Summary
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Green Lantern #12!TheSuicide Squadis coming after one of theJustice League’soldest members as the team prepares to enter a terrifying new period.Absolute Powerdraws closer and one iconic hero has just had a target put on their back.
Absolute Poweris DC Comics’upcoming summer event thatsees Amanda Waller’s plansto defeat the DC Universe’s metahumans finally come to fruition. Waller has schemed and made backroom deals in her mad quest to force her order on the world. Now that she’s closer than ever, one partnership is resulting in a beloved DC hero becoming Waller’s first victim.
InGreen Lantern #12by Jeremy Adams, Xermánico, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Dave Sharpe, Hal Jordan is on Oa and in the fight of his life. Lord Premier Thaaros, the Green Lantern Corps' new leader, has revealed his treachery in taking over the United Planets and is using his loyalists to arrest Hal and the rest of the Resistance Corps.Green Lantern is forced to retreat and is nearly taken outby Thaaros’ enforcers along the way. Thankfully, Star Sapphire comes to Hal’s aid and transports both of them back to Earth.
Thaaros calls in a favor and demands that Waller bring Hal Jordan to him.
Though the resistance is arrested, Thaaros is infuriated that Hal got away. After punishing several of his men, Thaaros contemplates the threat Jordan presents, especially since he has a Green Lantern Power Ring independent from his Green Lantern Corps. Refusing to let anyone else have access to the Emotional Spectrum, Thaaros resolves to stop Jordan and makes a call to Earth to speak directly with Amanda Waller. Waller and Thaaros discuss the situation and reveal thatThaaros has been helping Waller in her plans to stop the DC Universe’s metahumans.
Thaaros calls in a favor and demands that Waller bring Hal Jordan to him. In exchange, Thaaros will allow Waller’s work on Earth to continue unabated. Meanwhile, Carol Ferris has brought Hal back to his trailer to help him recover from the fight. The two have a small heart-to-heart where they finally confess their feelings to one another. However, their tender moment is ruined bythe arrival of Amanda Waller’s Suicide Squad, who have come to bring Green Lantern in.
How Green Lantern Became Thaaros and Amanda Waller’s Target
Shortly afterDark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Corps’ leaders, the Guardians of the Universe went missing and were replaced by the United Planets. Thaaros began instituting sweeping changes, including the quarantining of Sector 2814 (to the detriment of Earth’s Green Lanterns). Hal resigned from the Corps after his first mission under Thaaros ended with the Sinestro Corps Central Power Battery exploding, claiming the life of Jordan’s ally Kilowog.Unbeknownst to Green Lantern, Thaaros was responsible for destroying the batteryas part of a plan to seize the Emotional Spectrum’s power.
After forging a new ring for himself from the residual willpower from an old Manhunter armor, Green Lantern discovered parts of Thaaros’ plans, though he was unaware that the United Planets’ leader was actually behind it. After finally breaking out of Earth’s orbit, Hal headed straight for Oa to find out what was going on with the attacks on the Emotional Spectrum, only to find that the Corps had changed considerably under Thaaros’ rule.Green Lantern also discovered Thaaros’ culpability in the recent destruction of numerous Central Power Batteriesand vowed to stop him.
Thaaros' admits his treachery inGreen Lantern #11 (2024)!
At the same time, another conspiracy was brewing on Earth, one formulated by Amanda Waller. After gaining resources from the Council of Light, Waller began plans to eliminate the world of metahumans. After waiting and manipulating from the shadows, Waller gained considerable power after being made head of the Bureau of Sovereignty. With more power than ever,Waller formed a new Suicide Squad and used it to take control of the island nation of Gamorraand began building a large-scale prison as part of her plans.
What Green Lantern’s Fugitive Status Means for the Justice League
Absolute Powerhas been teased for months at this point and fans have seen intriguing previews of the Justice League’s members under attack. But this is the first time we’re seeing Waller go from bluster and intimidating threats to actually imperiling the lives of DC’s heroes. Of course, the only reason she’s starting with Green Lantern is so that she can keep the peace she’s brokered with the United Planets. Waller needs as little interference as possible andthe only way she’s going to get that is by offering Green Lantern up on a silver platter.
What Hal sees at the end ofGreen Lantern #12is just a small glimpse at the hell Waller is about to bring to the DC Universe…
Waller doesn’t have all the pieces she needs to bring the world to heel just yet as she still needs to collect Failsafe and the Brainiac Queen to form her Trinity of Evil. But even without them, this is the most aggression she’s shown to a hero since she started her campaign.Not only is she sending waves of Task Force X agents after Green Lantern, but she’s also sending Suicide Squad members like King Shark. This level of force shows just how extreme Waller is willing to get to take Earth’s heroes down.
Thankfully Green Lantern still has his Power Ring, but asAbsolute Powerpreviews have shown, it won’t be long until Hal loses those powers. In a world where Amanda Waller holds all the cardsan army like the one she’s sent after Green Lantern will be more than enough to apprehend fugitive heroes. What Hal sees at the end ofGreen Lantern #12is just a small glimpse at the hell Waller is about to bring to the DC Universe, one that’s only going to get worse when she steals every metahumans’ powers.
Can Green Lantern Stay on the Run for Long?
Hal Jordan is used to facing impossible odds. But with Amanda Waller pursuing him on Earth and Thaaros monitoring the stars, Green Lantern has fewer and fewer places to hide. He might have a shot as long as he’s got his Power Ring, but it’s going to be quite difficult when Waller robs him of his powers. If theJustice Leaguerisn’t careful, he just might wind up being caught by theSuicide Squadand delivered straight to Thaaros for whatever twisted plans the madman has for Hal.
