C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T P R O P O S A LT H E G R E E N L A N T E R N C O R P S
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J O H N S T E W A R T ♦ H A L J O R D A N ♦ G U Y G A R D N E R ♦ K Y L E R A Y N E R
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"In brightest day, in blackest night
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil’s might
Beware my power, Green Lanterns Light"
Geoff Johns run on Green Lantern was seminal to my upbringing and it’s an outstanding achievement in visual storytelling. It’s entirely possible I may adapt The War of Light into a series of nursery rhymes for my descendants, but I’m certainly not going to attempt to condense it into a single arc here.
Grant Morrison’s Green Lantern run is a fun romp through the stars that highlights some of the more thought provoking applications of a power ring, the sort of things that definitely should’ve found their way into publication long ago. It feels like The Silver Age, my favorite era to revisit, with an entirely fresh coat of paint. Unfortunately, it centers on my least favorite staple of the modern DCU, Hal Jordan. He should’ve stayed dead, in my opinion.
I just wanna be heard: There are no other Lantern Corps at the moment. The Green Lantern Corps is the frustrating successor to The Manhunters, who had enforced the will of The Guardians of The Universe before them. Due to the high frequency of incidents around Earth, following the loss of Alan Scott, there would be as many Lanterns assigned to the region as possible until order is restored, at which point they would either be reassigned or retired.
Presently, Thaal Sinestro of sector 1417 has been assigned to observe and report the activities of the Earth Lanterns, while Blish Rrab of neighboring 2815 is assigned to patrol anytime he is available. Otherwise, Earthlings John Stewart, Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner are stationed explicitly on Earth with new recruit Kyle Rayner assigned to the wider frontier under the supervision and tutelage of Thaal Sinestro.
As of late, there’s been an unusually high level of assassination attempts against extra-terrestrials and The Green Lanterns in particular using their most classic weakness, wood. Following some investigation, they discover that it is because of a functional link between The Green and the Lantern Light and are assigned to sever it at all costs. Meanwhile, they discover a prophecy that Earth’s four heroes of light will overcome a Devil before being overcome by his hordes. Also, Kyle accompanies Thaal Sinestro on a journey to his native Korugar, where he meets Soranik Natu, who informs him that Korugar is no utopia, no paradise and certainly no xanadu.
This is not a return to nineteen fifties science fiction and it isn’t a police procedural. It isn’t a brainless action binge. It isn’t an abstract arthouse fanfic and it certainly isn’t a CW drama. This is a fantasy epic meant to be taken intravenously with a format I’ve stolen from The Stormlight Archive. This is Green Lantern: Four Heroes of Light and it’s on track to be my highest literary achievement (because punk rock concept albums don’t count as literature).
C H A R A C T E R M O T I V A T I O N S & G O A L S:
Look me in the eyes. I know we’re separated by miles of cable and a glass screen that feels thicker than the source wall itself but one glance and I know that you know why I need to write this. I am not an escapist. I am a madman scratching on the walls, pencil long gone, leaving a trail of blood and fingernail etched in my wake. I am no escapist. Art matters. Fantasy is a means of engaging with the soul and I’ve come, keyboard in hand, to take back the weird that has been egregiously outcast from our beloved fandom.
I want to tell a story that seems like it should’ve been told long ago, whose plot seems like an obvious choice. The Lanterns classically exist neatly in their own little box, dealing either with crises that concern the entirety of the Lantern Corps or are regional nuisances, if not filling their role as supplemental strong-man within the Justice League. I have a string in hand and I’m going to unravel the kite that it is attached to, even if it soars ahead of me.
I’m going to whisper in your ear about the conspiracy carried out on Korugar. And I will tell you about the past, not as it was, but as it should have been.
John Stewart also had a troubled home thanks to his alcoholic father. However, it was his own carelessness that caused him to endanger his little sister on a joyride while he was a teenager. Following that, he immediately straightened up and became the embodiment of discipline, being a no nonsense paragon of virtue. He overcame his own self loathing and joined the United States Marine Corps, lauded for his own excellence in excellence before being dismissed by his racist superior. While not afraid to call others out on their own hypocrisy, he never allowed it to distract him from doing what is necessary. When Earth was recognized as a hotspot for universal conflict and was designated to have multiple locally active Lanterns, Stewart was picked for the job, becoming Abin Sur’s partner.
Hal Jordan is a man who would much rather perform any action than think about anything. If his father taught him anything, it’s that you don’t back down. He fundamentally sees himself as a true “hero” and wants to save the day. He wants to take down “the bad guy” and get “the girl”. He is one of the less abstract people you’ll meet in life, but feels no shame in acknowledging that he is a simple man. If he can’t solve a problem with his fists, he figures it usually means he wasn’t punching the right guy. He became Abin Sur’s successor because he was present at his time of death and was assigned specifically to protect Earth.
Guy Gardner had a gifted intellect in his youth, however his dysfunctional family did little to foster his potential for “greatness” and he ended up in trouble often. Following the intervention of his older brother, who had become a police officer, he did his best to be “a good Guy”. When he happened to witness a member of the extra terrestrial Spider Guild kidnapping children from his neighborhood, he took up a weed wacker and baseball bat to defend them, inadvertently aiding Abin Sur and thereafter being designated as his potential successor in the GLC. In essence, Guy is constantly trying to make up for being such a dick. He was given a provisional ring in honor of Abin Sur’s passing along with the assignment to defend Earth.
Kyle Rayner was handpicked by Ganthet after it became apparent that 2814 would need a Lantern who wasn’t focused on Earth. Generally pleased with Stewart, Jordan and Gardner’s performance, Ganthet thought that it seemed evident that Earthlings made good Green Lanterns, however Stewart was the only one particularly good at following directions, so it was imperative that the sector’s patrolmen have a personality compatible with the existing chain of command. Seeking out the most creative people he could, Ganthet decided that he would draft candidates from an art School. He picked the young man after hearing him speak vehemently about how “Art Matters” and that it could ultimately save the world from itself. Wanting to build something that could last, with an eye toward tomorrow, Kyle eagerly took in everything he could from Ganthet before being turned over to Sinestro for further instruction, because Kyle reminded him of the Korugarian when he’d been young.
Hal will mostly be struggling to accept that he is not always right. John will be interested in finding out the real reason so much attention is being paid toward Earth. Guy will be attempting to mitigate the damage of their adventures. Lastly, Kyle will do some soul searching regarding the intersection of art and power and how Sinestro has made use of both.
“Jordan”.
Did you know that the assumption that Earth is the only planet that can support life only developed in the last hundred years or so. Before that, anything that would’ve been called an alien was called a God or a Fairy or a Demon. That’s because the term alien is actually a piece of legal jargon used to refer to foreigners in a way that prevents them from getting too comfy, so they can’t forget that they don’t belong.
“Jordan”.
As I arc through the troposphere, I can practically feel the thunder combing my hair. I like to travel through Earth’s atmosphere at about 766 miles per hour, just below the sound barrier, so I can feel all the drag. Once you break the sound barrier, nothing’s the same, you can’t hear the sky roaring in your ears and there is nothing I hate more than being able to hear myself think.
“Lantern Jordan,” Salaak’s voice breaks through my joyride like a fist rupturing a wet cake, “your presence is required immediately at the following coordinates: 38°53′23.3″N77°00′32.6″W. Hastily conclude any business you are engaging in. Automated flight will initiate in thirteen seconds.”
“Wait, wait, wait, Salaak,” I say, slowing my flight What is this about?”
“Automated Flight initiates in eight seconds. It concerns The Speaker of The House of Representatives: Bambi Lugosi, she’s fallen ill and requires your assistance.”
“... Since when does the--” I’m taken by surprise as the ring starts dragging me in a direction. My lunch almost lurches out of my gut and into my protective aura. It’s not the forces that I’m exposed to, they’re almost entirely mitigated by my ring’s flight protocols, it’s the sudden disorientation as I start plummeting eastward. “yahoo. Why does the Green Lantern suddenly care about the well-being of American politicians?”
“We don’t. Bambi Lugosi is not merely an American, she is one of the Guardians favored from the planet Auron.”
“She’s an.. “ I was going to probe about the nature of her heritage and personal history before losing interest as Capitol Hill came into view.
A list linking to your IC posts as they're created. This can be used for a reference guide to your character or to summarize completed arcs and stories.
Member
Half Pint,
Simple Unicycle,
Izurich,
nightmare medx,
Morden Man,
Sep,
PatientBean,
DocTachyon,
BANNED98364
