Green Lantern Corps
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The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic police force featured in DC Comics, particularly series featuring the superhero Green Lantern, Earth’s member of the group.
The Green Lantern Corps patrols the vast reaches of the DC universe. The Guardians of the Universe, a hyper-intelligent and noble, but sometimes short-sighted and arrogant race, founded and still administers the Green Lantern Corps from the planet Oa. The Guardians divided the universe into 3,600 “sectors” and choose two natives of each sector to serve as that sector's Green Lantern. This currently grants the Corps approximately 7,200 members. Each Green Lantern is given a power ring that provides the wearer with great control over the world around him or her.
The Guardians created the Green Lantern Corps some three billion years ago and the force has survived multiple rebellions, murders and collapses from within and without.
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[edit] Fictional history
[edit] Guardians
In the early days of the Universe, natives of the overpopulated planet Maltus (sometimes spelled Malthus as a possible reference to famous overpopulation author Thomas Malthus) evolved into immortals of great power. They subsequently settled the planet Oa and declared themselves the Guardians of the Universe and enemies of evil after one of their own, the renegade scientist Krona, performed a forbidden experiment that had terrible consequences for the Universe at large.
Exactly what those consequences were have varied with different versions of the stories; originally, it was supposed to have unleashed Evil in the first place. Later, it was attributed to have created the Antimatter Universe of Qward. Later still, it was used as the explanation for the existence of parallel universes in the DC Universe (and the creation of the Monitor), which eventually led to the rearrangement of Time itself, as seen in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Finally, it has been stated that it accelerated entropy, shortening the duration of the universe by a billion years.
Some of the Guardians, however, disagreed on how to deal with the chaos that had been unleashed. One group, calling itself the Controllers, separated itself from the others and favored using more violent methods to achieve their ends (a later interpretation says they left over a disagreement on how to use the Manhunters - see below). They would later found the Darkstars organization. The female Oans, feeling no need to involve themselves in the situation, also left, becoming later known as the Zamarons.
[edit] Manhunter failure
To enforce their will and guard against alien menaces of all sorts, the Guardians had created a legion of robotic sentinels called the Manhunters. However, the Manhunters eventually came to resent their servitude and were also viewed as flawed due to their inability to recognize and/or feel fear. They rebelled against the Guardians, eventually breaking away and forming their own robotic society where they pursued their own agenda (which often included interfering with, and foiling the plans of, the Guardians).
[edit] Creation of the Corps
Chastened by the failure of the Manhunters, the Guardians decided that their newest force of soldiers for good would consist of living beings, ones who had free will and strong moral character. To arm this new legion of celestial knights, the Guardians created the Power Rings, rings of inconceivably-advanced technology that allowed their wearers to project green beams of energy with which the bearer could conjure objects of any size or shape, limited only by his or her imagination and willpower.
Although the connection between the Guardian Oans and the origin of the Green Lantern symbol has yet to be clarified, it has been revealed that the lantern itself has its roots in the first life in the universe. Allegedly, the first life in the galaxy emerged on an unnamed foggy world, and when they developed a police force - the first in the universe - the constabulary carried a lantern lit with a green chemical flame, hence a corp of Green Lanterns. It is intimated that this ideal was adopted and spread throughout the galaxy as a symbol for law and justice and its ability to pierce confusion and uncertainty, eventually resulting in the formation of the Green Lantern Corps, with requisite power rings and lantern-shaped batteries along traditional lines. Initially consisting of only a few dozen agents at a time, the Corps radically increased its numbers approximately 1000 years ago. The Guardians sought to bring order to the planet known as Apokolips. Home to Darkseid, a galactic tyrant, Apokolips was and is a stronghold of evil. Green Lantern Raker Qarrigat sought to remove Darkseid from power, only to be humbled by Darkseid's might. Raker returned to Oa, where he convinced the Guardians that taking Apokolips would require an army. Authorized to start a massive recruitment, Raker and his fellow Lanterns inducted thousands of new members, bringing total membership up to 3600.
[edit] Fall of the Corps
The Green Lantern Corps patrolled the DC Universe for over three billion years. In that vast length of time, some Green Lanterns rebelled and fell into evil. A rogue Green Lantern, Universo, was briefly shown to exist in the future epoch of the Legion of Super-Heroes, but multiple retcons have long since eliminated this possible future. Two of the most important rebels were Sinestro, the rogue Green Lantern, and Hal Jordan, driven insane over the loss of his home, Coast City, and possession by Parallax.
The Green Lantern Corps ranks were decimated by Hal Jordan during his madness, its power source, the Main Battery, extinguished; and Oa destroyed, removing the original power source for the rings.
After the fall of the Corps, other organizations tried to fill in the power vacuum left by the Guardians. Two organizations had initial notable successes; the Darkstars and L.E.G.I.O.N. However neither ever achieved the power and reach of the Green Lantern Corps.
[edit] Rebirth of the Corps
Recently Oa was reconstructed by Hal Jordan's old sidekick Tom Kalmaku, and shortly thereafter Kyle Rayner, the last remaining Green Lantern, resurrected the Guardians as children using the power Parallax had stolen. The resurrections did not stop there. It was discovered that Hal Jordan had committed his crimes while possessed by the ancient fear parasite Parallax. Parallax had been imprisoned within the Central Power Battery for billions of years and is the mysterious Yellow Impurity within The Corps' green light that leaves them vulnerable against yellow. Once Parallax had been exorcised, the now adult Guardians re-imprisoned Parallax. With that, the Guardians continued the re-construction and expansion of the Corps. The new Corps, under the training of Kilowog, Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner and other veterans, was primarily filled by new recruits. Only a handful of veteran Lanterns are back in the ranks. Each sector will have 2 Lanterns assigned to protect it. And due to an ancient pact with the Spider Guild the Vega star system is off limits to all members of the Corps.
With 3600 sectors and two Green Lanterns per sector, it will be many years before the Corps regains its former strength. It presently lacks both the manpower and the political influence it once had due to its years-long absence from many sectors. This has left it currently unable to intervene in situations it might have before Parallax destroyed the old Corps, including conflicts such as the Rann-Thanagar War. The Guardians remain staunchly uninvolved in what they see as a conflict that could destabilize many sectors, but that has not stopped Kyle Rayner and Kilowog from helping refugees.
Despite these difficulties, the Corps played a key role in defeating Superboy-Prime. Several Lanterns were killed slowing the renegade Superboy's advance on Oa, a sacrifice that enabled Earth's most powerful heroes to execute their plan to restrain him. Mogo, the sentient planet and Corps member, positioned himself to act as a final battleground between Superboy-Prime and the two Supermen. The Corps took responsibility for imprisoning Superboy-Prime, incarcerating him in a small red Sun-Eater with fifty Green Lanterns on constant guard duty. "Prime Duty" is considered one of the lowlier functions of the Corps, and Guy Gardner was sentenced to a month of such duty for one of his frequent rules infractions.
As of the One Year Later timeframe, the Green Lantern Corps has increased its numbers, with many former trainees now full-fledged officers. The lack of truly experienced GL's remains an issue, with Guy Gardner being called upon often to assist the rookies. The transformation of Kyle Rayner to Ion also holds unknown ramifications for the future of the Corps.
[edit] Structure
[edit] The 3600 sectors
The Corps is an organization of 7200 Green Lanterns (the old Corps had 3600) who are chosen by the ring for being able to overcome great fear, with two assigned to sectors of space that require the protection of more than one Green Lantern (Earth, home to Hal Jordan and John Stewart, is in Sector 2814). Heavily-populated Sectors like 2814, can have several Lanterns. While the primary Lanterns of Sector 2814 are Hal Jordan and John Stewart, there is also Kyle Rayner and Guy Gardner who call Earth home, but are stationed on Oa, first as teachers, and then specially assigned to cases that are too difficult for the average GL.
Each member has a great deal of autonomy as to their methods in their jurisdiction, subject to review by the Guardians if they felt the Green Lantern in question has abused his/her assigned authority. Also, the individual Lanterns were responsible for arranging their replacements if they were near retirement or death. If the Lantern died before that obligation was met, the ring would find and seek another to be trained on its own. In rare circumstances, Guardians would personally go out into the field to recruit a replacement.
Each Green Lantern in the original corps upon recruitment would receive a power ring, a power battery shaped like a lantern with which the ring is recharged and a uniform. The default uniform design for humanoids was a green section covering the torso and shoulders, black arms and leggings, green boots, white gloves, green domino mask and a chest symbol of a stylized Green Lantern icon on a white circle. Lanterns were allowed to customize their uniforms as long as the color scheme and the symbol were present. When the nature of the being precludes a standard uniform, an equivalent arrangement is expected as a substitute. For instance, Mogo, a sapient planet, arranges his foliage to create a green circling band and lantern symbol on his body. Lanterns were also allowed the option of a secret identity as a security measure and it is implied that the Corps were instructed to honor that choice by taking care not to expose them. Training in the use of the ring was optional and appropriate facilities and personnel were available on Oa upon request. In addition, a senior Lantern can be assigned to coach a recruit in the field in their sector.
The New Green Lantern Corps being built by the Guardians is far more formal and structured than the old one that was destroyed by Parallax. Recruits, after being found by their power rings, are taken to Oa for training. Not all recruits will make it through training - indeed a great many of them might even fail, forcing the ring to find another Lantern. Lantern trainees have a simplified version of the old Green Lantern uniforms (with green covering more of the torso than in the DC Animated Universe Green Lantern designs) with the white circle on their chest blank, presumably until the Lantern insignia is added upon completion of their training. Additionally, all power rings, not just Kyle Rayner's ring, now work on the color yellow, provided the user can feel the fear behind the color and overcome it.
Upon recruitment, a Green Lantern is expected to uphold certain principles of his/her/its duty. These principles include:
- Protection of life and liberty with the assigned sector.
- Following the orders of the Guardians without question.
- Noninterference with a planet's culture, political structure or its population's collective will.
- Acting within local laws and obey the local authority within reason. (Presumably, The Guardians' orders can overrule this when necessary).
- Taking no action against anyone or anything until they are proven to be a threat against life and liberty.
- Refusing to use the equipment, resources or authority of The Corps for personal gain.
- Showing respect for and cooperating with other members of the Corps and the Guardians.
- Showing respect for life which includes restraint of force unless there is no reasonable alternative.
- Giving top priority to the greatest danger in the assigned sector.
- Upholding the honor of the Corps.
To enforce these principles, the Guardians closely monitored the activities of the Lanterns. If they felt a violation of Corps regulations occurred, they would summon the offender to Oa and hold a trial in which the charges were read and the Lantern was allowed to explain his/her/its actions. If the Guardians were not satisfied by the explanation, they had a number of disciplinary options which include:
- Probation
- Personal supervision by the Guardians on Oa
- Temporary exile from the Lantern's homeworld
- Ritual Trial of Endurance - a Lantern must attempt a dangerous passage through the Anti-Matter Universe.
- Expulsion from the Corps.
[edit] Oa - Corps Headquarters
The Corps headquarters is on the planet of Oa, in the center of the universe. The main features include a great hall with a raised dais for the Guardians to meet in conference as well as other formal functions. There are also training facilities for recruits and holding cells called Sciencells for particularly dangerous criminals. The most prominent feature is the Central Power Battery, a giant size version of the Lantern's power batteries that channeled the energy of the Guardians and amplified it, to feed energy to the individual power batteries. The fear entity known as Parallax was imprisoned within the center of the Battery. It was vital to maintain security on this device since major damage to it would preclude recharging the power rings -which required energy every 24 Earth hours- thus robbing the Corps of their primary weapons, the exception being Kyle Rayner's ring which is based upon energy output, not a time limit. Oa was destroyed shortly after Hal Jordan became Parallax but was later reconstituted by Jordan's friend Tom Kalmaku.The Guardians recently increased the capabilities of Oa's defensive systems by creating an armored structure that protects the planet.
[edit] Green Lantern Honor Guard
The Green Lantern Honor Guard is an elite group of Green Lanterns not restricted to one sector. They are based on Oa. Green Lantern Guy Gardner was promoted to Lantern number one (by contrast, Hal Jordan is 2814.1 and John Stewart is 2814.2), during the Green Lantern Corps: Recharge miniseries.
Guy serves as a flexible trouble-shooter, aiding any sector in need and has also served in a leadership role during battle.<ref>Infinite Crisis #7, 2006</ref>
[edit] Weapons
When recharging their weapons, some Corps members recite an oath. This oath can differ from Corps member to member, but the most popular seems to be:
- In brightest day, in blackest night,
- no evil shall escape my sight!
- Let those who worship evil's might,
- beware my power... Green Lantern's light!
A notably different version, created for a power ring holder from a sightless race (from Alan Moore's story "In Blackest Night", found in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #3, 1987) was:
- In loudest din or hush profound,
- my ears catch evil's slightest sound.
- Let those who toll out evil's knell,
- beware my power: The F-Sharp Bell!
[edit] Publishing history
[edit] "Lensman" connection
Many believe the Green Lantern Corps was modeled after the Lensman science fiction series of E.E. "Doc" Smith. There were many parallels between the two: both were intergalactic law enforcement agents chosen for their high moral character and willingness to do good, and empowered with an awesome weapon of alien design that also had safeguards against abuse and evil trickery. However, John Broome, who wrote the Silver Age Green Lantern stories, and Julius Schwartz, who edited those stores, have both denied any connection. Broome and Schwartz claimed to never have read the Smith stories, although Schwartz admitted that as a science fiction fan, he had of course heard of them.
However, as a tip of the hat to the series, writer Mike Barr created two new Corps members for his Green Lantern Corps mini series named Arisia and Eddore, after the planets of the super intelligent good and evil races (respectively) in the Lensman series.
Comic book writers were attracted to the concept of an intergalactic corps made up of Green Lanterns from various alien races. An occasional backup series in the Green Lantern comic book series, Tales of the Green Lantern Corps, featured guest writers who often penned short stories about the idiosyncrasies of individual alien Green Lanterns, who might never be heard of again. Alan Moore wrote two of the most well-known of these stories, In Blackest Night and Mogo Doesn't Socialize, which introduced Rot Lop Fan and Mogo, respectively. Other Green Lanterns who were introduced in this fashion were Arisia and Ch'p.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Profile on Green Lantern - Comic book historian Alan Kistler's article detailing the history of the various versions of the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe. For anyone who wants to get into Green Lantern comics but isn't sure how to start. Includes detailed descriptions of how power rings work.
- The Green Lantern Webpage Great Book of OA
