Summary
- John Stewart now wields the powerful Dark Star Ring, an aspect of the Old God Olgrun’s willpower.
- The Dark Star Ring poses a great responsibility on Green Lantern, as it could lead to rebirth and an age of darkness if in unworthy hands.
- With the new godlike power in his possession, John Stewart must face insidious enemies gunning for the Dark Star Ring.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Green Lantern: War Journal #11!As if it wasn’t enough for John Stewart to be the most powerful Green Lantern in the DC Universe, now he possesses the strongest Power Ring ever created. In the cold reaches of space, the Emerald Knight fights harder than ever to defeat the Radiant Dead and their master, Olgrun.
For months, John has been pursued by the Radiant Dead, a corrupted army of undead monsters, led by the vengeful Old God Olgrun. John’s journey has taken him to the ends of the galaxy, where he discovered a relic that not only could end Olgrun’s reign of terror, but make Green Lantern the most powerful hero the DC Universe has ever seen.
Green Lantern’s New Power Ring is the Willpower of an Old God
In Green Lantern: War Journal #11 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Montos, Adriano Lucas, and Dave Sharpe, John has traveled through the Dark Star of the Fenn and has been captured by Olgrun. As Olgrun remakes John’s physical form with the Old God’s corrupted light, John relives Olgrun’s memories and bonds with Olgrun’s family, including his daughter, Queen Ajna. However, Olgrun’s brother and Green Lantern’s ally Byla-Esh mentally communes with John and warns him that Olgrun is close to turning Green Lantern into Olgrun’s personal vessel.
With two Power Rings in hand, Green Lantern prepares for his final stand.
Outside of the fantasy, the undead Ajna urges John to help her find Byla so that they can destroy the gravity storm he’s projecting and allow Olgrun’s might to spread to the rest of the DC Universe. Thankfully, John is still in control of himself and shakes off the corrupted light Olgrun has placed on him. Green Lantern reveals that he ventured into the Dark Star to learn about it and the Necropolis that once existed in its place. Now that he knows how everything is connected, Green Lantern escapes with the Dark Star Ring still on his finger.
Outside the Dark Star, Byla and the other survivors run for their lives as the Radiant Host attacks them. However, John emerges from the Dark Star and uses his godlike power to re-form the Necropolis that shattered millennia ago. A furious Ajna appears to Green Lantern, telling him that the Dark Star Ring is an aspect of her father, particularly the Willpower of Olgrun. Ajna vows to retrieve the ring, but before she can mount her attack, John is joined by Guy Gardner and Caolán Shepherd. With two Power Rings in hand, Green Lantern prepares for his final stand.
What the Aspects of Olgrun Are and How Green Lantern Got Involved
Once upon a time, Olgrun was the most powerful god to ever exist, and he was able to create the most beautiful worlds and realms. However, tragedy came to Olgrun’s world when his brother, Bjoltr, tricked Olgrun into killing his daughter. Olgrun was consumed by fury and went mad, slaughtering everything in his path. The Old Gods fought Olgrun and defeated them, but due to his overwhelming power, they could not kill him. Instead, they fractured his power and split it into seven aspects of the Old God that were scattered throughout the DC Universe.
The story of Olgrun is first brought up in
Action Comics #1043 (2022)
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These aspects were hidden away for eons and Olgrun was largely forgotten. That is until Superman ventured to Warworld to liberate its people from Mongul’s rule. There, Clark heard the story of Olgrun and discovered that Warworld was hiding one such aspect, the Fire of Olgrun. Superman ventured into the heart of the planet and successfully retrieved the aspect. But instead of using Olgrun’s might to fix Clark’s waning power, Superman used it to revive Osul-Ra, a young Phaelosian boy who looked up to the Man of Steel.
Not too long after that, the Radiant Dead emerged from elsewhere in the multiverse, solely focused on finding John Stewart and corrupting him to turn him into a vessel for Olgrun’s lingering presence to possess. The Green Lantern was kidnapped and trapped outside of the Dark Star, the realm where Olgrun resided. John met Byla, who informed him that the Dark Star was born from Queen Ajna’s ring. With no other choice, Green Lantern ventured into the Dark Star, intent on taking the ring and ending the threat of Olgrun for good.
What Having an Aspect of Olgrun Means for Green Lantern
The last person to try and claim the Dark Star Ring was an ancient Maltusian whose body ended up becoming nothing more than a puppet for Olgrun to control. But that was because the ring embodies Olgrun’s willpower and if there’s one thing John Stewart has plenty of, it’s willpower. Green Lantern has proven that he’s worthy of possessing the Dark Star Ring and all the power that it comes with. John is already the strongest active Green Lantern, but Olgrun’s willpower more than puts him over the top.
But if the aspects are found by an unworthy person, Olgrun would be reborn and usher in an age of darkness.
It should be noted though, that while John has the Dark Star Ring now, plenty of people in the DC Universe are going to want it for themselves. DC Comics’ October batch of solicitations revealed the Green Lantern Civil Corps Special #1 and its provided information revealed that Lord Premier Thaaros, the current head of the Green Lantern Corps, wants the Dark Star Ring. Fans who have been keeping up with Green Lantern know that there’s absolutely no depth Thaaros won’t sink to in order to get what he wants.
It’s also important to note this is the second aspect of Olgrun that’s been found. On Warworld, Superman was told that if the aspects were found and reunited by one who is worthy, they’d be reborn “as the hero he was meant to be”. But if the aspects are found by an unworthy person, Olgrun would be reborn and usher in an age of darkness. John is no doubt a worthy person, but Green Lantern’s got an enormous responsibility to go with the new, godlike power in his hands.
What’s Next for Green Lantern Now That He’s Got Olgrun’s Willpower?
Though the Radiant Dead have vexed John for months, he finally has the power to defeat them for good. However, once word gets out about the Dark Star Ring, the most insidious people in the DC Universe are going to be gunning for it. There are few who could actually challenge John, but he’s going to want to keep his guard up from here on out. Now that Green Lantern has one of the mightiest Power Rings ever to exist, it’s up to him to ensure it stays in the right hands.
Green Lantern: War Journal #11 is available now from DC Comics.
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Green Lantern: War Journal #11 (2024) |
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Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name given to multiple enforcers of intergalactic justice in the DC Universe. Green Lanterns can harness the cosmic energy of willpower, and create unique spectral objects to face off against their enemies. Though some Green Lanterns have assisted with the Justice League, they primarily belong to the Green Lantern Corps.
