I Can’t Believe DC Just Killed Off This Beloved Green Lantern (& I Don’t Think It Will Stick)

DC’s Absolute Universe is making waves for its incredible reinventions of their most popular superheroes. Absolute Wonder Woman may very well be the greatest comic of the year, and most of the other series aren’t far behind at all. One such book is Absolute Green Lantern, which is changing everything we thought we knew about the will-powered space defenders. Not only is the green level of light behaving completely differently from the Green Lantern rings of the main universe, but instead of the ring just choosing the person most qualified to wield it, the Absolute Universe has Abin Sur casting his judgement on everyone. Whoever fails his test, he zaps with his unstoppable green light, seemingly killing them. One of DC’s best Green Lanterns just met this fate, as John Stewart was completely consumed by the light. But does that mean he’s gone for good? I don’t think so.

Abin Sur Has Judged John Stewart

Abin Sur descended from the stars in Absolute Green Lantern #1, bringing with him the Green Lantern that put up a nearly impenetrable forcefield around Evergreen, Nevada. It trapped the residents of the town inside, with Abin Sur saying that their judgement was commencing. Whenever someone would take some kind of important action, such as when Guy Gardner told everyone to stand down and listen to what Abin Sur had to say, he would blast them with a burst of green light, and when it cleared there would be nothing left. He would declare them judged and fly away, leaving everyone in a terror at what they could possibly do to survive first contact with an unstoppable alien force.

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John Stewart was one of the calmest hostages, preferring to think rationally about what Abin Sur wanted, and how they could all get out of here alive. He investigated the site of three bikers who crashed into the forcefield when it first arrived, and how despite the fact that they were nothing but bloody stains and vulture food, one of their rings made it through. After some trial and error, he realized that gold and anything that looks like gold can pierce the barrier. However, he also concluded that this wasn’t what Abin Sur wanted them to learn, as if they were being judged they must have been meant to show or learn something from the experience. Before he can come to any other conclusions, Abin Sur appears and says John has been judged. He is consumed in the flame-like green light, and Abin sure flies away once again.

From this, Hal concluded that the only way that any of them were going to escape with their lives was if someone took down Abin Sur. Against Jo’s pleas, he walked off, and started coating bullets with gold to take down their alien captor. Of course, this would eventually lead us to the present-day events, but right now we need to talk about John Stewart, because I don’t believe he’s dead, and Guy Gardner might not be either.

Abin Sur Wants Them To Overcome Their Fear

Killing off just Guy Gardner is one thing, it’s a great way to set the stakes, but also immediately killing off John Stewart? Something doesn’t seem right about that, and especially not with the way John died. When Abin Sur blasted Guy, it was only after Guy overcame his fear of what Abin Sur might do to try and reach out a hand in peace. Similarly, when he attacked John, it was after John learned what he did and came to the conclusion that the test they were under wasn’t something to be feared. In fact, John smiled as he was consumed, like he wasn’t afraid of his fate at all. This could mean that he realized this judgement is all about letting go of fear, and once he did, he knew he would pass and survive. Abin Sur never reveals what the fate of those who are judged is, just that they have been. Coupling that with his references to the green level of light, this could easily mean that John and everyone else who is judged are transported to a different plane where the emotional spectrum light they correspond to lies. Also, when John is hit they light makes a FWASSHH sound. That’s not a disintegration sound, that’s a transport sound. That’s onomatopeia 101!

So what does this mean? Well, as much as Jo seems to be the only Green Lantern that we’ve seen so far, we’ve also seen that Hal becomes a Black Lantern of sorts, being the Black Hand. This could be a result of Hal killing Abin Sur and interrupting the judgement, with the rest of the people he meant to avenge now trapped in between levels of light. If John and Guy really are alive, then we could definitely see them return, infused with the same green light that powers Jo. It’s definitely an interesting theory, and one that I am really hoping is true. As cool as killing off two beloved characters is, I can’t see them staying dead for long with all the clues we’ve been left with. But what do you think? Are they alive or dead? Let us know in the comments below!

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