The BLIND Green Lantern Puts Marvel’s Daredevil To Shame

Throughout the DC Universe, the Green Lanterns patrol various space sectors, meting out justice. Chosen by the Guardians of OA, the Lanterns focus the strength of their will through their power rings, allowing them to create powerful constructs of hard green light. To be selected as a member of the Green Lantern Corps is a great honor, as the rings are considered the most powerful weapons in the universe requiring them to be wielded by only the most noble beings.

But what if one of those noble beings had no concept of light, color, or vision? What if the Green Lantern Corps had to patrol a sector of space that was so devoid of light even their power rings couldn’t illuminate the entire darkness? These are questions faced by the Green Lantern Katma Tui when she found herself recruiting… the first blind Green Lantern.

The story took place in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #3 in a story appropriately titled “In Blackest Night” by the legendary writer Alan Moore. In the story, Katma Tui tells the Guardians of the time she was assigned to venture in to the Obsidian Deeps, a sector of space completely devoid of all light, in order to find and appoint a Green Lantern to protect that sector. Katma does indeed find a noble being named Rot Lop Fan, but there’s a problem…

Because Rot Lop Fan’s people evolved in complete darkness, they learned to sense their surroundings through sound, not light. Born completely blind, Rot Lop Fan does not even know the concept of sight – let alone the idea of light or color. Thus, when Katma Tui attempts to recruit him into the Green Lantern Corps, the universal translator in her ring is unable to translate the words “Green” or “Lantern” since Rot Lop Fan’s language has no words for such things.

To adapt to the situation, Katma Tui decides to explain how the ring works by having Rot Lop Fan think of different types of sound. The ring picks up on his thoughts and manifests a bell construct. Rot Lop Fan is then able to create energy constructs – not out of light but out of sound waves.

As Katma Tui was still unable to translate the words “Green Lantern,” she asked Rot Lop Fan what sound was most pleasing or soothing to him. Rot Lop Fan stated that he enjoyed the F-sharp note, so Katma Tui renamed the Green Lantern Corps “The F-Sharp Bell Corps” for the blind Green Lantern – who calls himself “The F-Sharp Bell.”

Katma Tui goes on to explain that the ring’s power battery is a type of “tuning fork” to recharge the ring. She then comes up with an entirely new Green Lantern Oath specifically designed for Rot Lop Fan’s unique perceptions: “In loudest din or hush profound, my ears catch evil’s slightest sound. Let those who toll out evil’s knell, beware my power: The F-Sharp Bell!”

The translation proves effective and Rot Lop Fan is empowered as the Green Lantern of Space Sector 911 – with a modified uniform that has a bell insignia instead of the tradition lantern emblem. This leads Katma Tui to admit that Rot Lop Fan holds an unusual place in the Green Lantern Corps, for while he is a member of the Corps, he is not a typical Green Lantern. The Guardians acknowledge this and let her know they will make a decision on his status, ironically letting Katma know, “We’ll try not to keep him in the dark too long…”

As a Green Lantern, Rot Lop Fan can use his ring to create any kind of structure he can imagine, and – while protecting his space sector – is essentially immune to the Green Lantern’s vulnerability to the color yellow since colors can’t exist in total darkness. Moreover, his sensitive hearing can “see” anything – at one point he was even able to perceive that a barrier seemingly made of energy was actually constructed out of glass based on how it sounded. While Rot Lop Fan eventually came to understand concepts like sight through his interactions with other Lanterns, his unique way of perceiving the world was ultimately his greatest strength – showing that sometimes, a sightless Green Lantern can shine the Corps’ light in the best way.

About The Author

Michael Jung
(700 Articles Published)

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Michael Jung is a mild-mannered freelance writer-for-hire, actor, and professional storyteller with a keen interest in pop culture, education, nonprofit organizations, and unusual side hustles. His work has been featured in Screen Rant, ASU Now, Sell Books Fast, Study.com, and Free Arts among others. A graduate of Arizona State University with a PhD in 20^th Century American Literature, Michael has written novels, short stories, stage plays, screenplays, and how-to manuals.

Michael’s background in storytelling draws him to find the most fascinating aspects of any topic and transform them into a narrative that informs and entertains the reader. Thanks to a life spent immersed in comic books and movies, Michael is always ready to infuse his articles with offbeat bits of trivia for an extra layer of fun. In his spare time, you can find him entertaining kids as Spider-Man or Darth Vader at birthday parties or scaring the heck out of them at haunted houses.

Visit Michael Jung’s website for information on how to hire him, follow him on Twitter Michael50834213, or contact him directly: michael(at)michaeljungwriter(dot)com.

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