DC finally expands an underrated part of Green Lantern lore with the introduction of a new, extremely powerful Lantern. The Lanterns’ lore has undergone a massive expansion in recent years. For instance, recent DC titles have introduced the Ultraviolet Lanterns and the Invisible Spectrum, revealing that the traditional emotions are merely a fraction of a much larger cosmic engine. This shift has led to the de-powering of several lanterns and the rise of new figures like Sojourner “Jo” Mullein, whose unique ring signals a new era of pecialized peacekeeping.

The Lantern Corps have been further destabilized by events that have pushed veteran members to their absolute limits. In a dark echo of Emerald Twilight, John Stewart briefly bonded with the fear-entity Parallax, who allowed the most pure-hearted Green Lantern to tap into the same terrifying level of cosmic power that once corrupted Hal Jordan. Meanwhile, Guy Gardner has ascended to a new cosmic status following the events of DC K.O., gaining the Allsight, a cosmic awareness that grants him a near-omniscient perspective on the universe.

The Lanterns’ recent shake-ups force heroes from all over the emotional spectrum to reconsider their alliances and go through transformations they never expected. These changes aren’t limited to traditional heroes like the Green and Blue Lanterns, though. Even the most selfish cosmic warriors have to play a role in the conflict.

DC Finally Introduces A New Orange Lantern

Green Lantern Corps #16; Written by Morgan Hampton; Art by Will Conrad, Juan José Ryp, And Matt Herms

The Manhunters are overwhelming all Lantern Corps, overshadowing characters as powerful as Sinestro himself. To fight back, the Lantern leaders decide to tap into the emotional entities, including Parallax. Being the only Orange Lantern in existence, Larfleeze is logically the only candidate to bond to Ophidian, the embodiment of avarice and greed. Yet, Ophidian reveals this situation calls for the contradictory sharing of avarice, so it chooses Effigy as its host.

Merged with Ophidian, Effigy unleashes a blast of energy so powerful that he goes supernova and destroys the sun, leaving a black hole in its place. Even while bonded to emotional entities, and Guy Gardner wielding the power of the Allsight, the Lanterns are spaghettified when they enter the black hole, where Guy still senses Effigy’s lifeforce. Whether Effigy will become a permanent Orange Lantern after the Manhunters are stopped is yet to be seen, but his bond with Ophidian marks a major landmark in the history of DC’s Lanterns.

Larfleeze Being The Only Orange Lantern Is An Inspired Idea, But It Limits His Corps’ Potential

DC Has Needed More Orange Lanterns For A Long Time

The Orange Lantern Corps is usually the only group of Lanterns with only one representative, Larfleeze, the sole proprietor of the Orange Light of Avarice. Larfleeze’s solitary existence is a stroke of creative genius that perfectly mirrors the emotion it represents. Unlike the Green Lanterns, who find strength in numbers, or the Sinestro Corps, who thrive on a hierarchy of fear, the Orange Lantern is blessed and cursed with the toxic, singular nature of greed, an emotion that, by definition, doesn’t like to share. As a result, Larfleeze possesses the concentrated power of an entire emotional spectrum within a single, paranoid mind.

However, this one-man army approach severely limits the storytelling potential of the Orange Lanterns, as it traps a whole Lantern Corps in a narrative stalemate. Since Larfleeze is an all-consuming hoarder who refuses to relinquish even a single ring, DC rarely gets to show how the orange light would interact with different personalities or philosophies across the galaxy. DC has needed a legitimate expansion of this emotion for years, but the lack of living members prevents the kind of internal conflict, diverse character arcs, and high-stakes recruitment drives that make other Corps so engaging.

During the Blackest Night, Lex Luthor is briefly deputized as an Orange Lantern, a perfect thematic pairing that showcases how avarice manifests in a human driven by a different, more mundane kind of greed. Similarly, Hal Jordan once briefly donned the orange ring and provided a brief glimpse of the terrifying psychological toll the light takes on even the strongest wills. Ophidian’s fusion with Effigy could allow DC to explore greed beyond a mere hoarding instinct, perhaps as a driving force for benevolent self-preservation, or even a twisted form of heroism.

How do you think the expansion of the Orange Lanterns could change Green Lantern lore?

Green Lantern Corps #16 is now available from DC Comics.

Alias

Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Sojourner Mullein

Created By

Martin Nodell, Bill Finger, John Broome, Gil Kane, Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams

First Appearance

All-American Comics

Alliance

Justice League, Justice Society of America, Green Lantern Corps

Franchise

D.C.

Movies

Green Lantern