Red Lantern Corps

Red Lantern Corps
File:Atrocitus3.jpg Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns Art by Shane Davis
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	First appearance: Green Lantern (vol. 4) #25 (December 2007) Chronological: Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1 (October 2008)
Created by	Geoff Johns (writer) Shane Davis (artist)
In-story information
Base(s)	Ysmault
Roster
See: (see below)

The Red Lantern Corps is an organization of fictional characters published by DC Comics. The organization debuted in Green Lantern (vol. 4) #25 (December 2007), and was created by Geoff Johns and Shane Davis.

Publication history

The Red Lanterns next appeared in the one-shot "Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns", which led into a similarly titled storyline, which runs through Green Lantern #36-38.

Fictional group history

The Red Lantern Corps was formed by Atrocitus of the Five Inversions, one of the five survivors of the massacre of Sector 666. Using the blood magics of the Five Inversions, Atrocitus harnessed the red spectrum of light, allowing him to empower the rage within him. The Red Power Ring was born out of anger and crystallized the blood of the Inversions.

Atrocitus' first discovery of the red spectrum came during the years of incarceration he endured on the prison planet of Ysmault. He blames the Guardians of the Universe for the massacre of his sector, and because of this, Atrocitus built up years of hatred and rage. When he gave in fully to his rage, it was given shape for the first time when he bludgeoned Qull to death, one of his fellow survivors, with a Red Lantern Power Battery.

After that, Atrocitus apparently killed the other Inversions, using their blood as part of his plans. He then poured forth the great bloody rage drawn from his body by the power of the red spectrum. Using blood magics, he forged a Central Power Battery of his own which stands before a great lake of blood, and from that Lantern emerged batteries and rings to power the Red Lantern Corps. In the shadow of the great Red Lantern, immersed in his victims' blood, Atrocitus vowed revenge against the Guardians of the Universe and Sinestro, the "Greatest of the Green Lanterns" and the one who incarcerated him.

He began sending rings across the universe, hoping to raise an army and destroy his jailers. However, upon accepting the rings, their hearts were rendered useless and spoiled the blood from within, causing them to expel it in violent manner that burned anyone who touched it. Additionally, the Red Lanterns were reduced to an almost animalistic state, with only Atrocitus appearing to be in full control of himself. Once Atrocitus assembled a sufficient force, the Red Lanterns went to capture Sinestro, who was being transferred to Korugar for his execution. At the same time, the Sinestro Corps launched an ambush on the Green Lantern escort to rescue their leader, only to be in turn ambushed by the Red Lanterns. They killed any Green Lantern or Sinestro Corps member that stood between them and Sinestro, finally taking Sinestro and a number of his corps captive. Their mission complete, Atrocitus ordered the Red Lanterns to return to Ysmault, where Atrocitus intended to use the blood of the Sinestro Corps in another ritual. However, Hal Jordan has teamed up with Saint Walker of the Blue Lantern Corps and are heading to Ysmult to free Sinestro, due to his importance concerning The Blackest Night.

Once on Ysmault, Hal, Walker and Warth discover Sinestro, but are ambushed by the Red Lanterns. Jordan is captured and Atrocitus allows Laira to kill him, but the former Green Lantern resists and is able to plead for help. After rescuing Sinestro, the Blue Lanterns begin to leave, but Jordan wants to go back for Laira. It is then learned that removing a Red Lantern ring will kill its owner. Sinestro then kills Laira to save Jordan. In a burst of outrage, Jordan prepares to carry out Sinestro's death sentence himself, against the wishes of the Blue Lanterns. The rage that Jordan feels draws Laira's red ring to him, converting Jordan into a Red Lantern, though the last panel shows Jordan wearing both a red and green ring. Jordan attacks the Blue Lanterns and Sinestro, until Saint Walker manages to get a Blue power ring onto his finger. The blue ring negates the effects of the red ring, which promptly explodes. A wounded Atrocitus and his Corps then flee from the scene.

Prominent members

To date, only a select few of the Red Lanterns are known by name. It is notable, however, that many of the members who are known were actually victimized by members of the Sinestro Corps. As the purpose of the Sinestro corps is to inspire fear throughout the universe, it is with some irony that their actions have instead, planted seeds of rage in their victims, allowing them to become Red Lanterns.

• Atrocitus (of Sector 666) - Last survivor of the massacre executed by the Manhunters on their corrupted mission and of the Five Inversions. He is also the leader of the corps and creator of the Red Lantern power battery.
• Bleez - A woman who was tortured and raped by the members of the Sinestro Corps while imprisoned on Ranx the Sentient City.
• Dex-Star - A feline, purple cat, alien, described by Geoff Johns in an interview with Wizard as "the most sadistic and malicious" of the Red Lanterns. He has been received humorously on the internet, possibly due to the lolcat meme.
• Laira (of Sector 112) - Former Green Lantern, punished and excluded from the corps for killing Amon Sur. She is no longer sentient, her rage regressing her to a semi-feral state. Laira was killed by Sinestro, before Hal Jordan could completely free her mind.
• Veon -
• Vice - The most ruthless of the Red Lanterns, his mate was murdered by Arkillo, the Sinestro Corps drill sergeant. His forehead and jaw contain spikes which he uses to impale his enemies.
• Zilius Zox -
• Hal Jordan (of Sector 2814): During Hal's attempted rescue of Sinestro from the Red Lanterns' homeworld Ysmault, Sinestro murdered Laira instead of allowing Hal to calm her rage. As Hal's anger toward Sinestro grew, the red power ring detected Hal's rage and forced itself onto his finger transforming him into the newest member of the Red Lantern Corps.

Oath

When recharging their power rings, members of the Red Lantern Corps recite the following oath:

:With blood and rage of crimson red,

Ripped from a corpse so freshly dead,

Together with our hellish hate,

We'll burn you all--

That is your fate!

— Atrocitus, Green Lantern (vol. 4) #32 (June 2008)

Weapons and equipment

Main article: Power ring

The power rings use red energy, supplied by a power battery, which in most cases takes the form of red light. The power ring can be used to fire blasts of rage energy. This power is unique as it takes the form of rage-energized blood. The power ring can project this blood from either the mouth or focused through the ring. This blood has the effect of bursting into flames of rage, these flames burn even in space and are so powerful as to burn through the energy aura's of opponent ring wielders and corrupt their power rings, depleting them at an accelerated rate. The weapon's power is more an indication of the rage of the user, rather then his willpower. The power ring can create force fields of various sizes and shapes to protect the wearer and others around them. By the manipulation of anti-gravitons and directed molecular movement, the ring allows the user to fly at incredible speeds. The Red Lantern ring is unique in that its base of power, rage, can be manipulated by the ring user. A Red Lantern can detect the rage in the heart of others and by connection, the blood that pumps that blood. The rage and hatred of an individual Red Lantern empowers their abilities as well as the rage and hatred of others. Those who face a Red Lantern already in a state of anger are even more vulnerable to a red power ring's attack, as their anger only feeds the attack and increases its destructive power.

However, a red power ring has also displayed a number of weaknesses as well. To wear a red power ring is to be overtaken by the red light of rage, reducing the wearer to act on pure instinct, driven to kill and destroy with no reason or forethought. To date, Atrocitus has shown to be the only Red Lantern still in control of his mental faculties. Also, a red power ring operates by expelling the lifeblood of the wearer, replacing it with its red light. As a result, removing a Red Lantern's power ring will instantly result in the wearer's death. However, a Blue Lantern's ring has shown the ability to reverse this process, thus freeing the wearer from the ring.

See Also

• Green Lantern Corps
• Blue Lantern Corps
• Sinestro Corps
• Star Sapphire

References

• Red Lantern Corps at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)

External links

• Red Lantern Corps article