Green Lantern: Earth One #2 is an issue of the series Green Lantern: Earth One (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 2020. It was published on June 11, 2020.
Synopsis for "Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 2"
Nearly three years ago since Harold Jordan's return to Earth, humanity is brought into the intergalactic community after the Green Lantern Corps saved the planet from invasion by the Manhunters. Currently, humanity is making progress in establishing relations with the Llarans. However, the situation is still tense as many of Earth's authoritarian governments chafed to dealing with aliens. During a trade deal being negotiated on one of the Llarans' envoy ships, the commander of the orbital defense platform Arrowhead is suddenly given orders by Global Central Command (CENTCOM) to target the ships. The commander refuses to follow the order. But without warning one of the Llaran ships is blown up. This prompt the Llarans, believing it was the humans who attacked, to retaliate by launching missiles on Arrowhead. Jordan shields the platform, but Arrowhead takes significant damages which is then quickly exacerbated by CENTCOM sending fighters on the Llaran ship. The Arrowhead is soon destroyed but Jordan manages to save its crew.
The Llarans withdraw their ships from Earth along with taking the human representatives Ngendo Muturi, Sophie Rivas, and John Stewart as hostages. The Arrowhead incident has put Earth in an intergalactic crisis, as word of humanity being responsible for firing first on the Llarans spread. Jordan takes the Arrowhead's crew to a hospital and learns from the Arrowhead's commander about CENTCOM's order and that he did not fire on the Llarans. Soon after, CENTCOM demands for Jordan to surrender to their custody. Jordan refuses to surrender and flies off to the Jordan Aeronautics R&D Facility on the moon. Now becoming a wanted fugitive, Jordan request Amy Seaton to evacuate everyone out of the base and try to get rid of their prototype interstellar ship and its deep-space drive schematics from falling to CENTCOM's hardliners, while he will try to convince the Llarans to give the hostages back. During his transit to Llaran Prime, Jordan contacts with Carol Ferris to help the lunar base.
Upon arriving in Llaran Prime's orbit, Jordan is confronted by Llaran warships and to his surprise a Lantern who carries a yellow ring. The Yellow Lantern declares to Jordan that he is the defender of Llaran Prime and its sector, and demands Jordan to leave or else his presence will be considered an act of war. Jordan tries to make his case with the Lantern, stating that the incident on Earth was a tragic mistake and he wants to make amends. Unfortunately, the Yellow Lantern heed to Jordan by shooting him a burst of yellow energy. Jordan, knowing that fighting the Lantern will only provoke war, flies away to seek help from Arisia.
Meanwhile, Arisia and her fellow Lanterns Sinestro and the Lantern of Komed are fighting Manhunters on Komeda IV. Jordan joins in the fight in which it quickly ends with Manhunters being utterly destroyed by two Yellow Lanterns, who then immediately make their leave. Arisia tells Jordan that this is not the first time to encounter these Yellow Lanterns as there has been reports of them appearing throughout the galaxy, and the Corps have no idea when they first appeared as the Corps is too occupied in tamping down Manhunter hot spots other than that their yellow rings are vastly powerful. What is even more troubling is the Yellow Lantern defending the Llarans, which is the first time a Yellow Lantern is aligning with a world. So Arisia advise caution of dealing with the Yellow Lanterns. Also, Arisia informs Jordan that the Corps cannot come to Earth's defense if the destruction of the Llaran ship is perceived as an act of aggression, but will help establish a back channel to negotiate the release of the hostages.
Traveling to Graxos IV, which is the current headquarters of the Corps, Jordan is reunited with Kilowog and Arisia learns reports of every Manhunter in the galaxy are being recalled to Oa. Sinestro sees this as a chance of finally wiping out the Manhunters and retake Oa in which Arisia agrees to his suggestion. The entire Corps are assembled and launched their assault on Oa. As they make their approach to the city housing the Central Battery, they are stunned to find mountainous piles of scrapped Manhunters due to the Yellow Lanterns that are being led by the Last Guardian. The Guardian makes his proper introduction to the Corps, explaining that he had return to ridding the last of the Manhunters and returning order to the galaxy through the power of his new yellow rings that are more advanced and powerful than the original green rings. So he makes a proposition to the Green Lanterns to join forces with his Yellow Lantern Corps and together they will protect their homeworlds and better the galaxy. However, Jordan cast his doubts with the Guardian's intentions as he remembered his instructions to destroy Oa and the Manhunters along with their slaves, and he even refuses the Guardian's offer of resolving the crisis on Earth and returning the hostages in turn for joining his Corps. Arisia also shares Jordan's concerns and acting on behalf of the Green Lantern Corps she declines the Guardian's offer. But several Green Lanterns including Sinestro willingly joins the Guardian's offer.
Meanwhile on Llaran Prime, the planet's Yellow Lantern unexpectedly frees the hostages and takes them to an isolated alleyway. He then explains to them that he is giving his ring and battery to them to help them on their escape. Dr. Muturi demands why he is doing this in which the Lantern admits that he had killed many Llarans and is immensely ashamed for what he did. It is reveal that he and the other Yellow Lanterns came from Qward from another dimension, and they were once systematically oppressed until the Guardian came to free them and giving them yellow rings to defeat their oppressors. In return, the Qwardians owes a debt to the Guardian and joined in his war. After finishing his tale, the Qwardian makes his leave to find some way to repent and make right to the Llarans. Back on Earth's moon, Seaton and along with a crew flies off the prototype starship into deep space just as CENTCOM have invaded the base, and are left drifting in an unknown part of space.
Jordan has an argument with Kilowog over the latter's favorable view on the Yellow Lanterns. After Kilowog left in a huff, Jordan is then inform about the hostages' escape. Just then the Guardian broadcast a galaxy-wide announcement concerning on the situation on Earth, claiming that humanity is responsible for attacking the Llaran envoys and deeming them an imminent threat to the galaxy by showing footages of the Jordan Aeronautics starship, accusing humanity will one day use faster-than-light ships to spread their violent intolerant ways across the galaxy. The Guardian has already dispatched his Yellow Lanterns, including Sinestro, to contain Earth and working alongside with the Global Central Command, and promising that his new corps will deliver on the failed promises of the Green Lantern Corps. Against Arisia's words, Jordan heads back to Earth. During his flight, Jordan is contacted by Arisia, who relays Carol's message on her discovery on what caused the attack on the Llaran ship: it was Llaran Prime's Yellow Lantern who destroyed the ship. It is then made clear that the Guardian had conspired with CENTCOM to cause the attack; it is part of the Guardian's plan to sow chaos on smaller planets like Earth defended by GLC members, giving the opportunity to step in with the Yellow Lanterns and discrediting the GLC at the same time. Before Jordan and Arisia could make their next move, dozens of GLC members are reporting of Yellow Lanterns attacking them on their respective worlds. Graxos IV is likewise attacked and Jordan loses contact with Arisia.
At the same time the Guardian cuts off the Green Lanterns' access to the Central Battery by teleporting it to Qward's dimension. Without the Central Battery, the Green Lanterns are depowered and being easily killed off by the Yellow Lanterns. Jordan is left drifting in space and resort to create a feedback loop with his battery to energize his ring, at the cost of sending his battery into a nearby star. He eventually winds up meeting the former Llaran hostages thanks to his distress call. Upon learning from the former hostages about the situation on Earth from hearing on the yellow ring's communications, Jordan realizes that stopping the Guardian is the only way to prevent the galaxy from falling to his tyranny. Using the yellow ring, they find Seaton and the others on the starship. After repairing the ship with the yellow ring, Jordan makes his intentions of flying the ship to Oa and kill the Guardian after dropping the crew to a safe and neutral place. But everyone doesn't agree with Jordan fighting his battle by himself just because he blames himself for allowing the Guardian's return, and are willing to help.
Muturi manages to contact the Llaran ambassador and getting the Llarans' help. Stewart, who wields the yellow ring, act to scout Oa and find the Guardian's location, which then Seaton will overload the starship's engine and eject it on the Guardian. But the plan goes awry as Stewart is soon attacked by the Yellow Lanterns guarding Oa, and the starship nearly collides with the Guardian's ship. The Guardian teleports Jordan to his ship, inside a room containing an interdimensional rift.
The Guardian wants to talk with Jordan, making him to listen to what he is trying to do that may seem harsh. He reveals that he is responsible for how everything went wrong for the Manhunters after creating them and in turn led to his banishment, not having fled as previously stated, to the Qwardian dimension. Now, everything from the Yellow Lanterns, the war on the GLC, and his tyrannical control of the planets are just part of his grand plan to rewrite reality in his image of supposed peace. He shows to Jordan that the rift he see before him is a window to the multiverse, containing countless worlds and universes, and all of them are plagued by pain and horror. Acting on the lessons of a previous Oan known as Krona who had first attempted to touch time to discover the universe's origins, and consequently shattering it, the Guardian is confident that he can successfully recreate that experiment and shape the universe through his expertise and Jordan's moral compass in which their reality is free of war and pain. But Jordan calls out on his plan to be absolutely insane and that his attempt to rewrite reality will only wipe out everything out of existence.
The Llaran reinforcement soon arrive with the Bolovax Homeguard, Kilowog and Arisia (who now wield a yellow ring that she gained from the Yellow Lantern who attacked her world). During the battle, Sinestro and the other former Green Lanterns abandons their allegiance with the Guardian after becoming appalled by the Qwardian Yellow Lanterns' actions and realizing that they were being used by the Guardian.
The Jordan Aeronautics starship is badly damaged from its near collision, and Rivas is left mortally wounded. The ship's crew reassess their plan and come up with a way to pilot the ship toward the Guardian's ship and detonate its core; however, they have to manually overload the core. Rivas suddenly volunteers to sacrifice her life to overload the core. The Guardian quickly teleports the ship to the Qwardian dimension and escaping from the explosion. Before the Guardian pilots his ship back to Oa, Jordan's ring is fully recharged by the Central Battery in the Qwardian dimension and allowing him to destroy the Guardian's machine containing the dimensional rift. This causes the rift to implode and the Guardian is suck inside it. Jordan then uses his ring to contain the rift and allowing everyone to pull back safely before the rift collapses and seemingly killing Jordan.
With the Guardian dead, the Qwardian Yellow Lanterns have broken off their attack and seeing their debt to the Guarian is done. They are now stuck in this dimension and lay claim of Oa as a refuge. As for the Yellow Lanterns who defected from the GLC, they did not participated in the slaughter of the GLC but are complicit. Sinestro takes responsibility and, speaking for the Yellow Lanterns, declares that there was never a Yellow Lantern Corps and urging his comrades to go protect their homes and live a quiet life, which is what he intends to do. The Lanterns and Jordan's friends make their return home; Muturi plans on staying with the Llarans as a sort of ambassador-in-exile for Earth to bring peace between Llarans and humanity. Kilowog sadly mourns Jordan and regrets for arguing with him.
On Earth, the Global Central Command instantly loses control of the planet after the Yellow Lanterns disbanded and cut their ties, forcing their leader General Jask to go into hiding while different factions are taking advantage of the chaos. John Stewart set up an appointment with Carol Ferris, offering to continue Ferris Galactic's work as Jordan had asked him to. But Carol isn't so sure about interstellar travel being a priority given to the current situation on Earth. Though Stewart insists it is worth trying and as well doing it for Jordan's memory.
Three years later on the planet Qward, a Qwardian city is under attack. A Qwardian runs to a building with the Central Battery nearby, crying out for the "Guardian's" help. Coming out of the building in a green streak of light is a very much alive Harold Jordan, who flies off to save the day while insisting that people stop calling him "Guardian."
Appearing in "Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 2"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Carol Ferris (First appearance)
- Green Lantern Corps
- Apros (First appearance; unnamed) (Hologram)
- Arisia Rrab (First appearance as Yellow Lantern)
- Green Lantern of Komed
- Kilowog Ev
- Medphyll (First appearance; unnamed) (Hologram)
- Salakk (Dies)
- Sinestro (Quits team) (First appearance as Yellow Lantern)
- Tomar-Re (Quits team) (First appearance as Yellow Lantern)
- Jordan Aeronautics
- Amy Seaton
- Andy
- Llarans
- Ngendo Muturi (First appearance)
- Sophie Rivas (First appearance; dies)
- Tom Kalmaku (First appearance)
- Yellow Lantern (John Stewart) (First appearance) (Origin)
Antagonists:
- Global Central Command
- General Jask
- Manhunters
- Unnamed Guardian (Flashback and main story) (Dies)
- Yellow Lantern Corps (Flashback and main story)
- Qwardians (Flashback and main story)
Other Characters:
- Bolovaxians
- Ferris Galactic
- Graxosians
- Komed
- Krona (First appearance) (Flashback only)
- Slyggians
- Guardians of the Universe (Mentioned only)
- ITDC (Mentioned only)
- Malaysian Space Agency (Mentioned only)
- Oans (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Multiverse
- Earth-1
- Graxos IV
- Komeda IV
- Llaran system
- Llaran Prime
- V'letta
- Llaran Prime
- Slyggia
- Solar System
- Earth
- California
- Fort Bragg
- Nowak Medical Facility
- Fort Bragg
- Florida
- Boca Raton
- Ferris Galactic Headquarters
- Boca Raton
- Global Centcom Headquarters
- Argentina (Mentioned only)
- Beijing (Mentioned only)
- Canada (Mentioned only)
- Geneva (Mentioned only)
- California
- Earth's Moon
- Jordan Aeronautics R&D Facility
- Earth
- Sto-Oa
- Vega
- Tamaran (Mentioned only)
- H'vend Pen (Mentioned only)
- Korugar (Mentioned only)
- Naktos (Mentioned only)
- Sector 2813 (Mentioned only)
- Uwe (Mentioned only)
- Wilson (Mentioned only)
- Unnamed dimension
- Qward (Flashback and main story)
- Earth-1
Items:
- Central Power Battery of Oa
- E.V.A. Suits
- Green Lantern Power Battery
- Green Lantern Ring
- Yellow Lantern Central Power Battery
- Yellow Lantern Ring
Vehicles:
- Argon
- Arrowhead Orbital Platform (Destroyed)
- Helm
- Llaran cruisers
- Llaran flagship
Concepts:
- Deep Time (Mentioned only)
Trivia
- Qward's unnamed oppressors bear a heavy resemblance to the Anti-Monitor.
See Also