The Future State Green Lantern Corps Explained

Spoilers for Future State: Green Lantern #1

The world established in Green Lantern comics is vast enough to be its own separate universe. Naturally, its Future State tie-in is a galaxy-spanning tale that offers tantalizing hints about a very large mystery. It’s in keeping with the style of the previous books that have been released under the Future State banner, which all throw DC’s characters into vastly different scenarios across an incredibly diverse lineup of stories.

While the heroically idiotic Hal Jordan is the poster boy for all things Green Lantern, he’s only one member of a very large organization and isn’t in the spotlight for Future State. The event focuses on several members of the Green Lantern Corps across three very different scenarios that greatly differ in terms of tone and setting. John Stewart and a motley crew that includes mainstays like Salaak and G’nort are fighting to defend a planet from a group of barbaric invaders. Jessica Cruz is trapped alone in a sector house under siege by members of the Sinestro Corps. And Guy Gardner finds himself becoming a befuddled prophet on an alien world. These seemingly disparate tales are united by a common theme.

Future State: Green Lantern #1 has one rather giant reveal: the Green Lantern Central Power Battery is dead, and every ring in the Green Lantern Corps is depowered along with it. Every member of the Corps is left powerless and stranded as a result. Stewart’s section of the book sheds the most light on the GLC’s current situation, as a flashback with a grievously injured Killowog alludes to most of the Corps moving into the Dark Sectors of the universe when the central power battery went out. As of Future State, the Green Lantern Corps is scattered across the unknown reaches of space and utterly powerless. It is unknown if the same goes for Jo Mullein’s self-charging power ring.

For John and company, this means a ragged new look and some good old fashioned blaster slinging as they attempt to evacuate the Shaar people from a bloodthirsty group following a being known as the God in Red. John fighting off an evil army with a laser sword and a blaster is as reminiscent of Star Wars as Jessica Cruz’s section in the book is of the original Alien. A lone, jumpsuit-clad Jessica plays both the roles of Ripley and the Xenomorph as she scours around the sector house, stealthily taking out Sinestro Corps members before commandeering a yellow ring. In his section, Guy is stranded on a planet in the midst of a religious civil war and, of course, quickly becomes the world’s new religious leader after creating his own holy text and opening up a bar.

This isn’t the first time that the Green Lanterns have had to operate without their rings. But rendering the entire Corps powerless is a brilliant twist that demonstrates the strengths that these characters have even without their rings. John Stewart will keep kicking ass and saving lives whether he can fly around and make energy weapons or not. Jessica Cruz will beat the odds even if they’re stacked heavily against her. And Guy Gardner is so good at being a belligerent drunk that he can attain world peace.

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