Warning: Spoilers for Green Lantern #17Green Lantern He’s faced his fair share of formidable villains over the years, but his latest cosmic foe has unlocked a power source that puts him on Thanos’ level. Hal Jordan and the Corps’ latest threat, Varron, have explored a new form that brings him closer to the Lantern Source, the strongest Power Battery in DC lore, making him a danger to the entire universe.
The intergalactic war between the Lantern Corps reaches a turning point in Green Lantern #17 by Jeremy Adams, Xermánico, Romulo Fajardo Jr. and Dave Sharpe. New villain Varron makes his move to take the Source Lantern’s immense power for himself, now that Lord Premier Thaaros is no longer in his way. Wielding a newly forged ring of power, Varron approaches the Source Lantern in a frightening white transformation.
The Source Lantern is officially Varron’s for the taking, which would be grant him access to unimaginable power that will put the entire Lantern Corps to shame. He is not the first villain to seek his power, as Thaaros’ plot to obtain it paved the way for him.
Green Lantern’s Fountain Lantern falls into Varron’s dark claws
DC Lore’s Most Powerful Lantern Is Now Its Most Dangerous
The emotional spectrum has been in danger for some timeand the Source Lantern of the United Planets is the heart of the matter. Each Lantern Corps is powered by a Central Power Battery, but Thaaros sent his Ring Hunters to destroy their batteries as a means to his dark end. It turns out he did this to steal the other Lanterns’ powers. For example, after destroying the Blue Lantern Power Battery, the United Planet Corps could channel its powers alongside their own. Using this new connection to all aspects of the Emotional Spectrum, Thaaros was attempting to infiltrate the Source Lantern.
However, despite Thaaros’s trials, he was unable to harness the power of the Source Lantern. He then resorted to experimenting on Teen Lantern to discover the secret of how she can access the Emotional Spectrum without the Guardians. His plan is ripped from him in Green Lantern Civilian Corps Special #1 by Adams, Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Salvador Larroca, when Varron kills Thaaros so he can take over his scheme and claim the Source Lantern for himself. He accomplished just that by taking the ring produced by Teen Lantern, and there’s no telling what chaos Green Lantern’s nemesis will wreak with DC’s strongest power battery.
Who is Varron? Green Lantern’s Dangerous New Enemy, Explained
Varron accessing the Origin Lantern is his greatest power yet
Varron is introduced as a member of the United Planets Green Lantern Corps in the Green Lantern: War Diary Johnson and Montos series. Initially a blind follower of the United Planets after the takeover of the Corps, Varron receives his first power upgrade at the hands of the Revenant Queenwho kills him and reanimates his corpse to fight on his behalf, fueling his hatred for John Stewart. In alliance with the Radiant Dead, Varron betrays the Green Lanterns and takes on the role of John Stewart’s nemesis.
His undead Revenant transformation isn’t the only upgrade Varron receives, as he soon gains a gruesome new form. In Green Lantern: War Diary #10, although Varron’s body has been destroyed, his hatred continues to sustain him in his new state as Star Shroud. In this form, Varron is no longer controlled by the Radiant Dead and can act of his own twisted will. Still, this power is not enough for Varron, so he seeks out the Source Lantern to elevate himself even further. To make matters worse, He’s not Green Lantern’s only god-level enemy.
With the rise of Varron, Green Lantern now has two god-level villains to face
Varron and Lord Premier Thaaros dominate the Green Lantern Corps
Although Varron successfully killed Lord Premier Thaaros, in Green Lantern #17, the leader of the United Planets returns to life with full strength. Thanks to the Dark Star Ring he stole from John Stewart, Thaaros undergoes a lore-changing transformation with his own godlike powers. The Dark Star Ring can control the entire emotional spectrum, placing Thaaros on the same level as Varron’s Source Lantern. These two forces are destined to collide as the Lantern Corps’ war progresses, although Thaaros’ eyes are currently set squarely on Oa and the Green Lanterns.
The Source Lantern and Dark Star Ring have fallen into enemy hands, and Green Lantern will need his own power boost if he has any hope of winning the battle for DC’s cosmos.
The situation has already been grim for Hal Jordan and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps following Thaaros’ rise to power, and these two villains’ transformations are the biggest hurdle yet. Green Lantern’s strength has now been put to shame by not one, but two deadly adversaries, and it will take a miracle for him to save the universe from Thaaros and Varron. The Source Lantern and the Black Star Ring fell into enemy hands, and Green Lantern will need his own power boost if he has any hope of winning DC’s battle for the cosmos.
Green Lantern #17 is now available from DC Comics.