Green Lantern: Difference between revisions

Outer space isn't as dark as you think.

[[The Golden Age of Comic Books|Created in 1940]], the original Green Lantern was a railroad engineer named Alan Scott, who fashioned his ring and lantern out of a magic metal called the Starheart. However, [[The Silver Age of Comic Books|in the late 1950s]] DC Comics revamped the title with a sci-fi bent, reimagining the hero as cocky test pilot turned [[Space Police|space cop]] Hal Jordan, who was given a [[Ring of Power|Power Ring]] by a dying alien who crash landed on Earth (and was just one of many extraterrestrial peacekeepers serving the wise [[The Omniscient Council of Vagueness|Guardians of the Universe]]). What most people know of the character originated during this era: the villainous Lantern renegade Sinestro, the living planet Mogo, alien drill instructor Kilowog, and aerospace entrepreneur/love interest Carol Ferris. Occasionally, Jordan would pass his ring off to other humans, like stoic architect and former U.S. Marine John Stewart or [[Jerk With a Heart of Gold|lovable jerk]] Guy Gardner. Alan Scott would also return, first as an [[Alternate Universe|Earth-2]] counterpart to Hal, then after continuities got merged in the ''[[Crisis On Infinite Earths]]'' he became a respected elder hero with only the loosest connection to the Corps.

* ''Green Lantern Corps'' (by Peter Tomasi), starring John Stewart and Guy Gardner and focusing on traditional space adventures.

* ''Green Lantern: New Guardians'' (by Tony Bedard), starring Kyle Rayner on the run from the GLC as he leads a team drawn from all seven corps.

The Green Lanterns are also frequent members of versions of the [[Justice League of America]], with Hal, John, and Kyle part of different incarnations of the main team and Guy Gardner in [[Justice League International]]. Alan Scott is also a founding member of the [[Justice Society of America]], which is either the League's predecessor or its Earth-2 counterpart depending on the era.

Outside of comics, ''Green Lantern'' has been animated a number of times for television, including ''[[Super Friends]]'', the [[DCAU]] (mostly in ''[[Justice League]]''), ''[[Batman the Brave And The Bold (Animation)|Batman the Brave And The Bold]]'', the DTV releases ''[[Green Lantern First Flight (Animation)|Green Lantern First Flight]]'' and ''[[Green Lantern Emerald Knights (Film)|Green Lantern Emerald Knights]]'', and even a notable episode of ''[[Duck Dodgers]]''. Warner Bros. released the first big budget ''[[Green Lantern (Film)|Green Lantern]]'' movie in 2011, starring [[Ryan Reynolds]] as Hal Jordan; and is following up with ''[[Green Lantern the Animated Series (Animation)|Green Lantern the Animated Series]]''.

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** While not generally invoked in the comics, this could actually be justified by the fact that the Lanterns all draw their power from the same source. It would actually make sense if the fewere Lanterns there were, the more powerful they became, and in fact the fewer members a Corps has, the more powerful they seem to be individually, down to Larfleeze who is literally a one-man Corps.

*** In fact, this is literally true in the case of the Orange light which [[Lex Luthor]] stated is most effectively wielded by one person.

* [[Dark Is Not Evil]]: The modern take on Sinestro explores this, as far as him wanting to instill "order" throughout the universe as the motive for his villainy, which often plays out like an [[Evil Plan]].

** Technically, the Black Lanterns fulfill this as well. As evil as they appear, there is no intelligent malevolence in their motives. Nekron is beyond good and evil, and just wants to {{spoiler|end all life because it's trespassing on his territory.}}

** Kyle Rayner destroying Oa during his fight with Parallax.

** And now, during ''War of the Green Lanterns'', {{spoiler|John kills Mogo, the sentient planet, in order to stop Krona from using him to recruit any more mindless soldiers to his army.}}

* [[Eldritch Abomination]]: Subverted. All of the emotional personifications like Parallax and Ion very well seem to be creatures beyond mortal comprehension, except they're all really {{spoiler|the ascendant forms of the first organisms to ever "feel" their respective emotions. Parallax really was a locust-like bug once, Ion was some kind of primordial fish, etc.}}

** Played straight with the Entity and Nekron, who are the seed of all life, and the void between it.

* [[Fan Nickname]]: Dex-Starr of the Red Lantern Corps, known to some as Ruffles the Rage-Cat. Also called Pukecat in some circles, due to the... acid-blood-puking nature of the Red Lantern power signature.

** Also, Hal (as Parallax) is called "Halallax", and Kyle (as Parallax) is called "Kylellax" by some fans.

** The Earth Lanterns and their friends:

*** [[The Hero]]: Hal Jordan

* [[Greed]]: The Orange Light.

* [[Green Lantern Ring]]: [[Trope Namer]].

* [[Handsome Lech]]: Hal Jordan, at his worst. Guy Gardner, though mostly in his own mind.

* [[Heel Face Brainwashing]]: The Indigo Tribe can take individuals of dubious morality and turn them into peace-loving hippies, whether they want to be or not.

** Hal Jordan is one of the notable exceptions. Abin Sur actually triggered the search mechanism as he was dying and had a chance to introduce himself to Hal.

** Kyle Rayner managed to be a total exception to this rule, as his selection for being a ring bearer was totally random, and a simple case of being in the right place at the right time. Not that it mattered.

* [[Magic Meteor]]: Hector Hammond found meteor rocks and used their powers for evil.

* [[Meaningful Name]]: [[Bilingual Bonus|Sinestro]]. [[Names to Run Away From Really Fast|Atrocitus, Nekron]].

* [[Nested Mouths]]: Parallax has nested jaws.

* [[New Powers As the Plot Demands]]: In [[The Silver Age of Comic Books]].

* [[Nineties Anti Hero]]: Guy Gardner as Warrior, though that might have been a [[Stealth Parody]].

** Also, Jack T. Chance, whom Hal describes as "being reprimanded more than Guy Gardner".

** Although [[Brightest Day|recently]] it's been revealed that current forms of the Guardians aren't natural for them at all, but rather a result of some wierd process that makes them ultra-powerful midgets. Most exemplified by {{spoiler|Krona}}, who was tall and buff mere years ago, but now [[Hollywood Evolution|has evolved himself]] into a Guardian form. If the Zamarons did the same, they would probably look like the female Guardians.

* [[Not So Harmless]]: Black Hand, who was just a creepy necrophile before ''[[Blackest Night]]''.

** Also, Hal (as The Spectre) qualifies; quoted in ''Green Lantern'' (Vol. 3) #142:

{{quote| '''Spectre''': ...Be prepared. It is coming. Make yourself whole.<br />

** The leader of the Red Lanterns is called Atrocitus. As in ''atrocity''.

* [[Odd Couple]]: A number of the Lantern partnerships. From Vath and Isamot, originally hailing from opposite sides in a war, to Mogo, a planet, and his partner Bzzd, a tiny fly-like insect.

** On a lesser level, the Star Sapphires, started by the Zamarons, only have female members. Geoff Johns says men ''can'' join, [[Unfortunate Implications|"but most are not worthy."]]

* [[Only Sane Man]]: Among the Guardians it's Ganthet and then his lover Sayd, the only ones to value emotions and not ignore an "end of existence" prophecy.

* [[Sexy Jester]]: The various incarnations of the Harlequin.

* [[Shaping Your Attacks]]: The bulk of the Green Lantern powers.

** Vath discovered his greatest fear through Mother Mercy: the planet Rann without war or strife, rendering soldiers like Vath redundant. He was drawn holding a gun to his head, about to kill himself because he felt he had no other use.

* [[Shout Out]]: Kyle Rayner once created [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|Gurren]] with his Power Ring in ''Countdown To Final Crisis'' [http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/6590/gurrenlanternlu8.jpg\]. He also created a [[Patlabor]] in ''Sinestro Corps War''.

** Sinestro himself has shades of this, claiming The Guardians were doing an insufficient job policing the universe.

* [[Star Spangled Spandex]]: Kyle's second Ion costume

** Carol herself finds this irritating. She may wonder why some of the others in her corps wear comparatively conservative Silver Age versions of the outfit. For example, Miri Riam wears a distinctly [[Raygun Gothic|"50's space girl"]] style costume, thus averting the [[All Women Are Lustful|somewhat naughty]] implications regarding Zamaron attitudes about the role of women in the universe. Unfortunately, and perhaps validated by their past histories, this may suggest something about the relationships that certain Star Sapphires such as [[Be a Whore To Get Your Man|Carol and Fatality]] have with the men in their lives.

** Also, possibly the Zamarons themselves, who have recently abandoned their [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] knockoff armor in favor of a less-restrictive and slightly updated [[I Dreamof Jeannie]] look. Guy Gardner seemed [[All Men Are Perverts|very pleased]].

** At least until they do something [[Ditzy Genius|equally, breathtakingly STUPID]].

* [[Summon to Hand]]

* [[Survival Mantra]]: When Green Lanterns are hard pressed and in danger of succumbing to their fear, they can draw strength from remembering their oath and often, the worshipers of evil's might will once again learn the hard way to beware their power.

* [[The Symbiote]]: All the color entities.

* [[Too Dumb to Live]]: Sinestro has '''very sympathetic reasons''' for questioning the Guardians' authority.

* [[Took a Level In Badass]]: Johns has pulled this with a number of characters. Sinestro went from being a good arch-enemy to Hal and already badass to becoming a full-blown [[Magnificent Bastard]]. Sodom Yat gaining the powers of Ion, even Black Hand gaining his own superpowers pre-Blackest Night was a nice level up in bad ass.

* [[Translator Microbes]]: One of the powers that the rings grant users is the ability to translate between any sentient being and the wielder of the ring.

* [[Troubled Fetal Position]]: Happened to Hal Jordan (as Parallax) in ''Green Lantern'' Vol. 3 #62, after Ganthet allowed Hal to absorb him.

** For Alan Scott, it was wood. As [[The Big Bang Theory|Raj]] puts it:

{{quote| "So I can take out both [Alan and Hal] with a no. 2 pencil?"}}

** Thanks to Geoff Johns, Sinestro counts big time

* [[Wham Episode]]: "War Of The Green Lanterns" - {{spoiler|Fallen Guardian Krona re-corrupts the central battery with Parallax, turning the entire Lantern Corps (Save Ganthet & the 4 human Lanterns) into his slaves, and infecting the Guardians with the other emotional entities; John kills Mogo to stop anymore brainwashed Lanterns being recruited, which leads to Sinestro losing his yellow ring and rejoining the Green Lantern Corps, whilst Hal kills Krona (Which shouldn't be possible due to the Guardians using failsafes to prevent the Lanterns from turning on them) to free the other Guardians, who dismiss him from the Corps to protect themselves in case he went rogue}}.