Warning! Spoilers ahead for Green Lantern #14!The Green Lantern Corps has gone through some big changes, but the latest twist to their mythology is the most shocking and consequential development yet. Since taking over the Corps, Lord Prime Tharos has done everything to change the Green Lanterns from peacemakers to a personal army.
In the blink of an eye, Thaaros upended everything the Corps stood for. Instead of protecting the DC Universe, the leader of the United Planets uses the Light Wilderness to cement his iron rule over the cosmos. But how did he bend the Green Lanterns to his will? A shocking revelation finally explains why.
Thaaros only looks for Green Lanterns that can be manipulated
in Green Lantern #14s Backup story, “The Shadow Lanterns” by Marc Guggenheim, Darick Robertson, Diego Rodriguez, and Dave Sharpe, a new Lantern named Shynt D’Proba shares his thoughts on the recent changes under Lord Premier Thaaros rule. Although D’Proba feels that he should be honored to be a Green Lantern, he questions his purpose as of late. D’Provo recalls Hear how Green Lantern successors are usually chosen among the most worthy and those who possess great levels of willpower.
He believes that Thaaros made it so the Power Rings look for successors who can be manipulated
However, D’Proba began questioning the Green Lanterns, who also began serving under Taros’ time as leader of the Corps. D’Proba is also disturbed by Thaaros’ prediction for sending Lanterns into situations where they are almost guaranteed not to survive. Although D’Proba can’t prove it, he believes Thaaros made it so the Power Rings look for successors who can be manipulated, rather than more heroic and noble candidates. Probas’s fears turned out to be true When he discovered that Thaaros wielded a Green Lantern power ringAnd the realization nearly drove D’Proba to suicide.
But the safeties in D’Provo’s ring prevent him from harming himself and unfortunately no one will listen to D’Provo’s theory. So D’Proba continues to work as one of Thaaros’ Shadow Lanterns until he and his comrades are ordered to repel a group of pirates violating Thaaros’ blockade. Believing that enough distance could lessen Thaaros’ influence on the Power Ring, D’Proba sacrifices his life to save a fellow Lantern in battle. D’Provo is killed in battle, but before he dies, He wants his power ring to be able to find a Green Lantern who is truly worthy of his power.
How Thaaros changed the Green Lantern Corps for the worse
in the wake of Dark Crisis on Infinite EarthsThe guardians of the universe disappeared. Control of the Green Lantern Corps was handed over to the United Planets and its leader, Lord Premier Thaaros. Thaaros made many sweeping changes to the organization, including the quarantine of Sector 2814 (to the destruction of every Earth-based Lantern). Among others, the changes prompted both Hal Jordan and John Stewart to retire from the Corps, while every other Lantern was reassigned. What the Lanterns didn’t know was that Thaaros has big plans for the Green Lantern Corps.
As Thaaros began to recruit new Green Lanterns and develop an inner circle, he began to order the destruction of each other Corps’ central power battery. The Sinestro Corps, the Red Lanterns, the Blue Lanterns, and even Larfleeze all had the source of their powers destroyed, with many of their members either killed or detained in the science cells of OA. Thank you, Jo Mullein and Members of the old guard of the corps discovered what Thaaros was up to and began to develop a resistance to his lordship.
Thaaros’ crusade to control the emotional spectrum starts with Green Lantern #7 (2024)!
But as time went on, Thaaros’ power over the Corps only grew. He found a way for his new ‘United Planets Lanterns’ to shift between different lights in the emotional spectrum, making his Lanterns the only wielders of every powerful light in the DC Universe. It was eventually revealed that Thaaros’ mad job was all about accessing the power of the Source Lantern, something Thaaros had even sacrificed his own officers’ lives for. While he is still using the source lantern, Thaaros now has hundreds of Green Lanterns all ready to fight and die at his command.
Tharos has gamed the Green Lantern system to his advantage
One thing was abundantly clear about Thaaros during the time he led the Green Lantern Corps. This man is a fascist who will not stand for anything less than complete and total control over the DC Universe. Thaaros has more or less taken the greater part of the emotional spectrum under his control. But to ensure that he has a steady stream of loyal foot soldiers, he needs to Find a way to make sure the Green Lantern Power Ring technology worked for him rather than against him.
… It doesn’t benefit Tharos to have an army composed of Lanterns who would likely end up defying him.
Willpower may be the central ’emotion’ of the Green Lanterns, but it does Thaaros no good to have an army composed of Lanterns likely to finish him off. Thaaros’ greatest skill has always been his persuasive abilities, so it’s no wonder he searched for a way to seek out beings that could be easily manipulated. It roots out rebels and it gives him hundreds and hundreds of soldiers who would obey him without question. What makes things worse is that By changing the power ring system, Thaaros has found a way to fill his ranks faster and more efficiently.
When the Power Rings were looking for Lanterns with great willpower, they would take their time and make sure they chose the right candidate for the job. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take that much effort to find someone who can be manipulated. There are certainly more beings like that in the galaxy than those who have the willpower needed to truly earn a Green Lantern ring. Thaaros’ changes mean he could potentially build up One of the largest and most dangerous versions of the Green Lantern Corps to ever exist.
Thaaros is building a terrifying new Green Lantern Corps
To be clear, Thaaros does not want genuine Green Lanterns. He wants puppets who will impose his will on the rest of the DC Universe. So far, he’s been successful in his mission and if he decides to expand the Green Lantern Corps with even more malleable puppets, there’s no telling when, if ever, he’ll stop. Thaaros’ changes to the Green Lantern power rings could be the start of a new reign that could see him actually take over the DCU. Hopefully, these Green Lanterns After opposing Thaaros will find some way to combat the changes he has made to the power rings.
Green Lantern #14 is available now from DC Comics.
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Green Lantern #14 (2024) |
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