Green Lantern
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- For the DJ, see DJ Green Lantern.
Several characters have taken the mantle of Green Lantern throughout the years. Each possessed a “power ring” that gives the user great control over the physical world as long as the wielder has sufficient willpower. While the ring of the Golden Age Green Lantern (Alan Scott) was magically powered, the rings worn by all subsequent Lanterns were the creations of the Guardians of the Universe who granted such rings to worthy candidates across the universe. These individuals made up the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps.
After World War II, when superhero comic books generally declined, DC ceased publishing new adventures of Green Lantern. At the beginning of the Silver Age, DC editor Julius Schwartz, along with writer John Broome & artist Gil Kane, revived Green Lantern with all new origin stories. Air Force pilot Hal Jordan took the role of Green Lantern. For years a solid if not spectacular seller, eventually both Broome & Kane moved on for different reasons, and in an effort to capitalize on the "new Era" of comics, writer Denny O'Neil & artist Neal Adams eventually teamed Green Lantern up with Green Arrow, in ground-breaking, socially conscious series that pitted the sensibilities of the law-and-order-oriented Lantern with the populist Green Arrow.
Several, more cosmically themed series followed. In the last twenty years, DC has placed different individuals in the role of Earth's Green Lantern, most prominently John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner.
In 1997, James Robinson and J.H. Williams III created a new Green Lantern for DC's Tangent line. This character was female and Asian, and carried a large old-style lantern with ghostly properties. After the re-collapse of the Multiverse in Infinite Crisis, she became part of the main DC Universe. 52 #6 showed her working with the government of China.
Green Lantern has proven to be one of DC's most popular superheroes. Each Green Lantern was a member of the Justice Society of America or the Justice League, DC's all-star teams and John Stewart was featured in the Justice League Unlimited animated series.
Publication history
Golden Age
Green Lantern (sometimes called The Green Lantern in the early days) was created by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger. He first appeared in the Golden Age of comic books in All-American Comics #16 (July 1940), published by All-American Publications, one of three companies that would eventually merge to form DC. This Green Lantern was Alan Scott, an engineer who had come into possession of a magic lantern. From this, he crafted a power ring which gave him a wide variety of powers. The limitations of the ring were a) it had to be "charged" every 24 hours by touching it to the lantern for a time, and b) it did not work on wood.
This origin was retconned so that Scott, like the other Green Lanterns, owes his powers to the Guardians of the Universe. The magic that gave Scott’s lantern its power came from a collection of wild magic known as the Star Heart. The Star Heart was all the wild magic in the universe, which the Guardians gathered together in an attempt to ensure a more orderly universe.
Briefly, Scott absorbed the power of his battery directly into himself and called himself Sentinel.
Scott fathered two other superheroes, a son, Todd, known as Obsidian, who can take the form of a shadow, and Jenny, known as Jade, who possess powers similar to Scott’s, but does not need to recharge her abilities. Jade's power, like Superman's, is ineffective against magic. Jade and Obsidian are both former members of the now defunct Infinity Inc., a society whose members are children of the members of the Justice Society of America. Jade was also member of the reformed Outsiders and was their leader at the time of her death. Obsidian was briefly a member of the Justice League while Wonder Woman was the leader of that group.
Scott was a popular character in the 1940s, featured in both All-American Comics and in his own title and co-starring in Comic Cavalcade along with The Flash and Wonder Woman. He was a charter member of the Justice Society of America, whose adventures ran in All Star Comics. After World War II, the popularity of superheroes declined. The Green Lantern comic book was cancelled with issue #38 (June 1949). All Star Comics #57 (1951) was the last Golden Age appearance of the character. (All Star Comics continued as All Star Western).
Silver Age
In 1956, DC Comics successfully revived superheroes, ushering in what became known as the Silver Age of comic books. Rather than bringing back the same Golden Age heroes — as Atlas Comics, the 1950s precursor of Marvel Comics, unsuccessfully tried to do — DC reimagined them as new characters for the modern age. Following the successful revival of the Flash in Showcase #4 (Oct. 1956), a new Green Lantern was introduced in Showcase #22 (September-October 1959).
This Green Lantern was Hal Jordan, a test pilot who was given the ring by a dying alien, Abin Sur, and who became a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar organization of police overseen by the Guardians of the Universe. The Corps' rings were powerless against anything colored yellow, due to a necessary impurity in the ring. Jordan's creation was motivated by a desire to make him more of a science fiction hero, editor Julius Schwartz having been a longtime SF fan and literary agent who saw pop-culture tastes turning in that direction.
The Silver Age Green Lantern was unique in several ways. He was the first DC superhero to use his powers selfishly (in his romance with Carol Ferris) and he was the first DC superhero with a family. Written by John Broome and drawn by Gil Kane, these stories have been reprinted in deluxe hardback editions.
This Green Lantern was a founding member of the Justice League of America and starred in his own title as well; in issue #40 (Oct. 1965), he met his Golden Age predecessor, who was established to live on the parallel world of Earth-Two, separate from Jordan's Earth-One. The two Lanterns struck up a close friendship and have periodically come to each other's aid. Hal Jordan's Green Lantern also became close friends with the Flash, and the two heroes appeared frequently in each other's comics to team up.
Lasting 14 issues, the experiment was not a commercial success, ending in the title's cancellation after 16 years, yet the stories received enormous attention from the mainstream media, and spun off paperback-book collections of many of those stories. Adams' stunningly detailed and dramatic artwork and O'Neil's intelligent and thought-provoking if often heavy-handed scripts also won numerous awards and accolades, including a commendation in issue #86 from then-New York City mayor John V. Lindsay, and in the early 21st century those comics remain some of the most memorable of their time. The series ended with #89 (May 1972).
Green Lantern then appeared as the backup feature in The Flash until his series was relaunched with #90 (Sept. 1976) — again under the co-starring rubric with Green Arrow, who left the title after #122 (Nov. 1979). The focus had by then gradually shifted to Jordan, who, after being exiled to space for a time, gave up his ring. His role as Green Lantern was assumed by fellow Earthman John Stewart, who had been introduced by O'Neil & Adams years earlier. Stewart was followed by another Green Lantern of Earth, Guy Gardner, created during the 1960s to serve as Jordan's backup. After Jordan took up the ring again, he was joined by a legion of other Green Lanterns, both human and alien, and the series became The Green Lantern Corps from #201-224 (June 1986-May 1988) after which the long-running series came to an end.
Modern Age
Following a short hiatus, the title returned in the early 1990s as Green Lantern and followed Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Guy Gardner.
Later in the 1990s, editor Kevin Dooley, in a controversial decision, had writer Ron Marz script "Emerald Twilight", detailing Jordan's descent into paranoic madness and villainy, and his replacement as Green Lantern by a younger, more modern character. In the story, Jordan went insane following the destruction of his hometown, Coast City, by the alien Mongul and the Cyborg Superman (an event spinning off of the "Death of Superman" company crossover). Jordan destroyed the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians, absorbing their power and taking the name Parallax. One Guardian survived, however, and passed one remaining ring (which lacked the mysterious yellow impurity of the earlier rings) to a young human named Kyle Rayner, who was chosen seemingly at random. After learning to use the ring and redesigning the costume, Rayner established himself as a new hero and joined a new incarnation of the Justice League.
While great controversy surrounded the fate of Hal Jordan, his young successor Kyle Rayner eventually won a following of his own.
Jordan eventually returned as Green Lantern, and in the 2004/2005 miniseries , he was cleared of the crimes committed as Parallax when it was revealed to be the result of the Yellow Impurity, a cosmic parasite that had possessed him.
In modern-day continuity, Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kilowog, and all members of the new GL Corps operate concurrently as Green Lanterns. Rayner again became Ion after the death of Jade, resulting in the powers that he had given her fusing back into him.
Awards
The series and its creators have received several awards over the years, including the 1961 Alley Award for Best Adventure Hero/Heroine with Own Book; and Academy of Comic Book Arts' Shazam Award for Best Continuing Feature in 1970, for Best Individual Story ("No Evil Shall Escape My Sight", Green Lantern #76, by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams), and in 'year tk for Best Individual Story ("Snowbirds Don't Fly", Green Lantern #85 by O'Neil and Adams).Writer O'Neil received the Shazam Award for Best Writer (Dramatic Division) in 1970 for his work on Green Lantern, Batman, Superman, and other titles, while artist Adams received the Shazam for Best Artist (Dramatic Division) in 1970 for his work on Green Lantern and Batman. Inker Dick Giordano received the Shazam Award for Best Inker (Dramatic Division) for his work on Green Lantern and other titles.
Character biographies
Golden Age Green Lantern: Alan Scott
Thousands of years ago, a mystical "green flame" fell to Earth. The voice of the flame prophesied that it would act three times: Once to bring death, once to bring life, and once to bring power. By 1940, the flame had been fashioned into a metal lantern, which fell into the hands of Alan Scott, a young engineer. Following a railroad bridge collapse, the flame instructed Scott how to fashion a ring from its metal, to give him fantastic powers as the superhero Green Lantern. He adopted a colorful costume and became a crimefighter. Alan was a founding member of the Justice Society of America. Scott is an honorary member of the Green Lantern Corps.
Silver Age Green Lantern: Hal Jordan
The second Green Lantern was Harold 'Hal' Jordan, who in 1959 was a second-generation test pilot (having followed in the footsteps of his father, Martin Jordan) who was given the power ring and battery (lantern) by a dying alien named Abin Sur. When Abin Sur's spaceship crashed on Earth, the alien used his ring to seek out an individual to take his place as Green Lantern: someone who was "utterly honest and born without fear." Hal was a founding member of the Justice League of America.
Modern Green Lanterns
John Stewart
The third Green Lantern was John Stewart, an unemployed architect who was selected by the Guardians to replace Guy Gardner as Jordan's backup. When Jordan resigned from the Corps. for an extended period of time, Stewart served as the regular Lantern for that period. Since then, Stewart has been in and out of action due to various circumstances, but now serves as one of his sector's two designated regular duty Lanterns with Jordan.
Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner was the second choice to replace Abin Sur as Green Lantern of sector 2118. During Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Guardians split into seperate factions and appointed Gardner as their champion. He has gone through many changes, including wielding Sinestro's Qwardian power ring, the manifestation and recession of his Vuldarian powers, and his readmission to the Corps during Green Lantern: Rebirth. He is currently a part of the Green Lantern Honor Guard, and oversees the training of new Green Lanterns.
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner was a struggling freelance artist when he was approached by the last Guardian of the Universe, Ganthet, to become a new Green Lantern with the last power ring. Ganthet did not choose Rayner for any particular reason; he simply needed to find someone to fill the role. Despite not being cut from the same cloth of bravery and fearlessness as Hal Jordan -- or perhaps because of that -- Kyle Rayner proved to be just as popular.
Powers and abilities
All Green Lanterns wield a power ring that can generate a variety of effects and energy constructs, sustained purely by the ring wearer's strength of will. The greater the user's willpower, the more effective the ring. The limits of the power ring's abilities are not clearly defined and it has been referred to as "the most powerful weapon in the universe" on more than one occasion. Across the years, the ring has been shown capable of accomplishing anything within the imagination of the ring bearer. Often the rings are used to form solid-light constructs, the power and size of which are limited only by the ring-bearer's willpower.
Power rings of various wielders have exhibited (but are not limited to) the following:
- Plasma based constructs limited to the willpower of the bearer
- Semisentient computers, including Book of Oa reference, from laws to the history of the universe
- Flight
- Finite power source, but no longer limited to 24 hours. Kyle Rayner's ring was the first ring to absorb more power than originally thought, having stored the main power battery's energy following its explosion on Oa.
- Force field generation
- Radiation simulation, including Kryptonite
- Upon death of the wielder, the ring automatically looks for a replacement.
Television
Several Green Lanterns have appeared in animated TV shows, both as regular characters and as guest stars.Regular roles
Hal Jordan was the featured character in a solo series which was part of The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure as well as part of the Justice League segment. In addition, the character was an occasional supporting character in the various Super Friends incarnations.
John Stewart is a member of the Justice League in the Justice League animated series. In this series, Stewart's ring was initially constrained to permitting him to fly, generating a protective force field, creating walls, and firing energy blasts; this limitation was established as being due to Stewart's mindset, not an inherent limitation of the ring itself (the series' version of John Stewart is a former Marine, not an architect.) After being berated by Katma Tui for his unimaginative use of the ring, Stewart has increasingly generated complex tools (to defuse a bomb in one instance) and weapons. In a development not seen in any other version of the Green Lantern mythos, Stewart's eyes glow green as a side effect of the Ring's radiation (the glow fades when the ring runs out of power). In addition, the ring is effective against yellow; Stewart is seen fighting Sinestro in one episode and the yellow energy does not prove to be a significant problem for the Lantern. Another feature of this series is Stewart's dramatic lovelife.
After a failed romance with fellow Justice League member Hawkgirl, Stewart begins a relationship with Vixen, although an episode where he travels into the future seems to indicate that he will come to have a son with Hawkgirl later on. However, with the recent appearance of the Carter Hall/Katar Hol incarnation of Hawkman in the series, that changed, and the two did not end up together after all (though it's still left up in the air at the end of the series - Hawkgirl considers Hawkman a stalker, not a boyfriend, and she still loves John). Hawkman also concludes at the end of the episode that Hawkgirl and himself are just not fated to be with each other.
Guest appearances
- Kyle Rayner appeared as Green Lantern in one episode of . This incarnation appeared to be a hybrid of Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordan, since he was recruited by Abin Sur, fought Jordan's old enemy Sinestro, and looked more like Jordan than Rayner (in one scene, the name of test pilot Hal Jordan is clearly visible, painted on the nose of an airplane on the tarmac at a military base). This character was later inducted into the Green Lantern Corps. Guy Gardner makes a cameo as the mugger who steals Jimmy Olsen's camera.
- Rayner was briefly mentioned in one episode of Justice League and reappeared after the series became Justice League Unlimited, bearing a far greater resemblance to his comics counterpart. Kilowog, Katma Tui, and Sinestro have also appeared in the series.
- A character known as Green Guardsman (real name Scott Mason) appeared in a Justice League episode in which John Stewart and several other members traveled to a parallel universe. This other universe had its own superhero group, the Justice Guild, whose members were modeled on Golden Age versions of the Justice Society of America characters. Green Guardsman was an homage to the Golden Age Green Lantern. His power ring was unable to affect aluminium.
- The Justice League version of John Stewart has appeared in a few episodes of Static Shock, both as a member of the League and in a solo appearance.
- A two-part episode of Batman Beyond featured a future Justice League Unlimited that included a Green Lantern who was an eight-year old child; he later reappeared as a young adult in the Justice League Unlimited episode Epilogue (the character was created for this appearance, and has not appeared elsewhere). His name was Kai-ro, a tribute to Kairo, Green Lantern's alien sidekick on The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure.
- Hal Jordan appeared briefly in a two-part episode of Justice League Unlimited in which the time-traveling villain Chronos caused the timeline to become unstable, with characters changing or disappearing as their history was altered. At one point, John Stewart morphed into Jordan, who aided the other characters for several minutes before changing back into Stewart.
- On the show "Duck Dodgers," the episode entitled "The Green Loontern" includes appearances by many well-known members of the Green Lantern Corps. In this episode, a mixup at the dry cleaners results in Dodgers (AKA Daffy Duck) getting Hal Jordan's outfit -- and ring. Director and well known comicbook geek Kevin Smith provided the voice of Jordan for this cameo.
Trivia
- Howard Murphy played Green Lantern in the live action Legends of the Superheroes TV specials in 1979. The role of Sinestro was played by comedian Charlie Callas.
- The unsuccessful pilot for a live-action Justice League of America television series in 1997 included Matthew Settle as Guy Gardner, although the pilot's Green Lantern used only the name and costume of the comic-book Gardner. In personality and appearance, he more closely resembled Hal Jordan. He wore a mask and insignia similar to that worn by Kyle Rayner as a part of his original costume. His ring closely resembled that of Alan Scott. However, this ring didn't bestow the power of flight upon its wearer -- instead, Gardner flew by using the ring to generate a helicopter rotor.
- On the animated series Duck Dodgers in which several notable Green Lantern characters appear, Hal Jordan is voiced by film director Kevin Smith, a friend of producer Paul Dini, who co-wrote the episode.
- The television series The Greatest American Hero has a premise that closely resembles the Silver Age Green Lantern in many respects.
- Other DC Superheroes who have wielded the GL Ring and/or powers temporarily include Superman (Action Comics #642), Nightwing (Action Comics #642), Green Arrow ( #4) and Zatanna (Green Lantern (2nd series) #42, Green Lantern 80-Page Giant #2). The dark form of the newest Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), induced by black kryptonite, has also wielded John Stewart's Ring (Supergirl #4). It is unknown if the normal Supergirl has the ability to do so. Batman has also used the ring, on Hal's suggestion, to see his parents to overcome his fear (Green Lantern #9).
- DC Superheroes who have filled the role in DC's Elseworlds or other alternate universes include Clark Kent (Superman: Last Son of Earth), Bruce Wayne (In Darkest Knight), Barbara Gordon (JLA: Created Equal), Uncle Sam (Superman/Batman #15), and Big Barda in JLA: Another Nail.
- In the Elseworlds limited series Kingdom Come, Green Lantern (Alan Scott) is depicted wearing a suit apparently made of the same material as his power battery, and his description in the apocrypha is as follows: "Merging his lantern into himself, he is the most powerful champion of that name." Scott is also depicted as being at a UN meeting as ambassador of "New Oa".
- Green Lantern is mentioned in the hit 1965 song "Sunshine Superman" by British folk musician Donovan.
- Hal Jordan and Green Lantern in general are discussed in great detail in the low budget film Bite me, fanboy.
- "The Green Lantern", a Washington, DC gay bar, was named in homage of the character. The interior features lithographs of both Green Lantern and Green Arrow.
- The Tangent Comics reinvention of the character Green Lantern had the ability to raise the dead so they could come to terms with their own, often tragic, deaths or seek some form of closure.
Green Lantern oath
Green Lantern is famous for the oath he recites when he charges his ring. Originally, the oath was simple:
- ...and I shall shed my light over dark evil.
- 'For the dark things cannot stand the light,
- The light of the Green Lantern!
In the mid-1940s, this was revised into the form that became famous during the Hal Jordan era:
- 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!
It has since been established that each Green Lantern has his, her, or its own oath. For example, Medphyl, the Green Lantern of the planet J586 (Seen in Swamp Thing # 61, "All Flesh is Grass"), a planet where a sentient plant species lives, has the following oath:
- In forest dark or glade beferned
- No blade of grass shall go unturned
- Let those who have the daylight spurned
- Tread not where this green lamp has burned.
- You who are wicked, evil and mean
- I'm the nastiest creep you've ever seen!
- Come one, come all, put up a fight
- I'll pound your butts with Green Lantern's light!
- Yowza.
- In loudest din or hush profound
- My ears hear evil's slightest sound
- Let those who toll out evil's knell
- Beware my power, the F-Sharp Bell!
- In blackest day or brightest night
- Watermelon, cantaloupe, yadda-e-yadda
- Erm...superstitious and cowardly lot
- With liberty and justice for all!
Green Lantern parodies/references
- The American sitcom Seinfeld made references to Green Lantern in three episodes: "The Barber" (Feb. 11, 1993), "The Stand In" (Feb. 25, 1994) and "The Strong Box" (Feb. 5, 1998).
- Doctor Spectrum - There are three versions of Dr. Spectrum from three different dimensions in the Marvel Universe, none of which come from the normal Marvel continuity.
- *The version of Dr. Spectrum that had the most development was a member of the Squadron Supreme. Dr. Spectrum used to be an astronaut, adventurer and something of a playboy. On one of his space missions, he saved the life of a benevolent alien of the Skrull race. In gratitude for rescuing him, the Skrull gave Joe Ledger the Power Prism, an energy synthesizer his people had created.
- *The version of Dr. Spectrum in Supreme Power series is a rebooted version of this character. In this version, Joseph (Joe) Daniel Ledger is a Colonel in the United States Army, who perform covert operations missions. He is considered the perfect soldier: an army man who follows any and all orders and is a natural killer. Joe Ledger was the only candidate who was focused and single minded enough to be able to control the power prism found in Hyperion's space ship.
- *There is also an evil version of Dr. Spectrum who was a member of the Squadron Sinister, who had several incarnations. Although the Squadron Sinister Dr. Spectrum preceded the Squadron Supreme version in appearance, the former is considered the original as the latter was revealed to be just a copy.
- The Beacon - in Big Bang Comics.
- *Beacon of Earth A, corresponding to the 1960's version: Dr. Julia Gardner
- *Beacon of Earth B, corresponding to the 1940's version: Scott Martin
- The Green Ghost - from Invincible series.
- The Hurricane - World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)'s character. Gregory Helms is a comics fan and has a Green Lantern tattoo on his bicep. His love of comics was turned into a wrestling character or "gimmick".
- Green Lambkin - a funny animal version, first appearing in Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew #14, April 1983. Given his ring by the Goat-Guardians of the planet Uh-Oh, the Green Lambkin was a member of Just'a Lotta Animals, fighting evil alongside heroes such as Batmouse and Super-Squirrel on the parallel world Earth C-Minus.
- DJ Green Lantern - Hip hop DJ artist adopting character's name.
- In Issue #10 of Warren Ellis' Planetary, "Magic and Loss", there is a race of red-robed beings providing blue lanterns to those worthy of being "Policemen." One noble alien is selected, and a glowing blue lantern (a "mind-powered weapon") is placed within his chest. The alien, now capable of space-travel, heads to Earth where he is captured, vivisected, and has the blue lantern extracted by Dr. Randall Dowling of the Four, after having his powers nullified through the use of red-hued light.
- Following this, Lamplighter gained the power of the lantern and joins the group Stormwatch, which is a parallel of the Justice League.
- Iron Lantern, an Amalgam Comics character who was a combination of Hal Jordan and Marvel Comics character Iron Man.
- The Star Knights are an homage to the Green Lantern Corps in the Mutants and Masterminds Role-playing game.
- The protagonist of No More Magic, a novel by Avi, is an avid reader of comic books, and in particular, a fan of the Green Lantern series.
See also
References
- [Green Lantern - The Central Battery]
- [The Book of OA]
- [The Green Lantern Shrine]
- [The Unofficial Green Lantern Corps Web Page]
- [Green Lantern Rebirth]
- [Green Lantern Corps. JLResource.com entry]
- [John Stewart JLResource.com entry]
- [Index of Hal Jordan's (and John Stewart's) Earth-1 adventures]
References
- [Bite Me Fanboy film site] (includes Green Lantern references)
- [The Emerald Warrior]
- [Profile by Alan Kistler]
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