Sinestro Corps

Sinestro Corps

Cover to Green Lantern vol. 4 #21.
Art by Ivan Reis.
Publication information
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Green Lantern vol. 4 #10 (May 2006)
Created by Geoff Johns (writer)
Ethan Van Sciver (artist)
In-story information
Base(s) Qward
Roster
See:(below)

The Sinestro Corps is a group of fictional characters, a villainous analog to the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe, derived from the emotional spectrum. It is led by the supervillain Thaal Sinestro.

Fictional history

Before the Corps

The Parallax entity is a space parasite that is the embodiment of fear that was imprisoned within the Central Power Battery on Oa. As time passed, the entity became known as the yellow impurity, the cause for the power rings' weakness to the color yellow.[1]

Thaal Sinestro, at the time the universe's greatest Green Lantern, was sent to Earth by Supernova in a plot to erase Guy Gardner from history. Booster Gold was assigned to prevent this from happening. To do so, he convinced Sinestro to leave Earth, claiming that he was an admirer from the future, and that his yellow Legion of Super-Heroes flight ring was a tribute to Sinestro. When asked what Corps he belongs to, Booster ad-libbed, "The...Sinestro Corps", leading Sinestro to twirl his mustache in thought while mumbling, "Of course...Of course."[2]

After Sinestro went rogue, he was banished by the Guardians of the Universe to Qward in the antimatter universe. When he returned, he wielded a power ring which used yellow energy. After various encounters with Earth's Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, he was imprisoned within the Central Power Battery. There he was able to use his ring, which uses fear, as opposed to willpower, as a power source, to awaken Parallax from hibernation. From there, Parallax and Sinestro were able to influence the fall of Hal Jordan and instigate the fall of the Green Lantern Corps, leaving one last Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner.[3][4]

Recruitment drive

The Sinestro Corps gathers on Qward.

After the Green Lantern Corps was restarted with the return of Hal Jordan,[5] the Sinestro Corps began actively recruiting members, offering yellow power rings and a role in the Corps to those who can "instill great fear". Members of the Corps are immediately taken to Qward to "...be subjected to psychological and physical reconditioning". The members of the Sinestro Corps work in sectors, like the Green Lantern Corps. Qward also has a huge yellow Central Battery on its surface like the one used on Oa.[6] Although the Sinestro Corps uses fear, and opposes the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians, Sinestro has stated their goal is to bring order to the universe, which he claims the Guardians have failed to do.

Arkillo, a large and muscular vicious alien, is enslaving all the Qwardian Weaponers and forcing them to continuously build new yellow rings which are programmed to breach the barrier between the antimatter and matter universes to find and recruit new ring-wielders. Arkillo also serves as the Sinestro Corps' drill sergeant, similar to Kilowog's role in the GLC.[7]

Members recruited include Karu-Sil, raised by animals; Despotellis, a sentient virus capable of attacking Lanterns from the inside; and Bedovian, the sniper of the Corps, capable of taking out a target from three sectors away.[8]

During this time, the Sinestro Corps attempted to recruit Batman, known even to some alien races for his formidable ability to instill fear in others. However, Batman's willpower combined with his previous brief exposure to a power ring allowed him to reject the yellow ring before it took him to be properly trained and molded into one of Sinestro's soldiers. The yellow ring then sought a replacement and selected Amon Sur, the disgruntled son of Abin Sur, who was on Earth attempting to steal Hal Jordan's ring.[9]

The prophecy

It was revealed that after untold millennia, the Weaponers of Qward, Ranx the Sentient City, the Children of the White Lobe, and the Empire of Tears will rise united against the Green Lantern Corps.[10] This was largely ignored up until upgraded Manhunters started to appear throughout the universe. Hal Jordan encountered one on Earth and, with Guy Gardner, followed their trail to Sector 3601. Hal and Guy found several Green Lanterns, all of whom were assumed to have been killed during the Emerald Twilight saga, and the Manhunters' new grandmaster Hank Henshaw, the Cyborg Superman. The Manhunters were defeated and Henshaw's head was brought to Oa.[11] The Book of Oa has a forbidden chapter on cosmic prophecies, which includes the following:

A face of metal and flesh shall speak of the secrets of the 52.
Fear will rise.
Willpower will gather.
And a war of light will unleash the truth behind the power of the ring.

Book Of Oa, Green Lantern vol. 4 #20

After his interrogation, the Guardians learned that Henshaw is aware of the fifty-two parallel universes and that if New Earth was destroyed, the new Multiverse would collapse and the Antimatter universe would take its place. Two of the Guardians, Ganthet and Sayd, warn the other Guardians not to ignore the prophecy because it could destroy the Green Lantern Corps.[12]

The Sinestro Corps War

Main article: Sinestro Corps War

Following his defeat in Green Lantern: Rebirth, the events of Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 Sinestro retreats to the planet Qward in the antimatter universe. There he amasses an army, the Sinestro Corps, that he selects based upon their ability to "inspire great fear". Each member is armed with a yellow power ring, mirroring the green ones of the Green Lantern Corps. Amongst Sinestro's allies are Parallax and the resurrected Anti-Monitor. The Sinestro Corps then launches an all-out assault against the Green Lantern Corps and the universe itself. During the assault on Oa, the Sinestro Corps manages to inflict heavy casualties and free Superman-Prime and the Cyborg Superman from their imprisonment. Kyle Rayner is captured and transported to Qward, where Sinestro manages to separate Rayner from the symbiote Ion allowing Parallax to possess him.[13] Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner return to Earth to warn the Justice League of the Anti-Monitor's return.

As the Sinestro Corps spreads out to ambush Green Lanterns across the universe, Green Lantern vol. 4 #23 sees the Guardians deciding to rewrite their sacred text, the Book of Oa. They add 10 new laws, the first of which authorizes the use of lethal force against the Sinestro Corps. As the Green Lanterns gather on Oa in preparation for a Sinestro Corps assault, the Sinestro Corps teleport themselves and their Central Power Battery instead to a new Warworld, their objective revealed to be Earth.[14] Events in Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #16 show Hal informing the Green Lantern Corps of Sinestro's plans.[15]

Green Lantern vol. 4 #24 continues the story, with Green Lanterns and Sinestro Corps members battling across Earth. Hal manages to free Kyle from Parallax before the entity is imprisoned in their power batteries by Ganthet and Sayd.[16] After John and Guy arrive, the former Guardians reveal to them the prophecy of the "Blackest Night", seen in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25. It foretells of five more Corps arising, each based on a different color and emotion. After the five corps are established, a "War of Light" will ensue, in which all the corps are destroyed, leading to the "Blackest Night".[17]

The Guardians arrive on Earth and appoint Sodam Yat to be the new Ion. After a lengthy struggle in New York, the Sinestro Corps are defeated by the overwhelming numbers against them. One of the Guardians sacrifices himself to send Superman-Prime to an alternate universe, while Hal and Kyle subdue and arrest Sinestro in Coast City. In the aftermath of the battle, seen in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25, the Guardians decide to bring the second of the new laws into effect. After realizing that the "Blackest Night" prophecy will come to pass, Ganthet and Sayd depart after creating a blue power ring with the intention of creating their own Corps, based on the spreading of Hope to the rest of the universe. The Anti-Monitor, having been blown across the vacuum of space at the battle's climax, finds itself on a dark planet. There it is transformed by an unknown force into a Black Power Battery.[17]

Blackest Night

Main article: Blackest Night

Following the Sinestro Corps War, the Green Lantern Corps tracked down the abandoned Sinestro rings and prevented them from finding new bearers. Among these is Amon Sur's ring, which attempts to recruit the self-proclaimed "Master of Fear", Jonathan Crane.[18] The surviving members of the Sinestro Corps continue to try to bring fear to the Green Lanterns, in part by murdering the family members of Green Lanterns.[19] Meanwhile, Mongul (who had since obtained a yellow ring in the aftermath of the war) begins his quest to take command of the Sinestro Corps in their namesake's absence. After obtaining an additional five rings by killing corpsmen who refused to follow him, Mongul takes over the planet Daxam and then a large contingent of the Sinestro Corps, after besting Arkillo in one-on-one combat, he becomes the new leader of the Sinestro Corps. In "Rage of the Red Lanterns" #1, a group of rogue Sinestro Corps members still loyal to Sinestro release him from Green Lantern custody as he is being transferred for execution. Their rescue attempt is temporarily spoiled by an attack from Atrocitus and his newly formed Red Lantern Corps.[20]

Sinestro is abducted by Atrocitus' forces and brought to the Red Lantern base planet: Ysmault. Planning to use Sinestro's blood for their own means, Sinestro's faction of the Sinestro Corps eventually arrive and liberate him from the Red Lanterns. After their escape, Sinestro and his faction of the Sinestro Corps return to Qward, revealing that there is a backup Central Power Battery. Sinestro orders his men to free the Sinestro Corps members imprisoned on Zamaron by the Star Sapphires and meet him on the darkside of Daxam's moon. After Sinestro attends to "family business", they will retake the Sinestro Corps from Mongul.[21] In addition to those members imprisoned on Zamaron, Sinestro Corps members are also being held prisoner on Oa. Their power rings are held in containment along with other rings (abandoned due to casualty in war) that were prevented from finding new bearers. When Red Lantern Vice is freed from confinement in his sciencell, he attacks the Green Lantern jailer.[22] Though the imprisoned members of the Sinestro Corps initially cheer him on, they find that he is just as likely of attacking them in his rage. During the jail break, Scar frees the yellow power rings and they find their bearers in the sciencells. Upon being reunited with her ring, Lyssa Drak claims to once again be able to feel the Book of Parallax. Now armed with their rings the Sinestro Corps join in the battle with the Green Lanterns and Vice.[23]

The faction of the Sinestro Corps led by Sinestro are planning an invasion of Zamaron, homeworld of the Star Sapphires, in order to retake the female Corps members being held prisoner there.[24] After being repelled from Daxam, Mongul's faction (which he has renamed as "The Mongul Corps") invades Korugar.[25] Sinestro's rescue attempt is interrupted by a Black Lantern attack, which he only survives through the arrival of Hal Jordan and Indigo-1, leader of the Indigo Tribe. Indigo-1 brings Sinestro to Korugar, so that he may finally confront Mongul. After a fierce battle, Sinestro activates the override systems in Mongul's rings, using them to imprison him inside the Sinestro Corps Central Power Battery, thus overthrowing Mongul,taking control of the Mongul Corps,and renaming it "The Sinestro Corps" after himself.[26] When he departs with Hal Jordan's group of light-wielders, he commands his Corps to gather at Korugar and protect it while he is away.[27]

The New 52

Returning to Korugar after the Guardians decide to leave him with the ring, Sinestro learns that his Corps have reverted to their brutal methods, terrorising and slaughtering the people of Korugar rather than ruling it, Sinestro creating a new Green Lantern ring for Hal Jordan albeit one that he can shut off at will so that Jordan can help him retake control of the Sinestro Corps, who now want him dead in the belief that his killer will become the new Sinestro Corps leader.[28][29] After turning various Korugarian prisoners into a temporary Green Lantern Corps using short-lived duplicates of Sinestro's ring,[30] Sinestro and Hal are able to hold off the Sinestro Corps long enough to drain the power away from the Central Power Battery of the Sinestro Corps, de-powering all of the Corps members on Korugar, although those more distant from the battery will still have access to their own power supplies.[31] Later all Lanterns' rings registered that the Sinestro Corps have disbanded with 98% of all known Corpsmen dead or incarcerated, requiring Arkillo, who was cut off from the other Corps in the Orrery with the New Guardians during this attack, to use a new, independent power battery forged by the Weaponer from the fear of the Korugarians.[32] It has since been revealed that the Guardians were responsible for Sinestro acquiring a Green Lantern ring in an attempt to undermine the Sinestro Corps as part of their future plans to destroy all seven Corps.[33] During the conclusion of the "Wrath of the First Lantern" storyline, Sinestro becomes once again a member of the Sinestro Corps and after bonding with Parallax, he reactivates the yellow rings and releases all the Sinestro Corps members who were incarcerated on Oa.[34]

Prominent members

Prominent members of the Corps, including (clockwise from top left): the Cyborg Superman (Hank Henshaw), Superman-Prime, the Anti-Monitor, Parallax (Kyle Rayner), and Sinestro. Art by Ethan Van Sciver.

Like the Green Lantern Corps, the Sinestro Corps has 7200 ring bearers, two for each of the 3600 sectors of space.

Leadership

Ring bearers

Oath

When recharging their power rings, members of the Sinestro Corps recite the following oath:

In blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what's right,
Burn like my power(*)... Sinestro's might(**)!
Sinestro, Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 (June 2007)

Entity

Main article: Parallax (comics)

As the embodiment of fear which is connected to the yellow light of the Emotional Spectrum, Parallax is revealed to be the emotional entity for the Sinestro Corps. Born when one of the earliest life forms first felt terror, it is insect-like in appearance. Parallax was the first of the seven entities to be captured by a still unknown person and currently is held captive in Ryut. The Sinestro Corps insignia is based on drawings created by life forms who looked into the mouth of Parallax, and lived to tell the tale.

Book of Parallax

This book apparently holds in its pages all the history of the greatest Sinestro Corpsmen histories. For unknown reasons the book was chained to Lyssa Drak with yellow energy from Sinestro himself. This was possibly for the need to have a historian for his Corps and a way for Sinestro to revisit his Corps' success. Lyssa Drak is quite loyal to Sinestro and highly devoted to updating the Book and keeping it safe. A power ring is needed to translate the Book's text into words familiar to the ring wielder. Before a candidate of the corps enters a fear lodge, their power rings are drained by the Book of Parallax.

Recently, Lyssa Drak has become the embodiment of the book.

Weapons and equipment

A Yellow Power Ring

Members of the Sinestro Corps use yellow power rings built on Qward. Though functionally similar to a Green Lantern's power ring, yellow power rings are fueled by fear instead of willpower. Members are selected for their skill at intimidation and terror. The ring amplifies the aggressive tendencies of the wearer. The yellow rings are charged by yellow power batteries, which are in turn linked to a yellow Central Power Battery based on Korugar. Aside from the recharging limitations common among the various Corps, their only known weakness is that their power can be drained by a Blue Lantern's power ring.[21]

Other versions

The Lightsmiths

In the universe prior to the current one, groups managed to tap into the wellspring of power created by the Emotional Spectrum. In this universe those who tapped into the yellow light were known as the Lightsmiths of the Yellow Light of Terror.[69]

In other media

Television

Film

Video games

References

  1. Green Lantern: Rebirth #3 (2005)
  2. Booster Gold #2 (2007)
  3. Green Lantern vol. 3 #50 (1994)
  4. Green Lantern: Rebirth #4 (2005)
  5. Green Lantern: Rebirth #6 (2005)
  6. Rogers, Vaneta (2006-08-08). "CATCHING UP WITH GEOFF JOHNS". Newsarama. Retrieved 2007-03-20.
  7. Green Lantern vol. 4 #11
  8. Wizard Magazine #184 (February 2007), 2007 Preview, Sinestro Corps.
  9. Green Lantern vol. 4 #17 (April 2007)
  10. 1 2 Tales of the Green Lanterns Corps Annual #2 (1986)
  11. Green Lantern vol. 4 #15 (2005)
  12. Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 (2007)
  13. Geoff Johns (w), Ethan Van Sciver (a), Moose Baumann (col), Rob Leigh (let). "Sinestro Corps, Prologue: The Second Rebirth". Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 (Aug 2007), DC Comics.
  14. Geoff Johns (w), Ivan Reis (p), Oclair Albert (i), Moose Baumann (col). "Broken Laws". Green Lantern vol. 4 #23, DC Comics.
  15. Dave Gibbons (w), Patrick Gleason (p), Prentiss Rollins (i), Guy Major (col). "The Battle of Ranx". Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #16, DC Comics.
  16. Geoff Johns (w), Ivan Reis (p), Oclair Albert & Julio Ferreira (i). "Home Invasion". Green Lantern vol. 4 #24 (Dec 2007), DC Comics.
  17. 1 2 Geoff Johns (w), Ivan Reis & Ethan Van Sciver (p), Oclair Albert, Julio Feirreira, & Ivan Reis (i), Moose Baumann & Rod Reis (col). "The Sinestro Corps War part 11". Green Lantern vol. 4 #25, DC Comics.
  18. 1 2 Geoff Johns (w), Mike McKone (p), Andy Lanning, Marco Alquiza, and Mark Farmer (i), Jo smith (col). "The Alpha Lanterns Part II". Green Lantern vol. 4 #27, DC Comics.
  19. 1 2 Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #28
  20. Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1 (December 2008)
  21. 1 2 Green Lantern vol. 4 #38 (February 2009)
  22. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #34 (March 2009)
  23. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #35 (April 2009)
  24. Green Lantern vol. 4 #41 (June 2009)
  25. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #39 (October 2009)
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Green Lantern vol. 4 #46
  27. Green Lantern vol. 4 #47
  28. Green Lantern vol. 5, #1 (September 2011)
  29. Green Lantern vol. 5, #2 (October 2011)
  30. Green Lantern vol. 5, #4 (December 2011)
  31. Green Lantern vol. 5, #5 (January 2012)
  32. 1 2 Green Lantern: New Guardians #8 (April 2012)
  33. Green Lantern (vol. 5) #12 (August 2012)
  34. Green Lantern vol. 5, #20 (May 2013)
  35. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #20
  36. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #26
  37. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #27
  38. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #33
  39. 1 2 Rogers, Vaneta (2006-04-11). "TAPPING IN TO EVIL: ETHAN VAN SCIVER ON SINESTRO CORPS". Newsarama. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
  40. 1 2 3 Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #30
  41. 1 2 Green Lantern vol. 4 #36 (January 2009)
  42. Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps one-shot
  43. Green Lantern Corps (Vol. 2) #12-13
  44. "Green Lantern" vol. 4 #26
  45. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #31
  46. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #32
  47. Green Lantern vol. 4 #45
  48. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #43
  49. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps: Secret Files and Origins one-shot (2007)
  50. "Green Lantern" vol. 4 #20 (2007)
  51. Newsarama Tapping in to Evil: Ethan Van Sciver on Sinestro Corps
  52. Green Lantern Vol. 4 #23
  53. Green Lantern vol. 4 #65 (April 2011)
  54. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #17
  55. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #37 (June 2009)
  56. Untold Tales of Blackest Night #01
  57. Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Special #1
  58. 1 2 R.E.B.E.L.S. (2009) #10
  59. Blue Beetle #20
  60. Blue Beetle #21
  61. Blackest Night #6 (December 2009)
  62. Blackest Night #7 (2010)
  63. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #35 (July 2009)
  64. R.E.B.E.L.S. #11
  65. Green Lantern Corps #57
  66. Action Comics #857
  67. Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps Secret Files
  68. Green Lantern vol. 4 #50
  69. Green Lantern #23.1
  70. http://arkhamcity.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=4642

External links

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