The Sinestro Corps War

The tale of the Black Lantern Corps begins during the Sinestro Corps War, when the Sinestro Corps (Yellow Lanterns) declared war on the Guardians Of The Universe and the Green Lantern Corps. Under the leadership of Sinestro, the Anti-Monitor, Superman Prime, Cyborg Superman, and Parallax, the Sinestro Corps waged the most substantial battle of the Sinestro Corps War on the planet Earth, home to many of the superheroes that have thwarted the domination of it's members time and time again. With the war almost over the Green Lanterns were able to take down the Anti-Monitor by hurling War World with its Yellow Lantern Power Battery into him. The combined power of the Corps was able to contain the resulting blast around the Anti-Monitor. This blast was not able to kill him, but substantially damaged him and shattered his armor. Enraged at the defeat the Sinestro Corps was suffering, Superman Prime hurled the Anti-Monitor's body into deep space.

After drifting in space the Anti-Monitor's shriveled and substantially weakened physical form crash-landed on a dark, barren planet. After the damage suffered on Earth, the Anti-Monitor was unable to protect himself when the ground around him began to envelop him, forming a Black Lantern Power Battery.

Power

The Black Lantern Power Battery contains the body of the Anti-Monitor. It is not known whether the Anti-Monitor is still alive within the battery, however his power is the source of power for the Black Lantern Corps. The Black Lantern Power Rings that were sent out have the ability to re-animate the dead. These re-animated corpses make up the Black Lantern Corps.

Symbol

The symbol on the Black Lantern Power Ring, is the same that was worn by the Green Lantern villain Black Hand, alluding to a possible return of Black Hand to the DCU. At this point, any connection between Black Hand and the Black Lantern Corps is otherwise unconfirmed.