Black Lantern Corps

The Dark Lantern Corpse is a group of fictional characters, a villainous analogue to the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe along similar but darker lines as the Sinestro Corps. Also known as the Black Lantern corps. Their name is a play on words, as their membership is almost exclusively comprised of beings who are undead.

Fictional history

At the conclusion of the comics story arc “The Sinestro Corps War”, Superman-Prime (formerly Superboy-Prime) attacked the Anti-Monitor by flying through his chest and hurling his shattered body into space.

The Anti-Monitor's shrivelled and glowing form crashed on an unknown planet resembling the tombworld of Ysmault. He was recognized by a dark voice that bid him rise. Too weak to resist or escape, around him formed a with a rocky outcrop resembling a five-fingered Black Hand in the distance.

The Entropic energy from the trapped Anti-monitor supplies the power source for the Dark Lanterns, a terrifying army of reanimated DCU villains and heroes. It is still unknown who is behind this army, however the ring design itself gives some clues, as do the following quotes:

In Green Lantern #6 (written by Geoff johns), the Green Lantern villain Black Hand said "You think you are strong but death is stronger, it is the pure power at the end of the emotional spectrum, the emptiness of space. The Blackest Night."

Later in the same issues he stated "Death has power...it's the most wonderful color. I-It's my color."

Ethan Van Sciver mentioned in an interview at Newsarama that the existance of the Black Lanterns was first hinted/generated in GL #5 and 6 ...the story mentioned above that featured the newly revamped Black Hand.

This army will be the focus of a 2009 story arc.

The prophecy
The Book of Oa has a forbidden chapter on cosmic Revelations, which included prophecies about the Blackest night. At the end of the Sinestro Corps war, the Guardians of the Universe known as Ganthet and Sayd reveal to the four Earth Green Lanterns the final verse of the prophecy, known as the “Blackest Night”, which reveals that five more Corps, each based on a different color, will be created in the future and that war will break out between the seven Corps until they destroy each other and the universe, leading to the “Blackest Night”.

Recruitment drive
"Across the universe, the dead will rise" - Birth of the Black Lantern

In the Green Lantern #25 (2007), there is a preview of the upcoming "Blackest Night" story arc. A cloud of black power rings displaying the Black Hand's insignia descend on Earth, re-animating the dead.

After the Sinestro Corps war, the Dark Guardians, the rulers of the Dark Lantern Corpse travel the galaxy, reanimating dead heroes and villains and turning them into terrifying super-powered zombies.

Dark Lantern Power Ring

A power ring is a weapon in the DC Universe, most commonly associated with the Green Lantern Corps. The Dark Lantern Corpse use a black variant, the latest incarnation of DCU power rings.

Its symbol is the same symbol as used by Green Lantern supervillain Black Hand.

While traditional power rings are fed from power batteries, the Dark Lantern rings can also consume the life-force of the living to recharge or sustain their undead wearers. An addition, a Dark lantern ring can steal the residual energy from another power ring to boost it's own power.

Trivia

Not to be confused with: "The Corpse" (an elite, top secret black ops division of the Green Lantern Corps).

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See Also

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