Emotional Spectrum
Emotional Spectrum is a concept that features in DC Comics.
Contents |
History
Origin
Before the current universe, the Emotional Spectrum was shown to reside in the cosmos prior to the main one. It was harnessed by a group of beings in this era known as the Lightsmiths that utilized the essence of existence. With it, they fashioned staves that focused its power and elevated interstellar civilization and made wonders such as entire cities composed of light. (Green Lantern: The Lost Army v1 #3)
As time went on, the reservoir of the Emotional Spectrum continued to deplete leading to the rise of Light Pirates that attacked the Convertors and other light users in order to siphon their power. This period saw the light becoming a scarce resource leading to an event known as the Dimming whereby the various light wielders began to battle one another over its power. As such, the War of the Dwindling Light emerged among the Lightsmiths whilst their universe was slowly dying. (Green Lantern: The Lost Army v1 #3)
Within the new Multiverse, the Emotional Spectrum was discovered on Earth-15 by scientist Volthoom and his mother who lived in the ear 3079 A.D. This reality faced impending destruction from a destroyer pulsar with the pair creating the Travel Lantern to travel across the Multiverse. Only Volthoom survived with his mother dying in the collapse of his reality with him seeking to find a means of saving his world. To achieve that, he became an acolyte of the Emotional Spectrum and spread its secrets across various realities in the hopes that this could birth a scientific civilization that could aid him. Among these realities included; Earth-17 where it was used to resurrect plant life, Earth-47 where it was used to make beautiful music and Earth-3 where the wizard Mordru fused a piece of Volthoom's soul to create a Power Ring from it but following a dispute he departed that world. He eventually arrived on Earth-0 where he emerged on Maltus ten billion ears in the past and encountered the Maltusians where he taught them the secrets of the Emotional Spectrum. To better control it, the Maltusians divorced themselves from emotions and created the Great Heart and during this time the increasingly unstable Volthoom implanted this within himself in order to become the First Lantern that harnessed the Emotional Spectrum. To stop him, Rami destroyed the Travel Lantern and created the first Power Ring's that were gifted to seven individuals that helped defeat the First Lantern. (Green Lanterns v1 #18) The Guardian Rami during this era authored a book named The Principles of the Forces of the Emotional Spectrum as part of his research. (Green Lanterns v1 #23) Billions of years ago, the Guardians of the Universe decided to avoid becoming affected by the Emotional Spectrum created by sentient life. As a result, they created the Book of Oa to shield themselves from its influence as they sought to cleanse themselves of emotions. This led to a schism amongst their kind with the women not believing this course of action and decided to abandon Oa as a result leading to the formation of the Zamarons. (Green Lantern v4 #19) On harnessing the spectrum's power, the Guardians chose the green light of willpower as it represented balance within it and had less of an influence on its wielders. Within the Book of Oa, it was foretold that the full power of the spectrum would be harvested in the future with seven Corps arising that would wage a war of light before the coming of the Blackest Night. (Green Lantern v4 #25)
Long ago, the existence of a hidden aspect of the Invisible Spectrum was discovered by Thaal Sinestro who had uncovered knowledge of it from ancient writings of older civilizations. From this knowledge, he wrote a book about the nature of this aspect of the Spectrum before he was recruited into the Green Lantern Corps. (Justice League v4 #3)
Through use of Krona's Power Gauntlet, he was slowly being transformed into an entity of pure will and losing himself into the Emotional Spectrum. With this barely contained power, he used it to fashion a Power Ring whereupon he relinquished the Gauntlet rather than lose himself in its power. (Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps: Rebirth v1 #1)
In the 31st century, Rainbow Girl of the Legion of Substitute-Heroes had the ability to tap into the mysterious power of the Emotional Spectrum. (Action Comics v1 #862)
Overview
Sentient life was said to had unknowingly created it with thoughts and feelings coalescing into a unique Emotional Spectrum. Emotions such as will and fear were among the seven living and breathing energies that formed the spectrum. (Green Lantern v4 #25) This Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum could be harnessed and used with the green light of willpower being stated to be the most pure. (Green Lantern: Rebirth v1 #3) The further away from the center of the Emotional Spectrum, the greater the influence was exerted on the bearer. (Green Lantern v4 #20)
There were a number of entities composed of the Spectrum that existed which included:
- The Entity :
- Ion :
- Parallax :
- Ophidian :
- The Butcher :
- Adara :
- Proselyte :
The anti-thesis of the Emotional Spectrum was the Black. (Green Lantern v5 #30) There was an entire hidden aspect of this force which was known as the Invisible Emotional Spectrum. (Justice League v4 #2) In comparison to its counter, the Invisible Spectrum controlled the wearer. It was said that the heart of this force was a phantom galaxy that was powered by a sentient black sun called Umbrax. Umbrax sought out worlds that were in the grips of self-destructive forces whereupon it animated them with its energies before drawing them into its galaxy. This Spectrum was said to be tied six other cosmic forces in the universe. (Justice League v4 #3)
Notes
- The Emotional Spectrum was created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver where it made its first appearance in Green Lantern: Rebirth v1 #3 (February, 2005).
- Writer Scott Snyder commented in an interview about his Justice League run that, ""With the discovery that once the Source Wall is broken, all these new clues about why, and all these new clues about the nature of our multiverse and what made it begin to appear, and one of those things is a portal, or a permeable membrane, to a whole new area of the emotional spectrum that we haven't visited before: the invisible tangents of the emotional spectrum, the ultraviolets, and the infrareds, and all that stuff, that contains some of the worst and most sublimated hidden emotions that we don't like to admit are there."
In other media
Video games
- In DC Universe Online, the Emotional Spectrum was mentioned in the War of Light DLC content in the MMORPG game. During the conflict with the various Lantern Corps, it was said that the Spectrum was unbalanced with attempts being made to stabilize it.
- In DC Comics Legends, the Emotional Spectrum was mentioned in the background of several items rewarded to players in the iOS video game.
Appearances
- Green Lantern: Rebirth v1 #3:
- Green Lantern:
- Green Lantern Corps:
- Green Lantern:
- Green Lantern: Lost Army v1:
- Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps:
- Green Lanterns:
- Justice League v4:
External Links
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