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John Stewart (comics)
Encyclopedia
John Stewart is a fictional character
, a comic book
superhero
published by DC Comics
. He first appeared in Green Lantern
vol. 2, #87 (December 1971/January 1972), and was created by Dennis O'Neil
and Neal Adams
.
. He starred in the short-lived spin-off
comic Green Lantern: Mosaic
, of which DC published 18 issues between June 1992 and November 1993. Additionally, he was the primary character in Green Lantern vol. 2 from issues #182 through #200, when Jordan relinquished his place in the Corps (1984–1986). He is one of DC's first black
costumed superheroes.
He was featured as one of the lead characters on the television
cartoon
Justice League
from 2001 until 2004. He continued to appear on the show's 2004–2006 sequel, Justice League Unlimited
. As of 2011, John Stewart is prominently featured in DC's monthly comic books Green Lantern (vol. 4) and Green Lantern Corps
as part of the War of the Green Lanterns
story arc.
John Stewart and Guy Gardner
will be the focus for the upcoming relaunch of Green Lantern Corps starting in September 2011.
John Stewart is an architect
and veteran U.S. Marine
who was selected by the Guardians
as Hal Jordan’s backup after Guy Gardner
was seriously injured in a disaster. Although Jordan objected after seeing that Stewart had a belligerent attitude to authority figures, the Guardians stood by their selection, and chided Jordan for his supposed bigoted outlook on the issue. Jordan explained that he just felt that even though Stewart might have the integrity for the task, he "obviously would have a chip on his shoulder bigger than the rock of Gibraltar."
To Jordan, Stewart’s first mission began badly with the assignment of protecting a racist politician
and Stewart took advantage of averting an accident to embarrass him in the process. However, Stewart soon proved his worth when an assassin shot at the politician, but Stewart refused to intervene with Jordan to move in response to the attack. Stewart had good reasons for this apparent dereliction of duty when he stopped a gunman from killing a police officer
in the outside parking lot at the event while Jordan was pursuing a decoy. When Jordan confronted Stewart about his actions, Stewart explained that the politician had staged it for political advantage. With that adventure, Jordan concluded that Stewart was an excellent recruit after all.
For some time, Stewart occasionally filled in for him as Green Lantern
when Jordan was unavailable, including some missions of the Justice League
.
After Jordan gave up being Green Lantern in the 1980s, the Guardians selected Stewart for full time duty. Stewart filled that role for some years, during which time he married Katma Tui
, the Green Lantern of the planet Korugar who was initially assigned to train John in the use of his ring. Kat and John served together within the Green Lantern Corps of Earth alongside Hal Jordan, Arisia, Kilowog
, Salaak, and other alien Green Lanterns.
After John’s ring was rendered powerless through the schemes of Sinestro
, and Katma Tui
was murdered at the hands of the insane Star Sapphire
, Stewart’s life began to unravel. First, he was falsely accused of killing Carol Ferris
, Star Sapphire’s alter ego, and then falsely accused of theft by South Nambia (a fictional DCU nation similar to Apartheid-era South Africa
). Jailed and tortured in South Nambia for weeks, John freed himself with his old ring, now re-powered thanks to the efforts of Hal Jordan. As a result, John inadvertently freed both a serial killer and a terrorist. When Jordan confronted John over his actions, the two friends came to blows until John realized the “revolutionaries” he had been aiding intended to murder innocent civilians.
event, and failed to prevent the destruction of the planet Xanshi by an avatar of the Anti-Life Equation
. The incident earned him the ire of J’onn J’onzz the Martian Manhunter
, who was with him at the time. This series of tragedies left John a shattered man on the brink of suicide and created the villainess known as Fatality
. J'onn J'onzz has since, at least civilly, forgiven him.
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John finally forgave himself for his past mistakes and grew into a stronger, more complex hero when he became the caretaker of the "Mosaic World", a patchwork of communities from multiple planets that had been brought to Oa
by an insane Guardian who had invaded John’s mind. Although bitter and sullen at his assignment at first, he overcame this and, using his formidable intellect and talent for unconventional thinking, Stewart forged the Mosaic into a new society and eventually became the first mortal Guardian of the Universe, known as the Master Builder. As his reward for this new level of awareness, John was reunited with his late wife, Katma Tui. However, tragedy struck once again and Hal Jordan, possessed by Parallax
, destroyed both the Guardians and the Central Power Battery, robbing John of his newfound powers and his resurrected wife.
" and the collapse of the Green Lantern Corps, Stewart was recruited by the Controllers to command the Darkstars
, another interstellar peacekeeping force. Using the new resources at his command, Stewart evacuated the Mosaic cities from Oa prior to its destruction and served the Darkstars with distinction until he was crippled in battle with Grayven
on the planet Rann
. Stewart eventually regained the use of his legs as a parting gift from Jordan before Jordan sacrificed himself to destroy the Sun-Eater
during the 1996 "The Final Night" storyline. As a result of Jordan healing him, he began to exhibit random bursts of energy from his hands that he was able to discharge on three different occasions. Though he had initially refused a new Green Lantern ring months prior, he eventually accepted a new one entrusted to Kyle Rayner
by a time-lost Hal Jordan, and joined the Justice League
to fill in for Rayner as he took an extended leave of absence from Earth.(Green Lantern vol. 3 155-156)
headquarters on the moon
, Stewart has begun playing a larger role in metahuman
affairs, working with many former Justice Leaguers.
During the “52
” storyline, John Stewart alongside Hal Jordan are involved in one of the first post-Freedom of Power Treaty confrontations. After a battle with the Great Ten
and Black Adam
, John and Hal are escorted to Russian airspace by the Rocket Red Brigade.
During the opening One Year Later
storyline of Green Lantern, Hal Jordan tells Green Arrow
that John Stewart is on an off-world undercover mission. The details John Stewart disguised himself as the bounty hunter "Hunger Dog" to undercover in Europe
. When John hears that Hal Jordan is being held captive by Amon Sur
and Loragg, he goes off to rescue him. This leads to a confrontation with Amon Sur, who turns out to be the son of their predecessor, Abin Sur
. During the fight, Amon receives a ring from the Sinestro Corps
and vanishes.
In Justice League of America vol. 2, #7, he and Wonder Woman
designed one of the League’s new headquarters, The Hall. John later resumes his role as the League's resident Green Lantern upon Hal Jordan's request.
are attacked by Bedovian, the sniper of the Sinestro Corps, who is capable of taking out a target from three sectors away, all from the inside of a red Sun-Eater
. After Bedovian takes out several Green Lanterns, John Stewart uses his power ring as a scoped sniper rifle to track the nearby sectors. He eventually discovers Bedovian's hiding spot and shoots him. As Green Lantern Corps member were forbidden from killing sentient beings at that time, Bedovian survived the attack, as recently seen in the Blackest Night crossover. John and Guy Gardner
are captured by Lyssa Drak
and taken back to Qward
, where the two Lanterns are held captive. Hal manages to defeat Lyssa and free John and Guy from their nightmares, while the Lost Lanterns recover Ion. The earth-based Lanterns then return home, only to find that New Earth, as the center of the Multiverse, is the Sinestro Corps' next target.
The Sinestro Corps and the Manhunters invade Earth. The Cyborg Superman and Superboy-Prime
attack Superman, while Hal confronts Parallax, who has possessed Kyle Rayner, just before the latter is about to kill Hal's family. John orders Guy to retrieve a painting by Kyle Rayner's mother. When Parallax absorbs Hal inside himself, John looks on with sudden shock. Guy returns and shoves the painting into Parallax's eyesight, allowing Hal to use it to help Kyle overcome his fears and expel Parallax. Now in its original form, Parallax is then contained by Ganthet
and Sayd
within the Power Batteries of Hal, John, Guy, and Kyle. Ganthet and Sayd then reveal that they are no longer Guardians. Ganthet gives Kyle a new power ring and asks Kyle to become a Green Lantern again, to which he agrees. The four then race off to finish the fight. At Guy Gardner's suggestion, John and the other Lanterns use Warworld
as a gigantic grenade, badly wounding the Anti-Monitor
, who is then thrown into space by Superboy-Prime.
John Stewart witnessed Guy being infected by the Sinestro Corps member who is a living virus, named Despotellis, and asked Soranik Natu
to help Guy. Soranik used the Green Lantern Corps smallpox virus named Leezle Pon, who stops Despotellis. John Stewart was later approached by the Guardians to become one of the Alpha Lanterns, a new division of the Corps devoted to the internal affairs of the Corps. Stewart, desiring more information about the secrecy of the forbidden prophecies, declined the offer, to the extreme disappointment of the Guardians.
It has also been revealed that John served in the Marine Corps as a sniper prior to becoming an architect. While the idea of John being a former Marine was taken from the Justice League
cartoon, the sniper angle is a new addition to the character's background. During his time in the Marines, John met the then young Hal Jordan when he was in the Air Force before they both join the Green Lantern Corps.
During the Rage of the Red Lanterns story arc, John Stewart is one of the guards assigned to escort Sinestro to Korugar to face execution. However, the Green Lanterns are ambushed by the Sinestro Corps and then the Red Lantern Corps
under Atrocitus
. The Green Lanterns are left to die in space after Atrocitus captures Sinestro, but they are saved by Saint Walker of the Blue Lantern Corps
. John, however, is infected with the Red Lanterns rage. Saint Walker conjures up a blue energy construct of Katma Tui, who heals John and calms him by showing him a vision of flying with Katma. John later tells Kilowog that he is going to see Katma again, saying that "the universe said so". In that same issue, Fatality is converted into a Star Sapphire
, and orders her ring to locate John Stewart. When she tracks down John, she tells him she forgives him, and kisses him. Before departing, she encourages John to forgive himself for what happened to Xanshi.
, but as he leaves again, he suffers from a relapse and start generating knives from his uniform, and it is revealed the entire system is broken.
Later, on board the Antimatter Earth Crime Syndicate satellite, he again loses control and nearly brings down the satellite with his blasts. It is revealed these discharges are brought about due to John's absorption of a Qwardian superweapon, the Void Hound, which has been trying to escape its containment, or at least seize control of Stewart. After the sweeping, devastating effects of the spell engineered by Morgaine le Fey
and Enigma
, he is seen in an Earth under the control of a totalitarian Justice Society, where all Green Lanterns are forbidden to be. He eventually starts breaking down, and with the Void Hound gaining enough hold on him to force him to create a black hole which forces him back to Earth, he has no choice but to comply. The Void Hound is later revealed to be a servant of Krona, and it's hold over John is broken when Krona is defeated.
, John chooses to stay with the League despite many of its members choosing to leave. After Kimiyo Hoshi goes missing while tracking down Shadow Thief, John blackmails the armored vigilante Hardware
into helping the team track her down. The League arrives in the Himalayas
, discovering Kimiyo and Superman's friend Icon
engaged in a fierce battle with the cosmic vampire known as Starbreaker. The JLA defeats Starbreaker, and John takes a leave of absence to go to Xanshi.
in a mission to robot planet Grenda, Stel
's homeworld, where the communications ceased abruptly without explanation, and Lantern Stel and the population are missing. John agrees and departs with Boodikka.
After arriving on the planet, the two confirmed the Guardians report: the entire population has mysteriously disappeared. John asks Boodikka if something of her older self remains despite being turned into an Alpha Lantern, after she asks him why he refused to join the Alpha Lanterns. Boodikka responds that her changes are only physical, and she still has her former personality; John doubts this affirmation. The two discover what seems to be a Green Lantern House Sector, that, according to Boodikka, is not registered. After entering inside, they discovered Green Lanterns Horoq Nnot and Stel; the last one tells John he must flee from the planet immediately. Suddenly, Boodikka turns against John and attacks him; John fights back, but he's surrounded by more rogue Alpha Lanterns and is defeated. It's revealed that the Alpha Lanterns have begun a revolt against the rest of the Corps, and have allied themselves with the Cyborg Superman
(now with an Alpha Lantern battery), taking control of Grenda to use the planet as their hidden base to turn Green Lanterns into Alpha Lanterns. John Stewart is last seen wounded and bleeding, being taken to Henshaw by Boodikka. Cyborg Superman then begins the cosmetic surgery to turn John into another Alpha Lantern.
Before starting the operation, however, Henshaw connects Stewart's brain to his memories in order to see why he was turned into a cyborg. He also reveals to John, that, after being resurrected by the Manhunters after the Sinestro Corps War, he returned to Earth in the middle of the Blackest Night, and pled to the Black Lanterns (among them are the former crew of his space shuttle) and Nekron to kill him, only to discover that because he did not have a physical heart, he was invisible to them. Angered for being ignored by death itself, the Cyborg Superman encountered the mysterious hooded stranger who abducted the entities of the Emotional Spectrum. He convinced him that Ganthet has the power and knowledge to turn Alpha Lanterns into normal beings again. John realizes that Henshaw organized the revolt of the Alpha Lanterns with the sole purpose to attract Ganthet to the planet Grenda and forced him to turn Henshaw into a mortal being again. Kyle and Soranik burst into the lab and manage to rescue John, but Ganthet is captured. They hide in a cave, where John informs them about the Cyborg Superman's true plan. They also discover the missing robot inhabitants of the planet, trapped in the depths of the cave by Henshaw. Mounting a defense, they battle against Henshaw and his forces, destroying the cyborg's body. Henshaw leaps into Boodikka's body, but her consciousness manages to defeat his, seemingly destroying him. John later joins Kyle Rayner and Ganthet in a mission to the anti-matter universe, in order to save Soranik Natu
.
Following the War's conclusion, John assists a new Green Lantern from Sector 2828 'selected' during the period when Mogo was under Krona's control in adjusting to the power of her ring despite the possibility that she will not be allowed to keep it by assisting her in halting a war taking place in her sector, his new student later reflecting that, despite John's reputation after destroying two worlds, she now knows that nobody could regret that action more than John himself.
.
in JSA: Classified.
universe, John Stewart was a member of Team 7
, an elite unit of soldiers lead by Grifter. John and most of his teammates were ultimately killed during a botched attack on a Jihadist training camp.
ranked John Stewart as the 55th greatest comic book hero of all time describing him as one of the first dominant African-American heroes in the pages of DC Comics; IGN also stated that John Stewart has gone from "semi-obscurity in the mainstream to absolute recognition" thanks to his starring role in the acclaimed Justice League cartoons.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. He first appeared in Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
vol. 2, #87 (December 1971/January 1972), and was created by Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
and Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
.
Publication history
John Stewart has become a major recurring character in the Green Lantern mythos within the DC UniverseDC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. He starred in the short-lived spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
comic Green Lantern: Mosaic
Green Lantern: Mosaic
Green Lantern: Mosaic was an American comic book series published by DC Comics starring the fictional character Green Lantern...
, of which DC published 18 issues between June 1992 and November 1993. Additionally, he was the primary character in Green Lantern vol. 2 from issues #182 through #200, when Jordan relinquished his place in the Corps (1984–1986). He is one of DC's first black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
costumed superheroes.
He was featured as one of the lead characters on the television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
cartoon
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
from 2001 until 2004. He continued to appear on the show's 2004–2006 sequel, Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
. As of 2011, John Stewart is prominently featured in DC's monthly comic books Green Lantern (vol. 4) and Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
as part of the War of the Green Lanterns
War of the Green Lanterns
"War of the Green Lanterns" is a ten-issue American comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics that spans across the Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps, and Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors series...
story arc.
John Stewart and Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
will be the focus for the upcoming relaunch of Green Lantern Corps starting in September 2011.
Early years
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and veteran U.S. Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
who was selected by the Guardians
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
as Hal Jordan’s backup after Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
was seriously injured in a disaster. Although Jordan objected after seeing that Stewart had a belligerent attitude to authority figures, the Guardians stood by their selection, and chided Jordan for his supposed bigoted outlook on the issue. Jordan explained that he just felt that even though Stewart might have the integrity for the task, he "obviously would have a chip on his shoulder bigger than the rock of Gibraltar."
To Jordan, Stewart’s first mission began badly with the assignment of protecting a racist politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and Stewart took advantage of averting an accident to embarrass him in the process. However, Stewart soon proved his worth when an assassin shot at the politician, but Stewart refused to intervene with Jordan to move in response to the attack. Stewart had good reasons for this apparent dereliction of duty when he stopped a gunman from killing a police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in the outside parking lot at the event while Jordan was pursuing a decoy. When Jordan confronted Stewart about his actions, Stewart explained that the politician had staged it for political advantage. With that adventure, Jordan concluded that Stewart was an excellent recruit after all.
For some time, Stewart occasionally filled in for him as Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
when Jordan was unavailable, including some missions of the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
.
After Jordan gave up being Green Lantern in the 1980s, the Guardians selected Stewart for full time duty. Stewart filled that role for some years, during which time he married Katma Tui
Katma Tui
Katma Tui is a fictional comic book superhero, an extraterrestrial from the planet Korugar, and a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. She first appeared in DC Comics' Green Lantern Katma Tui is a fictional comic book superhero, an extraterrestrial from the...
, the Green Lantern of the planet Korugar who was initially assigned to train John in the use of his ring. Kat and John served together within the Green Lantern Corps of Earth alongside Hal Jordan, Arisia, Kilowog
Kilowog
Kilowog is a fictional superhero from DC Comics, and a member of the Green Lantern Corps.-Origins:A towering alien with a brutish and porcine appearance, Kilowog is renowned throughout the Green Lantern Corps as the primary trainer of the Corps' newest recruits...
, Salaak, and other alien Green Lanterns.
After John’s ring was rendered powerless through the schemes of Sinestro
Sinestro
Thaal Sinestro is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is the former mentor of Hal Jordan and the arch-nemesis of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Sinestro first appears in Green Lantern #7 . In 2009, Sinestro was...
, and Katma Tui
Katma Tui
Katma Tui is a fictional comic book superhero, an extraterrestrial from the planet Korugar, and a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps. She first appeared in DC Comics' Green Lantern Katma Tui is a fictional comic book superhero, an extraterrestrial from the...
was murdered at the hands of the insane Star Sapphire
Star Sapphire (comics)
Star Sapphire is the name of several supervillains in DC Comics, all connected in origin. Within DC continuity, an immortal race of warrior women were depicted as having the ancient tradition of choosing physically identical mortals from across the cosmos to serve as the host body for their queen....
, Stewart’s life began to unravel. First, he was falsely accused of killing Carol Ferris
Carol Ferris
Caroline "Carol" Ferris is a character in the . She is one of many characters who has used the name Star Sapphire, and is a long-time love interest of Hal Jordan, the Silver Age Green Lantern. Her original design was based on Elizabeth Taylor...
, Star Sapphire’s alter ego, and then falsely accused of theft by South Nambia (a fictional DCU nation similar to Apartheid-era South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
). Jailed and tortured in South Nambia for weeks, John freed himself with his old ring, now re-powered thanks to the efforts of Hal Jordan. As a result, John inadvertently freed both a serial killer and a terrorist. When Jordan confronted John over his actions, the two friends came to blows until John realized the “revolutionaries” he had been aiding intended to murder innocent civilians.
Cosmic Odyssey
Afterwards, John left Earth for space, where he participated in the Cosmic Odyssey miniseriesMiniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
event, and failed to prevent the destruction of the planet Xanshi by an avatar of the Anti-Life Equation
Anti-Life Equation
The Anti-Life Equation is the equation for total control over the free will of sentient beings, for which the DC Comics villain Darkseid is searching in the Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting. It is for this reason that he sends his forces to Earth, as he believes part of the equation exists in the...
. The incident earned him the ire of J’onn J’onzz the Martian Manhunter
Martian Manhunter
The Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
, who was with him at the time. This series of tragedies left John a shattered man on the brink of suicide and created the villainess known as Fatality
Fatality (comics)
Fatality is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:The eldest child of the planet Xanshi's ruling family, the girl who would one day call herself Fatality was sent off-world to be educated by the Warlords of Okaara...
. J'onn J'onzz has since, at least civilly, forgiven him.
Green Lantern: Mosaic
John finally forgave himself for his past mistakes and grew into a stronger, more complex hero when he became the caretaker of the "Mosaic World", a patchwork of communities from multiple planets that had been brought to Oa
Oa
Oa is a fictional planet that lies at the center of the DC Comics universe. Since its inception, Oa has been the planetary citadel of the Guardians of the Universe and the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps...
by an insane Guardian who had invaded John’s mind. Although bitter and sullen at his assignment at first, he overcame this and, using his formidable intellect and talent for unconventional thinking, Stewart forged the Mosaic into a new society and eventually became the first mortal Guardian of the Universe, known as the Master Builder. As his reward for this new level of awareness, John was reunited with his late wife, Katma Tui. However, tragedy struck once again and Hal Jordan, possessed by Parallax
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
, destroyed both the Guardians and the Central Power Battery, robbing John of his newfound powers and his resurrected wife.
Darkstars and beyond
Following "Emerald TwilightEmerald Twilight
"Emerald Twilight" is a 1994 comic book story told in Green Lantern #48-50, written by Ron Marz, and published by DC Comics. The story introduced a new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, who gained a significant fan following....
" and the collapse of the Green Lantern Corps, Stewart was recruited by the Controllers to command the Darkstars
Darkstars
The first Darkstars were a group of fictional intergalactic policemen that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics. They were introduced in Darkstars #1 , and were created by Michael Jan Friedman and Mike Collins. The series lasted a total of 39 issues, ending with issue #38 , with an issue...
, another interstellar peacekeeping force. Using the new resources at his command, Stewart evacuated the Mosaic cities from Oa prior to its destruction and served the Darkstars with distinction until he was crippled in battle with Grayven
Grayven
Grayven is a fictional deity and supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern v3 #74, , and was created by Ron Marz and Darryl Banks.-Fictional character biography:...
on the planet Rann
Rann
Rann is a fictional planet in the Polaris star system of the whose capitol city is Ranagar. Rann is most famous for being the adopted planet of the Earth explorer and hero Adam Strange and for their teleportation device called the Zeta Beam...
. Stewart eventually regained the use of his legs as a parting gift from Jordan before Jordan sacrificed himself to destroy the Sun-Eater
Sun-Eater
A Sun-Eater is a fictional, artificially created living weapon in the DC Comics universe. It has played an important role in various storylines.-History:...
during the 1996 "The Final Night" storyline. As a result of Jordan healing him, he began to exhibit random bursts of energy from his hands that he was able to discharge on three different occasions. Though he had initially refused a new Green Lantern ring months prior, he eventually accepted a new one entrusted to Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
by a time-lost Hal Jordan, and joined the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
to fill in for Rayner as he took an extended leave of absence from Earth.(Green Lantern vol. 3 155-156)
Green Lantern: Rebirth
With the return of Hal Jordan and the Guardians, the Corps has been reorganized. Each sector of space now has two Green Lanterns assigned to it, and Stewart and Jordan now share regular duty for Earth’s sector, 2814. After the dissolution of the Justice League in the aftermath of the events depicted in the 2004 miniseries Identity Crisis, and the destruction of their WatchtowerJustice League Watchtower
The Watchtower is the name of various bases used by the Justice League of America in DC Comics and various other media. It has been portrayed in DC comics as a building on Earth's moon, and as a space-station in orbit in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon.The Watchtower debuted in JLA #4 during...
headquarters on the moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, Stewart has begun playing a larger role in metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
affairs, working with many former Justice Leaguers.
During the “52
52 (comics)
52 was a weekly American comic book limited series published by DC Comics that debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. The series was written by Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, Greg Rucka, and Mark Waid with layouts by Keith Giffen...
” storyline, John Stewart alongside Hal Jordan are involved in one of the first post-Freedom of Power Treaty confrontations. After a battle with the Great Ten
Great Ten
The Great Ten, ' or ' are a team of fictional Chinese comic book superheroes in the DC Comics Universe, who are sponsored by the government of the People's Republic of China. Appearing in comics published by DC Comics, they were introduced in 52 #6 ., and were created by Grant Morrison, J.G. Jones,...
and Black Adam
Black Adam
Black Adam is a fictional comic book character, created in 1945 by Otto Binder & C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. Originally created as a one-shot villain for Fawcett Comics' Marvel Family team of superheroes, Black Adam was revived as a recurring supervillain after DC Comics began publishing Captain...
, John and Hal are escorted to Russian airspace by the Rocket Red Brigade.
During the opening One Year Later
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
storyline of Green Lantern, Hal Jordan tells Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
that John Stewart is on an off-world undercover mission. The details John Stewart disguised himself as the bounty hunter "Hunger Dog" to undercover in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. When John hears that Hal Jordan is being held captive by Amon Sur
Amon Sur
Amon Sur is a fictional alien supervillain in the DC Universe. He is the son of the Green Lantern Abin Sur. Amon Sur first appeared in Green Arrow Amon Sur is a fictional alien supervillain in the DC Universe. He is the son of the Green Lantern Abin Sur. Amon Sur first appeared in Green Arrow Amon...
and Loragg, he goes off to rescue him. This leads to a confrontation with Amon Sur, who turns out to be the son of their predecessor, Abin Sur
Abin Sur
Abin Sur is a fictional character and a superhero from the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #22 : "SOS Green Lantern". He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement...
. During the fight, Amon receives a ring from the Sinestro Corps
Sinestro Corps
The Sinestro Corps is a group of fictional characters, a villainous analogue to the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe. It is led by the supervillain Thaal Sinestro.-Before the Corps:...
and vanishes.
In Justice League of America vol. 2, #7, he and Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
designed one of the League’s new headquarters, The Hall. John later resumes his role as the League's resident Green Lantern upon Hal Jordan's request.
Sinestro Corps War
In the Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special, the Green Lantern CorpsGreen Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
are attacked by Bedovian, the sniper of the Sinestro Corps, who is capable of taking out a target from three sectors away, all from the inside of a red Sun-Eater
Sun-Eater
A Sun-Eater is a fictional, artificially created living weapon in the DC Comics universe. It has played an important role in various storylines.-History:...
. After Bedovian takes out several Green Lanterns, John Stewart uses his power ring as a scoped sniper rifle to track the nearby sectors. He eventually discovers Bedovian's hiding spot and shoots him. As Green Lantern Corps member were forbidden from killing sentient beings at that time, Bedovian survived the attack, as recently seen in the Blackest Night crossover. John and Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
are captured by Lyssa Drak
Lyssa Drak
Lyssa Drak is a fictional alien supervillainess published by DC Comics. First appearing in Green Lantern vol. 4 #18 , she was created by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons.-Fictional character biography:...
and taken back to Qward
Qward
Qward is a fictional world existing within an antimatter universe that is part of the . It was first mentioned in Green Lantern # 2 .-Fictional history:...
, where the two Lanterns are held captive. Hal manages to defeat Lyssa and free John and Guy from their nightmares, while the Lost Lanterns recover Ion. The earth-based Lanterns then return home, only to find that New Earth, as the center of the Multiverse, is the Sinestro Corps' next target.
The Sinestro Corps and the Manhunters invade Earth. The Cyborg Superman and Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
attack Superman, while Hal confronts Parallax, who has possessed Kyle Rayner, just before the latter is about to kill Hal's family. John orders Guy to retrieve a painting by Kyle Rayner's mother. When Parallax absorbs Hal inside himself, John looks on with sudden shock. Guy returns and shoves the painting into Parallax's eyesight, allowing Hal to use it to help Kyle overcome his fears and expel Parallax. Now in its original form, Parallax is then contained by Ganthet
Ganthet
Ganthet is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in the 1992 graphic novel Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale , by Larry Niven and John Byrne.- Background :Ganthet is one of the Guardians of the Universe...
and Sayd
Sayd
Sayd is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is now an exiled member of the Guardians of the Universe. Where most of the Guardians are void of emotion and rigid in their compliance to standard policy, Sayd's sensibilities are more in line with those of Ganthet, a Guardian known for...
within the Power Batteries of Hal, John, Guy, and Kyle. Ganthet and Sayd then reveal that they are no longer Guardians. Ganthet gives Kyle a new power ring and asks Kyle to become a Green Lantern again, to which he agrees. The four then race off to finish the fight. At Guy Gardner's suggestion, John and the other Lanterns use Warworld
Warworld
Warworld is a fictional artificial planet published in several stories by DC Comics, most of which feature Superman. It first appeared in DC Comics Presents #27 , and was created by Len Wein and Jim Starlin.-History:...
as a gigantic grenade, badly wounding the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
, who is then thrown into space by Superboy-Prime.
John Stewart witnessed Guy being infected by the Sinestro Corps member who is a living virus, named Despotellis, and asked Soranik Natu
Soranik Natu
Soranik Natu is a fictional character, a member of the Green Lantern Corps in the . She first appears in Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #1 , and was created by writers Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons, and artist Patrick Gleason. Sora is an extraterrestrial from the planet Korugar...
to help Guy. Soranik used the Green Lantern Corps smallpox virus named Leezle Pon, who stops Despotellis. John Stewart was later approached by the Guardians to become one of the Alpha Lanterns, a new division of the Corps devoted to the internal affairs of the Corps. Stewart, desiring more information about the secrecy of the forbidden prophecies, declined the offer, to the extreme disappointment of the Guardians.
It has also been revealed that John served in the Marine Corps as a sniper prior to becoming an architect. While the idea of John being a former Marine was taken from the Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
cartoon, the sniper angle is a new addition to the character's background. During his time in the Marines, John met the then young Hal Jordan when he was in the Air Force before they both join the Green Lantern Corps.
During the Rage of the Red Lanterns story arc, John Stewart is one of the guards assigned to escort Sinestro to Korugar to face execution. However, the Green Lanterns are ambushed by the Sinestro Corps and then the Red Lantern Corps
Red Lantern Corps
The Red Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver...
under Atrocitus
Atrocitus
Atrocitus is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, Atrocitus is an enemy of the Guardians of the Universe and Sinestro, their former Green Lantern. He first appears in Green Lantern vol...
. The Green Lanterns are left to die in space after Atrocitus captures Sinestro, but they are saved by Saint Walker of the Blue Lantern Corps
Blue Lantern Corps
The Blue Lantern Corps is an organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.-Fictional group history:...
. John, however, is infected with the Red Lanterns rage. Saint Walker conjures up a blue energy construct of Katma Tui, who heals John and calms him by showing him a vision of flying with Katma. John later tells Kilowog that he is going to see Katma again, saying that "the universe said so". In that same issue, Fatality is converted into a Star Sapphire
Star Sapphire (comics)
Star Sapphire is the name of several supervillains in DC Comics, all connected in origin. Within DC continuity, an immortal race of warrior women were depicted as having the ancient tradition of choosing physically identical mortals from across the cosmos to serve as the host body for their queen....
, and orders her ring to locate John Stewart. When she tracks down John, she tells him she forgives him, and kisses him. Before departing, she encourages John to forgive himself for what happened to Xanshi.
Trinity
Stewart appears in the Trinity series. He is the one to first attack the alien creature Konvikt, but when he's on the verge of defeating him, his concentration suddenly snaps, and starts muttering incoherently in binary code. A moment later, he spontaneously generates complex weapons from his body, by means unrelated to his ring. Later, he attempts to overexert himself to know how he generated those weapons by running a brutal training session against holographic Qwardian Thunderers, which does not work. He later shows Firestorm the machinery used to monitor the Cosmic Egg imprisoning KronaKrona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
, but as he leaves again, he suffers from a relapse and start generating knives from his uniform, and it is revealed the entire system is broken.
Later, on board the Antimatter Earth Crime Syndicate satellite, he again loses control and nearly brings down the satellite with his blasts. It is revealed these discharges are brought about due to John's absorption of a Qwardian superweapon, the Void Hound, which has been trying to escape its containment, or at least seize control of Stewart. After the sweeping, devastating effects of the spell engineered by Morgaine le Fey
Morgaine le Fey (DC Comics)
Morgaine le Fey is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. She debuted in The Demon vol. 1 #1, , and was created by Jack Kirby...
and Enigma
Enigma (DC Comics)
Enigma is a name used by two fictional characters, both supervillains in the . The character first appeared in Teen Titans Vol. 3 #38 and was created by Geoff Johns and Tony Daniel. A villain in Trinity has also used the name...
, he is seen in an Earth under the control of a totalitarian Justice Society, where all Green Lanterns are forbidden to be. He eventually starts breaking down, and with the Void Hound gaining enough hold on him to force him to create a black hole which forces him back to Earth, he has no choice but to comply. The Void Hound is later revealed to be a servant of Krona, and it's hold over John is broken when Krona is defeated.
Worlds Collide
After a massive battle between the JLA and the Shadow CabinetShadow Cabinet (comics)
The Shadow Cabinet is a team of fictional superheroes created by Milestone Comics and published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Shadow Cabinet #0 , and were created by Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington III and John Paul Leon...
, John chooses to stay with the League despite many of its members choosing to leave. After Kimiyo Hoshi goes missing while tracking down Shadow Thief, John blackmails the armored vigilante Hardware
Hardware (comics)
Hardware is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, he first appeared in Hardware #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan...
into helping the team track her down. The League arrives in the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
, discovering Kimiyo and Superman's friend Icon
Icon (comics)
Icon is a fictional superhero, a comic book character published by DC Comics. An original character from DC's Milestone Comics imprint, he first appeared in Icon #1 , and was created by Dwayne McDuffie and Denys Cowan...
engaged in a fierce battle with the cosmic vampire known as Starbreaker. The JLA defeats Starbreaker, and John takes a leave of absence to go to Xanshi.
Blackest Night
When John visits the grave of planet Xanshi, thousands of black rings fly into the planetary debris, and reconstitute the entire planet. Xanshi itself then speaks to John, telling him "I can help you save them." Against his better judgment, John descends to the planet's surface. Once reaching the surface, John finds himself confronted by Katma Tui and the entire population of Xanshi as Black Lanterns. While battling them all, Katma tries to weaken John by claiming that he caused the planet's destruction. However, John, spurred on by Fatality's words, says that he wasn't the cause of it all and successfully fights off the Black Lanterns. After escaping Xanshi's atmosphere, John realises that the planet is headed for Earth, along with every Black Lantern in the universe, and contacts Hal, warning him of the impending threat. Later, John is saved by combined efforts of the various Lanterns corps, who had just arrived to battle the Black Lanterns.Brightest Day
In the events of Brightest Day, John is seen on Oa, supervising the demolition of the buildings left in ruins after the Black Lanterns attack, and planning the reconstruction. Suddenly, he is called to the Guardians' chamber, where they order him to join Alpha Lantern BoodikkaBoodikka
Boodikka is a fictional character featured in comic books published by DC Comics. Boodikka is a tall, well-muscled humanoid alien female with pink skin and reddish black hair...
in a mission to robot planet Grenda, Stel
Stel
Stel is a fictional American comic book superhero, an extraterrestrial robot from the planet Grenda and a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps for space sector 3009. He first appeared in DC Comics' Green Lantern Stel is a fictional American comic book...
's homeworld, where the communications ceased abruptly without explanation, and Lantern Stel and the population are missing. John agrees and departs with Boodikka.
After arriving on the planet, the two confirmed the Guardians report: the entire population has mysteriously disappeared. John asks Boodikka if something of her older self remains despite being turned into an Alpha Lantern, after she asks him why he refused to join the Alpha Lanterns. Boodikka responds that her changes are only physical, and she still has her former personality; John doubts this affirmation. The two discover what seems to be a Green Lantern House Sector, that, according to Boodikka, is not registered. After entering inside, they discovered Green Lanterns Horoq Nnot and Stel; the last one tells John he must flee from the planet immediately. Suddenly, Boodikka turns against John and attacks him; John fights back, but he's surrounded by more rogue Alpha Lanterns and is defeated. It's revealed that the Alpha Lanterns have begun a revolt against the rest of the Corps, and have allied themselves with the Cyborg Superman
Hank Henshaw
Hank Henshaw is a fictional supervillain featured in the DC Comics universe. While originally featured primarily as an enemy of Superman, recent years have repositioned him as one of the main enemies of the Green Lantern Corps...
(now with an Alpha Lantern battery), taking control of Grenda to use the planet as their hidden base to turn Green Lanterns into Alpha Lanterns. John Stewart is last seen wounded and bleeding, being taken to Henshaw by Boodikka. Cyborg Superman then begins the cosmetic surgery to turn John into another Alpha Lantern.
Before starting the operation, however, Henshaw connects Stewart's brain to his memories in order to see why he was turned into a cyborg. He also reveals to John, that, after being resurrected by the Manhunters after the Sinestro Corps War, he returned to Earth in the middle of the Blackest Night, and pled to the Black Lanterns (among them are the former crew of his space shuttle) and Nekron to kill him, only to discover that because he did not have a physical heart, he was invisible to them. Angered for being ignored by death itself, the Cyborg Superman encountered the mysterious hooded stranger who abducted the entities of the Emotional Spectrum. He convinced him that Ganthet has the power and knowledge to turn Alpha Lanterns into normal beings again. John realizes that Henshaw organized the revolt of the Alpha Lanterns with the sole purpose to attract Ganthet to the planet Grenda and forced him to turn Henshaw into a mortal being again. Kyle and Soranik burst into the lab and manage to rescue John, but Ganthet is captured. They hide in a cave, where John informs them about the Cyborg Superman's true plan. They also discover the missing robot inhabitants of the planet, trapped in the depths of the cave by Henshaw. Mounting a defense, they battle against Henshaw and his forces, destroying the cyborg's body. Henshaw leaps into Boodikka's body, but her consciousness manages to defeat his, seemingly destroying him. John later joins Kyle Rayner and Ganthet in a mission to the anti-matter universe, in order to save Soranik Natu
Soranik Natu
Soranik Natu is a fictional character, a member of the Green Lantern Corps in the . She first appears in Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #1 , and was created by writers Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons, and artist Patrick Gleason. Sora is an extraterrestrial from the planet Korugar...
.
War of the Green Lanterns
On their return to the matter universe, John and the others are affected by the return of Parallax to the Central Power Battery by Krona. Their previous experience with Parallax allows John, Kyle and Ganthet to escape its control, but they are forced to fight their fellow Green Lanterns. Affected by Parallax's fear powers, John and Kyle are forced to remove their rings and escape through Oa's underground. They then meet up with Guy and Hal, who has the rings of the other corps' leaders. John initially chooses Larfleeze's orange ring, but is convinced by Hal to use Indigo-1's ring instead due to the debilitating effects of the orange ring on the wearer's psyche. When the corrupted Green Lanterns attack, John has difficulty channeling the various corps powers through his ring. Things are made worse when Mogo joins the attack. While Hal and Guy go to remove Parallax from the Central Power Battery, John and Kyle attempt to free Mogo from Krona's control. On the way, John attempts to stop the flow of tainted rings sent by Mogo, but fails. As he and Kyle head for Mogo's core instead, they discover residual Black Lantern energy around it. John absorbs the Black Lantern energy, along with all the Green Lantern energy, and regretfully uses it to destroy Mogo. In the fallout, the two regroup with Hal, Guy and Ganthet, using the full power of the emotional spectrum to crack open the Battery and release Parallax. Their job done, the Lanterns regain their original green rings, in preparation for the final confrontation with Krona.Following the War's conclusion, John assists a new Green Lantern from Sector 2828 'selected' during the period when Mogo was under Krona's control in adjusting to the power of her ring despite the possibility that she will not be allowed to keep it by assisting her in halting a war taking place in her sector, his new student later reflecting that, despite John's reputation after destroying two worlds, she now knows that nobody could regret that action more than John himself.
Powers and abilities
- John Stewart’s power ring provides him with the abilities of all other Green Lanterns; these abilities include flight and limited invulnerability.
- As with all other Green Lanterns, the ring is a weapon of the mind and powered by will, therefore only limited to the wearer’s imagination.
- Stewart was briefly taught by Ganthet on how to reroute his mind to think in the 'language of the spheres'- the first language of the universe- to evade telepathic detection by Fernus, the 'Burning Martian' identity of the Martian ManhunterMartian ManhunterThe Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
; although the intensity of this method meant that John couldn't use it for more than a minute without burning his mind out, it has never been specified if this means that he cannot use it again or if he could use it at some future date if enough time has elapsed since his last use of it. - Like all Green Lanterns, Stewart's personality affects his ring's creations, giving them a solid, architectural quality. In Green Lantern: Rebirth, Hal Jordan remarks that "everything John builds is solid". He also remarked that Stewart is the best flyer in the Corps.
- In Green Lantern (vol. 4) #26, it was shown that John's willpower exceeds the limit of his ring (when he tried to recreate a planet from scratch), a feat that had not been depicted before this point.
- John is a discharged member of the USMC with full combat training. In addition, he is an expert sniper.
- When he temporarily used Indigo-1's ring as a member of the Indigo TribeIndigo TribeThe Indigo Tribe is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.-Fictional group history:...
, John was capable of accessing the powers of all Lantern Corps rings in his vicinity, even managing to harness the power of the Black Lantern CorpsBlack Lantern CorpsThe Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
by drawing on the residual Black Lantern energy around MogoMogoMogo is a fictional character and planet in the DC Universe, a member of the Green Lantern Corps. It first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 2 #188 , in a story titled "Mogo Doesn't Socialize." Mogo was created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons....
's core.
Superman: Red Son
He is a member of the Green Lantern Marine Corps in Superman: Red SonSuperman: Red Son
Superman: Red Son is a three-issue prestige format comic book mini-series published by DC Comics that was released under their Elseworlds imprint in April 2003...
.
Anti-Matter Universe
John, known now as Power Ring, is shown to be a member of the anti-matter universe Crime Syndicate that attempts to kidnap Power GirlPower Girl
Power Girl is a DC Comics superheroine, making her first appearance in All Star Comics #58 ....
in JSA: Classified.
Flashpoint
In the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
universe, John Stewart was a member of Team 7
Team 7 (comics)
Team 7 is a comic book superhero team appearing in titles published by Wildstorm Productions. The team has appeared in 3 self-titled miniseries: Team 7, Team 7: Objective Hell and Team 7: Dead Reckoning. The first 5-issue Gen¹³ limited series also involved members of Team 7...
, an elite unit of soldiers lead by Grifter. John and most of his teammates were ultimately killed during a botched attack on a Jihadist training camp.
Television
- John Stewart is one of the founding members of the Justice League, as seen in the animated series of the same nameJustice League (TV series)Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
and its subsequent Justice League UnlimitedJustice League UnlimitedJustice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
. He was voiced by Phil LaMarrPhil LaMarrPhillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
in English and by Taiten KusunokiTaiten Kusunokiis a male Japanese voice actor and actor from Machida, Tokyo. He is affiliated with Miki Productions.-Television animation:*Bleach as Edrad Leones, Zommari Leroux*Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z *Digimon Savers as Commander Rentarō Satsuma...
in the JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
dub. His characterization initially differed from the comics version by being a former United States Marine and having not been explicitly revealed to have studied architecture. Since then the comic book version has been updated to reflect these changes. In a development not seen in any other version of the Green Lantern mythos, Stewart's eyes glow green as a side effect of his fifteen years of exposure to the power ring's radiation; the glow fades when the ring runs out energy or if he is physically separated from the ring. Bruce TimmBruce TimmBruce Walter Timm is an American character designer, animator and producer. He is also a writer and artist working in comics, and is known for his contributions building the modern DC Comics animated franchise, the DC animated universe.-Animation:Timm's early career in animation was varied; he...
said this was done to give Stewart's face a more visually interesting look, as they decided to stick with the comic book tradition of depicting John Stewart without a mask. By many accounts, the ring is also effective against yellow, contradicting an age-old weakness of the Lantern Corps. This is in continuity with the earlier appearance of Kyle RaynerKyle RaynerKyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
on Superman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated SeriesSuperman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
. There have been a few instances in the show of something yellow somehow counteracting the Lantern energy, but he is never explicitly shown to have the same weakness from the comics. Having two main characters with similar names (John and J'onn) can lead to minor confusion (Flash sometimes collectively refers to them as the two Johns); the closed captioningClosed captioningClosed captioning is the process of displaying text on a television, video screen or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information to individuals who wish to access it...
of some episodes misspell John's name as J'onnMartian ManhunterThe Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
and vice versa.
- Phil LaMarr reprised his role of John Stewart in the Static ShockStatic ShockStatic Shock is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered in September 2000 on the Kids' WB! block and ran for four seasons, with a total of 52 half-hour episodes....
episode "A League of Their Own." He and the Justice League call in Static and Gear in order to help fight Brainiac. In "Fallen Hero," John Stewart ends up attacking Dakota. It turns out that Sinestro orchestrated an event that resulted in Sinestro stealing John Stewart's battery source. Once this was found out, Static helped John Stewart defeat Sinestro and reclaim his battery source.
- John Stewart appears in the Young JusticeYoung Justice (TV series)Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
animated series voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
. He appears as a member of the Justice League. In the one-hour pilot episode, "Independence Day", John is shown working with Hal to contain Blockbuster after he has been defeated by AqualadAqualad (Jackson Hyde)Jackson Hyde is one of two fictional characters codenamed Aqualad. He is a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. Jackson Hyde, created by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis, debuted in comic books in Brightest Day #4 and is based on the Aqualad character originally created for the Young Justice...
, SuperboySuperboy (Kon-El)Superboy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. A modern update of the original Superboy, who is a younger version of Superman, the character first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 , and was created by writer Karl Kesel and artist Tom Grummett.Originally...
, RobinDick GraysonDick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
and Kid FlashWally WestThe Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
as well as carrying the non-flying mentors AquamanAquamanAquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
, BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, and Black CanaryBlack CanaryBlack Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
. He reappears in the episode "Alpha Male" where he is shown helping to rebuild the Mount JusticeHappy HarborHappy Harbor is a fictional United States location in Rhode Island, referenced in DC Comics as the location of the first headquarters, "Justice Mountain" or the "Secret Sanctuary", of the Justice League of America, first appearing in The Brave and the Bold #28.-History:As the home of the Justice...
after it is attacked by Red Torpedo and Red Inferno. He and Hal appear in "Failsafe" where they are apparently vaporized by invading aliens (though the invasion is later revealed to be nothing more than a botched mind-training exercise for the members of Young Justice due to Miss Martian having a bad reaction for what happened to Artemis there).
Film
- In the 2011 live action Green Lantern filmGreen Lantern (film)Green Lantern is a 2011 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins, with Martin Campbell directing a script by Greg Berlanti and comic book writers Michael Green and Marc...
, Nick Jones was rumored to have made a cameo appearance as John; however, the movie does not mention Stewart at any point.
Video games
- John Stewart is a featured character in the video game Justice League HeroesJustice League HeroesJustice League Heroes is a console video game for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable systems. It is based on DC Comics' premiere superhero team, the Justice League of America. It was developed by Snowblind Studios and published and distributed by Warner Bros...
, voiced by Michael Jai WhiteMichael Jai WhiteMichael Jai White is an American actor and martial artist who has appeared in numerous films and television series. He is the first African American to portray a major comic book superhero in a major motion picture, having starred as Al Simmons, the protagonist in the 1997 film Spawn...
.
- Stewart is also featured in Justice League: Injustice for AllJustice League: Injustice for AllJustice League: Injustice for All is a video game that was released in 2002 by Midway Games for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance and it was based largely on the Justice League animated television series, including its character portrayals, and artistic style...
and Justice League: ChroniclesJustice League: ChroniclesJustice League: Chronicles is a video game based on the Cartoon Network animated show and it was released on November 12, 2003. This game has 3 levels and each has two characters...
.
- John Stewart appears in DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
, voiced by Ken ThomasKen ThomasKenneth Rowland Thomas OBE was a Welsh trade unionist and General Secretary of the Civil and Public Services Association .-Early life:...
as a non-playable character.
Other appearances
- John Stewart was portrayed by Tim Meadows, wearing his Green Lantern: MosaicGreen Lantern: MosaicGreen Lantern: Mosaic was an American comic book series published by DC Comics starring the fictional character Green Lantern...
costume, in a Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
sketch inspired by the then-recent The Death of SupermanThe Death of Superman"The Death of Superman" is a 1992 comic book storyline that occurred in DC Comics' Superman titles. The completed multi-issue story arc was given the title The Death and Return of Superman....
comic storyline.
- John Stewart appears (alongside the Green Lantern Corps) in a non-spoken cameo role in the Duck DodgersDuck Dodgers (TV series)Duck Dodgers is an American animated television series, based on the classic cartoon short Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century, produced by Warner Bros. Animation from 2003 to 2005. The series aired on Cartoon Network and starred Daffy Duck as the titular character...
episode, "The Green Loontern".
Miscellaneous
- John Stewart has appeared in the Justice League Unlimited spin-off comic book.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
ranked John Stewart as the 55th greatest comic book hero of all time describing him as one of the first dominant African-American heroes in the pages of DC Comics; IGN also stated that John Stewart has gone from "semi-obscurity in the mainstream to absolute recognition" thanks to his starring role in the acclaimed Justice League cartoons.
External links
- World of Black Heroes: Green Lantern John Stewart Biography
- Green Lantern: The Central Battery
- Alan Kistler’s profile on Green Lantern
- John Stewart at The Book of OA
- The Rise of the Black Green Lantern
- The Green Lantern Shrine
- Toonzone: John Stewart
- DC Universe: The Source> September’s GREEN LANTERN Solicits