passed. (Final Crisis v1 #5)
At one point, the Guardians had instituted a Territorial Edict that restrict a Green Lantern to their respective Space Sectors and forbade them from pursuing enemies outside their region of space. This had also meant that Green Lanterns were not allowed to partner up with one another. (Green Lantern v5 #31) Corps regulations specifically forbid transluminal exit manoeuvres at close proximity to a planetary mass. (Green Lantern: Recharge v1 #5) Under the Piscine Three Accords, the Corps was not barge into an intergalactic sacred site without overwhelming physical evidence of a crime thus any investigation required permission of the owners of the site. (Green Lanterns v1 #42)
Governance of the Corps was dictated by the Oan charter laws that declared conduct and punishment for any breach. For prejudicial treatment of criminals, it dictated that the guilty Green Lantern be assigned to guard duty of the Sciencells along with forced reading of the course on prisoner rights. If a Green Lantern was believed responsible for a death, then an inquiry was conducted with the accused giving an account of their events before a vote was cast by the Honor Guard on whether they were guilty or not. (Green Lanterns v1 #36)
Technology
Each was equipped with a Power Ring that were advanced neural interfaces designed by hyperintelligent interdimensional beings and generated willpower-based hard light constructs for use in the defense of all sentient life. (Green Lanterns Annual v1 #1) The Guardians claimed that only they held the knowledge and ability to forge a Power Ring. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth v1 #1) These were forged at the Foundry that was once on Oa in a process arduous even for the Guardians with massive and potentially lethal levels of willpower being used throughout the process. It involved the Power Battery being cast in a mold whereupon the ring was summoned from it through the oath. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #48) They had recruitment subroutines that were designed to seek out new wielders. (Green Lanterns v1 #24) Corpsmen experienced from their rings a buzzing feeling when encountering regular magic whilst Reach technology led to feelings of hostility and migraines. (Blue Beetle v8 #1) The Guardians had scanners that could detect faults within a Power Ring and determine the problem. They also had equipment that generated null fields that prevented a ring from working. (Green Lantern v2 #116) Power Rings automatically collected evidence for prosecution and recorded around the Green Lantern between charges with the information being downloaded into case files to the Central Power Battery. They were able to produce holographic replays at any time of suspects and criminals. (Green Lantern v4 #7) Hyperburst dataloads were sent to rings containing information about criminals and the crimes they had committed. (Green Lantern v6 #2)
The Power Batteries received their energy from the Master Power Battery that broadcast it via tachyon transmission that allowed a Power Ring to recharge 24 hours worth of energy. (Green Lantern v2 #87) Within the battery was psychoplasmic energy that could develop a fault which in turn affected the Power Ring's charge and lead to effects such as time distortions whereby future events manifested in the present. Any such flawed battery's were expected to be destroyed as the had the potential to be dangerous to operate. (Green Lantern v2 #116) The storage of personal charging units could be achieved by placing them in a confined pocket dimension with the Power Battery capable of being summoned at anytime by a Green Lantern. (Green Lantern v4 #34)
Members of the Corpse made use of small black discs instead of Power Rings with this giving them effective powers of a Lantern that had the charge equivalent of five Earth days. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #7)
Key to the Corps operations was the Central Power Battery that tended to reside on the world that served as the headquarters for the Green Lanterns. This was responsible for tapping into the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum with the green light of willpower being the most pure that could be harnessed and used by them. It collected willpower from every living being in the universe with this raw emotional willpower being converted into energy. This was amplified by the Green Lanterns own might a million times over with this being the source of the Corp's power. (Green Lantern: Rebirth v1 #3)
They operated large lantern shaped space stations known as Sector Houses. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #2) The stations had their own central computer that allowed entry for authorized personnel or could be set to initiate an emergency lockdown to shutdown the facility. This caused the field generator to activate that permitted no entry or exit. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #12) The Corps could make use of junior red Sun-Eaters that were kept contained through quantum containment for use as special detention cells to hold powerful Kryptonian level villains such as Superboy-Prime. (Infinite Crisis v1 #7) Another site of interest for the Corps was the Tomb of the Lost Lantern that was built on the remains of the planet Vaikea. Unknown to anyone, the entire world was in fact a willpower construct driven by the will of the Lost Lantern. It served as a place for the Corps to gather and honour the achievements of the Lost Lantern with a speech made before the gathered Green Lanterns. (Green Lanterns Annual v1 #1)
A vehicle used by the Green Lanterns was the Interceptor that was said to be the fastest ship in the universe. These were former Manhunter transports that were rebuilt to serve as ships for Corps members. An operating system known as Aya was able to manage the craft and it was able to engage with its pilots. (Green Lantern v4 #65)
Members
- Hal Jordan :
- John Stewart :
- Guy Gardner :
- Kyle Rayner :
- Kilowog :
- Salaak : After the Green Lantern Corps was re-established, he was appointed the Guardians Administrative Liaison. (Green Lantern: Recharge v1 #1)
- Arisia : a blonde haired female from Graxos IV in Sector 2815. (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps v1 #1)
- Katma Tui :
- Mogo :
- Stel :
- Soranik Natu :
- Green Man :
- Chaselon :
- Laira :
- Graf Toren :
- Tomar-Tu :
- Boodikka :
- General Kreon :
- Jack T. Chance :
- Ke'Haan :
- Hannu :
- Saarek :
- Voz : He later came to serve as the Warden of the Sciencells. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #24)
- Boodika :
- Sodam Yat :
- Von Daggle :
- Morro : a male humanoid who was the Cryptkeeper in charge of the dead remains of the Green Lantern Corps and for their burial. (Green Lantern v4 #12)
- Voz :
- B'dg :
- Jediah Caul : a yellow-skinned humanoid alien who was selected as a deep cover operative sent to infiltrate the Tenebrian Dominion of Lady Styx but came to be caught and placed in 'the Hunted' games. (Green Lantern: New Guardians Annual v1 #1) He received his ring after shooting and killed its previous bearer where he was drafted into the Green Lantern Corps. (Threshold v1 #6)
- Simon Baz :
- Jessica Cruz :
- Hyperia-3 :
- Xenofobe : male alien who was the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 near the 30th century who battled the Time Trapper when the entity had manipulated the time-stream to bring about a future for modern day Earth that led to a single natural disaster. Xenofobe disguised himself as Father Time and orchestrated events so that Superman would battle Jaxon the Mighty to generate enough energy to break the Time Trappers fixed future. (Superman v1 #295)
- Lost Lantern : a young Green Lantern from the planet Vaikea that was one of the first worlds to join the Corps where he was divided between his loyalty between the ruling Autarchs and the Green Lantern rules causing him to arrest those deemed disorderly by the leaders of his world. He was unable to stop his sun from going nova which killed off the Vaikean people whilst he build himself a construct world holding himself along with the remains of his people in stasis. In time, he became known as a legendary Green Lantern called the Lost Lantern who was celebrated for fighting against chaos and the Corps conducted a remembrance ceremony at the Tomb of the Lost Lantern in honour of him. (Green Lanterns Annual v1 #1)
Notes
- Green Lantern Corps was created by John Broome and Gil Kane where they made their first appearance in Showcase v1 #22 (September, 1959).
Alternate Versions
- In Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century v1 #6 (2007), the Green Lantern Corps appeared in the alternate reality setting that was a tie-in to the animated cartoon series set in the 31st century. The Green Lantern Corps were stated as being an interstellar police force originating on Oa with 7200 officers divided in 3600 sectors with each Green Lantern armed with a Power Ring. Some of Earth's greatest superheroes were mentioned as being Green Lanterns with Jordana Gardner being the latest human from Sector 2814 with her being the youngest ever recruit leading to her being referred to as Teen Lantern. They were allies of the Legion of Super-Heroes but were briefly taken over by the Star Conqueror parasites that used the Green Lantern Power Rings to cloak their presence on their hosts faces until Superboy along with the Legion freed the Green Lantern Corps.
- In Smallville: Lantern v1 #2 (2014), an alternate version of the Green Lantern Corps appeared in the Smallville Season 11 tie-in comics set after the events of the television show. They were created by the Guardians of the Universe after they stopped using the Manhunters and were equipped with Power Rings that made their will manifested into constructs. Hal Jordan was the first of their number on Earth followed by Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Guy Gardner. During this time, the Manhunters had reactivated and began attacking all of known space with the Green Lanterns struggling against this threat. Thus, the Guardians sought to tap into the yellow light and made a treaty with Parallax to create Yellow Lantern shock troops against the Manhunters in the Parallax War. During this time, the cosmic entity Parallax infected Hal Jordan who went insane and devastated the Green Lantern Corps before he was lost. Kyle was killed and the Guardians were believed to had been killed with the remaining survivors of the Corps being reduced to a fraction of its size but they reformed in order to continue their duty as interstellar peacekeepers.
- In Superman: American Alien v1 #6 (2016), an alternate version of the Green Lantern Corps was shown to exist in the setting. It was said that Earth had not been cleared to be annexed into the Green Lantern Corps though Abin Sur kept a watch over the young Clark Kent who was the sole surviving Kryptonian with the situation being monitored by him.
- In Dark Nights: Metal v1 (2017), an alternate version of the world designated as Earth-32 was shown in the Dark Multiverse. On this world, Bruce Wayne's parents were killed in Crime Alley by Joe Chill with him feeling a complete lack of emotions as he sought to murder the shooter with this attracting a Green Lantern Power Ring. It inducted him into this universes Green Lantern Corps where he used its power to kill Chill and operated as Green Lantern of this sector where he brutally murdered other criminals. Bruce's willpower overwhelmed the ring bringing his darkness into it with this shadow manifesting as a malfunction allowing him to create shadow constructs that allowed him to kill. After killing James Gordon, the Green Lantern Corps arrived to take the ring but he initiated his shadow Blackout abilities to kill them all whereupon he proceeded into his Power Battery to become the Dawnbreaker. His world then collapsed into the Dark Multiverse but the Dawnbreaker was met by the Batman Who Laughs who recruited him into Barbatos's Dark Knights as they sought to invade the mainstream Earth.
- In The Green Lantern: Season Two v1 #9 (2020), an alternate version of the Green Lantern Corps were shown to be inhabitants of the alternate reality of Earth-11. The Green Lantern Patrolmen were created by the old immortals of Oa's male inhabitants that saw themselves as patrons of the pankosmos. They decided to reach out to many worlds as possible where they selected a chosen one to embody their outdated ideals who espoused the innate superiority of men, the weakness of emotion and instilled a desire for conquest, battle as well as expansion. Thus, they served as counterparts to the Star Sapphires who sought to spread the law of love across the stars.
In other media
Television
- In the DC Animated Universe, the Green Lantern Corps made a number of appearances in the shared continuity setting.
- In Superman: The Animated Series, the Green Lantern Corps made their first appearance in the episode "In Brightest Day". They were stated to be recruited by the Guardians of the Universe from inhabitants of various interplanetary systems that were tasked with promoting order and justice in the cosmos. Sinestro was once recruited but he was shown to had villainous motivations leading to him being expelled though he acquired a yellow Power Ring and began murdering Green Lanterns in order to empower himself further. After he killed Abin Sur, the aliens Power Ring sought a new wielder and recruited Kyle Rayner into the Green Lantern Corps.
- In Justice League, the Green Lantern Corps are represented on the team by John Stewart. The Green Lantern Corps itself was shown in the episode "In Blackest Night" where it was revealed that they were successors of the Manhunters created by the Guardians of the Universe. The Guardians operated as custodian of the Green Lanterns power source but allowed individual Corps members their own autonomy. John Stewart was arrested by the Manhunters for the charge of destroying a planet. Members of the Green Lantern Corps were present where a number of them believed him to be guilty except for Kilowog. In "Hearts and Minds", members of the Corps led by Katma Tui were dispatched to the planet Kalanor when the warlord Despero had risen to power. A G-Class Cruiser was dispatched that was destroyed by heavy firepower with the Green Lanterns suffering heavy casualties by the Legion of the Third Eye that were empowered by Despero with the Flame of Py'tar. After their mission failed, Katma Tui went undercover on the planet.
- In Justice League Unlimited, the Green Lantern Corps briefly appeared in the episode "The Return". It was described as being a military organisation with strict regulations that was used to ensure peace was maintained in the universe. As A.M.A.Z.O. approached Oa, the Corps was dispatched in order to stop the android but were easily defeated. They later arrived on Earth where they helped rescue the defeated Justice League and moved to battle A.M.A.Z.O.
- In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, the Green Lantern Corps made a number of appearances in the animated series. In "The Eyes of Despero", the villainous Despero arrived on Oa where he battled the Green Lantern Corps and took the majority under his mental domination. To prevent them from being used by the warlord, Hal Jordan sent the assembled Corpsmen along with the Guardians into his Power Ring that was dispatched to Batman. Batman later was joined by Guy Gardner, G'Nort and Sinestro to stop Despero with the mind controlled Mogo from conquering Earth. With Despero defeated, the Green Lanterns were restored from within Hal Jordan's Power Ring.
- In Young Justice, the Green Lantern Corps made brief appearances in the animated series. A number of members were shown including Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Guy Gardner. They were said to had been an intergalactic police force that patrolled the universe. Millennia ago, they had fought against the war-like Reach with a peace treaty signed to stop their advancements. After the Reach's plans were exposed on Earth, their forces on the world were escorted to Oa by the Green Lanterns to stand trial before the Guardians. At some point afterwards, open warfare erupted between the Green Lanterns and the Reach with the Corps unable to respond to threats to Earth.
- In Green Lantern: The Animated Series, the Green Lantern Corps featured heavily in the animated series. They were an intergalactic police force created by the Guardians of the Universe after the failure of their android Manhunters. The Corps was divided into 3600 Green Lanterns to patrols the 3600 Sectors that comprised of Guardian space. However, there was region known as the Fronter that took months to travel to due to their great distance. This region of space had a number of Frontier Lanterns that had limited training and relied on information on their Power Rings for support. The Red Lantern Corps were slowly killing the Frontier Lanterns attracting the attention of Hal Jordan and Kilowog who sought to stop them.
Films
- In Green Lantern: First Flight, the Green Lantern Corps featured in the setting of the animated film. It was described as being a privileged organization that was made to promote law and order in the universe. They were overseen by the Guardians of the Universe that provided the Corps their Power Rings and they were based on the planet Oa.
- In Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, the Green Lantern Corps feature with various of its members having their backstory being explained to Arisia. They were created by the Guardians of the Universe long ago during an early period of the cosmos where there was only chaos. After forging the first Power Ring, the Guardians sent the first Lanterns to battle against the rampaging Dominators thus defeating them. In the time that followed, generations of Green Lanterns had been chosen in bringing about law and order to the universe. The Corps later assembled in defeating the threat of Krona who was manifesting in Oa's sun and bringing an army of Shadow Demons to attack the Green Lanterns.
- In Green Lantern, the Green Lantern Corps featured in the 2011 live-action film. They were formed by the Guardians of the Universe after they harnessed the emerald light of willpower billions of years ago and used it to forge Power Rings. After dividing the universe into 3600 Sectors, they sent a ring to each region of space to select a wielder that was without fear to join the ranks of the intergalactic peacekeepers that the Guardians formed who were known as the Green Lantern Corps.
- In Justice League, an extraterrestrial Green Lantern appeared in the 2017 live-action film set in the DC Extended Universe. This Green Lantern was shown living thousands of years ago where he joined the forces of Earth that fought against Steppenwolf. During the battle, the Green Lantern was killed with his Power Ring leaving his body to find a new wielder.
- In Justice League vs. the Fatal Five, the Green Lantern Corps appeared in the setting of the 2019 animated film. Jessica Cruz was shown to had become Earth's newest Green Lantern who joined the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps. The Legion of Super-Heroes from the 31st century took the captive Emerald Empress and Validus to be imprisoned in the Sciencells on Oa under the watch of the Green Lanterns. The two prisoners fellow Fatal Five members journeyed to the present where they forced Jessica Cruz to access the prison to free their comrades.
- In Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, the Green Lantern Corps appeared in the setting of the 2020 animated film. After Apokolips conquers Earth, Darkeid continued waging his war against the rest of the cosmos with this bringing him into conflict with the Green Lantern Corps. Despite their resistance, they were unable to stop the New God with his forces able to breach the enemy position all the way to Oa. Once there, Darkseid himself decided to enter the battlefield where he massacred their ranks as he killed the Guardians of Oa along with the entire Corps. John Stewart was the only survivor where the wounded Green Lantern attempted to tap into the Central Power Battery to fight the villain one last time. However, Darkseid redirected some magma from Earth via Boom Tube and had it dropped on the Lantern's location thus killing him and destroying the Central Power Battery. With his death, the Green Lantern Corps was effectively destroyed by Darkseid thus removing another obstacle to his conquest of the universe.
- In Green Lantern: Beware My Power, the Green Lantern Corps appeared in the setting of the animated film. They were shown to had been involved to prevent the ongoing hostilities in the Rann-Thanagar War. A peace treaty was to be established with the installation of the Zeta Beam by Rann with the event being overseen by Green Lantern Hal Jordan. However, an incident resulted in the seeming death of Jordan whilst Thanagar itself was destroyed causing the Thanagarians to believe this was a deliberate act by Rann. As a result, they began to invade Rann resulting in the war spiralling out of control. Meanwhile, the Green Lantern Corps themselves were slaughtered by Sinestro who was revealed to had saved Hal Jordan and infected him with the Parallax parasite. Jordans power ring was later sent to find a new bearer where it selected John Stewart of Earth who went into space to investigate the mystery of current events. After defeating Parallax and the Sinestro Corps, he went about to rebuild the Green Lantern Corps.
Video games
- In Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, the Green Lantern Corps featured in the video game tie-in set after the events of the Green Lantern movie.
- In Infinite Crisis, the Green Lantern Corps was referenced in the setting of the MOBA video game game. It was also shown that in the Multiverse resided an Arcane Earth where the Green Lantern Corps were instead noble mystical knights known as the Order of the Emerald Lantern.
- In DC Legends, the Green Lantern Corps were referenced in the setting of the iOS video game. It was shown that they came under attack from Nekron and the Manhunters with the dead being reanimated as Black Lanterns.
Appearances
- Showcase v1: (1959)
- Green Lantern v1:
- Green Lantern v2:
- Green Lantern Corps v1:
- Tales of the Green Lantern Corps v1: (1981)
- Green Lantern v3:
- Green Lantern v4:
- Green Lantern Corps v2:
- Blue Beetle v8:
- Blue Beetle v9:
- Green Lantern:
- Green Lantern: Lost Army v1:
- Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1:
- Green Lanterns v1:
- The Green Lantern v1:
- The Green Lantern: Season Two v1:
- Green Lantern v6: (2021)
External Link
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