The Red Lantern Corps is a supervillainous and sometimes anti-heroic organization appearing in DC Comics. Their power is derived from the emotional spectrum relating to anger.
Publication history The Red Lantern Corps debuted in Green Lantern (vol. 4) #25 (January 2008) and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver. Some of their characteristics were inspired by 28 Days Later, one of Van Sciver's favorite films.Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #2 (July 2009)
Johns describes the Red Lantern Corps as likely being "the most violent of the Corps [...] based on violent reaction driven by emotional eruption – rage – instead of any clear-cut plan of war." He describes Atrocitus as "the most coherent and in control of the Red Lanterns", but notes that he will have trouble controlling the other, more feral members. Sinestro is their primary target.
Fictional group history The Red Lantern Corps are first mentioned during the "Sinestro Corps War" storyline. Former Guardian Ganthet reveals the Blackest Night prophecy to Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kyle Rayner, which describes a War of Light among the seven Corps powered by the emotional spectrum.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #25 (January 2008)
Before recruiting sentient beings to the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians of the Universe created the Manhunters, a group of robotic peacekeepers. However, the Manhunters massacre the inhabitants of space sector 666, with the survivors forming the Five Inversions, a terrorist cell bent on destroying the Guardians.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #33 (September 2008) Inversions member Atrocitus is consumed by rage, becomes the first Red Lantern, and kills the other members.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #28 (April 2008)
As the power of rage consumes and drowns the intelligence of the users, the average Red Lantern is left in an animalistic, nearly mindless state. Atrocitus is able to restore his fellow Red Lanterns to their previous mental acuity with his shamanistic magic. The ritual, initially employed on Bleez, restored her previous mindset and capacity for coherent thought without dimming her rage.Red Lanterns #3 (November 2011)
Rage of the Red Lanterns In Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns, Atrocitus is shown in a flashback as having apparently formed a central power battery by using the blood of the other Inversions in blood magic rituals. The battery stands before a great lake of blood from which he forms his red power ring (crystallized by his anger), as well as other rings and batteries used to form the Red Lantern Corps. Harnessing the red light of rage, he sends his rings out into the universe; however, upon accepting the rings, his recruits' hearts are rendered useless. Their blood spoils from within, forcing them to expel the violently flammable and corrosive material from their mouths. Additionally, the Red Lanterns are reduced to an almost animalistic state, with only Atrocitus appearing to be in full control of himself. Once Atrocitus assembles a sufficient force, he leads them on a mission to capture Sinestro (who is being transferred to Korugar for his execution). Coincidentally, the Sinestro Corps have similar plans and they launch an ambush on the Green Lantern escort to rescue their leader. In turn, both groups are then ambushed by the Red Lanterns, who are able to take Sinestro captive by killing Green Lanterns and Sinestro Corpsmen alike.Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns (October 2008) After being tried and found guilty for the murder of Amon Sur, Laira is expelled from the Green Lantern Corps. While being escorted away from Oa, her ship is attacked by a red power ring. It attaches itself to her, and provides her with a vehicle to achieve the vengeance against Sinestro that she seeks.
The introduction of the fully formed Red Lantern Corps continues in the main Green Lantern title, where Atrocitus brings Sinestro to Ysmault and intends to use his blood in another ritual. Atrocitus strikes at Laira to keep her and the other Red Lanterns from attacking him themselves. With the help of Saint Walker and Brother Warth of the Blue Lantern Corps, Hal Jordan heads for Ysmault to free Sinestro, as Ganthet believes that Sinestro will play an important role in the approaching Blackest Night conflict.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #36 (December 2008) Separating from his companions, Jordan finds Sinestro but is captured by the Red Lantern Corps. Just as Atrocitus orders Laira to kill him, the Sinestro Corps also arrives on Ysmault to rescue their leader. Chaos ensues, but it is temporarily relieved upon the arrival of the Blue Lanterns. The two are able to keep the battling factions from destroying one another for a time until Sinestro is released from confinement and kills Laira. Furious, Jordan's anger attracts Laira's ring and he becomes a member of the Red Lantern Corps himself.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #37 (January 2009) With his green power ring now inactive, Jordan attacks the Blue Lanterns and Sinestro. Saint Walker gives his ring to Jordan, which causes the red ring to explode when combined with the power of his reawakened green ring. Drained of power by Jordan's Blue Lantern abilities, the Sinestro Corps escapes. Wounded and seemingly beaten for now, Atrocitus and his own Corps also flee.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #38 (February 2009)
Blackest Night During the Blackest Night storyline, the Guardians are shown observing the War of Light unfolding among the various Corps of the emotional spectrum; one of the scenes depicting the Lost Lanterns confronting the Red Lantern Corps to retrieve Laira's body from Ysmault. As the seven Corps battle one another, a new eighth group powered by death is introduced to the DC Universe: the Black Lantern Corps. Black Hand, the leader of the Black Lanterns, releases black power rings that reanimate the deceased as Black Lanterns, including Laira and the four deceased Inversions.Blackest Night #1 (September 2009)Green Lantern (vol. 4) #45 (October 2009)
On Ysmault, the four Inversions attack Atrocitus and rip out his heart. However, the insatiable wrath contained within his ring prevents him from dying (having functionally replaced his heart), and temporarily destroys the Black Lantern Inversions. Later, Atrocitus is seen temporarily destroying the Black Lanterns in pursuit of Larfleeze, and demands that he surrender the Orange Central Power Battery.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #46 (November 2009) After a brief conflict over the Orange Central Power Battery, the two are joined by Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Carol Ferris, Indigo-1, Saint Walker, Ganthet, and Sayd. The group needs Larfleeze and Atrocitus to represent their respective colored lights in the emotional spectrum in a group effort to create a collective white light that will destroy the Black Lantern Corps. Atrocitus initially refuses to cooperate, but after deciding that the Black Lanterns are as much a creation of the Guardians as the Manhunters responsible for destroying his world, he changes his mind and complies.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #47 (December 2009) During the fight on Earth, Mera is temporarily inducted into the Red Lantern Corps as a 'deputy' to help hold the line against the Black Lanterns,Blackest Night #6 (December 2009) but Wonder Woman is able to use her Star Sapphire ring to hold back Mera's rage and grant her a degree of control, with the ring being removed completely when Aquaman is resurrected. Mera's love for him compromises her rage.Blackest Night #8 (May 2010)
During the Black Lantern siege of the Green Central Power Battery, Kyle and Guy release the Red Lantern Vice from prison so he can help them battle the Red Lanterns. Believing that Vice has escaped rather than being released, Chaselon kills him. Vice's ring later attaches to Guy, who has become full of rage following Kyle's supposed death.Green Lantern Corps (vol. 2) #42 (November 2009)
The New 52 and solo title In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, the Red Lantern backstory, despite having not been radically altered, was explained and expanded in the eponymous series written by Peter Milligan.
After the end of the War of the Green Lanterns, disappointed at the fact that he was not the one who killed Krona, the culprit of the Ryut massacre, Atrocitus, feeling his rage dimming, is left without a purpose.Red Lanterns #1 (September 2011) He chooses Bleez to be his equal and right hand and restores her mental faculties.Red Lanterns #2 (October 2011) Bleez becomes the Red Lanterns' representative in the New Guardians, consisting of representatives from the seven Corps working together for mutual interest.Green Lantern: New Guardians #4 (February 2012)
The New Guardians investigate a mysterious Orrery in the Vega system, traveling back to Earth with Kyle Rayner to recover his power battery after he is officially discharged from the Green Lantern Corps – while retaining his ring and access to the Oan network – to protect him if the Guardians should try and capture him.Green Lantern: New Guardians #8 (June 2012)
Following the defeat of Volthoom, Hal Jordan sends Guy Gardner to join the Red Lanterns as an undercover operative to keep them in check, with Gardner swiftly defeating Atrocitus and taking command of the group. It is revealed that part of his decision to join with the Red Lanterns is feeling as if he has never fit in as a Green Lantern.Red Lanterns #21 (June 2013) As a Red Lantern, Gardner manages to keep his rage in check, successfully leading most of the Red Lanterns; Atrocitus leads a splinter group and allows new Red rings to cause murderous justice-based rampages to continue. After joining with the Green Lanterns to defeat the cosmic terrorist Relic, Hal promises to give the Red Lanterns a sector for them to watch over after Gardner rejects the initial offer of being released from his new role in the Corps. However, this sector becomes Sector 2814, where Earth resides, giving guardianship of Earth to the Red Lantern Corps.Red Lanterns #28 (April 2014)
DC Rebirth As part of DC Rebirth, it is revealed that Atrocitus and Dex-Starr are Red Lanterns once again, with the former regaining his title as their leader, and Bleez is once again allied with Atrocitus. Atrocitus wishes to bring forth the Red Dawn and obtain a mysterious new power ring that has been recently discovered.Green Lanterns: Rebirth #1 (August 2016) Atrocitus begins to bring forth the Red Dawn by implanting a Hell Tower within Earth and converting humans into rage conduits, waiting until the Hell Tower is ready to insert a Rage Seed.Green Lanterns #1 - 2 (August - September 2016) The Red Lanterns head to Earth to make sure their plans proceed on schedule and Bleez heads off to deal with Green Lanterns Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz. Simon heals Bleez, restoring her to her original form. Bleez reveals Atrocitus' plan to Simon but when Jessica intervenes and attacks Bleez, she succumbs to rage once more and returns to her Red Lantern appearance, deciding to go into hiding from the Green Lanterns and Atrocitus.Green Lanterns #3 (September 2016) Jessica inadvertently becomes a rage conduit and attacks Simon. Simon is able to purify her in a similar way he did to Bleez, and the two are confronted by Atrocitus and a group of Red Lanterns.Green Lanterns #4 (October 2016)
Prominent members Leadership Atrocitus (of Sector 666): The founder of the Red Lantern Corps, Atrocitus is one of the few survivors of the massacre of Sector 666 and among the few Red Lanterns who maintains his mind and the ability to create constructs.
Ring bearers