QUICK FIX: LARFLEEZE vs GREEN LANTERN
Agent Orange: Part Four (DC)
Where: Green Lantern #42 When: August 2009
Why: Geoff Johns How: Philip Tan & Eddy Barrows

THE TAPE...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Green Lantern 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 2 (Average)
Stamina: Larfleeze 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Green Lantern 4 (Trained)
Energy: Larfleeze 7 (Cosmic)

Math: Green Lantern
Ranking: Green Lantern (#29)

THE FIX...
The past few years have seen the Green Lantern go from strength to strength, beginning with Rebirth, and reaching it's epitomy with a company-wide crossover event -- Blackest Night. It's been under the loving direction of writer Geoff Johns that the series has hop, skipped, and jumped it's way from obscurity, to a most improved title, to a firmly established A-list franchise for DC comics.

As the figurehead of the reinvention, Hal Jordan has been restored as one of the most popular and significant superheroes in comics. Despite this boost, the hero has been suspiciously absent from the 2009 Infinite Wars action! Toady, we set about to finally correct that disappointing -- and inadvertent -- oversight.

Those of you new to the site might appreciate a clarification: "Secret Wars on Infinite Earths" not only refers to the two definitive comics crossovers of the mid-eighties, but also the endless battles undertaken by characters from different companies, mediums, and internal universes. It is a literal description of the "fight league" high concept that provides a foundation for review, observation, discussion, and silly win/loss ranking lists based on featured fights.

Key to the momentum of the Green Lantern titles throughout 2008, and the first half of 2009, has been the development of an entire spectrum of rival ring wielding Corps who derive their powers from the cosmic emotional totem. This spectrum was first teased at the conclusion of the Sinestro Corps War, where the Green Lanterns successfully fended off the fear-wielding fright of the Yellow Sinestro Corps.

This tease also introduced the prospect of the Black Lanterns -- undead warriors to rise from the defeated corpse of the once feared Anti-Monitor. We now know they are the risen dead from across the galaxy, fated to snuff the light of the other Corps and return the universe to darkness.

The Corps represent the colour-coded powers of: Green (Will), Blue (Hope), Indigo (Compassion), Violet (Love), Red (Rage), Orange (Avarice), Yellow (Fear), Black (Death).

Agent Orange is the storyarc responsible for introducing Larfleeze, the sole possessor of the Orange power battery of avarice. It's the last major storyline to establish other powers from the emotional spectrum before the Blackest Night officially launches with an eight issue mini-series, and issues of Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps and other.

I think it's fair to say, after waiting a year and a half since the Green Lantern #25 teaser, everyone's getting just a little antsy for the main event. I would speculate even Geoff Johns himself has gotten a little sick of the build-up, abbreviating his introduction of the various Corps as he rushes to establish vital new mythology in the DC universe before Blackest Night finally kicks off.

Things feel rushed and a little on the sloppy side as we get the lowdown on not only the existance of Larfleeze and the Orange Light, but also other maneuvering parts of the Blackest Night set-up process. Of the two books, GLC has been able to juggle multiple storylines with much more fluidity than the master title -- a bold compliment for Johns' writing counterpart/collaborator, Peter Tomasi.

In introducing the spectrum of colours, Johns has also presented the prospect of mixing the pallette of powers to create new results. [Hal] Jordan has come to possess yellow, red, and blue powers, with Agent Orange giving him reason to want to take Larfleeze's power enough to add orange to the tally, as well.

Typically Red Lanterns are mindlessly raging beasts who vomit their power, but when Jordan added the red to his green, he was able to form constructs through the combination of rage and willpower. It's an interesting metaphysical translation of how real emotions can be utilized to different ends, this being an example of a constructive use of anger. Similarly realised was the addition of a blue ring of hope, which super-charges the Green Lantern power, and is likewise rendered incapable of offensive without the compliment of willpower.

These distinctions have prevented the spectrum of Lantern Corps devolving into a pointless exchange of arbitrary colour fights. It's also presented a possible solution to the upcoming rise of Black Lanterns, assuming the powers of coloured light could be combined to create white light (capable of ending the dark).

Larfleeze, the possessor of the orange light of avarice, has a natural greed about him that's greatly enhanced by the orange light, which compells him to horde his power and seek other. The grander mythology of Larfleeze reveals that his Corps is actually constructs based upon the lives he has stolen, rather than allies who share his philosophy. Like greed itself, he is an ancient creature who has had dealings with the Guardians of the Galaxy prior, leading to the no-fly zone of Sector 2828 that began the story.

The previous issue ended with Larfleeze chopping Jordan's hand off to get a hold of his Blue ring. This would've been a fitting pageturning moment of shock mid-issue, but instead, served as an entirely hollow cliffhanger ending to the last issue. I would speculate that it was an out-of-character ending for Johns who's simply running out of space before Blackest Night must begin.

The twist? The Blue ring projected an illusion of Larfleeze's hopes, distracting him with a curtain of indulgence! He didn't chop the hand off and take possession of the blue ring -- it was just a dream! Wuh-wuh. A bit of a cop-out in the world of writing, but it set us up for battle-proper in this issue!

Super-charged by the blue ring, Jordan creates his own Corps of constructs of other Green Lanterns and familiar characters. An attack that offends Larfleeze's sense of intellectual property, rather than any fear. It's an effective consistency in the characterization of the Orange light, but also infers just how powerful Larfleeze is as the sole proprietor of the orange power battery.

Agent Orange smacks Jordan in the head with his power battery -- a move that puts it in proximity to be stolen away by the Green Lantern!

Jordan is quickly swathed in thoughts of greed as he powers up with the orange light. It's a further glimpse into the hunger the power incurs, which is quickly taken back by it's owner for centuries.

The Guardians and several Green Lanterns arrive to aid Jordan as Larfleeze charges up to 7839% power levels and reimagines himself as a giant energy construct! He single-handedly resists the offensive of the Green Lantern Corps, living up to the claim of the Guardians that the orange light of avarice cannot be extinguished. The untenable situation finally allows Hal Jordan to invest in the power of hope and unlock the offensive capabilities of the blue ring.

With a mighty thrust of the blue ring, hope gives Jordan the power to deliver a knock-out blow to the Larfleeze energy construct. Though it does not destroy Larfleeze himself, it is sufficient an attack to curb his warpath and grant the Guardians the opportunity to enter into negotiations with the exiled beast.

Resetting the game just before Blackest Night is the departure of the Blue ring upon the expulsion of it's power and defeat of Larfleeze. The ring does, however, leave one lasting mark in the form of a now trademark Geoff Johns flashforward!

Infinite Wars stat hounds should note the assist from: John Stewart, El'Qa Squa Zreenah, Barreer Wot, Stel, Venizz, Lok Neboora, Turytt, and Torquemada.

The issue closes with the promise of a clash between Larfleeze and the Blue Lantern Corps (who were sold out by the Guardians), and the first Black Lantern to rise as Green Lanterns, Saarek and Ash, arrive at the Black Lantern central battery (and final resting place of Anti-Monitor) teased at the end of 2007.

We're running months behind schedule, so I'll wrap this up here. I'm interpreting the successful offensive of Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) as a victory blow sufficient enough to constitute the defeat of Larfleeze. [Corpsman assists listed above.]

The Fight: 3.5 The Issue: 5
Winner: Green Lantern

Green Lantern is currently available monthly from DC Comics. Blackest Night is the storyline developing for two years and is both an eight-issue DC Universe mini-series and event effecting multiple series in the DC line-up including GL and Green Lantern Corps! Blackest Night officially begins in July! While you wait, you can find more Green Lantern battles in the Secret Archives, and purchase collected editions via links in individual posts, and in the Online Gift Shoppe. By using purchase links provided, you help sponsor future entries in the site!

QUICK FIX: SCAR vs LYSSA DRAK
Emerald Eclipse: Part Five (DC)
Where: Green Lantern Corps #37 When: August 2009 Why: Peter J. Tomasi How: Patrick Gleason

THE TAPE...
Strength: Scar 7 (Omnipotent)
Intelligence: Scar 7 (Infinite Wisdom)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Scar 7 (Unstoppable)
Agility: Lyssa Drak 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Lyssa Drak 3 (Street Wise)
Energy: Scar 7 (Cosmic)

Math: Scar
Ranking: Scar (#441)

THE FIX...
At this point, we're so far behind on updates, we might as well just enjoy the content for what it is. This was the issue originally selected for what's become a weekly instalment of the Quick Fix, but at the time of updating, I felt I could not overlook Flash: Rebirth #3. The week of June 10 really served up a solid week of comics from both Marvel and DC, but GLC #37 takes pride of place for a moment that can be described as the unofficial beginning of Blackest Night!

I don't want to spend too much time on this, so you can consider it the first time the Quick Fix has actually lived up to the name. Fortunately for us, the moment key to our post took place over a mere three pages -- but what long anticipated and exciting pages they were!

Those new to the website might like clarification -- around here, we do things a little different to other review sites. "Secret Wars on Infinite Earths" not only refers to the two definitive comics crossovers of the mid-eighties, but also the endless battles undertaken by characters from different companies, mediums, and internal universes. It is a literal description of our "fight league" format that both ranks and records combatants and their battles in various comics.

While the prophecized "War of Light" spills over into the prison system of Oa's Sciencell holding facilities; one of the prisoners representing the Yellow Corps of fear slinks away to retrieve their sacred text -- The Book of Parallax.

Lyssa Drak, keeper of the book, uses her ring to tap into the unique energies of the scripts. It leads her deep beneath the planet Oa, into cavernous darkness not lit by the light of the Guardians or their Green Lantern Corps. There she discovers not the Book of Parallax, but rather, a black text brimming with the dark powers of death. This is the Book of the Black Lanterns, written with the oozing black tears spilled from the eyes of a fallen Guardian.
"She" is Scar -- tainted by the burning touch of the Anti-Monitor [Green Lantern #25], which left her both physically disfigured and emotionally unhinged.

As you might have gathered, the "fight" is brief.
Scar ambushes Lyssa Drak and forces her into the book, to a fate that we can only imagine at this point. Perhaps she is merely imprisoned, or perhaps she will rise at a later date, to join the army of Black Lanterns that will spread across the universe. Maybe hers is a fate even more esoteric in it's cosmic nature.

While the Green Lanterns fight to maintain order on Oa, Scar initiates the beginning of the Blackest Night from beneath the planet's surface. Spewing black energy that threatens to destroy the Central Power Battery and Oa itself!

When you consider that the first teaser for Blackest Night ran as an epilogue to Green Lantern #25 [in 2007], you can appreciate how such a seemingly small gesture can take on such huge significance! Scar has been influencing the course of the War of Light and the fate of the Guardians for the better part of twelve months, if not longer, culminating in this first specific act of defiance.

Blackest Night won't technically begin until July with the release of the first issue of the Geoff Johns/Ivan Reis mini-series. The Prelude, however, has been running for quite some time, both in Johns' Green Lantern, and the surpassing companion work of Peter Tomasi in this series, Green Lantern Corps. With Johns so heavily bogged down by the introduction of an entire spectrum of Lantern Corps, it's been an unremarkable surprise to see Tomasi and the secondary book take first place.

Multiple plot-lines have meant this is a book of both great quality, and also quantity, delivered beautifully with pencils from Patrick Gleason and complimentary inks and colours, in this issue, by the split duos of Rebecca Buchman & Tom Nguyen, and Randy Mayor & Gabe Eltaeb.

Mongul's coup within the Sinestro Corps; their invasion of Daxam; the self-sacrificing destruction of Sodam Yat; the secret search for Anti-Monitor's corpse; and other little details have been the complimentary storylines to the building Blackest Night sub-plot. It seems a travesty that we haven't been able to focus on more of it, but in those occasions where it might have been preferable, it has sometimes just been too vast in scope to be represented by our format.

I don't doubt that Blackest Night-proper will take a major role in our reviews as we move through the middle of the year. We already know Black Lantern versions of Martian Manhunter and Earth-2 Superman are set to send a shockwave through the DCU, but this is almost certainly only the tip of the iceberg. This is an event I'm actually concerned about, particularly with the DCU taking so many unlikely turns in recent years. I hope this is not to be the end of our generation of this universe, comparable to the Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series that allowed DC Comics to rearrange it's properties and effectively start over.

Our Infinite Wars: Blackest Night speculation post has undergone some updates, but as noted on the page, I think we've quickly realised that Blackest Night is to have an effect far grander than initially thought. This isn't a mere confrontation between forces, ala; Sinestro Corps War, but rather, a catastrophic cosmic event!

The Fight: 3 The Issue: 5.5
Winner: Scar

Green Lantern Corps is currently available monthly from DC comics, but you can pre-order the collected edition of "Emerald Eclipse" -- including all the action describe in this review -- via Amazon.com! By using purchase links provided on the site, you help sponsor future entries of the Infinite Wars. You can find more items in our Gift Shoppe, where collections of almost all issues reviewed in the Secret Archives are available. You'll find stories like Green Lantern: Rebirth and Sinestro Corps War!

MONGUL versus ARKILLO
Emerald Eclipse: Part Two (DC)
Where: Green Lantern Corps #34 When: May 2009
Why: Peter J Tomasi How: Patrick Gleason

The Story So Far...
With the resurrection of the fallen Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, a new era began for the intergalactic Corps. Absolved of his crimes by the reveal of a fear mongering entity called Parallax, Jordan resumed his role as champion of willpower, once again wielding the green ring.

Alongside the Corps' return came the arrival of Sinestro from obscurity. As vengeful as ever, the fallen Lantern once again sought to bedevil his nemesis with the yellow ring he obtained during his exile in the anti-matter universe of Qward. However, his latest defeat would lead Sinestro to recruit others to his cause, resulting in the creation of a yellow fear-wielding Corps that was the Green's opposite -- the Sinestro Corps!

Programmed to seek fitting candidates who inspire fear in each sector, the yellow rings spread across the galaxy just as the green had. The character of those who would deserve position amongst the Sinestro Corps is very different, however. The vile and sinister congregate to Sinestro's cause, but the one called Mongul seeks only personal gain from the ring and it's limitless power. With a Qwardian ring obtained from a dying Sinestro Corpsman, he marches against the Sinestro Corps, demanding all follow him, or surrender their lives and rings. One patron refuses his rule, however, and so it is that on the planet Daxam, Arkillo fights!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Mongul 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Mongul 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Mongul 6 (Martial Artist)
Energy Power: Draw 7 (Cosmic)


- The son of a being from the planet Arkymandryte, Mongul is the inheritor of his father's name and legacy upon his death. Despite his father's death coming about as a result of his Earthbound machinations; Mongul's first appearance on the planet comes about during the incursion of a powerful entropic being called Imperiex. In an effort to strike back at the creature that destroyed his artificial kingdom of Warworld, Mongul trains and teams with his father's arch-nemesis, Superman.

After appearing to perish in the Our Worlds at War saga, Mongul returned to Sector 2814 to menace the Justice League in the debris of their satellite watchtower, this time as an enemy.
After killing his sister to eradicate all weakness in himself, Mongul came in to possession of a yellow Qwardian power ring after finishing an agent of the Sinestro Corps.
Wielding a ring of Sector 2811, Mongul begins a quest to collect multiple rings as his own, forcing any Corpsman he encounters to serve him, or die. The limitless powers of the fear rings compliment his own impressive invulnerability, strength, ability to channel concussive force, and mobility via teleportation.

- From the jungles of the planet Coristeel, Arkillo is the Sinestro Corpsman of Sector 674. The carnivorous powerhouse that once ruled the jungle was among Sinestro's first recruits into his Yellow Lantern Corps of fear.
Serving as a drill instructor to potential members of the Corps, Arkillo is among the most senior members under the group's founder. He wields his yellow ring and innate super strength to crush the spirits of those who refuse to know fear.

Math: Draw Ranking: Mongul (#547)

What Went Down...
On the planet Daxam; Mongul powers through the streets sending much smaller citizens scattering to their deaths as he pursues his foe, Arkillo, reeling from the force of his blow. Structures collapse beneath the powerhouse as he toppls, but even as Mongul delivers a devestating right hand to his falling opponent, Arkillo is plotting his next move!

Having reached out to a nearby flagpole during his fall, Arkillo clutches the broken off metal shaft. In his hands, it becomes a deadly weapon as he drives the pointed edge through Mongul's gut!

Though the wound might have finished any mere mortal, Mongul persist to shunt his attacker with an elbow to the head. The protruding impalement repeats it's purpose, allowing Mongul to stake himself to Arkillo like a giant Sinestro Corps shaslick! Joined at the hip, the pair tumble from their pedistal above Daxam!

Arkillo gnashes his jaws over his foe's head during the fall, while Mongul does his best to battle back and mount a defensive. The pole slips from their bodies as they careen amongst debris, before reaching a stop at the base of a mountain.

With a small army of Sinestro Corps onlookers gathering at the base, Arkillo rises above his nemesis. With the Sinestro Corps symbol of fear glowing from his ring, it seems the trainer from Sector 674 is victorious. Mongul rises, however, to disprove this assessment, taking a toppled Arkillo by the maw to rip the tongue from his large fanged mouth!

Bleeding profusely, Arkillo inadvertently kneels before Mongul, who clutches his bloodied tongue in one hand and asks for any other challengers to step forward.
By Arkillo's own terms he kneels before the monster he must recognise as the new leader of the Sinestro Corps, but somewhere across the gulf of space, the Corps' titular leader approaches to confront Mongul.

The Hammer...
With bloody results, we too must recognise Mongul, registering an impressive victory over an intriguing new induction into the Infinite Wars, in Arkillo.

Y'know, you might as well acknowledge Green Lantern Corps as an exciting new prospect introduced to the site, as well. The series, running alongside Geoff Johns' headlining work on Green Lantern, has proven itself to be far more than a simple tie-in to plot threads developing in the main book.

That's not to discount the relationship between GLC and events in the flagship book, of course.
In fact, in coming weeks, we're about to witness Geoff Johns tagging his popular antagonist, Sinestro, over to Peter Tomasi, in the interest of tackling the rising plot of leadership in the Sinestro Corps.

It's been storylines like these that have not only proven the value of a second Lantern title, but also gone lengths to greatly enhance the aspect ratio of an epic tale with a July deadline.

Geoff Johns' expansive model for a 'War of Light' arguably began with the first appearance of the Sinestro Corps, and subsequent event of the Sinestro Corps War. Since then, unveiling a procession of colourful Lanterns has been the writer's chief objective, lacing the prophecy created by Alan Moore, into retroactive, and
current, continuities that surround the sci-fi space-heroics of the Green Lantern.

With only a year-and-a-half to establish a universe of content before the forecast deadline of Blackest Night, most Johns pages have been focused primarily on checking off details, characters, and skinny moments of characterization. If there's a criticism of his exciting work, it's that so much of it has come abruptly.
GL Corps lightens the load, taking time to develop necessary plot threads, while also just lending a much larger context to the existence of creations and ideas that will be relevant to both the War of Light, and Blackest Night.

As an alternative, I'm almost inclined to say Green Lantern Corps is actually the better book. Without the preoccupation of a large goal, the series has been able to play with these concepts benefitting from work done elsewhere. This particular issue doesn't just feature Mongul, Arkillo, and the Sinestro Corps predicament, but also touches beautifully on Sodam Yat, Kyle Rayner, Soranik Natu, Kilowog, Guy Gardner, the new GL laws, and the GL prison. It's a beautifully balanced piece of writing that makes great economic use of writer/reader shorthand, and the expansive mythology we're all coming to understand. It has so much more personality for this, too, in ways that Geoff Johns' important work just hasn't seemed to allow for.

If we're going to pit the two books against one and other, I have to say the visuals of Green Lantern Corps are far more delicious than anything we've seen in the title book in quite some time. Ivan Reis is wonderfully efficient, but Patrick Gleason delivers a confident line with enough style to make it distinct, even though this is very much a mainstream superhero book. Rebecca Buchman (and Christian Alamy) deserve heaps of praise for their solid blacks on inks, while Randy Mayor provides colours incredibly complimentary to the work. In it's deviations to quieter moments (like a bathroom scene between Rayner and Natu), you could almost mistake this for an independent romance comic.

Reading both GL books in the lead up to Blackest Night is probably ideal.
Free Comic Book Day draws ever nearer and I don't doubt that every reader is going to want to get their hands on thirty-two pages of free, original comic book that sews the seeds for the mega event that's coming! While the event probably won't require you to have read everything before it, the image will be that much more vivid, and really, what are you reading right now that's better?

As a companion, I'm sure GL Corps is a deliciously minty refreshment.
Not only will it cleanse your palate after gorging on the construction materials of the Johns book, but it also promises it's own significant details. Just as it seems increasingly likely that Hal Jordan will find a way to channel the powers of all the spectrum as a super-duper White Lantern, so too does there seem to be a dark variant growing in Mongul. Though he currently possesses only multiple yellow rings, there is the promise of green and red, yet to come!

Will he be part of the ultimate solution to the War of Light/Blackest Night, or is he the evil Yin to Hal Jordan's triumphant Yang? It furthers the same metaphorical literal devices that are making each Corps instantly intriguing regardless of depth of characterization that accompanies their membership.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 5.5
Winner: Mongul

This chapter of the Prelude to Blackest Night, Emerald Eclipse, is still underway, but if you're keen to get in on the War of Light, then you can preorder the hardcore edition through Amazon. You'll also find other great stories on offer in the Infinite Wars Amazonian Gift Shoppe, featuring collected editions of many issues reviewed in the Secret Archives, including those detailing the Sinestro Corps War! By using purchase links provided, you sponsor future entries, and Green light!

INFINITE WARS: ... IN BLACKEST NIGHT!
The Green Lanterns' might will truly be tested
when the rise of a new Corps fullfils an ancient
prophecy that will threaten everything they
represent! For in the Blackest Night the dead
will rise with the power of the Black Lantern!

Since 2004's Green Lantern: Rebirth; Geoff Johns vision of redemption and revival for Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern brand has been a veritable epic!

In absolving Hal Jordan of crimes commited in the mid-nineties, Johns offered the artful introduction of Parallax, not as an alias, but rather an all corrupting entity of fear, and in doing so, rewrites definition into the Green Lantern history!

The Rage of the Red Lanterns Final Crisis special introduces not just the crimson end of the spectrum, but also the first of the loving Blue Lanterns founded by Ganthet and Sayd, to which Jordan himself may be a recruit!

This multi-coloured mayhem is all supposedly leading to a prophecy delivered by Alan Moore, predicting a crescendo of doom that comes in the Blackest Night!
The dead will rise, and given the carnage of the past few years, there are plenty of corpses waiting in the wings for black powerrings. The Anti-Monitor could technically be described as the first to be claimed, rising as the powersource for the Black Lantern Corps after being hurled through space by Superboy-Prime.

There's a long list of deadheads that might rise in the coming months, but here we offer but a selection of the recently deceased, who may yet rise. This is speculation at it's purest and most uninformed, but despite Johns' worming of the new history through a new Hal Jordan/Sinestro origin, I'm not especially sure there are many clues to go on. Rest in peace with our selections!

NOTE: This entry has had additional material added at later dates. These extra instalments contain spoilers and specific references to Blackest Night material. Navigate beyoned the initial predictions at your own peril!

Black Hand (William Hand)
Year One: [1964] Final Year: [NA] Odds: [99.9%]
Win Percentage: [0%] Cumulative Rank: [#481]

The Oath:
Okay, we're pitching softballs to start things off.
Anyone who read DC Universe 0 knows the villainous Black Hand was scene spewing black bile beneath the dark moon of the Black Lantern base planet. His symbol, perhaps not coincidentally, bares uncanny resemblance to that of the Black Lanterns (hardly news), and he was seen right back at the beginning of Rebirth trying to obtain the powerring of then deceased, Hal Jordan.

Promotions have inferred that the Black Lantern Corps will be made up of the dead, but I suppose nothing really says that's an exclusive requisite for the group. As far as I know Black Hand is still very much alive, despite his little vomitting episode. Then again, if Johns is applying his trademarks guiles to the convention of the zombie story, then what's to say the Black Lanterns can't kill to recruit. It is, after all, the mathematical power of the zombie.

Sinestro
Year One: [1961] Final Year: [NA] Odds: [45%]
Win Percentage: [50%] Cumulative Rank: [#202]

The Oath:
Do I really think Sinestro is primadonna enough to abandon the band for another group? Not really, but that's not to say he doesn't have a lot to answer for, and a case as a Black Lantern in waiting.

It was Sinestro who galvanized the Yellow Corps and set about events that led to the Anti-Monitor's ultimate demise. It was also the actions of Sinestro that provoked lethal force from the Green Lantern Corps, perhaps fulfiling the final requirements of the Blackest Night prophecy. Afterall, if the Black Lanterns recruit the dead, then killing their enemies will surely only work against the GLC.

Having proficiently wielded both a green and yellow powerring, Sinestro has unique qualifications. His death sentence appears to hold great significance in the Red Lanterns special, which culminates with the protective aid of a heroic Blue Lantern. If what we've seen is anything to go by, there's a good chance the dead have no choice when the Black Lantern ring calls.

As the most wanted man in the galaxy right now, Sinestro might find staying alive difficult, but given his powers it may just be the most important mission Hal Jordan can have as the Blackest Night looms. It may simply be all part of his plan, but if not, Sinestro may prove a powerful adversary, alive; or an even deadlier nemesis, dead.

Amon Sur
Year One: [1964] Final Year: [2008] Odds: [75%]
Win Percentage: [NA] Cumulative Rank: [NA]

The Oath:
There'd be a delicious poetry if Abin Sur were to be among the first to rise to terrorize the galaxy as a Black Lantern. Having died swearing Hal Jordan into the fold, he's a crucial legend in the comic book history of the Green Lanterns. We don't know how decayed Black Lantern recruits need to be, but if the long dead are an option, then he's surely in the ballpark.

For more recently deceased poignant drafts there's always the disgruntled prodigal son: Amon Sur.

Amon returned recently to violently reclaim the legacy of his father from a resurrected Hal Jordan, and was a logical recruit for the Sinestro Corps. He was among the first to die upon the initiation of lethal force throughout the GLC, dying for his crimes as a Sinestro Corpsman, thus adding flourish to the BLC's prophetic construction as self-designed doom for the Green Lanterns.

For all we know it is only those who have died by the ring who will return.
Either way, it would be a suitably poetic resurrection for a Corps that will probably only have so many slots available for such relevant and familiar characters. Unless of course, Earth's revolving door death policy makes us especially suited to recruitment...

Dr. Light (Arthur Light)
Year One: [1962] Final Year: [2008] Odds: [70%]
Win Percentage: [50%] Cumulative Rank: [#70]

The Oath:
Unrepentent for his brutal attacks on the Justice League and their families; it was a long overdue penance that took the life of Dr. Arthur Light recently in Final Crisis: Revelations. The Spectre's ironic vengeance turned Light into a candle in the wind, whose flame burned quickly.

It's difficult not to think it terms of trying to anticipate characters Johns might have some connection to. While he wasn't responsible for the grim revamp in 2004's Identity Crisis, he did carry the flame through several series, including conceptual hotspot and a story referenced throughout this entry, Infinite Crisis.

Light has shown before that his powers have an aptitude for bending even the will of a Green Lantern. The light consructs emitted by powerrings have been suspceptible to the Doctor's powers, but does this give him any special edge as an undead Black Lantern? For the time being we don't really even know if the resurrected will retain the powers they held in life, or if any consciousness will remain. It has been discussed that the Black Lanterns will at least be devoid of emotion -- something Dr. Light can probably relate to, given his henious past.

Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onnz)
Year One: [1955] Final Year: [2008] Odds: [60%]
Win Percentage: [50%] Cumulative Rank: [#40]

The Oath:
The writers controlling the DCU have themselves in a unique position, and against all odds, it's actually quite thrilling. There are still two schools of thought that suppose the resurrection of beloved characters, and even though it technically continues to undermine the value of death in superhero fiction, these events seem pointed and unique enough to justify the situation.

It feels as though Martian Manhunter has been on the chopping block for the best part of a decade, but it wasn't until Libra united even the small time crooks that J'onn J'onnz met his firey demise.

One would expect some degree of intergalactic diversity in the Black Lanterns, and as one of the few suriviving Martians, J'onn J'onnz is as good a choice as any other. I wonder, however, if such a prominent and popular figure might not still be groomed for the rumored new generation of New Gods!

Jade (Jennifer-Lynn Hayden)
Year One: [1983] Final Year: [2006] Odds: [55%]
Win Percentage: [NA] Cumulative Rank: [NA]

The Oath:
Particularly after the Sinestro Corps War; there's a fairly long list of deceased Lanterns. Few green ghouls could have as much impact upon resurrection, however, as Kyle Rayner's ex-girlfriend and the daughter of Alan Scott!

Having died protecting the multi-verse from Alexander Luthor Jr's machinations of designer realities, Jade's starheart power was eventually absorbed into Kyle Rayner, who again transformed into the super-Lantern called Ion.
There's a question as to whether the dissipation of her physical form might disqualify her from the Black Lantern Corps. Afterall, reconsistuting a body might be a dramatic scene, but it lacks the flair of a triumphant fist bursting forth from beneath six feet of Earth!

Presumably this factor plays a part in Jade's absence from the Green Lantern Crypt watched over by Morro. Some eighty-seven corpses populate the crypt, all of which I'm sure are viable candidates for the Black Lanterns.

Captain Atom (Nathaniel Adam)
Year One: [1986] Final Year: [2008] Odds: [50%]
Win Percentage: [100%] Cumulative Rank: [#147]

The Oath:
Fifteen years after spoiled plot points changed the fate of a DC villain, Captain Atom survived travel through time and space [in Captain Atom: Armageddon] only to have his body breached, and to fulfil his destiny to become the menace called Monarch!

Atom tussled with Green Lanterns of different universes when he brought them together; along with heroes from across the multiverse; in his arena of gladiatorial combat. His paranoid desires to form an army to defeat the all-seeing Monitors proved semi-successful when an enraged Superboy-Prime exposed his internal quantum energies, inadvertently destroying Earth-51.

These events managed to intersect with Green Lantern plot lines in several different ways, but whether or not this provides any additional weight to Atom's return as a Black Lantern remains to be seen.

Dr. Polaris (Neal Emerson)
Year One: [1962] Final Year: [2006] Odds: [45%]
Win Percentage: [100%] Cumulative Rank: [#144]

The Oath:
There's something suitable about keeping Blackest Night in the family, and as a longtime foe of the Green Lantern, Dr. Polaris seems to fit that bill.

Another casualty of Infinite Crisis; Polaris held brief tenure with Alexander Luthor Jr's Society of Supervillains, before being destroyed by the Human Bomb in the slaughter of the Freedom Fighters.

The debut of a new Dr. Polaris, John Nicol, might have a potentially negative affect on the return of the original. We have seen, however, with the Sinestro Corps, that overlapping brands isn't necessary a deterrent to Geoff Johns, who numbers among the most respectful modern writers of classic ideals.

Major Force (Clifford Zmeck)
Year One: [1988] Final Year: [2006] Odds: [35%]
Win Percentage: [NA] Cumulative Rank: [NA]

The Oath:
Essentially a sinister mirror of Captain Atom there really isn't going to be a lot of use for both on the Black Lantern team, assuming the undead selection process is at all descriminatory.

Despite starting life as a go-too-far military goon opposite the free-thinking Captain Atom; Major Force left an indelible imprint on the history of Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, and the status of women in comics, when he infamously crammed Rayner's girlfriend into a refridgerator.

Force fumbled his way through obscurity after the controversy, eventually meeting his fate at the hands of his original foe, but not before sponsoring his transformation into Monarch! Presumed dead, Major Force might be another nice inclusion that's familiar to the Green Lantern mythos, and will have special undead chemistry with Kyle Rayner. Afterall, aren't all good zombie tales really about reflecting the darkness within humanity's heart?

Superman (Kal-L)
Year One: [1969] Final Year: [2006] Odds: [30%]
Win Percentage: [100%] Cumulative Rank: [#158]

The Oath:
When anticipating the line-up for the Sinestro Corps, I never imagined characters like Cyborg Superman and Superboy-Prime would cross over brands, let alone number on the same team. Consider it a pre-emptive strike, more than any real likelihood, that has Earth-2 Superman on our speculative list.

The Kingdom Come Superman currently appearing in Justice Society of America arguably filled the niche left behind by Earth-2 Supes' demise in Infinite Crisis, but since he's still alive, sucks to him!

As a Superman from a pre-Crisis alternate universe he's a very unique character of properties that could have any number of implications for those who could tap into them. What secrets lie within the body of a survivor of a dead reality?
Sounds more like an Anti-Monitor-esque premise for a new central power battery, but a resurrection clears that up pretty quick. It seems the "real" Superman has been battling versions of himself quite a lot lately, but it's been a while since we've had any of the undead variety!

The Earth-2 Superman almost seems like the perfect opportunity to ascend one of the most iconic heroes in comics to New Godhood, whilst still having the cake of our own universe's Superman. If a resurrection were to occur, somehow that seems more appropriate, even if the character's association with Jack Kirby is much less prominent than I want to imagine.

Phantom Lady (Dee Tyler)
Year One: [1989] Final Year: [2006] Odds: [25%]
Win Percentage: [0%] Cumulative Rank: [#444]

The Oath:
Another casualty of Infinite Crisis; Phantom Lady perished on the sword of Deathstroke in the same battle that claimed Dr. Polaris.

I'm not sure there's really an especially good argument here, but there's a sore need for female representation in this zombified Corps. With a history of light-based illusions one would imagine there's some sort of precedent, but if nothing else, it might mark a rare opportunity for Phantom Lady to pick-up an outfit suitable for the Winter months, and cold of space.

Flash (Bart Allen)
Year One: [1994] Final Year: [2008] Odds: [20%]
Win Percentage: [NA] Cumulative Rank: [NA]

The Oath:
Honestly, things turn a little flavourless from here.
As far as we know the Blackest Night won't be stretching across the DCU, and will not be affecting the Justice League. Bart Allen's death at the hands of the Rogues is more likely to bare weight in another Geoff Johns project - the official welcome back for Barry Allen - Flash: Rebirth.

It stands to reason if the theorised ascension of heroes to New Godhood were to take place, a Flash would be among them. This seemed like the most plausible means of return for Barry Allen, who famously died saving the multiverse from the Anti-Monitor in Crisis on Infinite Earths. It seems, however, that he was able to outrun death, arriving back in the present in the pages of Final Crisis.

Despite a fasttrack to maturity that marked but one of the bungles in Bart Allen's short lived Flash series, I still think of the character as too impetuous for any kind of representation in a superhero pantheon. What that means, I do not know, but it would be fun to have a super-fast Black Lantern.

Actually, we can probably mention a host of dead heroes who might have made the list. Blue Beetle, The Question, Aquaman, Sandman, Maxima, Black Mask, KGBeast, and a long list of others all sound nice enough, but are undermined by more popular successors, or a complete removal from the logic of Blackest Night. It isn't really Halloween themed enough for this month, but perhaps a New God speculation post is in our future.

Jonah Hex
Year One: [1972] Final Year: ["1904"] Odds: [5%]
Win Percentage: [NA] Cumulative Rank: [NA]

The Oath:
Technically he died decades before his first appearance in comics, but wouldn't it be fun to have an undead confederate gunslinger floating around space in a black leotard? C'mon!

EDIT JANUARY 5, 2009:
Batman
Year One: [1939] Final Year: [2008?] Odds: [30%]
Win Percentage: [71.05%] Cumulative Rank: [#1]

The Oath:
Y'know, at the time of writing this article I really toyed with forecasting the results of Batman RIP, but felt, by now, we would've had a more certain answer. An answer I expected to involve some other sort of shortcut out of actually seeing the last of Bruce Wayne.
We still don't actually know that he's dead, and honestly, I have my doubts. The biggest question for me remains whether or not Batman, or anyone else, is a part of those rumored plans to ascend various heroes to the status of New God (a void left by the New Gods who now inhabit human form in Final Crisis).

I imagine I was not the only person who noticed the fist on the right [in the Blackest Night teaser at the top of the post] looks suspiciously similar to the iconic Dark Knight Returns image. Was this a very early clue regarding Batman's mortality? A broader hint toward a Batman? Or just a coincidence?

As of the beginning of 2009 we have no clues, but having stewed on his status on this list for the past few months, I figured it was worth taking the plunge.

I don't doubt many other names will arise for candidacy on the list, but in the mean time, we observe the events surrounding the various Blackest Night prologues before the event kicks off in the American summer!

EDIT JANUARY 24, 2009:
Solomon Grundy
Year One: [1944] Final Year: ["1895"] Odds: [50%]
Win Percentage: [0%] Cumulative Rank: [#684]

The Oath:
If we're throwing out all our outsider picks, why not add Solomon?
The recent Faces of Evil one-shot ends with Phantom Stranger (accompanied by Grundy's original arch-nemesis, Alan Scott) all but confirming as much, "There is an unholy night approaching. As black as the undead's blood. And it's best if Solomon Grundy was not around for it."

The Stranger and Lantern have arrived to help Grundy cure himself of his perpetual reincarnations, so it stands to reason he might actually be specifically removed from the equation, (a nod to logic comparable to Batman and Scarecrow's brief candidacy for Sinestro Corps fear rings during the War).

The significance of Solomon Grundy? His never ending afterlife, one would assume. If the Black Lanterns are something comparable to a force of living-dead, then mastery over a creature whose afterlife is never ending could be a potentially powerful weapon for the Black Lanterns. Not to mention any more abstract powers that might be extracted from the lumbering deadite.

Scenarios like this probably hold a lot of ground during the Blackest Night.
We can assume many of the noted dead Green Lanterns (and other) will be prime candidates for resurrection with the Black Lanterns. Like any classic zombie scenario, they also have the benefit of assimilating any hero who might be defeated from the opposing side(s). This doubles back to the theory of Sinestro potentially finding himself in their number in a situation of significance (assuming the lives lived before death have baring on their ability as a Black Lantern).

EDIT JUNE 17, 2009:
DC solicitations and cover previews have been confirming for the past few months many of the suspected Black Lanterns. Now, in the lead-up to Green Lantern #43, the DC Source blog has revealed a double-page spread detailing an all-star line up of potential resurrectees.

The name checked are; Tula, Al Pratt, Sue Dibny, Ronnie Raymond (Firestorm), Digger Harkness (Captain Boomerang), Ted Kord (Blue Beetle), Maxwell Lord, Ryan Kendall, Dee Tyler, Roy Lincoln, Roger Hayden, Vic Sage (The Question), Ralph Dibny, Jean Loring, Arthur Light, J'onn J'onnz, Boston Brand, Tara Markov (Terra), Wesley Dodds, Jenny-Lynn Hayden (Jade), Arthur Curry, Jonathan "Pa" Kent, and Bruce Wayne.

The long list confirms suspicions that victims of Identity Crisis and Infinite Crisis will feature, along with other recently deceased heroes. Perhaps the most telling thing about this scene is the sheer volume of Black Lanterns being served up.

I recall reading a quote from Geoff Johns (writer) who referred to a fundamental misunderstanding of what Blackest Night would actually be. It struck me, quite immediately, that the speculative cherry picking indulged by fans (myself included) might be overlooking the bredth of this phenomenon. It seems reasonable to expect that the Black Lanterns might be much more than the conventional Corps army many of us have assumed they would be. It seems entirely plausible that the Black Lanterns will be a veritable force of nature, perhaps prevelant across the universe to include the resurrection of all dead.

Feature characters will probably come from many of our picks, but on the whole, the heroes of the DC Universe might very well be fighting every skeleton in their secret costume closets.

One thing is certain -- we'll be finding out very soon exactly what the situation is! Last week's Green Lantern Corps #37 effectively brought about the beginning of Blackest Night proper, ending the Prelude issue with the corrupted Guardian, Scar, summoning the oozing darkness from the caverns within Oa. Blackest Night officially begins with Green Lantern #43, which includes the double-page promo, and is available July 8.

EDIT JULY 25, 2009:
Blackest Night is officially well under way!
Confirming every Black Lantern we predicated (and didn't) is just too big a task, but it might be nice to talk a little about a few theories. In the first issue of the core mini-series we've seen Elongated Man and Sue Dibny induct Hawkman and Hawkgirl into the Black Corps with a healthy dose of spiked-mace-to-the-head. The Black Lanterns have also claimed an army of deceased Green Lanterns, and a whole bunch of other dead folk, including the well telegraphed J'onn J'onnz, who did the tango with Hal Jordan and Barry Allen, this week in GL #44.

Those are spoilers -- how about some more feeble attempts at prediction?

Way back in GL #25 we saw Anti-Monitor get a thrashing from the Green Lantern Corps (and Superboy-Prime), leading to our first big teaser of the Blackest Night event when the giant corpse landed to form the Black Lantern battery (in Sector 666). In Blackest Night #1, the fallen Guardian, Scar, revealed that the Anti-Monitor's attack on her gave her a taste of death, which started this Black Lantern Corps ball rolling. She also revealed intentions to resurrect Anti-Monitor.

When Hawkman and Hawkgirl receive their Black rings, the GL-style battery reading shows power increasing by .1%. Readings in GL #44 show the Black Lantern rings charging much higher levels, presumably related to the initiation of yet more characters into their undead army. It stands to reason that as more of the living are claimed, the power will bring Anti-Monitor closer to resurrection.

Details in the Blackest Night prophecy suggest something quite catastrophic, and back when we were entrenched in the doomsday of Final Crisis, those prophetic warnings created a sense of unease all too familiar. Hal Jordan's been racking up experience with the different emotional spectrums, with many pegging him as the likely hero to rally the forces of light against darkness. Fingers crossed he does, whether that involves becoming a hybrid White Lantern, or otherwise, because the alternate might very well be a universe-destroying crisis of infinite earths.

Other details you might like to know -- Black Hand was officially inducted into a position comparable to Ion (Green Lanterns) or Parallax (Sinestro Corps), as the spiritual embodiment of the Black Lantern power. You won't want to miss out on his story in GL #43, which might still be on shelves, or in second print, if you regrettably missed out. In the issue, he also dug up Bruce Wayne's skull, which he's been quite attached to, bringing it with him to visit Hawkman and Hawkgirl.

It's quite possible Batman's predicament post-Final Crisis has somehow made him an anamolous source of power for the Black Lanterns. In Final Crisis #6, Batman was struck down by Darkseid's Omega Sanction, which is described as the death that is life. We last saw him scrawling on a cave at the dawn of time (or on another Earth) at the end of Final Crisis, but despite his presence there, we also have a body. A body that might be a funky cosmic conduit.

So, there you have it. Another round of funky predictions and theories, for you.
You can stay abrest of Blackest Night with various resources, such as those provided by DCcomics.com, IGN, and maybe even here, if time permits.

Review updates have been severely delayed by technical difficulties and general distractions, but you will no doubt eventually find some of the Blackest Night battles and details here on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths. My stack already has issues of Green Lantern and Blackest Night in it, ready and waiting. Cheers!

EDIT DECEMBER 10, 2009:
I really haven't wanted to make any attempt to blog about the unfolding events of Blackest Night, but there are a few nagging thoughts that warranted a return.

Right now the Infinite Wars blog updates are on the verge of touching upon Blackest Night #1 [July 17], but I have been reading along week-to-week with the core mini, as well as key issues of Green Lantern and other series.

A lot of the bigger questions I've raised have yet to be put to rest. I find myself dwelling on the bigger conspiracy theory of Blackest Night, rather than the minutia of high concept zombie lanterns. The short-lived arrival of a Black Lantern Bruce Wayne -- emerging from the skull possessed by Black Hand -- leads me to wonder further how his fate in Final Crisis might tie-in to Blackest Night.

Today we learnt 2010 will see Grant Morrison dive into Bruce Wayne's Darkseid Omega Sanction sponsored displacement, presumably confirming he has fallen through time (ala; Sonny Sumo), rather than into one of the 52 Earths. We knew quite immediately that Batman wasn't quite dead, but there is the question of his his 'fate worse than death' relates to the discovery of a body by Superman in the key moments of Final Crisis #6. Relate that to the significance of the skull of that body, and I can't help but wonder what sort of death-related powers might be being drawn from the skull. As a corpse unrepresentative of a spirit, could it be that the Bruce Wayne skull connects to some sort of death-life loophole that allows Nekron, Black Hand, and the Black Lanterns to draw upon an infinite cycle of energy? Or is this the legacy of the New Gods, who were seemingly shunted into Earth-51, reallocated as a Kirby-Earth. Perhaps the "death" of Darkseid at Batman's hand (in Final Crisis #6) opened up the well of power related to the New Gods and Darkseid.

The other big question unanswered is what the Blackest Night will mean to the DC Universe. Right from the beginning I've been concerned about the prophecy as an end to the universe as we know it. In the months that have followed, I've had nothing to put my fears to rest, with perhaps the noted exception of a total lack of discussion about the matter in the community (from what little I've seen).

The personal squabbles of heroes battling deceased friends and enemies seems to have distracted from the fact that Blackest Night is a threat to the entire DC Universe, and by extention, the multiverse. If you take Alexander Luthor Jr's journey to battle Superboy-Prime in Adventure Comics as an indication of the possibilities, then it's quite literally a threat to multiple Earths. Keep in mind that the event also began with the Black Lantern Central Battery rising from the apparent corpse of the Anti-Monitor (who was seemingly killed by Superboy-Prime at the conclusion of the Sinestro Corps War).

What I'm saying, is, that this could be an event on the scale of Crisis of Infinite Earths. An event that is about trying to destroy all life in the universe with the intention, presumably, of starting over. Something that's been teased by Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis, but honestly, never struck me as a goal of those tales.

Really, I think I'm just indulging in the implied possibilities of Blackest Night, but I couldn't with 100% certainty bank on the survival of the DCU as we know it. At present; many future issues of DC comics currently carry blacked-out confidential covers, denying us specific clues as to the future of the DCU.

DC have also just announced a brand new version of the Batman and Superman mythos in Original Graphic Novel format. Effectively their belated answer to Marvel's Ultimate line; the two books promise to start a serialized version that reinvents the wheel of the classic heroes, without any of the baggage of decades of history and continuity. It's a "new reader" initiative, but with the branding Earth-One, might also be an indication of a new shuffle to the DC multiverse.

Food for thought as we end the year, and enter the second half of the event.

It really should also be noted that Geoff Johns has mentioned that Blackest Night will address the short-lived revolving door of death that's seen many of the top heroes and villains resurrected throughout the past twenty years. The arrival of Nekron apparently very subtly confirmed that intention with a very blunt piece of explanation from the villain in issue #5: "I put myself between you and everlasting death. I allowed your numerous resurrections. You will help me expose the Guardians' greatest secret and return this universe to a plce of quiet, dark order."

EDIT DECEMBER 12, 2009:
One of the really fun things about the various Corps sprung from the 'emotional spectrum' is the textured way their abilities reflect that emotion in some way.

Combine the mindless ferocity of Red Rage with the determination of Green Will, and you get a rare Red Lantern capable of using his vomit-power to create constructs. It's a simple concept that refers to the way rage can be used to constructive ends with a level mindset (or will).

Green Lantern #48 showed us more interesting ways the emotional spectrum can influence different powers, like Blue Hope curbing the undying hunger of Orange Avarice -- hope for better curtails greed. The ferocity of Red Rage was further emphasised when it broke through the chains of Yellow Fear, once again batted Green Will aside, and even managed to deny the promise of Hope. Saint Walker's common origins of loss nearly calmed Atrocitus, but it was the Violet light of Love that appeared the most intuitive, recognising those motivations first.

There's a whole lot of really fun ways to look at how emotions can influence a person's state of mind, right down to the quantities of the mix. That slight difference in the origins of the Blue and Red Lantern speaks to the subtle variance -- Saint Walker felt hope when his family was killed by the naturally manifesting threats of his home world [told in BN: Tales of the Corps #1], while Atrocitus felt rage toward those he held responsible for the murder of his.

I've found myself, on occasion, forced to rationalize through the thought that a feeling like sadness should be an emotion (as opposed to "will," which isn't).
It's interesting to consider that behind every misery there is an underlying drive of fear, rage, or love. I know after the recent loss of my dearest old friend of twenty years, my sadness was certainly motivated by love.

It's not all metatextual fun and games, however.
Blackest Night calls for a few superhero thought processes, and that brings me to Adventure Comics #5 and the plight of Superboy-Prime.

Faced with a small army of Black Lantern versions of the people he killed during his tour of the DC multiverse; Prime falls back on the old addage of, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. We saw the same fate befall the many heroes who had seemingly returned from the dead, in the pages of Blackest Night #5. If you assume that the logic between the two comics is to remain consistent, we might actually know how things turn around.

Possessing a Black Lantern ring, Superboy-Prime finds himself transforming into each of the various Lanterns with the passing of his emotions. He settles on Red Rage and sets about destroying the Black Lanterns with vomit-power, as already seen in the pages of Green Lantern. So, apparently, the power of Black Death is capable of tapping in to the powers of the emotional spectrum, potentially transforming any 'live' wearer of the Black ring into one of the other Corps.

Assuming heroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Superboy are capable of channeling an emotion to such specific ends, this might be how they overcome their predicament as Black Lanterns in the next issue of Blackest Night. It might also suggest that this is how a hero can create the White light of Life, which was not achieved by the combined powers of each Corps in Blackest Night #5.

If Black rings are tapping in to the fundamental origins of the universe, then it's probably reasonable to assume that it would require the same type of connection to create life. Or perhaps the logic to be considered is still that it requires an individual capable of feeling each emotion to extensive lengths, bringing us back to the thought that Hal Jordan -- who possessed multiple rings in the lead-up to Blackest Night -- might become a White Lantern as a result of his emotional underpinnings. Could Superboy-Prime be destined to join the fight as a White power, like Dove who has already exhibited this ability (leaving Black Lanterns to crumble in her presence).

To end on a little healthy paranoia; here's hoping Prime doesn't harness that White power to inadvertently achieve the ends he started with -- giving birth to a new, "better" DC universe. Adventure Comics did promise him a happy ending...