Guardians of the Universe
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The Guardians of the Universe are fictional characters in the DC Comics superhero universe. They first appear in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 (July 1960), and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane.
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[edit] History
[edit] Background
The Guardians evolved on the planet Maltus, and were possibly the first intelligent life forms in the Universe. At this time they were tall greyish blue humanoids with black hair. They became scientists and thinkers, experimenting on the worlds around them. One experiment led to the creation of a new species, the Psions. In a pivotal moment, billions of years ago, a Maltusian named Krona used time-bending technology to observe the beginning of the Universe. This experiment flooded the beginning of the Universe with entropy causing it "to be born old". (This is a retcon; originally, the experiment created evil, and splintered the Universe into the Multiverse).
Feeling responsible for this, the Maltusians relocated to the planet Oa (at "the center of the Universe") and became the Guardians. Their goal was simple: combat evil and create an orderly universe. And they acted quickly on that goal. During this period they also changed to their current appearance. They serve as the administrators of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar police force which patrols the universe.
[edit] Campaigns
- Before life existed on Earth, they learned how to manipulate what they called "the Glow", and eventually created a Central Battery to store this energy. This "energy" was actually the collective willpower of the inhabitants of the universe. Accessing and manipulating this willpower gave the Guardians an ultimate tool to pursue their goals.
- Hunting down those who preyed on the weak, they captured a fear elemental, Parallax. They imprisoned the creature in the Central Battery, hoping to lock it away forever.
- The magic-wielding Empire of Tears was subjugated and imprisoned on the throneworld and tombworld of Ysmault.
- Trying to remove magic from the Universe, they bound as much magical energy as possible into an orb called the Starheart. This would eventually become the ring and lantern of Alan Scott.
- On Mars, the Guardians confronted the destructive race known as "The Burning" and split the race into two new species: the Green Martians and the White Martians. The Guardians changed their reproductive behavior, and gave them an inherent fear of fire in order to stop their species from destroying much of the universe.
- Robotic Manhunters were created to patrol the Universe. The Manhunters rebelled, believing they were superior to the Guardians and should be in control, and were exiled.
- The mad god that was the entire Sector 3600 was defeated by the Guardians and was constrained by a matrix of their making. By showing the sector that they were its superiors, the Guardians had imprisoned it for all time.
- The insect race of Tchkk-Tchkki, later known as Legion, was enclosed in an emerald forcefield around their world to prevent the locust-like race from expanding further.
- On Oa, the Green Lantern Corps was established to replace the Manhunters. These troops were given some of the power of the Central Battery, accessed through a ring.
- Against Apokolips, they waged a war. They tried several times to infiltrate Darkseid's home, finally deciding on a war against his rule. Their troops were brutally defeated with two-thirds dead. The attack on Apokolips ended with a truce.
[edit] Consequences
The Manhunter rebellion led to schisms. One group (the Controllers) thought that the only way to protect the Universe was to control it. The female Oans (the Zamarons) felt no need to involve themselves in the Universe's problems. Over the years, both groups evolved to look most unlike the Guardians. Other groups have also left the Guardians; one such group settled on Earth, becoming the origin for leprechaun legends. The Manhunters became avowed enemies of the Guardians. The Apokolips campaign ended with a truce with the Guardians forced to abandon a soldier (Raker Qarrigat) to Darkseid. Fearing dissension, they ordered all records of the Campaign expunged.
[edit] Recent history
The Guardians were almost wiped out in the events of Emerald Twilight, the only survivor being Ganthet. They sacrificed themselves to create one final power ring, a power ring perhaps more powerful than all others before it. Oa was itself destoyed in a battle between Parallax and Kyle Rayner, but rebuilt in the events of "Legacy" as the final wish of Hal Jordan's former power ring. The Guardians have since been restored when Kyle Rayner, as Ion, recharged the central battery. Rayner lost his power and role as Ion but this sacrifice released all the Guardian's life forces from the dormancy in his ring. The Immortals first appeared as children but aged quickly and many seem to have returned to the identities they had before they created Kyle Rayner's power ring. Unlike before however: the Guardians are male and female, rather than just male. While Kyle had made them children in order for them to grow up and become less cold than their predecessors, this has not worked. Instead the Guardians are as cold and manipulative as they were before the Emerald Twilight. Also one of them (Lianna) seems to have reverted to the original Malthusian appearance in the process. With their revival they have begun to rebuild the Green Lantern Corps using veterans to train the new ring-bearers. Alongside this experiment, the Guardians refortified Oa by creating a planetwide armour and defensive system to prevent successful attacks against them.
[edit] Powers and abilities
- Functionally immortal, Guardians resemble short (approximately 4 feet [122 cm] tall), large-headed, white-haired pale blue humans wearing red robes with a Green Lantern chest symbol similar to the Green Lantern Corps' ring and lantern shaped battery. They possess vast knowledge and psionic power which mirrors the abilities of their Green Lanterns' power rings.
[edit] Trivia
- In Neil Gaiman's collection Endless Nights, an early Oan is referred to as "one of the five high (priest-artist-police-entities)". This is presumably an alternate translation of the Oan word generally rendered as "Guardian".
- The appearance of the Guardians of the Universe was modeled on then-Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion. [1]
[edit] Appearances in other media
The Guardians of the Universe made appearances in the DC Animated Universe. In the episode "In Brightest Day..." of Superman: The Animated Series, they approach Superman for him to help Kyle Rayner in defeating Sinestro.
In the Justice League animated series episode "In Blackest Night" they attend John Stewart's trial. In Justice League Unlimited they appear briefly in the beginning of "The Return" where they deny Stewart's request to leave Earth and take a tour of duty on Oa.
[edit] External links
- Profile on Green Lantern - Comic book historian Alan Kistler's article detailing the history of the various versions of the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians of the Universe. For anyone who wants to get into Green Lantern comics, but isn't sure how to start. Various art scans.
- Green Lantern: The Central Battery - A tribute to Green Lantern (both Kyle and Hal) including summaries, fan art, graphics, message boards, and more.
