 | RED LANTERN CORPS | BIOGRAPHY |
| Created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver |
MEMBERSHIP
HISTORY
The Red Lanterns were created by Atrocitus of the Five Inversions on the planet Ysmault. Millennia of hatred had festered in his heart, following the near annihilation of all life in his home sector 666 by the Manhunters. The Guardians of the Universe and their new servants the Green Lantern Corps would pay for the actions of the Manhunters. The former Green Lantern, Sinestro, would also suffer, due to the Korugarian’s capture of Atrocitus a decade prior.
Atrocitus used ancient blood magics to harness the power of rage, represented by red light in the emotional spectrum. He anointed his power battery with the blood of fellow prisoner Qull of the Five Inversions. The massive Red Lantern Central Power Battery towered of the lake of sacrificial blood of his fellow Inversions as Atrocitus dived deep beneath the waves. The crystallized blood of the Inversions formed into the red power ring as Atrocitus became the first of the Red Lanterns. He quickly built his own army to declare a War of Light on the Green Lantern Corps and the yellow light wielding Sinestro Corps. - Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1
One of the first known Red Lanterns was the former Green Lantern Laira of Jayd. Her hatred of the Sinestro Corps drew the red power ring to her. Like all Red Lanterns, her heart was stopped as the ring took over. Blood was replaced by the liquid red light of the ring. Only a select few appear able to generate constructs from the red light, the majority expel the red fire described as “napalm and acid” at their enemies. The fire can burn even in the vacuum of space. There are numerous Red Lanterns but only a few have been specifically identified. Thus far, all have been in some way victims of the Sinestro Corps.
The Red Lanterns recently attacked the Sinestro Corps and the Green Lanterns who were transporting Sinestro to his planned execution of Korugar. Sinestro and some of his Corps were taken to Ysmault to be used for blood sacrifices. Sinestro was able to escape due to the interventions of Green Lantern Hal Jordan with Blue Lanterns Saint Walker and Warth and additional members of the Sinestro Corps. The ensuing fight saw the death of a number of Red Lanterns, including Laira at the hands of Sinestro. For a brief time Hal Jordan was turned to a Red Lantern, however the power of the Blue Lantern ring expelled the power of the red. Atrocitus then searched for the homeworld of the Blue Lantern Corps, a task he would soon abandon. - Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1, Green Lantern Vol. 4 #36- #39
On Oa, the briefly imprisoned Red Lantern Vice had escaped his sciencecell, leading to a prison riot and the escape of the Sinestro Corps soldiers. Vice was later released to battle the invading forces of the Black Lantern Corps before being executed by Alpha-Lantern Chaselon. The apparent death of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner caused his fellow ring wielder Guy Gardner to fill with rage, and changing Gardner into the next Red Lantern for a time. - Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #34- #35, #42
The Red Lanterns were unique amongst the various Corps as the Black Lanterns could not kill them by taking their hearts.
Following the Blackest Night, the Red Lantern Corps entered into a non-aggression treaty with the other Corps while they sought to protect the emotional entities which were being taken by Krona. Atrocitus sought out the Rage Entity, the Butcher on Earth while he had made a secret pact with Ganthet and Guy Gardner.
POWERS AND WEAPONS
All members of the Red Lantern Corps possess a red power ring as well as any powers and abilities native to their species.
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of Red Lantern Corps in chronological order click here
GLCWP NOTE
As stated above, a number of Red Lanterns have yet to be identified by name. First seen in Green Lantern Vol. 4 #25, the characters Antipathy and Abyssma were named by Ethan Van Sciver in interviews and has yet to be referenced in the comics themselves.