Green Lantern Corps. Overview Or, What The Heck Is A Kilowog?

Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds)/The Green Lantern of Sector 2814 (Earth)

Hal Jordan is the first earthling to receive the distinction of serving in the Green Lantern corps. Apparently, the other races of the galaxy consider us poor humans to be savage and uneducated. Whatever gave them that idea? I’m guessing signals containing reruns of Jersey Shore have finally reached OA. I’m surprised they don’t just wipe us out and file the whole human race under “Universal Pollutant.”

Jordan, a test pilot for Ferris Air, lived his life at full throttle: planes, cars, fights, and babes. Called fearless by his friends, Jordan wasn’t a bad man, simply a man without direction. Until one fateful night, when a dying alien named Abin Sur, critically wounded by the alien entity Parallax, bequeathed his power ring to Hal, inducting him into the Green Lantern Corps. Contrary to popular belief, Green Lantern is not a singular title, but one bestowed on several thousands of sentient beings, one for each sector of the universe. Thus, Hal Jordan becomes the very first Lantern of Sector 2814, aka, Earth.

Capable of producing anything his imagination can visualize, inter-galaxy space travel and countless other abilities, Hal’s power ring is rightfully regarded as “the most powerful weapon in the universe.” It’s up to Hal to prove the other races wrong, to prove that the human race is worthy of having a Green Lantern watching over our best interests and to defend us against such threats as Sinestro and Parallax.

Speaking of which…

Sinestro (Mark Strong)/The Green Lantern of Sector 1417 (Korugar)

In the continuity established by the upcoming movie, Sinestro is introduced as the “greatest of the Green Lanterns,” as shining beacon of the nobility, strength and will required to wield the emerald light. However, with a name like Sinestro, your career path down supervillain road is pretty much a certainty from the get-go. You don’t see too many guys named Sinestro flipping burgers at McDonald’s.

At the time of Jordan’s induction in the corps, Sinestro serves as mentor and teacher to the inexperienced human, both are roles he considers below him, much like this ridiculous earthling that’s been foisted upon him. However, Abin Sur, previous owner of Jordan’s ring, was Sinestro’s one and only friend, the only other Green Lantern the haughty Sinestro considered his equal, so it’s in honor of his memory that he agrees to train Hal.

Finally, an answer to the Kilowog question, next…