#ComicBytes: The history of DC's Green Lantern Corps
"In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might beware my power...Green Lantern's light!" This oath belongs to DC's powerful intergalactic peacekeeping force, the Green Lantern Corps, who have maintained peace in the universe during many disastrous events. To know more about them, here is an overview of their origin, powers, structure, and iconic members.
When the natives of planet Maltus evolved into powerful immortals, they settled on planet Oa and became the Guardians of the Universe and enemies of evil. After a forbidden experiment started chaos in the universe, the Guardians created a legion of robotic sentinels called the Manhunters, who eventually rebelled. Following this, the Guardians formed another force of soldiers, consisting of morally-strong living beings.
To arm this new legion, the Guardians created the Power Rings, which allow the wearers to conjure objects of any size or shape by projecting green beams of energy. These rings also provide other powers like flight, energy absorption, time travel, and more. All Power Rings require periodic recharging, during which the bearers recite their oath to reaffirm their commitment to the Corps.
Although the legion has been rebuilt several times, currently they have 7,200 members, patrolling 3,600 sectors of space. The members have considerable autonomy over their jurisdiction and are also responsible for finding their replacements if they are near retirement or death. The new recruits are trained on Oa, where they get the green uniform. They receive the Lantern insignia after completing their training.
In the Golden Age, Alan Scott was the original Green Lantern with the magical power ring and lantern. This was re-imagined in Silver Age as an intergalactic peacekeeping force called the Green Lantern Corps. Here, a test pilot from Earth, Hal Jordan became the most powerful Green Lantern. Other important Green Lanterns include John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, and Jessica Cruz.
