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The History Of The Green Lantern Corps Explained

In 1940, during the first superhero comics boom, Batman co-creator Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell created Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern . A caped crusader who fights crime using a magic lamp and ring, he can manifest just about anything with the power of will and imagination. In 1959, as part of a line-wide revamp of floundering DC Comics characters, editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Gil Kane rebooted the concept for the space age, creating a new Green Lantern named Hal Jordan. Jordan is the first earthling inducted into the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic peacekeeping force. Like the original character, Jordan has a ring that transforms thought into reality, but his is powered by advanced alien technology shared with over 3,000 other Green Lanterns. Over the next 35 years,  Green Lantern comics have featured not only typical superhero-versus-supervillain stories, but also broad space adventures starring humans and extraterrestrials alike.

While the Green Lantern Corps has gained a complex mythology over the course of the past few decades, most of its relevant lore springs from Geoff Johns' Green Lantern series, which ran between 2005 and 2015. This run rewrote and expanded the history of the Corps, creating new characters and concepts that continue to be the center of Green Lantern stories today. We're here to explore that history with this deep dive into the past, present, and future of the Green Lantern Corps.

The Maltusians study the power of creation

10 billion years ago, on the planet Maltus, an ambitious scientist named Krona seeks to observe the birth of the universe and understand the origins of life. Against the protests of his contemporaries, he successfully opens a viewport in time and witnesses the Hand of Creation at the Big Bang. But his observation changes the outcome, leading the universe to be "born old" and possibly even introducing the concept of evil into existence. Krona is cast out for his hubris, and many of the remaining Maltusians pledge to protect the universe from the corruption he has unleashed. They proclaim themselves the Guardians of the Universe.

Krona's experiment attracts the attention of a universe-hopping time traveler named Volthoom, a human from a doomed alternate world dubbed Earth-15. Volthoom travels via a device called the Travel Lantern, powered by his great discovery: The Emotional Spectrum, an energy field created by the collective will of all life in the universe. Volthoom seeks collaborators for further experiments into harnessing the Spectrum's power, and the Guardians seek to rid themselves of all feeling and become beings of pure logic. A partnership is formed, as the Guardians agree to expel their emotions into a device called the Great Heart, which becomes a keyhole into the Emotional Spectrum and the power of creation itself. Once the Great Heart is charged, it mysteriously gives birth to a ring that allows the wearer to access its power.

The First Lantern goes mad with power

The ring born from the Great Heart is given to Volthoom , who performs experiments with Maltusian scientist Rami to try and unlock its power. Volthoom hopes to use the power of this ring to save his homeworld, Earth-15, from a mysterious cosmic calamity destined to destroy it. Volthoom finds he is able to produce pure energy from the ring by stirring up his strongest emotions, but the results are limited. After all, one person can only feel so much. Hoping to test their limits, Rami and Volthoom decide to implant the Great Heart into Volthoom's chest. Now, Volthoom's own emotions are amplified by the expelled feelings of a dozen immortal beings. This allows him to unlock the ring's full potential, and tap into the Emotional Spectrum to produce unimaginable levels of creative and destructive energy.

But this power proves to be more than any one person can handle, as all of his feelings — from love, to compassion, to rage — begin to fly out of control, with physically destructive results. When Rami discovers that Volthoom himself is the doom that will destroy Earth-15, he halts their work and dismantles the Travel Lantern, saving Earth-15 but stranding Volthoom in his present dimension. Enraged, Volthoom wreaks havoc across Maltus, ultimately destroying an entire populated world in a tantrum.

The first Green Lanterns are created to fight Volthoom

As the Travel Lantern is rich in the energy of the Emotional Spectrum, Rami melts it down and recasts it into new tools that can harness power more safely. Rami attempts to draw power only from the center of the Emotional Spectrum, where it is most stable. Like the center of our own spectrum of visible light, this energy manifests as green, and represents emotionally agnostic willpower — the balance between the extremes of feeling. Rami's new weapons,  the first seven Green Lantern rings , spread out across the galaxy in search of warriors with a strong enough will to wield them.

The rings eventually select their wearers, a motley assortment of soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers from the universe's earliest spacefaring civilizations, such as Mars, Krypton , and Tamaran. Each has difficulty controlling their ring, and one is even completely torn apart by its power. Luckily, thanks to a pre-destination paradox, two Green Lanterns from the 21st century arrive to help train them, teaching them how to use their rings to fly and create hard-light constructs. Contemporary Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz join their ancient predecessors to fight Volthoom, and though they are successful, only two of the original seven survive. Rami considers the Green Lantern experiment a failure, and the idea is abandoned for centuries.

The Manhunters are a failed precursor to the GLs

With Krona in exile and Volthoom incarcerated, the Guardians of the Universe turn their attention towards maintaining peace and order across the vast cosmos. They create a new stronghold on the planet Oa, situated in the center of the universe, and create an army of sentient, emotionless androids called the Manhunters to patrol worlds and enforce their brand of justice.

The Manhunters are autonomous and efficient, but cold and literal in their understanding and enforcement of law. No life is up to their standard of order, causing the Manhunters to glitch and overreach their intended programming. They begin exterminating life instead of protecting it. The Manhunters ultimately  turn to mass murder , wiping out entire worlds and snuffing out trillions of lives. By the time the Guardians of the Universe can stop them, the population of the once-thriving Sector 666 is reduced to a mere five individuals. Most of the Manhunters are destroyed, the rest go into hiding, and with few surviving to speak of it, the scale of the Guardians' failure passes into legend over the next few millennia. The survivors become the Five Inversions, founders of the galaxies-spanning Empire of Tears and ancient enemies of the Guardians.

The Green Lantern Corps thrives for millennia

After the retirement of the Manhunters, the Guardians acknowledge that an arbiter of justice requires a heart and a conscience, and decide to revisit the Green Lantern experiment on a grander scale. They build a giant central power battery on Oa to serve as a reservoir of green willpower energy from which their new army, the 3,600-strong Green Lantern Corps, can draw power into their rings. Made up of all sorts of sentient life — humanoids, insectoids, robots, and even the living planet Mogo — the Green Lantern Corps successfully prevents chaos and assorted apocalypses from befalling the universe for billions of years.

The Green Lanterns operate autonomously within their sectors, but are subject to certain strict guidelines dictated by the Guardians, documented in their guiding document, the Book of Oa. The Book of Oa states that each Green Lantern is bound to protect life and liberty in their assigned sector, but that they must do so without escalating violence, using lethal force, or violating the laws of the worlds they serve. A Lantern's power is limited only by their imagination, the need to recharge every 24 hours, and a mysterious weakness against the color yellow.

Earth, which resides in Sector 2814, eventually becomes so important to the Corps it is permitted multiple concurrent Green Lanterns: John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and most notably, Hal Jordan, who is considered the greatest Green Lantern of all time.

Hal Jordan and Parallax destroy the Corps

For years, Hal Jordan is the pride of the Corps, a leader and legend among his peers despite (or perhaps, because of) his frequent insubordination. He fights countless battles against the despotic former Lantern Sinestro, the Manhunters, and even Krona himself. However, unbeknownst to him or even the Guardians, Jordan draws the interest of the evil energy being Parallax, who has been imprisoned inside the Central Battery for millennia. Parallax is the living embodiment of fear, made up of the yellow segment of the Emotional Spectrum and responsible for the ring's Achilles heel. Despite his imprisonment, Parallax is able to reach Jordan through his ring, secretly weakening his resolve and influencing his actions.

When Jordan's home of Coast City, California is destroyed, he becomes emotionally compromised enough for Parallax to take direct control. Parallax fans the flames of Jordan's mistrust of the Guardians and drives him mad, leading him to go to Oa on a quest to absorb the full might of the Central Battery and claim unlimited power for himself. Jordan defeats, maims, or kills any Green Lantern who stands in his way and destroys the Central Battery, stealing its energy. This inadvertently frees Parallax, binding him to Jordan's soul. In the hope of stopping Jordan, all but one of the Guardians sacrifices themselves to create a final, self-sustaining Green Lantern ring, which Ganthet, the last surviving Guardian, bestows upon human comics artist Kyle Rayner.

Kyle Rayner restores the Corps

Now wielding the power of the entire Corps, Hal Jordan attempts to rewrite time and reality to his own liking. His plans are foiled by Kyle Rayner and the combined efforts of Earth's superheroes, and Jordan disappears for a time. Rayner carries the torch as well as any one individual could, and other intergalactic peacekeepers such as the Darkstars attempt to fill the power vacuum. Still, the absence of the Green Lantern Corps is felt across the universe. Jordan eventually resurfaces in Earth's time of need: He expels all of his stolen power in order to reignite the dying sun, sacrificing his life to save his home planet. The power of the Central Battery remains as part of Earth's sun for a time, but is eventually retrieved by Kyle Rayner, who returns it to Oa where he reignites the Central Battery and resurrects the lost Guardians. With the Battery restored, Ganthet begins the work of reassembling the Corps.

Shortly thereafter, the truth about Parallax is revealed and the creature is defeated and imprisoned once again within the Central Battery. Hal Jordan is resurrected and exonerated of the crimes he committed under Parallax's influence. He rejoins the reestablished Green Lantern Corps , as do John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and a number of veterans from before fall. With a newly expanded roster of over 7,200 Lanterns (two per sector, plus an honor guard), the Green Lantern Corps becomes stronger than ever.

New armies of light go to war

After the rebirth of the Green Lantern Corps, knowledge of the Emotional Spectrum spreads across the universe, and new factions form to claim their piece of it. First, the rogue Lantern Sinestro uses Parallax and the yellow energy of fear to create his own brutal army, the Sinestro Corps. The war between the Green Lanterns and the Sinestro Corps proves so devastating that the Guardians are forced to rescind their rule against lethal force, the first amendment to the Book of Oa in ages.

The rest of the spectrum fills out rapidly: The Blue Lantern Corps, powered by hope, the Star Sapphires, who wield the violet energy of love, the Red Lanterns, who are fueled by wild rage, the Indigo Tribe, who represent compassion, and finally Larfleeze, AKA Agent Orange, who keeps the power of avarice all to himself. This rainbow of rings all possess similar powers, and each is represented by its own ageless cosmic entity, such as the yellow Parallax, the green Ion, and the red Butcher. Rivalries and alliances between the corps form, leading to an all-out War of Light. However, a temporary peace is arranged when the seven corps join forces to fight back the terrifying undead army of the Black Lanterns and their elemental leader, Nekron.

In the climax to the war with the Black Lanterns , a White Lantern ring is also discovered, which allows a master ringslinger to channel all seven energies.

The Guardians' Third Army wreaks havoc

In the aftermath of the War of Light, the Guardians gradually lose their way. The proliferation of power rings from across the Emotional Spectrum makes it more difficult for the Guardians to maintain order, and their control over their own Corps slips as more and more Green Lanterns question their judgement. In a cruel twist that parallels their failure with the Manhunters, the Guardians begin to see free will as an obstacle, and secretly scheme to create a new force. Seeking an energy superior to the Lanterns', the Guardians unearth Volthoom and harness his power to create the Third Army .

The Third Army is a grisly combination of their first two: Organic like the Lanterns, but emotionless and programmable like the Manhunters. They lack any will of their own, being controlled directly by the Guardians. They spread like a virus, infecting and assimilating other beings, overwriting their minds and DNA. The Guardians pit the Third Army and an unsuspecting Green Lantern Corps against each other, and the Third Army grows with each Lantern defeated. A coalition of Lanterns from across the spectrum comes together to fight the Third Army, which leads the Guardians to over-extend themselves and accidentally free Volthoom, who instantly wipes out their new creations and vows to take final revenge against his captors.

The First Lantern returns

Free from his eons in prison, Volthoom plans to use his mastery of the energies within the Emotional Spectrum to rewrite time and space . Though depleted by his captivity, all he needs to ascend to full-on godhood is to recharge his batteries with emotional energy, which he harvests by torturing Lanterns with his reality-bending powers.

Lanterns from across the spectrum join together once again to fight Volthoom on Oa. But this is to no avail, as Volthoom's connection to the power of creation is so strong that he literally cannot die without taking the rest of the universe with him. To defeat an enemy that is connected to all life, Hal Jordan enlists Nekron, the embodiment of death and master of the Black Lantern Corps. Nekron drains Volthoom of his energy and seemingly destroys him — but, in fact, Nekron imprisons him inside his own extradimensional domain, the Dead Zone.

While the armies of Lanterns battle Volthoom, Sinestro executes most of the Guardians of the Universe. Only a few survive: The lovers Ganthet and Sayd, and the Templar Guardians, led by Rami, who have spent the past 10 billion years as Volthoom's jailors and have had no involvement in the other Guardians' actions with the Green Lanterns or the Third Army. When the dust settles, the seven corps maintain an uneasy peace and the Green Lanterns are left to govern themselves.

The Corps rebuilds for a new future

Following the battle with Volthoom, the Green Lantern Corps rebuilds with Hal Jordan as their new leader, John Stewart as second-in-command , and the Templar Guardians as the new keepers of the Central Battery. Earth continues to bear new Green Lanterns, with a half a dozen humans serving simultaneously. Conflicts and alliances between the different armies of ringslingers continue to form and dissolve, and still more power sources, such as the Invisible Spectrum, are discovered.

Green Lanterns continue to face peril on both the personal and the galactic scale. In the short amount of time since the death of the Guardians, the planet Oa has already been destroyed and resurrected, though its original leaders remain deceased. While the various corps light up the universe, the interdimensional refugee Relic has revealed that the power of the Emotional Spectrum may be an exhaustible resource, and that when that power dies, so will all life in the universe. The Green Lantern Corps may, in fact, have an expiration date, a point at which they must stop their work, or risk destroying everything they've vowed to protect.

Things may never be calm for the Green Lantern Corps, but glimpses of the distant future indicate that the Corps will continue to protect the universe for centuries to come, and that the time of Hal Jordan and company will be remembered as a golden age.

DC Comics Rebirth Spoilers & Review: Green Lanterns #26 Reveals Fate Of Volthoom’s Travel Ring & 5 Of The First 7 Green Lanterns Unveiled!

July 6, 2017

Spoilers , Top Story

DC Comics Rebirth Spoilers and Review follow for Green Lanterns #26.

If you aren’t reading Green Lanterns you should be. It’s possibly the best super-hero and sci-fi blended comic book on shelves today. Solid art and stories that expand the history of DC Comics.

The book opens in the past 10 billion years ago where we see Volthoom and his (time) travel lantern and ring in action ( origin here ) and learn more about how he and Rami, the Rogue Guardian, interacted.

Volthoom wants to find his travel lantern and ring so he cam go back to Earth 15 and save his family from the destruction of their world. Rami promises to help him.

However, Rami learns it was in fact Volthoom who actually went back in time to save his planet, but because he had gone mad, destroyed it instead. Rami wants to keep the travel lantern and ring away from Volthoom to spare Earth 15.

Volthoom, who has the Phantom Lantern of emotion within him literally ( powers and origin here ), a lantern and associated ring that allows the wearer to harness the emotional spectrum, tries to force Rami, but the remaining Guardians of the Galaxy come to his aid.

However, Volthoom kills many Guardians in his quest to find his travel lantern and ring.

Rami has the travel lantern and ring and destroys it using it to…

…create the first 7 seven green lantern rings to harness the emotional spectrum color of green and willpower.

These rings will be worn by the very first 7 Green Lanterns who will be trained by Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz who are seemingly stranded 10 billion years ago too from last issue; they are noticeably absent this issue, but the issue still works.

Anyhow, we know of 4 of the first 7 Green Lanterns already and in this issue we learn about number 5. This Green Lantern is from the planet Alstair and…

…is a planet elemental named Calleen.

The planet Alstair appears to have first appeared in 1961’s Justice L:eague of America #3. Like with the other first Green Lanterns, writer Sam Humphries has been using 10 billion year old characters from established planets of DC Comics lore.

As such, so far, with the first 4 Green Lanterns , the first 5 to have been revealed are:

• Tyran’r of Tamaran
• Kaja Dox of Yod-Colu
• Alitha of Galactica aka the Third World
• Z’Kran Z’Rann of Mars
• Calleen of Alstair

Next issue we have Green Lanterns #27 where we’ll see Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz adjust to their transplanting into the deep past of DC Rebirth while…

…Green Lanterns #28 has the 7 first Green Lanterns on the cover with their trainers…

…Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz.

Another solid issues by writer Sam Humphries with amazing art by Ronan Cliquet. More of DC’s rich past is revealed here setting the stage for the reveal of all 7 of DC’s first Green Lanterns. Amazing issue. While Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz do not appear in the issue, a void is not felt as Volthoom and Rami are compelling characters and the story being weaved about the past of the Green Lantern Corps is fascinating and entertaining. 9 out of 10.

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Volthoom , also known as The First Lantern and formerly as Rami , is the archenemy of the Green Lantern Corps in the Post-Flashpoint DC Universe and the main antagonist of the Wrath of the First Lantern story in Green Lantern Corps , the Phantom Lantern , and First Lantern story arcs in Green Lanterns . He also serves as a major antagonist in the New-52 Justice League series, through his attempts to control and corrupt Jessica Cruz's mind via the Ring of Volthoom.

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Biography [ ]

Volthoom was an ancient being with the ability to warp reality, born on an unnamed world which was about to be destroyed in the reality of Earth-15. Jumping from universe to universe, Volthoom traveled desperately to find a means to save his planet and people from being destroyed. After arriving on Prime Earth, he was taken before the Guardians of the Universe , who offered him a position as their agent, known as the First Lantern. However, Volthoom eventually grew prideful and frustrated with the Guardians' manipulation, especially after learning that, in order to keep Volthoom in their universe, the Guardians had destroyed his Travel Lantern. Enraged, Volthoom massacred the Guardians, wiping out their home planet and killing the vast majority of their species. He was imprisoned in an unbreakable chamber and wrote out of the Guardians' history as punishment, after being defeated by the first six green lanterns.

After the War of Lights, the Guardians, as part of a plan to replace the Green Lantern Corps, moved Volthoom into lesser constraints. Using Volthoom's DNA, the Guardians created the Third Army, a horde of infectious warriors that nearly assimilated all sentient life in the galaxy before being stopped by the Green Lanterns.

The Guardians later inadvertently freed Volthoom, who captured them and attempted to siphon energy from the Green Lanterns in an attempt to gain enough power to rewrite the universe. However, he was ultimately defeated by the Lantern Corps. He was weakened by Nekron and separated from his connection to the Emotional Spectrum by Hal Jordan. Utterly powerless, Volthoom was killed by Nekron.

In Green Lanterns, it was revealed that Volthoom had survived this ordeal, but lost his physical form, instead appearing as a spiritual being who manipulated Frank Laminski into becoming the Phantom Lantern, before possessing the body of the guardian of the universe Rami, and setting about manipulating Earth's Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz, so that he could enact revenge on the Green Lantern Corps.

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This Is What It’s Like to Explore the Inaugural DC Winter Lantern Festival

We headed over to the highly anticipated festival to see what all the buzz was about. Turns out, the event lives up to the hype.

By Megan Herr December 21, 2022

I’m a sucker for light displays — especially around this time of year. So when I had the opportunity to check out the inaugural DC Winter Lantern Festival , I was delighted.

As my boyfriend and I made our way toward Lerner Town Square in Tysons II, we immediately saw some of the lanterns peeking out from within the fenced-in area as we found parking. My excitement instantly started to grow.

The first of its kind in the DMV, the Winter Lantern Festival creates a dazzling world of light with over 10,000 Chinese lanterns — all handmade by highly skilled artisans and illuminated by LED lights.

When you first walk in, it can be a bit overwhelming — but in a good way. You immediately notice the large lighted heart-shaped tunnel with tons of decorative flower lanterns. It truly is the kind of thing that makes you stop and say, “Wow!”

As it was definitely “Insta-worthy,” we stopped to take a quick photo before making our way through. It was giving me major throwback vibes.

Once we made it out to the other side, we noticed yet another photo-worthy opportunity (there is clearly no shortage of those here). Waiting at the end of the tunnel were a handful of kaleidoscope tubes. Festival-goers could sit inside to take a photo or video as the colorful patterns moved behind you. The eye-catching attraction was really neat and not something that I’d ever seen before. But be aware that people were waiting in line for a photo.

Next, we made our way over to even more life-size lanterns. At a light display of this size, almost everywhere you look, there is something interesting or unusual to check out.

There were grasshoppers, squirrels, ducks, and flowers all lit up and ready for you to strike a pose with. And that’s just to name a few. Keep an eye out because some creations were even moving!

With no set path, the festival is set up where you can visit the various displays in whatever order you’d like. We decided to go clockwise around the paved lot, stopping randomly for the things placed more in the middle.

Visitors can expect to wander through a wonderland of light that includes Chinese myths, legends, and zodiacs. Making sure that we took the time to stop and notice the intricate details of each lantern display, it took about an hour for us to get through the entire spectacle.

While it was difficult to choose, I think my favorite piece was a lantern placed toward the middle as you walk out of the heart-shaped tunnel. It’s hard to miss this gigantic art piece. It appears to be a green tree trunk with a woman’s head sprouting out of it, covered in various leaves and flowers. It felt very powerful and the eyes even blink, which I thought was a really fun and different inclusion.

In addition to live performances, there are also several interactive displays and activities for children to do. For instance, there is a small human-powered roller coaster as well as a playground area with plastic swings and seesaws. And you guessed it — they light up, too!

While the food options appeared to be a little on the pricier side, the food truck smelled amazing as we walked by. There was also hot chocolate and coffee available, which we made sure to snag as it was a pretty chilly December night.

This festival — originally held in New York — is open Friday through Sunday (and daily from December 23 to January 1, 2023) from 5 to 10 p.m. It will run through February 12.

Tickets for the event are $19.99 for children ages 3-12 and $31.99 for those 13 and older.

Whether you’re looking for something different to do on date night, a family-friendly outing, or just a place to spend time with your friends and grab some new Instagram shots, the Winter Lantern Festival is worth checking out. You won’t leave disappointed! 8025 Galleria Dr., Tysons

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This user has not updated recently., the fifteen greatest lanterns of the dc universe.

Below are the 15 greatest, most powerful, and most legendary beings to ever wield a power ring.

Nekron is the Ruler of the Dead, and he was the man who created the Black Lantern Corps and unleashed the Blackest Night on the Universe. It took the combined powers of the other 8 Lantern Corps to stop him. He was the first villain treacherous enough to unite all the other Corps. He takes the first slot by far.

2. Hal Jordan

Hal Jordan is often referred to as the greatest Green Lantern of all time. He has wielded many different power rings in his life time, and has gone toe-to-toe was some of the most powerful beings in the Universe. He was once just a test pilot on Earth, but is now one of the most powerful Lanterns. He is great, but not quite as great as Nekron. I give him the second slot.

3. Sinestro

Sinestro was once a Green Lantern. He was so power-hungry that he betrayed his Corps and created a new one... the Yellow Lanterns. He was their leader. He fought many of the Universe's most powerful beings (Volthoom, Mongul, etc.) and won. He also was the first White Lantern, and the first Lantern to ever tame Parallax. He takes the third slot easily.

4. Volthoom

A time traveler named Volthoom traveled to the moment of creation, and collected the powers of all the 9 Lantern Corps. He had the abilities of every Corps combined. He was the first villain deadly and powerful enough to ever unite all Lantern Corps. He was very great and legendary, but was defeated in the end by Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Nekron, and the other Lantern Corps. So, I give him the fourth slot.

5. Kyle Rayner

Kyle Rayner was the first person to master all seven emotions. He was once just a Green Lantern, but is now a White Lantern who can wield the powers of all the other Lantern Corps (excluding Black). He is currently the only remaining White Lantern. I give him the fifth slot.

6. Saint Walker

Saint Walker was the first Blue Lantern, and the only survivor of Relic's attack on Odym. He has been a member of the Rainbow Rodeo, and the New Guardians. He is a great leader, and combats his enemies with the power of hope and peace. I think he deserves the sixth slot.

7. Larfleeze

Larfleeze was once a member of the Orange Lantern Corps. He killed all the other Orange Lanterns in a desperate hunt for power. He is now the only Orange Lantern, and is incredibly powerful. He has corrupted Hal Jordan, beaten Atrocitus in combat, and accomplished many other great things. I'll give him the seventh slot.

8. Atrocitus

Atrocitus was the first Red Lantern, and is their leader to this day. His immense rage allows him to do incredible things. He has defeated many other great Lanterns in combat. He is immortal, and very physically strong. He also was the first Lantern to ever tame The Butcher. I think he should get the eighth slot.

Mongul controls an enormous planet known as the War World, and was also a temporary leader of the Yellow Lanterns. He is unbelievably strong, and knows how to us his ring. I'll give him the ninth slot.

10. Carol Ferris

Carol Ferris was the one who taught the Star Sapphires to quit their evil ways and use love's violet light for good. Since it takes quite a bit to persuade an entire Corps to change their ways, and since she's pretty powerful, I'll give her the tenth slot.

Iroque is the leader of the Indigo Tribe. She is very mysterious, and little is known about her. She is very skilled with her power staff, and is an inspiring leader. I'll give her the eleventh slot just for that.

Aya was once an artificial intelligence created from a strand of the entity known as Ion. She later evolved and became a certified Green Lantern. She defeated the Anti-Monitor single-handedly, and she almost destroyed the entire Universe just because she was upset about her relationship with her boyfriend (or something like that). I think she wins the twelfth spot for those things.

Mogo was the first planet to ever wear a power ring. He is unstoppable. He also was the first being to ever defeat the deadly Bulphunga, so I'll give him that. I suppose he deserves the thirteenth slot.

14. Kilowog

Kilowog is a Green Lantern drill sergeant. He trained many recruits into becoming great Lanterns. He is also very buff and strong. I say he should make it into this list, so I'll give him the fourteenth slot.

Batman is typically considered just a superhero from Earth, but is actually heavily involved with the Lanterns. Aside from being a friend and ally of Hal Jordan, he was a Green Lantern in the series "Darkest Knight", he was once a Yellow Lantern, he became a Black Lantern during "Blackest Night", and he was a White Lantern during "Brightest Day". He has wielded four different power rings, and is still alive to tell the stories. I'd say that's impressive enough to earn him the final slot on the list.

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Volthoom was the first creature in the Multiverse to ever wield a power ring. He is the most powerful Lantern in existence, possessing nigh-unlimited strength. He is an enemy to all of the Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe.

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Volthoom was born one millennia into the future of mankind, on Earth 15 of the Multiverse. He and his mother were scientists who discovered the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, a multiversal force which was powered by the life of every being in the Multiverse. By harnessing this spectrum, Volthoom and his mother were able to create the Travel Lantern, an experimental device which would allow its user to travel across time and space. Eventually an evil race of alien invaders came to Volthoom's home planet and obliterated the civilization. In the final moments of his planet, Volthoom was told by his mother to take the Travel Lantern and find a way to save their people. Volthoom left as his mother was subsequently crushed by a building.

Volthoom spent weeks trying to master the complicated device, as he was constantly thrown into dangerous environments by the sporadic nature of the Travel Lantern. Volthoom became the acolyte of the spectrum as he travelled through time and space looking for a solution to the death of his world. This ring became known as the Ring of Volthoom, and was used by the evil Earth 3 version of Green Lantern known as Power Ring.

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Who Is Gold Lantern: The Future Green Lantern's Powers and Weaknesses, Explained

DC's Gold Lantern is a power ring wielding member of the future's Legion of Superheroes, whose powers may exceed those of the modern day Lanterns.

The Green Lantern Corps is just one of many ring-wielding users of the emotional spectrum, with the verdant knights embodying the force of willpower. Far into the future of the Legion of Super-Heroes , however, the Corps of old no long exist. There is one ringed warrior who does exist in the future and uses a power very similar to the Lanterns of the present day.

A member of the futuristic Legion of Super-Heroes, Gold Lantern metes out justice with a ring and powers incredibly similar to the Green Lantern Corps. However, there are a few differences with his empowered jewelry, as well as his vision, that make him stand out from the other colored corps.

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Who Is DC's Future Green Lantern - The Gold Lantern?

Kala Lour, a.k.a. the Gold Lantern, was created by Brian Michael Bendis , and debuted in  Superman #14. Formerly a Filipino school teacher, Kala eventually joined the premier superhero team of the future,  the Legion of Super-Heroes . The ring of the Gold Lantern was given to him by the Elders of Oa, who are the 31st century evolution of the modern day Guardians of the Universe.

These Guardians combined all of the powers of the Emotional Spectrums to more effectively combat evil. Kala is their latest champion, and is quite the hero in the eyes of other Legionnaires. Thankfully for him, he has the power to back up this reputation, upholding  the legacy of the many Lantern Corps before him.

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What Are Gold Lantern's Powers and Weaknesses?

Similar to the members of other colored Lantern Corps', Gold Lantern has the power to create physical constructs with his ring. These constructs are powered by sheer force of will, and limited only by Kala's imagination. The ring's power creates a sort of force field around him, protecting him from all but the strongest attacks. This was shown when he recently helped Superboy control the long-deceased Aquaman's Atlantean trident, which was sending the full force of the oceans against them.

Kala's ring also allows him to fly at incredible speeds, which makes his Legion flight ring more of a status symbol than anything actually useful. In terms of weaknesses , the aforementioned limitation of Kala's imagination could definitely be a problem, as would a situation wherein his own will is in question. Likewise, Kala is also blind, and since his other senses don't seem to be amplified outside of whatever the ring tells him, this could be used to his disadvantage.

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Does Gold Lantern Wield DC's Strongest Power Ring?

As mentioned, the Elders of Oa supposedly combined the power of all of the emotional spectrum long ago, meaning that one Gold Lantern ring has the power of all of the Lantern Corps'. This would seemingly make Gold Lantern the most powerful Lantern of all, except for one small caveat revealed later by Brainiac 5. Gold Lantern's ring is actually not a true Lantern ring. On top of that, the Elders of Oa are not the Guardians of the Universe, but other beings who seem to have sinister motives.

This makes it questionable whether Gold Lantern truly does have the power of the entire emotional spectrum at his disposal, with this uncertainty also counting as a potential weakness. Sadly, there's been nothing revealed about the character's origin since this revelation, so the exact nature of the Gold Lantern's powers still remain a mystery.

KEEP READING:  How Venom Became Marvel's Green Lantern

13 Jul Lantern Festival in Washington, DC: Review

Attending the lantern festival (aka Lights Fest) outside of Washington, DC is the perfect opportunity for a family outing, getting old friends back together, or date night. My boyfriend and I bought tickets for date night, and we had a fantastic time. The night was full of great food, beautiful lantern-filled skies, and laughter. Why laughter, you might ask? Well, I may or may not have failed on my first attempt to push my lantern into the sky. Instead of floating beautifully into the sky, it immediately floated into the ground and someone nearby saved it for me and pushed it back up. But do not worry, I have a few tips below so you can avoid the same incident on your first try!

If you are looking for other great experiences in the DC area, why not take a day trip to Harpers Ferry ? The town boasts an array of historical landmarks as well as adventure activities. For example, you can hike the Maryland Heights Trail for a panoramic view of the town or go whitewater rafting down the river.

1) Location for Lantern Festival, DC

3) general information.

4) Sending Off the Lanterns

We attended the lantern festival for the Washington, DC area. However, even though it was advertised as the lantern festival for the DC area, it was not exactly in DC The location was the Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The drive from my apartment in Arlington, Virginia was around two hours. 

No matter whether you live in the DC area or are planning a visit, I highly recommend you go paddle boating around the Tidal Basin during cherry blossom season. Trust me, it is an experience you will not soon forget.

Nevertheless, please be aware that the location can change each year. It is best to look on the official website to double check. Just be aware it is possible the location will be one to two hours away from you, even if it is advertised for a specific city.

The reason for the location being far away from the city is that they need a location large enough to host hundreds and possibly even thousands of people. Additionally, they need the location to be next to a large, open field where the lanterns can then land after the flame burns out. Safety is their first priority, and thus they will only hold the Lights Fest in an appropriate location that meets their standards.

Watching the sunset at the lantern festival

Tickets often go on sale a couple of months before the event. However, before the tickets go on sale, you have the option to “save your spot”. You provide your email, name, and phone number, and they then put on what they call their VIP list . Being added to this list essentially saves you a spot at the festival and provides you with first access to tickets once they officially go on sale. 

Tickets cost around $40 per person for an adult, which includes entry and a lantern kit. Children’s tickets are also available, but they do not include a lantern kit. Furthermore, the only add-on option for tickets is a portable personal campfire. If you wish to make s’mores or another delicious campfire snack, consider adding this to your ticket. The price is approximately $40 for the portable campfire. 

The lantern festival is the perfect opportunity for you to plan a date night (that is not incredibly expensive) with someone special. Moreover, there are a ton of possible date night ideas in nearby Arlington, VA . For example, you can picnic at Gravelly Point while the planes fly overhead. Start checking the ideas off your list!

Refund Insurance

Lastly, I purchased the refund insurance. Since we bought our tickets about two months in advance, there was a chance something could come up that impacted our ability to attend. The refund protection cost $3.99 per person, and it was worth it in my opinion for the added safety that I could get my money back if needed. 

Nothing but smiles before we send our lanterns off

When we arrived at the DC lantern festival, we checked in at the front table with our tickets and received a lantern kit. Then we headed towards the smell of delicious food, and we were pleasantly surprised with the amount of options available. The best way to describe  the type of food would be… typical fair food . There were funnel cakes, pretzels, tacos, barbecue, and more! We grabbed some tacos and very much enjoyed them. 

Grabbing Food and Finding a Spot

Then we ventured to the speedway to find a place to sit. There were  a lot of people there by the time we arrived, but we still found a nice spot to sit down. Bonus: it was close to a torch so we knew we would have easy access to light our lanterns later. I would definitely recommend bringing either a blanket or chairs, as the ground at this location was a mixture of grass and dirt. I thus did not want to sit down without a layer between myself and the ground. 

Arriving Early at the Lantern Festival in DC

Another recommendation is to arrive early – at least one hour before the sendoff time for the lanterns. Why? First, it is best to plan to arrive early in case of any traffic or unforeseen delays. Second, you need to plan a little time in your schedule to grab some food! Take advantage of the food options and food trucks they have available at the festival location. Third, it might take a couple of minutes to find a place to sit, especially if you arrive later. 

Additionally, there was a band on the stage when we arrived. They played music and were essentially the opener for the lantern send-off. 

Lighting our lantern to send into the sky

4) Sending Off the Lanterns – Lantern Festival, DC

Let me start off by saying that lighting the lanterns and pushing them out into the sky was  a lot more difficult than I ever imagined. They make it look so easy in the movie Tangled , I just figured my experience would be as smooth as that. But let me break it down in detail for you.

If for some reason you are not able to attend due to ticket prices, location, transportation, etc., then create your own lantern festival with friends or family. Buy some water lanterns and send them off in a nearby pool or pond. While they are water instead of sky lanterns, you will still have a magical night.

Instructions

First, they provide instructions on everything you need to do to light and send off your lanterns in advance. Let me highlight two important facts, for I messed these both up with my lantern. One – you need to hold your lantern over the fire for a fair amount of time. Make sure it lights well. Two – remove your lantern from the fire and just hold it in the open air for a good couple of seconds. This allows the air to fully flow up into and around the lantern.  Then you are ready to send it off into the sky. 

Lighting of the Torches

Second, they light the torches. At this point they ask everyone to wait to light their lanterns so that everyone can send them off together. However, as I am sure you can assume, people do not listen to directions. We saw lanterns start to float into the sky as soon as they lit the torches. 

Pushing our lantern off into the night sky

Lighting of the Lanterns 

Third, they give you the go ahead to light your lanterns and send them off into the sky. This is when the sky truly becomes full of lanterns. If you have seen the movie Tangled , the sky looks similar to the boat scene. However, do be aware there are not enough torches for everyone to light their lanterns at once. You thus might have to wait for a couple of minutes before lighting your lantern. Do not worry though, for the sky will be full of lanterns for the next 10 to 15 minutes, as there are so many  others still waiting to light their lanterns along with you. 

This is when you put your lantern lighting skills to the test. Do not make the same mistakes as I did, as I pointed out earlier in the “instructions” section. As soon as my lantern was lit, I pushed it out into the sky. It then immediately went flying back to the ground. Thankfully someone near us ran over to it, grabbed it, and then pushed it back into the sky. It went flying off into the night. What I should have done was hold it in the open air for a couple of seconds to let the air circulate up inside of it before pushing it off. 

My boyfriend still had his lantern, and he was kind enough to let me send it off with him. We did this one correctly, and it went soaring into the sky, surrounded by hundreds of other lanterns. 

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Check out a walking trail in Washington DC : Hains Point Loop Trail in East Potomac Pack .

Or head down to Virginia Beach for some wildlife encounters : Kayaking with Dolphins in VA Beach .

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19 comments, wanderwithbelle.

This looks so dreamy! 🤍

Alaina Thomas

It truly did feel like a beautiful dream as all of the lanterns floated off into the night sky.

Anukrati Dosi

This looks so so beautiful. Reading the other comments reminded me of Tangled as well. Lovely read.

Yes, that scene from Tangled would be the best way to describe it. It was quite beautiful – you should look to see if there are any events near you or even create your own lantern night with friends!

simplyjolayne

This would be so much fun. I have had this on my bucket list since I was inspired by the Disney movie, Tangled!

Same! That scene in Tangled was so beautiful, I immediately added this activity to my bucket list.

What a great date night! Nothing like a bit of variety to spice up the love life! Glad you enjoyed the night and thanks for the tips.

You are welcome! We love to do a new activity whenever we can for date night, and this was a perfect fit.

I never imagined an activity like this in this area. How interesting!

It was a wonderful find! I got a facebook ad for The Lights Fest and was overjoyed they had a Washington, D.C. location.

I did not know it existed in this area either until I saw an ad for it pop up on my Facebook one day!

I can’t believe they call it in the Lantern Festival of Washington DC when it occurs in Pennsylvania.

I was a little surprised to see the location in Pennsylvania, but it was definitely worth the drive.

That would totally be me as well with the lantern mistake. I always seem to not fully read the directions is my issue. Sounds like a perfect date night!

Haha, glad to hear I would not be the only one! Though now that I have made that mistake, I will never make it again. Seeing my lantern fall straight to the ground is a stark reminder to let air fill up in the lantern before sending it off.

this looks like such a fun activity! Next time I’m in DC I want to try and go!

I believe they hold it every year and in various cities! It is possible they have it at a city close to you.

Lorraine Caputo

Interesting that there are organized places that offer this activity.

(Where I live, such lanterns are prohibited due to the danger of fires and pollution when the lanterns fall.)

That is a good point! They did have firefighters there for safety, and they had mapped out where the lanterns would fall (in a nearby field) so they could collect them all.

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Screen Rant

Green lantern's version of time travel is dc's most disturbing superpower.

An issue of The Green Lantern Corps showed Arisia using her ring for a unique way to time travel...and it's absolutely disturbing.

The rules of time travel in various sources of media can be both different and confusing, but DC Comics takes the cake for having the most  disturbing version of it by making it a superpower in  Green Lantern . It's common knowledge that the power rings bestowed upon the Lantern Corps can do a lot, if not anything possible. By using the fundamental forces of the universe, they can alter various aspects of reality to deliver a powerful fighting style. What's surprising though is that an issue of  The Green Lantern Corps showcases another ability the ring possesses , and it takes things to disturbing new levels.

The issue centers around Arisia Rrab, a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Like other Lanterns, she wields a ring of power and possesses the same abilities as people like Hal Jordan and John Stewart. She's shown to have a romantic interest in Hal Jordan , but at the time, she was a young teenager. She knew that age was what separated the two of them, and the willpower she had in her desire to be with Hal is what unleashes this new ability.

Related: The Most Disturbing Green Lantern is Born in Shocking DC Twist

The Green Lantern Corps Issue #206 by Steve Englehart shows Hal and Arisia stranded in a mine shaft without a way to recharge their rings. However, with the remaining charge left in hers, Arisia's subconscious willpower ages her to around the same age as Hal. The ring unlocks a sort of time travel that ages her body up because of her desire to be with him. Not only that, but it also matures her mind as well, so it's not like a  13 Going On 30 situation where a teenager is in the body of an adult. It's similar to a reverse time machine. Instead of the traveler staying the same age while the universe around them goes backwards or forwards, the universe stays the same while she grows up. In a way, Arisia has willingly given up part of her life just to be the same age as the person she loves, Hal Jordan/Green Lantern . While on paper it might sound sweet, in practice it just feels...disturbing.

This opens up a can of worms because it brings into question the morality behind this, as Jordan knew Arisia as a teenager not too long ago. After all, Hal has known her for all the time they've worked together as a teenager. They've fought alongside each other and conversed, so it's hard to separate the friendly relationship between the two as nothing more than just that: friendship. When she's aged up though because of the time travel-esque ability, it makes one wonder just how exactly Hal can possibly see her as more than a friend . It's such a fine line because even though her mind has matured to that of a full-grown woman, she was still a teenager not too long ago.

Talking about this topic can be a difficult thing. It rides a fine line for morality due to the pre-established age gap, despite Hal and Arisia being of the same mature physicality and mentality after the change. It can be even more disturbing knowing that they actually do end up with each other in the end. This is why the Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps   series have arguably the most disturbing superpower with their relation to time travel. Arisia's transformation is just uncomfortable to think about on every level given her history with Hal, and knowing how the comic ends with them together, it begs to question just why this ability was a thing that the ring could do. Nevertheless, the change to Arisia Rrab highlights just how powerful the Green Lantern power rings can be since they can literally make their body time travel if that's what they wish for–but it will no doubt go down as one of the most disturbing and creepy superpowers in DC Comics history.

Next: Krypton's First Green Lantern Shows Why Superman CAN'T Have a Power Ring

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GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW: SPACE TRAVELING HEROES 

In these team-up tales from the mid-1970s, Green Lantern and Green Arrow face fantastic threats, starting with the former Green Lantern known as Sinestro! Also in this collection, Green Lantern Katma Tui pursues a monstrous beast to Earth, and Green Arrow accidentally enters Green Lantern's Lantern and becomes cosmically charged. Plus, the Golden Age hero called Air Wave returns in a new guise, as Hal Jordan's young cousin, and Green Arrow's romantic relationship with Black Canary takes some unexpected turns. Collects Green Lantern #90-106.

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Tuesday, July 21st, 2020

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