Lantern Corps

## History

### Ancient History and Origins

The ancient Maltusians built seven (or nine, if you believe the legends) Power Relays across the galaxy, each channeling a different light from the emotional spectrum and housing a different entity inside. With this power, the Guardians formed different corps of ringbearers who could harness this energy and used them to connect routes between their Relays, shaping out a massive empire that engulfed tens of thousands of star systems.

Over time, however, due to the distance between Relays, the empire became splintered into factions and a war raged on until the Maltusian empire was destroyed by civil war and invaders that acted upon this opportunity.

The only faction not consumed in this war was the Green Lanterns of Oa, who had been the empire's peacekeepers and refused to take sides in the civil wars and instead rallied around the closest systems surrounding Oa to fend off invaders.

As time went on, remnants of the old Maltusian empire were taken over by the Cooperative, Apokalypse, the Reach, and others as the Green Lanterns could only hold onto a fraction of their former empire: Approx. 3600 star systems (or Sectors) surrounding Oa (Sector 0 or Sector Prime). For reference, the Sol System (and Earth) is Sector 2814.

The Maltusian Council on Oa allowed refugees from the old empire to take up residency in Sector 666, but their old rivalries carried over and eventually the Green Lantern Corps was sent in to quell the fighting. But that didn't happen.

A crazed team of disgruntled Manhunters who had lost their families from all the civil wars decided that the refugees of the old empire represented a diseased limb of the once great empire and decided to take matters into their own hands, igniting an experimental weapon into the star of Sector 666, causing it to go supernova and destroy all life in the Sector just hours before the Green Lantern battalion had arrived to calm the warring.

Hearing of the Massacre, Apokalyptan invaders advanced upon what was now known as Oan space. But the massacre had united the Corps and the 8000 Green Lanterns took a stand at the border.

Not interested in going to war with the 8000 Green Lanterns loyal to Oa, Apokalypse ceased their invasion. The Collective, Reach, and other would be invaders did likewise when confronted with a united front.

Peace has been tense as the borders remain under constant guard, maintaining a strict demilitarized zone that taxes the resources of many border civilizations and the Corps alike.

Recently, the Corps has lost nearly 400 members, whose rings corrupted by the power of the fear entity known as Parallax. Many such fallen Lanterns are now loyal to Sinestro. While his own corps of followers work throughout space, Sinestro himself has become obsessed with Earth in Sector 2814, once part of his jurisdiction as a Green Lantern. The exact reasons for Sinestro's interest in Earth are known only to him and his most devout followers.

Due to the growing size and power of their enemies at the borders, the Oans have desired a way to increase the size of their Corps and have begun looking for the lost rings. They have managed to identify users of other rings, such as Atrocitus who seems to have found a small cache of Red Lantern rings and has declared himself the Master of the New Red Lantern Corps but no other users have come forward to swear an Oath to pledge their service to the last remaining Lantern Corps other than Razer, Star Sapphire, and Saint Walker (and his small band of disciples).

Due to the presence of the traitor Sinestro on Earth and the ever growing rise of the Metahuman population and other factors (Darkseid's interest in Earth, the Martian virus, and Earth containing the last remnants of Krypton), Oa has assigned a special Lantern task force to Earth currently comprised of 6 Green Lanterns and the only known Violet Lantern.

Traditionally, the number of Lanterns assigned to a Sector depends on several factors: planetary population, strategic placement, resources, cultural significance, and so forth. While barren Sectors will have a single Lantern, crucial systems have been assigned a dozen Lanterns.
Most inhabited Sectors are given two Lanterns.

Lanterns are allowed to leave their Sector to respond to neighboring Sectors' requests for backup or to pursue fugitives, investigate leads, or attend additional training or important meetings on Oa; but it is the expectation that no Sector is to ever be devoid of at least one patrolling Lantern for any significant period of time.

### Modern History

The Green Lanterns initially assigned to Sector 2814 at the time of the J.L.A. being founded were Abin Sur and Thaal Sinestro. Things happen and Sinestro goes rogue after having his ring corrupted into a Yellow Lantern ring. Sinestro hides on Earth and while looking for him, Abin Sur recruits John Stewart to help him navigate Earth culture after a GL ring identifies John as the best candidate when Abin begins his search in New York City, intending to address the United Nations so as to gain their support in his search for Sinestro. The two eventually find Sinestro and end up chasing him off-world.

Adventures ensue, and eventually Sinestro returns to Earth intent on doing some really bad stuff and, in the process, Abin Sur is killed and his body is knocked out of the air and into an Air Force jet that's part of the US government's efforts to stop Sinestro. The pilot crash lands his jet and finds the dying Green Lantern. Abin Sur passes his ring on to the pilot before he dies. That pilot, is Hal Jordan.

Sinestro was fought back and after Hal is trained by John and others on Oa, it is decided that the Corps has neglected Earth for too long and John and Hal are tasked with recruiting more humans for the defense of Earth.

## Emotional Spectrum

* Red Guard (Rage)
* Agent Orange (Greed)
* Sinestro Corps (Fear)
* Emerald Knights (Will)
* Blue Disciples (Hope)
* Indigo Tribe (Compassion)
* Violet Emissaries (Love)

## Trivia and Notes

### Trivia

* Ambush Bug tried to join the Corps, but he was rejected. He decided to start his own Amber Butane Corps.

## Links and References

* Appearances of Lantern Corps
* Team Gallery: Lantern Corps
* Membership of Lantern Corps

1. ↑ E27 Journal: Lantern Corps History
2. ↑ E27 W#14 In Brightest Day In Blackest Night
3. ↑ Ambush Files: Irwin Schwab 1