Hello, Ric here with a tale to tell.
Before the universe, there was nothing, the black, the void.
Then for an instant, a spark and with it the white light of creation exploded into existence.
Matter, energy and something else, the intangible emotional spectrum, created from the brightest
light of life, the spectrum is the embodiment of emotion given form, some would argue the
essence of life itself.
A Maltusian Scientist known as Krona witnessed these events by prying into the distant past
to uncover the secrets of creation.
But this event was meant to remain unknown to intelligent life and its very observation
broke the laws of the universe shattering and inverting the beginning to produce the
antimatter universe and some say a multitude of parallel worlds.
For this folly, Krona was exiled from Maltus and those who remained decreed that they must
make amends for their brethren’s transgression.
They formed the Guardians of the Universe, a governing body to oversee order in the known
universe.
They utilised Krona’s research into the power of the emotional spectrum to fuel their
endeavour and attempted a multitude of trials before settling on the most stable energy
of the white light, the Green, the embodiment of willpower.
But what is willpower?
I wouldn’t personally consider drive and will to be an emotion, more something produced
by emotions, something that is then used to tailor rage into motivation.
Something that transforms hopes into realities and something that can overcome great fear.
But perhaps that is why it sits at the middle of the emotional light.
It exerts no control over an individual but is instead used to forge emotion into action.
It is often said to be the most stable power in the spectrum and although not the most
powerful in the moment, theoretically has no limits.
The Maltusians began by mapping the known universe, establishing a base of operations
at the centre of it all, on a planet caloaled Oa orbiting a single star, Sto-Oa.
They divide it into 3600 sectors of space.
Wrapping themselves in evolving wraps, they were gifted with extreme abilities which allowed
them to harness the Green light of Willpower and form into a central Power Battery which
would continually syphon off a portion of the drive of all life and funnel it into smaller
portable batteries.
These in turn are connected to Power Rings, and distributed to individuals who have displayed
an ability to overcome great fear, one, later two, from every sector leading to a total
of 7200 Green Lanterns to form the Green Lantern Corps, a universal police force.
When a lantern dies, his/her or its ring leaves the body and immediately begins a scan for
a nearby suitable replacement individual within its designated sector.
The sheer scale of the potential recruitment pool means that there are members from thousands
of different species and some extraordinary examples including Mogo, a sentient planet,
an incorporeal being called Flodo Span and Leezle Pon, a super-intelligent virus.
Once recruited, the individual is encouraged to travel back to Oa at the earliest opportunity
to begin their training in their new life.
The conscription can be refused officially at this point but is a rare occurrence.
Often the recruits, distinguishable by their lack of a lantern badge, are put through boot
camp led by the notoriously tough Kilowog.
After graduation, they recite the Oath then they are partnered up with an available lantern
to learn the ropes before being assigned to patrol their own sector with a partner lantern.
Earth of example lies in sector 2814 and has had numerous lanterns presiding over it.
The Guardian’s word is law over the lanterns and they are expected to be obeyed at all
times, their literal millions of years of experience are unquestionable but can render
their judgments harsh and cold.
With time, their rule proved to become overzealous but that is a story for another day.
The history and law of the lanterns is recorded in the Book of Oa and the fallen officers
immortalised in Memorial Hall.
The worst and most dangerous criminals that the lanterns arrest can be bought back to
the modular Sciencells.
If they wish it, lanterns can take up permanent residence on Oa alongside the barracks, mess
and numerous recreational facilities on the planet.
The Citadel lies at the heart of the emerald city and houses the Guardian’s chambers,
surveillance rooms, the book of Oa and the Central Power Battery.
The lanterns themselves have great autonomy to work within their sectors so long as they
abide by the tenants set out by the Guardians such as prioritising threats, never using
the rings for personal gain and exercising restraint and respect when dealing with alien
cultures.
The minimisation of casualties and protection of life are high on the list of a lantern’s
priorities as well as collection of evidence (that the rings can record) to be used in
trial on Oa for arrested criminals.
A lantern found in misuse of their powers will face a hearing, can have restrictions
placed upon them, and endure a trial or even be banished or imprisoned themselves.
The incoming glow of an emerald aura and the sight of the lantern’s symbol should inspire
the populous and great lengths undertaken by the day-to-day officers of the Corps to
ensure this reputation, a reputation the Guardians generally are more unconcerned with.
The rings themselves are of incredible power but all based on the willpower and mental
state of the wielder.
After charging at a personal power battery, a ring has access to a myriad of powers some
of which are running constantly.
They provide a protective barrier that allows for space travel as well as near light speed
velocities in a vacuum, protection against damage and amplifies the wearer’s strength.
Because the universe is kinda big, they each have a complete archive and map of the known
cosmos as well as access to the network of wormholes to allow for near instant travel
across galaxies.
Each ring also provides communication in the forms of auditory, visual and telepathic communications,
and can discharge energy blasts of varying power.
But by far the most iconic power of a green Lantern is the ability to create constructs
of any object you can picture in your mind.
Despite its description as the “most powerful weapon in the universe” it does have limits
and restrictions placed upon it, but with enough willpower put behind it, these limits
can be broken, much to the Guardian’s chagrin.
Because use of the ring is a very mental affair, constructs created can often display an insight
into one’s personality.
Many constructs summoned in the moment take on the form of something of which the wielder
is familiar with and can be used in the same fashion.
Say for example a plane formed in a dogfight by a pilot, or a scoped rifle by a soldier
who needs to take a long shot with a familiar weapon.
A wielder’s belief in the construct affects how powerful it is.
When creating a shield, sure the default setting is just a bubble, but if you picture a sturdy
metal safe, despite the constructs effectively being the same thing, the safe may hold up
longer simply because you feel more secure in it.
Past achievements by the rings include time-travel, invisibility and even phasing through objects
but these are likely extremely risky and therefore restricted powers.
The rings seem to have one foot in the arcane too, after all the nature of the emotional
spectrum precedes that of most of creation and magic stems from similar primordial sources.
All the uniforms of the Green lanterns are physical and formed from the ring.
They have to feature the emblem somewhere and primarily are green, white and black with
the green parts emanating noticeable warmth.
The uniform has a default state that applies to most species but is customisable to a large
degree and they all retain the same colour scheme.
Some lanterns modify the design slightly and only once, others change it incredibly and
often.
The uniform also comes with a small mask by default to obscure the wearer’s identity
if they wish it.
Most don’t bother as they operate over such a large sector that the risk of running into
anyone they know is rather small.
Among the Corps, your fellow members are your family and therefore betrayal is considered
one of the most heinous acts.
The Corps does have its share of weaknesses, most of which stem from their greatest strengths.
The networked nature of the rings means that a corrupting influence can be spread through
them all by compromising the central power battery, likewise shutting it off can severe
the connection.
Also the rings reliance on mental power and force of will means that meddling with a lantern’s
mind, literally or emotionally can compromise their powers, hence the selection requirement
of overcoming great fear, demonstrating the drive to carry on despite a compromised mental
state.
And finally, their biggest weakness is their scale.
7200 seems like a lot but only 2 lanterns to patrol multiple systems is an insane statistic.
Therefore they are expected to go after primarily planet threatening targets leaving most crime
to the planet’s primary anti-crime force.
Their authority generally supersedes that of a planet’s with the Guardian’s order
but it is a rule for an officer to attempt to work within their host planet’s justice
system, never to replace it or subjugate a populous into obedience.
One of the biggest threats to the Corp came from a man who did just that, and went on
to found an entire organisation to oppose and eventually supplant the Green Lanterns.
And the Oans themselves, the Guardians of the Universe don’t exactly have clean hands,
being responsible for the massacre of an entire 666 sector when their first police force,
the Manhunter robots went rogue.
Many in the universe are too young of a species to remember or even know of these events,
but the oldest beings remember a time before the lanterns when their masters made costly
mistakes.
Thanks for listening to this index.
And as usual, the vote is up for the next topic, I’m thinking we either keep the DC
train rolling with the Sinestro Corps next, or for a change of pace, the Geth from Mass
Effect?
Below in the comments you can find a post for each and your like counts as the vote!
Until then, thanks for watching, I hope you take a look at the channel and I’ll be back
next video.
The Green Lanterns have to be my favourite DC mythos, no surprise I guess due to their
sci-fi links and I loved the Blackest Night through to the Third Army run.
And New52.
And Rebirth.
And Brightest Day.
And Sinestro War, war of light, emerald twilight, New Guardians, Aftermath…
(Trails off)