Emotional spectrum

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File:PowerBatteries01.jpg
Panel from Green Lantern (vol. 4) #25, with seven batteries fueled by lights of the emotional spectrum

The emotional spectrum is a fictional concept in comic books published by DC Comics, especially the Green Lantern titles. The colors of the emotional spectrum are harnessed as power sources by organizations with power rings.

Colors

The emotional spectrum is divided into the seven colors of the rainbow, with each color corresponding to an emotion: rage (red), greed (orange), fear (yellow), willpower (green), hope (blue), compassion (indigo) and love (violet). The absence of color (black) is death, and the combination of colors (white) is life.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The two emotions at the ends of the emotional spectrum, rage and love, have a stronger influence over their users[7] and willpower (at the center of the spectrum) can be used to overcome and control one's emotions.[6] Groups embodying points on the emotional spectrum are:

  • Black Lantern Corps: An army of zombies formed by the former Guardian Scar and led by Lord of the Undead Nekron, the Black Lanterns are dead people resurrected by a black power ring fueled by death. Members of the corps, chosen for their emotional connection to living people, rise to elicit emotion from those people.[8] The power ring enables its wearer to create things made of black light, mimicking powers their users had while alive, and read the emotions of living beings as colors of the emotional spectrum.[9]
  • Red Lantern Corps: A group of berserkers led by Atrocitus,[2] the Red Lanterns draw on rage to build constructs made of red light with their power rings.[1][2][6] When they are inducted into the Corps, a member's blood is replaced with liquid fire; members of the corps can expel this substance from their body at will like napalm, causing burns. During induction, their heart is replaced with the ring, so if the ring is taken off (unlike in the cartoon series), the wearer will die. [2] These lantern corps are antiheroes.
  • Agent Orange: Former Thieves Guild member Larfleeze (known as Agent Orange) draws on greed to build constructs made of orange light with his power ring, transforming people he has killed into his "Construct Lanterns".[10] This lantern is also considered evil or enemy of good lanterns.[11]
  • Sinestro Corps: A group of terrorists formed and led by former Green Lantern Thaal Sinestro, the Sinestro Corps draws on fear to build constructs (based on a target's fears) made of yellow light. These corps are evil and are the enemy of the green lanterns.[12][13]
  • Green Lantern Corps: A group of peacekeepers formed by the Guardians of the Universe, the Green Lanterns use willpower to generate constructs made of green light.[14]
  • Blue Lantern Corps: A faithful group formed by former Guardians Ganthet and Sayd and led by Saint Walker, the Blue Lanterns use their targets' hopes to generate constructs made of blue light.[7] Blue Lanterns can only have the full extent of their abilities unlocked with a green power ring.[5][15] A blue ring can recharge a depleted green ring, and supercharge a full one.[15]
  • Indigo Tribe: A group of nomads formed by deceased Green Lantern Abin Sur and led by Indigo-1, the Indigo Tribe uses compassion to teleport long distances and reproduce the abilities of other Corps.[16] They are good and help the green, blue, and violet lanterns.[17]
  • Star Sapphires: A group of female warriors formed and led by the Zamarons, the Star Sapphires use love to create constructs made of violet light. Although the character Star Sapphire was originally a villain, they are good.[18] Their constructs are violet crystals, seeking love in their target's heart and bombarding it with love until they are freed or join the corps.[19]
  • White Lantern Corps: Formed by Kyle Rayner, the White Lanterns use life to create constructs made of white light. Corps members, "nothing short of godlike",[20] have reality-altering powers able to defeat Nekron and the Black Lantern Corps.

Emotional entities

Emotional entities are creatures in the DC Universe which embody the emotional spectrum.[21] At the San Diego Comic Con, Geoff Johns said that all the corps have related entities. As of Green Lantern (vol. 4) #54, all seven entities have been revealed. Although the Black Lantern Corps are powered by death, in Green Lantern its leader (Black Hand) is a similar entity.[22] In Blackest Night #7, Nekron unearths a similar being known as the Entity. The Entity is the embodiment of the white light which creates life in Johns' creation story.[23] In Brightest Day, former guardian Krona is the entities' caretaker and immune to the emotional spectrum.[22] Although each of the emotional entities have their own distinct appearance, shape and form it was shown that, under the influence of Krona, all of the emotional entities assumed the forms of snakes.

The Butcher

The Butcher,[24] the embodiment of rage, is connected to the red light of the emotional spectrum and resembles a demonic bull. It was created in the DC Universe after the first murder,[25] and its head and horns resemble Red Lantern Corps insignia. The Butcher is first mentioned in the "Blackest Night" storyline in Green Lantern (vol. 4) #51. Atrocitus is mesmerized by the rage he senses in the Spectre when it is controlled by a black power ring. After a conflict with Parallax, Atrocitus tries to recruit the Spectre as his corps' entity. Although he is briefly infected by the uniform and characteristics of a Red Lantern the Spectre throws it off, explaining that he is God's rage and does not belong to Atrocitus. He says he has faced "the crimson creature of anger", and Atrocitus will be destroyed if he seeks out the Butcher.[26]

The Butcher was found by the Spectre and Atrocitus, and is contained in Atrocitus' battery[27] until Krona captures it. Krona invades Oa and forces the Butcher to possess the Guardian of the Universe, Herupa. The Butcher is freed from Krona's control after Hal Jordan kills Krona.[28] The Butcher soon began suffering from a strange illness, later revealed to be the reservoir of the emotional spectrum was becoming exhausted. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery and destroying the planet in the process, the Butcher sacrifices himself, by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall to repair the emotional spectrum.[29]

However it appears that a new rage entity as since been born from the excess rage left on Earth from the war with Atrocitus.[30]

Ophidian

Ophidian[24] is the embodiment of greed, the orange light of the emotional spectrum. The entity resembles a large serpent, with Orange Lantern insignia on its head. In its debut, it is depicted as created when the first creature ate what it did not need.[25] In a Newsarama interview,[citation needed] Johns said that Ophidian lives in Larfleeze's battery (where Larfleeze trapped it) and speaks to Hal Jordan when he is overwhelmed by the orange light in Green Lantern #42.[31]

After escaping from prison, Hector Hammond tracks down Larfleeze and Hal Jordan under the control of Krona. Hammond consumes Larfleeze's battery, becoming Ophidian's host. Ophidian is freed from Krona's control when Hal Jordan kills the rogue guardian.[28] Ophidian soon began suffering from a strange illness, later revealed to be the reservoir of the emotional spectrum was becoming exhausted. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery and destroying the planet in the process, Ophidian sacrifices itself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.[29]

Parallax

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Main article: Parallax (comics)

Parallax, the embodiment of fear, was born when one of the earliest life forms first felt terror[25] and is connected to the yellow light of the emotional spectrum. Insect-like in appearance, the inside of its mouth resembles the Sinestro Corps symbol. In Green Lantern: Rebirth #3, Parallax is described as an entity of fear born at the beginning of sentience. Parallax creates fear in any civilization it encounters, threatening to trap the universe in a cycle of violence. The Guardians trap Parallax and seal it in the green central-power battery. Its presence in the battery is the "yellow impurity" which makes the Green Lantern Corps power rings useless against the color yellow.[32] It possesses Hal Jordan after Coast City is destroyed, making him kill nearly all of the Green Lantern Corps.[33]

At the end of Green Lantern: Rebirth, Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, Kilowog and Guy Gardner fight Parallax and again imprison him in the green central-power battery.[34] After its defeat in Rebirth, Green Lantern can overcome the yellow weakness by facing the fear behind it.[citation needed]

Parallax is the first emotional entity captured by Krona. When Krona invades Oa with the entities and has them possess the Guardians, Parallax restores the central battery's impurity and gains control of the Green Lanterns. The only Lanterns able to resist are Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Ganthet.[35] Parallax is removed from the battery, freed from Krona's control after Hal Jordan kills the rogue Guardian[28] and placed back in the yellow central battery.[36]

When the First Lantern amasses enough power to rewrite reality, Sinestro releases Parallax from the battery. Its new host, Sinestro uses Parallax to kill the Guardians of the Universe (except Ganthet).[37][38]

Ion

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Main article: Ion (DC Comics)

Ion, the embodiment of willpower, was born when life first moved of its own accord[25] and is the green light of the emotional spectrum. According to Ethan Van Sciver, it resembles a large, primitive whale or fish.[39] Representing the stability of willpower, Ion supports its host by providing power in return for willpower.[40] This contrasts with Parallax, who dominates its host.[32] Ion is featured in the "Sinestro Corps War" storyline, and is first seen when it is removed from Kyle Rayner.[41] The Guardians' insignia appears in a pattern on Ion's dorsal side, and it has a sea monk-like appendage ending in a lantern-like lure.[42]

After being taken from Rayner, Ion is held captive on Qward and the subject of experiments by the Anti-Monitor.[41] It is rescued by a team of Lanterns and returned to the Guardians of Oa, who bond the creature with Sodam Yat (a novice Green Lantern from the planet Daxam) to form a powerful weapon against Superboy-Prime.[42]

Ion is the second entity captured by Krona, who forces it to possess a Guardian of the Universe during Krona's invasion of Oa.[43] Ion is freed when Hal Jordan kills the rogue Guardian.[28] Ion has since returned to the Green Central Power Battery, only leaving it when the battery itself forcefully removed the green entity from it because it was suffering from a strange illness. When Relic, a native of a prior version of spacetime, began a quest to prevent the harnessing the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum energy, he revealed that the Emotional Spectrum had a reservoir that was becoming exhausted and it would eventually destroy the Universe. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery and destroying the planet in the process, Ion sacrifices himself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.[29]

Adara

Adara,[24] the embodiment of hope, is connected to the blue light of the emotional spectrum. Bird-like, it has the Blue Lantern Corps insignia on its chest. Adara first appears in the "Blackest Night" storyline, as Sinestro (recently transformed into a White Lantern) describes the creation of the emotional entities; it was created from the first prayer by a sentient being during a flood.[44]

Adara and Proselyte are later captured by Krona,[27] and after he invades Oa Krona forces Adara to possess a Guardian of the Universe.[43] It is freed from Krona's control after Hal Jordan kills the rogue Guardian.[28] Adara returned to the Blue Central Battery only leaving it when Relic, a native of a prior version of spacetime, began a quest to prevent the harnessing the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum energy. Adara was suffering from a strange illness which was soon revealed to be the Emotional Spectrum's reservoir that was becoming exhausted and it would eventually destroy the Universe. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery and destroying the planet in the process, Adara sacrifices herself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.[29]

Proselyte

Proselyte,[24] the embodiment of compassion, is connected to the indigo light of the emotional spectrum. The entity is explained simply: "Rage grows from murder. Hope from prayer. And at last, compassion is offered to us all." Its form is similar to a cephalopod, with four visible appendages, and its inner surface resembles the Indigo Tribe's insignia.[25]

Proselyte and Adara are captured by Krona.[27] After he invades Oa, Krona forces Proselyte to possess a Guardian of the Universe.[43] It is eventually freed from Krona's control after Hal Jordan defeats and kills the rogue Guardian.[28] Proselyte soon began suffering from a strange illness, later revealed to be the reservoir of the emotional spectrum was becoming exhausted. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery and destroying the planet in the process, Proselyte sacrifices himself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.[29]

The Predator

The Predator, the embodiment of love, is connected to the violet light of the emotional spectrum. In an earlier continuity, an energy-projection being, Predator, is a masculine animus to the feminine anima of Star Sapphire. Despair over the loss of Hal Jordan drives the Predator to become a new individual, with Carol Ferris's ideal qualities in a man.[45] In Green Lantern (vol. 4) issue #43 Scar indicates that the Star Sapphires have access to an emotional entity embodying love, which she calls "the Predator". Although the Predator apparently lives with the Zamarons, its relationship with them is unclear. When Black Lantern rings reanimate the couple whose love fuels the Star Sapphires, the Zamarons are devastated, but the Predator escapes its crystalline containment.[46] It returns to the Zamarons and helps Carol Ferris prevent an invasion from Hawkworld.[47] The Predator is captured by Krona,[48] who forces it to possess a Guardian of the Universe when he invades Oa, and is freed when Hal Jordan kills the rogue Guardian.[28] Predator soon began suffering from a strange illness, later revealed to be that the reservoir of the emotional spectrum was becoming exhausted. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery, destroying the planet in the process, Predator sacrificed himself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.[29]

Similar beings

Nekron

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Main article: Nekron

Nekron is the embodiment of death in the universe and the Black Lantern Corps, which are powered by death.[49] Nekron uses necromancy to control the Black Lantern Corps to destroy life.[50][51]

Black Hand

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Main article: Black Hand

Black Hand becomes the first Black Lantern and the embodiment of death, Nekron's link to the world.[52] His position is later taken by Hal Jordan, who sacrifices himself to escape the Dead Zone and stop the First Lantern Volthoom; Black Hand's body then crumbles into dust.[37] He has again become the embodiment of death after the black ring revives him.[53]

The Entity

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Main article: White Lantern Corps

The Entity, the manifestation of the white light which creates life, is the embodiment for the White Lantern Corps (which is powered by life).[54]

Books

The Book of Oa contains the history of the Guardians of the Universe and the Green Lantern Corps. One member of the Green Lantern Corps is selected by the Guardians as Keeper of the Book of Oa.[55]

The Book of Parallax contains the knowledge and history of the Sinestro Corps. A power ring is needed to translate the Book's text.[56] According to Lyssa Drak, former keeper of the Book of Parallax and chronicler of the Sinestro Corps, although the book was destroyed she inked it on her body.[57] The Book of the Black, also known as The Ultimate Facilitator of The Blackest Night and written in black blood, contains prophecies about the rise of the Black Lantern Corps and the forbidden history of the Guardians of the Universe.[58] The Book of Rage, with fables of revenge attributed to the Red Lantern Corps, is first mentioned by Lyssa Drak when she is questioned by the Guardians of the Universe about the location of the Book of The Black.[59]

Others

Halo

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Main article: Halo

A gestalt of a human woman (Violet Harper) and an Aurakle (an ancient energy being resembling a sphere of iridescent color), Halo can create auras in the colors of the emotional spectrum around herself. Each aura gives her a different power.[volume & issue needed] In the "Blackest Night" storyline, Halo destroys Black Lanterns and their rings, feats usually reserved for the Lantern Corps and users of the Dove power.[60]

Rainbow Girl

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Main article: Rainbow Girl

In Adventure Comics, Rainbow Girl (Dori Aandraison from Xolnar) wields the powers of the emotional spectrum (resulting in unpredictable mood swings). She taps into red, blue and green energies when she and other members of the Legion of Substitute Heroes aid Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes in their battle with the Justice League of Earth.[61] Rainbow Girl creates a pheromone field, surrounding her in a sparkling light resembling a rainbow and giving her an irresistible personality.[62] In an interview, Geoff Johns said she does not understand her powers and uses them for fun.[63]

Kyle Rayner

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Main article: Kyle Rayner

Kyle learns to channel the seven lights of the emotional spectrum, developing the ability to harness the white light and becoming a White Lantern.[64]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 28 (April 2008), DC Comics
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Johns, Geoff (w). Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns 1 (December 2008), DC Comics
  3. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern: Rebirth 4 (March 2005), DC Comics
  4. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 34 (May 2009), DC Comics
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 25 (December 2007), DC Comics
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Johns, Geoff (July 25, 2009). "DC Comics: Green Lantern: Blackest Night". (12:00). DC Comics. Accessed 27 February 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 0 (July 2009), DC Comics
  8. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 2 (October 2009), DC Comics
  9. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 1 (September 2009), DC Comics
  10. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 40 (May 2009), DC Comics
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special 1 (August 2007), DC Comics
  13. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 21 (August 2007), DC Comics
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 38 (March 2009), DC Comics
  16. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps 1 (September 2009), DC Comics
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 20 (July 2007), DC Comics
  19. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 45 (August 2009), DC Comics
  20. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 8 (March 2010), DC Comics
  21. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 43 (September 2009), DC Comics
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 [1] Archived October 2, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 7 (April 2010), DC Comics
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 54 (July 2010), DC Comics
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 52 (May 2010), DC Comics
  26. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 51 (February 2010), DC Comics
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 61 (December 2010), DC Comics
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 28.6 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 67 (June 2011), DC Comics
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 Venditti, Robert (w). Green Lantern Annual v5, 2 (October 2013), DC Comics
  30. ↑ Red Lanterns #39
  31. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 42 (June 2009), DC Comics
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern: Rebirth 3 (February 2005), DC Comics
  33. ↑ Marz, Ron (w). Green Lantern v3, 50 (January 1994), DC Comics
  34. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern: Rebirth 6 (May 2005), DC Comics
  35. ↑ Tomasi, Peter (w). Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors 8 (March 2011), DC Comics
  36. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v5, 5 (January 2012), DC Comics
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v5, 20 (May 2013), DC Comics
  38. ↑ Bunn, Cullen (w). Sinestro 5 (August 2014), DC Comics
  39. ↑ Van Sciver, Ethan (w). "The Symbols of the Spectrum!" Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps 2 (September 2009), DC Comics
  40. ↑ Johns, Geoff, Gates, Sterling (w). Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Secret Files and Origins 1 (February 2008), DC Comics
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 23 (November 2007), DC Comics
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 Gibbons, Dave (w). Green Lantern Corps v2, 17 (December 2007), DC Comics
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 64 (March 2011), DC Comics
  44. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 52 (March 2010), DC Comics
  45. ↑ Englehart, Steve (w). Green Lantern v2, 192 (September 1985), DC Comics
  46. ↑ Green Lantern #46. DC Comics.
  47. ↑ Johns, Geoff, Tomasi, Peter (w). Brightest Day 13 (November 2010), DC Comics
  48. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 63 (February 2011), DC Comics
  49. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 4 (October 2009), DC Comics
  50. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 5 (November 2009), DC Comics
  51. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 6 (December 2009), DC Comics
  52. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Green Lantern v4, 43 (July 2009), DC Comics
  53. ↑ Soule, Charles (w). Green Lantern v5, 23.3 (September 2013), DC Comics
  54. ↑ Johns, Geoff (w). Blackest Night 7 (February 2010), DC Comics
  55. ↑ Green Lantern (vol. 2) #188. DC Comics.
  56. ↑ Green Lantern (vol. 4) #18. DC Comics.
  57. ↑ Sinestro #1. DC Comics.
  58. ↑ Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 2) #33. DC Comics.
  59. ↑ Green Lantern (vol. 5) #7. DC Comics.
  60. ↑ Outsiders (vol. 4) #24 (November 2009). DC Comics.
  61. ↑ Hamilton, Edmond (w). Adventure Comics 309 (June 1963), DC Comics
  62. ↑ Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #5 (September 1988). DC Comics.
  63. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ Green Lantern: New Guardians #16 (March 2013). DC Comics.
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