Tomar-Re
Tomar-Re is a male extraterrestrial comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
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Biography
Tomar-Re was a male inhabitant of the planet Xudar. (Green Lantern v2 #6)
As a Green Lantern, he was in charge of a number of worlds and kept constant check on them. (Green Lantern v2 #6) At some point, he told the story of the terrifing monster that attacked Oa to his niece Betah who in time would tell it to her grandchildren many years later. (Doomsday Annual v1 #1)
After he completed probationary service, he was assigned the task of delaying the destruction of the planet Krypton. This was in order to give enough time for the native Kryptonians enough time to evacuate their world. For his mission, he was gathering quantities of the element stellarium that was to be used to absorb the inner tensions on Krypton. He was told to conduct this mission in secret where he worked for long hours as there were only scant supply of the element. Though tired, he continued his mission but his exhaustion made him fail to realise that the nearby star of Ariel was going nova. Tomar-Re managed to survive due to his Power Ring but was rendered temporarily blind from the explosion. He attempted to gather the stellarium once more but he was blinded, exhausted and confused where by the time he regained his sight he found out that he was too late as Krypton suffered a collapse and exploded. The only survivor of the planet was Kal-El who was sent on a rocket ship by his parents when he was an infant. Tomar-Re was left in shock over the incident as he blamed himself for Krypton's destruction and carried this failure for many years. (Superman v1 #257)
Years after Abin Sur’s death the Corps learned that he had a son, Amon Sur, and Katma-Tui, Kilowog and Tomar-Tu delivered news of his death to the boy and his mother. Amon was enraged that his father’s successor Hal Jordan was not the one to break the news. (Green Lantern v4 #17)
Green Lantern Hal Jordan sought to learn more about the Green Lantern Corps, so he asked his ring to bring him to the closest Green Lantern, who turned out to be Tomar-Re. Tomar brought him to Oa, introduced Hal to other members of the Corps and assigned him training under Kilowog. (Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn v1 #4)
Xudar was later targeted by giant space monsters that were attacking the planet's southern tip with Tomar-Re preparing himself to battle the beasts. However, he late learnt the world of Aku in his Space Sector also facing danger with the Xudarian struggling to combat both threats. To achieve that end, he summoned Green Lantern Hal Jordan of Earth to request his aid to protecting Aku whilst he himself dealt with the space monsters. Jordan managed to accomplish his task and arrived in Xudar to support Tomar-Re where together they defeated the dangers to the planet. Tomar-Re later then informed Jordan more about the mysterious Guardians of the Universe that managed the Green Lantern Corps. (Green Lantern v2 #6) He was among the Green Lanterns on Yquem that served as a jury of peers and equals to decide upon Hal Jordan's abuse of his Power Ring's abilities. Initially, they came to a verdict of innocence but upon Jordan's insistence of being stripped of his position with them deciding to trust in his decision. It was later discovered that the reason was because Jordan was being secretly targeted by the renegade Sinestro and sought to uncover the person responsible for controlling his mind. (Green Lantern v2 #11)
On Krastl, an archaeological unit from Xudar had discovered a being called a Changeling in the underground tomb on the barren world. The lead Xudarian scientist named Ixnal had entered the tomb only to discover a statue which was actually the creature that had been waiting for thousands of years for someone to disturb it so that it could duplicate their body. The Changeling that had been born from the terrible nuclear holocaust of the planet then fled on the archaeological research ship after which Tomar-Re arrived to rescue the scientists. He learnt from them the danger of the creature that had now gone to Xudar and began to take the form of numerous people. The Green Lantern of Xudar arrived where he attempted to trap the creature in a prison block but his Power Ring was unable to hold the Changeling. The Changeling evaded all capture attempts and took the form of a ship to depart Xudar with Tomar-Re in pursuit where he went through numerous sectors but failed to capture his quarry. This caused his Power Ring to become depleted leading to him going to Earth to recharge it through Hal Jordan's Power Battery. By this point, the Changeling was on Earth and taken on the identity of numerous native inhabitants with the two Green Lanterns working together to defeat their foe. They were unable to capture it as it kept changing form with Jordan accidently knocking out Tomar-Re before finding out that the only way to defeat the Changeling was by discovering its true shape which was the atomic cloud that birthed it whereupon they apprehended it. Tomar-Re then decided to take the Changeling back to its homeworld of birth which was Krastl and departed Earth. (Green Lantern v2 #38)
The Guardians later detected that a spontaneous discharge of energy that had erupted in the cosmos that had shattered that barriers surrounding an obscure dimension beyond the dawn of time that served as a prison for Professor Zoom threatening to release him. With this in time, they decided to send aid to the Flash on Earth and activated Tomar-Re who was sent to give a warning to the speedster. (The Flash v1 #323) As the Xudarian approached Earth, he was struck by a yellow meteor storm that caused him to crash on the planet with his ring being depleted as a result. He landed at a farm several hundred miles north from Central City that was home to the Flash where he was cared for by the Turner family. (The Flash v1 #321) With the help of the Turners, he used some of the equipment in their farm to build himself a rocket ship in order to allow him to travel to Central City quickly in order to save the Flash. As he arrived at Utopia Towers, he was ambushed by Professor Zoom where the speedster used his advanced knowledge to make Tomar-Re's vessel a space going ship with him sending the Xudarian into space with him later being saved by Medphyll. (The Flash v1 #322)
The Guardians contacted Tomar-Re and the Corps after the Weaponers of Qward invaded Oa and held the Guardians captive, intending to use their immortality to construct the ultimate weapon. The Weaponers erected a yellow vortex that prevented most of the Corps from reaching Oa, but one member sacrificed his life to release Hal Jordan and the Guardians. Sinestro turned against the Weaponers when they revealed his usefulness to them was at an end, so he teamed with Hal to destroy the yellow vortex. Once on Oa the Corps utterly defeated the Weaponers. A number of Lanterns were lost, and Hal said it was a time for mourning. (Green Lantern v2 #127)
He later grew to a senior honored member of the Corps, but his later career was not without cost. The most difficult moment was during the Nekron crisis when the death god used the spirit of Tomar-Re's deceased father to attempt to sway the Lantern to surrender. Although tempted, Tomar kept to his oath and destroyed his father's spirit to continue the battle, much to his personal anguish. (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps v1 #3)
During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Tomar-Re took part in a battle in the Antimatter Universe on Qward to prevent the destruction of the Anti-Monitor's remaining tethers to the physical world. He was dealt mortal injuries by Goldface, and with his dying breath left his Green Lantern Ring to John Stewart. Hal Jordan, who had been retired at the time, was able to take back the ring from Abin Sur he had passed on to Stewart. (Green Lantern v2 #198)
The soul of Green Lantern Hal Jordan summoned the spirits of Tomar-Re and a band of deceased Corps members to help him fight and weaken the Spectre empowered Asmodel. The attack was successful, and Hal took the Spectre-Force away from Asmodel, becoming the new host of the spirit of vengeance. (Day of Judgment v1 #4) Later on, Tomar-Re appeared to Hal Jordan as he was traveling to the afterlife. (Green Lantern: Rebirth v1 #4)
Years later, his position was fulfilled by another Xudarian by the name of Tomar-Tu. (Green Lantern v3 #4). During the Blackest Night, black power rings came to invade the cosmos where they began to reanimate the dead as members of the Black Lantern Corps. One such ring came to turn the corpse of Tomar-Re into an undead Black Lantern among those on Oa. (Green Lantern Corps v2 #39) Afterwards, Tomar-Re came to be among the deceased that resided within the Dead Zone. He came to spy on Hal Jordan and Sinestro both of whom found themselves trapped in that realm. The Xudarian would warn the pair to stop Volthoom before he could bring about changes to reality. (Green Lantern v5 #16) When Hal questions how Tomar-Re knew this, he explains that those beings who had died gathered information in the Dead Zone. Later, they are approached by Green Lantern Simon Baz who was transported by Black Hand to the Dead Zone and pulled him back after he split his ring which Sinestro claimed and unintentionally went with him, leaving Hal trapped in the Zone. Tomar views that Sinestro will not take Volthoom down easily. (Green Lantern v5 #18) After Tomar unsuccessfully tries to persuade Hal from killing himself in order to gain a Black Lantern ring and escape the Dead Zone to stop Volthoom, he is pleasantly surprised when Hal's plan manages to succeed. (Green Lantern v5 #20)
Tomar-Re was later discovered to had been placed in Emerald Space that was a realm where fallen Green Lantern officers go after being killed in duty. Hal Jordan came to find himself there where he encountered Tomar-Re and was encouraged to help save his son Tomar-Tu. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1 #10) After encountering Mr. Oz, Superman asked Hal Jordan to consult the records of the Green Lantern Corps to see the recordings of Tomar-Re of the final moments of Krypton's destruction. Whilst on Mogo, he saw the recording only for the moment at the time of the planet's destruction to suffer a glitch which was the result of time itself being manipulated. (Action Comics v1 #992)
Overview
Personality and attributes
He was noted for being fearless and valiant as a Green Lantern. (Superman v1 #257)
Powers and abilities
The Xudarian was noted for his brilliant mind that worked swiftly on tasks. (Green Lantern v2 #6) He was knowledgeable of his homeworld's advanced technology that he could apply in the field allowing him to make use of more primitive technology to build a transport vessel without using his Power Ring. This gave him the appearance of being a mechanical genius though he claimed it was a simple hasty application of his existing knowledge. (The Flash v1 #322)
Tomar-Re had later learnt to use his Power Ring to send emergency communiques through the all-wave radio reception. This allowed him to project an energy image with the thoughts surging into the brain of the receiver. (Green Lantern v2 #6)
He had built the Zathon-Ray communicator control panel that was one of his own design and kept him informed of dangers in his designated sector of space. (Green Lantern v2 #6)
Notes
- Tomar-Re was created by John Broome and Gil Kane where he made his first appearance in Green Lantern v1 #6 (June, 1961).
Alternate Versions
- In JLA v1 #9 (1997), a dream-like setting was created by the Key who used a psycho-virus to put the Justice League into a hallucinatory state where they imagined separate worlds from reality. Within this dream world, Krypton was never destroyed and Tomar-Re's starship crashed on that planet where he was fatally injured. The dying Xudarian passed his ring to the adult Kal-El of Krypton who became the Green Lantern of Space Sector 2813.
- In Smallville: Lantern v1 (2014), an alternate version of the Tomar-Re appeared in the Smallville Season 11 tie-in comics set after the events of the television show. He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps stationed in Sector 2813 where he had attempted to stop the destruction of Krypton where he perished. His Power Ring remained inactive as there was no life in the sector to become his successor as Green Lantern. This changed after the Argo colony was established with Kryptonians being present on that world leading to the Power Ring selecting Superman to become the new Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Tomar-Re's message was then replayed as a construct indicating his death and the reason for the Power Ring's selection to the new inductee into the Green Lantern Corps.
- In Superman: American Alien v1 #6 (2016), an alternate version of Tomar-Re appeared in a world with a different setting. He was shown as being a Green Lantern who was alongside Abin Sur in Earth's orbit as they found a young Clark Kent in anger using his abilities to break into space past the atmosphere where he was unable to breath. Abin Sur managed to catch him in a construct bubble and told Tomar-Re that they had been observing the Kryptonian for sometime.
In other media
Television
- In Justice League, Tomar-Re made a cameo appearance in the setting of the animated television series set in DC Animated Universe series in the episode "In Blackest Night" where he had a non-voiced role. He was among the Green Lanterns that attended the trial of fellow Corps member John Stewart who had been accused of destroying a planet.
- In The Batman, Tomar-Re appeared briefly in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "Ring Toss" where he was voiced by actor Miguel Ferrer. Hal Jordan played a recording for Batman in which Tomar relays the information about Sinestro's escape from prison.
- In Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Tomar-Re made a cameo appearance in the setting of the animated television series in the episode "The Eyes of Despero!". His home planet of Xudar also appeared where it as shown as being taken over by Despero.
- In Green Lantern: The Animated Series, Tomar-Re was a recurring character in the animated television series where he was voiced by actor Jeff Bennett.
- In Young Justice, Tomar-Re appeared in the setting of the animated television series fourth season Phantoms where he was voiced by actor Dee Bradley Baker.
Films
- In Green Lantern: First Flight, Tomar-Re featured in the animated film where he was voiced by actor John Larroquette.
- In Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, Tomar-Re appeared in the animated film where he was voiced by actor James Arnold Taylor.
- In Green Lantern, Tomar-Re appeared in the live-action film where he was voiced by actor Geoffrey Rush.
Video games
Appearances
- Green Lantern v2: (1961)
- The Flash v1:
- Superman v1:
- Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn v1:
- Green Lantern v3:
- Green Lantern Corps v2: (2009)
- Green Lantern v5: (2013)
- Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps v1: (2016)
External Links
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