Summary
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Unveiling Thaaros’ traumatic past sheds light on his ruthless, patient and wise demeanor.
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Thaaros rose to power by cunningly manipulating the Green Lantern Corps into his personal army.
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Green Lantern faces his most dangerous foe yet in Thaaros, who threatens to destroy the DC Universe.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Green Lantern #13!Move over Sinestro, because Green Lantern Officially has an even more brutal nemesis. After months of little information, fans are finally getting a look at the origins of Lord Premier Thaaros and what it is that drives his current power grab from the emotional spectrum.
It took months of scheming and scheming, but Lord Premier Taoros had finally turned the Green Lantern Corps into the private army he had always dreamed of. Now he is out to master the power of the emotional spectrum. But where did Taoros come from? And what does a glimpse into his past tell fans about Thaaros’ plans for the future?
Tharos finally gets revenge on the man who destroyed his childhood
in Green Lantern #13’s Back-up story “The Patient Blade” by Marc Guggenheim, Matthew Clark, Matt Herms and Dave Sharpe, Lord Premier Thaaros reflects on his childhood. He thinks back to when his planet was still under a monarchy. Thaaros also thinks about his father, a duke who introduced Thaaros to the ways of high society. He also remembers that his father was a pacifist who never raised a fist at anyone. That is Until Thora’s father came home one day and angrily beat him.
But Thaaros learns the value of cunning and playing the long game.
However, this is not Thaaros’ father, but a local criminal named Grund. Grund, like all Durlans, can shape-shift, and he used his abilities to mimic Thaaro’s father after killing him. Grund brutalizes the young man to teach him strength and to remind Tharos never to try and seek revenge against Grund. Grund hands over the blade with which he killed the prince to Thoros and Threatens to snap his neck if Thoros comes after Grund.
Thaaros tries to take revenge against Grund, but learns that he is not strong enough to do so. But Thaaros learns the value of cunning and playing the long game. Years later, when Thaaros is finally in control of the Green Lantern Corps, he stops a smuggler and discovers his background in a different form. Thaaros gives Grund two options: surrender and be subjected to intense torture for years or kill himself with the knife Grund Thaaros gave him years ago. Ground kills itself and Thaaros keeps the blade as a souvenir.
Who is Tharos and how did he become Green Lantern’s new nemesis?
Thaaros is the leading figure of the universe-wide governing body, the United Planets. Although outwardly seen as a kind and caring statesman, Thaaros is unbelievably corrupt. In the early part of his career, he secretly worked with Mongul to win the warlord’s favor. Tharos eventually became Lord Premier and his shadow partnership with Mongul was almost exposed when Superman tried to liberate Warworld. Thaaros even prevented the United Planets from aiding Superman in the hopes that Mongul would kill the Man of Steel And hide Tharo’s secret.
Thaaros makes his first appearance in Action Comics #1036 (2022)!
Fortunately for Thaaros, Superman’s actions during the Warworld Saga did not lead to his partnership. In fact, Thaaros gained more power than ever when the Guardians of the Universe disappeared and the United Planets were left in charge of the Green Lantern Corps. Tharos is unaware of the Lanterns only taking control of the emotional spectrum. After quarantining Earth and reassigning the planet’s Lanterns, Thaaros embarks on his most nefarious plot yet: Blowing up and destroying the DC Universe’s main power batteries.
One by one, the various corps fell and their members were either arrested or killed. With each corpse destroyed, Thaaros’ new ‘United Planets’ lantern became able to channel different lights. If that wasn’t bad enough, Thaaros was using his underlings and sacrificing their lives in the hopes of accessing the mysterious Source Lantern. So far, Thaaros has been unsuccessful. But with both the Green Lantern Corps and the United Planets under his control, Thaaros has cemented himself as one of the biggest threats in the DC Universe.
Thaaros is the most patient and smart enemy of Green Lantern
The look back at Thaaros’ childhood works as an effective character study of what the Lord Premier of the United Planets really is. In a more peaceful time, Thaaros might have been like his father, a kind man who truly understood diplomacy. instead, Thaaros is ultimately shaped by his experience with GrundWhich taught Thoros that the only way someone like him could survive in the world was by being strong and smart enough (not to mention patient).
… He replaced the ruling council of the United Planets with other Durlans, making Thaaros virtually untouchable.
Green Lantern has faced a lot of different villains in the past and few have proven to be as big a threat as his biggest nemesis, Sinestro. However, while Sinestro is certainly a force in his own right, Thaaros is a much more pressing concern. Sure enough, Sinestro mastered fear and used his self-titled Corps to wage war on the Green Lanterns. But Taoros is much more insidious. He warmed his way into one of the most powerful positions around and Used it to make the Green Lantern Corps into his personal army.
Thaaros knows how to manipulate the system and people. Even without trying, he was able to deceive the corps and turn it into a fascist army. And Thaaros is only worse. In addition to bombing the numerous main power batteries across the DC Universe, he replaced the ruling council of the United Planets with other Durlans, making Thaaros almost unreachable. Sinestro is an amazing general and knows how to wage a proper war. But Thaaros’ life experience has molded him in One of the most terrifying threats Green Lantern has ever faced.
What can Green Lantern do about Thaaros?
Right now, there isn’t much that Hal or any of his fellow Green Lanterns can do. Hal’s fighting for his life on Earth during Amanda Waller’s crusade against metahumans while the Earth Lanterns who haven’t been arrested evade Thaaros’ enforcers. The only way the Green Lanterns get out of this is with outside help. Whether that means the Justice League or even Sinestro (who almost certainly wants to kill Thoros), someone is going to have to step in. If not, then Green Lantern The last enemy can only win the war he is waging.
Green Lantern #13 is available now from DC Comics.
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Green Lantern #13 (2024) |
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