The Shared Universe

The Green Lantern #10 is another issued packed to the gills with characters from the Multiverse and beyond. It establishes that there’s been a group of Green Lanterns from a number of Multiverses meeting in secret to monitor the Multiverse. They call themselves the Guardians of the Multiverse. Amusingly, they appear to never have bothered inviting Hal Jordan to a meeting. There’s a ton to chew on this issue, so let’s get to it!

Previous The Green Lantern Deep Dives:

• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #1 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #2 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #3 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #4 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #5 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #6 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #7 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #8 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #9 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #10 (2018)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #11 (2018) (release date Sept. 4)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern #12 (2018) (release date Oct. 4)
• Deep Dive: The Green Lantern Annual #1 (in progress)
  
  

The Lanterns

Green Lantern Xax III

Space Sector: Unknown
Home World: Xaos
First Appearance: It depends.
Creators: John Broome and Gil Kane

We first me the Morrison version of Green Lantern Xax of Xaos back in the second issue of The Green Lantern. Read about the lives and deaths of Xax here.

Green Lantern Volk

Space Sector: 315
Home Planet: Maag
First Appearance: Green Lantern, Vol. 2, #190
Creators: Todd Klein & Kevin O’Neill

Green Lantern Volk has been kicking around the Corps for decades, but mostly as a background character. Morrison gave the volcanic new life in issue two and he’s quickly become a fan favorite. Here we learn from Chriselon that Volk might be in on the Guardians plot to help Hal Jordan go undercover with the Blackstars. Read Volk’s history here.

Green Lantern Brokk

Space Sector: 981
Home Planet: Cygnus
First Appearance: Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #1
Creators: Mike W. Barr & Joe Staton

Of the five Universe-0 Green Lanterns who appear in this issue (including Hal Jordan) this is the first time Morrison has used Green Lantern Brokk. It was established in The Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Secret Files and Origins that Brokk is a “living ambulance.” His tentacles sooth the injured as they’re carried from the battlefield.

Green Lantern Chriselon

Space Sector: 1416
Home Planet: Barrio III
First Appearance: Justice League Unlimited Season 1, Episode 8
Creators: Bill Keane and John Broome (conceptually)

Chriselon was the first Green Lantern I wrote about way back in the first issue Deep Dive. Read about the Barrite here.

Green Lantern Ash-Pak-Glif

Space Sector: 312
Home Planet: Perressen (destroyed)
First Appearance: Green Lantern 80-Page Giant #3
Creators: Scott Beatty & Graham Nolan

Ash-Pak-Glif is only mentioned here, but we covered him back in issue 4’s Deep Dive.

Multiverse Lanterns

I have an entire guide dedicated to the Multiverse Lanterns here. I’ve listed them below in order of issue #10 appearance.

Page 1: Flashlight of Earth-36
Page 2: Magic Lantern of Earth-47
Page 3: Bat-Lantern of Earth-32
Page 4: Abin Sur of Earth-20
Page 19: Len Lewis of Earth-6, Tangent Green Lantern of Earth-9, Green Lantern Beyond of Earth-12, Green Lantern of Earth-23
Page 30: Living Lantern of Earth-15

Villains

Kreepitrons (Universe-36)

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #10
Creators: Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp

We’re introduced to the Kreepitrons on the first page of this issue. We know very little about these tiny aliens from Flashlight’s Universe.

Unnamed Aliens (Universe-47)

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #10
Creators: Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp

In Universe-47, Liam Sharp is heavily channeling 60s psychedelia and very specifically Yellow Submarine-era Beatles. The water craving aliens on page two of this issue are a clear nod to the music-hating Blue Meanies. He has the same maniacal smile, blue wooly coat, and heeled boots. The only difference is he wears a Prussian pickelhaube on his head instead of Mickey Mouse or Goofy ears.

Shark (Universe-32)

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #10
Creators: Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp

On Earth-32 everyone is a blend of at the least two DC characters. “Shark” is quite obviously a mixture of The Shark and The Penguin. His boy enforcers are quite amusingly dressed like beachgoers complete with swimming trunks, goggles, and flippers. It’s classic Batman camp.

The Anti-Man

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #1
Creators: Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp

The Mad Lantern. Dread Emissary of the Reversoverse. The Qwa-Man. We’re finally starting to see the results of the mission of Controller Mu, Countess Belzebeth, and the Blackstars. The Anti-Man appears to be a Frankenstein monster creation built from the elements collected in the first five issues of the series – including the Anti-Matter Lantern.

The Anti-Matter Man

First Appearance: Justice League of America, Vol. 1, #46
Creators: Gardner Fox & Mike Sekowsky

Ritesh Babu makes a solid case over at Adventures in Poor Taste that the giant anti-matter being we saw the Superwatch battling last issue is The Anti-Matter Man. If that’s the case, it’s a troubling development. Way back in Justice League of America #46, the combined forces of the JLA and JSA were barely able to stop the Anti- Matter Man. In fact, I’d make the case that they were only able to defeat him thanks to the intervention of the Spectre (who had a rather goofy battle with the being where his body is cartoonishly distorted because the Spectre isn’t made of matter). While the heroes were able to drive the being away from their Earths it was only the Spectre blowing up himself up that sent him back to what we now call The Bleed. How does Hal compete?

Other People

Custodian Dextra (Universe-36)

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #10
Creators: Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp

Custodian Dextra is a member of the Custodians of the Cosmos. In Universe-36, they’re the equivalent of the Guardians of the Universe of Universe-Zero. They oversee Flashlight and that Universe’s equivalent of the Green Lantern Corps.

Guru Joz (Universe-47)

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #10
Creators: Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp

Guru Joz is the Galactic Guru of Universe-47. Ge’s the equivalent a Guardian of the Universe in Universe-Zero. It is unknown if there are multiple Gurus. He oversees Magic Lantern and that Universe’s equivalent of the Green Lantern Corps (which might be the Magic Lantern Corps).

Penny-Two (Earth-32)

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #10
Creators: Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp

In Batman: In Darkest Knight, Earth-32’s Alfred Pennyworth sacrificed himself to save Bruce Wayne from an exploding power battery. It appears Batman has used his power ring to create an Alfred construct to continue help with fighting crime.

Fekk and Samandra

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #9
Creators: Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp

We first met Hal’s questing companions in issue #9. They live on the planet Anthmoora which might be a Westworld-like vacation planet. It isn’t clear if they’re real or not.

Strong-Woman

Home Planet: Thronn
First Appearance: Green Lantern, Vol. 2, #32
Creators: Gardner Fox & Gil Kane

We covered Strong-Woman, who Hal calls Strong-Girl, in the Deep Dive for issue 9.

Star Sapphire (Earth-11)

First Mention: The Multiversity Guidebook
Creator: Grant Morrison

The gender-swapped Earth-11 first appeared in Superman/Batman #23 (side note: Superman/Batman was a delightfully silly series, highly recommend). The Green Lantern of Earth-11 first appeared in Countdown Presents: The Search for Ray Palmer Superwoman/Batwoman. She arrived at a time when Kyle Rayner was the primary Lantern of Space Sector 2814, so her name is Kylie Rayner.

Interestingly, according to the rules established by DC canon and Morrison’s own Multiversity Guidebook, Earth-11’s Star Sapphire should be gender-swapped into Carl Ferris or something. However, while we haven’t met Earth-11’s Star Sapphire yet, it appears Morrison is tweaking his own rules to keep Star Sapphire female. Magic Lantern tells Hal, “yeah, it’s totally Carol–we hung out at the last meeting…maybe the one before…they have this whole, like, feminist planet–it’s optimum, dude!”

The Trinity (Earth-15)

First Appearance: The Green Lantern #10
Creators: Grant Morrison & Liam Sharp

On the second to last story page, we see Earth-9’s Green Lantern resurrect Earth-15’s Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. They warn that the Cosmic Grail holds poison, darkness, cruelty, and illusion.

Places and Things

Uugo a.k.a Green Lantern

First Appearance: Green Lantern, Vol. 2, #24
Creators: John Broome & Gil Kane

Uugo is a living planet that Hal first met waaaaaay back in issue 24 of his first series. The planet isn’t actually a member of the Corps, that would be Mogo, but it did rename itself as a nod to the ring slinger. Uugo is now acting as the Homebase for the Green Lanterns of the multiverse.

Bleed Space (a.k.a. The Bleed)

The general concept of “The Bleed” separating the Earth’s of the multiverse is an old one. It first appeared as “a misty borderland between two Earths” in Justice League of America #21. Back then Earths 1 & 2 were only separated because they vibrated at different speeds. The Fiddler accidentally discovered the teleportation vibration when he played a new note on his violin. It led to Icicle, The Wizard and Fiddler meeting Earth-2’s Dr. Alchemy, Felix Faust, and Chronos. Earth-swapping shenanigans happened.

Over the decades the space between Universes never receives a formal name but it is most commonly referred to as “Limbo.” It isn’t until 1999’s first issue of the Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch series The Authority that we see our first reference to “The Bleed.” Briefly, in The Search for Ray Palmer, the Wildstorm Universe was part of the DC multiverse as Earth-50. Morrison’s Multiversity and DC’s Rebirth launch appear to have knocked Wildstorm out of the multiverse. It’s possible the Wildstorm Universe, which is clearly part of A Multiverse, is now a parallel multiverse to the DC multiverse. Are there Multiverses? The Multi-Multiverse?

Next Issue:

On the edge of reality, Green Lantern Hal Jordan and Star Sapphire face death by power ring firing squad! Yes, Hal and Carol Ferris reunite (sort of) as they fight their way out of the improbable turn of events of the previous issue! In fact, with what happens next issue, they may not want to survive this one…