DC’s Most Powerful Green Lantern Got the Most Terrifying Upgrade

One of the best Green Lantern Corps members to ever sling a ring has just gotten an upgrade that should put the fear of the almighty into everyone in the DC Universe. It’s a new day for the DCU. The Omega Tournament is over, and Darkseid is, for now, not a threat. But as is usually the case, when one problem is over, another rears its head. In the case of the Green Lantern Corps, they’ve got their hands full trying to balance their new multi-Lantern organization with pressing issues, like the Emotional Spectrum’s missing entities.

The Entities were recently brought back during the Green Lantern’s battle against the Starbreaker Corps, where the seven avatars were destroyed. However, visions of the beings recently appeared to Guy Gardner, a result of being inundated with Alpha energy at the end of DC K.O.. The Entities have all been reborn as babies, from the Green Lanterns’ powerhouse Ion to the Star Sapphires’ Predator. Even Parallax, the monster that once corrupted Hal Jordan and turned him evil, is back on the scene. And that’s not great for one particular Green Lantern who’s about to come under Parallax’s spell.

John Stewart is the Latest Green Lantern to Be Possessed by Parallax

In Green Lantern Corps #14 by Morgan Hampton, Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, Arif Prianto, and Dave Sharpe, things have changed since the conclusion of the Omega Tournament. Guy is still experiencing visions of the entities, and Lanterns of every shade from blue to indigo are worshiping him. Guy is requested by Corps leader Jessica Cruz to track his visions and bring back the real entities before someone takes advantage of their more vulnerable, reincarnated state for evil. However, the only thing the Green Lanterns need to worry about is the entities themselves.

Case in point, John and his partner Katma Tui have an unexpected run-in with one. Though the two have been trying to work things out on Oa, Katma (who’s actually a variant of the one John lost) asked that they go to Korugar so that she can be among her people to help make sense of the world. The two walk around, marveling at Korugar City, and decide to take in a street fighting match. John gets a serious blast from the past when he sees his former Corps comrade, Soranik Natu, participate in the battle.

John realizes Soranik is emitting a signature similar to Parallax, but before he can call it in, Soranik chooses John to be her next opponent in the ring. Parallax emerges from Soranik, telling John that it won’t leave, as it needs to spread fear through the galaxy. To save Soranik, John offers up his own body as a new vessel for Parallax, to which the entity readily agrees. Parallax leaves Soranik’s body and joins with John, marveling at how much fear and grief he has as John’s body glows Parallax’s signature yellow energy.

Green Lanterns and Parallax are a Recipe for Disaster

John is not the first time a Green Lantern has fallen under Parallax’s menacing sway. When Hal Jordan was infected by the fear entity, he destroyed the Green Lantern Corps and even attempted to remake the DC Universe. Kyle Rayner was similarly possessed during the “Sinestro Corps War” event, and though he didn’t do as much damage, it drove Kyle to do things he ordinarily wouldn’t. But what’s really messed up about this situation is that John is the first Green Lantern to actually invite Parallax inside him and choose to serve as a host.

The one saving grace here is that John no longer has the cosmic upgrade he got a few years ago when he absorbed the Godstorm. That being said, John is one of the Corps’ greatest Lanterns around. He’s way more powerful and experienced than Hal or Kyle were at the time when he was possessed by Parallax. So if the fear entity tries to get John to do something horrible, chances are it could wind up doing some serious damage to the universe.

John’s decision to save Soranik is noble, and he made a valid point when offering himself, noting that fear is an essential part of the universe. But willingly serving as a vessel for the same monster that drove John’s friend to destroy the Green Lanterns? That’s an incredibly short-sighted decision. I’ll give John some credit and acknowledge he’s probably got the will to hold back Parallax. But if he drops his guard for so much as a second, there’s no telling how much damage or destruction Parallax could do as long as he’s got this Green Lantern under his control.

What do you think about Green Lantern choosing to serve as a host for Parallax? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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