Green Lantern in other media
The many incarnations of the DC Comics superhero Green Lantern have appeared in numerous media over the years.
Novels
Sleepers is a trilogy created by Mike Baron and written by Christopher J. Priest. Each volume focuses on a different Green Lantern—Kyle Rayner, Alan Scott, and Hal Jordan, respectively.
Pocket has published a series of Justice League of America novels. Of these, Exterminators by Christopher Golden includes Hal Jordan as part of the team, and Hero's Quest by Dennis O'Neil is a solo Green Lantern story.
Television
Animation
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure
Hal Jordan was the featured character in a solo series which was part of The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967) as well as part of the Justice League segments. These would be the character's first animated appearances. Gerald Mohr is the voice of Green Lantern.
Super Friends
In addition, Hal Jordan's Green Lantern was an occasional supporting character in the various Super Friends incarnations: Challenge of the Super Friends, Super Friends, Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians. Michael Rye provided the voice of the Green Lantern for these appearances.
Justice League
John Stewart is a member of the Justice League in the Justice League animated series. In this series, Stewart's ring was initially constrained to permitting him to fly, generating a protective force field, creating walls, and firing energy blasts; this limitation was established as being due to Stewart's mindset, not an inherent limitation of the ring itself (the series' version of John Stewart is a former U.S. Marine, not an architect). After being berated by Katma Tui for his unimaginative use of the ring, Stewart has learned to generate complex tools (to defuse a bomb in one instance) and weapons (He was also shown to be more creative when transformed into a child in the episode "Kids Stuff"). In a development not seen in any other version of the Green Lantern mythos, Stewart's eyes glow green when wearing his charged power ring. The glow fades when the ring runs out of power. The series has been inconsistent about the ring's effectiveness against yellow; Stewart is seen fighting Sinestro in one episode and the yellow energy does not prove to be a significant problem for the Lantern, although in a later episode of Justice League Unlimited, the Flash threw yellow Jell-o at him, breaking his force field. Stewart's voice is provided by Phil LaMarr.
History
While specific details have been vague at best, much of the history of this version of John Stewart can be determined through various comments and revelations over the course of the series. Stewart grew up in a predominantly black, urban neighborhood of Detroit. He rents a room from a Korean landlady, having declined the offer of private housing on the Justice League Watchtower.
As a child, he was a big fan of Justice Guild of America comics (loosely based on the Justice Society of America). Stewart credits these comics with teaching him what it meant to be a hero.
He enlisted in the Marine Corps as a young man. His service dates are unknown, but it can be assumed it was at least for several years, given how much he absorbed the military’s demeanor and methods into his own. It was here that Stewart learned how to fight and strategize, as well as becoming a good friend of fellow Marine Rex Mason. After his service ended, he was chosen to be a Green Lantern, and trained in ring usage with Katma Tui, with whom he developed a romantic relationship. The relationship has since ended.
Because Sector 2814—the one that includes Earth—had a Green Lantern already (Abin Sur), Stewart spent fifteen years patrolling another sector in the universe. It was during this time when, pursuing space pirate Kanjar Ro, Stewart believed himself to be responsible for the destruction of the planet Ajuris 4—later revealed to be a falsehood concocted by the Manhunters.
When Abin Sur was murdered by Sinestro and passed his ring on to Kyle Rayner, Stewart was transferred to take over 2814 so that Rayner could train with Katma. It is at this point that Justice League joins John’s story, when he answers a telepathic call from the Martian Manhunter, which leads him to join a battle against an alien invasion force, with the help of four other heroes.
Characterization
During the course of the series, Stewart would be the main focus in more stories than any of the seven members of the League: "In Blackest Night", "Legends", "Metamorphosis", "The Savage Time", "Hearts and Minds", "Secret Society", and "Starcrossed" (though he shares the focus with Wonder Woman in "Savage" and with Hawkgirl in "Starcrossed").
The most crucial development during this time was the love story between him and Hawkgirl (real name: Shayera Hol). Shortly after they admitted their feelings for each other, "Starcrossed" occurred, revealing that Hawkgirl was a spy for the Thanagarian forces, and that she has betrayed their secrets to her home Thanagarians. Worse than that, she’d been promised/engaged to the leader, Hro Talak (whose name is an anagram for that of the Silver age Hawkman Katar Hol), before she even came to Earth. Over the course of the Justice League finale, Shayera and Hro fell out of love with each other and Shayera helped save Earth from destruction. After the battle, the League votes on whether to allow her back, but she resigns and flies off into the sunset without John ever telling her that he still loved her.
During Shayera’s self-imposed exile, the League expands to 57 members (in the retitled Justice League Unlimited) and Stewart gets a new girlfriend: superheroine and supermodel Mari Jiwi McCabe/Vixen. At first he treats this as a rebound relationship, but once Shayera returns to the League, he is conflicted by feelings for both women. These feelings are exacerbated in "The Once and Future Thing", when he travels to the future and meets his son with Shayera, Warhawk. He does not immediately share this revelation with her. Upon meeting Carter Hall, the would-be Hawkman, John makes the decision to inform Shayera of the son he met in the future. However, as his relationship with Mari had advanced (and Mari had been quite seriously injured before), he makes the decision to not leave Mari just because destiny would seem to decree it; he tells Shayera that whatever happens needs to happen because of how they feel now.
In the episode "In Blackest Night", Stewart resigns himself to the treatment of the residents of Ajuris 4, believing he has destroyed a planet (unaware that he has been framed), claiming that superheroes need to be held accountable for their actions. In "Metamorphosis", he deals with the opposite problem, noting how wealthy and carefree his old Marine pal Rex Mason is, and wonders if being a Lantern has cost him social and romantic opportunities. The episode "Only a Dream" explores Stewart’s fears over how his hometown has become as alien to him as the farthest reaches of the galaxy, and how he worries about the Lantern energy being the only thing of focus in his life.
Other DCAU appearances
- Kyle Rayner appeared as Green Lantern in "In Brightest Day...", an episode of Superman: The Animated Series. This incarnation appeared to be a hybrid of Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Hal Jordan, since he was recruited by Abin Sur, and fought Jordan's old enemy Sinestro (voiced by Ted Levine). He looked more like Jordan than Rayner (although Hal Jordan's name is clearly visible, painted on the nose of an airplane at a military base). The tie-in with John Stewart is due mainly to the fact that Rayner's Green Lantern "uniform" is the uniform donned by Stewart in the comic series (this is, perhaps, after the fact, as Stewart did not resume his role as Green Lantern in the League until after he was incorporated in the JL animated series, however his costume had for some time been unique and distinctive). Rayner was later inducted into the Green Lantern Corps. Guy Gardner makes a cameo as the mugger who steals Jimmy Olsen's camera. Rayner is voiced by Michael P. Greco.
- Rayner is briefly mentioned in one episode of Justice League and appears as one of the Green Lanterns attending Superman's funeral in "Hereafter". He later reappears after the series became Justice League Unlimited in "The Return", bearing a far greater resemblance to his comics counterpart. Rayner's appearance (where he and the Corps unsuccessfully attempted to defend Oa from Amazo) finally explains why John Stewart is the Green Lantern of Earth; Rayner had been stationed on Oa all along. Will Friedle provides Rayner's voice in "The Return".
- A character known as Green Guardsman (whose real name was Scott Mason) appears in the two-part Justice League episode "Legends", in which John Stewart and several other members travel to a parallel universe. This other universe has its own superhero group, the Justice Guild of America, whose members are modeled on Golden Age versions of the Justice Society of America characters. Green Guardsman is an homage to the Golden Age Green Lantern. His power ring is unable to affect aluminum. The voice of the Green Guardsman is provided by William Katt.
- The Justice League version of John Stewart appeared in several episodes of Static Shock, both as a member of the League and in a solo appearance. Phil LaMarr reprises his Justice League role as Green Lantern, as well as providing the voice for Static.
- Hal Jordan appears briefly in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time, Warped" in which the time-traveling villain Chronos causes the timeline to become unstable, with characters changing or disappearing as their history is altered. At one point, John Stewart morphs into Jordan, who aids the other characters for several minutes before changing back into Stewart. Jordan is voiced by Adam Baldwin.
- On the animated TV series Duck Dodgers, the episode entitled "The Green Loontern" includes appearances by many members of the Green Lantern Corps. In this episode, a mixup at the dry cleaners results in Dodgers (Daffy Duck) getting Hal Jordan's outfit and ring. Filmmaker and comics fan Kevin Smith provided the voice of Jordan for this cameo. Other Green Lanterns that appear in this episode are Kilowog (voiced by John DiMaggio), Katma Tui (voiced by Tara Strong), Boodikka (voiced by Grey DeLisle), Ch'p (voiced by Frank Welker), and Sinestro (voiced by John de Lancie), as well as nonspeaking appearances by John Stewart and Guy Gardner.
The Batman
In the fourth season finale of The Batman, "The Joining", the Justice League is introduced. Hal Jordan is included among its members, in a non-speaking cameo. He next appears in the fifth season episode "Ring Toss", voiced by Dermot Mulroney and again in the 2-part series finale, "Lost Heroes".
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Guy Gardner appears in multiple episodes of Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by James Arnold Taylor. He appears briefly in the pre-title segment of "Day of the Dark Knight!", in which he ignores Batman's advice and accidentally frees an imprisoned alien by pouring coffee on him.
In the episode "The Eyes of Despero!" Gardner, G'nort, Sinestro and Mogo join forces with the Batman to stop the villain Despero from using his mental powers to turn the Green Lantern Corps into an army of mind controlled slaves. Other members of the Lantern Corps are seen, including Ch'p, Kilowog, Medphyll, and Hal Jordan. Hal later makes a cameo appearance as a member of the original Justice League of America in "Sidekicks Assemble!", and is mentioned in "Darkseid Descending!" when Guy joins the Justice League International. A heroic version of Sinestro (clad in a Sinestro Corps uniform) briefly appears "Deep Cover for Batman!", where he is shown as one of the superheroes being held captive by the Injustice Syndicate. In this series Hal is voiced by Loren Lester, Sinestro is voiced by Xander Berkeley, G'nort is voiced by Alexander Polinsky, and the Guardians are voiced by J. K. Simmons and Armin Shimmerman.
Young Justice
Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Alan Scott all appear in the Young Justice animated series. Jordan, Stewart and Gardner all appear as members of the Justice League, while Alan Scott appears as a member of the Justice Society. Jordan and Stewart make their first appearances in the episode "Fireworks", Gardner appears in "Revelation" and Scott appears in the episode "Humanity" in a flashback. None of them are voiced except for Stewart, who was voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson in the episode "Failsafe".
Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Phil Kent, chairman and CEO of Time Warner's Turner Networks unit, announced Green Lantern: The Animated Series will be a part of Cartoon Network's original programming.[1] A preview of the show was featured at the 2010 New York Comic Con featuring test footage, characters/story description, and art work. It will be produced by Bruce Timm and premieres this fall
The show will be arcs and Hal Jordan will be the main character and is voiced by Josh Keaton. Other characters that have been confirmed to be included are Kilowog, the Guardians of the Universe, Carol Ferris, Salaak, Sayd, Saint Walker, and Zilius Zox. The main antagonists of the show will be the Red Lantern Corps, led by the villain Atrocitus, and the Manhunters.[2] It will not be an origin story. The first season of the show will have 26 episodes, thirteen of which have already been planned, and five of which have already been recorded.[3]
Live action
- Alan Scott briefly appears in the Smallville episode "Absolute Justice" which featured the Justice Society of America. He is a superhero in the 1970s and a CEO of an unnamed broadcasting company, who was arrested for fraud by the government in a mission to take down the Justice Society of America. He, like the others, tried to take the blame for all crimes, though he and the rest were never convicted. As the law was now aware of his superhero identity, Scott retired from heroics. In 2010, Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan find old black and white footage of Alan (his power ring is visible on his left hand), along with his criminal record. Very little is said about him, other than that he is still alive and is the CEO of a broadcasting company, but it was confirmed that he was still alive by Stargirl and hinted at that he had children. His power ring and lantern battery are later shown, in a display case at the JSA Brownstone as well as in his portrait in the JSA painting. Alan Scott is played by Doug Pinton.
Films
Video games
- John Stewart is a playable character in Justice League Heroes. Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner are unlockable characters as well.
- Hal Jordan is a playable character in the crossover fighting game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe game.[9] His special moves include a fist-shaped projectile, hammer constructs to smash foes, a large hand that slams foes to the ground, and a brick wall shield that absorbs projectiles. His heroic brutalities involve encasing the opponent in a force bubble and then rapidly contracting it, and crushing the opponent between two large hammers. In the game's trailer, Green Lantern is seen being beaten by Sonya Blade using martial arts and super strength before Captain Marvel saves him, and is seen defending a weakened Superman from Liu Kang (his counterpart from the Mortal Kombat Universe) in the Fortress of Solitude. Later, Sonya fights Green Lantern again and Green Lantern defeats Sonya Blade. He is also seen speaking with the Guardians of the Universe and being confronted by Lex Luthor, who is consumed by the "combat rage" and asserts that he deserves to have Hal's power ring.
- Green Lantern Guy Gardner is a playable character in the Wii version of the Batman: The Brave and the Bold video game,[10] with Hal Jordan being playable in the DS version. Arisia Rrab and Kilowog make appearances as well.[11] Also, a statue of Alan Scott can be seen in the Gotham City level of the Wii version.
- Three Green Lanterns, John Stewart, Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner and Kilowog appear in DC Universe Online. John Stewart fights alongside the heroes against Sinestro and the Yellow Lanterns, Hal Jordan and Green Arrow fight alongside the heroes against Eclipso and an out-of-control Spectre, and Kilowog is the target of a bounty mission for villains and Kyle Rayner is a boss in the Coast City instance along with Amon Sur and Atrocitus.
- Green Lantern will appear in the upcoming game known as "Lego Superheroes: The Video Game".
Green Lantern parodies/references
Television
- John Stewart was portrayed by Tim Meadows, wearing his Green Lantern: Mosaic costume, in a Saturday Night Live sketch inspired by the then-recent The Death of Superman comic storyline.
- The American sitcom Seinfeld made references to Green Lantern in three episodes: "The Barber" (November 11, 1993), "The Stand In" (Feb. 25, 1994) and "The Strong Box" (Feb. 5, 1998).
- In the TV series Bones Agent Booth is seen reading an issue of Green Lantern in his bathtub during the season 3 finale "Pain in the Heart". Boreanaz supplied the voice of Hal Jordan in Justice League: New Frontier.
- In an episode of Duck Dodgers, Duck Dodgers has his dry cleaning mixed with a Green Lantern's and joins the Green Lantern Corps.
- On the reality animated TV parody show Drawn Together, Captain Hero (when he is under stress) makes a reference that he wishes that the Green Lantern were there because "he always knew how to help me relax."
- In 2007, ls:tv (Leeds Student Television, a member of the National Student Television Association) aired a short sketch series entitled "The Green Intern" in a comedy program called "Bits".
- In the English TV series Whoops Apocalypse, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Home Secretary briefly dress up as Green Lantern, Hawkman and the Flash.
- In the second episode of The Big Bang Theory, entitled "The Big Bran Hypothesis", when asked by Leonard if he has any ideas as to how to get a large piece of furniture up four flights of stairs Sheldon replies "Yes, but they all involve a Green Lantern and a Power Ring". In Season Three's "The Psychic Vortex", he's constantly seen with a replica Green Lantern and Power Ring.
- In an episode of Grey's Anatomy Season 3 "Sometimes A Fantasy" (10/05/06) A little girl is taken in who believes that she is a super hero as she cannot feel pain. There are several references to super heroes including Green Lantern with George telling Alex about the Hal Jordan Green Lantern and Alex later saying to the patient "But take away Green Lantern’s ring, guy’s still a superhero, right?"
- On Lost, the first issue of Green Lantern/Flash Faster Friends (in Spanish) is seen in the episodes "Pilot Part 2", "Special", and "Exodus Part 2".
- On Fringe, a variation of the cover Green Lantern #70 is shown from the alternate universe and is titled Red Lantern/Red Arrow in the second season finale.[12]
- In episode 165-718 of the television sitcom Roseanne (titled "Single Married Female"), Fred stays at a hotel called The Green Lantern.
Movies
Music
Internet
- Liberal pundit and blogger Matthew Yglesias has ascribed to conservative advocates of U.S. military intervention in the Middle East the "Green Lantern Theory of Geopolitics." Yglesias characterized adherents to this "theory" as people who believe "American military might" is like a Green Lantern's power ring, "that, roughly speaking, we can accomplish absolutely anything in the world through the application of sufficient military force. The only thing limiting us is a lack of willpower."[17] "The Green Lantern Theory" has since become a meme among liberal bloggers.[18]
- The fictional teaser for Grayson includes a brief appearance of Green Lantern.
Comics
- In Legion of Superheroes in the 31st Century, a comic series based on KidsWB show Legion of Superheroes, issue 6, a main character, Jordana Gardner is a young female Green Lantern. She has a mask, red hair tied off in various places with rope, and the traditional Green Lantern uniform. In this issue, she, along with all the other Green Lanterns are being mind controlled by Star Conquerors, vicious starfish-esque creatures that attach to the face and brainwash their host into helping them conquer other planets. We find out later that Jordana is Green Lantern One of Sector 2814. She is called the "Teen Lantern" because she is the youngest person to ever be recruited by the Corps. She says that she comes from a long line of Lanterns on both sides of her family, referring to Guy Gardner on one side. However, her other origin remains unclear. Perhaps the "Jordan" in her name refers to a descendant of Hal Jordan eventually married a descendant of Guy Gardner. She states also that Superman will work (his future, her past) with both of her ancestors.
- Green Lantern also made a guest appearance in Garth Ennis and John McCrea's Hitman series, during the "Local Hero" (issues #9 to #12) arc. Kyle Rayner arrives at Gotham City to apprehend killer-for-hire Tommy Monaghan, later finding himself involved, along Monaghan, in a struggle against a clandestine government agency dedicated to kill and control metahumans.
References
- ^ "Cartoon Net planning 'Green Lantern' series". Heatvisionblog.com. 2010-05-27. http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/05/cartoon-net-planning-green-latern-series.html. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/1104/07/index.htm
- ^ http://screenrant.com/green-lantern-animated-series-details-images-clips-benm-82463/
- ^ "''EXCLUSIVE: ‘Justice League’ Movie Still A Possibility, Says Director… Just Not Anytime Soon'' ''MTV Splash Page'' (March 9, 2009)". Splashpage.mtv.com. 2009-03-09. http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/03/09/exclusive-justice-league-movie-still-a-possibility-says-director-just-not-anytime-soon/. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "''Animated "Green Lantern: First Flight" Release Pushed Forward; New Image Released'' ''The World's Finest'' (April 06, 2009)". Worldsfinestonline.com. http://www.worldsfinestonline.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=412. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ Rob Keyes (2010-03-04). "Green Lantern Production Begins Today!". Screen Rant. http://screenrant.com/green-lantern-production-begins-today-rob-48389/. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
- ^ "Warners hires writers for 'Green Lantern 2' and 'Flash' (exclusive)". Heatvisionblog.com. 2010-06-09. http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/06/warners-hires-writers-for-green-lantern-2-and-flash-exclusive.html. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ http://www.tvguide.com/News/Justice-League-Doom-Cast-1038097.aspx
- ^ "Kitana, Jax, The Joker, and Green Lantern Confirmed". Kotaku.com. 2008-07-25. http://kotaku.com/5029247/green-lantern-joker-join-mk-vs-dc-universe-line-up. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "Batman: The Brave And The Bold: The Videogame Trailer". Leagueofcomicgeeks.com. 2010-06-01. http://leagueofcomicgeeks.com/news/113/batman-the-brave-and-the-bold-the-videogame-trailer. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "Boss Says BATMAN: BRAVE & BOLD Game is Just Like the Show". Newsarama.com. 2010-08-26. http://www.newsarama.com/games/Batman-Brave-Bold-Game-Interview-100826.html. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "Tonight’s Fringe to feature Red Lantern/Red Arrow cover". Robot 6. http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/05/tonights-fringe-to-feature-red-lanternred-arrow-cover/. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ^ Muppet Studios YouTube Channel
- ^ Green Lantern article on Muppet Wiki
- ^ "Sector 2814 by The Roy Clark Method.". http://webzoom.freewebs.com/altmusicisdead/07%20Sector%202814.wma. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "The Roy Clark Method official website". Freewebs.com. http://www.freewebs.com/royclarkmethod. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ Yglesias, Matthew. "Triumph of the Will." The American Prospect, 18 July 2006.
- ^ Quiggin, John. "The Empirical Basis of the Green Lantern Theory." Crooked Timber, 21 December 2006.