Lanterns has arrived, and with it comes an almost weekly mention of a new Green Lantern from DC Comics lore.
The hit DCU series follows Green Lantern Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and his trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as they find themselves in the middle of an intergalactic mystery that takes them to a small town in Rushville, Nebraska. The series has no problem name-dropping various other members of the Green Lantern Corps, and in case you're confused... we've broken them down for you below.
Scroll on down for an ongoing list of every Green Lantern from the comics mentioned in the show, which will only get longer as the season goes on. But be warned: there are spoilers for Lanterns episode 1 and 2 below!
For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One: Gods and Monsters, as well as our list of all the upcoming DC movies in the works.
Abin Sur
In Lanterns episode 1, Hal tells John part of the story of how he became the Green Lantern. He said a dying alien with a pink face and bald head (who he dubbed 'Pinko') gave him the ring, and that the alien managed to croak out his real name: "Abin Sur."
We love a comic book-accurate moment, as Abin Sur is indeed the predecessor to Hal Jordan. In DC comic history, Sur was the Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814 in the mid-1860s before he was attacked by a being known as the Legion, and was forced to make an emergency landing on Earth. He used the ring to search for the next Green Lantern, which first led him to Clark Kent, but seeing how he isn't native to Earth, the ring selected Hal Jordan next.
While we don't see Sur in live-action in Lanterns, we certainly saw him in the 2011 Green Lantern movie, played by Temuera Morrison. Of course, we could always see Sur in a flashback in a later episode of Lanterns.
Mogo
In Lanterns episode 2, John is tasked with heading over to Hal's house and grabbing a few things. When it's time to open the vault, he calls up Hal for the password: "Mogo doesn't socialize."
Mogo, a sentient planet and Green Lantern, was first introduced in Green Lantern #188 circa 1985. In the comic, Green Lantern Tomar-Re simply explains that "Mogo doesn't socialize," which is why he doesn't attend the Corps gatherings. As a living planet who understandably doesn't care much for others, Mogo mostly presents itself using holograms (much like the Hal-ogram in Lanterns). Later on in the comics, Mogo turns itself into a recreational planet for Lanterns to heal, train, and find safety.
Given that we saw Hal fly into space at the end of episode 2, I don't see why an appearance from Mogo itself isn't possible.
Sinestro
At the very end of Lanterns episode 2, Hal suits up and heads to space. There, he enters a special Guardians prison and comes face to face with disgraced former Green Lantern, Sinestro. "If one still existed, it'd be the second greatest threat you're currently facing," Sinestro says, when Hal Jordan asks him about Manhunters. That first threat, he says, is none other than John Stewart... who is (rightfully) coming for Hal's ring.
In the comics, Sinestro is a big bad and overall genocidal freak. He's initially tasked with being Hal's mentor, but he two don't really get along. Unbeknownst to the Guardians, Sinestro is sort of ruling over his home planet of Korugar as a totalitarian dictator... rather than protecting it. Hal eventually uncovers this, which leads the Guardians to banish him to a universe made up of negative matter. He's able to escape, however, and decides to commit mass genocide across multiple star systems. Sinestro is caught by the Guardians once again, who send him to be executed, but he manages to cheat death by sending his essence to the Central Battery, which is the life force for all Lantern rings. It's Hal who manages to restore the Central Battery and trap Sinestro inside for all eternity.
Given the gravity of Hal and Sinestro's relationship in the comics and the ominous ending of episode 2, it's likely that there will be more Sinestro throughout the season... and we'll just have to see if he stays behind bars.
Lanterns is streaming now on HBO Max. For more, check out our Lanterns review and stay up to date with the Lanterns release schedule.
