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Green Lantern
ARRRRRGHHH!!! BRAIN OVERLOAD!!!
Kidding folks. To those who don't know who the guy in the tights is... shame on you. Anyway, meet Kyle Rayner, possibly the fittest artist ever known. I mean, look at those muscles. It's almost hypnotic. (shakes head) Oh and he's also a superhero named GREEN LANTERN ever heard of him?
Those already in the know recognise him as the new Green Lantern. And there are many out there who despise ol' Kyle here for taking Hal Jordan's place (the former GL).
Why would anyone hate Kyle?
The same reason why people abhor change. You see, for years Hal Jordan was one of the most popular characters in the DC comic universe. People grew up with him as their hero. So imagine their surprise when Hal turned "evil" and started killing off innocents.
Well this is a long story short. To learn more about Hal Jordan turning rogue, there'll be a list of links below to curb your curiousity.
For me, Kyle was the only Green Lantern I knew since I only picked up American comics a year ago. But as I read into the history I became a fan of Hal too. What's not to like? The guy was born without fear and a jet pilot. I always wanted to be a pilot when I was younger you know? And he was always doing the right thing, saving people's lives and he was also part of the first JLA (Justice League of America - if you don't know what this is, refer to *shudder* Superfriends). He was always the good guy. So I felt really bad about how Hal turned out.
But no fear! Hal Jordan is back. As the Spectre, which is an entity given power by God. I'm really fuzzy on the details and because his Spectre title just came out. But my little brother, who wasn't usually interested in any of my comics (except Dragonball) loves Spectre. So the legend of Hal Jordan will continue, albeit in a different form ^_^
And you can always go back to the old comic trade paperbacks to find out more about Hal. Try out "The Final Night" (when Hal sacrifices his life to save the earth) and the GL TPB "Emerald Knights: Green Lantern" (Kyle and Hal team up).
And now, the list of characters:
Kyle Rayner: "typical twenty-something" was the description first heaped upon the newest Green Lantern. Or Gen-x. You know, those slackers who don't seem to care about anything, just themselves? Funny, I thought that described the Baby Boomers too. Ah, whatever. Kyle WAS (thought)the embodiment of those vague Gen X values but has matured into a responsible adult. At least writers have stopped portraying him as the "Keanu" of the DC Universe. Believe me, that's a blessing.
To date he's my favourite GL. And not only because he's so fine, mind you. He's an imaginative artist, although he may be a bit childish. He tries his best to live up to the Green Lantern legacy as best he knows how, because unlike those GLs before him who had help from other Green Lanterns around the Universe, he only has his imagination. Why are is Kyle left all alone without anyone to help him? We'll go into that a bit further later.
Kyle first got the ring stepping out of a club. This little blue alien named Ganthet, last of the Green Lantern Guardians, thrusted this powerful ring into his hands. The ring can create everything Kyle dreams up and has no vulnerabilities. Only one person can use that ring and it's Kyle. Or his descendants, since the ring is keyed to Kyle's DNA and in theory may past down generations. I wholeheartedly agree when the ring is said to be the most powerful weapon in the universe. I mean, a ring that can make anything you think of come true. Like cars and telephones and even giant baseball mitts, handy when you're falling off a tall building.
Kyle also has a bit of a father complex. See, as a young kid, his dad split on him and his mom. For the longest time, Kyle couldn't reconcile his feelings about his father until he was forced to face the physical manifestation of his buried anger in the mini-series "GL: Circle of Fire".
Also, Kyle's from LA but he's moved to New York. Hmm.. Hey, did you know Radu the coffee guy is from Romania? Yeah. Cool, huh?
And here are the answers to two of the most important questions ever: Why does Kyle still have his GL cossie on even if he loses his ring? and Why is he so buff for an artist? These answers are courtesy of Icewing from the Icekateers mailing list.
1) Once Kyle makes something, it exists. Just because his ring is stripped away doesn't mean the things he made with it are. Right now, if he took off his ring, his replacement Pluto (from the Our Worlds at War tie-in) would still be in orbit. It wouldn't just disappear. Therefore, once he makes his costume, it stays on until he wills it to go away.
2) Kyle simply exercises because he feels he has to. If he's going to be an icon, to whom people look up and respect, he can't exactly be a tub of lard. Plus, if he's in battle, he needs to be physically fit to ensure he doesn't get winded after prolonged fighting. That means practicing and working out. Let's also not forget that Rayner battles evil throughout most of the year; he doesn't really have time to lounge around and get love handles. As a hero, he's constantly pushing himself, both physically and mentally, further and harder, especially when in battle. That's sure to build up a sweat and make him lose a little weight, while keeping his muscles at work. And, there's a bit of peer pressure mixed in. If you hang out with any group of people, whom you admire, you'll want to be
more like them. Kyle hangs out with super heroes, who all look like models. He wants to look much the same to ensure he isn't the butt of their jokes and whatnot. Besides, how is he supposed to pick up chicks if he doesn't look as good as he should?
Very good answers. And very well said, don't you think?
Right, right, I know.. where are the rest of the characters? Ah well, I'm still working on it. But here are some great links to get you started:
The Unofficial Green Lantern Corps
Emerald Dawn: The many faces of Hal Jordan
The Green Lantern Shrine
Disclaimer! Kyle Rayner, Hal Jordan etc belong to DC Comics. I'm not affiliated with the company in anyway, nor are these pictures mine. I'm just trying to spread the love.
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