Guy Gardner

Origin

Guy Gardner was created by Gil Kane and John Broome in March, 1968. His first appearance was in Green Lantern #59.

Guy was born to parents Roland and Peggy Gardner in Baltimore, Maryland. He had a rough childhood, often being beaten by his abusive father. Gardner always struggled to please his father, who seemed to only appreciate the accomplishments of his older brother, Mace. His only escape was comic books that he collected, particularly those of General Glory. He even modeled his haircut after the General's kid sidekick.

Young Gardner tried to do many things to impress his father, including building a radio from scratch for a school project. Nothing seemed to be capable of impressing Rolly though, so Guy eventually grew tired of trying to please his father, and began a life of mischief and juvenile delinquency. He stole cars, got in fights, and got send to Juvenile Hall several times. Unfortunately, after Guy turned 18 years old, his behavior finally caught up with him. The police caught him trying to steal a car, but instead of taking him to jail, they took him to his brother, Mace Gardner. Mace had become a Baltimore policeman, and enlisted his fellow officer's help in setting his brother straight. After smacking him around a bit, Mace gave Guy a big wad of money, and told him to start acting right. This hit Guy where it counted, and he went out and got a job. He got his G.E.D., and began an education at the University of Michigan.

He graduated alongside his good friend John Henry Irons, and left the school with a Bachelor's in Psychology and Education, along with much time spent learning about engineering and playing sports. When he came back home to his family though, things were not as he remembered. His brother had been kicked from the force for the extortion of several drug dealers, whom Mace had blackmailed. He drowned himself in a local river. This drove their father's alcoholism to new levels, and he too soon died.

Guy, now full of aggression that he couldn't get rid of, decided to follow a career helping others with the same problem. He became a social caseworker for prison inmates. One of these inmates was Hal Jordan, in a correctional facility for an alcohol problem. Eventually, during a huge prison riot, Guy lost his temper and attacked one of the inmates. Jordan was forced to pull him off. This led Guy to leave this career path, believing it to be a conduit for his aggressiveness. He opted then to become a Physical Education teacher. He was put in a class for special education children, which he loved to teach. The students regarded him as their favorite teacher.

Green Lantern

Green Lantern

Unbeknownst to Guy, an alien by the name of Abin Sur crash landed on Earth. Abin Sur was a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, and was fatally wounded. In a last ditch effort to pass on the responsibility of defending his assigned sector of the Universe (sector 2814, which includes Earth), he used his Power Ring to scan the beings on the planet, searching for one that was honest and without fear. The ring's first choice was Guy Gardner, but he was too far away. The ring instead opted for a closer being, Hal Jordan, former inmate. Guy was put on reserve, in case of a situation calling for a replacement Lantern. Abin died, and the ring bonded itself with Hal, who became the world-renowned and infamous Green Lantern of Earth and Sector 2814.

Years later, while Guy was on a field trip with a class of his students to California, a destructive Earthquake rocked the bridge beneath them. The school bus careened toward the edge of the bridge, and almost tipped off. Everybody on the bus was returned to safety through the emergency exit in the rear of the bus, save for Guy and a young girl. As he tried to pull her out of the death-trap, the bus gave out, and the two plummeted toward certain doom. However, just in time to save them was none other than Hal Jordan, Green Lantern of Earth. Hal recognized Gardner as the man who had worked with him in prison, and the man whom Abin Sur had originally chosen to receive his Power Ring, but chose to leave Gardner in the dark. The two were brought to solid ground, but the violent fall had broken Gardner's legs before Hal could reach him. For almost the next year, Guy was bedridden, or forced to use a cane or crutches to walk.

Soon enough though, Gardner healed enough to walk on his own, and was able to return to a normal life. However, because he was still racked with guilt over the near death of his entire class, Guy was unable to continue teaching. He began to travel the country, seeing places that he had always dreamed of visiting. On one of these ventures he met a woman named Kari Limbo at a state carnival. She professed to be something of a fortune teller, and during a reading of Guy's future, she informed him that he will inherit a part in a great tradition involving the color Green. Guy and Kari soon fell in love, and traveled the country together. Guy even proposed to her, and she accepted. Life didn't seem like it could get better for him.

Elsewhere, Hal Jordan began to have trouble charging his Power Ring. Assuming it was a problem stemming from the Oa'n Central Power Battery itself, Hal decided to venture there. He departed Earth, but before leaving he confronted Guy about his title as a reserve Lantern. After Gardner came to terms with it, Hal left him with a Power Ring, and his Lantern. However, little did Hal or Guy know that the problem Hal was having was actually inside his Lantern. As a result, when Guy first tried to charge his ring, his head was injured and his cranium damaged in a fatal explosion, and was somehow flung into the Phantom Zone. Guy spent some time there, learning to fend for himself. Much to his dismay though, he was able to actually look out into Earth from the Zone. From his vantage point, he witnessed Kari Limbo mourning his apparent death, and Hal consoling her. They eventually became lovers, and the longer Guy watched, the more deranged he became.

While residing in the Phantom Zone, Guy encountered a demon named Sapol. Sapol intended to escape from the Zone, and conquer the outside world. Luckily, with some of his remaining power, Guy was able to defeat him. This battle only served to damage Guy's psyche even further, and as he continued to watch Hal and Kari's life together, he nearly lost his mind. In one last ditch effort to contact the outside world, Guy tried to reach out to Kari's psychic abilities from the Zone. On the day Kari and Hal were to be wed, Guy pushed himself as hard as he could, and finally managed to touch her mind. She entered a trance, and drew a picture in the dirt of what she saw from the other dimension. Hal quickly recruited the help of Superman, but in their investigation, they were inadvertently pulled into the Phantom Zone as well. Once there, Guy immediately and relentlessly began attacking the duo, feeling that Hal had in fact stolen Kari from him, and purposely tried to kill him with the faulty battery. Gardner's onslaught forced Superman and Jordan to retreat. After they left, Guy was pulled into the anti-matter universe known as Qward by the ex-Green Lantern Sinestro. He was used by Sinestro, who fueled his rage toward Hal Jordan. Superman and Hal finally defeated Sinestro, and returned Guy to his home. Unfortunately, once there, Guy was comatose. He could not be reached psychically by Kari, nor any other psychics.

While Guy lay in his hospital bed, a new reservist Lantern for sector 2814 was selected. He was another Earthman, by the name of John Stewart. Guy remained in his coma until he was finally and forcibly awakened by the Guardians Of The Universe during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Crisis on Infinite Earths

Guy Gardner, deep in his coma as he was, could still feel his connection with the vast Green Lantern Corps. He could see through his mind's eye their battles with Krona, and Nekron. Hal Jordan, after these experiences and a long career as a Green Lantern, and although he loved to protect those without protection, grew weary of the space faring and dangerous life of a member of the Corps. He resigned, leaving responsibility of Sector 2814 to John Stewart. Hal visited Gardner often in his hospital bed thereafter.

However, little to the knowledge of Earth's heroes, destructive forces were growing ever closer. The being known as the Anti-Monitor, comprised of anti-matter energy, was devouring entire Universes. The very fate of the entire Multi-verse was at stake. The Guardians of the Universe, detecting this terrible and malevolent force, found themselves torn as to how they should act. Six of these Guardians felt that they should break their vow to not intervene in these matters, and take action. They formed their own Power Battery, and began assembling a small Green Lantern strike force. The first of these Green Lanterns, they decided, would be none other than Guy Gardner. During his short time as a Green Lantern, he exhibited a level of willpower previously unseen. They immediately and forcibly woke him from his lengthy coma. When Gardner awoke, he seemed to a wholly different person than he was before his accidental trip to the Phantom Zone. He was angrier, more violent, and his ego was off the charts. Feeling compelled to visit the crash site of Abin Sur, Guy left the hospital promptly. Once there, he was met by Hal Jordan. Hal was apparently there for his annual visit to the burial site. Before the two could talk though, they were met by one of the Guardian's in person. He told Guy that with the entire Universe on the brink of destruction, he was the one Green Lantern that the Guardian's felt could spearhead their assault on the Anti-Monitor. He teleported them to Oa after giving Guy a Power Ring, and at the main Citadel, he met the other five Guardians. They told him that his Ring and Battery would be fueled by their life force, now that the anti-matter wave had destroyed the energy within the original Central Battery. They bestowed upon him a new uniform, resembling that of their now-outdated Fists of the Guardians robots. Guy would be tasked with leading an assault force that he would assemble on the moon of Qward, birthplace of the Anti-Monitor.

Just as the meeting between Guy and the six remaining Guardians concluded, another destructive wave of anti-matter swept across Oa, and killed five of the Guardians. The final remaining Guardian gave Gardner his blessing, and sent him out to assemble his strike force. However, little did any of them know that Hal Jordan had actually hitched along for the ride when they were teleported to Oa. Jordan confronted the Guardian, offering his assistance as a veteran Green Lantern. The Guardian accepted, and granted him a Power Ring under the circumstance that he follow Gardner no matter what. Reluctantly, Hal Jordan agreed, and set off to find Guy. Back on Earth, as forces across the Universe attempted to stop the Anti-Monitor, Guy Gardner was hatching his plan to destroy the moon of Qward. He revived the Shark, an old villain of Hal Jordan's, and persuaded him to assist in his mission. Gardner also recruited Hector Hammond, Sonar, Throttle, Blindside, and Goldface. Just as the team had been finished, Green Lanterns John Stewart and Katma Tui got in their way. They planned on sending the majority of the team back to prison, and to arrest Gardner. Just before they could though, Hal Jordan intervened. He told the two that Gardner was handpicked to stop the Anti-Monitor, and that no one would be allowed to stop him. The team of 8 then left for Qward.

As John Stewart and Katma Tui were about to leave again, they were approached by Sinestro. He informed them that if Gardner's phalanx on the moon of Qward were to be successful, the Anti-Monitor would only grow in power. Stewart quickly departed in search for the team. Meanwhile, in the anti-matter universe, Gardner and his strike force encountered several enemies defending Qward. Gardner quickly cast Jordan out of the team when Hal refused to use lethal force, stranding him in the anti-matter world. Gardner's army approached Qward. Just before they could execute their final objective, John Stewart stepped in, and attacked Gardner. He informed Gardner of the error in the mission, but Guy refused to listen. Jordan, having been rescued by Stewart along the way, also tried to talk Gardner out of it, but without a ring he could not stop him. John felt that the only appropriate course of action would be to forcefully stop Gardner. The two fought for some time, but in the end, John left as the victor. He imprisoned Gardner, and sent his team back to Earth.

Elsewhere, the force of the Anti-Monitor was stopped by several heroes from the Multiverse, including Superman from Earth-Two, Superboy from Earth-Prime, and Alexander Luthor from Earth-Three. However, with the defeat of the Anti-Monitor, the remaining energy began to collapse into one, streamlined Universe. Having nowhere else to run, Luthor created a pocket Universe for them all to live in, along with Lois Lane of Earth-Two.

Guy and Mary Marvel

The Justice League International

When the Crisis was averted and the remaining Guardians freed from their anti-matter prison, Guy Gardner was to be held accountable for his actions. They had planned on leaving this dimension, and letting the Corps run itself. They told Gardner that if he were to remain a Green Lantern, he must train on their home world of Maltus, and help rebuild several worlds that were left in ruins during the Anti-Monitor's rampage. Although Guy felt this to be something of a punishment, he agreed to their demands.

After this, Guy served the Corps loyally for some time, gaining a reputation as an effective and powerful Lantern. Hal Jordan, now an official Green Lantern once more, was tasked with going on a Universe-wide recruiting mission for the Corps, and Guy was left as the representative Green Lantern of Sector 2814.

Shortly after the events of the Legends miniseries, the world realized that it needed a new Justice League. One that would not only be restricted to its American roots, but one that would protect the Earth as a whole. Maxwell Lord heeded this call, and began recruiting members for his own new League. Invited members included Guy Gardner, Batman, Blue Beetle, Black Canary, Doctor Fate, Martian Manhunter, and Captain Marvel, among others. This marked the beginning of the Justice League International, and the beginning of a more fun-loving and happier time in the DC Universe.

Guy often clashed with most of the League, specifically Batman, but then, most of the League clashed with itself. Gardner fancied himself as leader of the team, although the title was never officially bestowed upon him, and half of the members answered to Batman or Martian Manhunter anyway. The other half answered to Max. At one point, Maxwell went to Hal Jordan and offered him a position on the team, but Jordan refused to join if Guy was a member, claiming that his presence is cancerous to the team's integrity. Max then withdrew his offer, saying that he didn't need the veteran Lantern's advice. Another rather famous moment in the JLI's time together was when Guy finally challenged Batman's leadership abilities. The argument got heated, and Gardner removed his Power Ring, saying that all he needed was his bare hands to take down the Batman. Guy was promptly knocked out with a single punch. After this, it seemed that Guy in fact had a split personality. This separate personality would emerge whenever Guy would get hit on the head. When would happen, Guy became the polar opposite of his everyday arrogant, sexist, violent and cruel self, and developed a humble, modest, sweet, pacifist side.

When the woman named Tora Olafsdotter, otherwise known as Ice, joined the team, Guy found himself infatuated. Unfortunately for him, most of his advances were shot down immediately. Guy persisted though, and eventually got her say yes to a single date. Unfortunately for Mr. Gardner though, he fumbled when she found out they were going to a Rooster Fight, and he said that Tora had "cottage cheese thighs". She refused to even speak with Guy for a very long time, and his actions infuriated teammate Beatriz DaCosta, also known as Fire, who was Tora's best friend. Bea often berated Guy, who grew quite a level of contempt for her. Finally though, one more time, Guy convinced Tora to give him one more chance. She agreed on the stipulation that they go wherever she wanted, and that he act like a perfect gentleman. Guy agreed, and the two went to see the Ice Capists. It was all going well until Blue Beetle decided that he needed to play a prank on the unsuspecting Green Lantern. He recruited the help of Kilowog to build a giant-sized bobble-head Guy Gardner to skate on the ice. When the robot came out, the entire audience laughed and jeered at Gardner, but he managed to control himself. Because of this, Ice felt that she got more of an insight into who Guy really is, and how dedicated he is to her. Unfortunately though, and much to the terrible dismay of her fellow Justice League teammates, and most notably Guy Gardner, Ice later died at the hands of the Overmaster.

The Justice League International went through many such trials and tribulations, the most prevalent of which was the 15-issue crossover Breakdowns. The League, now with branches in Europe and America, faced the massive threats of the Dreamslayer and Despero. Dreamslayer possessed Maxwell Lord, and used him to manipulate the League to his ends. He later ended up murdering several people, and could only be defeated by the Silver Sorceress. Meanwhile, in space, Despero managed to escape from the mother ship of Lord Manga, and attacked Earth. The fight was long and tumultuous, but only the combined effort of the likes of Guy Gardner, Martian Manhunter, Captain Atom, the Flash and more could hope to stop Despero's onslaught. Eventually, with the help of Booster Gold's Conglomerate team, Despero was finally apprehended.

These events though, and the resulting devastation, eventually lead to the disbandment of the Justice League International.

The Yellow Ring rises

The Yellow Power Ring and the Battle with Parallax

Sometime after Guy's tenure with the League, he was back in his regular role as alternate Green Lantern of Sector 2814. However, when Guy provoked Hal Jordan one too many times, his time as a Green Lantern came to an end. In a fit of rage, Jordan destroyed Gardner's Power Ring. Jordan was punished, but Guy was not allowed another Power Ring due to his reckless fights with fellow Lanterns. This left an enormous void in Gardner's life, and he felt that he needed to have power. That he was meant for it. With his need for power now fueling him, he began hatching a plan to gain another power ring. To be specific, the Yellow Qwardian Ring of former Green Lantern Sinestro. He had heard legend of its location before, inside of a Crypt created by the Guardians of the Universe. Using his old Justice League connections, Guy contacted the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo. The two had often clashed in the past, mostly due to such similar and harsh personalities. However, Lobo agreed to help Gardner, and took him into space with him. The two eventually found the Crypt, and Guy discovered exactly what he came for -- Sinestro's legendary Yellow Power Ring. Unfortunately, when Gardner first donned the Ring, he discovered that it was drained of power. It didn't have a Lantern, and as far as he knew, there was no such battery that it could draw power from. Another flaw was that the Ring's inherent language was Korugarian, the native language of Sinestro's people.

In space, on their way back to Earth, Lobo and Guy found themselves attacked by a member of the Green Lantern Corps. Gardner thought himself doomed, but the more the Green Lantern attacked him, the more he realized that his new Ring was gaining power. He began to fight back, and it grew even more powerful. Guy won the fight, and from that point on, the only way he know how to recharge his Ring was to battle against other Green Lanterns.

Guy and Parallax

Jordan's home town of Coast City had been destroyed, and when the Guardian's forbade him from trying to revive its former inhabitants, Jordan assaulted the Corps itself. As he ventured through space, cutting down all the Green Lanterns in his path, he collected more and more rings. Finally, when reaching Oa, he absorbed all the energy of the remaining Lanterns, and killed them. The Guardians, in a last ditch effort to stop Hal, released Sinestro from his prison within the Central Power Battery. Hal snapped his neck, and burned Kilowog to ashes. The Guardians then transferred all of their power to one of their own, Ganthet, who used the power to travel to Earth. Hal then entered himself into the Battery, and emerged infused with all of its power. His name was now Parallax, and did not intend on letting anything stop him from making things right.

Ganthet, now on Earth, began a desperate search for somebody worthy enough to become the last Green Lantern. He first approached Guy Gardner, but Guy refused. The closest being he could then find before Parallax reached Earth was artist Kyle Rayner. Kyle was reluctant, but accepted, and was then given a reconstructed Power Ring. Ganthet then went returned to Oa, leaving Kyle to fend for himself.

Guy, upon learning of Hal Jordan's transformation, leads a team of his former comrades to stop him on Oa. The fight ends quickly though, with Guy holding out the longest. He stands his ground for as long as possible, staving off Parallax's zeal with all the willpower he has left. Unfortunately, Jordan destroys his Yellow Ring, takes one of his eyes, and leaves Gardner for dead. Fortunately, Ganthet is able to teleport him safely back to Earth.

Warrior

Parallax was eventually defeated by Earth's heroes, without the help of Guy Gardner. Guy left without the power he so craved once more, began traveling again. He found himself embedded in the Amazon, deep within the Nabba Jungle. Upon exploring an ancient temple, Guy discovered a chalice filled with a strange liquid. Although logic told him otherwise, he felt drawn to it. Compelled to drink from it Gardner succumbed to his urges, and took a sip from the goblet. It was then that Guy Gardner underwent yet another radical transformation. He was first hit with a wealth of knowledge. He learned that hundreds of years ago, a dying race of humanoids called the Vuldarians came to Earth. They were a proud race of warriors, with amazing shape-shifting abilities, but their numbers were dwindling. They came here to start anew. Upon arrival, they discovered that the ruling species of the planet, Humans, were compatible with their own Vuldarian DNA. They began procreating with local tribes, in a desperate attempt to preserve their heritage. Unfortunately, their unique DNA would take years to integrate with a humans completely. The last colony of Vuldarians died, but their genes continued to swim through our own pool for some time. Finally, hundreds of years later, the integration was successful. In Baltimore, Maryland, the last of the Vuldarian Warriors was born. His name was Guy Gardner.

The Warrior

After Guy finally got the hang of his new abilities, he once again got back into his superhero groove. He took the name Warrior, and used his abilities to fight foes like the Dementor and Militia. Eventually Guy opened a bar called "Warriors" which served as his own base of operations, a superhero hangout, and a Green Lantern museum.

Guy's Warrior solo series lasted for several years, and enjoyed much success. However, when the DC editors wanted to take the Universe in a new direction, Gardner was almost killed in the " Our Worlds At War" storyline. He ended up trapped in a small part of General Zod's country of Pokolistan, and when he escaped; his new goal was to take on more seedy tasks that more upstanding heroes wouldn't take part in. His series didn't last long after this.

The Superbuddies

Several years after the cancellation of the Warrior series, Gardner appeared in several DC titles with his Vuldarian abilities, but only in guest spots. Finally, in April of 2005, Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire reunited to write the sequel to their hit miniseries " Formerly Known As the Justice League". The arc took place in JLA: Classified, and was entitled "I Can't Believe it's not the Justice League". The Superbuddies, reunited members of the Justice League International finally move into their new base of operations: a strip mall in Queens, New York. However, on moving day, they discover who's going to be working next door: Guy Gardner! Guy is opening a bar called "The Dark Side" with reformed super-villain Dick Hertz, aka Blackguard. The Superbuddies are none-too-pleased to find that their former and presumed unstable teammate is going to be their neighbor, and make it quite clear to him. Guy doesn't help himself when he fondles Mary Marvel, and is almost killed for it. He apologizes later on, admitting that it was inappropriate. The team is surprised, but forgive him. Mostly.

Guy Gardner

Eventually, they find the team, and after entering yet another parallel dimension, they are rescued by a particularly angry Doctor Fate.The arc ended, and the Superbuddies were apparently disbanded.

Rebirth and Recharge

When this story arc was released, it was made apparent that Guy's stint in Hell with the Superbuddies had been shunted from continuity. Here, Guy still runs his bar Warriors, and has his Vuldarian powers.

Throughout the years while Guy was absent from the Green Lantern Corps, much changed. Hal Jordan had redeemed himself from evil by reignite the sun, and became the new Spectre. After the Guardians and the Green Lanterns had been all but obliterated years earlier, Kyle Rayner became the last Lantern in the Universe. He spent much time with the JLA, but eventually left when he realized what his duty as a Lantern truly entailed. His responsibility was to every designated Sector of the Universe. All 3600 of them. And when he gained the power of Ion, he revived the Guardians of the Universe on Oa. Sometime later, in Sector 2999, Kyle learned something about an ancient creature. It was called Parallax.

On Earth, things were changing. Sue Dibny had been murdered, shaking the world of superheroes everywhere. Old friends learned of their distrust for each other, and big things were brewing across the globe. Hal Jordan began conflicting the spirit of the Spectre within him, and started acting irrationally. When Guy and John Stewart tried watching a baseball game with him, the people around them began confessing their sins. The Spectre was breaking his will. And within the Spectre, the will of Parallax was corrupting. Hal disappeared, and began dispatching violent justice on criminals elsewhere. Green Arrow became suspicious, and took Hal's old ring out of storage. Guy and John went back to Warriors, and while having a drink, Gardner's abilities suddenly caused him to erupt in a glorious flash of energy. The bar exploded, and Guy was dying. Elsewhere, Carol Ferris visited the ruins of the old hangars in Coast City. Suddenly, everything there was restored to perfection, and various pieces of the City appeared out of nowhere, most notably Hal Jordan's old apartment building.

Guy's goodbye to earth

John brought Guy to the JLA Watchtower, where the Martian Manhunter, Mr. Terrific, Doctor Mid-Nite looked him over. It appeared that when he exploded, his Vuldarian DNA was being rejected by his Human DNA. In essence, he was becoming completely human again. As he recovered, events began to unfold that would change the Universe forever.

Kyle Rayner crash landed in a ship from the center of the sun, bearing with him the body of Hal Jordan. Two teenagers found him, and he told them to tell everybody that "Parallax is coming." Back in Coast City, Hal Jordan appeared before Carol Ferris, but he seemed distraught. The two began reminiscing about the old days at the Airforce base. However, the JLA had noticed the sudden reappearance of Coast City, and went to investigate, leaving J'onn, Mid-nite, Green Arrow, Mr. Terrific and Guy on the Watchtower. When the JLA touched down in Coast City, John suddenly started acting differently. He blasted the League, and even took down Superman. Suddenly, something began to happen to Hal Jordan. The Spectre tried to retreat, but Parallax held it and Hal there. Back on the Watchtower, the ring that Ollie had gotten earlier split in two, and one made its way for Guy as he lay on his med-bay bed. J'onn, reading his thoughts, detected three things: Confidence, arrogance, and fear.

Guy stood up, and said, "You know what they say, J'onny Boy?" His ring flashed brilliantly. "Beware my power." Garbed in his old uniform, Guy blasted down to Earth.

Kyle, recovering from his crash, tried as hard as could not to use his ring to heal himself. Then, Kilowog landed before him, Power Ring in tow. He was acting the same way Guy and John were, and for some reason, he tried to get Kyle to use his ring, which Kyle refused. Kilowog went for Hal's body, but suddenly Ganthet appeared before them. He told Kilowog to cease his actions, but the Lantern wanted a fight. Fortunately, he fell quickly under Ganthet's power. The Guardian teleported Kyle and the coffin to the Watchtower, where Kyle found an unconscious Martian Manhunter, Dr. Mid-Nite, and Mr. Terrific. However, Ollie was still awake. He explained what happened with Guy, and Kyle explained what's been going on:

Hal Jordan was never "Parallax" at all. Eons ago, a yellow demon comprised entirely of Fear rampaged throughout the Universe. Its name was Parallax. The Guardians of the Universe eventually captured it, and imprisoned it inside the Central Power Battery. Because of this, Lanterns could only be beings without fear, so that Parallax could not infect their minds. This caused what Green Lanterns commonly referred to as "the Yellow Impurity". It made it so that Power Rings couldn't affect the color Yellow. The Guardians went so long without dealing with the demon that they eventually simply forgot about it. However, when Hal Jordan's home town of Coast City was destroyed, his mind began to slip. Parallax got a grip on him. Eventually he possessed him, and escaped when Hal entered the Battery years ago. Now, Parallax was possessing the power of the Spectre, and infecting Lanterns from the inside out through their rings. The threat of Parallax was even greater than before. It turns out that Sinestro has been working with the demon, and he attacks Ollie and Kyle in the Watchtower.

On Earth, Guy and John try to attack Ganthet under the influence of the demon, but Ganthet frees them. Kilowog wakes up as well, and the four of them converge on Parallax, who is using Spectre's power. He scoffs at them, but when the JLA, Teen Titans, and JSA all arrive as backup; Parallax realizes that he may have a fight. Hal Jordan's spirit is suddenly freed from the Spectre and the Yellow demon, but as he heads toward "the light", Ganthet pulls him back to the Watchtower, and to his body. Hal wakes up, and is a Green Lantern once more. He defeats Sinestro with Kyle's help, and the two finally shake hands.

They head back down to Earth, and join Guy and the other Lanterns in the battle with Parallax. The demon possesses Ganthet, but the gathering of Lanterns finally manage to teleport it back into the Central Power Battery, and Guy Gardner had played a central role in its capture. With this, the Guardians gather in the main Citadel on Oa, and declare that recruiting will now begin for the new Corps.

Green Lantern once more

They eventually locate Natu inside of a waste facility in the Vega system, but she appears dead. Suddenly she returns to life, and reveals that she ingested her ring, and willed it to keep her body alive but to shut down her mind, so that the creatures on the planet would just consider her biological waste. She tells Kyle and Guy that on her way back to Korugar, she could feel the presence of the previous Lantern of her sector. He had died trying to contain a star that exploded, and the black hole that stood in its place absorbed Soranik. She ended up in the Waste Facility, and sent out rescue signals with her ring. Gardner convinces her to honor the memory of the previous Lantern of Sector 1417, and continue her training as a Lantern. She agrees, and dons her own unique uniform. The trio depart the mysterious planet, but before they can vacate the Vega system, they receive an emergency signal from Kilowog, who is nearby. He had apparently been sucked into a black hole in a separate Sector, along with two other rookie Lanterns. Gardner, Rayner, and Soranik seek them out, but find themselves suddenly embroiled in battle with several bounty hunters working with the Spider-Guild. Apparently, the Guild had been forcibly collapsing stars and using them for energy, and creating a network between the black holes that they could access. The next star on the list: Oa's. After battling the bounty hunters, the three Lanterns locate and rescue Kilowog and his two rookies. They book it out of the system, and suddenly receive a "Code Zero" alert. Code Zero is only raised when Oa itself is under siege. The team enters transluminal speed, and make it back to Oa. Once there, it appears that the Spider-Guild has emerged from the Oan sun, and have commenced a massive attack. Guy Gardner rallies all the Lanterns at the Central Power Battery, where they all recharge their Rings at once. Then, in a coordinated effort, they all unleash their Rings' power at the fleet, and destroy their connection to the Oan sun.

His actions impress the Guardians a great deal, and Salakk promotes him to Lantern Number One of the Honor Guard. In his new position, Guy has authority over most other Lanterns, save for a handful, and is tasked with taking on missions that other Lanterns could not. He must "think outside of the box", according to the Guardians, who believe that Guy is perfect for the role.

The Death of Blue Beetle and the OMAC Project

When Ted Kord, otherwise known as the Blue Beetle, was found dead, the entire world of DC's heroes shattered around them. Booster Gold, after being told of Ted's demise, began a desperate search for his killer. He was assisted by Wonder Woman, the only person who believed Ted's claims of a conspiracy before his death. Unfortunately, while the two were in space looking for one of Batman's "Brother MKII" satellites, Guy Gardner sought them out. He quickly cast Wonder Woman aside, spurning her help. He claimed that it should be the members of the old Justice League International to find Beetle's killer. He took Booster to the home of Beatriz DaCosta, otherwise known as Fire, to recruit her in their search. However, when they arrive at her condo, she is already deep in an investigation of Kord Industries' financial problems, trying to uncover Ted's apparent conspiracy. She asks them whether or not Ted had any dealings with Maxwell Lord, at which point mystery surrounding his death unravels. Max had been siphoning funds from Kord Industries, and using them to finance his own project in Switzerland. Max was now Black King of Checkmate, and he had hijacked Batman's Brother Eye system. When Ted discovered this, he was killed.

Unfortunately, before the three of them can act, Max's Project is activated: Project OMAC. All over the world, under the control of Brother Eye, nanites overwhelm the bodies of selected individuals, turning them into unstoppable meta-human killing machines. Gardner and Booster find Rocket Red and Martian Manhunter already embroiled in an epic battle with several of the OMACs in a Russian desert. At Rocket Red's request, Guy traps all of the present OMACs and Red inside of a bubble. Rocket Red self-destructs, saving them temporarily. Elsewhere, Wonder Woman snaps the neck of Maxwell Lord, killing him. When this happens, the Brother Eye becomes sentient, and commands all OMACs to obliterate every metahuman on Earth.

Beatriz is sent to the hospital, but Guy must leave her bedside after being called to assist in battle with the OMACs elsewhere. Booster leaves for the future again, feeling somehow responsible for Beetle's death, believing he could have prevented all of this had he used his knowledge of the future earlier. After Guy finishes dispatching several hundred more OMACs alongside a handful of other heroes, he and the other Green Lanterns are called to Oa.

The Infinite Crisis

When Superman of Earth-Two, Alexander Luthor of Earth-Three, and Superboy of Earth-Prime returned from their pocket Universe in order "cleanse" ours, the Infinite Crisis began.

Alex had built a device from the Anti-Monitor's carcass, and planned on using it to bring the Multi-verse back, find the perfect Earth, and then collapse the Multi-verse once more. However, before he could finish, the Superboy of the main DCU destroyed his machine. Unfortunately, Conner was promptly and violently killed by the unimaginably powerful Superboy-Prime. The repercussions felt from the destruction of the machine tore through the Universe. The world in which our heroes lived was changed. Various pieces of the Multi-verse folded over into their own, and history was changed in various places. Batman had captured his parent's killer, and Superman developed his powers at a much younger age. The heroes fighting in the Rann-Thanagar War were ripped apart over and over and over, and then teleported to various parts of the Universe. Fortunately, on Earth, Batman was able to stop the rampaging OMACs with the help of Booster Gold, who had returned from the future once more. Superboy-Prime, feeling that his and Alex's plan was falling apart, left Luthor for dead. He blasts away from Earth, heading for Oa. He plans on creating a new Big Bang, making a new Universe in his image.

In space, before Superman and Kal-L (Superman of Earth-Two) could catch up with him, Superboy-Prime confronts the entire Green Lantern Corps, with Guy leading. He easily plows through a 300-mile-thick wall of willpower generated by every single Lantern, and then fights the Lanterns themselves. Guy Gardner calls out a "Code 54", telling the Lanterns that the use of extreme and lethal force has been "granted, and encouraged for this crybaby". Superboy manages to kill several Green Lanterns, but the two Supermen finally reach him. They take him through the Red Sun of Krypton, removing them all of their powers. They crash on Mogo, and Superboy-Prime kills Kal-L. Superman manages to beat Prime into submission, and Guy Gardner meets them there. He oversees Prime's capture, and develops his prison within a Red-Sun Eater, with a rotating watch of 50 Lanterns on "Prime Duty".

Green Lantern Corps

A year following the rampage of Superboy-Prime, Guy Gardner has continued to lead the Green Lantern Corps valiantly. His efforts have turned rookie Soranik Natu into an expert Lantern, and he has assisted other Lanterns such as Hal Jordan, now returned to to his role as Green Lantern of Sector 2814, Kilowog, and even Kyle Rayner, now calling himself Ion once more after absorbing the power of the Starheart from Jade in the Crisis. At one point, Guy even got the Shore Leave he had been waiting for, but even then he could not stay out of trouble. Bolphunga the Unrelenting followed him, and attacked him when he was without his Power Ring. Even then, Guy managed to escape unscathed.

Guy's return

Powers and Abilities

Guy Gardner, before his acquisition of any Power Rings, or activating his latent Vuldarian abilities, has all the abilities of an everyday human being. He is quite intelligent, and before injuring his knee, he was a star college football player.

Green Lantern/Yellow Ring:

When Guy is in possession of either a green or yellow power ring, he is regarded as an extremely efficient, brutal, powerful and cunning adversary. It is said that his willpower is so immense and so uncontrollable, that not even his Power Ring can contain it. Because of this, even when standing still, his ring is constantly sparking and flashing.

Vuldarian Warrior:

Guy's latent Vuldarian abilities granted him the ability to transform his body into a bulking and massive wall of muscle, along with an array of energy, projectile, and blunt weapons. He was also able to use this ability to heal mortal wounds. His heritage also gifted him with the knowledge of all myriad of different warriors across the Universe.