The build-up to FINAL CRISIS continues in Part 2 of "The Alpha Lanterns"! In the aftermath of the Sinestro Corps War, a select few have been chosen to undergo a transformation that will leave them forever altered and forever committed to the Green Lantern Corps. But what other laws are the Guardians unleashing, and why do Hal Jordan and John Stewart want to stop them? Plus, a visit to Oa's Death Row!
• Hal Jordan is awoken in the middle of the night for a code yellow one. John Stewart was drafting something when he got the same call. When Hal and John meet up to take the call they talk about how the amount of sleep and life expectancy of Marines compares with that of Air Force pilots. When John wonders what the Green Lantern life expectancy is, the ring explains its four years, three months, one day, thirteen hours and seven minutes. You had to ask John!!
• Hal and John follow the yellow power ring all the way to Arkham Asylum as the power ring finds Jonathan Crane aka The Scarecrow. Hal and John intervene just in time and take the ring away from its intended new host. John contacts Salaak, and asks what the deal with this ring was as he thought the forgeries were shut down. Salaak responds by explaining that the ring is not a new ring and that it had belonged to Amon Sur who Salaak informs them has been killed.
• On OA, a group of Green Lanterns are in the meeting hall where Shilandra Thane accuses Laira of murdering Amon Sur. The various members present at the meeting debated over whether or not Laira's actions were warranted or if there could have been another option in dealing with Amon Sur. It was starting to get heated until Green Lantern Palaqua but a stop to it. Then Green Man asked the other Lost Lanterns if Laira's actions were justice or murder, to which all of them answer “murder.”
• Laira, now enraged, yells to anyone who will listen that Amon Sur had murdered Ke'Haan's family just to inspire others and that it was justice. She then burns Amon's body so all that is left is a skeleton. Just then, Hal enters and tries to calm things down. Boodikka tells Hal that it's not his business but Hal responds by telling Hannu that the fact he had to chase down a yellow power ring that they should have captured themselves made it his business.
• Just then, the Guardians of the Universe arrive and explain that while lethal force has been allowed against the Sinestro Corps, it is to be used only as a last resort and that the killing of a being in a moment of overwhelming rage would not be tolerated and that feeding off of negative emotion will only serve to threaten the universe. They suspend Laira and strip her of both her power ring and badge. They will hold a trial to determine her fate.
• The Guardians explain that they have decided that a new faction of the Green Lantern Corps is needed to support the new first law and to insure the enforcement of the next nine laws. They explain that it will be a police force within their police force. They begin to scan their corps to find Green Lanterns with the ability to enforce justice. They find their candidates in members such as Varix, Chaselon, Kraken, Green Man, Boodikka and John Stewart. These members of the Green Lantern Corps have been chosen to become Alpha Lanterns.
• The Guardians tell the Green Lanterns present that becoming a member of the Alpha Lanterns is the highest honor one can achieve in the Green Lantern Corps. The Guardians tell the chosen that upon touching the Alpha Lantern, that they have accepted their added responsibility of not just patrolling their sector but they will also investigate inappropriate and unlawful behavior within the Green Lantern Corps. The Alpha Lantern will connect the user's mind to the Book of OA and their body to the central power battery. Alpha Lanterns don't need to sleep and never need to recharge their battery and they will in fact receive an additional power ring. The catch? The Green Lantern must leave behind everything that he or she was in order to move forward as an Alpha Lantern. In the end, all of the applicants accept this honor except for John Stewart whom the Guardians express deep disappointment in.
• Meanwhile in space sector 650, the scarred Guardian urges Green Lantern Ash to find the corpse of the Anti-Monitor. Ash asks the Guardian why he is being chosen for this task and the Guardian responds that his crusades against Starbreaker and his vampire followers are a well-documented tale in the Book of OA. Despite what happened to his wife, Ash has hunted these killers in the darkest corners of the universe and done so without fear. Ash replies that he is not afraid of the dark. The scarred Guardian tells Ash if any bit of power remains in the corpse of the Anti-Monitor, that others will seek it out for their own purposes and explains to Ash that this is a very important mission for him to undertake. Ash asks the scarred Guardian if the others are aware of this task. They are.
• The chosen Alpha Lanterns are told to enter the surgery center where the secrets of the Alpha Lanterns would be revealed to them. As soon as they do, machines begin with some cosmetic surgery. There’s a new oath people: "In Nights of War, Obey the Laws Forever more. Misconduct must be answered for. Swear to us the Chosen, the Alpha Corps!" Sweet.
• The playback for the power ring shows that Amon Sur was giving himself up and that the use of lethal force was indeed not needed. Laira explains that Amon Sur was still armed. She then asks Hal if it had been his brother if he would have done the same? Jordan just looks up at a very satisfied Sinestro.
• Salaak opens up a sciencell for Laira when she tries to make a break for it. Graf Toren tries to take Laira in himself, but suddenly all of the Lantern's power rings are being depleted and nobody knows why until they see the chosen members of the Alpha Lanterns. The Guardians say that the Alpha Lanterns will embody the best elements of the military factions they had a hand in creating. The sentient drive and thought process of the Green Lanterns and the efficiency and the logic of the Manhunters. Now that the Alpha Lanterns have been activated, the Guardians are ready to enact the second law.
Log in to comment