Rann
Encyclopedia
Rann is a fictional planet in the Polaris
star system (formerly the Alpha Centauri
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. The planet Rann, along with her famous non-native son, first appeared in Showcase #17 (November–December 1958).
Along with the humanoid Rannians, a sentient tornado
also lived on Rann. First appearing in Mystery in Space
#61, the tornado was a malicious entity named Ulthoon, the Tornado Tyrant of Rann. He was defeated after challenging Adam Strange while Strange was on Rann. After having lost to Strange, he contemplated the nature of good and evil, and decided that good was superior to evil. Following this, he split into two entities. One, a benevolent being, called himself the Tornado Champion. The other, a malicious entity, called himself the Tornado Tyrant. Both would encounter the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America
before being merged into the android shell of the second Red Tornado
.
Rann's prehistoric creatures, seen during the Crisis on Infinite Earths
, are large, dinosaur-like creatures, albeit more exotic than the normal Earth varieties (such as four-eyed creatures).
In the 22nd Century, a descendant of Adam Strange, also named Adam Strange, will assist the future hero Space Ranger
and his partner Cryll in defeating Yarrok, Wizard of the Cosmos. While originally a pre-Crisis tale featured in Mystery in Space #94 and 98, Hourman
#11 confirmed the story as canon with a pair of statues honoring both the second Adam Strange and Space Ranger. The above Hourman issue also features the first appearance of Rann Prime and the Adam Stranger in the 853rd Century.
Vath Sarn became the Green Lantern
of the sector in which Rann is located.
device, which boasts an extreme long range capability that can transport a human-sized target over light-years of distance. The Omega Beam acts as a Zeta Beam for planetary sized targets.
The Zeta Beam has undergone several stages. At first, the effects of a Zeta Beam would only last temporarily, resulting in Adam Strange having to return to Earth, at the point where he last teleported (in the southern hemisphere, the only part of Earth where Alpha Centauri is visible). Later, Sardath improved the Zeta Beam so that the effects would become permanent. The amount of radiation which the Zeta Beam produces would also be reduced, as shown in the Rann-Thanagar War
mini-series, when Tigorr of the Omega Men
, having used an older Zeta Beam model, is shown to have a large amount of ambient radiation from the teleportation.
Zeta Beamers, highly coveted by other races like the Thanagarians, are few and far between. Most are situated on Rann; Adam Strange later received a personal Zeta Beamer from Sardath. Throneworld, home of Prince Gayvn (Starman), received a Zeta Beamer as a gift from Rann.
The term zeta beam (or zee beam, as young Aleea said) can also be used as a verb. When one uses a Zeta Beamer, one is zeta beaming, etc.
The Zeta Beam relies on clear line-of-sight
in order to teleport; any sort of interference would produce disastrous results. This was shown in James Robinson's Starman
, when a villain attempts to use the Zeta Beam, only to be crushed against a shell of darkness at greater than light speeds. JLA: The Nail
also has a dead Adam Strange, killed when he was trapped in space by a force shield surrounding Earth. The worst example of a Zeta Beam malfunction is shown in 52
, when a Zeta Beam redirected through a portal created by Mal Duncan
essentially splintered into several different beams. One caused Supergirl
to be transported to the 31st century
; one caused Adam Strange, Starfire
, and Animal Man
to be transported to an unknown planet and caused Adam to lose both of his eyes; one caused Alan Scott
to lose both of his eyes and gain one of someone else's (likely one of Adam's); one caused the Red Tornado
to explode and some of his circuitry to fuse into Mal Duncan's body; one caused Firestorm and Cyborg
to fuse physically; and one caused Bumblebee
to shrink to six inches in height and Hawkgirl
to grow to twenty-five feet. The beam also caused the heroes to be trapped in some sort of limbo for over a month, until Halo
and the Challengers of the Unknown
are able to locate and rescue them.
The Omega Beam was used only twice; once to teleport Rann into an empty parallel universe to hide it from Starbreaker, then again to return it to the DC Comics
universe, albeit in the Polaris
System. Unfortunately, all Omega Beams were destroyed in the course of their use.
Rann also utilizes various futuristic robots, flying cars, and the like. One notable mode of transportation on Rann is jetpack. Adam Strange himself would feature a jetpack as part of his standard costume. Blasters and other plasma weapons are commonplace. Sardath, as a parting gift, gave Adam an upgraded version of his standard costume which allows for interplanetary travel as well as hard-light plasma weapons.
he shifted Thanagar’s orbit closer to the sun, making the planet unlivable.
At first, Rann attempted to save as many of the Thanagarians as they could, with the assistance of the Omega Men and L.E.G.I.O.N.
Sardath offered Rann as a refuge for the Thanagarians, but many, believing that the arrival of Rann in the system is what caused their planet’s destruction, would not take the assistance of their old enemy. Once as many of the willing as possible were evacuated, Rann found itself in a very tense situation. The planet was full of Thanagarian refugees, and ripe for war. The Cult of Seven Devils, a death cult which worshiped Starbreaker and Onimar Synn, seized the opportunity and started a war between the Thanagarians and the Rannians.
Rann found allies in the Thanagarian-linked heroes Hawkman
and Hawkgirl
and later the Thanagarian soldier Shayera Thal, known as Hawkwoman
. Throneworld, with the Prince Gayvn/Will Payton Starman, also allied with Rann, as well as Tigorr and his Omega Men. The Warlords of Okaara, the Dominion, and Colu
also allied with Rann. Mercenaries from Khund
are eventually persuaded by Tigorr to fight for Rann, although they were dispatched by the Cult of Seven Devils to scour for Nth Metal
. Blackfire
allied herself with the heroes of Rann after an attack on Polara resulted in a significant Thanagar loss.
Thanagar received aid from the Psions, enemies of the Omega Men and of the Vega
system in general. The shapeshifters of Durla and the Citadel, another Vega System menace, also allied with the Thanagarians. Blackfire
and the Tamaraneans (or Tamaranians) allied themselves with the Thanagarians initially, although Blackfire is merely playing both sides in a bid for power and a search for a new homeworld, the past ones being destroyed by the Psions
, a Sun Eater, and Imperiex
, respectively. The Khunds were originally hired by the Cult of Seven Devils to scour for Nth Metal, but were bought off by Tigorr and fought for the Rannian forces.
After fighting off both the Thangarians and the threat of a resurrected Onimar Synn, Rann found itself again in conflict when the Tamaraneans and Thanagarian remnants took over Polara, while a space-time rift appeared near the Polaris Galaxy. Rannian forces team up with Green Lanterns, Thanagians, the L.E.G.I.O.N. and many other spacefaring races in order to combat the rift.
Later Thanagar's orbit was corrected by members of the Green Lantern Corps and its surface was repaired through terraforming.
To defeat Synnar and Lady Styx, Rann's atmosphere was explosively discharged into outer space with Rann's entire population zeta beamed to a recently depopulated Throneworld.
During this time Throneworld is renamed New Rann.
. Dox, seeking to restore his reputation after Starro
the Conqueror stole L.E.G.I.O.N.
from him and used it to enslave its client worlds, zeta-beamed Rann into the Vega system, in the orbit previously held by the now destroyed planet Tamaran
, and proceeded to terraform Rann and make it suitable to sustain life again.
The restoration of the planet Rann wasn't Dox's only reason for relocating it into the Vega system. First, by putting Rann into Tamaran's orbit, it restored the gravitional balance to the Vega system, which had been thrown off by Tamaran's destruction. Secondly, in exchange for restoring their planet, the people of Rann agreed to let Dox rebuild L.E.G.I.O.N. headquarters on Rann. And with Rann now in the Vega System, the most lawless sector in the universe, due to the Guardians of the Universe
's pact with Agent Orange
, Dox now had the opportunity to fully restore his reputation by using L.E.G.I.O.N. to bring order to this choaotic sector.
Not everyone shared Dox's ambitious goal, as R.E.B.E.L.S.
member Captain Comet
compared Dox's dropping of Rann into Vega similar "...to dropping Israel into the Middle East." Comet's prediction seemed to be true when Tamaranian refugees, led by Blackfire, attacked Rann believing that since the planet was in Tamaran's orbit they had claim to it. The situtaion went from bad to worse when Vega's two new Green Lantern recruits arrived and attempted to end the violence, instead only intensified it.
The violence was ended when Vril Dox, who was offworld at the start of the conflict, arrvied with Thanagarian warships and stopped the fighting without bloodshed on any side. As it turns out, Dox was offworld negotiating an official end to the Rann-Thanagar War
, using Rann's newfound distance from Thanagar and change in leadership on both sides as leverage.
Dox then went on to mediate the tension between the Rannians and the Tamaranians by proposing that the Tamaranians live on Rann's uninhabited southern continent. Blackfire, who had gained a newfound respect for Dox and understood her people's desire to stop wandering the stars, and the Rannians who wished to avoid another costly war and understood the Tamaranians' desire to find a new home, agreed to the arrangement.
Polaris
Polaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....
star system (formerly the Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri
Alpha Centauri is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Centaurus...
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
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
and for their teleportation
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
device called the Zeta Beam. The planet Rann, along with her famous non-native son, first appeared in Showcase #17 (November–December 1958).
Natives of Rann
Natives of Rann, known as Rannians, are for all intents and purposes the same as Earth-based humans. However, years of reclusive living and apathy brought on by reliance upon their technologically advanced machinery resulted in a society which had stagnated. While entirely apt to continue for some time, Rannians found their gene pool to have deteriorated, resulting in a sterile culture. For decades, no children were born, until Adam Strange fathered a child with Alanna, daughter of Sardath, the man who invented the Zeta Beam. Their daughter, Aleea, remained on Rann with her mother.Along with the humanoid Rannians, a sentient tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
also lived on Rann. First appearing in Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space
Mystery in Space is the name of two science fiction comic book series published in the United States by DC Comics, then known as National Comics. The first series ran for 110 issues from 1951 - 1966, with a further 7 issues continuing the numbering during a 1980s revival of the title...
#61, the tornado was a malicious entity named Ulthoon, the Tornado Tyrant of Rann. He was defeated after challenging Adam Strange while Strange was on Rann. After having lost to Strange, he contemplated the nature of good and evil, and decided that good was superior to evil. Following this, he split into two entities. One, a benevolent being, called himself the Tornado Champion. The other, a malicious entity, called himself the Tornado Tyrant. Both would encounter the Justice League of America and the Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
before being merged into the android shell of the second Red Tornado
Red Tornado
Red Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
.
Rann's prehistoric creatures, seen during the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
, are large, dinosaur-like creatures, albeit more exotic than the normal Earth varieties (such as four-eyed creatures).
In the 22nd Century, a descendant of Adam Strange, also named Adam Strange, will assist the future hero Space Ranger
Space Ranger
Space Ranger is a science fiction hero who was published by DC Comics in several of their 1950s and 1960s anthology titles. He first appeared in Showcase #15 , and was created by writers Edmond Hamilton and Gardner Fox, and artist Bob Brown...
and his partner Cryll in defeating Yarrok, Wizard of the Cosmos. While originally a pre-Crisis tale featured in Mystery in Space #94 and 98, Hourman
Hourman
Hourman is the name of three different fictional DC Comics superheroes, the first of whom was created by Ken Fitch and Bernard Baily in Adventure Comics #48 , during the Golden Age of Comic Books.-Rex Tyler:Scientist Rex Tyler, raised in upstate...
#11 confirmed the story as canon with a pair of statues honoring both the second Adam Strange and Space Ranger. The above Hourman issue also features the first appearance of Rann Prime and the Adam Stranger in the 853rd Century.
Noted Rannians
Among the many humanoid Rannians, several have stood out for their actions. Sardath, chief scientist of Rann, is noted as the inventor of both the Zeta Beam and the Omega Beam technology. His daughter, Alanna, is an energetic and fierce woman, the wife of Adam Strange and mother to the first Rannian (or more accurately, half-Rannian) child born in decades. That child, Aleea, represents the hope of the Rannian people to once again prosper rather than fade into extinction.Vath Sarn became the 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...
of the sector in which Rann is located.
Rann Technology
The most famous pieces of Rann technology are Sardath's Zeta Beam and the resulting variations. The Zeta Beam is a teleportationTeleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
device, which boasts an extreme long range capability that can transport a human-sized target over light-years of distance. The Omega Beam acts as a Zeta Beam for planetary sized targets.
The Zeta Beam has undergone several stages. At first, the effects of a Zeta Beam would only last temporarily, resulting in Adam Strange having to return to Earth, at the point where he last teleported (in the southern hemisphere, the only part of Earth where Alpha Centauri is visible). Later, Sardath improved the Zeta Beam so that the effects would become permanent. The amount of radiation which the Zeta Beam produces would also be reduced, as shown in the Rann-Thanagar War
Rann-Thanagar War
Rann-Thanagar War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2005. Written by Dave Gibbons, and illustrated by Ivan Reis, Marc Campos, and John Kalisz, the series concerns a war between the planets Rann and Thanagar, and features Adam Strange, the Green Lantern Corps,...
mini-series, when Tigorr of the Omega Men
Omega Men
The Omega Men are a fictional team of extraterrestrial superheroes who have appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Green Lantern #141 , and were created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton....
, having used an older Zeta Beam model, is shown to have a large amount of ambient radiation from the teleportation.
Zeta Beamers, highly coveted by other races like the Thanagarians, are few and far between. Most are situated on Rann; Adam Strange later received a personal Zeta Beamer from Sardath. Throneworld, home of Prince Gayvn (Starman), received a Zeta Beamer as a gift from Rann.
The term zeta beam (or zee beam, as young Aleea said) can also be used as a verb. When one uses a Zeta Beamer, one is zeta beaming, etc.
The Zeta Beam relies on clear line-of-sight
Line-of-sight propagation
Line-of-sight propagation refers to electro-magnetic radiation or acoustic wave propagation. Electromagnetic transmission includes light emissions traveling in a straight line...
in order to teleport; any sort of interference would produce disastrous results. This was shown in James Robinson's Starman
Starman (Jack Knight)
Starman is fictional character, a comic book superhero in the , and a member of the Justice Society of America. He is the son of the original Starman, Ted Knight...
, when a villain attempts to use the Zeta Beam, only to be crushed against a shell of darkness at greater than light speeds. JLA: The Nail
JLA: The Nail
JLA: The Nail is a three-issue comic book mini-series published in the United States by DC Comics. It is a self-contained story by Alan Davis which stands outside of the mainstream continuity of the DC Universe....
also has a dead Adam Strange, killed when he was trapped in space by a force shield surrounding Earth. The worst example of a Zeta Beam malfunction is shown in 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...
, when a Zeta Beam redirected through a portal created by Mal Duncan
Mal Duncan
Malcolm "Mal" Arnold Duncan, currently known as Vox , is a fictional character, existing in DC Comics' main shared universe...
essentially splintered into several different beams. One caused Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
to be transported to the 31st century
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
; one caused Adam Strange, Starfire
Starfire (comics)
Starfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the fourth character to use that name...
, and Animal Man
Animal Man
Animal Man is a fictional character, a superhero in the . As a result of being in proximity to an exploding extraterrestrial spaceship, Buddy Baker acquires the ability to temporarily “borrow” the abilities of animals...
to be transported to an unknown planet and caused Adam to lose both of his eyes; one caused Alan Scott
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
to lose both of his eyes and gain one of someone else's (likely one of Adam's); one caused the Red Tornado
Red Tornado
Red Tornado is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #64 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Dick Dillin.-Publication history:...
to explode and some of his circuitry to fuse into Mal Duncan's body; one caused Firestorm and Cyborg
Cyborg (comics)
Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26...
to fuse physically; and one caused Bumblebee
Bumblebee (comics)
Bumblebee is a fictional character, existing in DC Comics' main shared universe. She is a former member of the Teen Titans and a current member of the Doom Patrol...
to shrink to six inches in height and Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
to grow to twenty-five feet. The beam also caused the heroes to be trapped in some sort of limbo for over a month, until Halo
Halo (comics)
Halo is a fictional superheroine that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in a special insert in The Brave and the Bold #200 , and was created by Mike W...
and the Challengers of the Unknown
Challengers of the Unknown
The Challengers of the Unknown is a group of fictional characters in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, or co-created with Dave Wood , this quartet of adventurers explored science fictional and apparent paranormal occurrences and faced fantastic menaces.Scripts for the first...
are able to locate and rescue them.
The Omega Beam was used only twice; once to teleport Rann into an empty parallel universe to hide it from Starbreaker, then again to return it to the 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...
universe, albeit in the Polaris
Polaris
Polaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....
System. Unfortunately, all Omega Beams were destroyed in the course of their use.
Rann also utilizes various futuristic robots, flying cars, and the like. One notable mode of transportation on Rann is jetpack. Adam Strange himself would feature a jetpack as part of his standard costume. Blasters and other plasma weapons are commonplace. Sardath, as a parting gift, gave Adam an upgraded version of his standard costume which allows for interplanetary travel as well as hard-light plasma weapons.
Rann and Thanagar
When Rann was transported into Thanagar’s system, tensions between the old adversaries were already high. Matters were made worse with the intervention of Superboy Prime. Acting under orders from Alexander Luthor, Jr.Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
he shifted Thanagar’s orbit closer to the sun, making the planet unlivable.
At first, Rann attempted to save as many of the Thanagarians as they could, with the assistance of the Omega Men and L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
Sardath offered Rann as a refuge for the Thanagarians, but many, believing that the arrival of Rann in the system is what caused their planet’s destruction, would not take the assistance of their old enemy. Once as many of the willing as possible were evacuated, Rann found itself in a very tense situation. The planet was full of Thanagarian refugees, and ripe for war. The Cult of Seven Devils, a death cult which worshiped Starbreaker and Onimar Synn, seized the opportunity and started a war between the Thanagarians and the Rannians.
Rann found allies in the Thanagarian-linked heroes Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
and Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
and later the Thanagarian soldier Shayera Thal, known as Hawkwoman
Hawkwoman
Hawkwoman is the name of several fictional superheroines all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's DC Universe. They are partners, and sometimes spouses or lovers, of the various versions of Hawkman, and share many features with the character Hawkgirl.-Shayera Hol:The Silver Age...
. Throneworld, with the Prince Gayvn/Will Payton Starman, also allied with Rann, as well as Tigorr and his Omega Men. The Warlords of Okaara, the Dominion, and Colu
Colu
Colu is a fictional planet in DC Comics whose primary inhabitants are called the Coluans. Another name given for the planet was "Yod" , which has appeared only once in comics, was later pointed out in a letter by a fan...
also allied with Rann. Mercenaries from Khund
Khund
The Khunds are a fictional alien race in the DC Universe, notable for extreme violence. They first appeared in Adventure Comics #346 , as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th century.-Fictional history:...
are eventually persuaded by Tigorr to fight for Rann, although they were dispatched by the Cult of Seven Devils to scour for Nth Metal
Nth metal
Nth metal is a fictional metal in the .-Fictional history:It is native to Thanagar, the home planet of Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Among the unusual properties of Nth metal is the ability to negate gravity, allowing a person wearing an object made of Nth...
. Blackfire
Blackfire
Blackfire is a supervillain that appears in the fictional DC Universe. She is the older sister of the Titans member Starfire and Omega Men member Ryand'r. The character first appears in New Teen Titans #22, and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:Komand'r...
allied herself with the heroes of Rann after an attack on Polara resulted in a significant Thanagar loss.
Thanagar received aid from the Psions, enemies of the Omega Men and of the Vega
Vega
Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus...
system in general. The shapeshifters of Durla and the Citadel, another Vega System menace, also allied with the Thanagarians. Blackfire
Blackfire
Blackfire is a supervillain that appears in the fictional DC Universe. She is the older sister of the Titans member Starfire and Omega Men member Ryand'r. The character first appears in New Teen Titans #22, and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:Komand'r...
and the Tamaraneans (or Tamaranians) allied themselves with the Thanagarians initially, although Blackfire is merely playing both sides in a bid for power and a search for a new homeworld, the past ones being destroyed by the Psions
Psion (comics)
The Psions are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the DC Universe. The Psions first appeared in Tales of the New Teen Titans #4 and were created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez...
, a Sun Eater, and Imperiex
Imperiex
Imperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
, respectively. The Khunds were originally hired by the Cult of Seven Devils to scour for Nth Metal, but were bought off by Tigorr and fought for the Rannian forces.
After fighting off both the Thangarians and the threat of a resurrected Onimar Synn, Rann found itself again in conflict when the Tamaraneans and Thanagarian remnants took over Polara, while a space-time rift appeared near the Polaris Galaxy. Rannian forces team up with Green Lanterns, Thanagians, the L.E.G.I.O.N. and many other spacefaring races in order to combat the rift.
Later Thanagar's orbit was corrected by members of the Green Lantern Corps and its surface was repaired through terraforming.
To defeat Synnar and Lady Styx, Rann's atmosphere was explosively discharged into outer space with Rann's entire population zeta beamed to a recently depopulated Throneworld.
During this time Throneworld is renamed New Rann.
R.E.B.E.L.S.
The people of Rann's plight was soon resolved, by none other than Vril DoxVril Dox
Vril Dox, also known as Brainiac 2, is a fictional character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Superman #167, , and was created by Edmond Hamilton, Cary Bates, and Curt Swan.-Publication history:...
. Dox, seeking to restore his reputation after Starro
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
the Conqueror stole L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
from him and used it to enslave its client worlds, zeta-beamed Rann into the Vega system, in the orbit previously held by the now destroyed planet Tamaran
Tamaran
Tamaran is a fictional planet in DC Comics, inhabited by Tamaraneans, an extraterrestrial race. The first Tamaranean introduced was Koriand'r, better known as Starfire. The only other named Tamaraneans are Komand'r, Starfire's sister , her younger brother Ryand'r and her parents, Myand'r and Luand'r...
, and proceeded to terraform Rann and make it suitable to sustain life again.
The restoration of the planet Rann wasn't Dox's only reason for relocating it into the Vega system. First, by putting Rann into Tamaran's orbit, it restored the gravitional balance to the Vega system, which had been thrown off by Tamaran's destruction. Secondly, in exchange for restoring their planet, the people of Rann agreed to let Dox rebuild L.E.G.I.O.N. headquarters on Rann. And with Rann now in the Vega System, the most lawless sector in the universe, due to the Guardians of the Universe
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...
's pact with Agent Orange
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth...
, Dox now had the opportunity to fully restore his reputation by using L.E.G.I.O.N. to bring order to this choaotic sector.
Not everyone shared Dox's ambitious goal, as R.E.B.E.L.S.
R.E.B.E.L.S.
Revolutionary Elite Brigade to Eradicate L.E.G.I.O.N. Supremacy is the name of two separate fictional revolutionary paramilitary groups in the DC Comics Universe. Both incarnations have been L.E.G.I.O.N. adversaries and are led by Vril Dox.-Publication history:R.E.B.E.L.S. '94, R.E.B.E.L.S...
member Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
compared Dox's dropping of Rann into Vega similar "...to dropping Israel into the Middle East." Comet's prediction seemed to be true when Tamaranian refugees, led by Blackfire, attacked Rann believing that since the planet was in Tamaran's orbit they had claim to it. The situtaion went from bad to worse when Vega's two new Green Lantern recruits arrived and attempted to end the violence, instead only intensified it.
The violence was ended when Vril Dox, who was offworld at the start of the conflict, arrvied with Thanagarian warships and stopped the fighting without bloodshed on any side. As it turns out, Dox was offworld negotiating an official end to the Rann-Thanagar War
Rann-Thanagar War
Rann-Thanagar War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2005. Written by Dave Gibbons, and illustrated by Ivan Reis, Marc Campos, and John Kalisz, the series concerns a war between the planets Rann and Thanagar, and features Adam Strange, the Green Lantern Corps,...
, using Rann's newfound distance from Thanagar and change in leadership on both sides as leverage.
Dox then went on to mediate the tension between the Rannians and the Tamaranians by proposing that the Tamaranians live on Rann's uninhabited southern continent. Blackfire, who had gained a newfound respect for Dox and understood her people's desire to stop wandering the stars, and the Rannians who wished to avoid another costly war and understood the Tamaranians' desire to find a new home, agreed to the arrangement.
Other versions
- Commander Arcturus Rann from the MarvelMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic the Micronauts is named after Rann. - Manotaur, a character on the DC's Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (comics)Kingdom Come is a four-issue comic book mini-series published in 1996 by DC Comics. It was written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid and painted in gouache by Ross, who also developed the concept from an original idea...
mini-series is depicted wearing Rannian armor and set of weapons. - An alternate version of Rann appears in the Wednesday ComicsWednesday ComicsWednesday Comics was a weekly anthology comic book launched by DC Comics on July 8, 2009. The twelve issues of the title were published in 14" x 20" broadsheet format, deliberately similar to Sunday newspaper comics sections...
strip "Strange Adventures", written and drawn by Paul PopePaul PopePaul Pope is an American alternative comic book artist. Influenced by Ray Bradbury and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Pope's stories evoke poignant, under-explored aspects of youth culture...
and inspired more by BarsoomBarsoomBarsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs, who wrote close to 100 action adventure stories in various genres in the first half of the 20th century, and is now best known as the creator of the character Tarzan...
than the typical portrayal. This version of Rann is portrayed as primitive in comparison with main continuity, with Ranagar comprising a town of reddish stone buildings. The Ranagarians wear "heroic fantasy" costumes and warpaint, and their main mode of transport is riding dogs. Sardath is a village elder rather than a scientist and the Zeta Beam is a natural phenomenon that Adam Strange can sense. Beyond Ranagar, Rann is home to non-humanoid civilisations, some of which are hostile to the Ranagarians.