Green Lantern: A Guide to The Emotional Spectrum

We have finally found it, the Rainbow Connection

Indigo-1: “For seven hundred years, the universe was nothing but blinding white light. Then the darkness fought back and the white light was splintered. Every sentient being born from the light now contributes to its emotional spectrum. Our state of being adds to its respective light. And it can be condensed into power.”

Green Lantern: Blackest Night

Green Lantern was once a simple series of space cops and robbers. Then a saga began that encompasses the series to this day: the Emotional Spectrum and the War of Light. 

There were once only Green Lanterns, but now there’s a Corps for every color of the rainbow and a few more. All of them have the basic starter pack of interstellar flight, force fields, energy constructs, and laser blasts, but most Corps also have unique abilities. So what is the Emotional Spectrum? What powers these Lanterns? Let’s find out. 

To make things simple, we’re going in rainbow order.

The Red Lantern Corps

Emotion: Rage
Leader: Atrocitus
Notable Members: Dex-Starr, Bleez, Supergirl (temporarily)

“With blood and rage of crimson red
Ripped from a corpse so freshly dead
Together with our hellish hate
We’ll burn you all, that is your fate!”

Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns

The Emotional Spectrum’s light most affects your mind when you are furthest from its center. If you have great rage in your heart, then you belong in the Red Lantern Corps.

Before the Green Lanterns existed, The Guardians of the Universe kept peace with robotic Manhunters. The Manhunters malfunctioned and slaughtered almost everyone in space sector 666. The few survivors tried to kill The Guardians but were defeated. Their leader, Atrocitus, murdered the other survivors and forged a red ring from their blood to become the first Red Lantern.

Red Lantern rings seek out those who have suffered and offer them the power to take revenge. Accepting the ring causes it to replace their blood with fiery plasma and destroys their heart to make the wielder dependent on the ring. The pain drives new Red Lanterns berserk until they can control it.

The entry fee is steep, but Red Lanterns get some useful abilities. Their forcefields and constructs are coated with plasma that burns through other energy sources and drives victims mad. Reds can also vomit their plasma onto enemies for a more concentrated attack. That’s gross, but effective.

The Orange Lantern Corps

Emotion: Avarice
Leader: Larfleeze
Notable Members: Lex Luthor (temporarily)

“This power is mine, it is my light
Be it bright of day or dark of night
I lay claim to all that lays within my sight
To take what I want, that is my right!”

Green Lantern: Agent Orange

Rage wasn’t to your liking, eh? Perhaps you want more. All the power of a Lantern Corps without any oversight or need to share. The ability to take whatever you want. You want it all? Then take your place in the Orange Lantern Corps.

Larfleeze was a child slave. His masters starved the slaves to keep them docile, which caused Larfleeze to hallucinate food and objects telling him to steal them. He escaped and became a thief, eventually finding his way to the planet Okkara. There he found an orange Power Battery that transformed him into an Orange Lantern.

There can only be one Orange Lantern at a time because their greed won’t allow them to share power. The rest of the Corps are constructs of Larfleeze’s victims. He takes possession of their souls and can force them to do anything. This ability is so dangerous that The Guardians agreed to leave him alone as long as he stayed out of their jurisdiction.

Larfleeze is one of the strongest Lanterns because he doesn’t have to share his powers. His ring can also drain energy from victims, but his powers don’t work on Blue Lanterns and Star Sapphires. After all, even Avarice can be overcome by Hope and Love.

The Sinestro Corps

Emotion: Fear
Leader: Sinestro
Notable Members: Arkillo, Amon Sur, Lyssa Drak, Bedovian

“In blackest day, in brightest night
Beware your fears made into light
Let those who try to stop what’s right
Burn like his power – Sinestro’s might!”

Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War

Perhaps you have some self control, unlike those psychotic Red Lanterns or that pitiful orange creature. You may not be a good person, but you know who deserves your wrath. You have the ability to instill great fear. Welcome to the Sinestro Corps!

The renegade Green Lantern Sinestro was the first person to use a non-green part of the Emotional Spectrum. His ring was forged in another dimension by The Guardian’s archenemies, The Weaponers of Qward. They mass produced the ring so that he could create his own Corps and kill his former allies.

Yellow rings seek out beings who can cause fear, including tyrants, murderers, and other assorted criminals. One tried to claim Batman because of his expertise at scaring criminals. Amusingly, Sinestro’s ring once betrayed him and flew to Shaggy and Scooby Doo because they scare each other more than Sinestro ever could.

Yellow rings counteract green ones by making Green Lanterns too scared to concentrate. They also have the ability to reveal a victim’s greatest fear and make constructs of them. 

The Green Lantern Corps

Emotion: Will
Leader: The Guardians of the Universe
Notable Members: Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Kilowog, Mogo

“In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil’s might
Beware my power –- Green Lantern’s light!”

Green Lantern #9 (1943)

The universe is a scary place. With crooks, murderers, Red Lanterns, Larfleeze, Sinestro Corpsmen, and all manner of threats flying about, no one would blame anyone for running. But not you. You have the ability to overcome great fear. You have been chosen. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps.

The Green Lanterns are an organization of interstellar peacekeepers created by The Guardians after their Manhunters proved to be… (remembers Sector 666) unreliable. It is the largest of the Lantern Corps, with a roster of 7,200 members. 

Green is in the middle of the Emotional Spectrum, meaning it has almost no effect on the user. Green Lanterns have no inherent special abilities, but are supercharged by Blue Lanterns. They are bland compared to the other Lanterns, but not much can stand against the Green Lantern Corps numbers.

The Blue Lantern Corps

Emotion: Hope
Leader: Saint Walker
Notable Members: Brother Warth, Sister Sercy, Razer

“In fearful day, in raging night
With strong hearts full our souls ignite
When all seems lost in The War of Light
Look to the stars, for hope burns bright!”

Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns

The Green Lanterns are strong, but they are outnumbered by all that evil can throw at them. Yet you believe that things can get better, that in the end, all will be well. You have the ability to instill great hope. Welcome to the Blue Lantern Corps.

Bro’Dee Walker lived on a dying planet. His entire family died while climbing a mountain where a messiah was prophesied to appear, and he was the only one to reach the summit. Once there, he found only a reflective rock. Walker raged against his god until he saw his reflection and realized that he was the messiah his family had sought.

Walker returned and preached to his people, convincing everyone that their god would save them. Their combined hope summoned a blue ring that enabled Walker to save the world. He was canonized as a saint and left to become the first Blue Lantern.

The Blue Lantern Corps is the smallest one. Each member is expected to serve for life and must complete a two day initiation when they join. The members are religious because of their focus on spreading hope, as exhibited by Saint Walker and the Ganesha-like Brother Warth.

Blue Lanterns are simultaneously the weakest and strongest. Alone, all they can do is fly, create force fields, and weaken Red, Orange, and Yellow Lantern. When supported by a Green Lantern, though, they can heal, create constructs of loved ones to calm foes, and overpower scores of other Lanterns. Blues must always remain hopeful or their ring will abandon them.

The Indigo Tribe

Emotion: Compassion
Leader: Indigo-1
Notable Members: Munk, Natromo

“Tor lorek san bor nakka mur
Natromo faan tornek wot ur
Ter Lantern ker lo Abin Sur
Tan lek lek nok – formorrow Sur!”

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps

(What’s with that look? It’s Space Greek to me too.)

So you don’t care who wins The War of Light? You’re content to simply exploit both sides with no concern for those hurt in the crossfire? That won’t do. You have the ability to feel great compassion. You will join the Indigo Tribe.

A Green Lantern named Abin Sur discovered the Emotional Spectrum’s indigo light and used it to create a Power Battery. He feared that The Guardians would someday become corrupt and need to be stopped. They were immortal, but could be changed when they felt compassion. 

Abin tested his plan by brainwashing a serial killer named Iroque, who had murdered Abin’s daughter. It worked and Iroque became the kinder Indigo-1, the new leader of the Indigos.

Every member of The Indigo Tribe is a psychopath who has been brainwashed by their powers. They seek out the worst killer on each world to expand their ranks. Not sure why they haven’t tried that on The Joker yet, but what can you do? 

Indigo Corps members use staffs embedded with their power batteries instead of rings. They can teleport and copy the unique abilities of other Lanterns by feeling compassion for them. The Indigo Tribe also speaks a language that is incomprehensible to universal translators. Only their catchphrase “Nok” has been translated, meaning “Compassion be with you.”

The Star Sapphires

Emotion: Love
Leader: Carol Ferris
Notable Members: Fatality, Miri Riam, Prixiam Nol-Anj

“For hearts long lost and full of fright
For those alone in blackest light
Accept our ring and join our fight
Love conquers all — with violet light!”

Green Lantern: Sins of the Star Sapphire

The other Corps are so hateful. This foolish war leaves nothing but separated lovers and broken hearts. We will not stand for it. We. Will. NOT! You have great love in your heart. Join us in the Star Sapphires.

Before The Guardians became the protectors of the galaxy, an all-female tribe called the Zamarons left over their decision to shun emotions. They settled on another planet and found a pair of lovers whose passion was strong enough to summon a violet light. The Zamarons trapped this power in a star sapphire gem, which they used to create a new Corps.

The most prominent Star Sapphire is Carol Ferris, Hal Jordan’s boss and love interest. She was corrupted by one of the gems and became a supervillain to win Hal’s affection. She eventually learned to control her powers and took control of the Corps to redeem them from their evil ways.

The violet light rivals the red for influence over the user. It actively brainwashes Star Sapphires to fall in love with people they know, even if they previously hated them. It forces them to pursue their “lover” in the name of spreading love. Get in the way and, well… have you ever seen Fatal Attraction? Imagine that, but Glenn Close has superpowers. Yikes!

Star Sapphires can sense people in love and anything threatening that love. Their constructs and force fields tend to be crystal-themed. They can also create crystalline prisons to indoctrinate new members. It’s possible for men to become Star Sapphires, but their Corps is predominantly female.

The Black Lantern Corps

Emotion: None (Death)
Leader: Nekron
Notable Members: Black Hand, Scar, Deathstorm

“The Blackest Night falls from the skies
The darkness grows as all light dies
We crave your hearts and your demise
By my black hand – The dead shall RISE!”

Green Lantern: Blackest Night

These living fools disturb the tranquil darkness. For far too long, they have run rampant. They fear the Blackest Night. It’s time to teach them why that was wise. Reader of Earth, RISE.

There was only darkness when the universe was created. Then light brought about life. A personification of Death named Nekron fought the intrusive light and shattered it. The battle weakened Nekron so much that he couldn’t enter the physical world.

A villain named Black Hand discovered Nekron and agreed to become his herald. They created black rings that animated the dead and could absorb emotional energy by tearing out hearts. After enough people died, Nekron was freed.

Black Lanterns are zombies that have black rings and any superpowers they had while alive. The bodies are just puppets used by the ring to provoke emotions in victims and learn whatever the host knew. The only way to permanently destroy a Black Lantern is by having a Green Lantern and another color blast them together or through channeling the white light.

The White Lantern Corps

Emotion: All (Life)

Leader: Kyle Rayner
Notable Members: Deadman, Swamp Thing, Dove I and II

“In Brightest Day there will be light
To cleanse the soul and set wrongs right
When darkness falls look to the skies
A new dawn comes, let there be light!”

Green Lantern: Brightest Day

You truly are brave. You have learned all there is to know of the seven Corps and stood against the Blackest Night. You understand the Emotional Spectrum and are worthy of our power. Reader of Earth, LIVE.

The light that Nekron hated was the result of an angelic being called The Entity, which is the personification of life. After being wounded by Nekron, it retreated into the Earth to heal. The Guardians knew this and claimed their home-world Oa was the center of the universe to draw attention from The Entity’s hiding place in the true center.

There are few White Lanterns because they must master every emotion to control the white light. The Entity is manipulative and will do anything to ensure that life flourishes, even if that results in fewer people dying.

White Lanterns can wield every light’s power because white is made of all of them. They can see the souls of the recently deceased, destroy Black Lanterns, and resurrect the dead. The downside is that The Entity can force you to do its will.

The Ultraviolet Corps

Emotion: Repressed Emotions
Leader: Umbrax
Notable Members: Sinestro (temporarily), John Stewart (temporarily) 

“By shield of day and shield of night
We feed and grow beyond all sight
Your darkest self shall be our knight
Wield the sword of unseen light!”

Justice League #2 (2018)

Master of the white light, you fooled them all. They think you’re a hero, someone who can control every emotion and face any threat. What would they say if they knew what you did? The secret that you’ve hidden away? Your greatest shame. That guilt will let us control you. You are part of the Ultraviolet Corps

Eons ago, the Emotional Spectrum was besieged by its opposite, the Invisible Emotional Spectrum. These cursed powers drew strength from emotions that caused the user give up on life instead of embracing it. The Invisible Spectrum was sealed away, but several multiversal threats recently freed it.

The ultraviolet light seeks out those who have repressed their emotions. Guilt, hatred, shame, and similar feelings will draw them like a moth to flame. Anyone inducted into the Corps becomes part of a hive mind controlled by Umbrax, a living sun.

Ultraviolet soldiers use tattoos to focus their power instead of rings. They can sense a victim’s greatest shame and use it to infect them with a new tattoo. The corruption can be resisted by strong emotion and transform the tattoo into a version based on that Corps.

Now you understand the Emotional Spectrum. Tell us in the comments which Lantern Corps would you join if given the chance.

Jared Bounacos

Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.